Kristy and the Secret of Susan (10 page)

"Yes." "But what about those kids we sat behind during that assembly?" "They're all more advanced than Susan." "Even the autistic boy you told me about?" "Yes." "Even the retarded kids?" "Especially the retarded kids. They can learn. They want to learn. They talk. They just go at a slower pace than the rest of us. And they're not all locked up inside themselves.
"I thought," I went on, "that if I could just introduce Susan to what a 'normal' life is - you know, living at home, playing in the neighborhood, making friends with other kids, learning games - that she would change. But she didn't. She couldn't. She needs extra-extra-extra-extra-special help." I got up and looked out Claud's window. There were James and Zach, whizzing down the street on their skateboards.
"The Hobarts ended up fitting in," I said to Claud. "Susan didn't." "What do you mean?" Claudia was busy changing her cactus earrings for her spider earrings.
"I mean, let's see. . . . Okay, the Hobarts moved here about the same time Susan came home from school. At first, they were all outcasts, like Jessi said. The kids around here didn't accept any of them because they were different. But it turned out that the Hobarts weren't so different after all. They stood up for themselves and fit in. But Susan was too different. Unless she changes a lot, she'll never fit in here . . . with 'regular' kids. You were the one who pointed that out to me." I looked at Claud's digital clock, the BSC official timepiece. It read 5:20. "The others should start arriving soon," I said, and at that moment we heard someone absolutely thunder up the stairs.
"You guys! You guys!" called Mallory's voice. She barreled into the room and stood in the middle of it, her hands on her hips. "Oh, I'm glad someone's here," she said. "I would have been pretty embarrassed if I'd done all that yelling and no one was here yet." "Well, we're here," said Claud. "What's up? Mento?" She held out the roll.
"What's up? Boy, everything," replied Mal, taking a Mento and settling herself on the floor. (Jessi and Mal always sit on the floor, even when they get here early and there's plenty of space available on the bed.) "First of all," began Mal, "Jamie Newton invited Johnny Hobart over to his house to play." "Great!" said Claud and I.
"Second, Zach invited James to his birthday party. James is beside himself. It's his first American party and he can't decide what to give Zach, but he's really, really excited." "Fantastic," I said.
"Fantabulous," said Claud.
"Third, the kids in Mathew's first-grade class voted that he should have the lead in a play they're putting on." "Wow," said Claud and I. That really was impressive.
"How do you know all this?" I asked. "I was just over at the Hobarts' and they didn't say anything to me." "I guess they're a little shy sometimes. Ben told me all the news. And speaking of Ben, I haven't told you the best news yet. But maybe I'll wait until everyone else gets here." "Boy, it really must be good news," I said.
"The best. It's the piece de resistance." Claud looked blank.
I said, "The piece of resistance?" "No!" cried Mal, grinning. "That's French for 'the best part.' " "Oh," said Claud and I.
The next club member to arrive was Stacey. No thundering up the stairs for her, though. She trudged up, made her way down the hall, and flopped on the bed.
"I get the bed this time," she said wearily. "Dawn will have to sit at the desk. I'm exhausted." "You look horrible," I said. I couldn't help it. Things like that just fall out of my mouth sometimes.
"Kristy!" exclaimed Claudia.
"No, it's okay," said Stacey. "Since I feel horrible I'm not surprised that I look horrible, too." "What's wrong?" asked Claud. "If you have the flu or something you should probably go home." "I don't think if s the flu," Stacey replied. "I'm just tired. Maybe I've been doing too much lately. Going back and forth between here and New York and stuff. I've lost some weight, too. But I don't have a fever or anything." "Speaking of losing weight," I said, "guess who's gaining weight?" "Who?" asked the others, looking puzzled.
"Mrs. Felder. She's pregnant. They're going to have a baby, a girl. Her name will be Hope." "Oh, awesome!" cried Claud, and we all began talking at once.
I hardly noticed when Jessi, Mary Anne, and Dawn arrived, but I did notice when the clock turned to five-thirty.
"Order!" I said loudly. "This meeting of the BSC will now come to order." (My friends quieted down.) "Any club business?" I asked.
No one said anything, although Mallory looked like she was going to burst from her piece de resistance.
"Well, Mal and I have some news about our clients that I feel we should share with you. I'll go first and be quick. Then Mal can tell you her news. My news is that the Felders are going to have another baby." I ran through the details again for Jessi, Dawn, and Mary Anne, who had missed out on the earlier announcement.
Then Mal told her news about Johnny, Mathew, and James Hobart. And then she said, "Now for the piece de resistance - " The phone rang.
"Darn, darn, darn!" cried Mallory, jumping to her feet. "I don't believe it! This can't be happening!" Stacey hid her smile as she answered the phone. We arranged for a sitter for Jenny Prezzioso.
"It would be Jenny who would spoil my story," muttered Mal. "All right. The big news is Ben's news, too. . . . He asked me to go to the movies with him!" Well, of course the members of the BSC began screaming, and congratulating Mallory. Most of us did, anyway. Jessi hung back, and I knew just what she was thinking. What would happen to her friendship with Mal if Mal had a boyfriend? I knew she was wondering that because I wondered the same thing when Mary Anne first started going out with Logan. I also knew that - soon - Jessi would see that she and Mal were still best friends, and that a best friend is very different from a boyfriend. The two don't usually cancel each other out.
I sat back and watched my friends congratulate Mal, and talk about the Hobarts. I let my mind wander, which rarely happens during a meeting, since I try to remain official. But it did wander - to Susan. And then to the kids in the handicapped class at SMS. Right then and there I decided something important. I decided that when I grew up, maybe I would be a teacher and work with kids like Susan.
Hey, Susan, I thought, I hope you like your school. I hope someday you'll come home and be able to tell James and me, and your mom and dad, and Hopie all about it.
About the Author ANN M. MARTIN did a lot of baby-sitting when she was growing up in Princeton, New Jersey. Now her favorite baby-sitting charge is her cat, Mouse, who lives with her in her Manhattan apartment.
Ann Martin's Apple Paperbacks are Bummer Summer, Inside Out, Stage Fright, Me and Katie (the Pest), and all the other books in the Babysitters Club series.
She is a former editor of books for children, and was graduated from Smith College. She likes ice cream, the beach, and I Love Lucy; and she hates to cook.