Based on a BSC dream I had a long time ago. It's 7 years later. The BSC has split up for college, and aren't in touch anymore. Karen's run away, and Kristy needs help from her friends to cope.
"What do you mean she's not in her room?" Elizabeth Brewer had answered the phone with an exhasperated look, giving Kristy Thomas the signal that it was her mother's ex-husband, Watson. Her expression had quickly changed to one of concern, and Kristy became worried.
Kristy listened carefully as her mother spoke on the phone. She sat at the kitchen table, chewing in curiousity on her pizza as her mother stood in the doorway, talking. Her sixteen year-old brother, David Michael, known as Dave by his peers, sat across from her. Suddenly the scene brought back a memory; quick and somewhat painful. Eight years ago, the setting in the Thomas household was strikingly similar. They'd been in the old house, then, back on Bradford Court. Kristy could have looked out her bedroom window into that of Mary Anne Spier's, her best friend, or dashed across the street to see Claudia Kishi, another friend of theirs. That particular day, Kristy's mother was trying to find a baby-sitter for Dave, and Kristy, her brothers Sam and Charlie, and David Michael's usual baby-sitter were all busy. Her mother spent hours on the phone, searching desperately for a sitter. That's when the idea first hit her. Wouldn't it be great if her Mom could call one number, and reach a whole network of baby-sitters?
That was the birth of the Baby-Sitters Club. Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia banned together, along with Claudia's new friend Stacey McGill, and Kristy's dream was formed. Then Dawn Schafer had moved in from California, and with some hesitancy on Kristy's part, they'd made her part of the group. Then Stacey's father got transferred back to New York, and Stacey had to move. In order to replace her, the others had taken on two junior members, Mallory Pike and Jessi Ramsey. When Kristy's mother had married Watson, they'd moved across town, and Kristy had met Shannon Kilbourne, another sitter, who soon became an associate member of the club, as did Mary Anne's boyfriend, Logan Bruno. It wasn't long before Stacey's parents had divorced, and Stacey returned, and then, Dawn announced she was moving, surprising them all. To replace Dawn, they brought in Kristy's new neighbor Abby Stevenson, and that was the Baby-Sitters Club, or the BSC as it became known.
But that was back in seventh and eighth grade. Soon the girls began high school, and then college, and slowly over the years, they'd began to tear apart, little by little. Mallory transferred to boarding school, and didn't have time for the BSC during the summer. When all the others graduated to high school, leaving Jessi at Soneybrook Middle, a divide was drawn between them. Jessi started attending a special dance school, leaving her with little time for baby-sitting, anyway. From there on, the rest of the group began to grow apart. After graduation, they'd all spread out across the country, and now Kristy didn't even know where half of her former best friends were.
Pushing the BSC out of her mind, Kristy forced herself to pay attention to her mother's conversation.
"Watson, she's fifteen, she's probably out with friends." Dread filled Kristy's stomach. Watson was probably calling about his daughter, Karen. Even though their parents had been divorced for two years, Kristy still considered Karen her little sister. Soon after the divorce, Karen had begun hanging out with a group Kristy didn't approve of, but couldn't do much about. Kristy hoped it was nothing serious.
"Hold on, here she is." Elizabeth said, handing Kristy the phone. "Watson needs to talk to you, honey. It's important." Kristy took the phone from her mother. Even though she and Watson had done some arguing in the past, Kristy had no arguments against her step-father, and was anxious to talk to him about her sister.
"Hello?" She asked, hurriedly and worriedly.
"Kristy, sweetie, it's Watson. You haven't heard from Karen lately, have you?" he asked, fatherly panic in his voice.
"No, I haven't, I'm sorry. She's missing?" Kristy's heart pounded furiously in her chest, causing her blood to rush through her body. This wasn't the first time Karen had pulled something like this, but that didn't make it any easier.
"I'm afraid so. Listen, I don't know where she could be, but you still talk to some of her friends. Maybe Dave's seen her, or one of the other kids. Just keep an eye out, and give me a call if you hear from her or someone else." Kristy's hands were shaking, but she told Watson she'd give him a call if she heard anything. Her fears were the same as always, though. She was terrified she wouldn't hear anything until it was too late to change it.
Hours later, Kristy was desperately trying to study for her child psychology class. Her mind just kept drifting back to Karen, probably wandering the streets alone, or worse. She needed to talk to someone, and soon. Leaning across her bed, she dialed the number of her boyfriend, Alan Gray. He'd finally matured, and after a few dates, he'd convinced he was actually an ok guy. The phone rang four times before she finally heard his answering machine, and Kristy hung up without leaving a message, frustrated.
Slowly, she exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She didn't want to talk to just anybody. What she really needed was a friend, a friend who knew both her and Karen well. Preferably one who could sit and listen to her. Reaching under her bed, Kristy pulled out her address book, and dialed Mary Anne's number in New York.
