bsc_squee

We went out onto the back porch. I put my hand out and touched Sam’s arm. I took a deep breath. “Sam. Listen. I like you as a friend. I really do. But Robert and I are serious.”

Sam looked surprised. “I know,” he said.

“I know you and your girlfriend broke up, and I, well, I can’t really see us getting back together,” I continued.

“Us? Us who?” asked Sam, looking even more surprised.

I felt like a big dope. Had I misinterpreted Sam’s actions?

“Us, as in you and me…” My voice trailed off.

Sam stared at me. Then to my surprise he blushed.

“Stacey!” he said. His voice was reproachful. “I still like you. A lot. But I think of you as a friend, someone who is fun to goof with. Someone I can be myself with. Sort of a, uh,” he ducked his head, “best girl friend, but not girlfriend, you know?”

“Oh,” I said stupidly. I was relieved. And humiliated. How conceited of me.

Then Sam made me feel better. “But I do like to flirt with you,” he said. “It keeps me in practice for my next girlfriend.”

“Oh, you,” I said, swatting him on the arm. Then I linked my arm through his and we trudged down the back steps.

“Well, it all started last night,” I began. I told them how Mom had had to call nearly everyone in Stoneybrook, looking for a babysitter, and how long it had taken, and how bad David Michael had felt. “So I thought we could sort of join together. We all baby-sit anyway. We could advertise ourselves and get more customers. We should meet a few times each week and tell our customers what those times are. Then they can make one call and reach a whole bunch of us at once. And if, like, Mrs. Pike wants two sitters, she’ll only have to make one call.” I explained everything else I had thought of, and wound up with, “Okay, here are two things to think about: One, where should we hold our meetings; and two, who else could we ask to join the club?”

“I can answer both questions,” said Claudia. “We should hold the meetings here, because I have a phone in my room.”

“Oh, terrific!” I exclaimed. (I’d been hoping Claudia would suggest that.)

“And I know someone who might want to join the club.”

“Who?” Mary Anne and I asked.

“She’s new. She just moved to Stoneybrook. She lives right over on Fawcett Avenue, and she’s in my class. Her name is Stacey McGill.”

“Well, okay …” I said slowly. “Of course, we’ll have to meet her.”

“Oh, sure. You’ll really like her. She’s from New York City,” Claudia added.

I was impressed. I could tell Mary Anne was, too. She opened her eyes wide. “I wonder why her family wanted to leave there to come here,” she said.

Claudia shrugged. “Don’t know. But I’m glad they did. Stacey’s really cool.”

Mary Anne and I glanced at each other, not sure that this was a good sign.

“What’s everyone doing tomorrow afternoon?” asked Claudia. “Can we meet then?”

“If it’s at five-thirty again,” said Mary Anne. “I have to baby-sit before then.”

We agreed to meet late the next afternoon. And that was how the Baby-sitters Club officially began.