Ann Martin - Baby-Sitters Club 032

Then I thought of the Felders, the hopes they'd had for Susan when she was an advanced baby, and even the thin thread of a hope that Mr. Felder still clung to: Susan Felder, IN CONCERT! I was beginning to feel dangerously sad when Mr. Felder spoke up.

"I don't suppose Mrs. Felder has told you our good news," he said.

Their good news? Had they found out something about Susan's prognosis?

"No," I replied. "She hasn't." Mr. Felder grinned. "Susan is going to become a big sister. Mrs. Felder and I are expecting a baby." "You are?" I shouted. I couldn't help it - I jumped up. "Oh, that's fantastic! If s wonderful! Susan, Susan, you're going to have a baby brother or sister!" I tried to give her a hug.

"She's going to have a sister," said Mr. Felder. "We're having lots of tests done. We know we can't detect autism before the baby is born, but a lot of other problems can be detected (so can the sex of the baby), and Mrs. Felder and I aren't taking any chances. Besides, we're getting older by the minute." (I grinned.) "Anyway, so far, so good. The baby seems perfectly healthy. Her name," he added, "will be Hope." "Oh, I just know Hope will be wonderful," I said. "I can feel it. She'll go to Stoneybrook Elementary. Hey, she can be friends with Laura Perkins - the baby who lives in my old house. They'll be just about the same age. And maybe one day you'll let me sit for Hopie. That's what I'll call her. Hopie." "Hi, Kristy!" called a voice that sounded forcefully cheerful, if you know what I mean. Like the person would be cheerful if it killed her.

It was Mrs. Felder. She was heading downstairs, a fat envelope in her hand and Susan's pillow under one arm.

"Hi!" I cried. "Congratulations! I just heard your news. About Hope. I'm so excited. That's great!" Mrs. Felder smiled a genuinely cheerful smile. "Thank you," she said, patting her stomach. "Do I look any fatter to you?" I peered at her. I never notice when people gain or lose weight, unless it's, like, a hundred pounds. "You know, I think you do," 1 said, because that was the answer she wanted to hear. "Yup. Just a little." Mrs. Felder's smile became a grin.

Then Mr. Felder looked at his watch. "We better get going," he said. "The school wants us there by dinnertime. The way they introduce students to school life is to thrust them right into it. Susan's room became ready for her this afternoon, and she's expected to eat supper in the dining room with the other students at six-thirty tonight." I nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Could you give me a hand with the trunk?" asked Mr. Felder. "It's heavy. I don't want my wife trying to lift it." So I helped Mr. Felder load Susan's trunk into the back of the car. Then Mrs. Felder led Susan outside. She was just about to settle her in the backseat with her pillow when we heard, "Hullo'," Who else but James?

The Felders and I turned to see James Hobart running across the lawn toward the car.

"I came to say good-bye!" he called. "Susan's leaving, isn't she?" "Yeah," I replied. Then I added, "Mr. Felder, have you met James Hobart? He and his family moved into Mary Anne Spier's old house." James and Mr. Felder shook hands. Then the Felders and I kind of stood back while James approached Susan. "So long," he said. "I'm glad you were my mate." No response from Susan.

"Susan?" said James. "Susan?" Nothing.

James extended his hand as if he were going to take Susan's, then thought better of it, and pulled his away. "Well, good-bye," he said. "I'll miss you. I hope you come back soon." Mrs. Felder started to cry, and James looked at me as if he might cry, too, so I put my arm around him. Then the Felders buckled Susan into the car, climbed into the front seat, and rolled down their windows.

"Good-bye!" they called as they backed into the street. "Thank you, Kristy! 'Bye, James!" " 'Bye!" we called back.

"I wish Susan would say 'good-bye/ " said James, as we watched the car disappear down the street.

"Me, too," I replied. "Maybe she'll be able to after she's been at the school for awhile. Who knows what she'll learn there." "Yeah, who knows," echoed James, sounding as if he didn't believe she'd learn a thing. Then he added, "My mum says it isn't nice to pity people, but I do feel sorry for the Felders. I can't help it. Susan is their only kid and she won't talk or anything. I know how that feels, because for awhile she was my only friend, and I wanted a friend who could talk. 1 wanted that really badly." "Don't feel too sorry," I told James. "You've got Zach now, and guess what. I don't think this is a secret or anything so I'll just go ahead and tell you: Mrs. Felder is expecting another baby." James' eyes lit up. "She is?.' That is rad - I mean great. It's great!" "I think so, too," I said.

I hung around the Hobarts' house until five o'clock, almost time for our Friday BSC meeting.

Chapter 15.

I went to Claudia's early. I knew she wasn't baby-sitting that afternoon, and it's nice to have a chance to spend time with my old friends. Before Mary Anne and I moved, I could pop next door to visit her, or pop across the street to visit Claudia any time I wanted. So I took advantage of being back in the neighborhood without a sitting job and went to Claudia's house early.

When I reached the top of the Kishis' stairs, I could see Claudia at the end of the hallway, bent over her doorknob.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Trying to pick the lock," she replied. "You're here early." "I know. I wanted to visit. But Claud, your door's open," I pointed out. "I thought you only needed to pick a lock if you were locked out - or needed to break into something." Claudia held up a bobby pin and grinned at me. "I just want to find out if it really is possible to pick a lock with one of these." "Why?" I asked as I slithered by her and entered the room.

"Because," she said, "you never know when you might need this skill. Besides, I want to pretend I'm Nancy Drew, cracking an important case." "Does it work?" I asked. "I mean, does the bobby pin work?" "No, darn it." Claudia flung the bobby pin to the floor in frustration. Then she picked it up, smiled, and said, "Oh, well. If this won't work, something else probably will. I'll just have to think creatively - like Nancy Drew." Claudia put the bobby pin in a dresser drawer, then exclaimed, "Oh, here they are!" "What?" I asked.

"My Mentos. I've been looking for them everywhere. I could have sworn I put them in that secret drawer in my jewelry box." Claudia opened up the package and offered me the top Mento on the roll, which I thought was very generous of her. "Mento?" she said.

"Certainly," I replied. "Thank you." I settled into the director's chair.

Claudia took a Mento for herself, then said suddenly, "Didn't Susan leave today? Didn't she go off to her new school?" I nodded. "Yeah." "I'm sorry," said Claud. "I know you wanted her to stay here." "Well, it's funny. I did want her to stay, but now I think the new school is the best place for her." "Really?" "It took me a long time to realize it," I said, "but Susan needs help she can't get here. She's very handicapped. She needs more than her parents can give her, more than I can give her, more than the teachers in the public schools can give her." "More than the special teachers?" Claud wanted to know.

"Yes." "But what about those kids we sat behind during that assembly?" "They're all more advanced than Susan." "Even the autistic boy you told me about?" "Yes." "Even the retarded kids?" "Especially the retarded kids. They can learn. They want to learn. They talk. They just go at a slower pace than the rest of us. And they're not all locked up inside themselves.

"I thought," I went on, "that if I could just introduce Susan to what a 'normal' life is - you know, living at home, playing in the neighborhood, making friends with other kids, learning games - that she would change. But she didn't. She couldn't. She needs extra-extra-extra-extra-special help." I got up and looked out Claud's window. There were James and Zach, whizzing down the street on their skateboards.