DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from BSC. They belong to Ann M. Martin. I Do however own anyone you don't recognize!
Enjoy!

"Kristy's Big Decision"

CHAPTER 4

It wasn't long before Abby left to eat dinner, leaving Anastasia and me by ourselves.

"So Anastasia, have you done a lot of baby-sitting?" I asked.

Anastasia nodded.

"Yes. I used to help my sister take care of a little girl named Dawn. She lives with another family though. I've watched her since I was twelve."

I nodded.

"And of course I've taken care of Alex for the past four years."

I was about to say something when the little girl joined us. She smiled at both of us and made a bee line for her mother.

She made herself comfortable next to her before gazing up at me.

"Privyet!" She greeted.

Anastasia giggled.

"Alex, I don't think Kristy understands Russian."

I smiled.

"I understand a little." I admitted. "It comes from watching Anastasia with Karen a thousand times."

Anastasia giggled.

"It's the same with Alex here. She calls it my movie because I was named after her. But everyone mostly calls me, Anya. I don't mind if people call me Anastasia though. I like both names."

I nodded. I turned to Alex.

"Privyet." I replied.

Alex grinned.

"That game was so much fun!"

"It was." I agreed. "And that home run you hit was incredible!"

Alex beamed.

"She definitely has an eye for sports." Anastasia or Anya, chimed in. "Before we moved, she was on a gymnastics team. She's taken gymnastics for the last two years."

"Wow!" I said.

Alex turned to her mother.

"Mama, I'm hungry." She announced.

Anya smiled as she ruffled her hair. She pulled Alex onto her lap and cuddled her close.

"All right, sweetie. Let me say good-bye to Kristy and then we'll get your tummy something to eat."

Alex nodded. She glanced up and gave me a smile.

I smiled back.

"Well, I'm gonna get Miss Alex something to eat and read with her before giving her a bath." Anya told me. "We'll see you later."

"Okay." I agreed. "I have to help make dinner myself. See ya, Alex."

Alex waved at me.

"Dosvedanya." She replied.

Anastasia giggled at her daughter's actions.

"Dosvedanya." I replied.

"Dosvedanya then." Anya said before taking Alex into the house.

I waved once I was back at my own house and went inside.

But as I made dinner with Nannie and Karen's help, I couldn't stop thinking about the conversation Anastasia and I had.

And as I set the table for dinner with Karen pitching in, I couldn't get the upcoming BSC meeting off my mind. I couldn't wait for it. I also couldn't wait to introduce Anastasia to the rest of the club members.

As far as I was concerned, Monday couldn't come fast enough.

"Order! Order!" I shouted over the conversation and commotion going on around me that Monday afternoon.

Mallory and Jessi were looking at the latest issue of Young Rider, Claud was searching for some peanut M&M's and Mary-Anne was checking that the record book was up to date since our last meeting.

I wasn't too worried about Mary-Anne. But the others were talking and laughing around me as though I hadn't just called the meeting to order five minutes ago.

Anastasia for her part was sitting quietly, observing the chaos around her.

Having no other choice, I placed two fingers on either side of my mouth and whistled shrilly.

That managed to settle everyone down.

When I was sure everyone was focused on me, I gave them a look before smiling in welcome.

"I just want to welcome everyone to our first official BSC meeting of the summer." I began. "Along with that-" I was interrupted as the members let out a cheer.

Claud caught my look and calmed down immediately.

The others followed suit soon afterwards.

"As I was saying, I want to welcome you all to the first official summer meeting of the BSC. Any club business?"

Abby spoke up.

"I'm going to Long Island for a month."

"What!" Claudia and Mal shouted in unison.

"Why?" Jessi asked.

Abby quickly explained what was going on.

"What are we gonna do for help?" Mary-Anne asked. She had stopped updating the record book for the moment.

"Ahem!" I said in an effort to gain everyone's attention. "I have a solution to that problem."

Everyone stopped talking and gave me an expectant look.

"I would like you to meet our newest member." I began. "Anastasia Springer."

Anastasia gave everyone a friendly smile.

"Hello." She said.

"Didn't you just move into the house next to Abby's?" Mal asked.

Anastasia nodded.

"Yes." She replied. "My sister and daughter and I moved in a week ago." She replied.

"Daughter?" Mal asked.

Anastasia nodded.

"Her name is Alexandra." She said. "She's seven. She's pretty outgoing and very friendly. Everyone calls her Alex for the most part."

I nodded in confirmation.

"Alex just joined the Krushers." I added.

"Were you named after the Russian princess?" Jessi asked.

"The very same." She replied. "But most people call me 'Anya. I don't mind if you call me Anastasia though. I Like both names."

"Phew!" Mal said with relief.

I had a feeling she was thinking of Stacey, who hates to be called Anastasia by anyone besides her parents.

Anya smiled at Mal warmly.

"Really." She said. "It's okay."

Mal smiled at her.

"Don't' tell my sisters that." She said.

Anya smiled.

"Don't worry. If they're anything like Karen, I can handle them." She gave me a smile as she said this.

"I'm not so sure." Mal said.

"Trust me." Anya insisted.

I was about to say something when the phone rang.

I picked it up on the second ring.

"Hello, Baby-sitter's club." I said. "Oh, hi Mrs. Pike. Tomorrow around twelve-thirty until four-thirty? Let me get back to you." With that, I hung up. "That was Mrs. Pike." I told the others. "She needs a sitter for the younger girls tomorrow from twelve-thirty until four-thirty."

Mal grimaced.

"My parents learned their lesson the last time we took the Pike clan to the strawberry festival."

"I remember that." Jessi said. "Didn't Margo throw up on your shoes after eating two dozen strawberries?"

Mal nodded.

"How could I forget. I still have a pink stain on them. I don't think Mom was ever able to get it out."

Anya giggled at that.

"Alex did the same thing to me when we went to the country fair. She ate one too many sticks of cotton candy."

"Say it isn't' so!" Claudia said putting her hand to her forehead.

Anya giggled.

"Yes." She said. "I'm afraid so. She hasn't eaten it since then."

"How long ago was it?" Claudia asked.

"Two weeks ago."

"I could never go that long without eating sweets."

"Come off it!" Abby said. "Forget two weeks. You couldn't go two minutes."

Claudia chucked some m&m's at Abby, but they missed and hit Anya instead.

"Oops." Claudia said in mock horror. "I'm so sorry, you're Grace."

"That's quite all right." Anya said in a dignified tone. "I'll pardon you this time."

We all burst out laughing until the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Claudia said. "Baby-Sitter's club. Oh, hi, Char. No, sorry. She hasn't. Okay. I'll see you later."

"What did Char want?" I asked. Then seeing Anya's puzzled look, I hastened to explain. "Sometimes charges we know really well call for special reasons."

Anya nodded.

"Char wanted to know if Stace was back." Claudia answered. "She really misses her."

"Don't' we all. " Mary-Anne said. "So, whose gonna brave the Pike clan?"

"I vote for Anya." Abby said.

The vote was unanimous.

Anya would be taking the job with Mal.

I just prayed she could handle it.

While it was true that the triplets no longer required a sitter, the girls were a handful sometimes.

And with Mallory being back from Riverbend, I had a feeling her sisters were going to be fighting for her attention for the time she was here.

As the meeting wound down, Sara called, requesting a sitter for Alexandra two days later.

Anya took the call and blushed furiously by the time she was done.

We lined up Mary-Anne for the job. We spent the rest of the meeting talking about our summer plans with the kids.

All in all, the first summer meeting of the BSC had turned out to be a success.

I just hoped Anyas' first job would turn out the same way.