Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise (7 page)

     
Andrew Brewer
    
Gabbie Perkins

     
Shea Rodowsky
    
Jamie Newton

     
Mary Anne
  
Dawn

     
Jenny Prezzioso
  
Suzi Barrett

     
Claire Pike Nina Marshall

     
Margo Pike
 
Archie Rodowsky

     
Mallory

     
Matt Braddock
    
Buddy Barrett

     
Haley Braddock
   
D. M. Thomas

     
Nicky Pike
 
Jackie Rodowsky

Stacey

Charlotte Johanssen

Becca Ramsey

Vanessa Pike

     
“Well,” I said, “we’ve got all the necessary combinations — Matt and his sister are together, so are Charlotte and Becca, Jenny is separated from the Braddocks, and that sort of thing. There are some good combinations here, too. Like, Jamie and the Perkins girls are together, and they’re friends. And I think Jenny will work out okay with Claire and Margo, don’t you, Ma!?”

     
“Yeah, that should be all right.”

     
“But,” I went on, “there are some odd combinations here, too. Not bad, just odd. For instance, Shea Rodowsky is with Karen and Andrew. Shea is nine. He’s a lot older than they are. But where else could we put him?”

     
The six of us leaned over to examine the lists.

     
“I don’t really see any place,” said Dawn after a moment. “Claudia’s group, Mary Anne’s,

and mine are too young. Stacey’s is all girls. Jessi’s is perfect the way it is. Mallory’s would be good because the kids are all boys, but they’re younger than Shea, too. Besides, I wouldn’t mind separating Shea and Jackie.”

     
“Here’s another odd list,” said Claudia. “I’m not sure what Archie Rodowsky will think of Suzi and Nina. At least the three of them are about the same age.”

     
“I think we’ve made good choices about the baby-sitter in charge of each group,” Mary Anne pointed out. “Kristy, Andrew would want to be with you.”

     
I nodded. “I know.”

     
“And Claud, you’re a good choice for Jamie and the Perkins girls. I think I’m the only one who will handle Jenny. Dawn knows Suzi Barrett really well. Jessi has to stick with Matt and Haley since she’s the only one of us who knows sign language really well. Mallory will be good with the boys, and Charlotte Johanssen will just die to have her old sitter back. Remember how much she loved Stacey?”

     
“Boy, do I!” I said. I looked at the lists a few moments longer. “Okay,” I said at last. “We know the groups are going to get all mixed up anyway, but they will be helpful. And I think these are the best we’re going to do. Do you guys agree?”

     
“Yes!” It was unanimous.

     
“Gosh, this is so exciting!” cried Mary Anne. “Yeah!” agreed Jessi. “It’s the first big Babysitters Club project I’ve been part of.”

     
“Me, too,” said Mal.

     
“And I’ll finally get to meet Stacey,” Jessi went on. “It’s so funny to think that I live in her old house — that I sleep in her old bedroom — and I’ve never even met her.”

     
“Well, it won’t be long now,” said Claudia. “How many of these big — I mean, really big — projects has the club worked on?” Mal wondered.

     
“Three, I think. Right, Kristy?” answered Dawn. “There was the week before your mom and Watson got married when we took care of the fourteen kids, and there was the play group in Stacey’s backyard, and then there was New Yor —“

     
Ring, ring.

     
Mary Anne answered the phone while Dawn kept talking. But after about a minute we realized we were listening to Mary Anne instead of Dawn.

     
“You won’t believe this!” Mary Anne was saying. (I guessed the caller was not a client.) “We were just talking about New York. Dawn was going to tell about when we took the kids to the museum.”

     
“Is that Stacey?” Claudia cried suddenly. She scrambled off the bed.

     
I could feel excitement mounting. Stacey! Our old club member! Soon the club would be together again. Actually, when I thought about it, I realized the club would be together again for the first time — because the seven of us had never worked together. Jessi and Mal had joined the club after Stacey had left.

     
Claudia and Stacey talked to each other.

