Ann Martin - Baby-Sitters Club 040

I guess Dawn had been thinking the whole time that Stacey was handling the call, because as soon as Stacey hung up the phone, she started to talk. "You know," she said, "Shawna's locker is right next to mine." "So?" asked Kristy.

"Well, I'm just wondering . . ." said Dawn slowly. "Suppose one of those notes she and her friends keep passing said something incriminating about her cheating." "And?" asked Kristy again. She usually thinks so fast. I could see that she was a little impatient with Dawn.

"Well, I happen to know Shawna's locker combination. There was a mix-up, and I had that locker for a couple of weeks when school started. Then we switched." "Dawn Schafer!" said Mary Anne in a shocked voice. "Are you saying that someone should break into Shawna's locker to look for a note?" "It's a thought," said Dawn calmly.

"Boy, I don't know about that," said Stacey. "That would be kind of like breaking the law or something, wouldn't it?" "Not really," said Dawn. "We wouldn't be stealing anything. We'd just be looking for evidence." "Don't you need a search warrant for that kind of thing?" asked Mallory.

"You've been watching too many detective shows on TV," I answered. "Dawn's talking about looking for a note in a locker, not looking for a loaded pistol or something!" The idea was growing on me. "I think it might just work!" "Well, we can think about it," said Kristy.

"But there must be some other way - a safer way - to prove that Shawna cheated." Kristy was probably right. But unfortunately, we didn't come up with any brilliant ideas by the time that day's meeting was over.

Chapter 8.

I can't really blame Jessi for feeling a little down on triplets. She'd had kind of a rough afternoon with Adam, Jordan, and Byron. Jessi had been right on time that afternoon for the job of helping Mal sit for her brothers and sisters. (Mrs. Pike always insists on two sitters when all the Pike kids are home, and that's fine with us. It would be next to impossible to watch all seven of them if you were alone!) "The triplets are still grounded, Jessi," said Mrs. Pike as she got Tier coat from the hall closet. "That means they aren't allowed out of the house. They don't have to stay in their room, but they can't go outside. And they aren't allowed to get or make any phone calls." Jessi remembered the story that Stacey had written up in the club notebook. "You mean they still won't tell who broke the window?" she asked.

"That's right," said Mrs. Pike. "I can't believe they're being so loyal to each other." She lowered her voice and went on. "I almost hate to keep punishing them - after all, that kind of loyalty is a good thing - but I have to be consistent with them. Anyway, it can't go on much longer." Jessi nodded. She had already started to work on a plan. Maybe she could get the triplets to spill the beans! "I've got to run," said Mrs. Pike. "Mallory and the kids are in the kitchen, having a snack. Have a good afternoon!" Jessi said good-bye to Mrs. Pike and walked into the kitchen. The scene there was completely chaotic. Mallory was standing in the middle of the kitchen looking like a traffic cop who had lost control. Margo and Claire were sitting at the table, giggling as they peeled grapes and fed them to Nicky, who was acting like a movie monster.

"Ummm," he said. "Delicious eyeballs. Norkon like eyeballs. Feed Norkon more!" Vanessa was staring dreamily into the refrigerator, trying to decide on a snack. (The Pike kids are allowed to eat anything they want, by the way. Mr. and Mrs. Pike figured that if they argued over every bite of food that eight kids were eating, they'd have no time left to do anything else.) "Carrot, apple, cottage cheese - which of these will truly please?" she rhymed.

"Vanessa, forget the poetry. Make up your mind and close the refrigerator," Mallory said. "You know Mom doesn't like us to stand there with the door open." "You know Mom doesn't like us to stand there with the door open," said Adam, mimicking Mallory.

"Oh, cut it out," said Mallory. I could tell that she was feeling the effects of having the triplets cooped up inside for a few days.

"Oh, cut it out," said all three triplets at once.

Mallory glared at the triplets, who were sitting on the countertop, eating peanut-butter-and-salami sandwiches and kicking their heels against the cabinet.

"Stop it. Now. And get down from there this minute!" said Mallory. She was losing her temper.

"Stop it - " began the triplets, but Jessi cut them off. This was getting out of hand.

"Come on, guys," she said. "That's enough." I don't know why they listened to Jessi - maybe because she's not their big sister. But the triplets slid off the counter and sat down at the table. Jessi and Mallory exchanged glances and Mallory gave a sigh of relief.

Just then, the phone rang. Vanessa grabbed it. "This is the Pikes'," she said. "Whom would you like?" Honestly. When she gets started with that rhyming thing, there's no stopping her.

"It's for you, Adam," she said. "Somebody wants to know if you'd like to play baseball." "Would I!" yelled Adam, lunging for the phone.

"Hold it, buddy!" said Mallory. "No way. Number one, you can't leave the house. Number two, you're not allowed to use the phone, remember?" "Number three, you're a nerd," said Adam under his breath.

Mallory bristled and Jessi could see that she was on the verge of losing her cool completely.

"Mal," she said, "how about if you take the younger kids outside to play? I'll stay inside with the triplets." Mallory gave Jessi a grateful look. "Oh, that would be terrific," she said. "They've been like this for the last few days, and I just can't take it anymore. They're like caged beasts or something!" Within minutes, she'd herded Nicky, Vanessa, Margo, and Claire outside.

Jessi started to tidy up the kitchen, which looked like a tornado had been through it, while the boys played in the living room. She could hear them talking as they looked through their baseball cards for the millionth time.

"Ave-day Infield-way," said Jordan. "E's-hay the oolest-cay." "O-nay ay-way," cried Adam. "At-whay about-hay Al-cay Ipken-ray Unior-jay?" Byron (who isn't as much into sports as the other two) spoke up. "I-hay ike-lay Agic-may Ohnson-jay." The other two triplets sat in amazed silence for about two seconds. Then Jordan spoke up. "I-hay ike-lay Agic-may, oo-tay, ummy-day. Ut-bay e-hay ays-play asketball-bay!" He and Adam snickered.

"Orget-fay about-hay ese-thay ards-cay. I'm-hay ick-say of-hay em-thay," said Adam. "Et's-lay eak-snay outside-hay!" Jessi poked her head into the room. She was getting a little tired of hearing Pig Latin, and she didn't like the way Jordan had spoken to his brother. Byron is sensitive, and his feelings get hurt easily. Besides, she wasn't about to let the triplets sneak out of the house.

"Ordan-jay, at-thay isn't-hay ery-vay ice-nay. Ell-tay our-yay other-bray ou're-yay orry-say or-fay ailing-cay im-hay ummy-day!" All three triplets stared at Jessi, gaping in disbelief. "You know how to speak Pig Latin?" asked Adam.

"Sure!" said Jessi. "I used to talk that way all the time. Sometimes I get sick of it, though." "We get kind of tired of it, too," admitted Adam. "But we've got to have a secret language for when we don't want anybody to understand us." "Pig Latin's too common, though," said Jessi. "Lots of people know how to speak Pig Latin. Bop-u-top nop-o-bop-o-dop-yop kop-nop-o-wop-sop hop-o-wop top-o sop-pop-e-a-kop 'op-talk.' " "Whaaaat?" asked the triplets in unison.

"That's 'op-talk,' " said Jessi.

"Teach us!" demanded Jordan.

"Yeah! Teach us!" said Adam and Byron.

"What do you say?" asked Jessi, teasing them.

"Please?" said the triplets.

Jessi sat down on the floor with the boys and told them about 'op-talk.' "It's simple," she said. "You just spell out each word, but you add 'op' after every consonant." "What about the vowels?" asked Byron.