“That’s what they’re calling them?” I asked.
“Mme Noelle insisted,” Kristy said.
All the BSC members wanted to come to the recital, which made me really happy. “Should we call Shannon and invite her?” Mallory asked.
“Absolutely,” said Kristy.
* * *
By the last class before the recital, the kids knew their parts pretty well. At the end of class, Mme Dupre gave us volunteers a list of the kids who had applied for the scholarships — a little less than half the class. (I wasn’t surprised to see that Nora and Jane weren’t on the list, but I was a little surprised that plump, bouncy Yvonne hadn’t applied.) “Pick the two children you think shows the most promise and write their names on a piece of paper,” Mme Dupre instructed us.
We passed the list around and then made our selections. Everyone picked pretty fast. I guess we’d made up our minds in advance.
After a busy rehearsal, Darcy suggested a trip to Burger King. We bundled up and headed down the block. “Where’s Mary been?” Sue asked once we were settled in with our food.
“She hasn’t been feeling well. I guess she needed to take some time off,” I said, not wanting to gossip. Actually, Mme Noelle had told me Mary was being treated by two different doctors — a medical doctor and a psychiatrist. Plus, her family went to the counseling, too.
“I saw Mary in school,” said Vince, breaking into my thoughts. “It looked to me like she put on a few pounds.”
“Good, maybe she’s feeling better,” I said, sipping my soda. It was the best news I’d heard all day.
“This show is going to be cool,” Raul said as he put down his burger.
“Now that the class is over, what do you think of Mme Dupre?” I asked him.
“I think I misjudged her,” Raul admitted. “She’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah, there was a method to her madness, after all,” added Darcy. “Remember how undisciplined the kids were when they first came in? Look at them now!”
“It’s a big difference,” I agreed.
“Huge,” said Sue. “I feel good about it, like we really helped her accomplish something.”
On the afternoon of the recital I was all over the place, helping kids pin on hats and apply makeup. We were in the school’s small auditorium. The only scenery was a cityscape backdrop borrowed from another production.
The kids were nervous and excited as the audience filled with their family members. I peeked out from a stage wing and saw my friends filing into a row near the front. (Kristy and Shannon sat next to one another.)
Following them were Watson and Kristy’s mom. A few minutes later I saw my parents come in with Aunt Cecelia, Becca, and Squirt. Mama talked with Mme Noelle as they walked down the aisle. An awful lot of people had turned out for our informal little show.
Soon, the big moment came when Mr. Tsuji played the opening music. The kids ran onto the stage and took their places on the floor.
I’d like to say the production was flawless. But I’d be lying. Some kids stood when they were supposed to kneel. Others turned right when the rest of the group was turning left. But, on the whole, it was a very good show. I was really proud of the students. (They looked so cute in their hats — baseball caps, flowered hats, a train engineer’s hat, a nurse’s cap, cowboy hats, you name it!)
The audience must have liked the show, too. They jumped to their feet and applauded like crazy when it was over. The kids took their bows and each one of them was beaming from ear to ear.
Mme Dupre walked out on stage and both the kids and the audience clapped for her. She told us volunteers and Mr. Tsuji to take a bow. The applause continued and it felt really good.
When the clapping had stopped, Mme Noelle came onto the stage. “I will now announce ze winners of ze Watson and Elizabeth Brewer Dance Scholarships,” she told the audience as the kids took seats on the stage. While we waited in suspense, she asked Watson and Kristy’s mom to stand. She thanked them for their generosity. They smiled and Watson said he was glad to be able to do it.
Mme Noelle then turned to the class of children. “I am sorry zere can be only two winners. You are all so talented. And you are all winners in my eyes. I invite you to return in ze spring when we will offer zis class again. We will be proud to have you.”
Finally Mme Noelle took a slip of paper from her pocket. “Ze winners of the scholarships are Martha Roberts and Devon Ramirez,” she said.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. Devon and Martha got to their feet. Martha was so happy, she forgot to be shy. She smiled and hugged herself in disbelief.
Even more surprising, Devon was so thrilled, he forgot to be cool! “Yes!” he cried, leaping into the air right there on stage.
Mme Dupre guided them over to Mme Noelle who shook their hands. “I know you will both work hard and be worthy of our faith in you,” she told them both.
When the program at last was over, Martha ran to me. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tight. In the wings I saw her mother. She was dressed in a gray suit. In her hands was a corsage box and I could see tears of pride brimming in her eyes.
On another part of the stage Devon was busily “slapping five” with anyone he could find. Then he ran off to greet his father.
“Well, it’s all over for now,” said Darcy, draping her arm across my shoulder. “Maybe we can still go out for burgers on Tuesdays, though.”
“That would be terrific,” I said.
I found my friends in the audience. “That sure was a success,” Kristy told me. “I really liked it.”
“So did I,” Shannon agreed.
“All right, Jessi!” Mal cheered.
“Is Mary here?” Dawn asked quietly.
I looked around the audience but didn’t see any sign of her. “No. I wish she had come,” I said. “She did a lot to help these kids. I’m sure she would have been proud.”
“I took some pictures,” said Claudia, holding up her camera. “I could make copies for you to send her.”
“She’d like that,” I said, and smiled.
Sometimes I wonder why I work so hard at my dance; why I let it be so important to me and take up so much of my life.
Today was one of those days when I didn’t have to wonder, though. Today was the kind of day when I couldn’t imagine anything more worthwhile!
* * *
Dear Reader,
I’ve received many letters from kids who are concerned about their weight. Most of them were concerned that they were overweight and wanted to know about dieting or about eating more healthfully. Others were already dieting and wanted to know if they were going about it properly. Still others were concerned about friends who seemed to be taking their diets to an extreme. They wanted to know how they could help their friends. Dieting can be a complicated issue for anybody. It’s true that many Americans are overweight, which is not healthy. Being overweight can lead to heart disease and other serious problems. On the other hand, it is equally unhealthy to be underweight. A severe eating disorder is anorexia, which is what Jessi’s friend Mary Bramstedt develops.
One of the most important things to remember when you start a diet is to start a healthy one. The first thing you should do is talk to your parents and then, with your parents, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can help you find a diet that is just right for you, your exercise level, and your lifestyle. If you are concerned about a friend who seems to be taking a diet to an extreme, talk to an adult immediately. A parent, the school nurse or guidance counselor, a teacher, anyone you think can help — because your friend does need help.
Happy reading — and be healthy!
* * *
The author gratefully acknowledges
Suzanne Weyn
for her help in
preparing this manuscript.
About the Author
ANN MATTHEWS MARTIN was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane.
> There are currently over 176 million copies of The Baby-sitters Club in print. (If you stacked all of these books up, the pile would be 21,245 miles high.) In addition to The Baby-sitters Club, Ann is the author of two other series, Main Street and Family Tree. Her novels include Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), Here Today, A Dog’s Life, On Christmas Eve, Everything for a Dog, Ten Rules for Living with My Sister, and Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far). She is also the coauthor, with Laura Godwin, of the Doll People series.
Ann lives in upstate New York with her dog and her cats.
Copyright © 1993 by Ann M. Martin.
Cover art by Hodges Soileau
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC, THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First edition, February 1993
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
e-ISBN 978-0-545-76789-7
Jessi and the Awful Secret Page 9