Ann Martin - Mary Anne Saves The Day

grown-up? You know what's on my walls? Alice in Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty. . . . Do you know who Humpty Dumpty is?"

"Oh, yes. He is the shattered eggman."

I giggled, then remembered the reason for our discussion and became serious again. "Right, but he's from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme. A nursery rhyme, Mimi. Nursery rhymes aren't for twelve-year-olds. They're not even for little kids. They're for babies. But Dad won't let me take Humpty down. He won't even let me leave Humpty where he is and put new posters up next to him. He won't let me wear my hair down or put on nail polish or stay out past nine-thirty at the absolute latest. And Claudia, Stacey, and even Kristy are allowed to do all those things — and a lot more. Every time I turn around, I'm facing another one of my father's rules: You can't ride your bike downtown, you can't wear pants to school, you can't do this or this or this."

I paused to catch my breath.

Mimi raised her eyebrows slightly. "I know it is not easy for you," she said slowly. She sipped her tea. "And I suppose you have heard people say that your father is doing the best he can."

I nodded. It seemed as if everyone in the

world had said that at some time or other.

"Well, I will tell you something that I have often told my Claudia. If you do not like the way things are, you must change them yourself."

"But I've tried!" I exclaimed.

"Perhaps you have not found the right way yet. If this is truly important to you, then there is a right way to change it. And I know that you, my Mary Anne, will find that way."

At that moment, Claudia burst into the kitchen.

"What did you just say?" she asked accusingly.

"Claudia, you are finished baby-sitting already?" said Mimi.

Claudia ignored the question. "I heard you!" she cried, glaring at Mimi. "You called her/' she switched her glare to me, "my Mary Anne."

"Why, yes I did," Mimi said quietly.

"But I'm the only one you call yours. You don't even say 'my Janine.' ... I thought I was the only one."

I had rarely seen Claudia so upset. Not when she got bad grades, and not when we thought the Baby-sitters Agency was going to put our club out of business. But she was standing in front of us with tears running down her cheeks.

Then she turned and ran. I could hear her feet pounding up the stairs and along the hall to her bedroom.

"Oh, no," I said to Mimi.

"Please do not worry/' she told me. "That was my fault. I was not thinking. I will talk to Claudia and repair our misunderstanding." Mimi stood up.

I rose, too. "Thank you, Mimi," I said.

Mimi gave me a hug, then headed upstairs. I let myself out the front door.

What was the right way to change things? I wondered. I knew that I would have to discover it myself.

Chapter 8.

Wow. Was Claudia ever mad. Mimi had apologized and tried to explain things to her,

but Claudia stopped talking to me anyway, which meant that once again, not one of the members of the Baby-sitters Club was talking to the others.

Twice recently, I had tried waiting for Kristy at my window with the flashlight after my father said good-night to me. The first time, Kristy's room stayed dark, and the second time, she didn't bother going to the window. Her shade was up, and I could see her in her room — doing her homework, talking to her mother, and playing with Louie, the Thomases' collie. But she never once even looked toward her window. How long would our fight go on?

I considered telling Dawn about it, and decided not to.

The next time it was my turn to answer the Baby-sitters Club phone calls, I didn't have nearly as easy a time as I'd had before. For one thing, Claudia was at home, and she was not pleased to have me in her room. She put a tape in her tape deck and played it so loudly that the first time the phone rang I almost didn't hear it.

"Hello!" I shouted into the receiver. "Babysitters Club!"

I'm sure the person on the other end of the phone said something, but all I could hear

was: "DUM-DE-DUM-DE-DUM DUM. CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU-OU-OU-OU-OU."

"What?" I yelled.

"DE-DOOOO. DE-DOOOO. MY LIFE IS YOU-OU-OU-OU-OU."

"CLAUDIA, CAN YOU PLEASE TURN THAT DOWN?" I shouted.

Claudia ignored me. She began singing along with the tape. "DE-DOOOO/' she sang, "DE-DOP. IT'S LIFE AT THE TOP, THE TOP!"

I tried putting my finger in one ear. "HELLO?"

Very faintly, I could hear a voice say, "Why are you shouting? Is everything all right?"

"MRS. NEWTON? I MEAN, Mrs. Newton, is that you?"

"Yes. Mary Anne? What's all that noise?"

"Oh . . . just some music."

"Well, listen, I need a sitter Wednesday afternoon for Jamie. I'm going to visit a friend for a couple of hours and I'll be taking the baby with me. Is anyone available?"

Claudia's tape was between songs, so I could hear a lot better. "I'll have to check," I said. "I know I'm not free."

"Could you check with Kristy first? I think Jamie would like to see her."

"All right," I agreed — reluctantly.

Darn. I would have to phone Kristy.

"I'll call you right b— "

"OH, MY, MY. OH, MY, MY. MY BABY'S SAD AND SO AM I." The next song blasted on.

Mrs. Newton and I hung up.

Just as Claudia's song was picking up pace, Mimi stuck her head in the room. I'm sure she had knocked, but of course we hadn't heard her.

She signaled to Claudia who turned the volume down — slightly.

"Claudia," she said, "I must ask you to play your music more softly. It is much too loud. Also, I was wondering if you would like to come downstairs and have a cup of tea with me while Mary Anne is answering the phone."

Claudia considered the offer. At last she turned off the music and left with Mimi. On her way out the door, she stuck her tongue out at me.

I stuck mine out at her.

She slammed the door shut.

With shaking fingers, I dialed the Thomases' number.

Kristy answered the phone.

"Hello," I said, "it's Mary Anne Spier."

There was a pause. "Yes?"

I'd thought she'd at least say "hello" back.

"Mrs. Newton needs a sitter for Jamie on

Wednesday. He wants you. Can you make it?"

"Yup."

"All right, I'll tell her."

"Hey, don't hang up!"

No? Oh, boy. Kristy was going to make the big apology. I couldn't believe it. After all this time, bossy Kristy was going to be the one to give in first, while I, timid Mary Anne, had managed to wait the fight out. Our fight was finally over! I felt so happy at the idea, that I practically hugged myself. "Yeah?" I said.

"What time does she want me?"

"Ask her yourself," I said, and hung up. Then I called Mrs. Newton back.

The next phone call was from Watson, needing a sitter for Karen and Andrew the following Saturday afternoon. "I know it isn't your club policy," said Watson, "but could you check with Kristy first? I'd sort of like Andrew and Karen to keep seeing her since she is going to be their stepsister soon."

"Sure," I replied dully. What else could go wrong? I dialed Kristy's number again.

David Michael answered. "Hello, this is David Michael speaking. Who's calling, please?"

"It's Mary Anne," I told him.

"Hi!" he cried. "When are you going to come over and baby-sit for me again? Remember the

last time you came? We bowled paper cups down the stairs."

"Yeah, that was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!"

"David Michael, can you call Kristy for me, please? I have to talk to her."

"Sure."

When Kristy got on the phone, she didn't say a word. I just guessed that she was there because I heard light breathing.

"Kristy?"

"WHAT?"

"Watson wants you to sit on Saturday — from two-thirty until five," I added pointedly.

"Fine."

"I'll call him back. Good-bye."

We hung up.