Chapter Five

The next afternoon was Wednesday, which meant a BSC meeting. Since I had felt so down at the last meeting, I hadn't taken any jobs and I didn't have any homework. I walked home and then sat in the living room staring into space, wondering what to do. It was then that I remember the card the Perkins girls had made. I decided to leave early and go visit Logan before the BSC meeting.

It was snowing outside so I found my boots and parka and slipped them on. I walked to Brunos quickly. I rang the doorbell and waited. I stood there for over two minutes and then my heart began to pound. Thought were running through my head-what if something had happened? If Logan was sick, he shouldn't be anywhere but home, unless…

I turned around and started down the steps, planning to go to Claudia's and make some phone calls. Just as I jumped down the last step, I heard the front door open. I whirled around.

"Mary Anne, hi." Logan had answered the door. He looked so much better; he was even dressed.

"Logan! I didn't think anyone was home." I said, walking back up the steps and going inside.

"Well, only I'm home. Mom took Kerry and Hunter shoe shopping."

"Glad to see you're feeling better." I said, taking off my coat.

"Thanks. I'm so glad to finally get out of bed. I don't know how long I could've stood it much longer!"

"I imagine."

"You want some hot chocolate?"

"Sure."

I followed Logan to the kitchen and sat while he put the kettle on the stove.

"So I take it you'll be in school tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yep. I'm all caught up on the stuff I missed, except for today. But Austin said he'd come by with my work again and I plan to finish it tonight."

"That's good. Just don't over do it." I cautioned. Logan turned around and smiled.

"You sound just like my mother. She's so worried that I'm going to over work myself and have a relapse."

"Oh, sorry. I don't want to sound like I'm your mother." I said and Logan laughed.

"It's okay. I know you're just warning me to be careful."

"Exactly."

"Here we are." Logan set two steaming mugs on the table and then sat across from me.

"Thanks. I can't believe how cold it is outside."

"I know. The weatherman said that we're supposed to get a huge storm day after tomorrow. Maybe we'll have a snow day."

"Maybe." I took a sip of my hot chocolate and then I remembered why I had come.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" I cried, reaching into my pocket.

"Forgot what?"

"To give you this. Kristy was sitting for the Perkins girls yesterday and they made this for you." I handed Logan the card and watched him read it. His face broke into a smile and my heart rate soared. I absolutely love Logan's smile and it did my heart good to see it.

"Thanks for bringing it." Logan said, setting the card on the table.

"No problem. Apparently Stoneybrook Manor is closed down right now because of an outbreak." (Kristy had also told me about that at school)

"Really? What kind of outbreak?"

"Influenza, I think is what Kristy said. She said it sounded like the same bug you had."

"Huh. I wonder if it's the same."

"Yeah."

"Hopefully it's not."

"Yeah."

"Is something wrong, Mary Anne? You're kinda quiet."

"What? No, nothing's wrong. I'm just tired."

Logan didn't say anything and we sat there in an awkward silence. Logan doesn't know this, but at the time I was kinda embarrassed. I think he might've felt the same way. For the past 2 days, I had seen him in a very vulnerable position and now we were sitting across from each other just like it always was. I was glad he was better, but it felt kinda weird. We sat there for a couple of minutes in silence, occasionally broken by Logan coughing. I finished my hot chocolate and then I cleared my throat politely.

"Um, I've got to go for the BSC meeting."

"Oh, okay." Logan got up with me and walked me to the door, where I put my coat on.

"Thanks for coming."

"No problem. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. 'Bye."

"'Bye."

Logan closed the door and I walked down the walk and headed towards Claudias', thinking about the last twenty minutes. I walked quickly to Claudias', my head bent down against the cold. I didn't really pay attention to because I was focusing on getting to Claud's quickly because of the cold, although I think I passed Austin on the way.

Once I reached Kishis', I went up to Claudia's room.

"Hey Mary Anne." Kristy said from the director's chair.

"Hi." I sat down on the bed next to Claudia, who was eating something chocolate and gooey. We smiled at each other and she offered me a piece of a chocolate bar.

