By: CNJ
PG-13
8: A Glimpse Of The Next Generation
Stacey:
The BSC headed into New York
City the first weekend in February. We decided to have our monthly sleepover
there and it turned out to be a great time. Samantha picked us up from
the station, we dropped off our overnight things at Dad and Samantha's
place, then went cruising around town that Saturday. It was cold and windy,
cold enough to snow, but the sky was clear.
"Just think, Mary Anne and
I could be living here next year," Kristy told us as we walked down to
the harbor and peered at the Statue of Liberty.
"Me too," Mona put in. "I'm
thinking of going here for college."
"Where...Staten?" Mary Anne
asked as we meandered on back to the main city streets. Mona nodded.
"Hey, I applied there too,"
Mary Anne grinned. "Maybe...if we both decide to go there, we could try
to become roommates!"
"Sounds good..." Mona told
her. "Stace...you applied here, right?"
"Yeah..." I hesitated. "But
I haven't decided if I'm going to come here for college." College talk
was giving me a strange feeling...like a sadness and a slight ache in my
stomach. Kind of like I want to hold on to this year and that this year
is flying by too fast for my comfort. The others sounded excited about
college and adulthood...I wondered why I didn't feel too excited about
it yet. Maybe later in the spring I'll look forward to it more, I thought
as we walked along a high fence and wall with wintry sunlight glinting
off it and making the sky seem a deeper blue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe
for dinner, then headed back to Dad and Samantha's place with a load of
snacks and sodas. One thing I really was going to miss next year were the
sleepovers. Would we ever be together, just all of us here like we were
tonight? I wondered as we dug in and played Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit.
Late that night, after hot chocolate, all of us drifted to sleep in a bunch
in our sleeping bags. I lay awake a while. Even though it was the middle
of the city with all the noise of traffic, I could still hear the wind
in the background. Like the changes in our lives, I thought.
"Stace...are you all right?"
It was Mary Anne.
"Yes...I guess so," I turned
over some.
"You seemed a little quiet
tonight..."
"I was just...thinking about
how it's all going to be so different next year," I told her.
"Yeah...it is," Mary Anne
whispered. "I'm really going to miss this...the sleepovers, Stoneybrook,
our charges..."
"I was thinking about that
this afternoon," I whispered, my throat feeling a bit tight. "I'm...not
really looking forward to the end of this year...I wonder why I'm not more
excited about college and leaving Stoneybrook."
"Wow, I wish there was an
easy answer for that one," Mary Anne said softly. "I can somewhat understand
the feeling...I'm also going to miss Stoneybrook...and Dad and Sharon and
you all. But I'm also looking forward to life on my own...having more freedom
and responsibility. Just think, Stace, we'll be more in control of our
lives and we'll be able to vote. Change this world for the better."
"True." I tried to focus
on that. It would be good having adult freedom and responsibilities.
"Wait until graduation comes,"
Mary Anne reached over and touched my hand. We held hands a minute. "I
know I'll be sobbing my eyes shut, but at the same time, I'll be looking
forward to next year. So will you I'm sure." We drifted off to sleep holding
hands and woke up the next morning with our fingers still partially entwined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Anne:
We stayed until Sunday afternoon,
then headed back. As soon as I got home and greeted Dad and Sharon, I headed
down to do some laundry. I had a pile of sweatshirts and underwear that
I needed for the week. If the week continued to be cold, the thick sweats
with the hood would be good. It was still windy and there was a possibility
of more snow next weekend. As I poured the detergent into the machine,
I thought about how I'd be doing this regularly next year. I made a mental
note to always keep quarters handy once I got to college since I know most
laundries charge a dollar in quarters per load. As I waited for my clothes
to get clean, I did my reading for next week's classes. My homework was
done, so that was out of the way. I'd dried and folded my clothes and was
coming up when Dad called over, "Mary Anne...Kristy's sister called...Kristy
has the flu."
"Thanks, I'll call her,"
I called back. I ran upstairs, put my things away, then dialed the Thomas-Brewer
house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mona:
Kristy wasn't the only one
out with the flu. That week so were about a third of SHS. I saw Ms. Silverbein
in the hall Monday afternoon and it looked like she had a cold.
