Claudia popped her gum, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Crammed into her room, the members of the Babysitters Club waited. And waited. The _ minutes they had to sit by the phone was especially grueling today, because it was Watson Brewer's birthday and they were having a huge party at the mansion. Everyone was too excited to wait.
"I can't wait to jump into the pool," Stacey said, drumming her fingers on her knee. "I got a new bikini just for this party."
"Surprise, surprise," Kristy, who had no interest in swimwear, murmured under her breath. She stared at Claudia's phone. "Look, can't we just leave it this once? There are other babysitters in town."
Mary Anne let out an audible gasp, her cheeks reddening. "Kristy, we have a reputation to uphold. If we let parents down now, we'll start losing business." It was really unlike her best friend to try and back out of responsibility. After all, the business had been her idea.
"I know, I know," Kristy said. She knew. but she was also really impatient. "I just wish we didn't have to wait around for the phone to ring today."
They all jumped as the phone shrilled as if on command. Claudia picked it up. "Baby-sitters Club." Claudia paused. "Hello? Hello?" She looked up at the rest. "No one's on the line."
The girls shrieked as the door flew open and a figure stood there. "Wrong," said a male voice, "I'm here." There was smoke emanating off of his body, his puffy vest made an eerie sound as it rubbed against his chest with each arm movement. A pair of sunglasses was perched on his head.
"Who are you?" Kristy demanded, pressing herself into Claudia's bookshelf. She swallowed. "Do you need a babysitter."
"I'm from the future," the man said. He pulled something from his vest pocket, holding it out to them. It was a tiny plastic square with buttons and a small screen. The letters read NOKIA. "This will change your lives."
The room was silent, their eyes wide and mouths open, as the man walked across the room and set it on the nightstand next to Claudia's phone. "Call the police if you want," he said, "you can use this to call them on the way to your party."
"How did you…." Stacey was simultaneously scared and developing a crush on the stranger.
"I told you," he answered, sliding the sunglasses down over his eyes, "I'm from the future." He cocked his finger gun, pointed it at Stacey.
"Pow." He blew the imaginary smoke away. "No need to thank me for the cell phone, ladies."
"The what?"