Note: This is a rewritten story I've done with "Claudia's Creativity" and "Stacey's Birthday Party." This is a bit different from "Mary Anne Breaks the Rules," but I decided to do something with Kristy on this one. Hope you enjoy this story as well.
Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne, Dawn, Mallory and Jessi were about to start a meeting of the Baby – sitters Club in Claudia's room as they usually do. Kristy is the president since she was the one who thought of it up. Claudia is vice – president, Mary Anne is the secretary, Stacey is the treasurer, Dawn is the alternate officer while Mallory and Jessi are the junior officers. Mary Anne was cleaning up the trash of the room after everyone.
They all take turns answering Claudia's phone.
"This meeting of the Baby – sitters Club is now in order."
That's when Mary Anne stopped picking up the candy wrappers from the floor.
"Mind if I use the restroom to throw these candy wrappers away?" Mary Anne asked.
"If you want to, Mary Anne. It wouldn't make Mom and Dad very happy if they found out I eat junk food."
Mary Anne saw Claudia's point.
"You're right. I'll just leave them there."
They all heard the phone ring a few seconds later. Their first call of the day was Oh, hi, Mr. Rodoswky. Saturday at noon? We'll get right back to you."
That was Stacey who took that call.
Before Stacey could speak, Mary Anne was already looking at the calendar.
"Dawn, you're free."
"No way! It took me two hours to get out of that bathroom because Jackie thought it would be funny to take the knob out of the handle."
"He does manage to get into trouble," Claudia said.
"Jessi, how about you? Do you want the job?"
"No, but thank you. I have to baby – sit my brother and sister. Mom and Dad asked me to last night, so I said yes," Jessi answered.
Mary Anne looked at the calendar once again.
"Then I'm free. Claudia, you can call back and tell him I'm going to be there."
"All right, Mary Anne."
Claudia did what Mary Anne told her to. This time it was Jackie who answered the phone and not his father like Claudia expected him to.
"Hi, Jackie. Is your dad there? This is Claudia."
"Hi, Claudia. I'll go find him."
Claudia didn't have to wait very long to talk with Jackie's father.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mr. Rodowsky. Mary Anne said she'll be happy to do the job on Saturday at noon."
"Great. Tell her I'll look forward to seeing her again."
"Will do. Have a nice weekend."
"The same to you, Claudia."
Then the call ended.
"He said he'll look forward to seeing you, Mary Anne."
"Thanks."
The phone rang again and then Mallory answered it this time. She listened to the other person's voice on the phone.
"We'll get right back to you, Mrs. Newton."
Then the call ended, but it didn't take Mary Anne very long to look at the calendar.
"Stacey, you're the only one free."
"I'll take it. Thanks."
The phone kept ringing for the rest of the meeting. Towards the end of the meeting, Kristy received a telephone call. It was from her boyfriend, Bart.
"Kristy, you have a phone call."
"From who?"
"Bart," Dawn answered.
"I don't think he's calling for a baby – sitter, Kristy. It looks like it sounds more of a personal call."
"He knows about the Baby – sitters Club, Dawn. This isn't the right place to take a personal phone call during meetings."
They all agreed with Kristy.
"I'll call him when I get home."
Kristy didn't do what she said. It looked like the calls were slowing down, so she broke the rule.
"Kristy, this is a waste of time. Take this call at your house instead. This phone is mostly for the clients," Claudia reminded her.
Kristy wasn't listening to her friend. She was really into a conversation with Bart. She also didn't see her friends leave or say the meeting was over for the weekend. Kristy was still on the phone when her ride showed up. Good thing Claudia was still in the bedroom.
"Kristy, your ride's here," Claudia said.
Kristy had a finger on her mouth, telling Claudia she was still talking. Claudia was with Kristy, but didn't hear any of the conversation. Claudia kept tapping her friend on her shoulder.
"Kristy, time to get off. Your ride's here," Claudia told her every second.
Kristy still wasn't listening. Then Claudia went outside to tell Charlie that Kristy wasn't coming down, so he could go back home without her.
Claudia heard her mother and father come back home about ten minutes after six. Yes, Kristy was still on the phone when her parents were home again. So Claudia went downstairs to greet them.
"Hi, Mom and Dad."
"Hello, Claudia. How was your day?" Mrs. Kishi asked.
"Just fine. I do have a problem, though."
"What's on your mind?" he asked.
"It's Kristy."
"What about Kristy that you want to tell us, honey?"
"Mom, Dad, she's been in my room since the meeting was over. Her brother was here to pick her up, but she didn't do anything. She's still on the phone. I tried to tell her that she should go home and have this phone call."
"Call her family in this kitchen if you want her to leave."
"Thanks, Dad. I'll do that right now."
Claudia took the phone from the hook on the wall where they kept it. She punched in Kristy's phone number and spoke to her mother. After she made the call, she said, "Mom, her mother said she's coming over right away to get Kristy. I'm hungry too."
"Don't worry, Claudia. I will start dinner right now," she said.
"Thanks, Mom. While you're doing this, I'll look out for Kristy's mother."
"Sounds like a good idea."
Kristy still didn't pay attention to the time. She was busy talking with Bart and enjoying the conversation. The time was almost six – thirty, and still was on the phone. Claudia kept doing her best to get Kristy out of her room. When Kristy finally did get off the phone, Claudia took her downstairs and to her mother's car.
"Where did the time go?" Kristy asked.
"You were busy with my phone, Kristy, that's why."
"Sorry, Claudia."
"I'm not accepting sorry for a while. You would've been home a while ago, but you ended up ignoring me and was into that conversation with Bart."
"I said I was sorry, Claudia. I'll do better next time."
"I'll have to talk with the girls this weekend and see what we can do. Then we'll call you."
