Title: Start Anew
Author: Sweet Piglet
AN the First: Hello. This is Sweet Piglet. Some of you may have read this story, under the same title, under the account for "Wildcat Wells," and written by a "Lizzie C." The author is one and the same. So, just for future reference, this is the official home for "Start Anew."
This wasn't how Mary Anne had planned this. She had planned on coming back, sure. It was all going to be perfect. 28 years old, with a degree from Columbia, a penthouse in NYC, waltzing into the Stoneybrook Hilton's ball room at the ten year reunion in a stunning Christian Dior gown. It was going to be perfect.
But then she got the news that her father died from a heart attack. Sharon was overly distraught and was barely functioning. So Mary Anne came back to Stoneybrook to take care of final arrangements. She still had the degree, the penthouse. She even brought the gown with her, because she was leaving two days after the reunion.
She tried to stay at the house, the one she had only lived in for five years, the one they had rebuilt after the fire destroyed the farmhouse, but found that she couldn't bear being there. There were too many memories, too many reminders of her father there.
So she stayed at the Hilton. She had rented a car, a nice one, like the ones she rented all over the world, in case she had wanted to go anywhere. And, she found, she did. Want to go somewhere, that is.
She went for a drive, trying to clear her head. Mary Anne put the top down on the convertible and cruised around Stoneybrook, around a town she hadn't been in for ten years.
First Stop, Main Street. They tore down Uncle Ed's, the Merry-go-Round, Thelma's Cafe, a few random buildings, even the old Stoneybrook Bank, built circa 1872. They put up a new business complex, complete with a metal sculpture, designed and made by- what name is that? Is it Claudia Kishi? Mary Anne wasn't surprised. Every time she went to Chicago on business, it seemed, Claudia Kishi was the main feature of one gallery or another. She was pleased. Claudia had fallen in love with Chicago on that road trip they took the summer after 8th grade.
The next place she went to was Rosedale Road. Mary Anne was pleased to see that the Stoneybrook General Hospital was still there. It appeared, though, that Jugtown had been replaced with the new hospital wing.
Bracing herself, she went slightly left off of Rosedale, parked along the side of the road, and found herself where she had lived for thirteen years of her life. At 58 Bradford Court, two cars were parked out in the driveway. The one had to be Janine's, with a bumper sticker that said, "I brake for quantum physics." The other had a vanity license plate "JER N JAN." Mary Anne took this to mean that, despite their differences, Jerry and Janine bit the bullet and tied the knot.
Across the street from the Kishis- Michaels', it was now, for Mary Anne vaguely remembered Sharon telling her that Claud's parents had died- a girl, dressed entirely in black and a scowl, stood in her driveway, alternating between looking at her watch and looking down the road. Even after ten or more years, Mary Anne could still recognize the girl. It was Myriah Perkins, the girl whose family moved into Kristy Thomas's old house fifteen years ago. At first look, this girl, formerly a fan of happy and pretty clothes, couldn't be any more different than her old self. Even so, when her ride pulled up on a motorcycle, it appeared that not everything had changed, because Mary Anne could still see the dimples on Myriah's cheeks when she smiled at her ride.
Next door, a young woman was going up the driveway from her SUV to the Hobarts' home, where Mary Anne herself had lived fifteen years ago. She was pushing a double stroller, and a tall man was on her side, holding the hand of a little girl. An older woman, with salt-and-pepper hair, opened the door, and Mary Anne ducked when she heard the woman call out, "Mal, Ben. We weren't expecting you for another half hour." She cringed when she heard Mallory Pike-Hobart (because Mallory insisted on being a hyphenated wife, even as a teen) respond, "Well, little Miss Mary Anne here wanted to see Grammy and Pop-Pop." Did Mallory really name her first child 'Mary Anne'?
Shifting quickly out of park, Mary Anne decided to leave. Heading back to downtown, she realized that she was starving. She pulled into the Rosebud Cafe's parking lot, figuring that she could get a coffee or something else to soothe her frazzled nerves. She walked into the restaurant, and sat down at a seat at the counter. Mary Anne picked up a menu and was focusing on it so hard that she barely noticed the woman who sat down next to her.
Deciding on what she wanted, Mary Anne signaled for the waitress at the counter. "What'll it be?" asked the waitress.
