Ann Martin - Mary Anne Saves The Day

The Baby-sitters Club Notebook is more like a diary. Kristy asked us to write up what

happens at every job we go to. This is important because then the rest of us learn about our clients' problems, habits, and special needs. For instance, after Claudia baby-sat for Eleanor and Nina Marshall the first time, she wrote up the job and mentioned that Nina is allergic to strawberries. Since we all have to read the notebook entries, it wasn't long before the whole club knew never to give Nina a strawberry.

As you can see, our club is well-run and well-organized. We have Kristy to thank for that, even if she is bossy sometimes (well, a lot of the time).

I turned to the appointment section of the record book. "Let's see," I said. "Thursday. . . . Claudia, you're the only one free. Do you want to sit for David Michael?"

"Sure," she answered.

I entered the job information in the book, and Claudia called Mrs. Thomas back at her office to tell her who the sitter would be.

As soon as she hung up, the phone rang.

Claudia answered it, since her hand was still on the receiver. "Hello, the Baby-sitters Club. . . . Yes? . . . Oh, hi. ... Saturday afternoon? I'll check and call you right back. . . . Okay. 'Bye."

I had already turned the pages of the record book to Saturday.

"That was Watson, Kristy. He needs someone for about two hours on Saturday, from two till four."

Watson is Kristy's mother's fiance. They plan to get married in the fall. Watson's divorced, just like Mrs. Thomas, and has two little kids: Karen who's five, and Andrew who's three. They stay with him every other weekend. When Watson becomes Kristy's stepfather, Karen and Andrew will become her stepsister and stepbrother.

Even though Kristy loves Karen and Andrew aijd would want the job on Saturday, our club rule is to offer each job to everybody. "Well," I said, "it looks like nobody is baby-sitting on Saturday so far."

"No," said Stacey, "but I have a doctor's appointment."

"And Mimi's taking me shopping then," said Claudia.

"Well, that leaves you and me," I told Kristy. "You can have the job. I know you want to see Karen and Andrew."

"Thanks!" replied Kristy happily.

I was being nice, but I was also being chicken. There's this weird old woman, Mrs. Porter,

who lives next door to Watson. Karen says she's a witch and that her name is really Morbidda Destiny. She's very frightened of her. So am 1.1 didn't mind passing up the job.

Claudia called Watson back.

The phone rang two more times, and we set up two more jobs.

The next time it rang, Kristy answered it. "Hello, the Baby-sitters Club. ... Hi, Mrs. Newton!"

Mrs. Newton is one of our favorite clients. She has an adorable little boy named Jamie . . . and a new baby! Lucy wasn't even two months old. Mrs. Newton didn't let us sit for Lucy very often, so a call from her was pretty exciting.

Claudia and Stacey and I listened eagerly to Kristy's end of the conversation, wondering if Mrs. Newton needed a sitter just for Jamie or for Lucy, too. Each of us was hoping for a chance to take care of the new baby.

"Yes," Kristy was saying. "Yes. . . . Oh, Jamie and Lucy." (Claudia and Stacey and I squealed with delight.) "Friday ... six till eight. ... Of course. I'll be there. Great. See you." She hung up.

Kristy would be there?! What happened to offering jobs around? Claud and Stacey and I

stared at each other. I don't know what my face looked like, but I could see a mixture of horror and anger on the others' faces.

Kristy, however, was beaming. She was so thrilled at the possibility of taking care of Lucy, that at first she didn't even realize what she'd done.

"TheNewtons are giving a cocktail party on Friday and they need someone to watch the kids while they're busy with the guests," she explained. "I'm so excited! Six till eight. . . . I'll probably get to give Lucy a bottle — " Kristy broke off, finally realizing that nobody else looked nearly as happy as she did. "Oh," she said. "Sorry."

"Kristy!" exclaimed Claudia. "You're supposed to offer the job around. You know that. It's your rule, I'd like to sit for Lucy, too."

"So would I," added Stacey.

"Me, too." I checked our record book. "And we're all free then."

"Boy," said Claudia sullenly. She produced a large piece of chewing gum from under the quilt on her bed, unwrapped it, popped it in her mouth, and chewed away. "Some people around here sure are job-hogs."

"I said I was sorry," exclaimed Kristy. "Besides, look who's talking."

Uh-oh, I thought. This doesn't sound good.

"What do you mean, look who's talking?" said Claudia.

"Well," Stacey began, and I could tell that she was trying to be polite, "you have done that a lot yourself. Remember that job with Charlotte Johanssen? And the one with theMarshalls ?"

"And the one with the Pikes?" I added cautiously. It was true. Claudia had forgotten to offer a lot of jobs.

"Hey, what are you guys? Elephants? Don't you ever forget anything?"

"Well, it has been a problem," said Kristy.

"I don'tbelieve this!" cried Claudia. "You" — she pointed accusingly at Kristy — "break one of our rules, and everyone jumps on me! I didn't do anything. I'm innocent."

"This time," muttered Stacey.

"Hey," said Claudia. "If you're so desperate to have new friends here in Stoneybrook, don't argue with the ones you've got."

"Is that a threat?" exclaimed Stacey. "Because if it is, I don't need you guys. Don't forget where I'm from."

"We know, we know — New York. It's all you talk about."

"I was going to say," Stacey went on haughtily, "before I was interrupted, that I'm tough.

And I'm a fighter, and I don't need anybody. Not stuck-up job-hogs" — she looked at Clau-dia — "or bossy know-it-alls" — Kristy — "or shy little babies." Me.

"I am not a shy little baby!" I said, but as soon as I said it, my chin began to tremble and my eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, shut up," Kristy said crossly. Sometimes she has very little patience with me.

But I'd had it. I jumped to my feet. "No, you shut up," I shouted at Kristy. "And you, too," I said to Stacey. "I don't care how tough you are or how special you think you are because of your dumb diabetes, you have no right - "

"Don't call Stacey's diabetes dumb!" Claudia cut in.

"And don't bother to stick up for me," Stacey shouted back at Claudia. "Don't do me any favors."

"No problem," Claudia replied icily.

"Hey," said Kristy suddenly. "Who were you calling a bossy know-it-all before?"

"Who do you think?" replied Stacey.

"Me?!" Kristy glanced at me.

"Don't tell me to shut up and then expect me to help you," I told Kristy.

Kristy looked as if someone had just informed her that scientists had discovered that

the moon was in fact made of green cheese.

"Maybe I am shy," I said loudly, edging toward the door. "And maybe I am quiet, but you guys cannot step all over me. You want to know what I think? I think you, Stacey, are a conceited snob; and you, Claudia, are a stuck-up job-hog; and you, Kristin Amanda Thomas, are the biggest, bossiest know-it-all in the world, and I don't care if I never see you again!"

I let myself out of Claudia's room, slamming the door behind me so hard that the walls shook. Then I ran down the stairs. Behind me, I could hear Claudia, Stacey, and Kristy yelling at each other. As I reached the Kishis' front hall, Claudia's door slammed again. Two more pairs of legs thundered down the stairs.

I ran home, half hoping that either Kristy or Stacey would call after me. But neither one did.

Chapter 2.

The last thing I wanted to do after our big fight was eat dinner with Dad, but he expects us to have a proper meal in the evening. Sometimes he fixes it, sometimes I do, but we always sit down in the kitchen and eat dinner at 6:30.