The young artist looked at her painting critically- somehow, it looked different when it was finished and hanging up in an art gallery than when she was painting and struggling to find the right balance of colour and images. Sometimes, she couldn't understand why people called her a 'genius', or the fact that her paintings sold for thousands of dollars.

"Ms Kishi! There you are- I was just looking for you!," the flamboyant art gallery manager, Kent, called from the other side of the room. She looked over at him and sighed- although he vehemently denied it, she suspected he was gay. For one thing, he had bleached hair (which didn't look right on him), and wore an earring in his right earlobe. For another, he dressed rather femininely, dressing in the pinks and purples that were fashionable on women, but not on men. Finally, he seemed more comfortable in the company of women, and he was extremely knowledgeable about the latest fashions, even putting Claudia to shame.

"Is something wrong Kent? I'm just looking at these paintings to see if there's anything wrong with them." He laughed almost condescendingly

"Typical artists, always insecure about their work. Don't worry Ms K, nothing's wrong- I just wanted to you to see the programs for the show."
"You know I don't care about anything about that- whatever you do will be fine. I'm only concerned about my paintings." She was also annoyed by the fact that he was 3 years older than her, but made her feel older than her years.

"Well you shouldn't be- people care about your work, and you should see some of the prices people are offering- and they haven't even see the paintings yet. That's how highly regarded you are." Claudia was launching her third show that afternoon, and she was surprised to find how quickly tickets were sold. Often, her paintings were sold within the afternoon. In the 8 years since she finished art school, she had become well known in art circles. She had also finally achieved approval and recognition from her parents- they had finally said they were proud of her.

"It's taken 17 years to say it," Claudia said jokingly when they told her for the first time (when she was 23) but, deep down, she was moved and touched. She had always been secretly striving for their approval, and she finally had it. Her older sister Janine was a senator's aide in Washington, and she was talking about running for office in 4 years. Claudia couldn't imagine anything more boring, but Janine seemed happy. She was also married, but she was clear about the fact that she didn't want children.

"I'll leave that to you," she said to Claudia when they met at their parents' house. They still lived in Stoneybrook, but were talking about moving to Florida as both of them were retired.

"Are you going to sell the house?" Claudia asked when they said they were planning to move. She was then 24, and Janine was 26.

"Perhaps- we could use the money to buy a condo."

"I'll buy it off you," she said impulsively, as her mother looked at her oddly.

"Why would you want a house that's at least 50 years old, in a town that's very quiet? I can't imagine you setting up a gallery here."

"I can't explain, but I want to keep the house in the family..." She didn't want to say it to her parents, they were rather unsentimental, but this was the house that she grew up in, where Mimi lived, where they had numerous BSC meetings and sleepovers, where she grew into adulthood.... there were so many memories attached to the house, and she knew she didn't want a part of her history to disappear. She knew her parents didn't understand (although they pretended to), but she was deeply hurt that they didn't understand. That had been the problem for most of her life...

While Janine had been the brains, Claudia had been the 'problem child' who had difficulties in school, and all she seemed to be interested in was drawing. Only Mimi, her grandmother, understood her and helped her whenever she could. Her parent's expectations weighed heavily on her, particularly when Janine, at 15, was doing classes at Stoneybrook University, and she was barely passing eighth grade. The Babysitter's Club was her saving grace, although her parents sometimes felt that it interfered with her schoolwork.

"Why can't I do something that will please them?" she said to Stacey in despair.

"Parents always have high expectations for their children- and it's doubly hard for you because of Janine. But, they do love you in their own way," Stacey said wisely. However, Claudia still struggled to seek their approval- even when she graduated from high school, and decided to go to art school in Chicago.

"We'll support you in whatever you do," her parents had reassured her, but she still felt she was living in Janine's shadow- whenever they rang while she was in Chicago; all they talked about was Janine. 'Janine this' and 'Janine that' and 'Janine met so-and-so'- it was enough to make you sick. Thus, when she was offered a job at an art gallery in Chicago, she accepted it. Her parents came to visit when they could, but Janine didn't visit at all

"She's always so busy at law school, and the senator," her mother explained.

