Ann Martin - Mallory On Strike

"Sorry," he added, as he pulled his trench coat off its hook and grabbed an umbrella from the stand, "but your mother and I have to go over to Stoneybrook General. Fourth floor. Intensive care. Watch the children."

"Wait a minute," Kristy protested. "Why can't Nannie do it?"

"She's bowling," her mother reminded her. As Mrs. Brewer snatched up her own coat and scarf, she added, "And Sam and Charlie are with their friends."

Kristy bit her lower lip in frustration. She was already running late to meet Mary Anne. "But when will you be back?"

"We don't know."

The front door shut and Watson and her mother were gone.

Kristy felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under her. Watson hadn't even said, "Please." He'd just given her an order, and suddenly she had to cancel her plans.

Emily Michelle was standing in the hall, clutching her teddy bear. Her parents had left without even saying good-bye to her. A tear ran down her cheek as she looked up at Kristy and said, "Cookie."

"All right, Emily." Kristy scooped her sister up in her arms and carried her into the kitchen. "Let's go call Mary Anne. Then we'll both have a cookie. Maybe that will make us feel better."

Moments later, Emily was sitting on the kitchen counter, happily munching on a chocolate chip cookie, when Karen ran in, followed closely by David Michael, who was carrying a jar full of his latest collection of beetles.

"Tell David Michael to leave me alone!" Karen cried.

David Michael, grinning devilishly, said, "What's wrong, Karen? Don't you like having a jar full of beetles in your face?"

Andrew flew into the room with a towel pinned to his shoulders. "I'm Superboy," he cried. "I'll save you."

"Oh, no, you don't!" David Michael held up his jar full of bugs, like a shield. "These beetles are magic and can suck all your power out of you."

Emily Michelle studied the bugs and her face clouded up again. "Waaaaaah!"

"Everybody, be quiet!" Kristy shouted over the hubbub. "You're scaring Emily Michelle."

Normally that would have shut the kids up — if the doorbell hadn't rung.

"That's for me!" David Michael shouted. "My friend Carver Ensign is coming over to play."

"What?" Kristy cried. "Nobody told me about this." She was already entertaining four children. Five was pushing the limit.

"Mom said it was okay," David Michael called over his shoulder as he galloped toward the front door. Andrew and Karen hurried after him, anxious to see the visitor. Emily Michelle forgot about her tears and demanded, "Down!"

Kristy set her on the floor, and she followed her brothers and sister into the big foyer. David Michael opened the door and Boo-Boo, Watson's fourteen-pound cat, tore into the house, nearly tripping Emily in the process. He was soaked from being caught in the rain.

Carver, a blond-haired boy with glasses,

stood in front of his parents on the front porch. "Hi, David Michael," he said, rubbing his hand across his nose.

"Come on in." David Michael swung back the big front door to reveal his four brothers and sisters, Boo-Boo the cat, and their dog, Shannon, who had trotted in from the living room to see what all the commotion was about. They stood in a tight clump, as if they were posing for a family portrait.

Carver's mother took one look at all the kids and pets and asked, "Where are your parents, David Michael?"

"They had to go to the hospital," Kristy said, grabbing Emily by the back of her pink overalls to keep her from running out the door. "I'm David Michael's sister, Kristy."

Instead of saying, "How do you do?" or "Pleased to meet you," Mrs. Ensign turned to her husband and frowned. "Oh, dear, I thought his parents would be here."

"It was an emergency," Kristy explained, feeling a little irritated that the Ensigns were ignoring her. "Otherwise, I'm sure my mother would have phoned you."

"Come on, Carver," David Michael said. "I'll show you our house. It's huge. It's even got a third floor."

"That might be haunted," Karen added

mysteriously. She has a pretty wild imagination and likes to believe that the attic is haunted by the ghost of Old Ben Brewer, her great-grandfather.

"A ghost!" Carver cried with glee. "Let's go look."

"Hold on a minute, son." Mr. Ensign put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You know how your mother and I feel about your playing without adult supervision."

Kristy could feel the tips of her ears turning pink. What did they think she was? An irresponsible kid? She wanted to inform them that not only had she been baby-sitting practically forever, but she was also the president of the Baby-sitters Club. However, she decided to keep silent.

"Awww, Dad!" Carver dug the tip of his tennis shoe into the welcome mat. "Then, can David Michael come to our house?"

Mrs. Ensign knelt beside her \son and smiled. "That's a good idea."

"An excellent idea!" David Michael cheered.

This time it was Kristy's turn to hesitate. She didn't think her parents would like the idea of her letting David Michael go off with strangers.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Ensign," Kristy said in what she hoped was a very mature

voice. "But my parents left me in charge of my brothers and sisters. I'd have to get their permission before I could let David Michael go with you."

"What?" David Michael turned to face her indignantly. "You know they'd say yes. Come on, Kristy, please?"

Kristy shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I have to say no."

Carver's parents murmured that they understood. As they hurried through the rain back to their car, Mr. Ensign said to his son, "Maybe another day, Carver. When David Michael's parents are home."

"David Michael," Kristy began, "I'm sorry but — "

Her brother cut her off by slamming the front door as hard as he could. "I'm never speaking to you again for as long as I live!" he shouted. Then he ran up the stairs two at a time. Moments later, the house echoed with the slam of his bedroom door.

Kristy felt terrible. First her own parents had ordered her to baby-sit without any notice. Then the Ensigns had made her feel as if she were some little kid who couldn't handle responsibility. Now her brother was being rotten to her.

The other kids picked up on David Michael's foul mood at once.

"Let's go outside and play-ay," Andrew whined. "It's no fun in here."

Kristy stared miserably out the window at the rain. "It's pouring outside, Andrew. Where would you play?"

"In the mud puddles," Karen cried. "Please, can't we go outside?"

"Out!" Emily chimed in.

Normally Kristy might have found umbrellas and rain slickers for everyone, but Emily Michelle had had an earache the week before. Kristy didn't want to risk another one.

"I've got an idea!" Kristy tried to look enthusiastic. "Why don't we go to the attic and see if Old Ben Brewer's been there lately?"

That seemed to do the trick. Everyone tromped up the stairs to the attic with Karen in the lead. "We need to wear Ghost Detective outfits," she announced. (Karen just loves to dress up.)

Kristy thought that sounded like a great idea until Karen and Andrew started arguing over who got to wear the Sherlock Holmes cap that belonged to Watson, and who would carry Nannie's magnifying glass.

"You'll take turns!" Kristy said, switching Emily from one hip to the other. To top things off, Emily insisted on being carried everywhere, which only made Kristy more irritable than before.

The ghost hunt lasted for nearly an hour, with Andrew and Karen fussing over everything. Then it was lunchtime, and no one could agree on what to eat.

"Look, you're all getting ham and cheese sandwiches," Kristy declared. "And that's final."

Unfortunately, the phone rang while Kristy was in the middle of fixing the sandwiches. She ran to answer it, leaving the ham unattended on the counter.