Ann Martin - Kristy's Big Day

Seated on the floor next to Mary Anne was the newest member of the Baby-sitters Club and Mary Anne's other best friend (I'm the

firstone). Dawn Schafer had been named our official alternate officer, which means that she's familiar with the job of every club officer and can substitute for anyone who can't make a meeting. Dawn has the most amazing hair I've ever seen. It's straight and fine and hangs down past her waist, and it's so light I couldn't even call it blonde. It's almost white. It's thecolor of sunlight or bleached straw. I hope she never cuts it or changes it.

"Hi, everybody," I said.

"Hi!" replied the members of the Baby-sitters Club.

"Want some?" asked Claudia. She'd just found the M&M's in a box under her bedlabeled ARTWORK: STILL LIFS AND PORTRTTS. (Claudia is a terrible speller.) She tore a corner off the bag and motioned for me to hold my hands out. I did, and took a few.

"Sorry I'm late," I said, settling myself in Claudia's director's chair. "Any calls yet?"

"One," Stacey answered. "I have a feeling it was Sam. The person said, 'Hello, this isMarmee March. I need a sitter for Amy tonight, someone who has experience with little

women.' "

I scowled."Sam, all right. He never takes this club seriously."

"Oh, well," said Mary Anne, holding out

herhands as Claudia went by her with the M&M's. "Who cares?"

"Yeah," I said. "Well, we better get down to business. Have you all been reading the notebook?" (We also keep a notebook in which we write up each baby-sitting job we go on. Everyone is supposed to read the book a couple of times a week so we know what's going on with the kids we sit for.)

The others nodded.

"How much money is in the treasury,Stace ?" I asked next.

"Seventeen dollars and twenty-five cents."

"Oh, that's good! Can you guys think of anything we need?"

The money in the treasury doesn't come from what we earn baby-sitting (at least not directly), but from our club dues, and we use it to buy things we need for the club as well as to give ourselves a little treat every now and then, such as a slumber party.

"I don't think we need anything," replied Claudia. "Maybe we should have a party - an end-of-school party or something."

"Maybe," I murmured.

"Kristy?" asked Mary Anne."Anything wrong? You seem sort of quiet."

I might as well get it over with. "I've got good news and bad news," I replied.

"Uh-oh," said Dawn.

"The good news is that I'm going to be a bridesmaid in Mom's wedding."

"Oooh," the other members of the club sighed happily.

"The bad news is that the wedding's in two and a half weeks and we're moving in July."

"What?" cried Mary Anne, jumpingup. "You can't! You can't move in July!"

"I tried to tell Mom the same thing," I said, "but she wouldn't listen. She has all sorts of reasons for selling the house right now. They're too complicated to explain."

Mary Anne looked like she might cry, but Dawn couldn't get past the wedding part. "You're going to be a bridesmaid, Kristy? Oh, you're so lucky!"

At that moment, Claudia's phone rang. Usually we all lunge for it, but we were so caught up with the news of the wedding that it rang twice before Stacey reached lazily for the receiver and said, "Hello.Baby-sitters Club."

As soon as she said that, though, we went into action. Mary Anne opened up our club record book and turned to the appointment pages so she could see our baby-sitting schedules; the rest of us paid attention.

When Stacey hung up she said, "That was Dr.Johanssen . She needs a sitter forCharlotte

afterschool on Friday, from three-thirty to five-thirty."

"Well," said Mary Anne, "Dawn and I are the only ones who don't have jobs then."

"But Jeff and I are going over to our grandparents' house that afternoon," Dawn spoke up, "so you can sit for Charlotte, Mary Anne." (Jeff is Dawn's younger brother.)

Mary Annepenciled the job into our calendar.

Then Stacey called Dr.Johanssen back to let her know she had a sitter. When she hung up the phone, she said, "Tell us about the good news first, Kristy. Tell us about being a bridesmaid."

"Well," I said, "actually, I've known about that since Saturday, but I didn't say anythingbecause. . .because. . . ."How could I explain that the reason I hardly ever talked about the wedding was that, deep down, I still wasn't sure I wanted Morn and Watson to get married? The girls would never understand. They'd all met Watson and they liked him. They'd all baby-sat for Karen and Andrew, and they thought they were adorable and wonderful. They'd all have swapped their own houses for Watson's mansion in a second. And Mary Anne, whose widowed father has been going out with Dawn's divorced mother, would have

diedwith pleasure if those two had decided to get married.

Finally I said, "I didn't say anything because we still thought the wedding was going to be in September and it seemed so far off."

Mary Anne looked at meskeptically .

"But tell us about it," Stacey persisted. "Like, what are you going to wear?"

Even I had to admit that what I was going to wear was glamorous and exciting. "Well," I said. . . .

And just then the phone rang again.

Business first.

"Hello. Baby-sitters Club," said Dawn. "Oh, hi. . . .Yes. . . .Yes. . . .Just Claire and Margo? Okay, I'll call you right back." She hung up. "That was Mrs. Pike. She needs a sitter next Tuesday afternoon, but only for the two little ones" (Claire and Margo Pike have six older brothers and sisters) "from three-thirty until six,"

Mary Anne looked in the book. "Let's see. Kristy, you'll be watching David Michael then. Claudia, you have an art class. And I'm sitting for JennyPrezzioso .Dawn or Stacey?"

"I've got to see the doctor inNew York on Tuesday," said Stacey. "We'll be gone the whole day."

"Everything all right?" asked Claudia.

"Yup," replied Stacey."Just acheckup ." (Stacey has diabetes. She's on a strict diet - none of Claudia's junk food allowed - and the doctors and her parents keep a sharp eye ort her.)

Dawn called Mrs. Pike back to say that she'd be sitting.

"Bridesmaid gown," said Stacey the second Dawn had taken her hand off the receiver.

"Okay," I said with a smile. Mom and I had finally decided on exactly what we'd all be wearing. "It's going to be a long gown- "

"Oooh."

" -with short sleeves and a ribbon sash above my waist. Mom says that'll make me look taller - and older."

"Whatcolor ?" asked Mary Anne.

"Whatevercolor I want, as long as Karen agrees to it. She's going to be the flower girl, and her dress is supposed to look like a younger version of mine. I mean, it won't be long, and the sash will be at her waist, but it has to be the same material."

"I think you should choose pink," said Dawn.

I wrinkled up my nose."Too cutesy."

"Green," said Claudia.

"For a wedding?"

"How about yellow?" suggested MaryAnne.

"Pale yellow.That would be pretty for the summer. And you and Karen both look good in yellow."

Everyone agreed that yellow was the best choice for my dress.

"What about your shoes?" saidClaudia.

"Hey!" I said. "Get this. Mom said I can wear heels- "

"Oooh."

" -and we're going to buy these special shoes that you can dye to match your dress."

"Oooh."

In spite of myself, I was beginning to feel excited again. "Did I tell you that allus kids are going to be in the wedding?"

"Really?" squealed the others.

"Well, everyone except Andrew. He's shy about things like that. Karen's going to be the flower girl, like I said. Charlie's going to give Mom away, Sam's going to be the best man, and David Michael's going to be the ring-bearer."

Everyone began talking at once: "Oh, you're kidding!" "I wish I could be in a wedding."