She bought the house when her parents moved to Florida, and she made it her retreat- this was where she wanted to paint, and she found inspiration there. She kept in close contact with Mary Anne, and Stacey- but the funny thing was, although they lived in the same town, Kristy never really reached out to her. They saw each other occasionally, but Kristy rarely called- but then again, she was always out of town on business- either in Chicago, or LA where there was talk of opening a gallery of her own.

It was on one of her 'vacations' in Stoneybrook when she was 26 that she met up with Alan Grey again. She had never really taken any notice of him at school- he was always after Kristy, and he was only a pain in the neck. She was surprised, however, when she found out he was a lawyer- and he had looked her up in the phone book.

"I hear, via Logan, that you come to town an awful lot- but you don't ever manage to catch up with old friends," he teased on the phone. Claudia blushed (luckily he couldn't see her- hearing his voice was stirring up feelings she didn't want brought up again)

"Well, you never really seemed interested in keeping in touch when we left school."

"I was a jerk then, Claud. All I really was interested in was girls, football and drinking."

"And when did that change?"
"When I finished law school, and my girlfriend dumped me- she said she couldn't imagine wanting to live in a small town like Stoneybrook."
"It sounds like she's the jerk, not you."

"Anyway, do you want to have dinner sometime?," and, as he asked her, she was surprised that he sounded shy and nervous. She was also surprised that she was nervous

"Sure- whenever you want."

If she was surprised about him becoming a lawyer, his physical transformation was also amazing- he had definitely got his act together. He was tall, with dark hair, blue eyes and she noticed he was very much in shape.

"Claud, you look better than ever!" he was the first to speak, and she blushed again. "I never noticed how beautiful you are."

"Stacey and Dawn were always the beauties."

"No, you also have beautiful features- you are exotic looking." She laughed

"I suppose I should be grateful to be complimented like that...my my, Alan Grey, you have grown up big time." She thoroughly enjoyed dinner with Alan- he still had his incredible sense of humor, but he was also more serious and intellectual.

"Funny, I didn't see you being this serious when you were 13. Remember the time Kristy bragged about this fantastic lunch she had, but didn't?" Alan grimaced

"Don't remind me- I was teased for ages over that."

"Speaking of, I never understood why you and Kristy never got together. You obviously liked her, and you had so much in common."
"Yeah, sports. Seriously, I don't think it would have lasted- we're too similar in temperament- bluntness, rudeness and very outgoing. We would have driven each other crazy- she has a baby now, did you know?
"Mary Anne told me." But she was feeling a little sad that she hadn't been told herself- they still lived in the same town.

She and Alan started to see each other on a regular basis, although Claudia wasn't sure it would last- especially as she was busy with Chicago, and the LA gallery.

"It's cool Claud- whatever you decide to do is okay with me." A year after they 're-met', Alan proposed and she accepted immediately.

"Let's see if my parents approve," she said teasingly, although Alan knew how painful a subjects her parents were. They were ecstatic, although her mother asked questioningly where they would live.

"I'm planning on setting up a gallery in Stoneybrook- I think I've decided where I want to be." In typical fashion, Janine couldn't make the wedding, but Mary Anne and Logan were there, and Stacey sent her regrets- the firm needed her to do overtime. She had debated about sending an invitation to Kristy, but eventually decided against it. Since their wedding, 3 years ago, they had been blissfully happy living in Stoneybrook. She had the occasional business trip to LA and Chicago, but she was permanently based in Stoneybrook now. To add to their happiness, she had just found out she was pregnant...

She shook off her melancholy mood, and looked around the gallery. Everything seemed to be in order, and the guests were beginning to arrive. She hoped that her parents would still come- they said they were, but who knew what would happen in the world of Janine... She flipped through her diary to see what she had to do next, and remembered that Mary Anne was planning to visit the next week. It had been a funny phone message, she reflected, Mary Anne had rang up 3 weeks ago:
"Hey Claud- I was wondering if we could have a meeting at your house at 5:00pm on August 7th?"

"Who's 'we'?"

"The members of the BSC- it's time we got together again."
"Why- is something wrong?"
"Is it okay- will you be able to be there?"

"Sure...Mary Anne..." But Mary Anne had hung up on her, piquing her interest. However, she had to get through this afternoon first- especially telling her parents they were going to become grandparents......