"Thanks." I said, putting it into my mouth. We sat there chewing and soon all the other members arrived.

"Order! Come to order!" Kristy said and I turned to look at the clock even though I knew it was 5:30 on the nose.

"Any new business?" Kristy asked. We all shook our heads no.

"Have you all been reading the notebook?" We all nodded yes. We had just reached a lull, the phone rang. Stacey answered it.

"Hello Baby-Sitters Club. How may I help you?"

Stacey listened for a few moments and then hung up.

"That was Dr. Johanssen. She needs a sitter for Char for the next three afternoons, possibly Saturday, too."

"Is everything okay?" Kristy asked.

"Technically, yes. Dr. Johanssen said that the hospital is just really busy right now, what with that flu outbreak."

Kristy accepted this answer for the moment and we lined up sitters for Char. After Stacey had called them back, Kristy thought out loud and asked a question at the same time.

"The flu outbreak? But I thought that was just the nursing home."

"I guess not. Maybe it is the same bug that Logan had." Stace said.

"Maybe. Hey Mary Anne, is Logan better yet? It's been what, three days now?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He'll be in school tomorrow. I went to drop off the Perkinses' card and he was up and dressed. And bored." I added with a smile.

"Figures. After three days of being in bed would be enough to send anyone up a tree." Dawn said. "Even a teenager."

"Yeah. My mom hates it when I'm home sick. She says I drive her crazy." Stacey added.

"Well, anyways, let's just hope this is just a big coincidence and none of us or our charges gets sick." Kristy said.

"Um…I have a question." Mal said, but was cut off by the phone.

"Hello Baby-Sitters Club." Claudia said after picking up the phone. "Yes, good thanks. Friday? Let me check and I'll call you right back."

Claudia hung up the phone.

"That was your mom, Mal. She needs an extra sitter on Friday night."

"Oh right. She and Dad are going to some tennis workshop in Stanford I think."

I picked up the record book and paged through it.

"Well, let's see…Friday. Claudia, you're baby-sitting for Newtons, Stace for Johanssens, Dawn, Kristy, and I are free."

"Either you or Dawn take it. It'll be much easier for transportation." Kristy spoke up.

"You can take it Dawn. You've only had one job this week."

"Thanks."

I wrote Dawn in and Claudia called Mrs. Pike back and told her to expect Dawn.

"Um…I had a question." Mal spoke up again.

"Oh, right. What is it?" Kristy asked Mal.

"If this flu outbreak does spread to everyone, do we take a job where we take care of sick kids?"

"That's a good question." Dawn said.

"Yeah…I really hate to say this but I think we do." Kristy said. Stacey cringed.

"I was afraid you would say that."

"Well, as baby-sitters, part of our job includes taking care of sick kids. If we're needed to stay with a sick child, I think its best we don't turn it down."

"I guess but I really don't want to get sick." Claudia said.

"It would mean missing a couple days of school." Jessi pointed out.

"True…maybe getting sick wouldn't be so bad." said Claudia. Of course we all knew she was kidding.

"Hey, guess what Alan did in gym class today!" Claudia said. She went on to tell us about the silly thing Alan had done and we got into a big gossip fest. Before we knew it, the meeting was over.

As we were walking home, Dawn and I were laughing over what Alan had done.

"Happy, Mary Anne?" Dawn asked. Her question took me by surprise. I thought for a minute.

"Yeah. I am."

"Good."

"I realized something Dawn."

"What's that?"

"I realized how much I actually care about Logan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when he was sick, I kept thinking that he wouldn't be okay. Like you said, that showed how much I cared about him. But this afternoon it was so weird that Logan was better. It was like the first time I looked he was so vulnerable but the second time he was back to his own self. It was kinda weird but I'm so glad he's well again. I didn't like seeing him like that."

"Of course you didn't. You care about him so you don't want anything to hurt him. But I'm glad you realized that he can take care of himself and you don't need to worry about him so much."

"Yeah. Thanks Dawn." I didn't really know what exactly I was thanking Dawn for but she must've felt the same way I did because she said,

"No problem."

We smiled at each other and went back to laughing over Alan Gray.