Ann Martin - Dawn's Big Move

Mary Anne burst out laughing. "Ancient Streptococcus? What's that?"

"I don't know. I made it up." I began pacing. "Oh, I can't stand this. How am I going

to sleep? And what about tomorrow at school? What am I going to tell everybody?"

"Nothing," Mary Anne replied. "There's nothing definite to tell."

"But Kristy's going to want to know right away. Remember when I went to visit Jeff when he was sick? That was only a couple of weeks, and it was hard to replace me!"

I realized how conceited that sounded, but Mary Anne understood what I meant.

"But suppose your parents say no, Dawn? Not that I'm wishing that, but just suppose? Then you'll upset everybody for no reason."

I sighed. Mary Anne was right. It was best to keep it quiet.

I was a wreck the next day. Every time I walked by the guidance office I could have sworn they were talking about me. I have no idea what happened in any of my classes — except that during math Alan Gray (the Official SMS Jerk) kept cupping his hands over his mouth and saying, "Come in, Dawn. This is earth. Do you read me?" At lunch I managed to dip my hair in a glass of tomato juice (very cool). Claudia helped me clean it off in the girls' room — and I practically exploded from wanting to tell her my secret.

After the final bell, I met Mary Anne in front

of school and we ran home. Mom was at work, so I threw my books on the kitchen floor and called her office.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ballmer speaking."

"Hi! May I speak to Mrs. Schafer?" I blurted.

"Who?"

"Mrs. . . . Mrs. Spier?"

"No, this is Mrs. Ballmer. B-A-L-L — "

"Sharon! Is Sharon Spier there, please?"

"Oh. Uh, just a moment."

I was dying. My stomach felt like a pretzel. I hoped Mrs. Ballmer wouldn't go wandering away and forget about the phone.

"Hello, Sharon Spier here."

"Mom, it's me! Hi! Did you call Mrs. Amer?"

"I sure did — "

"And did you call Dad?"

"Yes, and — "

"Did he call the counselor there?"

"Yes, Dawn — "

"Well, what did they say?"

Mom laughed. "Let me finish a sentence. A couple of the courses you're taking now have a slightly different emphasis in the SMS curriculum."

"You mean they're harder?"

"Well, some harder, some easier, it seems. But the point is, both counselors think you shouldn't have any trouble making up the

work — either moving there or moving back here."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So that means I can go?"

"Yes, it does. I booked you a flight for three weeks from this past Saturday."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUGGHHHHBHHl" I screamed. "Ooh, sorry!"

"That's okay/' Mom said. "I have another ear."

"Oh, Mom, thank you! Thank you! I love you so much. You are the greatest."

"All I can say is, you better write."

"Every day! Twice a day!"

"Well, I'd even accept once a week. Now listen, sweetheart, I have to get back to work. We'll celebrate tonight, okay?"

"Okay. 'Bye!"

" 'Bye."

I slammed the phone down. Mary Anne was standing an inch away from me, grinning like crazy. We threw our arms around each other and shrieked.

"I knew it!" Mary Anne said. "Tell me everything."

I repeated what my mom had told me. Mary Anne nodded excitedly

"What a relief!" I said. "Now I can feel like

a human again. I couldn't stand not talking about this!"

"What about the meeting today?" Mary Anne asked. "Are you going to break the news?"

"I guess so. You think I should?"

"Why not?"

"Maybe I should call Claudia in advance so she can hide a cake in her sock drawer or something."

Mary Anne giggled. "Dawn, I'm so happy for you! You're like your old self again."

"California, here I come!" I screamed.

Whoa. Ease up, Dawn, I told myself. I realized I was being totally inconsiderate of Mary Anne's feelings. As if I were happy to be leaving her.

But she just smiled and kept asking me questions about my trip. No tears. Not even a sniffle. She seemed just as happy as I was.

For a moment, just a moment, I wondered whether Mary Anne was really going to miss me.

But I pushed that thought out of my mind. I couldn't wait to tell my friends the news.

Chapter 7.

"This meeting will come to order!" Kristy barked.

I had sat in Claud's room for five whole minutes without saying a word. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment to break my news.

"Does anyone have any club business?" Kristy asked.

That was it.

"I do!" I called out. "I'm going to be moving back to California for six months!"

Cheers rang out. A brass band clanged through the room. Reporters formed a circle around me.

Well, not exactly. My friends stared at me blankly, as if I'd made my announcement in Swedish.

Finally Stacey asked, "For real?"

I nodded.

"Is this, like, an emergency?" Mallory asked.

"No," I said. Patiently I told my story. I made sure to mention (several times) how much I would miss everybody, and how I would definitely come back when the six months were over.

Finally Stacey looked at me with this warm smile. "Dawn, you sound so happy," she said.

"But six months?" Claudia chimed in. "We're going to miss you so much!"

"Yeah!" Jessi, Mal, and Stacey agreed.

Then everyone began talking at once:

"What are you bringing?"

"Is it still swimming weather there?"

"Are you going to have to go to school?" (That was Claudia's question.)

"Send pictures!"

"Send pictures of guys on the beach!"

"Just send the guys!"

Before long we were all giggling. All except Kristy. She was trying not to look angry, but she couldn't keep the frown from her face.

"Ahem," Kristy finally said. "Maybe we should talk about the consequences of this?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kristy. She's not moving. She's just going for a visit."

"Right," Kristy replied. "And we'll be short one member for six months. That's twenty-six weeks, times three meetings a week is ... what, Stacey?"

"Um, seventy-eight," Stacey answered. "But Kristy—"

"Seventy-eight meetings is a lot," Kristy said. "As it is, the seven of us are booked solid. In case you haven't noticed, we've been calling on Logan and Shannon all the time. What's going to happen when we lose one member?"

"Kristy, come on — " Claudia began.

"Well, we have to think of these things, right?" Kristy protested. "I mean, I know you miss your dad, Dawn. But six months just seems like a lot."

To tell you the truth, I did feel awful about leaving the club. But I didn't expect Kristy to react that way.

"Kristy," I said, "I'm not doing this to hurt you guys. I wouldn't dream of it. I tried to explain. I have to go. It's the most important thing in my life right now."

"Hey, don't worry," Claudia reassured me. "We'll figure out what to do."

Kristy just glared at her.

"Look," I said quickly, "I have thought about this. I know you'll have to replace me temporarily, and I promise I'll help solve the problem before I leave. It's the least I can do."

RINNNNGG!

The sound of the phone was such a relief.

"Hello?" Claudia said, snatching the receiver. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Hobart. . . . Okay, I'll call back in a minute."

She hung up and said to Mary Anne, "A week from Wednesday? Everyone wants a sitter for that day."

Mary Anne nodded. "Parent-teacher conferences at SES." (That's Stoneybrook Elementary School.) She looked up from the BSC record book and said, "Well, we're all busy, but I'm sure Logan wouldn't mind. He loves the Hobart kids. I'll call him if you want."

"I'm sure you will," Claudia said with a sly smile.

"Maybe he'd want to be my replacement while I'm away," I added.

"Logan definitely prefers being an associate," Kristy said. "Besides, remember when we did ask him to be a permanent member? It didn't work out too well."