Karen's Baby-Sitter Page 4

  Mommy handed me the phone. “Hi, Bart,” I said. “It’s me, Karen. I am very, very sorry about the plant stand. I am sorry I got you in trouble, too.”

  “Okay, Karen,” replied Bart. “I will see you tomorrow.”

  Boys and Boyfriends

  I was not looking forward to Thursday afternoon. I would be grounded in my room then. Plus, Bart would be our baby-sitter. I would have to see him. I would have to talk to him. And he was probably mad at me.

  When our doorbell rang on Thursday, I could not answer it. I was stuck in my room. Andrew answered it instead. I heard him cry, “Bart! You came back! Can we have the Olympics again?”

  “I don’t think so,” Bart replied. “Karen has to stay inside today.”

  “Boo,” said Andrew.

  After Mommy left, Bart came upstairs to see me. “I am sorry you are grounded,” he said.

  “So am I,” added Andrew. “I wanted to play outside.”

  I stuck my tongue out at Andrew.

  Then I said to Bart, “Mommy bought a new pot for Miss Fern today.”

  “Oh, good,” replied Bart. “I was worried about Miss Fern.”

  “Bart? Are you mad at me?” I asked.

  “I am,” said Andrew. “I want to go outside.”

  Bart and I both ignored Andrew. Bart looked thoughtful. At last he said, “I am mad at what you did, but I am not mad at you.”

  I felt a little better after that. Even when Bart and Andrew ran downstairs and left me alone in my room.

  Bart was extra, extra neat and careful that afternoon. He did not let any kids in the house. He cleaned up Andrew’s messes right away. He did not allow ball-throwing in the living room. When Mommy and Seth came home, they looked pleased.

  “See you tomorrow, Bart!” they called when he left.

  * * *

  After dinner that night, I said to Mommy, “I know I am supposed to stay in my room, but may I please call Kristy? I think I need to apologize to her, too. After all, Bart is her friend. As soon as I have finished, I will go right back to my room. I promise.”

  “Okay,” said Mommy. “You may call Kristy.”

  I called Kristy from Mommy and Seth’s room. I needed privacy. “Kristy,” I began, “I want to say I am sorry. Sorry about what I did to Bart.”

  Kristy sighed. “What you did is not okay. But I am not angry with you. Tell me again why you were so angry with Bart, though.”

  “Because he lied about our date.”

  “But Karen, I do not think Bart asked you for a date. Try to remember what he said to you. What words did he use?”

  “He — he invited me over to watch a movie.”

  “And you thought he was asking you for a date.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Karen, don’t you know that Bart is my boyfriend?”

  “Is he really?”

  “Well, yes. Also — Karen, did you really think Bart was asking a seven-year-old for a date? Bart is thirteen.”

  “I didn’t think about that.”

  “Boys and boyfriends can be confusing,” said Kristy. “There is a lot to think about — crushes and dating.”

  “And getting married,” I added. “I am married to Ricky Torres.”

  “But you know that is just for play. Don’t you?” asked Kristy. “Seven-year-olds do not really date. And they certainly do not really get married. Boyfriends and dating are serious, grown-up things. Wait until you are ready for them, Karen.”

  “I will,” I said. “But Kristy, sometimes I just want to be older.”

  “And you will be,” said Kristy. “But for now, enjoy being seven.”

  Bart’s Present

  By Friday, I felt a little better. But I was still grounded. I could not leave my room. Bart came to see me as soon as Mommy had left. This time he said, “Karen, your mother told me I could take Andrew outside today as long as we stay in the yard. That way, you can see us from your windows. If you need anything, you can call to me.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  I listened as Bart helped Andrew get ready to play in the snow. “When you want to come inside,” Bart said, “take off your boots first. No walking around the house in them. And take off your other things by the door. I will hang them up for you. I do not want puddles in the house. And if your mittens are very wet …”

  The door slammed.

  I looked out my window. I watched Bart and Andrew carry the toboggan to the sledding track.

