Sometimes Grandma Gets in Your Face

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I always write sympathetic and with-it grandmas and grandpas into my young adult novels because they can play a surprisingly important role in a young person’s life. In this excerpt from Animal Kingdom, you’ll see why they can also be exasperating.

“So, any nice fellas come into the store yet?” her grandmother asked Jennifer as they combed through the shoes on the sale table in the department store basement.

“Gramma, I am not working in a pet store to meet some guy.”

“Maybe that’s not why you’re working, but it could happen while you’re working. That’s why you always have to look your best.”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “It’s a little hard to look your best when you’re cleaning out dog poop, Gramma.”

“You never know who you’re going to meet at the most unexpected times . . .”

Here it comes, Jennifer thought with an inward groan, the “How-I-was-only-fifteen-and-taking-out-the-garbage-when-who-should-come-along-but-Grampa” speech. Fortunately, her grandmother got distracted by a find: black patent leather t-straps. Like the other shoes on the table they were tied together, which made them more secure but a lot harder to try on.  The idea was to put on one shoe at a time, but when Jennifer glanced back at Gramma, she saw that she had put them both on and was hopping vigorously over to the mirror. Jennifer burst out laughing, and in her amusement she forgot to be annoyed with her grandmother for always harping on boys, boys, boys.

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