Chapter Two
Maybe I'd better explain what the Baby-sitters Club is and who everyone is. The Baby-Sitters Club really more of a business than a club. Kristy Thomas thought it up when we were in the seventh grade. She was watching her mom had to make a million calls trying to find a baby-sitter. Then the idea for the club hit her. What if someone could call one number and reach a lot of baby-sitters? So that's how the BSC came to be. There are seven of us in, as well as two associate members. Our members are Kristy, Claudia, Dawn, Jessi, Mallory and me, Mary Anne. Our two associate members are Shannon Kilbourne and ….Logan! The regular members meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:00. Clients call us then and we book jobs. It's very successful business and we all make a lot of money off of it. We pay dues every week to help with costs, like Claudia's phone bill, Kristy's transportation, and supplies for our kid-kits. A kid-kit is a box we take on jobs filled with stuff for kids to do. Kids love them and parents are happy because their kids are happy.
I'll tell you a little bit about each of the members, starting with Kristy. Kristy is the President of the BSC. She loves conducting meetings, but she can be a little bossy. She sits in Claudia's directors' chair and has a visor on with a pencil sticking out from behind her ear. She's short and has brown hair that's always in a ponytail. Kristy loves sports and hates dressing up. Her normal clothes are jeans, a turtleneck, and a sweater. She has this baseball cap with a picture of a collie on it that she wears in the summer. Kristy coaches a softball team for the kids we sit for called Kristy's Krushers. The kids are either too young or too scared to join little league but still want to play soft-ball. Her friend, Bart Taylor, coaches another team called Bart's Bashers. Kristy and Bart like each other but haven't actually gone out together.
Kristy comes from a big mixed-up family. Her dad walked out on her mom, her brothers and her when she was 5. She used to live next door to me, but her mom re-married a man named Watson Brewer. Now she lives across town in a mansion. It's a good thing she lives in a mansion, though, because her family is huge. There's her, her two older brothers, Charlie and Sam, who are seventeen and fifteen, her younger brother, David Michael, who's seven, her step-brother and sister, Karen and Andrew, who are seven and five, and her adopted sister, Emily Michelle, who's two. Kristy's grandmother moved in when her mom and Watson adopted Emily. Then there are also the pets in the Brewer-Thomas household. They have a Bernice Mountiandog puppy named Shannon, a fat cat named Boo-Boo, two fish, and Karen's rat and Andrew's hermit crab. Only the rat and crab travel back and forth with Karen and Andrew. They visit every other weekend. Kristy over all is very fun and loving, with lots of energy. I think that it's because of her the BSC has flourished the way it has.
Claudia is the Vice-President of the club because we use her room for meeting. Claud has her own phone number, so it's very convenient because then we don't tie up an adult's phone line. Claudia is absolutely gorgeous. She's Japanese-American and has fair, creamy skin and long, jet-black hair. She love clothes and shopping and is always wearing wild outfits that she is quite proud of. Like, today for instance, she was wearing a sequined top with a camisole under it and blue jeans she had decorated with buttons and ribbons. Her hair was held in a side ponytail by a glass barrette she had made herself. Claudia absolutely loves art and is very good at is. She's not the world's best student, which is hard on her parents. They are very conservative and love the classic novels, good grades, and the prospects of Claudia becoming a doctor or something. Claudia's older sister, Janine, is a real genius. She's only in high school, but she's taking courses that the community college. Claudia sometimes feel that her parents are disappointed in her because she's not as smart as Janine, but her parent's don't realize that she's smart when it comes to art and stuff.
Claud's grandmother, Mimi, recently died, which was hard on Claudia. She and Mimi were very close. Besides loving art, Claudia also loves Nancy Drew mysteries and junk food. Her parents disapprove of both, so she has to hide them in her room. You would never tell by looking at Claudia that she loves junk food because she has no weight problems or acne. Claudia is really talented when it comes to entertaining little kids when they're bored and she's an important part of the team.
Stacey McGill is the treasurer of the club. She keeps track of the dues we pay and where it all goes. Stacey is very good at math and it smart. She grew up in New York City, but now lives here with her divorced mother. Since Stace grew up in the Big Apple, she dresses in more sophisticated, trendy clothes. I don't know Stace that well because she's more outgoing and I'm kind of shy.
Stacey has this disease called diabetes. It has something to do about your sugar levels in the blood. Stacey has to be very careful about what she eats and she has to give herself injections all the time. Stacey doesn't let this fact of life ruin her outlook. She's very upbeat and happy and she's lots of fun to be around
Dawn is another one of my best friends. Right now, she is the alternative officer. This means that she can sub in for anyone who has to miss a meeting. Dawn is also gorgeous, with long, white-blonde hair and she dresses to please herself, which can be very conservative but sometimes can be very unique. She loves health food, ghost stories and exercising. Dawn is also very passionate about the environment and the earth, which can be good and bad, considering what it is she wants you to do about it. Once, she got everyone mad at her when she pushed everyone to vote for a recycling plant at school. Dawn lives with her mom because her parents are divorced. Her dad and younger brother, Jeff, live in California, which is where Dawn grew up. I know Dawn misses it there, but she's not one to sulk about it. Dawn also lives with my dad and me because our parents got married a while ago. We found out that they were high school sweethearts and got them together. I love living with Dawn because it's like having a sleep-over with your best friend all the time.
