Ava XOX Read Online Free Page B

my hand had a mind of its own. (Wait. Can hands have minds ?)

2/13
2:13 P.M.
    DEAR DIARY,
    We entered the bookstore, and Mrs. Bates put my poster by the register, which made me feel good.
    Bea and Ben came over, and we went to the back and put our coats and hats and scarves and gloves in a big clothes puddle in the corner. Then Pip gave Ben her handmade valentine, and he handed her a great big red envelope! It was romantic! Especially since Bates Books is practically polka-dotted with hearts.
    Ben and Pip stayed in the kids’ section, and Bea and I walked to a grown-up section. Meow Meow, their friendly Creamsicle-colored cat, followed us, his tail high in the air.
    I have to say: I’d never noticed how many books are in Bates Books. I guess I’d always hung out in the kids’ area, but there are shelves and shelves of books for grown-ups.
    Mrs. Lemons once told us about genres—like mysteries and sci-fi and fantasy and graphic novels and historical fiction and realistic fiction (my favorite). But most books are nonfiction. And a lot of them have to do with food.
    I’m not kidding. Bates Books sells hundreds of cookbooks. Some explain how to cook French or Italian or Greek or Mexican or Indian or Chinese meals. Some explain how to cook soup or fish or meat or vegetables or dessert. Some are for beginners, some are for experts, some are for people with allergies. And they’re all bursting with recipes and photos! They’re like picture books for grown-ups.
    Right next to the cookbooks are diet books. Tons of them! There are almost as many books about not eating as there are about eating! It made me think of when Ms. Sickles had us look for “mixed and contradictory messages.” Bea said they have books about eating disorders too, like when people eat so much, they make themselves sick, or starve themselves and have to go to the hospital.
    â€œI think Tanya wants just general suggestions,” I said.
    We sat on the floor and started looking at self-help books on “wellness,” and I started writing down tips. Bea said her mom and dad don’t like it when kids treat the bookstore as if it’s a “lending library,” but they don’t mind if she does.
    I told her that if we come up with a good list for Tanya, I might make a poster for FLASH class. I also told her that Ms. Sickle just put up a poster with a giant B+ and, underneath, the words: “ Be positive. ”
    Bea smiled, and Meow Meow rubbed up against my knee and hopped onto my lap and started purring and purring like there was no place he’d rather be. (Taco never does that.) “He’s such a good cat,” I said.
    â€œI know,” Bea said.
    We kept leafing through books and talking, and I took notes like: “If you drink sugary soda, try to switch to water.” And “If you tend to eat fast, try to put down your fork between some bites.” And “Leave the ice cream in the grocery store because it’s much easier to resist temptation once in a store than all day long at home.” I also wrote “Use smaller plates,” and “Take the stairs not the elevator,” and “Go places by bike, not car,” which is exactly what Pip and I had just done even though it had meant bundling up with hats, scarves, and gloves.
    Besides all the practical tips, Bea said her aunt—the psychotherapist—would say to think “big picture.”
    â€œBig picture?”
    â€œLike, picture yourself in better shape so you’re ‘visualizing success,’ rather than just ‘feeling deprived.’”
    I nodded, and Bea kept dictating tips like, “Avoid high-fructose corn syrup.” And “Don’t expect to drop pounds overnight.” And “Give yourself lots of credit for trying to take better care of yourself.”
    It was fun to be working with Bea again. Interesting too, because I’d never thought about c arbs, c alories,