Tied-Up Things
- Sleepover time! Annemarie is coming over to spend the night. Miranda and her mother are getting the cot ready, and Miranda complains about the apartment: the dust and the roaches.
- Miranda's mom gets upset and leaves Miranda to set up the cot herself. Miranda does, and thinks about who used to sleep on this cot: Sal.
- Sal would come over and spend the night, though he could never make it till morning. He would wake up and cry and have to go home. Then, in the morning, Miranda would cry.
- The buzzer rings and Annemarie arrives with her dad. Miranda is self-conscious about the apartment. She realizes that Mom is too.
- Annemarie's father has brought over lots of special food for Annemarie, tied up in ribbons.
- Miranda and Annemarie listen to records and then watch television. They hear Mom in the kitchen drop a can of grape juice on her foot. She curses, then sticks her head out and apologizes to them.
- Annemarie tells Miranda that her mother is cool – especially because she treats Miranda like a "real person" instead of like a baby – which is how her father treats her (35.29).
- Miranda doesn't want to be treated like a real person, she decides. She wants her snacks tied up in ribbons.
- In the morning, Annemarie wakes up Miranda and says she's hungry. In the kitchen, Mom is already fixing bacon omelets – Annemarie's favorite. She called Annemarie's dad to find out what she could eat.
- Miranda is so happy she wants to hug her mom –but she doesn't.