Chapter Eight – The Reunion
Kristy rang the doorbell next to the heavy oak front door. In a few moments, she was met by Mary Anne opening the door.
"Kristy!" Mary Anne exclaimed giving her a hug.
"Hey, Mary Anne," Kristy replied smiling. "I came early to see if you needed a hand."
"No, I think everything is all ready to go," Mary Anne said. "Come out onto the patio and take a look."
Together they walked through the spacious house to the back veranda. A white veranda overhung with climbing roses and ivy shaded the stone patio. Comfortable wicker rockers, sofas, and swings provided plenty of space to relax and chat. Down the sloping lawn was a large kidney shaped pool with a waterfall splashing into the corner of the water. Next to the pool was a lemon and white striped open air tent where a huge buffet was set up. The grass was lush and green, the sun was bathing all of Mary Anne's gardens in rich sunlight.
Kristy felt a great intake of breath when she slowly took it all in. "Mary Anne, it's absolutely gorgeous!"
"You think so?" Mary Anne replied a bit nervously. "I just want everything to be perfect."
"Stop stressing!" Kristy laughed giving Mary Anne quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Everyone is coming here to see each other and catch up. Not to inspect your house or critique your yard!"
"Mary Anne!" Logan called from inside the house. "I think someone else has arrived."
"This is it!" Mary Anne squealed in nervous excitement as they walked through the living room. She stopped abruptly and turned to Kristy. "Do I look okay?"
"You look very suburban soccer mom," Kristy joked. "How about me?"
Mary Anne took in Kristy's outfit. She wasn't wearing the old turtleneck and Louie baseball cap from their childhood, but she was still casual Kristy.
The doorbell rang and Kristy and Mary Anne rushed to answer the door. Flinging the door open wide with excitement they found Dawn and Abby.
"Dawn!" Mary Anne cried giving her a huge hug. They clung together for a few moments before Mary Anne pulled back and studied Dawn. Tanned and blonde with a smattering of light freckles over her cheeks, she still had the bright smile. "Ohhh...it's so good to see you!" Mary Anne murmured. "It's been too long since you've been home."
"You can always come to Hawaii, you know," Dawn laughed. "Your rich husband should be able to afford it!"
"Oh Dawn!" Mary Anne laughed.
Meanwhile, Kristy and Abby were hugging and exchanging laughter and smiles.
"Ohhh...it's just so good to see you guys again!" Mary Anne started to cry.
Kristy pulled a tissue out of her pocket just as Dawn and Abby reached for tissues in their purses. Together they shook with laughter when they caught themselves simultaneously handing Mary Anne a tissue.
"I guess we all thought to come prepared," Abby laughed. "We all know Mary Anne and her waterworks!"
Just then a dark, stretch limo pulled up into the circular drive. Mary Anne quickly wiped away her tears in order to get a better look.
"Now, who in the world could that be?" Kristy exclaimed. All four friends waited in excitement to see who would step out.
One long, high heeled leg stretched out of the doorway followed by a tall, limber frame. One look at the long, coppery curls and all four women chorused, "Mallory!"
Mallory walked up the sidewalk pleased with the sensation she knew she was making. She arrived at the front door in a cloud of perfume and jingling bangle bracelets.
"My goodness, Mal!" Dawn exclaimed. "Look at you!"
Mallory's laughter was tinkly and light. "I grew up!" As they all surrounded Mallory studying her fancy clothes and her amazing change, a yellow cab pulled up behind the limo.
Stacey and Claudia tumbled out in excitement and ran up the sidewalk with their arms outstretched, ready for hugs. Soon, the group of seven friends were wrapped up together in a great hug.
"Where's Jessi?" Stacey asked. Everyone turned to look at Mallory with questioning eyes.
"I have no idea," Mallory replied. "After I went to Riverbend, we kept in touch through eighth grade with visits home and lots of emails and letters, but then her dad transferred back to New Jersey during the summer before high school. Once she moved away, we lost touch." She saw her friends' disappointed looks. "We were only fourteen, you guys!"
"When I was sending out the invitations, I tried internet searches and every possible idea I came up with just hit a dead end," Mary Anne spoke up. "I couldn't find her anywhere. Who knows, maybe her family moved again at some point."
"I'm sure she's doing well though," Kristy offered. "Knowing Jessi, I'm sure she's out there dancing her feet off."
"Yeah," Abby agreed. "I bet she ended up at Julliard or with some big European performing company."
"Well, nonetheless, I'm so glad the rest of us were able to get together," Claudia smiled. "Abby, I haven't seen you, Mal, and Dawn in forever!"
Everyone smiled and agreed with her.
"Come on, you guys," Mary Anne said. "Let's go and get some food. I don't know about you, but all this emotion makes me hungry!"
The seven friends walked out to the patio together.
"I hope you have some good junk food," Claudia replied. "I should have thought and brought some supplies."
"What, like Twinkies, Doritos, or Snickers bars?" Dawn asked. "Ugh!"
"You guys haven't changed a bit!" Kristy laughed.
"I've got food to suit all our tastes," Mary Anne said. "And for the main event...." she trailed off and led them over to one of the main tables.
"Pizza!" everyone chorused.
"I got veggie pizza for Dawn and Stacey, pepperoni and cheese for Mal and I, anchovies for Kristy, and an assortment for the rest of you," Mary Anne replied.
"You know what this calls for, don't you?" Stacey asked.
"A pizza toast!" they all laughed.
They each grabbed a piece of pizza and rose them up in the air together. "To the Babysitters Club members. May we always stay friends forever!" Kristy said happily.
"To the Babysitters Club!" the seven friends echoed.
