Chapter 4

Big Plans

Immedietely after Hannie and I finished shrieking over the grand opening of the Club G store in Stamford we began making plans for our trip there. We had not been given permission yet to go and had not asked our parents to take us but we had to go. We could not just stay home in Stoneybrook knowing that Club G was opening in Stamford. Besides there was just no way any of our mommies or daddies would say no.

"Karen I think we should make shopping lists of what we are going to buy at Club G and then we should count our money up so we know what we can afford to buy." Hannie suggested.

"Oh that is a good idea, Hannie!" I complimented her. Inside though, I was a teeny bit jelly. Why did Hannie always come up with good ideas when I did not?

"I am going to run home and get my piggy bank. I will be right back." Hannie ran out of the room before I could say anything to her.

I went and got my purse out of the backpack I had brought with me to Daddy's house. I used to have a piggy bank but I broke it in a fit of rage when I did not have enough money for the ice cream man. I suspect Andrew robbed me but Mommy said I spent it all at the candy store and the plastic wrappers on my floor prove it. I do not think Mommy has a clue about how evil Andrew really is.

I opened my purse and poured out all my money onto my bed. I counted it and frowned. Ten dollars and thirty three cents was my grand total. Boo and bullfrogs. That was not enough money to get much of anything at Club G. I sighed sadly. Maybe my parents would loan me money or maybe Hannie was rich enough for both us and feeling generous.

I decided to open up my Club G catalog and start pricing things while I waited for Hannie to come back. The best thing at Club G is the "Beary Best Girl Friends". They are a group of fancy teddy bears. There are five of them and they each come with a story book, an outfit and accessories. Aisha is a black bear with lots of long black braids. Belinda is a white bear with long blonde hair. Celia is a brown bear with black hair in a bob. Dana is a reddish brown bear with curly brown hair. Emily is a tan bear with red hair. Each bear costs seventy five dollars and comes with an outfit, a hair brush, a story book, and a backpack with accessories from her story. Any outfit you can buy for your bear you can buy for yourself. If you pay a hundred dollars you can buy a special customized bear with hair, fur, eyes, outfit and accessories you choose. The bear also comes with a blank journal and a Club G pen so you could write a story for your bear. I really wanted a Karen Brewer bear plus a matching outfit and accessories for me.

I took out a piece of paper and a box of crayons and began drawing my bear. She would have the peachy white fur, blue eyes, blonde ponytail, glasses, jeans with gem stones and a Club G logo, a Club G long sleeved logo t-shirt, a jean jacket, Club G socks, Club G tennis shoes, Club G barrettes, Club G backpack, and a Club G birthstone earrings and necklace set. I would get all of it for me too.

I was adding up the price totals for everything I wanted when Hannie came back. "Hi Karen! I am back."

"Oh goody," I greeted her. "How much money do you have?"

Hannie sighed, "Karen I have not opened my piggy bank to count yet. I was in a hurry to get back over here. I will open it and you can help me count it now."

I helped Hannie count the money that was in her piggy bank. She did not have much money either but it was more than I had. Hannie had fifteen dollars and seventy eight cents. Neither of us had much money.

"We should call Nancy and invite her to come over so we can plan for Club G. It is something that the Three Musketeers should do together." I was happy I had the idea before Hannie did.

Hannie thought this was a good idea so we called Nancy and invited her over. Her parents would not let her come until after lunch time even when we told them the gigundoly great news about Club G opening up in Stamford. Hannie and I spent the morning telling our families all about Club G and making our shopping lists.

When I asked Daddy and Elizabeth about going to the grand opening of Club G the only answer they would give me was; "We will discuss it with your mother and Seth."

Hannie's parents were not much better, "We will see, Hannie. We do not know yet."

Needless to say Hannie and I were getting very impatient by the time Nancy arrived with a Club G catalog in one hand and her piggy bank in the other.

"I can stay for three hours while Mommy takes Daniel with her to the grocery store." Nancy announced as she came through my front door.

Of course Hannie and I were really only interested in how much money Nancy had but we did not say so because Nancy is our friend. It would probably sound really greedy if we did but we were very curious.

Nancy shook her piggy bank and said proudly, "I have fifteen dollars and thirteen cents saved up."

Hannie and I were both pretty jelly to hear that. How could Nancy be the richest of the three of us when her family was the poorest? We did not want to hurt her feelings so we did not tell her how jelly we were.

Hannie said, "We do not have enough money to buy things at Club G and our parents still have not said yes. Maybe we will not get to go at all."

"You are right, Hannie. Fifteen dollars is a lot of money at the normal toy store and a lot of money for the candy store but it is not a lot of money for Club G." Nancy began to pout as she said this.

Then I had a really gigundoly wonderful idea. "I know what we can do to get money. We can start a business. We can do chores for people and make crafts and sell the. We can have a lemonade stand."

Nancy and Hannie thought that was a great idea so we spent the rest of the afternoon making crafts. We would sell them at school on Monday and we would be rolling in dough for Club G in no time.