"What do you mean she's not in her room?" Elizabeth Brewer had answered the phone with an exhasperated look, giving Kristy Thomas the signal that it was her mother's ex-husband, Watson. Her expression had quickly changed to one of concern, and Kristy became worried.
Kristy listened carefully as her mother spoke on the phone. She sat at the kitchen table, chewing in curiousity on her pizza as her mother stood in the doorway, talking. Her sixteen year-old brother, David Michael, known as Dave by his peers, sat across from her. Suddenly the scene brought back a memory; quick and somewhat painful. Eight years ago, the setting in the Thomas household was strikingly similar. They'd been in the old house, then, back on Bradford Court. Kristy could have looked out her bedroom window into that of Mary Anne Spier's, her best friend, or dashed across the street to see Claudia Kishi, another friend of theirs. That particular day, Kristy's mother was trying to find a baby-sitter for Dave, and Kristy, her brothers Sam and Charlie, and David Michael's usual baby-sitter were all busy. Her mother spent hours on the phone, searching desperately for a sitter. That's when the idea first hit her. Wouldn't it be great if her Mom could call one number, and reach a whole network of baby-sitters?
That was the birth of the Baby-Sitters Club. Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia banned together, along with Claudia's new friend Stacey McGill, and Kristy's dream was formed. Then Dawn Schafer had moved in from California, and with some hesitancy on Kristy's part, they'd made her part of the group. Then Stacey's father got transferred back to New York, and Stacey had to move. In order to replace her, the others had taken on two junior members, Mallory Pike and Jessi Ramsey. When Kristy's mother had married Watson, they'd moved across town, and Kristy had met Shannon Kilbourne, another sitter, who soon became an associate member of the club, as did Mary Anne's boyfriend, Logan Bruno. It wasn't long before Stacey's parents had divorced, and Stacey returned, and then, Dawn announced she was moving, surprising them all. To replace Dawn, they brought in Kristy's new neighbor Abby Stevenson, and that was the Baby-Sitters Club, or the BSC as it became known.
But that was back in seventh and eighth grade. Soon the girls began high school, and then college, and slowly over the years, they'd began to tear apart, little by little. Mallory transferred to boarding school, and didn't have time for the BSC during the summer. When all the others graduated to high school, leaving Jessi at Soneybrook Middle, a divide was drawn between them. Jessi started attending a special dance school, leaving her with little time for baby-sitting, anyway. From there on, the rest of the group began to grow apart. After graduation, they'd all spread out across the country, and now Kristy didn't even know where half of her former best friends were.
Pushing the BSC out of her mind, Kristy forced herself to pay attention to her mother's conversation.
"Watson, she's fifteen, she's probably out with friends." Dread filled Kristy's stomach. Watson was probably calling about his daughter, Karen. Even though their parents had been divorced for two years, Kristy still considered Karen her little sister. Soon after the divorce, Karen had begun hanging out with a group Kristy didn't approve of, but couldn't do much about. Kristy hoped it was nothing serious.
"Hold on, here she is." Elizabeth said, handing Kristy the phone. "Watson needs to talk to you, honey. It's important." Kristy took the phone from her mother. Even though she and Watson had done some arguing in the past, Kristy had no arguments against her step-father, and was anxious to talk to him about her sister.
"Hello?" She asked, hurriedly and worriedly.
"Kristy, sweetie, it's Watson. You haven't heard from Karen lately, have you?" he asked, fatherly panic in his voice.
"No, I haven't, I'm sorry. She's missing?" Kristy's heart pounded furiously in her chest, causing her blood to rush through her body. This wasn't the first time Karen had pulled something like this, but that didn't make it any easier.
"I'm afraid so. Listen, I don't know where she could be, but you still talk to some of her friends. Maybe Dave's seen her, or one of the other kids. Just keep an eye out, and give me a call if you hear from her or someone else." Kristy's hands were shaking, but she told Watson she'd give him a call if she heard anything. Her fears were the same as always, though. She was terrified she wouldn't hear anything until it was too late to change it.
Hours later, Kristy was desperately trying to study for her child psychology class. Her mind just kept drifting back to Karen, probably wandering the streets alone, or worse. She needed to talk to someone, and soon. Leaning across her bed, she dialed the number of her boyfriend, Alan Gray. He'd finally matured, and after a few dates, he'd convinced he was actually an ok guy. The phone rang four times before she finally heard his answering machine, and Kristy hung up without leaving a message, frustrated.
Slowly, she exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She didn't want to talk to just anybody. What she really needed was a friend, a friend who knew both her and Karen well. Preferably one who could sit and listen to her. Reaching under her bed, Kristy pulled out her address book, and dialed Mary Anne's number in New York.