Still looking at the menu, Mary Anne replied, "I'll have a grasshopper milkshake and an onion ring platter with-"
"A little bowl of bleu cheese dressing on the side," finished the woman sitting next to Mary Anne, a woman Mary Anne had not seen in ten years, a woman Mary Anne had hoped not to see on her trip until the reunion, a woman Mary Anne had secretly hoped not to see on her trip at all.
She was gaping. And Mary Anne never gaped. No, the Academy Award winning screenwriter did not gape. And yet, there she was, doing something she never did. It was not the first time.
"Kristy," she said faintly, blinking rapidly, trying her hardest to confirm that the woman beside her was indeed her best friend of 18 years, Kristy Thomas. "Hi."
"Hey," Kristy said back.
There was an awkward silence as the two figured out what they were going to say to the other.
"So, um, Kristy," started Mary Anne. "How did you know what I was going to order?"
Kristy blushed. "Oh, that? Well, in high school, whenever you had something big on your mind, we'd always come down here, and you would always order the same thing: a grasshopper shake and onion rings with bleu cheese dressing."
Mary Anne laughed. "Yeah, and you'd order a peanut butter fudge shake and cheese fries, and we'd get a back booth and just talk," she said.
Smiling wanly, Kristy replied, "We did that a lot at the end of senior year," then blanched. "Oh, my God," she said, panicking at the look on Mary Anne's face. "I did NOT mean to say that. I really-"
"It's no big deal." Mary Anne cut her off in a strained tone. "So," she said, trying to get back to a conversation, "What have you been up to?"
"Well, Bart and I got married the summer after senior year, but you knew that." Kristy said.
"No. No, actually, I didn't know that." Mary Anne said.
"Oh? Well, it was the talk of the town for months after, you know, because of my mom and Bart's mom wanting their kids to have the perfect wedding. I would have thought Sharon or your dad would have mentioned it..." Kristy trailed off.
"They didn't say anything about," Mary Anne told her with a twinge of guilt. "What about Charlie and Sam?"
"Well," Kristy said, leaning towards her best friend as if ten years hadn't passed since they spoke their last, bitter words to one another, "Charlie got engaged on Christmas Day to Laura Sanchez. She, Jessi, and Mal worked together at Stoneybrook Day Camp, way back when. She's really nice. And Sam. You remember Kathy? The girl he was dating? Well, they broke up. Guess who he's married to. Go on. Guess."
"Um, I don't know," Mary Anne said, racking her brain. "Cokie Mason?" she guessed, joking.
"Geez, Mary Anne. Sam has better taste than that," Kristy said. "Especially since he tied the knot with Stacey."
"You are kidding me!" Mary Anne squealed, because although she did not gape, she did squeal. "Are they coming to the reunion? It will be great to see them."
"Yes, they're coming, all two and a half of them," Kristy informed her with a little grin.
"You mean Stacey's expecting?" Mary Anne gasped. "Oh, that is so wonderful! She'll make a wonderful mother."
"Yeah, I told her that after my third," Kristy said.
"Your third?" Mary Anne confirmed.
"Yep." Kristy smiled happily. "Little Beth. Her big sister, Robin, is eight, and big brother Patrick is five."
"Oh, how cute. Do you work?"
"Only at home. Bart's got enough for us to live on."
"What about Jessi? How's she doing?"
"Jessi's teaching at Stamford Ballet School. Quint is working in NYC at Julliard, and he commutes every day."
"Must be tough on them. Any kids?"
"None yet. But Jessi wants some by the time she's thirty."
"Good aspirations. And Mal? I saw her earlier. Three kids?"
"Yep. Kristy, Stacey, and Mary Anne. She and Ben live in New Hope."
"Is that intentional?"
"What, the naming? Yeah. She wants a big family. And, so far, has been blessed with only girls."
"I know that Claudia is all the rage in Chicago. I go there all the time on research. What's Abby up to?"
"Abby got her teaching certification right after college, and teaches high school physical education in Hartford."
"And. . . Logan?"
"Logan's writing for the Stoneybrook News."
"Wow," Mary Anne said softly. "I've missed a lot in the last ten years."
"Yeah," said Kristy sadly. "You did."
"Well," Mary Anne said in a defensive tone, "I was going through a good deal of turmoil around graduation. And you didn't help any."