Her hand had a small cast on it too and I wondered how she'd hurt her hand.
Tuesday, Mary Anne woke up sick, then Dawn had to go home early later that
day. Anna was sick by Wednesday. Half of the BSC were out sick and we needed
some fill-ins meanwhile.
"The Next Generation can
fill in," Stacey suggested at lunch.
"They're pretty much trained
now..." I put in. So that's what we decided. It turned out Karen Brewer,
Vanessa Pike, Becca Ramsey, and Charlotte Johanssen were available. They
made it to our Wednesday meeting and we told them what we needed for them
to substitute. Good thing we had them and had been training them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karen:
"So...who's keeping Mary
Anne's notebook neat?" I asked Kristy on Wednesday night after the BSC
club meeting when I went into her room to see how she was and to tell her
that we were helping out with the BSC staff shortage. Kristy sat up a little,
seeming to think. "Charlotte wants to be next year's BSC secretary, so...she
can do it. Thank the stars you four could make it." Kristy reached over
for a tissue and blew her nose.
"Yeah...you really do get
a lot of business," I held Kristy's hand a minute until she drifted back
to sleep. I'd also taken a sitting job for Saturday and Charlotte took
one for Friday night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dawn:
I was mostly nauseous and
had no appetite, but Mary Anne, Kristy, and Anna were in really bad shape
for the next three or so days. Mary Anne was bedridden, so often, I went
in and held her hand.
"Who's subbing for secretary?"
Mary Anne asked.
"Charlotte," I told her.
"She's organized like you." I smiled and she managed a weak smile back.
"Remember once back in eighth grade when you were absent a couple of meetings,
then when you came back, you were shocked at the sight of your notebook?"
"Yeah..." Mary Anne whispered.
Her voice sounded stopped-up and she had dark circles under her eyes. "I
was absolutely horrified..." We laughed a little, then Mary Anne turned
her face into her pillow and started to cough. I stroked her, softly rubbing
her back just below her lung area.
Kristy:
It was the weekend before
I could get up again. I'd heard that David had been sick also. So had my
brother David Micheal. I staggered into the bathroom and groaned softly
when I saw myself in the mirror. My eyes drooped and my dark hair was stringy
and limp. I even looked like I'd lost a little weight. Hello, don't I look
like a grainy passport photo! I smiled ruefully. But it was good to feel
better. I was tired of staying in bed and wanted to get up and be on the
go again. I called Mary Anne, Dawn, and Anna. Dawn and Anna had recovered
more quickly than Mary Anne. Mary Anne was in my state...just coming out
of it. I went downstairs to try to eat something.
"Good, you're looking better,"
Mom smiled at me. "How're you feeling?"
"Better." I pulled out an
English muffin and put it into the toaster. Once I'd eaten, I was going
to head over to Mary Anne's but Mom suggested, "Why don't you get some
more rest?"
"Oh, Mom..." I groaned.
"I've been in bed three days. I was going to head over to Mary Anne's."
"Tomorrow you can," Mom
told me. "I think you should stay inside for today and take it easy. It's
cold and windy out there." I considered pleading my case more, but decided
it wasn't worth it.
"I guess I can wait another
day..." I shuffled up to my room again. It's definitely no fun having to
stay in bed and being cooped up indoors.
"Mom..." I called the next
afternoon. "I'm going over to Mary Anne's...I'll be back in a few hours."
Mom seemed to look me over as she considered it. I hoped to the stars above
that she wouldn't say no and insist that I stay in today again. But to
my relief, she just nodded.
"All right, be careful,
dear," she finally said.
Mary Anne:
I was so relieved that our
former charges had filled in for us when we were so sick. I was glad to
get out of bed, shower, and see Kristy. If I hadn't gotten out of the house
sooner, I would have come down with cabin fever. Sharon and Dad had insisted
that I stay indoors yesterday, even though I wasn't bedridden anymore.
"Are you sure you don't
want to rest another day?" Sharon asked me when I told her I was meeting
Kristy. "You still looked peaked."
