Ann Martin - Baby-Sitters Club 033

"My mom will drive you," I told her. "Come on." So I saw Stacey to the door, and then I went back to my room.

Tomorrow I would contact the Ferguisons and the Selsams. I was so nervous I knew I would hardly be able to sleep that night.

I was right. I barely slept a wink Friday night. When I woke up on Saturday, my eyes felt as if they were made of sandpaper - all scratchy. But I was ready for action, and I was wound up as tightly as a spring.

I couldn't believe my luck. By ten-thirty that morning, Dad had gone downtown to run errands, and both Mom and Janine had left for the library - Mom to work on a fund-raising project, Janine to research something scientific and complicated.

As soon as they had left, I made a dash for the phone in my room. I wouldn't even have to close my door or keep my voice down. Once again, luck was on my side.

Still, the phone call was not going to be easy to make. I had a story all dreamed up - I'd thought of a good one while I'd been lying awake the night before - but I had butterflies in my stomach like you wouldn't believe. This was worse than stage fright. My whole past was at stake here.

But putting off the call wouldn't make it any easier, so I picked up the phone and dialed, A man answered.

"Hello, Ferguison residence," he said. I assumed it was Mr. Ferguison.

"Um, hello," I said. "My name is Claudia. I live here in Stoneybrook. And, urn, I'm really sorry to bother you, but in school we're supposed to be doing research papers - on names. I was given the name Ferguison because of its unusual spelling. I decided to do something with a family tree." (I knew this sounded vague, but I was hoping the man would humor me in order to get off the phone.) "Yes?" said Mr. Ferguison.

"Well, I was wondering if you have any kids. I mean, so I can include them in the tree. I just need to know their names and their birth dates. Do you have kids?" "Yes, I do," replied Mr. Ferguison. "Kara, Marcie, and Joseph." He told me when they'd been born. Kara had been born in the week I'd been born.

I pretended that this was a great coincidence. "Hey!" I exclaimed. "What do you know? I'm thirteen, just like Kara. I wonder why I don't know her. We must be in the same grade." (I wanted to be sure of Kara Ferguison's existence.) "Do you go to Stoneybrook Day School?" asked Kara's father.

"Oh, no," I replied. "I go to the middle school. I guess that explains things. Well, listen. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. I need a good grade on this project." Mr. Ferguison laughed. Then we said goodbye and hung up.

One down, two to go. It was time to head for the Selsams'. Again, thanks to my sleepless night, I had a story ready as to why I was appearing on their doorstep.

When I reached their house, I realized I wasn't quite so nervous as when I'd called Love Bundles or the Ferguisons'. Maybe I was getting used to being an undercover detective.

I rang the doorbell boldly.

A woman answered it. She was young and pretty. A little boy peered timidly around her.

I pretended to look confused. "Mrs. Selsam?" I said.

"No," replied the woman, looking confused herself.

"Oh," I said. "I didn't think so. I'm sorry to bother you. See, I used to live in Stoneybrook, but my family moved away. Now we're back for a visit. I'm looking for my best friend from kindergarten. We haven't been in touch. Her name is Daphne Selsam. I know she used to live in this house." The woman smiled. "The Selsams were the previous owners," she said. "They live in Lawrenceville now. That's not too far away. Maybe someone could drive you over there. In fact, I think I've even got the Selsams' phone number. Can you hold on a minute?" Of course I could! The woman left, returned with a slip of paper, and handed it to me.

"Thanks!" I cried.

I rode home and called the Selsams without a single butterfly. This time I gave the woman who answered my call the same story I'd given Mr. Ferguison - about a school paper.

And I found out that there was indeed a Daphne Selsam who was thirteen.

That left just one baby unaccounted for: the baby born to the Hos from Cuchara, Wyoming - if that was their real name, and if they really were from Wyoming.

But how would I track them down? I was fresh out of ideas. My mind had been working overtime. Still, I planned to look for them. I thought I might wait awhile, though. The search was getting sort of intense.

I was glad when Stacey called. "How's it going?" she asked.

"I've been playing detective all morning," I told her. "Can I come over? I'll fill you in." "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Stacey replied. "But do you mind a lazy afternoon? I'm feeling kind of tired today. So Mom said I have to stay on bed." "On bed?" I repeated.

"Yeah. That means I'm allowed to be dressed, and I can get up when I really need to, but mostly I'm supposed to rest." "Well, I'll come entertain you," I said. "I'll tell you what happened, and I'll bring over some art supplies. We can make jewelry. That won't be too taxing." "Great!" I rode over to Stacey's and spent the afternoon with her. It was nice to take a break from my search.

Chapter 12.

"Kristy, where's Nannie taking Emily now?" That was the first thing David Michael asked Kristy when she began her sitting job with him. It was a Monday, several weeks after I'd started working with Emily Michelle, and Kristy was in charge of David Michael. Her mom and Watson were at work, of course, her older brothers had after-school activities, and Nannie had just driven off with Emily.

"She's taking Emily back to the preschool," Kristy replied.

"Why?" David Michael demanded. "And why's she doing it now? School's over. It's after three-thirty." (David Michael is very proud of the fact that not only can he tell time, but he has his own watch.) "Nannie's taking her back to be reevaluated," said Kristy.

"Huh?" "The teachers agreed to test Emily again. Mom and Watson think she's made a lot of progress since Claudia began tutoring her. If she has, the teachers might let her start going to school." "Oh." David Michael kicked at his book bag, which he'd dropped in the front hallway when he'd come home that day.

Kristy noticed that, but all she said was, "Come on. We've got a Krushers' practice today, and we're going to have to walk to the ball field. Home, too. Charlie can't drive us." "Okay," mumbled David Michael.

Kristy and her brother changed into their Krushers T-shirts. Then Kristy got her equipment together, remembered to put on her collie baseball cap, and she and David Michael set off.

The walk to the ball field is sort of a long one, and David Michael remained silent at least half the way there. When Kristy couldn't stand it any longer, she said, "Okay, out with it." "Out with what?" asked David Michael, his eyes to the ground.

"Out with whatever's bothering you. Come on. Tell me what's wrong." At first David Michael didn't speak. Then he blurted out, "I hate Emily!" "You hate her?" Kristy repeated mildly.

"Well, I guess I don't hate her. But - but she gets so much attention!" "Hmm," said Kristy. "You know, sometimes I feel jealous of Emily, too." (That was a very smart thing for Kristy to say. She didn't come out and accuse her brother of being jealous; she just appeared to assume he was jealous and that she took it for granted, and then she admitted to being jealous herself. She didn't make David Michael feel defensive or guilty about anything.) "You do?" said David Michael, awed.

"Sure," said Kristy. "She takes up time with Claudia, who's my friend, plus Mom and Watson talk about her nonstop." "Yeah." David Michael sounded angry.

"So you know what I do?" "What?" "I tell myself two things. One - that Emily really is having problems and she does need help, and Mom and Watson would pay a lot of attention to me if I ever needed help. And two - that there are a lot of things I can do that Emily can't. Just think," Kristy went on. "If you were Emily, you couldn't play softball. You couldn't read. You couldn't watch your favorite TV shows because you wouldn't be able to understand them. You couldn't go to birthday parties - " "I wouldn't have friends," David Michael continued, "and I couldn't ride my bike or go skateboarding." "That's right. You know what? I love Emily. I really do. But I think you're terrific, too.