Read Online Hello, Mallory by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann M. Martin
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hill.
(I didn't know that one, and it made me giggle.) "I'll have to tell it to my brothers and sisters," I said.
The phone rang again. "Oh, thank goodness Vanessa's off," I cried.
"Can I get it?" asked Jessi.
"Of course," I replied.
"Hello, Kids Incorporated. May I help you?" Jessi said professionally when she'd picked up the phone. "Oh, hi, Mama." Jessi made a face at me as if to say, "It's only my mother," but then she went on, "Oh, really? Sure. . . .Okay. Thanks, Mama. 'Bye." She hung up. "Guess what!" she exclaimed as she bounced back into the room. "Mama just hired us! She needs us to watch Becca and Squirt next Wednesday afternoon while she has her hair done."
"Fantastic!" I cried, and wrote the job in our appointment book.
No sooner had I done that than the phone rang again. "I'll get this one," I said to Jessi. "Wow, busy day."
I sat on the floor in the hall and picked up
the phone. "Hello, Kids Incorporated. May I help you?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then I heard light breathing. I put my hand over the receiver and whispered to Jessi, "I think it's a goof call."
"Say hello again," Jessi suggested.
"Hello? Hello?"
"Is this Mallory?" asked a familiar-sounding voice.
"Yes, it is. Who's this?"
"It's Kristy Thomas."
My heart practically stopped beating. "It's Kristy Thomas," I told Jessi. "You know, the president of the Baby-sitters Club." And then — I have no idea where these words came from, but I found myself speaking them — I said to Kristy, "Need a baby-sitter?"
Jessi giggled.
"No, I do not need a baby-sitter," Kristy replied hotly.
"Well, then. How may I help you?"
"You may tell me if you're holding a meeting of something called Kids Incorporated right now," said Kristy.
"Yes, we are."
"And you hold your meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from five-thirty until six?"
"We plan to."
"Copy-cats."
That made me pause. Jessi and I were being copy-cats. But then I remembered the awful meetings of the Baby-sitters Club that I'd attended.
"Well, you guys wouldn't let me join your club," I pointed out.
"We tried to let you," said Kristy. "But we have to be very careful about who joins. We need experienced, reliable sitters. You can't take chances where little kids are concerned."
"But I am experienced and reliable," I said.
"You didn't pass the test."
"That test was unfair. Even a doctor couldn't have passed it."
I heard Kristy sigh. Then she said, "I don't think your club is going to work. There aren't enough of you. You don't have any experience. You'll never get jobs."
"For your information, we've already gotten two," I told her.
"You have?"
"Yes. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to get off the phone so some more calls can come in."
"Fine," said Kristy. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye." I nearly slammed the receiver
down, but I stopped myself in time. That would have been too rude. Even for Kristy Thomas.
"What was that all about?" Jessi wanted to know.
I told her.
"You know something?" said Jessi. "I have a funny feeling we haven't heard the last of the Baby-sitters Club."
Chapter 12.
"Hey, Squirt! Hey, Squirt! Over here! Oh, what a good boy!"
Squirt Ramsey had just taken his first tentative steps all by himself, and Jessi and Becca and I were there to see him. Our sitting job at the Ramseys' was on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, and the four of us were out in the front yard. Squirt was the center of attention and loving it. He grinned, then blew a raspberry at Becca.
"Okay, Squirt. Stand up. Try again!" said Becca encouragingly. She pulled Squirt to his feet, waited until he was standing steadily, then let go of him.
"Come here! You can do it!" Jessi called, her arms outstretched.
''Walk to Jessi, Squirt," Becca added.
Step, step, step, step, step, step. Squirt's baby shoes plodded through the grass until — thump — he landed on his bottom.
"Six steps! Six steps, Jessi!" cried Becca. "That's Squirt's new
(I didn't know that one, and it made me giggle.) "I'll have to tell it to my brothers and sisters," I said.
The phone rang again. "Oh, thank goodness Vanessa's off," I cried.
"Can I get it?" asked Jessi.
"Of course," I replied.
"Hello, Kids Incorporated. May I help you?" Jessi said professionally when she'd picked up the phone. "Oh, hi, Mama." Jessi made a face at me as if to say, "It's only my mother," but then she went on, "Oh, really? Sure. . . .Okay. Thanks, Mama. 'Bye." She hung up. "Guess what!" she exclaimed as she bounced back into the room. "Mama just hired us! She needs us to watch Becca and Squirt next Wednesday afternoon while she has her hair done."
"Fantastic!" I cried, and wrote the job in our appointment book.
No sooner had I done that than the phone rang again. "I'll get this one," I said to Jessi. "Wow, busy day."
I sat on the floor in the hall and picked up
the phone. "Hello, Kids Incorporated. May I help you?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then I heard light breathing. I put my hand over the receiver and whispered to Jessi, "I think it's a goof call."
"Say hello again," Jessi suggested.
"Hello? Hello?"
"Is this Mallory?" asked a familiar-sounding voice.
"Yes, it is. Who's this?"
"It's Kristy Thomas."
My heart practically stopped beating. "It's Kristy Thomas," I told Jessi. "You know, the president of the Baby-sitters Club." And then — I have no idea where these words came from, but I found myself speaking them — I said to Kristy, "Need a baby-sitter?"
Jessi giggled.
"No, I do not need a baby-sitter," Kristy replied hotly.
"Well, then. How may I help you?"
"You may tell me if you're holding a meeting of something called Kids Incorporated right now," said Kristy.
"Yes, we are."
"And you hold your meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from five-thirty until six?"
"We plan to."
"Copy-cats."
That made me pause. Jessi and I were being copy-cats. But then I remembered the awful meetings of the Baby-sitters Club that I'd attended.
"Well, you guys wouldn't let me join your club," I pointed out.
"We tried to let you," said Kristy. "But we have to be very careful about who joins. We need experienced, reliable sitters. You can't take chances where little kids are concerned."
"But I am experienced and reliable," I said.
"You didn't pass the test."
"That test was unfair. Even a doctor couldn't have passed it."
I heard Kristy sigh. Then she said, "I don't think your club is going to work. There aren't enough of you. You don't have any experience. You'll never get jobs."
"For your information, we've already gotten two," I told her.
"You have?"
"Yes. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to get off the phone so some more calls can come in."
"Fine," said Kristy. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye." I nearly slammed the receiver
down, but I stopped myself in time. That would have been too rude. Even for Kristy Thomas.
"What was that all about?" Jessi wanted to know.
I told her.
"You know something?" said Jessi. "I have a funny feeling we haven't heard the last of the Baby-sitters Club."
Chapter 12.
"Hey, Squirt! Hey, Squirt! Over here! Oh, what a good boy!"
Squirt Ramsey had just taken his first tentative steps all by himself, and Jessi and Becca and I were there to see him. Our sitting job at the Ramseys' was on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, and the four of us were out in the front yard. Squirt was the center of attention and loving it. He grinned, then blew a raspberry at Becca.
"Okay, Squirt. Stand up. Try again!" said Becca encouragingly. She pulled Squirt to his feet, waited until he was standing steadily, then let go of him.
"Come here! You can do it!" Jessi called, her arms outstretched.
''Walk to Jessi, Squirt," Becca added.
Step, step, step, step, step, step. Squirt's baby shoes plodded through the grass until — thump — he landed on his bottom.
"Six steps! Six steps, Jessi!" cried Becca. "That's Squirt's new
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