"Not really," I sat at the
kitchen table and ate a roll slowly along with some apple juice. My appetite
was slowly returning. "I've spent enough time in bed this week and it's
starting to drive me nuts." I know I still don't look that good. My hair
was dulled by illness and my eyes were shadowed and looked almost...like
a muddied brown instead of the usual dark brown that they are. When Kristy
came in, we hugged. "Oh, it's so good to see you on your feet again," I
told her.
"It's good to see you okay
again too," Kristy peered into the kitchen and said hi to Sharon, who was
poring over a copy of Architecture Today magazine. As we started
out, Sharon jumped up and pulled a thick plaid poncho out of the hall closet.
"Honey, it's cold out there."
She put the poncho over my shoulders which was already covered with my
thick jacket. "Be careful, dears. There's still a lot of flu out there."
"Thanks," I gave her a rueful
smile, then pulled the poncho over me. When we got to the car, both of
us laughed, then wound up coughing. Kristy pulled out cough drops and handed
one to me.
"What a week," she said
once we could catch our breath. We drove around for a while, then stopped
at Fries Ahoy for drinks and fries.
"It's so good to feel hungry
again," I sat back, then had to cough more. We munched quietly for a few
minutes. "I couldn't eat for days," I continued. "Dawn said she had a hard
time holding anything down. How's..." I started coughing again. I knew
I sounded awful. Kristy stroked me as I sipped my soda. "How's David...Micheal..."
I finally got out before I went into another coughing spell.
"Better. Mom still wants
him to stay home for today." I could tell Kristy was still stuffed up.
My nose was running and I had to blow it from time to time. "Dawn and Anna
are better. They were at yesterday's meeting. Are you going to Monday's
meeting?"
"I hope so," I leaned back
and stared at the slush on the edges of the parking lot. "If Dad and Sharon
aren't too worried about me." I coughed again. I hoped that my cough was
almost over because more than the cold part, I hate coughing.
"Me too, If I can convince
Mom that I'm over the worst."
"From what Dawn tells me
about Friday's meeting, it looks as if we have four members ready for the
next generation of the Baby-Sitters' Club." I suddenly felt tears in my
eyes.
"Are you..." Kristy handed
me a tissue. I took a few shuddery breaths as a few tears spilled over
my face.
"It's...it's...j-just strange
to th-think that we'll be gone next year," I managed in a high whimper.
"I'm really going to miss our charges...and clients...and you all..." I
wiped my eyes.
"Me too." Kristy had an
odd wistful look on her face. "I think I'm going to be crying alongside
with you when we say goodbye to our clients and usher in the next generation
of the BSC. Is it my imagination or is this year really flying by?"
"It is..." I struggled to
catch my breath. We sat for a long while, thinking over this that cold
February afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mona:
It was so good seeing Mary
Anne and Kristy back at Monday's BSC meeting again! Kristy and Mary Anne
thanked our former charges for picking up things and keeping the BSC running
smoothly. Now things could get back to normal and not-so-swamped. Well,
as normal as things could get when we're training the next generation of
the BSC, which is a constant reminder that graduation is getting closer
every day.
Kristy:
It was good that David Amesworth
was feeling better too. David and I got Mary Anne and Tim to double-date
the following Friday night at Aster and Dusker's in the virtual reality
game of Shooting At the Stars. It's a game where you point at moving star
images in a darkened room and shoot a laser beam at it. We had a blast
and David and I buried Mary Anne and Tim.
"You two have the sports,"
Mary Anne laughed as we tallied up the points. "That's why you always cream
us at this." After Mary Anne and I had dropped the guys off at home later
on, we headed back to Mary Anne's house.
"Singer's going to put her
baby up for adoption," I told Mary Anne about my stepcousin.
"That's good," Mary Anne
said. "Has she found an adoption agency?"
"Yes, sort of," I nodded
as I drove toward Burnt Hill Road. "Actually, she's doing a private adoption
through a family friend who's a lawyer. This friend knows a woman who lives
in Stamford and wants a baby. The woman's got a good job and a stable home.
She's going to check it out to verify it. This lawyer was able to get a
subsidized social worker from the state to check things out.
"Good move," Mary Anne agreed.
We both know how important it is that babies and even older kids be placed
in good adoptive homes with a stable, loving parent.