I would like to create Baby-Sitters Club, but I can't since it belongs to Ann. Martin

"We can start a family early," said my boyfriend, Logan Bruno.

"At my age?" I asked.

"Yes," replied Logan.

"I'm sorry, but I rather finish my education first and I don't think my dad would let me at this age," I said.

I'm Mary Anne Spier and I was born & raised in Stoneybrook, Connecticut by my dad. See, my mom passed away when I was still a baby. He recently got remarried to his old high school girlfriend, Sharon Schafer, who is a divorced mother of two kids, Dawn and Jeff.

Now, I have a wonderful family. Dawn happens to be my best friend. I lived on Bradford Court before moving in with Sharon and Dawn on Burnt Hill Road. Before then, Jeff felt homesick and missed his old state where he and Dawn grew up in- California, where Sharon was sent for college- and his dad so terribly that he moved back there. It was very hard on Dawn since her family is split in half, but she seems very happy here because she has me as her new stepsister and her other friends.

I recently started Stoneybrook High School as ninth grader. I love it there. Don't ask why Logan wants to start a family at age fourteen. I just turned fourteen a few weeks ago. Would Mrs. Bruno allow it as well? I don't think so. I might want to go college after high school.

I have a friend, Muriel Rivers, who's a daughter of Dad's secretary at a firm office in Stamford. She's expecting a baby on May 24th, but decided to do an open adoption. She's seventeen and is a junior at Stoneybrook High School. There was a reason she was giving her baby up for an adoption: she recently stood back twice as a tenth grader and recently for her junior year and is afraid that she would stay back again if she keeps failing & doesn't want that to happen again. She already found a family for her baby.

I was walking home with Logan after school. I'd also have my two adopted siblings, Carlos Peters and Meredith Sousa. I was also walking with my neighbors, Kayla and Kaylee Willis, who are twins. They laughed and thought Logan was nuts to start a family at our age.

Carlos became an orphan at a very young age. He lost his brother at at age eleven to a scarlet fever and a sister at age nine & his parents in a car crash. It was tough on him because his family were very close to one another. His room is in our attic that Dad and I fixed up a few days before we adopted Carlos. He feels happy because it feels like that he has a real family again.

Meredith came here from London, England to stay with my family as an exchange student. That didn't last very long though because she found out that both her mother and only sister, who was ten, got killed after a tour bus blew up, which is how she lost her dad a few years back. I felt very bad for her, too. She shares my room and we enjoy that.

At home, I was in my room doing homework.

That night, at dinner, I heard a noise. When I got up to look outside, it was a fox chasing a dog.

"Oh, my goodness," I said.

That was when that dog came at our door.

"Should I let it in for now?" I asked.

"I would," replied Sharon.

I did and shut it just in time because that fox almost showed up at the door.

"That was a close one," I said.

"Good thing you did before the fox get a hold of the dog," said Dad.

"I know," I agreed.

I checked the collar and the license, which was nearly chewed up. I knew this dog, too. This was Shannon Kilborne's dog, Astrid.

"I've seen this dog before, this is Astrid, Shannon's dog," I said as I went to the phone to call Shannon to let her know that Astid is with us. "The fox was chasing her, we just let her in to be safe. She can stay here until you come by for her."

"Thanks, Mary Anne," smiled Shannon.

The Kilborne family came by for Astrid right after dinner.

"Thanks for keeping her safe; I just don't know how she came here when the fox chased her," said Shannon.

"Her license and collar almost got damaged," I told her.

"I'm glad she's okay," said Shannon who was relieved.

"Tell me about it," I agreed.

The next day, I was on my way to English when I saw a Chinese girl who is feeling upset and I went to her.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"My parents just died a week ago," replied the girl.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Thanks. They died of a flu and we had no money for the cure. I'm from China and just got adopted by a loving American family. I'm Tonya Lee," said Tonya.

"It's nice to meet you," I smiled shaking her hand. "I'm Mary Anne Spier. I'm on my way to my English class."

"I'm heading there, too. This is my third day here in Stoneybrook," said Tonya.

"How do you like it here?" I asked her.

"It's different being in a strange country," replied Tonya.

"That is tough. I have a sister who is from London, we adopted her when we were thirteen. At first, she came here as an exchange student until she learned she lost her mother and sister in a tour bus crash. That's how her dad got killed as well," I explained.

"That's too bad," said Tonya.

At lunch, Tonya was alone when I saw her on my way meeting my friends and sat with her. That was when we joined my friends.

"Hi, who's your new friend?" asked Kristy.

"I'm Tonya. I just came from China," said Tonya. "I got adopted. I just lost my parents from a flu."

"Wow," said Dawn.

"I know," agreed Tina. "May I tell you a secret that you haven't learned about me? I have a problem."

"Is everything alright? I'm a good listener," I replied.

"For years, I never had a friend before. No one liked me for some reason and I did nothing wrong," said Tonya.

"That must if hurt you pretty badly," said Stacey.

"It did hurt me. I don't want anyone else to know about me just yet. I'm the only one who is Chinese here and I don't know what would happen. Can you keep me as a secret?" asked Tonya.

"Even from my own family?" I asked her.

"Not even any of them," replied Tonya. "Can you promise me that?"

"I guess so," I replied uncertain about it.

"Thanks, just until I get to know the school," said Tonya.

"Oh," I said.

"You can stay with us, Tina," said Claudia.

"Okay, thanks for inviting me," smiled Tonya.

"No problem," said Kayla.

After lunch, I was with Kristy.

"I wonder if I should tell Logan or not," I said.

"I'm wondering about that, too," said Kristy. "She didn't say anything about that."

"Maybe I should wait because I don't want to break a promise," I said.

"I think that would be a good thing to do," said Kristy.

"When Tonya is ready to meet Dad and Sharon and Logan, I wonder if he would understand," I said.

"Good point," said Kayla.

"I do know, we won't say anything around Cokie," whispered Kaylee.

"I agree," I said.

After school, Logan was waiting for me outside.

"I didn't see you at lunch," said Logan.

"I was with my friends. Then, I was in the library studying," I replied.

"Then, who was that girl that was with you?" asked Logan.

"She was offering to help me studying for a test," I replied.

I didn't dare to break a promise telling him about Tonya yet, which is why I made up a story. The studying part was true because she was in the school library to help me study for a lunch. She was a pretty good tutor.

"Do you want to go see a movie tomorrow night?" asked Logan.

"I just need to make sure to see if I'm free to do so," I replied.

"Okay and let me know," said Logan.

"I will," I said. "And before the movie, I'll be baby-sitting."

That was pretty close because I promised Tonya I'd show her around Stoneybrook tomorrow.

"Okay. The movie is at night," said Logan.

"I can meet you there that evening, what time does the movie start?" I asked.

"At seven-ten," replied Logan.

"Okay," I said.

"I can tell that you're lying," said Logan.

"Lie? Why would I lie?" I asked.

I didn't tell him that there's a difference between keeping a promise and telling a lie because Tonya could get mad at me.