We went to the Music Cellar and checked out the new tapes.
Finally, about half an hour before Charlie was supposed to pick us up, we parked ourselves outside of Donut Delite and spied on the cute boys working inside. I have to admit that this was fascinating to Claudia, Dawn, Mary Anne, and even Kristy, but that Jessi and I couldn't stop looking at our ears in store windows.
Today, I decided, I had taken the first big step toward becoming The New Mallory Pike.
Chapter 15.
"Order, please!" called Kristy Thomas. It was time for another Monday meeting.
Three weeks and two days had gone by since the Baby-sitters Club's ear-piercing adventure. My steady job with the Arnolds had ended - but already I had sat for the twins twice more, and a weekend job was lined up.
And two days ago, on a red-letter Saturday, a couple of very important things had happened to me, The New Mallory Pike. I had changed my earrings for the first time, and (ta-dah) I had gotten my hair cut! I have to admit that I looked pretty good, even with my glasses. And even with the revolting braces the orthodontist had put on my teeth a few days earlier.
Jessi had gone with me to the hairdresser. When I entered the salon, I still didn't know exactly what I wanted done. Luckily Amber, the woman who was going to cut my hair, was very understanding.
"I'll show you some pictures," she said. "See what you like. Then I'll tell you if I can do it to your hair." Jessi and I looked through a book filled with photos of hairstyles. I pointed out four to Amber before she said, "Now that's one your hair is perfect for. See how wavy that style is? It's all natural. No perm or anything. When we cut your hair, your curls will relax into those waves." So here I was, sitting in Claudia's room with my pierced ears (I was wearing the open books I'd bought at the Merry-Go-Round), my fluffy, short hair (which showed off my ears nicely), and, well, my braces. (I tried not to think about the braces too much.) Kristy was perched in the director's chair, wearing her visor. "Order," she called again.
The rest of us quieted down.
"Well, let's see," Kristy began.
Well, let's see? Our president never opens meetings that way. She always knows just what to say, just what she wants to accomplish. But at the moment, she sounded sort of vague.
"Um," Kristy went on. "Oh, yeah. Has everyone read the notebook?" "Yes," answered the rest of us in bored voices.
"Well, um. . . . Oh, Dawn, how's the treasury?" "Still a little low since we went mailing, but we have enough, to pay Charlie to drive you to and from meetings this week, and after I've collected today's dues" (everyone groaned) "and next Monday's, we'll be okay again." The six of us fished around for dues money, which we handed to Dawn. She counted it, made a notation on a page in the record book, and placed the money in the treasury envelope.
"Okay, well, oh, yeah," said Kristy. "Any business to discuss?" (It was as if she'd just thought of it. You'd never know she asks us that question at the beginning of absolutely every club meeting.) I half-raised my hand (how kindergarten of me) and said, "Kristy, is everything all right with you?" "Oh, sure. Why?" "I don't know." "Well, I'm fine." "Okay." Kristy paused. "Darn it!" she finally exclaimed. "I can't stand it any longer. Mary Anne, it's time for - " Ring, ring. I couldn't believe it. The phone! And just when Kristy was about to ... to do whatever it was she wanted to do.
Claudia took the call, while Mary Anne flipped through the pages in the record book to check the appointment calendar. When Claud hung up, she said, "That was Mrs. Arnold. She needs a sitter for the twins next Thursday afternoon." "Let's see," said Mary Anne. "Gosh, three of us are free. Kristy, Dawn, and me." "Hey, Mal," said Dawn, "how are the twins these days? I know you ended up liking them, but . . ." "Oh, you wouldn't believe them," I replied. "They're completely different. Mrs. Arnold finally let Carolyn get her hair cut. It's really cute, shorter than mine. And Marilyn is growing hers out. They never dress the same anymore, and everyone can tell them apart, so they're much happier. Whichever one of you gets the job next Thursday will be really surprised. And pleased," I added. "They are not troublesome twins anymore." After a lot of discussion, Dawn took the job.
