Ann Martin - Mystery At Claudia's House

stood the Pike boys. She opened the door. "Come on in, guys," she said. "How are you?"

"Fine," mumbled Jordan, squeezing past her. He seemed to be hiding something under his jacket.

"Fine," echoed Byron, Adam, and Nicky.

"See you!" said Derek, as all six boys took off for his room.

Stacey shrugged. She decided to let them enjoy being mysterious, as long as they played quietly. She figured she'd check on them every once in a while, just to make sure they weren't burning down the house. Meanwhile, she could sit on the couch and look through some of the extremely cool-looking fashion magazines that were arranged on the coffee table. We don't often get to take it easy during a baby-sitting job, and Stacey was only too happy to take advantage of the situation.

Stacey had relaxed for about five minutes when she heard the door to Derek's bedroom open and close. A second later, she saw Nicky tiptoe into the kitchen, holding a slip of paper. Then she heard him lift the phone off its hook and speak in a voice so low she couldn't hear what he was saying. He didn't talk long. After he'd hung up, he began to tiptoe back to Derek's room.

"Nicky," called Stacey. "Are you guys making phony phone calls?"

"No!" said Nicky. "No way. We've gotten into trouble for doing that before. We'll never do it again."

He sounded so positive that Stacey believed him. She also knew that if they were making phony calls, the other boys would be gathered around the phone while Nicky spoke, giggling and acting silly. (You might wonder how Stacey knew this. / wondered, when she told me about her day at the Masterses'. She wouldn't tell me, but I had a feeling she knew from experience.)

Anyway, Stacey let Nicky go back to Derek's room. And five minutes later, guess what happened? The same tiptoe-to-the-phone routine, only this time Adam .was carrying the slip of paper and making the call. Stacey didn't even bother to question him, but she resolved to keep a closer eye on the boys.

She waited for a few minutes after Adam had returned to Derek's room. Then she snuck toward the closed door. She heard whispered conversation, but couldn't make out any actual words. However, the boys sounded awfully excited.

Stacey tapped on the door, and then opened it before they could answer. "Just a minute!"

Derek called out, but he was too late. Stacey saw Jordan shove something under the bed.

"What was that?" she asked. "Listen, you guys, I need to know what you're up to. I wouldn't want you to get yourselves in trouble." She bent down and looked under the bed. "A phone book?" she asked.

"Yeah!" said Adam. "It's just a phone book, that's all."

Stacey pulled it out. "This says ‘Pike' on it."

"That's because it's ours," Jordan told her. "I brought it over."

Stacey remembered the bulge beneath his jacket. "What for?" she asked.

"Just to get some phone numbers," muttered Derek.

"For Becca and Charlotte!" cried Todd. Then he put his hand over his mouth. "Uh-oh," he said, looking guilty.

"That's all right, Todd," said Derek. "They're coming over, okay?" he asked Stacey.

"Well, it sounds as if you've already invited them, so I guess it's okay," said Stacey. "But next time you want to have a party, maybe you should let me — and your mom — know in advance."

Becca and Charlotte showed up soon after, and the kids moved into the rec room. Stacey tried to relax on the couch again, but the giggles and shrieks she kept hearing made her nervous. Finally, she pulled Todd out of the room and wormed the truth out of him.

"Lessons," explained Todd, after Stacey had grilled him for ten minutes. "Derek's going to give us kissing lessons, and Becca and Charlotte are going to help him dem — dem — "

"Demonstrate?" suggested Stacey. She wanted to laugh, but she realized she should control the urge. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea." She wondered what would happen if the kids' parents found out. She knew some adults might not think the situation was as hilarious as she did.

Stacey marched back to the rec room with Todd in tow, and broke up the party. "Okay, guys," she said. "And girls. Enough of this for today, I think. How about a game of Crazy Olympics instead?" She knew that the Pike boys, especially, could never resist that game, which they'd kind of invented. It involved coming up with all kinds of wild events, like the Pillow Jump, and then awarding prizes to whomever did them best.

The kids seemed to accept the change of plans. And Stacey couldn't help noticing that Derek looked especially happy — and relieved.

Chapter 8.

I couldn't believe it. It boggled my mind. It flipped me out just to think about it. I never expected this to happen, not in a million years. Not to Janine.

Janine got grounded.

Perfect Janine, obedient Janine, Janine the good sister.

I knew I was wrong to feel happy about it. I tried not to show how I felt. But part of me was bursting with pure, wild joy. For once, I wasn't in trouble. For once, I could be the good sister.

Let me start from the beginning, since it will be a pleasure to tell the whole story again!

On Thursday morning, I was in the kitchen eating cinnamon toast. I was dressed and ready to go to school, so for once I could take my time eating breakfast. (I was wearing a royal-blue sweatshirt dress I'd just bought the day before.) I was talking to Mom about my

plans for the weekend (sitting for the Perkins girls Friday night, going to the movies with Stacey and Dawn on Saturday night), and Mom was washing the dishes.

Then Janine came downstairs, wearing one of her new outfits — a gray wool skirt (one of her old ones, which she'd hemmed to a much more interesting length), a pink oxford shirt, which she must have bought recently, and my red sweater, which she seemed to have claimed as her own. Her fingernails were still orange. The pink and the red and the orange clashed just a little .bit, but I didn't want to upset Janine by mentioning it. I had decided to encourage her fashion-wise and not pick on the little things.

When she sat down at the table, I could see that she'd also done her best with putting on some makeup. Her mascara was a little clumpy, and her blush wasn't blended as well as it could be, but overall she looked good. I gave her the thumbs-up sign, and she smiled.

She reached for a piece of toast and started to butter it. "Good morning, Mom," she said.

"Morning, hon," said my mother, who was still washing dishes.

"Where's Dad?" asked Janine.

"Oh, he had to leave early this morning."

Janine took a bite of toast and looked at Mom's back. "I won't be home for dinner to-

night," she said quickly. "I'm going to be studying late again. I'll be at the college library, with a friend."

"Okay," said my mother. "It's all right for you to miss dinner now and then, as long as you tell us ahead of time. We just worry when we expect you and you don't show up."

Boy, Janine gets all the breaks. I'm sure I'd never hear the end of it if I wanted to miss dinner. Of course, I wouldn't be missing it in order to study. I'd probably be missing it because there was a special sale at the mall or something. And my parents just don't accept shopping as an excuse. I was all wrapped up in my thoughts, so I barely noticed when Mom asked Janine if she'd like to ask her friend over for dinner some time when they didn't have to study. "We'd love to have her," she added.