Ann Martin: Baby-Sitters Club 030

"So why don't we share my room? The guest room can stay the guest room and you can put your bed and desk in my room. It'll be a little crowded, but not too bad." I was beginning to feel excited. "Would you mind having Tigger in the room at night? He always sleeps with me." "No, I'd love it! Do you think he'd sleep with me sometimes?" "Maybe. He's a sucker for a warm body. He'll wrap himself around your head and purr in your ear." "Hey! We can share clothes!" exclaimed Dawn enthusiastically. "We're almost the same size. I'm just taller than you. Our wardrobe will double." "Oh, speaking of wardrobes, I've been thinking," I said. "Our parents may not be having a big traditional wedding, but I do think that your mom at least ought to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue on the wedding day. Like in that old saying. Don't you?" Dawn nodded. "Definitely. Well, let's see. Her brooch is old - it's an antique - she's borrowing a necklace from her mother, I think her earrings are sapphires, but. . . something new, hmm. I wonder if her dress counts. Most brides have new dresses. I'll talk to her, okay?" "Okay." The next afternoon, Mrs. Schafer (oh, excuse me, Sharon) took Dawn and me shopping for our new dresses. We went to Bellair's Department Store first, where I found a pink dress that I only halfway liked, and Dawn didn't find anything. So we left and went to Talbots, but we didn't find anything there, either.

"How about Zingy's, that new store?" suggested Dawn.

Sharon took one step inside Zingy's and backed out, pulling us with her. "No way, young lady," she said to Dawn. "This place is pure punk." Finally we went to the mall and tried the Laura Ashley store. There Dawn found a sort of hip sailor dress. "I can wear my ankle boots with this," she said.

So Dawn was set. I looked at the more feminine clothes, but couldn't find a thing. Then it occurred to me - what I really wanted to wear was Dawn's other Laura Ashley dress, the one she'd worn to her mother's surprise supper.

"Hey, roomie," I said, "can I wear the flowered dress you got here for your mom's party?" "Sure, roomie!" she replied. And then she added, "See how much fun we're going to have when you move in?" I grinned. I did see. I really did.

On Thursday night, Jeff came in from California. Dad, Dawn, her mother, the Pike triplets - Byron, Jordan, and Adam - and I met him at the airport. The triplets were going to be Jeff's guests at the wedding. He had phoned them from California to invite them. (I might add here that all the inviting had been done over the phone, which I thought was just awful. It seemed to me that the least Dad and Mrs. Sch - I mean, Sharon, could have done was mail out invitations. They didn't have to be engraved or anything.) The seven of us met Jeff at the airport at eight-thirty. We were carrying a sign that said WELCOME HOME, JEFF. I would have died if anyone had met me with a big, personal sign at an airport, but everyone said Jeff would love it, and they were right. For one thing, he spotted us right away and didn't have to worry that he wouldn't find us. For another thing, he loved the attention.

"Hi! Hi, everybody!" he called.

We surrounded Jeff, all laughing, hugging, and talking at the same time. Jeff showed us the stuff he'd collected on the plane - salt and pepper packets from his meal, a plastic fork, a free magazine, and a bar of soap from the bathroom, which he presented to his mother with great fanfare.

"Well, how does it feel to be back on the East Coast?" my father asked Jeff as we were walking out to the Pikes' station wagon, which we'd had to borrow in order to take so many people to the airport.

"Just fine, sir," Jeff replied, and I realized that my father and Jeff barely knew each other.

"You can call me Richard," Dad said immediately, and then added, "or whatever feels the most comfortable." "Okay, sir," said Jeff. Then he ran ahead to catch up with the triplets.

Dad looked at Sharon, bewildered, and she said, "It'll work out. We just have to give it some time." Dad nodded.

I felt sorry for him.

The next night, the night before the wedding, the future Spier-Schafer family had a quiet dinner at Dawn's house. Jeff was still acting pleasant but ever so polite and formal around Dad, saying, "Yes, sir," and "No, sir." That was the only thing he called him. He also mentioned that he and his dad often went to sporting events in California.

Dad cringed. I don't think he has ever been to a major sporting event.

Then Jeff accidentally dropped the name Carol, and it turned out that his father has a girlfriend. Sharon cringed then, but we got over that hump and had a very nice dinner. I looked around the table - Dad, Sharon, Dawn, Jeff, and me. This was my new family. I decided I liked it. And I even admitted to myself that I'd always liked Dawn's rambling old farmhouse.

When dinner was over, Dawn and I watched some TV with Jeff. Then we went upstairs to Dawn's room.

"See?" she said to me. "Your bed can go right there. And your desk can go next to mine. We'll do our homework together every night. It'll be kind of like study hall." "And I'll just squeeze all my clothes into your closet. That way we can share everything," I said.

Dawn held her hand out and we slapped five. "Sisters?" she said.

"Sisters," I replied.

Chapter 15.

I'd been pretty excited on Friday night by the time Dad and I got home. But that was nothing compared to the excitement I felt when I woke up on Saturday morning.

It was wedding day! By that evening I would have an official stepmother, stepsister, and stepbrother. Dad and I would never be lonely again. We would never be facing the world alone together again.

So why didn't that thought comfort me? I felt unsettled. Dad and I had done pretty well facing the world alone. Did I really want that to change? Then I thought of sharing a room with Dawn and being able to discuss girl problems with Sharon. I decided I could handle the change.

"Mary Anne!" I heard my father call. I was still in bed, thinking over what the day was going to bring.

"Coming!" I replied.

The wedding was to be held at noon in the chapel of our church. Afterward, everyone at the wedding would go out to lunch. And we were going to Chez Maurice, since that was where Dad had given Sharon the engagement ring. The maitre d' had reserved a table for twenty in a private room for us. I couldn't wait to see what a table for twenty would look like.

I spent most of the morning just getting dressed. I called Dawn six times for advice and finally asked Claudia to come over and help me. Claudia brought her makeup. I thought Dad would have a fit, but Claud said she could make me up so you'd never know I had makeup on. I'd just look pretty and natural. She also decided to do something spectacular to my hair, involving French braids.

By eleven o'clock I was ready. If I do say so myself, I looked good. Dawn's dress fit me perfectly, although it was longer on me than it had been on her. Claudia had put very pale gloss on my lips, more clear polish on my nails, light mascara on my lashes, extremely pale blue shadow on my eyelids, and just a hint of rouge on my cheeks. Then she had expertly braided my hair. I felt a little bad that Dawn didn't have Claudia's help, but then she had a mother - and soon I would, too.

By the time Claudia left, Dad was also dressed. He looked quite natty (his word) in his new shoes and gray suit. He came into my room to see how I looked.

"Lovely," he said softly. "Beautiful. So grown-up. I can't believe how pretty you are. I'm sure Claudia will end up in fashion design or makeup artistry." I shook my head, smiling. "Nope. She's going to be an artist." "Mary Anne?" said Dad. "Come sit next to me on the bed." "Okay," I replied. When I sat down I realized that Dad was holding a box in his hand.