"Fine with me."
Then Kristy's mother finally showed up. Claudia took Kristy by her arm and took her to the car.
"Get in the car, Kristy. I'll call you over the weekend."
"Okay."
Claudia watched as she slammed her mother's car and drove away. She didn't even bother saying good – bye to Kristy as the car left.
"She's finally out of here," Claudia told her parents.
While she was in her room the rest of the evening after supper was done, all Claudia did was remember the rules when they had made up when starting the club a long time ago. When Claudia finished reminding herself on the rules, she called her friends and told them what happened when Kristy was still here when they left.
They decided to hold a meeting tomorrow morning early and decide what to do about Kristy's long phone call with Bart. Kristy was the one who made up a few of the rules, but they kept adding on as time passed. This time Claudia thought of updating the rules this weekend without Kristy being there, even though it meant she was the president.
"What time are you open for tomorrow morning, Mary Anne?" Claudia asked her.
"Early in the morning. It looks like nine – fifteen to me."
"Can I speak with Dawn?"
"Sure. I'll get her, and you can tell her what you told me. Also one more question."
"What's that?" Claudia asked.
"Is Kristy showing up tomorrow too?"
"No way. This meeting is about updating the rules."
"And it involves her, right?"
"Exactly."
I'll put her on. She'll be shortly."
"Talk to you tomorrow, Mary Anne. You start that job with Jackie at noon, right?"
"Yes, so I have plenty of time tomorrow."
Claudia already had the right idea of adding this to the list of rules. It's not very often they do this sort of thing, but they did agree that there couldn't be boyfriends while baby – sitting. Actually, Claudia changed her mind about having Kristy not being involved on this meeting she wanted to have tomorrow. Instead, Claudia called her.
"Hi, Claudia."
"Hi, Kristy. Mind if we chat for a minute or two?" she asked.
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"Well, this is about you, Kristy. The girls and I are having a meeting that involves you tomorrow sometime after nine. Are you available to join us or should we have it without you?"
"What's the idea you have in mind for this meeting?"
"I'm not telling you on the phone, Kristy. We'll see you tomorrow."
When they got off, it made Kristy wonder what this meeting was all about that Claudia wanted to have. Like her friend said, it involved her. Why? She asked herself. She'll figure this one out for herself when she shows up tomorrow morning.
It was finally Saturday. Kristy met her friends at Claudia's house at the time Claudia wanted the meeting, which was in her room.
Kristy was the third one who arrived.
"Hi, Kristy," Mary Anne said since she was the first to speak up.
"Hi, girls. Claudia, you had told me that you wanted to have a meeting."
"That's right, Kristy. It was about yesterday."
"What about yesterday?" she asked.
"Remember towards the end of the meeting you talked with Bart?"
"Sure, I remember, Claudia. Tell me what you wanted to talk about this morning."
"I'm getting to that right now. Kristy, I remember we agreed on rules when we started this club. Now I have an idea that will update the rules."
"We're listening, Claudia. Hope it's a good one," Stacey said.
"Of course it's a good one. Remember you broke the no boyfriend rule on baby – sitting, Mary Anne?"
"Yes, I do," she answered.
"That's why I reminded myself of that rule. This time it's about yesterday's call with Bart at the meeting."
"You may continue," Mallory said.
Even Jessi was paying attention, Claudia noticed.
"Well, Kristy, I thought this was a good idea. You did say we couldn't take any personal calls during the meeting," Claudia began.
"Of course I said that. I still don't know why you wanted to talk about it."
"Well, I have the right idea – why not give a free trial on this and see what happens?"
The other girls liked the idea.
"I thought I usually come up with the ideas," Kristy said.
"You do, but it's my turn right now. I hope you don't mind. Next time you can come up with more new ideas."
"All right."
"Well, here's what I was thinking about last night. Since Kristy stayed until almost six – thirty last night wasting her precious time with Bart over the phone, I thought why not try this idea and see if it works? That includes the rest of you except me since I usually wait to do it after the meeting, not during the meeting."
"That's a great idea, Claudia. What sort of free trial do you have?" Dawn asked.
The other girls liked the idea, Kristy told herself.
"You may continue," Mallory said.
Even Jessi was paying attention, Claudia noticed.
"Well, Kristy, I thought this was a good idea. You did say we couldn't take any personal calls during the meeting," Claudia began.
"Of course I said that. I still don't know why you wanted to talk about it."
"Well, I have the right idea – why not give a free trial on this and see what happens?"
The other girls liked the idea.
"I thought I usually come up with the ideas," Kristy said.
"You do, but it's my turn right now. I hope you don't mind. Next time you can come up with more new ideas."
"All right."
"Well, here's what I was thinking about last night. Since Kristy stayed until almost six – thirty last night wasting her precious time with Bart over the phone, I thought why not try this idea and see if it works? That includes the rest of you except me since I usually wait to do it after the meeting, not during the meeting."
"That's a great idea, Claudia. What sort of free trial do you have?" Dawn asked.
The other girls liked the idea, Kristy told herself.
"Here's the free trial idea: if another personal call comes in like Bart did last night, we will only be doing this two more times. If it doesn't work, then you're no longer a member."
Now Kristy was seeing Claudia's point.
"You can't do this to me, Claudia! I was the one who started it. I did enjoy the conversation with him, but there is no way you will kick me out of my own club."
"Sorry, Kristy, but it's a new rule."
"Hope it works," Jessi said.
"I hope so too," Claudia and the other girls agreed.
"When do you want to start the free trial, Claudia?" Mary Anne asked.
"Monday. It will end on Wednesday if it doesn't work on Monday. How does that sound?'
Once again the girls agreed. Kristy didn't say anything since this was her idea on the club, but doesn't want to be kicked out of her own business.