First mate's log:

May 5, 1972

Marcia Brady was really mad angry today, although not just about the boat accident. She is mad at Mr. Duggan but also at Bobby and Cindy, because they claim that their mom is to blame for the accident. Marcia swears it's Mr. Duggan's fault.

"Well, I wasn't able to tell too much from the shore."

"That's right, you were a witness, too!"

"Well, sort of. I don't know if I'd be much help to your mom."

"Thanks, anyway. But that's not all that's bothering me. Some kids at school played a mean trick today."

"On you or one of your brothers or sisters?"

"No, no, it's a girl I don't know very well. Her name is Molly Webber. She's very shy, plain, and awkward. As a joke, they nominated her for hostess of the Ninth-Grade Banquet next month."

"Does she know it's a joke?"

"I don't think so, not yet. But she's going to be crushed when she realizes. Especially since she's up against Patty Hobert, who's very popular and attractive."

I was surprised that they didn't pick Marcia. Not as a joke of course. But I didn't want to say that in case she wishes she'd been chosen. Instead I asked, "Well, do you remember Eva Grubb?"

"The plain woman who came to our island to get away from men? Yeah, I was just a little girl then, but I kind of remember her."

"Well, Ginger changed her looks and her attitude and her posture and everything. Maybe you could do something like that for Molly. Only don't make her look like you."

Marcia laughed. "I don't think that's possible. But I'll see what I can do in the next few weeks. The voting will be the Tuesday after Memorial Day, so I've got some time."

"Even if you don't make much difference, she'll probably still appreciate the attention and support."

"Thanks, Gilligan." She's still mad about the stuff to do with the boat accident, but at least she was happier when she left. I think having a project usually cheers people up, especially when it's to help others.

Which reminds me, I've got to get things set up for the Skipper's birthday party.

Carol Brady's diary:

May 6, 1972

Nothing new has happened with Mr. Duggan, but Marcia has found a distraction in playing Henry Higgins to a classmate. Two girls were nominated for hostess of the Ninth-Grade Banquet in June. One girl, Patty Hobert, is the type of pretty and popular girl you'd expect to be nominated. (To be honest, I would've expected Marcia to get some votes, but I'm biased of course.)

The other girl, Molly Webber, is, well, a plain Jane. She's also very shy and very clumsy. Some of the students voted for her as a joke, expecting Patty to win. But Marcia is doing My Fair Lady for Molly. She's got her work cut out for her, but I admire her generosity.

May 8, 1972

I saw Cindy today and she looked upset. I thought it was about the boat accident, but it was something else.

"Not that I don't feel bad for Mommy, but I've been wishing I was older."

"So you could have your own boat?" I remember wanting that when I was her age, but maybe it's different for boys.

"No, so that I didn't have to wear these dumb curly ponytails, and so I could go to the movies and the pizza parlor and other dates with boys like Marcia."

"I think your hair looks nice like that. And you'll have dates when you're older."

"But I want to be a teenager now! Like my sisters."

I didn't point out that Jan isn't technically a teenager yet, just twelve. I asked, "Why is this bothering you now? Marcia's been dating for a couple years." (I still feel bad for poor Harvey Klinger.)

"Well, I see her trying to make Molly Webber into a popular knockout, and I don't see why she can't do that for me."

"Maybe she will when you're a teenager."

She scowled, like that's a long time to wait. Which I guess it is at her age.

May 10, 1972

I'm worried about Cindy. No, this isn't about her possibly testifying against me, if we do go through with the court case. (I have now been served.) The other day I found her playing dress-up in my heels and a long party dress. She'd also apparently used a lot of curlers, to give herself a "more mature" hairstyle. At least she wasn't playing with my makeup, like all three girls did back when Marcia was dating Harvey Klinger.

(Marcia now wears simple makeup for a "natural" look. I'm not allowing Jan to wear makeup until she's at least thirteen, although I did say OK to her experimenting with hairstyles. As long as she doesn't get another horrible wig again.)

Cindy is feeling jealous of her older sisters and is in a hurry to grow up. Mike told me yesterday that Cindy is attempting to read A Farewell to Arms! I'm still adjusting to Marcia reading Hemingway for school.

And then today I caught Cindy flirting on the phone! Or at least trying to get one of Marcia's boyfriends to set her up on a double date with one of his friends. Goodness knows what the poor boy thought, but Cindy hung up quickly when she saw me.

I don't know what I'm going to do about that little girl, especially since she doesn't want to be a little girl anymore. I will say that it's times like this that I'm glad we live somewhere relatively unspoiled and isolated. I don't want to even think about the risks she'd take if we lived in a big city, or even close to one.

Of course, when Marcia was Cindy's age, there were no other children than our six on this island and no older girls for Marcia to compare herself to. Well, Ginger and Mary Ann, but they were already grown up, enough older that Marcia didn't identify with them beyond a distant goal of womanhood. She was happy to be a little girl, playing carefree on our island. Well, except when there were natural disasters and dangerous visitors of course.

Yes, I'm glad the island is no longer that unspoiled and isolated.