Mallory and Jessi are junior members because, unlike the rest of us, they are in the sixth grade and are eleven (the rest of us are thirteen and in the eighth grade). They're only allowed to sit in the afternoons, unless they're sitting for their own siblings. Mal and Jessi both feel that their parents treat them like babies, but that's were the similarities end. Jessi has a sister, Becca, and a brother named Squirt. Mallory has 7 brothers and sisters, including 10 year-old triplets. Mallory wants to be a children's author and illustrator when she grows up and Jessi wants to be a ballerina. She's taking lessons in Stanford and she's amazing at it. Mallory has wild, curly red hair, glasses, and braces. Jessi has brown hair, which is usually pulled into a bun. Also, Jessi's black and Mal's white. That doesn't stop them though. Jessi got a lot of flank because of that fact, but Kristy didn't see a problem with it and she said so. We all accept Jessi for who she is and we love her. Mal was the first one to introduce herself to Jessi and now they are inseparable sometimes, especially when they read horse stories together.
Shannon and Logan are our associate members, so they don't come to meetings. They're more back-up members. I don't know Shannon that well. All I know is she lives by Kristy and has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Logan is my boyfriend. His family moved here last year from Louisville, Kentucky. He's very cute and looks like Cam Geary, my favorite movie star. He has this incredible accent and he's really good with kids.
And then there's me, Mary Anne. You know a lot about me already, but I'm the secretary of the club. I keep track of who can sit when. I'm short, with short brown hair. And that's about it.
So that's the BSC. We're all very different but we work really well together.
I reached Claudia's house and even before I went to Claudia's room, I went to the Kishi's bathroom. I just stared at myself and let a few tears fall. Then I glanced at my watch. I quickly washed my face and then tore to Claudia's room. I slipped in just as Kristy said,
"Your attention please."
I quietly took my place on the bed and carefully studied the record book. I wasn't paying attention until Claudia nudged me with her elbow.
"What?"
"Stacey's waiting for your dues." Claudia said, pointing to Stacey's outstretched hand. I reached into my purse and found my dues money and handed it to Stacey. Then I went back to studying the record book. I jumped a mile when the phone rang. We scheduled a job for Kristy with the Perkins girls. I didn't pay attention to the conversation about what Alan Gray had done during gym class. I jumped again when the phone rang a second time. We put down Mal for a job at the Marshalls.
My mind wandered to Logan. I know I had promised Logan I wouldn't worry, but I couldn't help it. I could just picture getting a phone call from Mrs. Bruno saying that I needed to come to the hospital quickly, that Logan wanted to see me one last time. Even worse, I could picture myself running through the wards of the hospital lost, and finally someone finding me and telling me I was too late.
"No!" I cried out. Everyone just looked at me like I was crazy. I began to turn red in the face. But, luckily, I was saved by the phone.
"Hello Baby-Sitters Club." Claudia said after picking up the phone. She listened a moment and then said, "Okay. I'll call you right back Doctor Johanssen."
Claud hung up the phone and turned to me.
"Johanssen's need a sitter for Charlotte on Friday."
I flipped open the appointment book and we put Stacey down for the job. Claudia called back Doctor Johanssen but the minute she took her hand off the receiver, the questions started.
"Mary Anne, are you okay?" Kristy asked.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked. I said nothing, trying to control the tears that longed to fall.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." I managed to say.
"Mary Anne. We're your friends. You can talk to us." Claudia said. I took a deep breath and then the words just all fell out in a big jumble.
"I keep getting pictures in my head of Logan, and the hospital, and I got lost and then I'm too late…" I ran out of breath. Everyone stared at me and then Kristy started to attempt to translate what I had said.
"You keep seeing Logan in the hospital?"
"Yes. I kept getting lost and then I was too late."
"Lost in the hospital?" Stacey asked.
"Yes. And someone found me and told me that Logan had died."
"Oh Mary Anne." Kristy said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
"Whoa, hold it a minute. What's going on?" Mallory asked, looking completely confused.
"Yeah. What's happening? Is Logan okay?" Jessi added.
"Logan wasn't in school today 'cause he's got the flu. Mary Anne went to visit him after school." Kristy explained and then she turned to me. "How was Logan?"
"He's doing okay. It's just a flu-bug he said." I said, wiping my cheeks. My tears had overflowed and were now falling freely.
"Then why do you say that you keep seeing him in the hospital?" Dawn asked gently.
"Because I'm worried about him. I've never seen him looking so awful."
"I'm sure he doesn't like feeling that way Mary Anne. And he probably wouldn't want you to worry like this." Mallory said.
"No. He made me promise not to worry about him but I can't help it."
"Well, all you can do is know that Logan's going to be okay and I'm sure that Mrs. Bruno is taking good care of him." Kristy said.
"I know. Thanks you guys." I said, wiping my eyes again.
"No problem." Dawn said, giving me an awkward hug.
"Yeah. Anytime." Claudia tried to hug me from the other side.
"Pile on Mary Anne!" Kristy cried and everyone jumped onto the bed in a fit of giggling. I had to admit, it felt good to laugh and I needed it.
After the meeting was over, I went outside and began to walk home through the cool fall air. I took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. Dawn was walking beside me and smiled.
"Feel better?" she asked.
"Yeah, although I still can't help but worry about him a little bit."
"A little bit is okay Mary Anne. It shows that you truly care about him. Just don't go making yourself sick because of it."
"I won't. What you just said reminded me of a quote from the Winnie the Pooh movie I watched with Jamie Newton the other day."
"And what was that?"
"It went like this: 'Some people care too much. I think it's called love.'"
"Aww. That is so cute." Dawn said.
"It is, but it's true, if you think about it."
"Yeah, it is." Dawn agreed.
"Do you have homework?" I asked.
"Not much. You?"
"I have tons. I didn't plan on visiting Logan this afternoon."
"Well, if you need any help, let me know." Dawn said.
"Thanks Dawn."
"No problem."
Dawn and I had reached our house by now so we went in and began to cook supper. And in case you're wondering, I was able to finish all my homework, with some help from Dawn.