Read Online Fabulous Five 031 - The Fabulous Five Together Again by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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called Phoebe back.
"Did you talk to Nicki and Ellie?" asked Christie
when Phoebe answered the phone.
"Yes, I did," replied Phoebe, "and they're
not happy, as you might suspect. Especially Nicki. But since Melanie, Beth,
Katie, and Jana are leaving tomorrow evening, they're willing to forget what
happened.
"You know, Christie, part of the problem is, you're
paying so much attention to The Fabulous Five, we're feeling left out. It's as
if we're second-rate friends."
"We're?" echoed Christie. "Do you feel
that way too, Phoebe?"
There was a moment of silence before Phoebe answered. "Yes,
I do. Nicki, Ellie, and I are used to being your best friends, and now The
Fabulous Five have come and taken you over."
"You're my best friends, too," protested Christie.
"And The Fab Five are only here for a week." She lowered her voice. "I
might never see them again."
"If your father gets transferred back to the States, we
might never see you again, either," said Phoebe.
Christie sighed. "All I wanted was for you guys to like
each other."
"Cheer up, Christie," said Phoebe, sounding
warmer. "We're willing to try being friends if they are. We'll have fun
tonight. You'll see."
After they had hung up, Christie sat staring at the wall,
thinking. Phoebe had said she, Ellie, and Nicki were feeling left out, like
second-rate friends. The Fab Five felt they had a right to monopolize Christie
because they might never see her again after this vacation. That left Christie
smack in the middle. It seemed as though there wasn't anything she could say or
do to make things better for one group without hurting the other group's
feelings even more. Tears filled her eyes. She had had such high hopes that
this would be a great vacation. But instead it had felt like one long juggling
act. She tossed half of her pastry in the wastebasket. Suddenly she wasn't
hungry anymore.
"Mrs. Fitzhugh wants you to mind Jenny for about an
hour," said Mrs. Winchell when Christie returned to the kitchen.
"When did she call?" asked Christie, puzzled.
"I talked to her earlier this morning," said her
mother. "I forgot to mention it."
Christie groaned. "Couldn't she get someone else? The
Fab Five are leaving tomorrow, and I want to spend as much time as I can with
them."
"It won't hurt you to do it," answered her mother.
"The girls can entertain themselves for an hour."
"But, Mom . . ."
"Aw, go ahead, Christie," Beth interjected. "It's
just an hour. Melanie and I want to wash our hair, anyway. You won't be missing
anything."
CHAPTER 13
"Hello, Mrs. Fitzhugh," said Christie.
Jenny was peeking out from behind her mother's legs.
Christie waved at the little girl.
"Meow," replied Jenny.
"I'm afraid she's still pretending she's a kitten,"
said Mrs. Fitzhugh with a look of resignation. "The only way I can get her
to drink her milk is out of a saucer. Come in, Christie."
Usually Mrs. Fitzhugh was dressed impeccably when she was
going out. Today she had on casual-looking clothes. "I'm not going out,"
she explained. "I've some office work I brought home that I need to do. If
you'll keep Jenny out of my hair for an hour, I would appreciate it."
"Sure," agreed Christie, reaching down and picking
up Jenny. "Let's go to your room, Jen, and see what you've got to play
with."
Jenny started purring and licking Christie's face.
"I don't know why Mrs. Fitzhugh wanted me to mind
Jenny," Christie told her mother when she returned home. "She said
she had office work to do, but I heard her moving around downstairs the whole
time I was there."
"Maybe she just needed a little relief," suggested
Mrs. Winchell, smiling.
"Where is everybody?" asked Christie.
"Up in your room," said her mother. "Jana and
Katie just got back."
Christie took the steps two at a time. When she opened the
door to the bedroom, her friends' chatter stopped abruptly.
"What's going on?" asked Christie.
"We were just talking," said Melanie.
"Do you want to see what we got Randy and Tony?"
asked Jana,
"Did you talk to Nicki and Ellie?" asked Christie
when Phoebe answered the phone.
"Yes, I did," replied Phoebe, "and they're
not happy, as you might suspect. Especially Nicki. But since Melanie, Beth,
Katie, and Jana are leaving tomorrow evening, they're willing to forget what
happened.
"You know, Christie, part of the problem is, you're
paying so much attention to The Fabulous Five, we're feeling left out. It's as
if we're second-rate friends."
"We're?" echoed Christie. "Do you feel
that way too, Phoebe?"
There was a moment of silence before Phoebe answered. "Yes,
I do. Nicki, Ellie, and I are used to being your best friends, and now The
Fabulous Five have come and taken you over."
"You're my best friends, too," protested Christie.
"And The Fab Five are only here for a week." She lowered her voice. "I
might never see them again."
"If your father gets transferred back to the States, we
might never see you again, either," said Phoebe.
Christie sighed. "All I wanted was for you guys to like
each other."
"Cheer up, Christie," said Phoebe, sounding
warmer. "We're willing to try being friends if they are. We'll have fun
tonight. You'll see."
After they had hung up, Christie sat staring at the wall,
thinking. Phoebe had said she, Ellie, and Nicki were feeling left out, like
second-rate friends. The Fab Five felt they had a right to monopolize Christie
because they might never see her again after this vacation. That left Christie
smack in the middle. It seemed as though there wasn't anything she could say or
do to make things better for one group without hurting the other group's
feelings even more. Tears filled her eyes. She had had such high hopes that
this would be a great vacation. But instead it had felt like one long juggling
act. She tossed half of her pastry in the wastebasket. Suddenly she wasn't
hungry anymore.
"Mrs. Fitzhugh wants you to mind Jenny for about an
hour," said Mrs. Winchell when Christie returned to the kitchen.
"When did she call?" asked Christie, puzzled.
"I talked to her earlier this morning," said her
mother. "I forgot to mention it."
Christie groaned. "Couldn't she get someone else? The
Fab Five are leaving tomorrow, and I want to spend as much time as I can with
them."
"It won't hurt you to do it," answered her mother.
"The girls can entertain themselves for an hour."
"But, Mom . . ."
"Aw, go ahead, Christie," Beth interjected. "It's
just an hour. Melanie and I want to wash our hair, anyway. You won't be missing
anything."
CHAPTER 13
"Hello, Mrs. Fitzhugh," said Christie.
Jenny was peeking out from behind her mother's legs.
Christie waved at the little girl.
"Meow," replied Jenny.
"I'm afraid she's still pretending she's a kitten,"
said Mrs. Fitzhugh with a look of resignation. "The only way I can get her
to drink her milk is out of a saucer. Come in, Christie."
Usually Mrs. Fitzhugh was dressed impeccably when she was
going out. Today she had on casual-looking clothes. "I'm not going out,"
she explained. "I've some office work I brought home that I need to do. If
you'll keep Jenny out of my hair for an hour, I would appreciate it."
"Sure," agreed Christie, reaching down and picking
up Jenny. "Let's go to your room, Jen, and see what you've got to play
with."
Jenny started purring and licking Christie's face.
"I don't know why Mrs. Fitzhugh wanted me to mind
Jenny," Christie told her mother when she returned home. "She said
she had office work to do, but I heard her moving around downstairs the whole
time I was there."
"Maybe she just needed a little relief," suggested
Mrs. Winchell, smiling.
"Where is everybody?" asked Christie.
"Up in your room," said her mother. "Jana and
Katie just got back."
Christie took the steps two at a time. When she opened the
door to the bedroom, her friends' chatter stopped abruptly.
"What's going on?" asked Christie.
"We were just talking," said Melanie.
"Do you want to see what we got Randy and Tony?"
asked Jana,
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