Ann Martin - Mallory On Strike

As my best friend, she knew she ought to march up to my room and try to explain everything. But she hesitated. Mal's so upset, she thought. What if I try to talk to her and we get into an argument? That would only make things worse.

After a few awkward moments, Jessi said, "Well, I guess I'll get my Kid-Kit and go home. Would you ask Mal to call me later, Mrs. Pike?"

"Of course," said Mom.

Jessi walked down the steps of our house, feeling confused and hurt. The game she had hoped would be helpful had backfired, and now her best friend was angry with her and she didn't know what to do about it.

Chapter 9.

"The Wednesday meeting of the Baby-sitters Club is officially called to order," Kristy said as the numbers on Claud's clock changed from 5:29 to 5:30.

I had arrived ten minutes early, but that didn't make my stomach feel any better. It was doing flip-flops inside me. I had made a very important decision, and the time had come to break the news to my friends.

Kristy was dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt that said, "Go Krushers!" on the front. She flipped up her visor and asked, "Is there any new club business to discuss?"

I wanted to make my announcement, but I hesitated.

"The club notebook isn't quite tip to date," Kristy continued. "No one has written in it for a few days."

Claud winced. "I'm one of the guilty ones. I had two jobs this week and I haven't written a word."

Kristy, in her stern president's voice, said, "We have to keep the notebook up to date. Because," she flashed a big smile, "that's one of the things that helps make us such great baby-sitters."

I wished she hadn't said that. My stomach did a triple somersault.

Stacey was holding the manila envelope containing the dues in her lap. "We're in good shape moneywise," she said, "so if anyone wants to buy new supplies for their Kid-Kits, let me know next Friday."

"I can't believe I heard Stacey McGill say that," Dawn joked to the rest of the club. "Old tightwad?"

Everyone burst out laughing at the look on Stacey's face. Everyone except me, that is. Their laughter just made me feel worse.

"I am not a tightwad," Stacey protested, putting her hands on her hips. She tilted her head up and said, with as much dignity as she could muster, "I'm just frugal."

Of course that made everyone laugh even more. I looked at the clock. Five minutes had passed. The calls from clients wanting to book jobs would start coming in any second, so it

was now or never. I had to make my announcement. I raised my hand.

"Excuse me, you guys, but I have an important announcement to make." My heart was pounding in my chest.

"Is it about Miss Frugal?" Claudia giggled, nudging Stacey in the ribs. Stacey swatted at her to stop, but she was grinning.

I closed my eyes and said the words really fast. "It's about me and the BSC. I would like to be demoted."

There was dead silence. Finally Kristy spoke.

"You're kidding, aren't you?"

I opened my eyes and shook my head. "No."

Jessi, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my hand. "Mallory, that's silly."

I looked Jessi square in the face. "I've done a lot of thinking about this, and I just don't feel I'm qualified to be a member. I really think you should make me an associate member, like Shannon or Logan."

Everyone started talking at once, trying to convince me to change my mind. Finally Kristy put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly for everyone to be quiet. Then she turned to me and asked, "Why do you think you're not qualified to be in the BSC?"

"I'm a terrible sitter. Last week I wasn't paying close attention, and Buddy Barrett nearly cut his foot off."

"That could have happened to any of us," Mary Anne said.

"But it didn't. It happened to me. All because I wasn't paying attention."

"Maybe," Kristy cut in. "But when you saw that he was hurt, what did you do?"

"I carried him into the kitchen, made sure his foot was elevated, then wrapped it, applying pressure to make the bleeding stop," I said, rattling off my answer like a paragraph out of a first aid book.

Kristy nodded solemnly. "You did everything right. I'd say you're a very good sitter."

"But I'm a terrible club member. Look at last week. I was late and didn't even apologize."

"Okay." Dawn leaned forward on the bed. "But you told us about the story you're writing and the pressure you're under at home, and we understood."

The rest of the girls in the room murmured their agreement with Dawn.

"But I'm not able to take any new jobs. And you've already had to call an associate member to take my place. Let's face it, I'm really letting you down."

"Mal, that's just not true!" Jessi protested.

"Besides, every job you turn down just means more money for us," Claud teased.

"That's right!" Kristy agreed, but I didn't feel any better. In fact, I felt worse. I was making my friends work harder and they were trying to make me feel good about it.

"You're just in a slump," Mary Anne said, smiling sympathetically. "You'll be able to take more jobs soon. I just know it."

"I don't know when I'll be able to take another job," I said, my voice getting tighter and louder. "So please demote me. If you don't, I'll quit!"

There. I'd said it. Jessi gasped in horror. Mary Anne's eyes instantly filled with tears. Claud dropped the candy bar she was unwrapping onto her lap and stared at me, openmouthed.

"Quit?" Stacey and Dawn repeated in barely a whisper.

Kristy sat very still. No one had ever voluntarily quit the BSC. It was unthinkable.

The silence that followed my announcement was agony. Luckily, the phone rang. Claud answered it in a very subdued voice. She nodded her head several times, murmuring, "Mm-hmm," then hung up. "The Prezziosos need a sitter for Thursday."

Mary Anne sniffed loudly as she examined

the work schedule. "It looks like Dawn can take that one."

Dawn nodded, and Claudia called Mrs. Prezzioso back. The phone rang several more times, and everyone carried on mechanically, answering the phone and speaking in a monotone. I hadn't realized how my announcement would affect the club. I hadn't realized how hard it would hit me. I felt hollow inside.

Five minutes before the meeting was over, Kristy adjusted her visor and sat up in her chair. "Mal, I think you need time to think about this. So I propose that you take two weeks off from the club and baby-sitting."

"But what about — "

Kristy answered my question before I could ask it. "The rest of us will cover for you. That way you can finish your story and have some time to think things over."

Jessi, who looked sadder than I had ever seen her, turned to me and whispered, "Please say yes, Mal."

I glanced at Jessi and then back at Kristy. I still didn't feel good about letting the others carry my workload, but I really didn't want to quit the club. "All right," I murmured, "I'll try it."

"Good!" Kristy said as the numbers of the digital clock turned from 5:59 to 6:00. "Then we'll see you back here in two weeks. And

this meeting of the Baby-sitters Club is adjourned."

Two weeks seemed like an eternity. I felt as if I were about to take a long trip all by myself, and it made me feel sad. And lonely.

Chapter 10.

Watson Brewer's home is a mansion. Even with Kristy and her three brothers, her new sister, and her grandmother, it never feels crowded. That's why it's nice when Kristy's little stepsister and stepbrother come to stay. They make the mansion seem more full.

Usually Kristy loves spending time with Karen and Andrew. But she had already made plans to spend Saturday with Mary Anne. She'd reserved the evening for her stepbrother and stepsister.

Kristy had just put on her yellow rain slicker and was about to leave to meet Mary Anne when Watson burst into the foyer, explaining about the phone call he had just received.