Ann Martin - Logan Likes Mary Anne !

"I thought so," said Kristy after awhile.

We all began to talk at once:

"I really like Logan."

"Logan's great, but ..."

"The Rodowskys need Logan."

"I was so embarrassed when . . ."

"Logan was so embarrassed when ..."

"Okay, okay, okay," said Kristy, holding up her hands. "We've got a little problem here."

The phone rang and I answered it. I heard Mrs. Rodowsky's voice on the other end. "Hi," I greeted her. "How's Jackie?"

"Oh, he's fine. As a matter of fact, he hasn't stopped talking about you and Logan. He had a wonderful time with you. And Mr. Ro-dowsky and I need a sitter next Saturday night for all three boys. We have tickets to a play in Stamford."

"Okay," I said. "I'll have to check our schedule. I'll call you back in a few minutes." I hung up the phone. "That was Mrs. Ro-dowsky," I told the others. She needs a sitter next Saturday." I flipped through the record book to the appointment calendar.

"Who's free?" asked Kristy, leaning forward.

"Uh-oh. No one is," I said.

Kristy exhaled noisily.

"What about Logan?" asked Dawn.

"He really isn't a club member yet," Kristy replied.

"He might be free, though," spoke up Sta-cey.

"But we can't count on that," said Kristy. "And I don't want to start recommending him if he isn't a club member."

I didn't quite follow Kristy's reasoning on that, but I said, "Well, look, I'm busy that Saturday, but I'm not baby-sitting. These clients of Dad's are going to be visiting. He asked me to go out to dinner with them, but I know it's going to be really boring. I think Dad will let me baby-sit if I explain that we're in a tight spot. That way, I can call Mrs. Rodowsky back now, tell her that either Logan or I will be able to sit,, and after we decide what to do about letting Logan in the dub, we'll tell her which one of us will be coming."

"Fine," agreed Kristy.

So I did that, and then Kristy said, "Okay, what about Logan?"

We all looked at each other. We just couldn't decide what to say.

Finally Claudia found some Doritos and

passed the bag around. The munching didn't help us make a decision, though.

"Well, look," said Stacey after awhile. "I think Logan was embarrassed at the meeting, too. Maybe he doesn't even want to be part of the club."

"He went on the sitting job, though," I pointed out. "He must still be interested."

"He probably felt like he had to go," said Claudia.

"All right," said Kristy. "Here's what I think we should do. Call Logan and be completely honest with him. Tell him we think he's a great baby-sitter, but that the meeting was a little . . . awkward. Then just see what he says."

"I think that's a good plan," said Stacey. "Who should call him?"

"Well," Kristy said, and very slowly four heads turned toward me. Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and Dawn were grinning mischievously.

"Me?" I exclaimed.

"Who else?" said Kristy.

"Well, at least let me call him in private."

I left the meeting a few minutes early that day. I wanted to make sure I got done with the phone call before Dad came home from work. It was going to be a tight squeeze. Our

meetings are over at six, Dad usually gets home between 6:15 and 6:30, and I'm responsible for having dinner started by then.

If I'd had any extra time at all, I would have delayed calling Logan. I might have put it off for a day, a week, a decade. But I was pressed. And I had an entire business to be responsible to.

I used the phone upstairs, just in case Dad should come home early. I sat in the armchair in his room holding a slip of paper in one hand. Logan's number was written on the paper. I took ten deep breaths. I was trying to calm down, but the breaths made me dizzy. I think I was hyperventilating. I stretched out on Dad's bed until I'd recovered.

All right. Okay. Time to dial.

K-L-five-one-zero-one-eight.

Maybe no one was home. Maybe the line would be busy.

Ring.

"Hello?"

Someone answered right away! I was so flustered I almost hung up.

"Hello?" said the voice again. It was a woman.

I cleared my throat. "Urn, hello, this is Mary Anne Spier. Is Logan there, please?"

"Just a moment."

There was a pause followed by some muffled sounds. Then, "Hello?"

"Hi, Logan. This is Mary Anne." My voice was shaking.

"Hey," he said. "What's up?"

"Well, we just had a club meeting," I began, "and we agreed that you're a good sitter, someone, you know, we could recommend to our clients. So about joining the club — "

Logan interrupted me just as I was getting to the most difficult thing I had to tell him. "Mary Anne," he said, "I don't know how to say this, but I — I've decided not to join the Baby-sitters Club."

He had? A funny little shiver ran down my back. I wanted to ask him why he'd decided that, but I was afraid. Hadn't we laughed together as we'd left the Rodowskys'? Hadn't Logan told me I had a pretty smile? Had I misunderstood everything?

I must have been quiet longer than I'd thought because Logan said, "Mary Anne? Are you still there?"

I found my voice. "Yes."

"I was wondering something, though. Would you come to the Remember September Dance with me?"

(Would I?!)

"Sure!" I exclaimed, without thinking of all

sorts of important things, such as I don't like crowds of people, I don't know how to dance, and my father might not even let me go. "I'll have to check with my father, though," I added hastily.

I got off the phone feeling giddy. Logan liked me! Out of all the girls in Stoneybrook Middle School, he'd asked me to the Remember September Dance. I couldn't believe it. I'd have to learn to dance, of course, but no problem.

I was so excited, I just had to call someone and spread the news. I called Dawn. When we got off the phone, I started dinner. I was walking on air. I was almost able to ignore the voice in the back of my mind that kept saying, "Why doesn't Logan want to join our club?"

Chapter 9.

Actually, there was more to say, but Stacey couldn't write it in the club notebook because she didn't want me to read it! Something had happened that day that I wasn't going to find out about until my birthday, which was quickly drawing nearer.

Stacey showed up at the Johanssens' after school with her Kid-Kit. A Kid-Kit is something us baby-sitters invented to entertain the kids we sit for. We don't always bring them with us (because the novelty would wear off, as Kristy says), but we bring them along on rainy days or sometimes in between as surprises. A Kid-Kit is a box (we each decorated our own) filled with games and books from our homes, plus coloring books and activity books that we pay for out of the club treasury. Charlotte, especially, likes the Kid-Kits.

When Stacey rang the Johanssens' bell, it was answered by a bouncy Charlotte. "Hi, Stace, hi! Come on in! Oh, you brought the Kid-Kit! Goody!"

Dr. Johanssen appeared behind Charlotte and smiled as Stacey walked through the doorway. "Charlotte's speaking in exclamation points these days," she said fondly.

"Did you have a good day at school, Char?" asked Stacey.

"Yes." (Bounce, bounce, bounce.) "We're learning fractions! And map skills. I love map skills!" (Bounce, bounce.)

"And how are you doing, Stacey?" asked Dr. Johanssen. (Charlotte's mother knows about Stacey's diabetes. She's not her doctor, but she's helped her through some rough times. She's always willing to answer any questions Stacey has.)

"I'm fine, thanks," replied Stacey. "I was getting a little shaky before, but my doctor adjusted my insulin. Now I'm feeling okay again. And I gained a little weight."

"Well, that's a good sign, hon."

"Stacey, is Paddington Takes the Air in the Kid-Kit?" Charlotte interrupted.

"Yes," replied Stacey. "And Tik-Tok of Oz, too."