Sorry for the LONG wait! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I hope for some more :D
I look in the mirror. My straight chocolate hair hangs down somewhere around my waist and my brown eyes stare back at me curiously. I don't have a bad figure; I've grown and curved since I first met Logan. I cock my head to the side. I wonder what's been holding me back from doing anything wild or even slightly daring. From wearing anything above the knees- including my swimsuit, cutting class... from making love. I blush at the thought. And then I realise.
I sigh and fall back onto my navy blue bedspread. What's holding me back is me. Do I make sense? I tend to over analyse things. What I mean is that I'm too guarded, too shy and have a huge conscience. If I cut class, I think I would have a panic attack, and as for the sex... Well I'd probably die. Not to mention turning a shade close to beetroot every time I see Logan. But I made a promise to him. I may be shy but I don't break promises. Unless they are that stupid. Yup... This definitely qualifies.
But I... well, like him a lot. I'm not sure, even after five years, if I love him. I suppose I do. Maybe that's another reason why I feel I'm not ready, I'm always unsure of my feelings. Logan is the first, and one of the only guys, I've ever dated. Maybe I need a change. I know what you're thinking. Mary Anne, another change? You already cut your hair into a bob and changed my style back in middle school. Maybe that's not the type of change I need. Personality is more important, right? Acting more open, friendly and a tad bit more daring... Maybe even more than a tad.
Of course with a personality change comes a wardrobe change. I shrug into my green bathrobe and open my closet door. A row of colour and style coded clothing hangs neatly on hangers. I paw through the various jeans, sweaters, skirts and tops for something I can wear to meet my friends for the BSC meeting, and later on Logan. I set out a V-neck lime green and grey striped shirt and dark jeans for now and then sigh. Nothing new there. Looking at the time I decide to choose my date clothes later.
I grab a knitted cardigan, thinking of my last date with Logan when it was absolutely freezing. Jogging out, I shout a quick bye to Sharon and then head for Claudia's house. It'd really hard to believe that even after quite a few years the babysitters club is STILL running. Of course a lot of the original clients are old enough to be babysitters themselves now! But there are still people like the Perkins girls and Marnie Barrett who we are closer than ever with. And the actual sitters sitting are different too. Kristy, Claudia, Stacey are still part of it. And Dawn is when she visits Stoneybrook. Logan still occasionally sits when we need extras, but Shannon is way too busy. After all, she is very smart and is already doing quite a few college level courses. Jessi left not much after Mallory left for River bend. And that's about it. Actually not exactly... Remember how I said that our ex-clients are now old enough to become sitters themselves? Well that's exactly what a lot of them DID do. With Kristy's blessing, of course. But don't think we're not as popular as the kids, or vice versa. The parents trust and know us, but they also want a fresh face.
After 15 minutes of my internal ramblings I am standing in front of Claudia's house. I open the door, shout a hello to Mrs Kishi and run up the stairs. Turning towards Claud's room I realise something. There is not a sound, not one peep. Usually the girls are chatting away. It is Friday... isn't it? I knock on her door cautiously and then when no one answers I walk in. They are all there, sitting down. Staring wide eyed at Kristy.
"Guys? Hi" I greet them. I seem to finally have made some impact as they turn to look at me.
"Hey." Stacey says finally. Kristy is positively red, blushing madly. Wait... Rewind. Kristy, blushing?
"Erm... If you don't mind me asking, what is going on?" I ask.
After quickly glancing at the clock, which reads 5:29, Kristy replies, "Let's talk afterwards."
"Fine" I sigh just as the clock changes to five thirty.
"This meeting will now come to order!" Kristy says, "Any club business?"
Even though she has grown since the BSC was formed, she is as bossy as ever. We stay silent.
"Everyone read the notebook?" she persists. We nod and I notice Stacey and Claud glance at each other and roll their eyes.
"Ahem, Guys?" I start timidly. Mary Anne, I chide, you need to become more outgoing
"Yeh?" Stacey says.
"So what were you guys all flabbergasted about before the meeting?" I try to ask lightly. They all glance at Kristy again, whose cheeks take on a pink tinge. I can't help feeling a twinge of jealousy as Kristy has always been my best friend and told me everything first.
"Well...umm... this is a professional meeti..."
Stacey cuts her off, "Kristy did it."
It? It? She doesn't mean... Oh God, Sporty tom boy Kristy Thomas had sex before me. I am dumbstruck, positively gobsmacked.
"...Mary Anne?" Kristy says apprehensively.
"I just can't believe it. With who? And what happened to your morals?" I exclaim.
Kristy almost looks hurt. "Bart. Who else? And it wasn't on purpose. I shouldn't have. But I think... well I think I love him." We all pause for a few moments before I speak again.
"Love." I sigh wistfully. "It seems just the other day you didn't know whether he was just a friend or your boyfriend."
"The good old days." She agrees and then the phone jerks us back to reality. Claudia quickly picks it up.