"What, I was supposed to be happy that you got yourself pregnant?" Kristy retorted. "Yeah, that would have done you a lot of good."
"You could have NOT told me to marry him. That would have been better than saying, 'Mary Anne, you have got to marry RJ Blaser. It is the only respectable thing to do.'"
"Well, it was! You get yourself knocked up, you should take some responsibility for it!"
"Oh, marrying someone I don't love is responsible?"
"If you didn't love him, then why did it happen?"
"I don't know!"
"Maybe you should have known first."
"Look, Kristy, I had a lot of plans. And a baby would not have fit into those plans!"
"You should have thought about that."
"There's a lot I should have thought about." Mary Anne grabbed her purse and started to get up.
"Mary Anne, wait," Kristy said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I was just upset, you know? You and I have not talked for ten years. Not since you stormed out of my house after that last big fight."
"Yeah. I left for New York the next day, you know. Talked with a private adoption agency. Found a nice couple."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. They'll be able to give her a better home, a better family, a better life than I would have."
"Did you see her?"
"I got to name her."
"What's her name?"
"Alma. I've really got to go, Kristy. I'll see you at the reunion?"
"Definitely. Bye, Mary Anne."
"Bye. Oh, and Kristy?"
"Yes?"
Mary Anne smiled sadly. "She turned ten today," was all she said before she left the Rosebud Cafe.
AN the Second: Me again. At the other locale of "Start Anew," there were some things that I wanted to clear up, so here goes nothing.
"Do you plan on continuing?" Asked and commented (in varying forms) by Kathleen Emerson, Sleather Chonkers, BalletPrincess, Katerina, teacherchez, Undying Phoenix, CNJ, Muah-Baby-Muah, Fay Mish, Kat, Jaded Rose, JeN, and SUNNYEXISTENCE. The answer is "Yes." Now, understand. I was not planning on doing so. But, after getting 11 reviews in 5 days, I changed my mind. So keep your eyes open for more of "Start Anew"!
"Why would Kristy name her first son after the father that left her?" Queried by BalletPrincess. Ah, I was wondering who would spot that. Yes, Patrick is named after Patrick Thomas, Kristy's long-lost father. Long- lost, that is, for 7 years. In "Kristy's Book," Patrick actually does come back to see her, although it may not have been a grand experience, as he ditches her again (much like the movie, no?) But in BSC Friends Forever #1, "Kristy's Big News," she heads to California for Patrick's wedding to Zoey, who is actually liked by Kristy, Sam, and Charlie. I figure that Kristy likes Zoey enough to keep in contact with her father, who does now show signs of settling down.
"Why on earth would Mal name her kids after the BSC members?" Also asked by BalletPrincess. Well, the thing is, that I figured Mallory to be a friend oriented kind of person. After all, in #100, she and Jessi are the only ones who vote against disbanding the club. And, after her leaving for boarding school in #126, I thought that that would only strengthen her bond with her friends. So, both of those are my little spin on the books.
To CNJ, who mentioned that my portrayal of Kristy seemed a bit out of canon: Yes, it does seem like that, doesn't it? Well, you are just going to have to wait a bit of time to see why she is like that. If anyone can guess why Kristy seems to be small-minded or judgemental, you will have a cameo. But not as a new friend of the sitters. No, I'm thinking more along the lines of an adult who will appear here and is not in the books.
One more thing. I know that everyone who reads these retains a good bit of the information. But believe me when I say that everything that goes into this story, with the exceptions of characters I make up, is from the books. Doubt me, do you? The List of BSC books that I own: BSC 1-131; Mysteries 1-36; Super Specials 1-15; Super Mysteries 1-4; Mary Anne's Book, Dawn's Book, Kristy's Book, Claudia's Book, Abby's Book, and Stacey's Book; Logan's Story, Logan Bruno: Boy Baby-Sitter, Shannon's Story; BSC Friends Forever 1-12; BSC Friends Forever Specials 1-2; The Complete Guide To The Baby-Sitters Club; any of the other stories that are not mentioned here. Note: I did not read the Baby-Sitters Little Sister books, so Karen Brewer will be based off of the normal books.
Please let me know if you like/don't like/are confused about/hate my stories. I take constructive criticism very well. At least, that is what my anger management specialist tells me. . .