  Then I turned away. I sat at my table. Ms. Colman had told us to finish a page in our reading workbook. So I did. After that I got out my collage. Maybe I could finish it. I looked at what I had done so far. The paper was very full. But the collage was not quite right. I added some of the wood shavings I had found at Seth’s workshop. Then I wrote some words on the paper. Did you know that words can be part of a collage? Well, they can. I wrote

  on the collage. Then I turned the paper sideways. I wrote

  near a corner. Finally I added

  near another corner. My collage was finished at last.

  I stood up. Where should I hang my beautiful collage? I could not decide. I stepped over to the window. I leaned on the sill and looked into the yard. Willie and Kathryn had come over. They were sledding with Bart and Andrew. I let out a little sigh. I still felt bad about what had happened to Bart. He had been fired from his first big baby-sitting job, and it was all my fault.

  I wished I could do something nice for Bart. Maybe …

  I ran to my desk. I found my best writing paper. Usually, I only use it for thank-you notes to my grandparents. I wrote:

  I gave the present to Bart when he and Andrew came inside later. “It is a collage,” I told him. “I want you to have it. You are one of the best baby-sitters Andrew and I have ever had.”

  Bart was silent for a few moments. He studied the collage. Then he smiled at me. “Thank you, Karen,” he said. “I am sorry we had a misunderstanding. But I want to be friends, too. I will always keep the collage.”

  The Date

  Bart’s baby-sitting job was over. Ruth was back at work in Seth’s office. Her mother was all better. Mommy was at home in the afternoons again. And I was finished being grounded.

  One evening, Kristy called me from the big house.

  “Hi, Karen,” she said. “How are you?”

  “Fine,” I answered. “But I miss you and Daddy and my big-house family. I will see you this weekend, though.”

  “I know. That is why I am calling. Bart and I have a date on Saturday afternoon. We want to know if you would like to come with us. Just the three of us. Maybe it will make up a little bit for the awful date. Bart and I still feel bad about that. What do you think?”

  “Come on a date with you and Bart?” I replied.

  “Yes. Not a boyfriend-girlfriend date. I mean, Bart and I are the boyfriend and girlfriend. But we want you to come along for a special day.”

  “Okay!” I cried. “Sure! Thank you, Kristy.”

  * * *

  Our date began after lunch on Saturday. Kristy had said I did not have to get dressed up. But I wanted to look nice. I wore my blue jean skirt, a turtleneck shirt with red hearts on it, white tights, flop socks, and a pair of new sneakers.

  “How do I look?” I asked Kristy.

  “Perfect,” she replied. “Let’s go.” (Kristy was wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. That is just about the only outfit she ever wears.)

  Charlie drove Kristy and me downtown in the Junk Bucket. (That is his car.) He let us out in front of the movie theater. Bart was waiting for us there. “’Bye, kids!” called Charlie. “Have fun.”

  “We are not kids!” Kristy shouted after him. (Charlie did not hear her.)

  I looked up at the sign over the movie theater. “Homeward Bound,” I read.

  Bart was smiling at me. “Do you know what it’s about, Karen? It is a new version of The Incredible Journey. It is the same story about the two dogs and the cat who travel across the country. Kristy and I figured
you did not pay much attention to the video at my house. We thought you might like to try the story again, now that you can enjoy it.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I exclaimed.

  Bart and Kristy and I bought tickets. We crowded into the theater. I was the only kid there who was not with an adult. I felt very grown-up. We sat in the first row of the balcony. Bart and Kristy let me sit between them. We were smack in the middle of the theater.

  “Best seats in the house,” said Bart.

  The movie began. Bart was right. I had not paid any attention to the video at his house. The story was very exciting. Some parts were funny, and some were sad, too. I sat on the edge of my seat. (I think Bart and Kristy held hands behind me.)

  When the movie was over, I blew my nose. Then I wiped my eyes. “That was soooo good,” I said. I paused. “Is our date over?”

  “Not yet,” replied Kristy.

  Kristy and Bart and I walked to the Rosebud Cafe. We sat at a booth. We ordered sodas and a plate of French fries. This was not a healthy snack, but I did not care. I had seen a great movie. I was with Kristy and Bart. And nobody was angry at anyone else.

  I sighed.

  “Karen? What is wrong?” asked Kristy.

  “Nothing,” I replied. “I am happy. Thank you for inviting me on your date.”

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1994 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1994

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05702-7