Kristy's Great Idea: Classic Edition (The Baby-Sitters Club #1)
David Michael is my six year old brother My big brothers Charlie and Sam and I are each responsible for him one afternoon a week until Mom gets home from work Kathy this fifteen year old girl who lives a few blocks from us watches him the other two afternoons Kathy gets paid to watch him Charlie and Sam and I don't Mary Anne and I ran all the way home We reached my front yard sweaty and out of breath And there was David Michael sitting forlornly on the front steps his dark curls falling limply across his forehead He burst into tears as soon as he saw us What's wrong I asked I sat down beside him and put my arm around his shoulders I'm locked out he wailed What happened to your key David Michael shook his head I don't know He wiped his eyes hiccuping Well I said it's all right I got my own key out of my purse David Michael burst into fresh tears No it's not It's not all right I couldn't get in and I have to go to the bathroom I unlocked the door When David Michael gets like this it's best just to sort of ignore his tears and pretend everything is fine Mary Anne and I held the door open for him and I ushered him into the bathroom Our collie Louie tore outside as we went in He was frantic to get outdoors after being locked in the house since breakfast time While you go to the bathroom I told David Michael I'm going to fix us some lemonade okay David Michael actually smiled Okay I'm good with children So is Mary Anne Mom says so Both of us get lots of afternoon and weekend baby sitting jobs In fact I'd been
offered a job for that afternoon but I had to turn it down because of David Michael That reminded me Hey I said to Mary Anne as I turned on the air conditioning Mrs. Newton asked me to baby sit for Jamie this afternoon Didn't she call you after she called me Mary Anne sat down at the kitchen table and watched me put lemonade mix in a big glass pitcher She shook her head No. Maybe she called Claudia Claudia Kishi lives across the street from me She and Mary Anne and I have lived on Bradford Court since we were born We've grown up together but somehow Claudia has never spent as much time with us as Mary Anne and I have spent with each other For one thing Claudia's really into art and always off at art classes or else holed up in her room painting or drawing Or reading mysteries That's her other passion She's much more grown up than Mary Anne and I When we were little Mary Anne and I were always playing school or dolls or dress up but we practically had to brainwash Claudia to get her to join us A lot of the time we just didn't bother but Claud's always been good for a bike ride or going to the movies or the community pool As far as I'm concerned one of the best things about Claudia is that her father isn't Mr. Spier Mr. Kishi can be strict about Claudia's schoolwork but he doesn't faint if you suggest going downtown for a Coke or something Over the summer it had started to feel like Claudia was drifting apart from Mary Anne and me Even though we were all going into seventh grade Claudia suddenly seemed older She started caring about boys and had spent more time than usual adding to her wardrobe and talking on the phone We'd all made up at the end of the summer but it still felt like we were going in different directions sometimes David Michael came into the kitchen looking much cheerier Here you go I said I handed him a glass of lemonade as he sat next to Mary Anne Charlie came in then tossing a football around Sam got home a few minutes later with Louie skidding along behind him Charlie is
sixteen and Sam is fourteen They both go to Stoneybrook High Sam's a freshman this year and Charlie's a junior Hi everybody Hi squirt Charlie said to David Michael I am not a squirt replied David Michael Charlie thought he was so great because he'd just made the varsity team You'd think he was the first person ever to play football for Stoneybrook High We're going to play ball in the Hansons backyard Sam announced Want to play Kristy I did but David Michael wouldn't want to He was too little I don't know I thought Mary Anne and I would take David Michael to the brook You want to go wading David Michael I asked He nodded happily See you guys later I called as Sam and Charlie left the house slamming the front door behind them Mary Anne and I took David Michael and Louie to the brook We watched David Michael wade and make sailboats and try to catch minnows Louie ran around looking for squirrels I'd better go Mary Anne said after an hour or so Dad will be home soon Yeah Mom will be home soon too David Michael I called time to leave He stood up reluctantly and the three of us and Louie walked home together When we reached our driveway David Michael ran across the lawn and Mary Anne whispered to me Nine o'clock okay I grinned Okay Mary Anne and I have a secret code Mary Anne made it up We can signal each other with flashlights If I look out my bedroom window I can see right into hers Lots of nights we talk to each other with the flashlights since Mary Anne isn't allowed on the phone after dinner except for things like baby sitting jobs or getting homework assignments
When Mom came home a little while later she had a pizza with her My brothers and I stood around the kitchen breathing in the smell of cheese and pepperoni But Sam and Charlie looked skeptical I wonder what she wants murmured Sam Yeah said Charlie Mom only gets pizza when she has to ask us a favor I decided not to beat around the bush How come you bought a pizza Mom I asked Charlie kicked my ankle but I ignored him Come on What do you have to ask us Mom grinned She knew exactly what she was doing And she knew that we knew it Oh all right she said Kathy called me at work to say she won't be able to watch David Michael tomorrow I was wondering what you guys are Football practice said Charlie promptly Math Club said Sam Sitting at the Newtons I said Drat said Mom But we are sorry added Sam I know you are Then we dug into the pizza while Mom started making phone calls She called Mary Anne Mary Anne was sitting for the Pikes She called Claudia Claudia had an art class She called two high school girls They had cheerleading practice David Michael looked like he might cry Finally Mom called Mrs. Newton and asked if she would mind if I brought David Michael with me when I sat for Jamie Luckily Mrs. Newton didn't mind I chewed away at a gloppy mouthful of cheese and pepperoni and thought it was too bad that Mom's pizza had to get cold while she