"Oh hello Mrs Newton. A sitter for Lucy and Jamie? Okay. Mmm... I'll call you right back." She hangs up. "Mrs Newton needs a sitter for Lucy and Jamie next Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 until 5:15."
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and flick through the record book. "Kristy, you are already looking after Andrew. Claudia has an art class. So that leaves us two, Stace. But I have an English paper due the next day, so do you mind taking it?"
"I think that's fine." She says. She calls back Mrs Newton as I pencil her in.
There is an awkward silence that follows so Claudia tries to break the ice (or maybe she's just hungry) and exclaims, "Food!"
"Yes please." I reply, and laugh. I am actually quite hungry. She digs in her wardrobe to reveal a packet of jelly snakes. Claudia takes a handful and passes it to me. I select a few red ones, since they are my favourite, and give the bag to Kristy. Stacey is empty handed so Claudia retrieves an apple off her desk.
"Sorry" she apologises. "This is all I have."
"Don't worry. I love apples" Stacey smiles and takes a huge bite.
Ring Ring. We all look at each other with wide eyes. Crud... crud... crud.
The phone rings impatiently. I swallow most of my mouthful and then pick up the phone, "Hello?" I can't even manage to say the babysitters club line between all the food in my mouth. Gross, I know.
"Hello. This is the number for the babysitters club?" a man asks.
"Uhm yes... yes it is" I reply and then bite my lip. New clients and I am making such a bad impression.
"My name is Michael Sherwin and I picked up a flier for this service the other day." He begins. "I have a question; do you have sitters that are able to look after children over a weekend?"
I look at Kristy, who is looking back at me very impatiently, "What is it?" she mouths.
"Sorry, do you mind holding for a moment?" I say, trying to sound professional. I cover the mouthpiece and tell the others the situation.
"I don't think my mum would mind too much." Stacey says and then Claud and Kristy nod.
"Yes we do." I answer him.
"Good. Can I hire a sitter for Saturday to Monday morning?" he asks.
"This weekend? I clarify.
"I'm sorry about the short notice. I have a business trip this weekend and I am a single parent, so there is no one at home to take care of Amelie." Michael explains.
"Amelie is your daughter?" I ask.
"Yes."
"How old is she?"
"She is..." he trails off. Poor Amelie, this man sounds a little like my own father. "6 I think."
"Okay." I reply and pencil in all the information into the record book. I question him about his address and number etc. "One of our sitters will be there tomorrow."
"Thank you. Good bye." We both hang up.
"Who was that?" asks Claudia.
"Some guy named Michael Sherwin. He needs a sitter from tomorrow until Monday morning." I inform them. "Anyone free?"
Silence.
"Mary Anne?" Kristy starts. "Why did you tell him we could do it straight away? And so last minute."
"I... well... he reminds me of my dad. He is single and needs a sitter for his little girl." I admit.
'Fine." Kristy relents. "But I have a few babysitting jobs scheduled already."
"And... so do all of us." I say, looking at the record book.
"I guess... we can't do it then." Stacey says. We all sigh.
"Wait a minute." Kristy says slowly. "Can I have a look at the record book?"
"Sure" I hand it over.
Her eyes scan our schedules for the next few days. "Stacey, you don't have any sitting jobs tomorrow and Mary Anne, you don't have any on Sunday. So maybe..."
"We can share the job!" I finish. Kristy smiles proudly and I realise something. She may now be 17 years old and no longer a virgin, but really, she hasn't changed much at all. Kristy is still my best friend.
"Six o clock already!" Claudia exclaims.
"Really?" I ask, looking at the clock myself. Sure enough it's time to go.
"Meeting adjourned." Kristy says and grabs her jacket.
"I better go now too. I have a date with Logan tonight" I tell them. They all smile knowingly. I roll my eyes, trying not to blush.
"Bye bye." I say to Claud and Stacey, who is staying back. Then I walk Kristy out. We stand there awkwardly, waiting for Sam to come. He now picks Kristy up. My dad didn't allow me to learn to drive, and I think Kristy agrees with his philosophy about driving interfering with school work.
"So..." I begin. "How was it?"
"It?" Kristy asks.
"You know."
"Oh" She replies, clearly not expecting the question. "Umm... great, fantastic, awesome?"
"Oh" I echo. "I guess you don't regret it."
"I keep thinking that maybe I should have waited." She answers. "But I don't regret it, exactly..."
"Okay" I say and Sam pulls up.
"Mary Anne?" she asks me, smiling. "Please let's never mention this again."
I grin; glad we got that talk out of the way. "That's fine with me."
She climbs up into Sam's car, "Want a ride?"
"Yes please" I say thankfully and follow her into the backseat. We chat and laugh all the way to my house. I guess staying close after conversations like this is what being best friends is all about.
Not much action in this chapter... But I will write the next chapter soon. Please review!