Author: Sweet Piglet
AN the First: Hello. This is Sweet Piglet. Some of you may have read this story, under the same title, under the account for "Wildcat Wells," and written by a "Lizzie C." The author is one and the same. So, just for future reference, this is the official home for "Start Anew."
This wasn't how Mary Anne had planned this. She had planned on coming back, sure. It was all going to be perfect. 28 years old, with a degree from Columbia, a penthouse in NYC, waltzing into the Stoneybrook Hilton's ball room at the ten year reunion in a stunning Christian Dior gown. It was going to be perfect.
But then she got the news that her father died from a heart attack. Sharon was overly distraught and was barely functioning. So Mary Anne came back to Stoneybrook to take care of final arrangements. She still had the degree, the penthouse. She even brought the gown with her, because she was leaving two days after the reunion.
She tried to stay at the house, the one she had only lived in for five years, the one they had rebuilt after the fire destroyed the farmhouse, but found that she couldn't bear being there. There were too many memories, too many reminders of her father there.
So she stayed at the Hilton. She had rented a car, a nice one, like the ones she rented all over the world, in case she had wanted to go anywhere. And, she found, she did. Want to go somewhere, that is.
She went for a drive, trying to clear her head. Mary Anne put the top down on the convertible and cruised around Stoneybrook, around a town she hadn't been in for ten years.
First Stop, Main Street. They tore down Uncle Ed's, the Merry-go-Round, Thelma's Cafe, a few random buildings, even the old Stoneybrook Bank, built circa 1872. They put up a new business complex, complete with a metal sculpture, designed and made by- what name is that? Is it Claudia Kishi? Mary Anne wasn't surprised. Every time she went to Chicago on business, it seemed, Claudia Kishi was the main feature of one gallery or another. She was pleased. Claudia had fallen in love with Chicago on that road trip they took the summer after 8th grade.
The next place she went to was Rosedale Road. Mary Anne was pleased to see that the Stoneybrook General Hospital was still there. It appeared, though, that Jugtown had been replaced with the new hospital wing.
Bracing herself, she went slightly left off of Rosedale, parked along the side of the road, and found herself where she had lived for thirteen years of her life. At 58 Bradford Court, two cars were parked out in the driveway. The one had to be Janine's, with a bumper sticker that said, "I brake for quantum physics." The other had a vanity license plate "JER N JAN." Mary Anne took this to mean that, despite their differences, Jerry and Janine bit the bullet and tied the knot.
Across the street from the Kishis- Michaels', it was now, for Mary Anne vaguely remembered Sharon telling her that Claud's parents had died- a girl, dressed entirely in black and a scowl, stood in her driveway, alternating between looking at her watch and looking down the road. Even after ten or more years, Mary Anne could still recognize the girl. It was Myriah Perkins, the girl whose family moved into Kristy Thomas's old house fifteen years ago. At first look, this girl, formerly a fan of happy and pretty clothes, couldn't be any more different than her old self. Even so, when her ride pulled up on a motorcycle, it appeared that not everything had changed, because Mary Anne could still see the dimples on Myriah's cheeks when she smiled at her ride.
Next door, a young woman was going up the driveway from her SUV to the Hobarts' home, where Mary Anne herself had lived fifteen years ago. She was pushing a double stroller, and a tall man was on her side, holding the hand of a little girl. An older woman, with salt-and-pepper hair, opened the door, and Mary Anne ducked when she heard the woman call out, "Mal, Ben. We weren't expecting you for another half hour." She cringed when she heard Mallory Pike-Hobart (because Mallory insisted on being a hyphenated wife, even as a teen) respond, "Well, little Miss Mary Anne here wanted to see Grammy and Pop-Pop." Did Mallory really name her first child 'Mary Anne'?
Shifting quickly out of park, Mary Anne decided to leave. Heading back to downtown, she realized that she was starving. She pulled into the Rosebud Cafe's parking lot, figuring that she could get a coffee or something else to soothe her frazzled nerves. She walked into the restaurant, and sat down at a seat at the counter. Mary Anne picked up a menu and was focusing on it so hard that she barely noticed the woman who sat down next to her.
Deciding on what she wanted, Mary Anne signaled for the waitress at the counter. "What'll it be?" asked the waitress.
