Ann Martin - Baby-Sitters Club 041

"Do you want to wear some of your jewelry?" I asked, when her hair had been thoroughly brushed and was shining.

"No." And that was that.

Jewelry or not, Mr. P. thought Jenny looked fine - when I finally got her back down the stairs. She balked, complained, and thought of excuses for staying in her room, every step of the way.

"Hey, Jenny!" I said. "Look at the living room. Look what Claud and Stacey have done to it." They had transformed it. I think Jenny was impressed, but she didn't want to let on. I let on, however. "This is beautiful, you guys!" I exclaimed. The room was like a pastel cloud. Pale pink, blue, and yellow streamers lazily criss-crossed the ceiling. Bunches of balloons had been fastened here and there. On the food table was an airy yellow tablecloth, bouquets of flowers, and a huge fold-out stork carrying a bundle in its beak. Out of the bundle peeked a doll's face.

Jenny looked at the stork intently. "What is that bird doing?" she asked.

I tried to explain.

"You mean storks bring babies?" "Well, no - " Stacey began to say.

But Jenny wasn't paying attention. " 'Cause if that's true," she went on, "I'll just make a big sign for our roof, and it will say, 'DO NOT LEAVE ANY BABIES HERE. EVER.' " Stacey and Claudia and I looked at each other helplessly. Finally Claudia said, "I don't think that will work. You know how fat your mommy's tummy has gotten? Well, that's because the baby is - " "I think Jenny should discuss this with her parents," I interrupted. Then, to distract Jenny, I said, "Hey, look how Claudia decorated that cradle. That's where all the presents will go." I indicated the crepe paper and flowers that adorned the cradle.

Jenny narrowed her eyes. "The presents are going in there? That used to be my cradle. When I was a baby." "I give up," I whispered to Stacey and Claudia.

Luckily, things started to happen then. The first guests arrived, along with the catered food. Mr. P. talked to the guests, while my friends and I arranged the food on the table. Almost before I knew it, Mr. P. was looking around and announcing, "Everyone's here. And our guest of honor should be back in about five minutes." The guests hid themselves in the dining room and kitchen. I pulled Jenny behind an armchair and said, "Shh." "Why are we hiding and whispering?" she asked me.

"Because any second now your mommy is going to walk through the front door, and everyone is going to jump out and say 'Surprise!' " Jenny looked interested, at least. And when the door did open and her mother did step into the living room, Jenny was the first to jump out.

Mrs. P. was properly surprised. I mean, really surprised. For a second, her mouth just formed an O. Then she buried her face in her hands and laughed, cried, and blushed, all at the same time, as her friends surrounded her. When she composed herself, Mr. P. led her to a chair next to the cradle. And then the fun began.

Mrs. P. reached into the cradle and pulled out a gift. "From Margery," she read. "Thank you!" The woman named Margery dug around in her purse and unearthed a smaller package. "I didn't forget the new big sister!" she exclaimed, and handed the present to Jenny.

"For me?" Jenny beamed. She opened her small present while her mother opened a much larger one. The larger one turned out to be an acute stuffed teddy bear. Jenny's gift was a pair of plastic barrettes. She couldn't hide her disappointment. And didn't even try to, as guest after guest handed her some small item while her mother opened much more elaborate gifts for the baby.

"Jenny, you could at least say thank you," I whispered to her.

Jenny did not answer me. I decided that teaching her manners was not part of my babysitting job. So I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the shower. (Later, Stacey and Claudia and I agreed that the shower had been fun, but that if we ever heard another person say, "Oh, isn't that cute?" we'd barf.) At last the guests began to leave. When everyone had gone, my friends and I walked around with garbage bags, stuffing them with crumpled, lipstick-stained paper napkins; empty cups; bits of crepe paper; scraps of food; and a mountain of wrapping paper.

"So, Jenny," I said. "What did you think of the party?" Jenny looked at her little pile of gifts. "Yucky," she said.

"But all those people brought you presents," Claudia pointed out.

"The baby got better ones." I glanced at Mrs. P., still sitting in her chair, but she was engrossed in a baby book she'd been given.

"Jenny - "I started to say.

Jenny interrupted me. "You know what? I HATE THAT BABY!" Chapter 12.

The following Friday was Valentine's Day. At breakfast, Dad, Sharon, Dawn, and I exchanged silly cards. We laughed, but I had to force myself to keep from thinking about Logan. Here it was, the most romantic day of the year, and we probably wouldn't even speak to each other. A few days earlier I'd been in a stationery store and had seen the perfect card for Logan. It was huge, and cost a lot of money for a card. I didn't buy it. Not because it was too expensive, but because there was no point. I cried a little, right there in the store. By Valentine's Day I felt better. It was impossible not to, what with the funny cards, and Sharon putting red food coloring in the butter so we could have a pink spread on our toast.

And after school, the BSC held a small party before the Friday meeting.

"Red hots!" Claud announced. "I've got red hots and heart candies and even . . . chocolate-covered cherries!" It was a sugar-fest (although Claud had thoughtfully provided pretzels for Stacey and Dawn, our noncandy eaters).

We lolled around and talked about school and friends. We giggled. Stacey was in the process of painting everyone's fingernails red when Kristy suddenly announced, "Okay! Come to order! It's time to start the meeting." Automatically, I checked Claud's digital clock. It read 5:30 on the nose. I couldn't believe it. During the entire party, Kristy had been clock-watching.

Oh, well. That's Kristy for you.

The meeting went by quickly. At six o'clock, as we were getting ready to leave, I said to Dawn, "Remind Dad and your mom that I won't be home until around ten tonight, okay?" "Oh, that's right," Dawn replied. "You'll be at Logan's, sitting for Kerry and Hunter." She paused, then added, "How do you feel about that?" "I don't know," I said honestly. "I mean, I like Kerry and Hunter, and I'm flattered that they specifically asked for me to be their sitter. But I don't know if I can face seeing Logan and Olivia leave the house on their date." "Who's Olivia?" asked Dawn, Jessi, Kristy, Stacey, Mal, and Claud.

I realized two things then: that everyone had been listening to my conversation with Dawn, and that the nonexistent Olivia had become real to me. Did that mean I was cracking up?

My friends were waiting for an answer, so I mumbled something and then dashed out of Claud's room. Behind me I could hear Stacey saying, "What? His cousin?" and Mallory saying, "I think she said, 'No one.' " Anyway, I walked quickly to Logan's house. The evening was cold, so I stuffed my hands in my pockets. I was glad I was wearing jeans and an old ski sweater under my parka. I didn't look glamorous, but I was warm.

A few minutes later, I reached the Brunos'. (I could have found my way there blindfolded.) I stood on the stoop, reached up to press the doorbell - and froze. My finger wouldn't move. I was too afraid of what I'd find in there. Logan and his girlfriend ready for their date? Mrs. Bruno taking pictures of them?

Oh, well. I had to be an adult about this. I forced myself to ring the bell.

Instead of running footsteps, I heard nothing. Silence. I noticed that the Brunos' house looked pretty dark. Had I gotten my dates mixed up? No, Logan had definitely said Valentine's Day, and this was Valentine's Day. Wrong house? No way.