Ann Martin: Baby-Sitters Club 057

"Name it," Claudia said.

"Would you mind designing some fliers that we can hand out at school? We'd love to have your artistic touch." Stacey looked at me in surprise. "But I thought we were going to ask the kids to do that." I rolled my eyes and whispered, "We were. But if we can get a real artist like Claudia to do them, they'll look professional and more people will come." Stacey gave me a funny look, then shrugged. "Okay. If that's what you want." "It's what we both want. Isn't it?" "I guess so." She sighed.

I couldn't believe her response. Stacey hardly sounded interested in the project at all.

"You guys?" Claudia looked a little embarrassed to have overheard us. "Look, I don't want to interfere. Maybe it would be better if the kids made the fliers." "No!" I practically shouted. "I want you to do the work. They'll look better." Claudia glanced from me to Stacey and said, "Okay. Would you mind if I asked Charlotte to help me?" That made Stacey smile. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Claudia." Charlotte liked the idea a lot, too. On the walk back to her house, she chattered about it nonstop.

"I'm so glad you're going to help us save the world, Claudia," she said. "We really need you." Claudia was still feeling inspired from the class. She wrapped her arm around Charlotte's shoulder and hugged her. "I'm glad I can help. This is a wonderful project." The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon working on designs for the flier. Charlotte thought they should start with a picture of the earth in the center. Then Claudia suggested they draw a line of kids holding hands that ringed the globe. They agreed to cut the shapes of the earth and children out of construction paper, then glue them onto a white background.

"We can cut the letters out of ads in magazines," Claudia suggested after they'd finished with the construction paper. "That will make the flier look like a crazy quilt." "Oooh!" Charlotte clapped her hands together excitedly. "That would be really cool." By the time Dr. Johanssen arrived home, Claudia and Charlotte were finished. They proudly displayed their design to Charlotte's mother, who said, "This class has been the best thing to happen to Charlotte in a long time. I can't remember when she's been so excited about something." Claudia nodded so hard her earrings (which were made of paper clips and sequins and ribbon) bounced. "It's even gotten me excited," she said. "Dawn and Stacey have really done a great job." That night Claud intended to call Stacey and me to congratulate us, but Stacey called her first.

"Dawn is driving me crazy!" Stacey complained the second Claud answered.

"What are you talking about?" Claudia said as she propped up her bed pillows and leaned back against them. She fumbled behind the headboard for the bag of Mallomars she'd stashed there. She had a feeling this was going to be a long call (and she was right).

"You saw how she acted today," Stacey said. "Didn't you notice anything unusual?" "Well, she did seem a little bossy at times." "A little!" Stacey shouted into the phone. "She barely let me finish a sentence." "Well, maybe that's her way of showing how excited she is about the project," Claud said diplomatically.

"It's her way of showing everyone that she's right and I'm wrong. She acts as if she was the first person to discover pollution." "Whoa," Claud said, taking a bite of her Mal-lomar, "I didn't realize you were so upset." "It's been building up for the past few weeks," Stacey admitted. "In the beginning, we divided up what we had to do but now she insists on being in charge of everything." "Have you talked to her about it?" "I've tried," Stacey said. "But every time I start to say something, she changes the subject by pointing out some mistake I've made, like using a paper napkin instead of a cloth one." Claud tore open a second Mallomar. "We all agree that Dawn has gone kind of overboard about ecology, but you shouldn't let it get to you. I mean, how bad can it be?" "Well, to tell you the truth," Stacey said in a sad voice, "if I didn't feel so committed to the kids in our class, I would probably just quit and do another project for Mrs. Gonzalez." Claudia gulped down a big bite. "It's that serious?" "It's that serious," Stacey confided. "And I'm afraid that if something doesn't change soon, it's going to ruin my friendship with Dawn. Permanently." Chapter 10.

"May I have your attention, please? This is Dawn Schafer. Today I want to talk to you about a very important subject - recycling." Mr. Kingbridge had let me make a speech over the school's PA system during homeroom announcements. I felt weird talking into a microphone, and knowing that every kid in school was listening. I might have felt nervous, too, but I had written my speech down, so all I had to do was read it.

I told everyone about the need for a recycling center, and why SMS was the perfect location. Then I finished with a challenge.

"I want every student at SMS to stand up and show you care. How can you do that? By casting your vote for a recycling center and volunteering to help run it. Because, if you don't care about our planet - who will?" Questionnaires were to be handed out after my speech to every student in each home- room. Mr. Kingbridge had drawn them up himself. Then he got on the microphone and told everyone how to fill them out. "Don't sign your names," he added. "This is a general survey to find out your interest and willingness to participate in the recycling program designed by Dawn Schafer." The last question in the survey asked the students to name an appropriate chairperson for the recycling project. My name was listed first. Then came Mrs. Gonzalez's name, and finally a blank space marked, Other, please specify.

The questionnaires were collected by the teachers and turned into the office. I was a nervous wreck waiting for the results. I talked to Kristy and Mary Anne about it at lunchtime.

"It's taking an awfully long time for them to figure out the results," I worried.

"Are you afraid they won't pick you as chairperson?" Kristy asked, sliding her tray onto the table next to mine.

"No, of course not," I replied. "It's my idea. Why wouldn't they pick me? I'm afraid they'll vote against the project." "I'm sure everyone'll go for it," Mary Anne said. "It's a great idea. Why wouldn't they want to do it?" I opened my milk carton and took a long sip. "I'm worried that half the students don't know what recycling is." "Oh, they know about it," Claudia said, laughing, as she joined us at the table. "Every square inch of this school is covered with posters." "That's right," Kristy said. "And every student got your newsletter in homeroom." Mary Anne dipped her spoon into her bowl of tomato soup. "And I know for a fact that you have given your speech to every student who has walked through the front doors of this school." "That must be why everyone is using the back entrance," Claudia joked. "They're afraid they'll hear Dawn's lecture again." "If they don't know about recycling, they'd have to be deaf and blind," Kristy concluded.

I nibbled on a carrot stick. "I hope you're right. I'm just worried that nobody cares enough to make it happen. Let's face it, most of the kids here are pretty apathetic." "Well, you've done your part." Mary Anne patted my arm. "You've told them about your program. You can't make people care. That's up to them." "I know, I know." I held up my crossed fingers. "Let's just hope they do." Stacey hadn't said anything during our lunch conversation, which was a little weird. But she'd been that way a lot lately. I figured she had other worries on her mind. Like her big test in history. But just as lunch ended, she said, "They'll vote for the recycling center so don't think about it." I was about to say thanks, when she added, "There are much bigger problems you should be worrying about." Before I could ask Stacey what she meant, the bell rang and she hurried out of the lunch room.