     
Then I got on the phone with Stace. “Hi! How are you? I can’t wait till you get here. We are going to have such a great day. You won’t believe how some of the kids have changed. Andrew is so much taller! Oh, and you can meet Matt and Haley Braddock and Becca Ramsey. And Jessi, of course.”

     
“Same old Kristy,” said Stacey, and I could tell she was smiling. “I’m fine. Mom and Dad have been arguing, arguing, arguing, but it’s just a phase, I think. At least they aren’t arguing about me.”

     
Stacey has diabetes and her parents sometimes don’t agree about the way Stacey manages her disease, even when she’s following doctor’s orders.

     
“What are they arguing about?” I asked.

     
“Oh, who cares? I can’t wait to get back to Stoneybrook. Mom wishes she could come

with me. She loves Connecticut. What’s up with you?”

     
“Get this. My mom wants to have a baby.”

     
“No!”

     
“Yeah. She and Watson want a baby. Can you imagine? I think they’re too old,” I said, which I knew wasn’t true at all.

     
I changed the subject quickly, and Stacey and I talked a little longer. I told her about the day we’d planned, and about the groups we’d lined up. By the time we got off the phone, I was just as excited as Claudia about seeing our blonde-haired, blue-eyed, super-sophisticated former treasurer.

‘‘

     
Chapter 8.

 
"Aughh!”

     
“I don’t believe it!”

     
“Oh, my gosh. She’s here!”

     
“IT’S STACEY, YOU GUYS!”

     
It was 5:25 on the day before the Mother’s Day surprise. Mary Anne, Dawn, and I had just entered Claudia’s room for a club meeting — and found Claudia and Stacey there. Stacey was sitting on Claud’s bed, as if she’d never left Stoneybrook. Claud was the one who’d shouted, “IT’S STACEY, YOU GUYS!”

     
Stacey leaped up, and she and I and Mary Anne and Dawn began hugging and jumping up and down — a group hug. And then we all began talking at once.

     
“You’re here in time for the meeting!” I exclaimed.

     
“When did you get here?” Mary Anne wanted to know.

     
“Just a little while ago,” replied Stace. “I caught an early train.”

     
“You cut your hair!” Dawn cried.

     
“Yeah, a little. Do you like it? I went to this really punk place and told the guy not to make it too punk.”

     
“We love it!” said Mary Anne, speaking for all of us.

     
We were finding places and settling down. I sat in the director’s chair, of course. Dawn and Mary Anne squeezed onto the bed with Claudia and Stacey. We left room on the floor for Ma! and Jessi.

     
“This is just so incredible,” said Stacey. “Here I am, sitting in on a meeting of the Babysitters Club. A real meeting, not like the ones we had when you guys came to visit in New York. I feel like I never left here.”

     
“I wish you never had,” said Claud wistfully. Stacey leaned over suddenly and put her arms around Claudia. Claud is not a big crier, but that hug was all it took for the tears to start to fall.

     
“I miss you so much,” she said to Stace. And I knew what she wasn’t saying: that Stacey was Claud’s first and only best friend. And that she hadn’t made a new best friend since Stacey had left.

     
It was while this was going on that I glanced

up and saw Jessi and Mallory hovering uncertainly in the doorway to club headquarters. Jessi looked confused, and Mallory looked bewildered.

     
“Come on in, you guys,” I said loudly to our two junior officers. “This isn’t going to be a cry-fest . . . is it, Claud?”

     
Claudia pulled herself together. She wiped her tears with a tissue and sat up as straight as she could.

     
And Stacey slid off the bed. “Mal!” she exclaimed. “I am so glad to see you! Congratulations on becoming a club member.”

     
“Thanks, Stacey. Baby-sitting sure is more fun this way. It’s nice to be official.”

     
Stacey turned to Jessi. “I guess you’re Jessi Ramsey,” she said.

     
This comment was a little unnecessary. For one thing, Stacey knows that Jessi is black. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but that’s the truth, and anyway I’m always blunt. Besides, who else would Jessi be? We don’t bring guests to meetings.

     
“Yes,” said Jessi. “Hi. I moved into your bedroom.”

     
We laughed at that.