Still looking at the menu, Mary Anne replied, "I'll have a grasshopper milkshake and an onion ring platter with-"
"A little bowl of bleu cheese dressing on the side," finished the woman sitting next to Mary Anne, a woman Mary Anne had not seen in ten years, a woman Mary Anne had hoped not to see on her trip until the reunion, a woman Mary Anne had secretly hoped not to see on her trip at all.
She was gaping. And Mary Anne never gaped. No, the Academy Award winning screenwriter did not gape. And yet, there she was, doing something she never did. It was not the first time.
"Kristy," she said faintly, blinking rapidly, trying her hardest to confirm that the woman beside her was indeed her best friend of 18 years, Kristy Thomas. "Hi."
"Hey," Kristy said back.
There was an awkward silence as the two figured out what they were going to say to the other.
"So, um, Kristy," started Mary Anne. "How did you know what I was going to order?"
Kristy blushed. "Oh, that? Well, in high school, whenever you had something big on your mind, we'd always come down here, and you would always order the same thing: a grasshopper shake and onion rings with bleu cheese dressing."
Mary Anne laughed. "Yeah, and you'd order a peanut butter fudge shake and cheese fries, and we'd get a back booth and just talk," she said.
Smiling wanly, Kristy replied, "We did that a lot at the end of senior year," then blanched. "Oh, my God," she said, panicking at the look on Mary Anne's face. "I did NOT mean to say that. I really-"
"It's no big deal." Mary Anne cut her off in a strained tone. "So," she said, trying to get back to a conversation, "What have you been up to?"
"Well, Bart and I got married the summer after senior year, but you knew that." Kristy said.
"No. No, actually, I didn't know that." Mary Anne said.
"Oh? Well, it was the talk of the town for months after, you know, because of my mom and Bart's mom wanting their kids to have the perfect wedding. I would have thought Sharon or your dad would have mentioned it..." Kristy trailed off.
"They didn't say anything about," Mary Anne told her with a twinge of guilt. "What about Charlie and Sam?"
"Well," Kristy said, leaning towards her best friend as if ten years hadn't passed since they spoke their last, bitter words to one another, "Charlie got engaged on Christmas Day to Laura Sanchez. She, Jessi, and Mal worked together at Stoneybrook Day Camp, way back when. She's really nice. And Sam. You remember Kathy? The girl he was dating? Well, they broke up. Guess who he's married to. Go on. Guess."
"Um, I don't know," Mary Anne said, racking her brain. "Cokie Mason?" she guessed, joking.
"Geez, Mary Anne. Sam has better taste than that," Kristy said. "Especially since he tied the knot with Stacey."
"You are kidding me!" Mary Anne squealed, because although she did not gape, she did squeal. "Are they coming to the reunion? It will be great to see them."
"Yes, they're coming, all two and a half of them," Kristy informed her with a little grin.
"You mean Stacey's expecting?" Mary Anne gasped. "Oh, that is so wonderful! She'll make a wonderful mother."
"Yeah, I told her that after my third," Kristy said.
"Your third?" Mary Anne confirmed.
"Yep." Kristy smiled happily. "Little Beth. Her big sister, Robin, is eight, and big brother Patrick is five."
"Oh, how cute. Do you work?"
"Only at home. Bart's got enough for us to live on."
"What about Jessi? How's she doing?"
"Jessi's teaching at Stamford Ballet School. Quint is working in NYC at Julliard, and he commutes every day."
"Must be tough on them. Any kids?"
"None yet. But Jessi wants some by the time she's thirty."
"Good aspirations. And Mal? I saw her earlier. Three kids?"
"Yep. Kristy, Stacey, and Mary Anne. She and Ben live in New Hope."
"Is that intentional?"
"What, the naming? Yeah. She wants a big family. And, so far, has been blessed with only girls."
"I know that Claudia is all the rage in Chicago. I go there all the time on research. What's Abby up to?"
"Abby got her teaching certification right after college, and teaches high school physical education in Hartford."
"And. . . Logan?"
"Logan's writing for the Stoneybrook News."
"Wow," Mary Anne said softly. "I've missed a lot in the last ten years."
"Yeah," said Kristy sadly. "You did."
"Well," Mary Anne said in a defensive tone, "I was going through a good deal of turmoil around graduation. And you didn't help any."