Then Kristy said, "Okay. Now - " Ring, ring! "Aughh!" cried Kristy.
Three more job calls came in, one right after the other.
We are just too popular.
"Now," Kristy tried again, "Mary Anne and I have some surprises." "Surprises?" repeated Jessi and I at the same time. (Then we had to hook pinkies and say "jinx.") "Yup." Kristy smiled secretively. "Okay, Mary Anne." Mary Anne, who was sitting on the end of Claudia's bed, reached down to the floor and hauled up a tote bag. Out of it, she pulled four small boxes. She handed one to Dawn, one to Claudia, one to Jessi, and one to me.
"These are from Kristy and me," she said. "They're presents in honor of the fact that you guys can now change your earrings." "Oh, wow!" Jessi and Dawn and I exclaimed. "That was so nice of you! Thanks!" But Claudia started to laugh. "What a coincidence! Wait, don't open them yet." She slid off the bed, opened a drawer in her desk, and removed three small tissue-wrapped packages, one for Dawn, one for Jessi, and one for me.
Well, we had all guessed that the presents were earrings, of course, so I said, "Hold it! One more!" and gave Jessi a box containing her pair of book earrings. "I'm sorry I don't have anything for you two," I said to Claud and Dawn, "but I got these before I knew you were going to get your ears pierced, too." I'd brought the earrings along, planning to give them to Jessi after the meeting.
Claud, Dawn, Jessi, and I began opening our presents. We opened the ones from Kristy and Mary Anne first.
"These are the things we kept buying at the mall that day," Kristy informed us. Her eyes were shining.
Well, you've never heard such squealing. The earrings had been chosen very carefully, and we were all thrilled. Dawn had been given two pairs, studs in the shape of California (her home state) and others that were gold loops with oranges hanging from them. California oranges, I guess. Claud's earrings looked like artists' palettes, Jessi's were ballet shoes, and mine were horses, since I like to read about them.
"Thank you, thank you!" we kept saying.
Then we opened Claud's earrings. "I made them myself," she announced.
Even if she hadn't said so, we all would have known. And we began laughing nonstop.
Claud had collected little charms and strung together these wild bunches of miniature Coke cans, eyeglasses, forks, animals, you name it, and added feathers and beads.
We put them on immediately, crowding around Claudia's mirror for a look.
"Don't worry," said Claud. "I made a pair for myself. Oh, and all the posts are hypoallergenic." "Boy, I sure wish 7 had pierced ears," said Mary Anne wistfully.
"How about the next best thing?" asked Claudia. She produced two more packages - one for Mary Anne, one for Kristy. They were earrings like the others Claud had made, but they were for nonpierced ears. Kristy and Mary Anne beamed.
"Whoa, it's six o'clock," said Kristy suddenly, and the meeting broke up, the six of us still calling thank you to one another.
Not until Jessi and I were outside and walking down the Kishis' driveway did I say, "Hey, Jessi, you didn't open - " "I know," she interrupted me. "For some reason, I wanted to do it in private." She pulled my present out of her purse, and we stopped while she tore the paper off the box. "Ooh," she breathed as she peered inside, "books. Just like yours." She paused. "So we can be twins?" she asked.
We both laughed, thinking of Marilyn and Carolyn.
"No," I replied. "Best friends." "Oh. Best friends," Jessi repeated, and gave me a big hug.
Then we headed for our homes.
About the Author ANN M. MARTIN did a lot of baby-sitting when she was growing up in Princeton, New Jersey. Now her favorite baby-sitting charge is her cat, Mouse, who lives with her in her Manhattan apartment.
Ann Martin's Apple Paperbacks are Bummer Summer, Inside Out, Stage Fright, Me and Katie (the Pest), and all the other books in the Babysitte
rs Club series.
She is a former editor of books for children, and was graduated from Smith College. She likes ice cream, the beach, and I Love Lucy; and she hates to cook.
Table of Contents
BSC021 - Mallory and the Trouble With Twins
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