     
“Jessi is a terrific sitter,” I said, as Stacey returned to the bed, and Jessi and Mal dropped to the floor. “She even learned sign language

so she could communicate with a deaf boy.”

     
“Matt Braddock,” added Jessi, looking a little embarrassed by the attention she was getting. “You’ll meet him tomorrow. And his sister, Haley.”

     
“Great,” replied Stacey. “I can’t wait. I can’t wait to see the other kids, either. I bet they’ve really changed.”

     
I was about to say that she might not even recognize some of the youngest ones, when I realized that it was 5:35. “Oh! Order!” I cried. “Order! I cannot believe I forgot to bring the meeting to order, and we’re five minutes late!”

     
“Kristy,” said Claudia, “it isn’t going to kill you.”

     
I knew Claud sounded annoyed because she was still upset, but even so, I replied testily, “Well, I know that. But let’s get going here. Hmm. No dues to collect. Any club business?”

     
To my surprise, Stacey said, “Can I ask a question?”

     
“Of course.”

     
Ring, ring.

     
“Oops, the phone. Hold on just a sec, Stace.” I was reaching for the phone (so were Mary Anne and Jessi), when Stacey leaped up. “Can I answer it, please? It’s been months and months since I’ve taken a —“ (Ring, ring.) “— job call here with you guys.”

     
“Sure,” the rest of us replied at once.

     
Stace reached for the phone. “Hello, Babysitters Club,” she said, sounding like she might either laugh or cry.

     
(This meeting was emotional for everyone.) “Doctor Johanssen!” Stacey suddenly exclaimed. “Doctor Johanssen, it’s me, Stacey!

     
No, you called Stoneybrook. I’m visiting. I’m here for the ~weekend. I’m going on the Mother’s Day outing tomorrow.” (Dr. Johanssen is Charlotte Johanssen’s mother, and in case you can’t tell, she and Stacey are pretty close. Stacey helped Charlotte through some rough times, and Dr. Johanssen helped Stacey through some rough times.) “Oh, don’t tell Charlotte I’m here, okay?” Stacey was saying. “I’ll surprise her when she gets to Claudia’s tomorrow.. . . Yes.. . . Right.. . . Oh, a sitter for next Saturday? Boy, I wish it could be me.

     
No, I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. But we’ll get you a sitter. I’ll call right back, okay?. . . Okay. ‘Bye.”

     
Stacey’s face went from excited to disappointed and back to excited while Mary Anne looked at our appointment pages. The Johanssen job was for the evening, and we signed Dawn up for it.

     
Stacey called Charlotte’s mother back. While she did, Claud began searching the bedroom.

     
“What are you looking for?” asked Mal, as if we didn’t know. (It must have been junk food.)

     
“Junk food,” Claud replied. “I bought a bag of those licorice strings. I thought we could make jewelry out of them before we ate them. Oh, and Dawn and Stacey, I’ve got pretzels for you. I know that’s not very interesting, but at least the pretzels look like little goldfish.”

     
Claud handed around our snacks.

     
Then Stacey said, “Urn, I had a question . . . ?“

     
“Oh, right!” I exclaimed. “Sorry, Stace.” (If I’d been in a commercial, I would have hit myself on the head and said, “I coulda hadda

V-8!”)

     
“Well, I was just wondering. Could we run through tomorrow’s schedule and all the details? I mean, like, who exactly is coming, and if we should expect any problems. I don’t even know some of these kids. And you guys have talked about a carnival, but. . .“

     
“Oh, of course we’ll run through everything,” spoke up Mary Anne, who was playing with a licorice bracelet. “We didn’t mean to leave you out. It’s just that we’ve been making plans for so long.”

     
“Anyway, it’ll probably help us to run through the schedule,” added Jessi.

     
I jumped right in. “I’ll start,” I said. I try hard not to be bossy, but after all, I am the president.

     
“The kids will come here at eight-thirty,” I began. (I was trying to make licorice earrings.) “The fathers have been really cooperative, and they’re doing all the stuff like dropping the kids off and picking them up. They’re making the lunches, too, and watching any brothers and sisters who are too little —“