Kristy rang the doorbell next to the heavy oak front door. In a few moments, she was met by Mary Anne opening the door.
"Kristy!" Mary Anne exclaimed giving her a hug.
"Hey, Mary Anne," Kristy replied smiling. "I came early to see if you needed a hand."
"No, I think everything is all ready to go," Mary Anne said. "Come out onto the patio and take a look."
Together they walked through the spacious house to the back veranda. A white veranda overhung with climbing roses and ivy shaded the stone patio. Comfortable wicker rockers, sofas, and swings provided plenty of space to relax and chat. Down the sloping lawn was a large kidney shaped pool with a waterfall splashing into the corner of the water. Next to the pool was a lemon and white striped open air tent where a huge buffet was set up. The grass was lush and green, the sun was bathing all of Mary Anne's gardens in rich sunlight.
Kristy felt a great intake of breath when she slowly took it all in. "Mary Anne, it's absolutely gorgeous!"
"You think so?" Mary Anne replied a bit nervously. "I just want everything to be perfect."
"Stop stressing!" Kristy laughed giving Mary Anne quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Everyone is coming here to see each other and catch up. Not to inspect your house or critique your yard!"
"Mary Anne!" Logan called from inside the house. "I think someone else has arrived."
"This is it!" Mary Anne squealed in nervous excitement as they walked through the living room. She stopped abruptly and turned to Kristy. "Do I look okay?"
"You look very suburban soccer mom," Kristy joked. "How about me?"
Mary Anne took in Kristy's outfit. She wasn't wearing the old turtleneck and Louie baseball cap from their childhood, but she was still casual Kristy.
The doorbell rang and Kristy and Mary Anne rushed to answer the door. Flinging the door open wide with excitement they found Dawn and Abby.
"Dawn!" Mary Anne cried giving her a huge hug. They clung together for a few moments before Mary Anne pulled back and studied Dawn. Tanned and blonde with a smattering of light freckles over her cheeks, she still had the bright smile. "Ohhh...it's so good to see you!" Mary Anne murmured. "It's been too long since you've been home."
"You can always come to Hawaii, you know," Dawn laughed. "Your rich husband should be able to afford it!"
"Oh Dawn!" Mary Anne laughed.
Meanwhile, Kristy and Abby were hugging and exchanging laughter and smiles.
"Ohhh...it's just so good to see you guys again!" Mary Anne started to cry.
Kristy pulled a tissue out of her pocket just as Dawn and Abby reached for tissues in their purses. Together they shook with laughter when they caught themselves simultaneously handing Mary Anne a tissue.
"I guess we all thought to come prepared," Abby laughed. "We all know Mary Anne and her waterworks!"
Just then a dark, stretch limo pulled up into the circular drive. Mary Anne quickly wiped away her tears in order to get a better look.
"Now, who in the world could that be?" Kristy exclaimed. All four friends waited in excitement to see who would step out.
One long, high heeled leg stretched out of the doorway followed by a tall, limber frame. One look at the long, coppery curls and all four women chorused, "Mallory!"
Mallory walked up the sidewalk pleased with the sensation she knew she was making. She arrived at the front door in a cloud of perfume and jingling bangle bracelets.
"My goodness, Mal!" Dawn exclaimed. "Look at you!"
Mallory's laughter was tinkly and light. "I grew up!" As they all surrounded Mallory studying her fancy clothes and her amazing change, a yellow cab pulled up behind the limo.
Stacey and Claudia tumbled out in excitement and ran up the sidewalk with their arms outstretched, ready for hugs. Soon, the group of seven friends were wrapped up together in a great hug.
"Where's Jessi?" Stacey asked. Everyone turned to look at Mallory with questioning eyes.
"I have no idea," Mallory replied. "After I went to Riverbend, we kept in touch through eighth grade with visits home and lots of emails and letters, but then her dad transferred back to New Jersey during the summer before high school. Once she moved away, we lost touch." She saw her friends' disappointed looks. "We were only fourteen, you guys!"
"When I was sending out the invitations, I tried internet searches and every possible idea I came up with just hit a dead end," Mary Anne spoke up. "I couldn't find her anywhere. Who knows, maybe her family moved again at some point."
"I'm sure she's doing well though," Kristy offered. "Knowing Jessi, I'm sure she's out there dancing her feet off."
"Yeah," Abby agreed. "I bet she ended up at Julliard or with some big European performing company."
"Well, nonetheless, I'm so glad the rest of us were able to get together," Claudia smiled. "Abby, I haven't seen you, Mal, and Dawn in forever!"
Everyone smiled and agreed with her.
"Come on, you guys," Mary Anne said. "Let's go and get some food. I don't know about you, but all this emotion makes me hungry!"
The seven friends walked out to the patio together.
"I hope you have some good junk food," Claudia replied. "I should have thought and brought some supplies."
"What, like Twinkies, Doritos, or Snickers bars?" Dawn asked. "Ugh!"
"You guys haven't changed a bit!" Kristy laughed.
"I've got food to suit all our tastes," Mary Anne said. "And for the main event...." she trailed off and led them over to one of the main tables.
"Pizza!" everyone chorused.
"I got veggie pizza for Dawn and Stacey, pepperoni and cheese for Mal and I, anchovies for Kristy, and an assortment for the rest of you," Mary Anne replied.
"You know what this calls for, don't you?" Stacey asked.
"A pizza toast!" they all laughed.
They each grabbed a piece of pizza and rose them up in the air together. "To the Babysitters Club members. May we always stay friends forever!" Kristy said happily.
"To the Babysitters Club!" the seven friends echoed.