Chapters 7 and 8 Summary

Penny wakes to the sound of her mother laughing, and finds her talking at the door to Mr. Mulligan. Penny asks and gets confirmation that the family will be going to Aunt Francine's and Uncle Donald's for summer vacation. Penny's twelfth birthday is coming, and her mother tells her that when she turned twelve, Me-me and Pop-pop gave her her very first piece of real jewelry — a pearl necklace she still has. She tells Penny about how she wore it to her first dance, and Penny asks her if she kissed the boy she went with. She tells Penny that she won't be home for dinner and asks her to help Me-me with the chores. Pop-pop mentions taking Penny for a walk to town, and Penny knows that he is going to pick up cigars, even though Me-me wouldn't like...