Mary Anne sat alone at home, phone in hand, trying to decide if she should call Kristy or not. They had three classes together besides homeroom, and Kristy had been absent from all of them. Maybe this wasn't such a big deal, but it was just so unlike Kristy. Also, Mary Anne had asked Abby if she knew where Kristy was when she saw her at lunch, and she didn't have any idea either. And Abby was her best friend! Mary Anne knew that if she were still best friends with Kristy, she would know the details of the situation. Of course, Mary Anne still didn't know why exactly her friendship with Kristy had dissipated. But that was another situation entirely.
Feeling momentarily brave, Mary Anne dialed Kristy's number. Holding her breath, she listened to the phone ring.
"Hello, Thomas-Brewer residence. This is the fabulous Karen Brewer speaking. How may I direct your call?"
Mary Anne rolled her eyes. Karen seemed to be growing more annoying with age.
"Hi Karen, it's Mary Anne. Is Kristy there?"
"Hold on one moment please, I'll go find her. I'm talking on the phone that is in my room, for just me to use. That's how much daddy loves me."
"That's great Karen. Thanks."
While she was waiting for Karen to find Kristy, Mary Anne heard shouting and what sounded like glass breaking in the background. Things were always crazy at the Thomas-Brewer's, especially since Karen and Andrew had come to live there full time. Mary Anne looked at her watch. What was taking so long?
"Hello?"
"Um… Hi Kristy, it's Mary Anne. I was just wondering…"
"Listen," Kristy said, cutting her off. "Now's not the best time for me. Can you make it quick?"
"Sure," Mary Anne replied, flustered. "I was just wondering why you weren't in school today. Because we have homeroom together. And three other classes. And you weren't there. So I was just wondering."
"There's a lot of stuff going on here right now. I had to take care of the kids. It was no big deal, I should be there tomorrow.
"Oh." Mary Anne replied, puzzled by the situation. Why wasn't Nannie taking care of the kids? And shouldn't they be in school anyway? Even Emily Michelle would be attending preschool this year.
"Well I just wanted to say that I missed you today, and this summer I guess. I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Sounds good. Mary Anne?" She asked, her voice softening. "Thanks for calling."
"No problem Kristy. Bye."
"Bye."
Mary Anne set down the phone. The whole conversation had left her feeling slightly uneasy. She really hoped that Kristy would be in school tomorrow so that she could talk to her about it face to face. Sighing, she headed upstairs to her room.
Mary Anne did some reading for class, and before she knew it was after ten. Her dad and Sharon weren't home yet, so she went downstairs to lock all the doors and clean up a bit. She scooped up Tigger, and settled into bed, wishing that she wasn't alone in this house, wishing that she wasn't so alone, period.
----------------------------------
The next day Mary Anne arrived at school earlier than usual. She wanted to be ready and waiting in homeroom when Kristy showed up. This paid off, as a few minutes before the bell was to ring Kristy walked through the classroom door. She looked exhausted, her jeans were ill fitting, and her hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. Though Kristy was never one to care for her appearance, she normally looked more together than this. What really bothered Mary Anne was that Kristy's large and in charge attitude that normally compensated for her small stature was replaced by a more passive demeanor. Mary Anne swallowed back tears. What was going on with her friend?
"Hey Kristy, Mary Anne said, smiling weakly. "You made it."
"Yeah." The word hung in the air, creating an uncomfortable silence.
"So why weren't you here yesterday? Your house was really noisy last night, and I guess I didn't get all the details over the phone."
"It was nothing. It's just that lately, Watson's-''
Kristy was interrupted by the bell, and then Ms. Faller starting class.
"What do you mean, Kristy? What about Watson?" whispered Mary Anne.
"He's been-''
"Kristy! Mary Anne!" Came Ms. Fallers sharp voice. "Is this the way that you want to start off the school year?
"No ma'am," Mary Anne answered meekly. Kristy didn't say anything.
"Then I suggest you remain quiet until homeroom is over. Moving on." Ms. Faller gave them one last look, and then went about reading the days announcements.
Mary Anne looked over at Kristy imploringly, but Kristy shifted her gaze and stared straight ahead to the front of the classroom. What was going on with Watson? He had always seemed like a nice guy, even paying for members of the Babysitter's Club to come on several family vacations. Mary Anne smiled briefly at her memories of happier times. Everything had seemed so much simpler back then, with no problem that couldn't be solved if the whole club worked together.
Returning to the situation at hand, Mary Anne was restless for the entirety of homeroom. Several times she looked over to Kristy, but she remained in the same position throughout the entire class period, never removing her focus from whatever she had fixated on in the front of the room.
Finally, the bell rang, giving Mary Anne her chance to figure out what was going on. But before she could ask Kristy anything, she was out the doorway and had blended in with all of the other students in the hallway trying to make it to their next class. At this point, Mary Anne really had no idea what was going on. It didn't help that Kristy completely ignored her in every other class that they had together, and when Mary Anne had tried to approach her after school she had brushed her off, and headed out to the parking lot where Sam was waiting with Charlie's old junk bucket. The car left the parking lot, leaving Mary Anne standing alone on the steps as confused as ever.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Stacey was standing right next to her.
"Well they certainly took off fast. Sam has been acting so weird lately."
Startled with the situation at hand, and the fact that Stacey had actually started a conversation with her, Mary Anne didn't know quite what to say.
"He always seems so preoccupied," Stacey continued. "It's a good thing that I know how to take his mind off things." She giggled.
"Really, you've noticed it too?" Mary Anne asked eagerly. "Kristy mentioned something about Watson in homeroom today, but-''
"Whatever, I'm sure it's nothing. Things are always crazy at their house. They have too many damn kids. I can't tell you how many times Sam and I have been interrupted and walked in on in the middle of, um, hanging out."
As if suddenly realizing who she was talking to, and who could see them, Stacey did a double take.
"I need to go. I'm meeting Cokie for fraps in like, ten minutes," Stacey said. "Good luck solving your little mystery."
With that, Stacey was gone, and Mary Anne was alone again. She walked home, and was very surprised to see her fathers car in the driveway as she approached the house. She picked up her pace, and was quickly inside.
"Hi Dad," she said. "You're home early."
"Or home at all," she thought to herself.
"Sharon mentioned that yesterday was the first day of school. How do your classes look this year? Do you think you'll get straight A's again?"
"They're fine dad, and I'm sure I will. But Kristy has been acting really weird lately."
"I'm so glad that you and Kristy have remained friends," said Richard absently. "It seems like just yesterday when the two of you were playing together everyday. Time just flies, doesn't it?"
"Yes, but dad-"
"I need to be going sweetheart. Sharon and are going to an art show in downtown Stoneybrook tonight. You better get going too, or you'll be late for your club meeting. Good bye honey."
"Bye dad," she responded, half-heartedly. She didn't even mention that the Babysitter's Club hadn't had a meeting in a year and a half. How was it possible that they lived in the same house and he didn't know that? What kind of father woud barely acknowledge his daughter's existence, but would spend three hours balancing his checkbook in order to find a missing three cents?
Resigning herself to yet another night alone Mary Anne walked to the bookshelf in her fathers study and very methodologically un-alphabetized the books on it. She then went to her room and began working on her homework.