Chapter Two – Claudia
Claudia lazily stretched out in her bed and kicked the covers to the foot of the bed. It was early Saturday morning and the birds were singing in the trees outside her bedroom window and she could hear the shouts and laughter of the neighborhood children. The sun was streaming in through the strings of beads that worked as funky curtains. Claudia yawned as she climbed out of bed and let her feet hit the cool wood floor. She wandered sleepily into the kitchen to fix herself some cereal and then settled down on the couch.
She loved her Brooklyn town house. It wasn't big or fancy but was plenty of space for Claudia. The first floor had a small kitchen and eating nook, there was a living room as well. The second floor consisted of her bedroom, bathroom, and guest bedroom. The third floor was completely open and served as her work space. Her house was in the middle of a very multi-cultural neighborhood. Any kind of food you wanted, the neighborhood had. There were little jazz clubs, lots of art shops, clothes stores that featured vintage and unique items, Claudia felt right at home. She had been here for years now. After high school, she and Stacey had moved to New York to pursue their dreams. They shared an apartment together while Stacey attended NYU and Claudia went to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. After college, Stacey really went for the finer things in life while Claudia longer for the artsy life. So they each got their own apartments and took totally different paths, but still stayed the best of friends and got together frequently for girly chats and fun. Claudia opened her own art gallery and studio in Brooklyn. She showcased her own work along with many local artists from the area. It didn't make lots of money, but it paid the rent and let her eat. Best of all, it made her happy.
Claudia looked around her place. It was a bit of a mess. Creative genius at work, she liked to think. Some friends had come over last night and before she knew it, Jacquan and Blake were on the porch playing some of their new music on the bongos and guitar; she, Katie, Erlean, and Frieda were munching on sushi and painting the walls with a new mural; and a bunch more were in the backyard grilling out and laughing.
Claudia went to put her empty cereal bowl in the already overflowing sink when the phone rang.
"Morning!" she chirped.
"Hey, Claud! It's me, Stacey. Listen, I'm really, really sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it today...."
"Staaccceeeyyy!" she began to whine.
"No, wait, listen," Stacey protested. "Colin proposed last night!" They both started squealing with excitement.
"Oh, Stacey!" Claudia gushed. "I am so happy for you guys!"
After explaining the events of the previous night, Claudia reluctantly let Stacey off the hook., only if she promised they'd meet up another day. Stacey promised and they eventually hung up the phone after much giggling and squealing.
Claudia hung up the phone a bit dejectedly. She was happy for Stacey, she really was, she was just feeling a bit lonely. She had loads of friends, but no boyfriend or significant other. There had been guys in the past, but no one she really felt that spark with. Before she could get too despondent, Claudia decided to make plans of her own. She'd take the subway down to Brighton Beach herself and find a nice spot to set up her easel and charcoals. She quickly dressed in a tight fitting red tank top, oversized paint spattered denim overalls, and pulled her back in a bun with two red chopsticks stuck through it. Loading her materials in a backpack and tucking the collapsible easel under her arm, she set out for the day.
Just as she began to head out, she noticed the mail on the rug in front of the mail slot in the door. She quickly tossed the advertisements and magazines and bills onto the stairs to sort through later. Then she noticed a perfectly square white envelope. Ripping it open she found it was an invitation from Mary Anne for a Babysitters Club reunion in a couple of weeks. Claudia smiled and tucked the invitation into the front pocket of her overalls. It had been ages since she'd been home. After the freedom she had in New York, she just found sleepy Stoneybrook so dull and stifling. She made herself go home for major holidays, but even then she didn't make a point to see any of her old friends. This would provide a good reason to go home though. Claudia began to get excited remembering old times and friends. She wondered what everyone was up to and where they were.
Reminiscing fondly, Claudia locked up the house behind her and strolled to the subway station lost in a fog. After arriving at the boardwalk in front of the beach, she set up her easel. Her plan was to sketch the scenes around her but she found her mind going back to the memories of her old friends. Instead of sketching the two old Russian men playing chess or the young couple with the baby in the sand, Claudia began to sketch her friends' faces from memory. Before she knew it, she had a complete scene drawn of the eight of them in her bedroom back in the heyday of the club. Kristy in the director's chair, Mary Anne braiding Dawn's hair, Mallory and Jessi making gum wrapper chains, Abby balancing a soccer ball on her head, Stacey painting her nails, and Claudia herself, digging for some kind of junk food under the bed.
Claudia smiled fondly began to pack her materials up. She'd been out on the boardwalk for hours! She decided to grab a hot dog, waffle fries, and lemonade at Nathan's Famous before catching the subway back home. On second thought, Claudia decided to stop and buy her return train ticket to Stoneybrook before heading home for the day.