"Yo, Gabby!"

I pretended to ignore my coworker. I was busy, underneath a gorgeous Miata, doing a routine oil change. Not one of my most thrilling job duties, but one of the most common.

"GABBY!" Tino shouted. Fucking Tino, man. He thinks he's so clever because I'm the only woman who works in the shop and he has antiquated notions of femininity. He's just an asshole who can't handle the fact that I, Abby Loewen, am a better mechanic than he is.

"Fuck you, Tino!" I yelled cheerfully from under the Miata. Suddenly I felt someone grab my ankle and haul me out. I squinted up at Tino, blinking in the suddenly brighter light. "What the fuck do you want, Tino? I'm working here!"

"You wouldn't be working here if I had any say in the matter."

Needless to say, Tino and I don't get along. He thinks he's all that, swaggering around the shop like he owns the place (he doesn't.) He's a rather disgusting excuse for a human being, actually, with his greasy hair that's always hanging in his face, his beer gut always hanging out the bottom of his wife-beater that he doesn't bother to tuck in, and his permanent five-o-clock shadow. His eyes are dull and droopy and his breath smells of beer and stale cigarettes. Shocking that he's still single.

"Phone," he stated flatly, rolling his eyes. As if I get that many calls at work. I didn't bother answering him, and walked into the shop to pick up the phone.

"This is Abby."

"Abby? Hi! It's Jessi! How are you?" I paused for second. Jessi Ramsey was calling me? I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.

"Uh, I'm fine…confused as all hell, frankly. Why are you calling?"

"Oh, um, did I catch you at a bad time? I'm sorry!"

"Well, yes and no. I'm at work and that Neanderthal who answered the phone is making my life a fucking nightmare as it is, so I really shouldn't be on the phone giving him more ammunition to use against me. But on the other hand, I haven't talked to you in a long time and we used to be pretty good friends, so fuck Tino. Now's as good a time to chat as any. What's up?"

"Um…" she sounded shocked. Fuck. My mouth and my horrible language get me in trouble more often than not. I never really used to cuss a lot when I was younger, when Jessi and I were friends. I got into it when I went to school to learn the mechanic trade. I did what I had to do to fit in with everyone else, who were mostly macho guys. I started using profanity more and more, and now it's just habit. Nobody in the shop minds, and I don't use it in front of customers…clearly I shouldn't use it in front of Jessi either.

"Oh, sorry, Jessi. I know I should watch my language. I didn't mean to offend you. But you know, it's kind of part of the mechanic world…at least in this shop it is."

"Oh, I'm not offended. I've been living in New York City for years now - I hear much worse on a daily basis. I was just surprised hearing it from you, since I've never heard you speak that way before. It threw me for a loop is all. But if that's how you talk now, don't change on account of me!"

"All right then. So why are you calling? Not that I'm not happy to hear from you, but it's been, what, five years or something?"

"Yeah, I know I've been bad about keeping in touch with everyone. But listen, I'm invoking that pact we made at our last BSC meeting. Do you remember it?"

"Of course I do! I never thought anyone would actually invoke the damn thing though."

"I know, me neither. But I have a good reason. When do you think you could make it into Stoneybrook?"

"Well, I don't exactly live far away you know…I need at least a week to request time off, but it's not too hard to arrange that."
"Okay, well, I know we're shooting for a weekend, since some of the others live out of state. We figured that would make it easier for them. Why don't you try and get next weekend off? If it turns out that we have to postpone I'll let you know right away."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds fine to me. I gotta get back to work now though - talk to you later." I hung up the receiver, mystified. What on earth could Jessi have to say that was important enough to invoke a childhood pact over?

After I finished the oil change I decided to call it a night and head home. I live in New Hope now. After graduating from Stoneybrook High School I went back to Long Island for a couple of years, figuring that I would go to college there, settle down, and raise my kids there. But Fate had other plans (meddling little bitch.) College wasn't my scene, and I ended up flunking out of NYU, much to my mother's dismay. I knew I didn't want to be a secretary though, so I decided to check out trade schools. I figured I had to be able to find something interesting to do for a career that didn't require a lot of formal education. Eventually I hit upon auto maintenance. I thought it would be fun to get paid to get my hands dirty, and I've always admired nice cars. Mom was pretty confused at my decision, but she supported me anyway, and off to school I went. I ended up LOVING it! I have so much fun diagnosing cars and then fixing them…it's worth working with fucking Tino. He's a nuisance, but he doesn't ruin my work for me. Anyway, I went to school in Long Island, but by the time I graduated I found myself missing Stoneybrook and all my friends. However, the cost of living had gone up since I was a kid, and I knew I couldn't afford to live there on my own. And no way in hell was I moving back in with my mother, much as I love her. So I settled on New Hope, which is a very short drive from Stoneybrook and Stamford. I work at a little Shop called "Angelo's", and for the most part I love it.

I moved into a small apartment on Azalea Street, and that first day, who should I meet but David Loewen, my hot, nice next door neighbor. He helped me move my stuff in and asked me out to dinner that night. After dating for nine months we got married. That was five years ago, the last time I saw Jessi. She was at my wedding, and I haven't seen her since. She's never met my daughter Nicola, who's three. Suddenly I realized just how much I was looking forward to seeing the rest of the Baby-Sitters Club together again. I'm really glad she invoked this pact, even if it turns out to be for something silly. I won't even care - that's how happy I am to be reuniting with everyone.