Ramona Forever Read Online Free

Ramona wondered why Beezus was willing to give up going to Pamela’s house. Pamela had everything—her own TV set, her own telephone. Pamela was popular. All the junior high girls wanted to be like Pamela.
    Ramona thought fast. Beezus would act big. Beezus would be bossy. She and Beezus would quarrel with no one to stop them. Beezus might tattle. Sometimes she did, and sometimes she didn’t. Of course, Ramona tattled, too, but somehow she felt that was different.
    On the other hand, there was Mrs. Kemp. As soon as her son left, she would go back to knitting and disliking Ramona. And there was Howie, her best friend, to think about. On sunny days, and even on damp days, he was off riding his bicycle with the boys in the neighborhood, leaving her stuck with Willa Jean. “Would Beezus get paid?” Ramona demanded.
    Silence. “Picky-picky, get down ,” said Mrs. Quimby. The cat, who had gobbled up Ramona’s fish, wanted more.
    â€œWell—” said Beezus, “I guess I could sit for nothing. After all, I don’t like going to the Kemps’ myself. Mrs. Kemp never makes me feel welcome, and their house always smells of old soup.”
    â€œI’m sure Mrs. Kemp would like to be with her son as much as possible while he is here,” said Mrs. Quimby. “I could suggest she take a week off. That way, you could trystaying home without hurting her feelings, and we could see how it works out.”
    â€œShe’ll be glad to get rid of me.” The raw, hurt feeling inside Ramona was beginning to heal now that her family was trying to help.
    â€œYou girls will have to come straight home from school,” said Mrs. Quimby, “and promise to behave yourselves. No fighting, and never, never, open the door to strangers.”
    The sisters promised. “Mother, will you phone Mrs. Kemp now?” Ramona was anxious to have the matter settled before Mrs. Kemp telephoned first to say Ramona was a bad influence on Willa Jean.
    Howie’s grandmother, as Mrs. Quimby had predicted, was delighted to have more time to spend with her son. “Whee!” cheered Ramona. She was free of Mrs. Kemp for at least a week.
    When the meal was over, Beezus went toher room to do her homework. Ramona followed and closed the door behind her. “How come you are willing to stay with me instead of going to Pamela’s or Mary Jane’s after school?” She could not help feeling suspicious, so unexpected was Beezus’s behavior.
    â€œMary Jane is always practicing the piano, and I’m not speaking to Pamela,” said Beezus.
    â€œWhy not?” Ramona often yelled at people, but never refused to speak. Nothing could happen if you didn’t speak, and she liked things to happen.
    Beezus explained. “Pamela is always bragging that her father has a real job, and she’s always asking when my father is going to stop fooling around and really go to work. So I don’t go to her house anymore, and I don’t speak to her.”
    â€œPooh to old Pamela.” Ramona chewed a hangnail as painful as her thoughts. “She doesn’t have any right to say things like thatabout Daddy. I won’t speak to her either.”
    â€œAnd I heard something Aunt Bea said,” continued Beezus. “She said schools are laying off teachers. How do we know Daddy will get a job?”
    Ramona, who had imagined every school would want a man as nice as her father, now had a new worry. “You don’t think Daddy would go to Gaudy Arabia, do you? Even if it would be warmer than that awful frozen-food warehouse where he works?”
    â€œ Saudi Arabia,” corrected Beezus. “No, I don’t. He doesn’t know anything about oil except it costs a lot, and do you know what I think?” Beezus did not wait for Ramona to answer. “I think Mother won’t be working much longer, because she’s going to have a baby.”
    Ramona sat down on the bed