"What, I was supposed to be happy that you got yourself pregnant?" Kristy retorted. "Yeah, that would have done you a lot of good."
"You could have NOT told me to marry him. That would have been better than saying, 'Mary Anne, you have got to marry RJ Blaser. It is the only respectable thing to do.'"
"Well, it was! You get yourself knocked up, you should take some responsibility for it!"
"Oh, marrying someone I don't love is responsible?"
"If you didn't love him, then why did it happen?"
"I don't know!"
"Maybe you should have known first."
"Look, Kristy, I had a lot of plans. And a baby would not have fit into those plans!"
"You should have thought about that."
"There's a lot I should have thought about." Mary Anne grabbed her purse and started to get up.
"Mary Anne, wait," Kristy said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I was just upset, you know? You and I have not talked for ten years. Not since you stormed out of my house after that last big fight."
"Yeah. I left for New York the next day, you know. Talked with a private adoption agency. Found a nice couple."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. They'll be able to give her a better home, a better family, a better life than I would have."
"Did you see her?"
"I got to name her."
"What's her name?"
"Alma. I've really got to go, Kristy. I'll see you at the reunion?"
"Definitely. Bye, Mary Anne."
"Bye. Oh, and Kristy?"
"Yes?"
Mary Anne smiled sadly. "She turned ten today," was all she said before she left the Rosebud Cafe.
AN the Second: Me again. At the other locale of "Start Anew," there were some things that I wanted to clear up, so here goes nothing.
"Do you plan on continuing?" Asked and commented (in varying forms) by Kathleen Emerson, Sleather Chonkers, BalletPrincess, Katerina, teacherchez, Undying Phoenix, CNJ, Muah-Baby-Muah, Fay Mish, Kat, Jaded Rose, JeN, and SUNNYEXISTENCE. The answer is "Yes." Now, understand. I was not planning on doing so. But, after getting 11 reviews in 5 days, I changed my mind. So keep your eyes open for more of "Start Anew"!
"Why would Kristy name her first son after the father that left her?" Queried by BalletPrincess. Ah, I was wondering who would spot that. Yes, Patrick is named after Patrick Thomas, Kristy's long-lost father. Long- lost, that is, for 7 years. In "Kristy's Book," Patrick actually does come back to see her, although it may not have been a grand experience, as he ditches her again (much like the movie, no?) But in BSC Friends Forever #1, "Kristy's Big News," she heads to California for Patrick's wedding to Zoey, who is actually liked by Kristy, Sam, and Charlie. I figure that Kristy likes Zoey enough to keep in contact with her father, who does now show signs of settling down.
"Why on earth would Mal name her kids after the BSC members?" Also asked by BalletPrincess. Well, the thing is, that I figured Mallory to be a friend oriented kind of person. After all, in #100, she and Jessi are the only ones who vote against disbanding the club. And, after her leaving for boarding school in #126, I thought that that would only strengthen her bond with her friends. So, both of those are my little spin on the books.
To CNJ, who mentioned that my portrayal of Kristy seemed a bit out of canon: Yes, it does seem like that, doesn't it? Well, you are just going to have to wait a bit of time to see why she is like that. If anyone can guess why Kristy seems to be small-minded or judgemental, you will have a cameo. But not as a new friend of the sitters. No, I'm thinking more along the lines of an adult who will appear here and is not in the books.
One more thing. I know that everyone who reads these retains a good bit of the information. But believe me when I say that everything that goes into this story, with the exceptions of characters I make up, is from the books. Doubt me, do you? The List of BSC books that I own: BSC 1-131; Mysteries 1-36; Super Specials 1-15; Super Mysteries 1-4; Mary Anne's Book, Dawn's Book, Kristy's Book, Claudia's Book, Abby's Book, and Stacey's Book; Logan's Story, Logan Bruno: Boy Baby-Sitter, Shannon's Story; BSC Friends Forever 1-12; BSC Friends Forever Specials 1-2; The Complete Guide To The Baby-Sitters Club; any of the other stories that are not mentioned here. Note: I did not read the Baby-Sitters Little Sister books, so Karen Brewer will be based off of the normal books.
Please let me know if you like/don't like/are confused about/hate my stories. I take constructive criticism very well. At least, that is what my anger management specialist tells me. . .