Ann Martin: Baby-Sitters Club 123

"But Bill didn't want to watch upstairs and neither did I," Melody explained. "When he changed the channel, I stood in front of the TV and that's when he started pushing me." Mrs. Korman sighed.

Mr. Korman and Bill came downstairs.

"What's this all about?" Mr. Korman asked. "Melody, Bill says that you wouldn't let him watch television with you." "They both wanted to watch the television in the den, but they wanted to watch different shows," Abby explained. "While I was fixing a snack, they started arguing over the remote and things got a little rough. Bill shoved Melody and she hit her head." "People may get hurt when you use your hands instead of words to work things out," Mrs. Korman said to Bill. "I think you owe your sister an apology for pushing her so hard." "But it wasn't my fault," said Bill. "She was standing in front of the TV and nobody else could see it." "Bill," Mr. Korman said, a note of warning in his voice.

"No. I'm not sorry. She's a big tattletale baby." Bill folded his arms across his chest.

"You'll go to your room right now, young man. And you may consider yourself grounded," Mr. Korman announced as Bill stomped away once again.

"I'm really sorry that this happened, Mrs. Korman," said Abby. "I think Melody's okay. There's only a small bump and the skin wasn't broken." In fact, Melody was wearing a half smile as she watched her brother disappear.

"It's not your fault, Abby. This is becoming all too common in our house these days." Mrs. Korman tucked her hair behind her ears. "Melody, go into the den and turn on your cartoons for awhile. Bill won't bother you again." Melody's smile grew and she skipped into the den.

"I'm going to go see Bill before I leave, if that's okay," Abby said. She knew how hard it was to admit being wrong, but maybe she could talk to him and make him see that he should apologize to Melody.

"Sure, go ahead." Mrs. Korman picked up the bag of peas Melody had dropped on the floor. Mr. Korman filled a teakettle with water and set it on the stove.

Upstairs, Abby knocked softly on the door to Bill's room.

"Who is it?" he asked.

'Abby. I came to say good-bye. May I come in?" "Good-bye," Bill said grumpily.

Abby opened the door partway but didn't step inside. "I know how easy it is to say something hurtful or do something you'll regret later. But I always feel better once I apologize." "I don't," Bill insisted. "The brat deserved it." Abby backed away. Bill had his mind made up.

The door to Bill's room slammed behind her. And Abby headed for home.

Chapter 5.

I'm not a morning person, especially on weekends. I like to stay in bed and think in pictures. I close my eyes and see paintings I'd like to make, sculptures I'd like to create, scenes I'd like to photograph. I also think about clothes. That's what I was doing when the phone rang early (early for me, not for the rest of the world) on Saturday morning.

"Hello," I mumbled. It was the first word I'd spoken that day, and I can understand why someone would think I was still asleep.

"Claudia? Is this Claudia?" Josh asked, sounding unsure.

I sat up. "Hi, Josh. It's me." 'Are you okay?" "Yeah, are you?" "When you didn't call last night, I started to worry. And then when you answered the phone..." I pulled my knees up and rested my fore- head against them. I'd forgotten to call Josh, after I'd promised I would.

"Claudia? Are you there? Knock, knock," he said.

"I'm here and I'm fine. Except I feel awful about not calling you last night. Janine helped me with my math homework, then my mom and dad came in with this big announcement, then they surprised us with a video. Josh, I'm really, truly sorry I forgot." And I was.

"That's okay. As long as you're all right." That was Josh through and through. He was worried about me instead of being angry.

"What are you doing now?" he asked.

"Thinking about what I'm going to wear tonight. You can still go, can't you?" All of a sudden, I started to worry that he was calling me with bad news.

"I remember - you, me, Mary Anne, Logan, Stacey, and some extra cool guy from the city. In fact, I was calling to remind you. In case you'd forgotten that too." It was a dig, but it was a gentle one, and I deserved it.

"Where are we going?" Josh asked.

"Dinner at the Rosebud Cafe, then maybe a video at Stacey's. We're meeting everyone around six at the Rosebud." "Claud, what should I wear? I mean, what will the other guys be wearing?" I detected something new in Josh's voice. Was he nervous? Surely not. He knew Stacey and Mary Anne, even Logan. "It's just dinner and a video. No big deal," I assured him.

"But what will I say to all those people?" He was nervous. "Josh, I've never known you to run out of things to say. And it's not really 'all those people.' You know everybody except Ethan. It'll be fun." "Sure," Josh said. Then he added, "Is there any chance there'll be a few hours in the day when we're not with your friends or getting ready to be with your friends?" My friends? I was starting to feel like taffy being pulled in too many directions by too many people - Josh, my other seventh-grade friends, and my friends in the BSC. "I know Mom and Dad are going to make me do some more homework. But why don't you come over a little early? Dad will drive us to the Rosebud when it's time," I suggested.

I could almost hear his smile when he agreed. "I'll be there. You can coach me on how to act with cool older guys." I giggled. "I'm such an expert! See you later." We hung up and I dragged my body out of bed.

"You're looking pretty good," Josh said when I answered his knock later that day.

"Only pretty good?" I pretended to be insulted. I'd worked hard on my outfit - a long black skirt, a white shirt with full sleeves, and a short vest that I'd covered with bright-colored buttons and bows. My hair was braided with strands of ribbons that matched the decorations on the vest.

Then I looked at Josh. How could I tell him that maybe he'd overdressed a bit? I didn't know if I'd ever seen anybody in the Rosebud Cafe wearing a tie, unless it was somebody's dad. Josh also had on a denim shirt and khaki pants. The outfit wouldn't be bad at all if he lost the tie.

"You didn't have to dress up for me!" I teased, pulling on the tie.

Josh stepped back and adjusted the knot. "You'll strangle me if you keep pulling on it like that." "Come on in." I stood aside, then shut the door after him.

"Hi, Josh," my mom called, sticking her head around the corner.

"Hi, Mrs. Kishi. Thanks for letting me come over," he said.

"Our pleasure." Janine was watching television in the den. "We'll go someplace else," I said, backing out.

Too late. Janine stood up, causing the remote control to fly into the air. It landed at Josh's feet.

"Your electronic wand, milady," he said, handing it back to her with a bow.

Janine laughed - a little too loudly, I thought. "Thank you, gallant sir," she answered. "You're more than welcome to join me. I was channel swimming, trying to find something fit to watch." "I think you mean channel surfing, Janine," I corrected her.

Josh plopped down on the sofa. When I sat down beside him, he rested his arm along the back, barely touching my shoulders. "You have some big plans tonight?" he asked Janine.

"I might bake some cookies," she replied. We hadn't gotten around to it the night before. 'Any special kind you guys like?" 'Anything with chocolate in it," I said.

"Maybe when you're through with dinner, we could make some chocolate-chip cookies." Two nights in a row with nothing to do but hang out and bake cookies? That seemed odd even for Janine. "We're going to Stacey's after dinner," I reminded her. I thought I felt Josh's arm stiffen when I mentioned going to Stacey's, but he was smiling when I glanced at him.