Read Online The Truth About Stacey by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online

him.

For years, my parents have watched me go off to school wearing unusual clothing and accessories.They’ve let all sorts of things go by them unmentioned: the dinosaur on my beret, red sneakers covered with beads and glitter, leg warmers covered with footprints, plastic butterflies in my hair. For two weeks in New York I even wore red lace gloves with no fingertips.
    But they’d never seen anything quite like what Kristy made the members of the Baby-sitters Club wear to school the Monday after Thanksgiving vacation. Even I was embarrassed. And poor Mary Anne looked as if she’d rather be stranded on a desert island with no hope of rescue.
    Kristy had been busy during vacation. She’d made each of us a sandwich board to wear to school. The part that went over our fronts said JOIN THE BEST CLUB AROUND . The part that went over our backs said, in the block design Claudia hadthought up for our flyers: THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB.
    â€œPut these on, ” said Kristy when we met on the street in front of my house. She was already wearing hers.
    â€œNow?” I asked.
    Kristy nodded.“We’re going to look for new club members today and we might as well start on the way to school. Plenty of kids will see us.”
    â€œThat’s what I’m afraid of, ” whispered Claudia.
    I shrugged. Then I put my notebook down.“Well, I’m ready.”
    Kristy helped me fit one of the ad boards over my head. I adjusted the strings on my shoulders. Then we helped Claudia and Mary Anne with theirs. Mary Anne’s cheeks were burning bright red.
    â€œOkay, let’s go, ” I said. I waved self-consciously to my parents, who were standing at the front door.
    We marched off to Stoneybrook Middle School. All along the way, kids stopped and stared.
    â€œI hope I don’t see Trevor, ” Claudia murmured to me.
    Trevor Sandbourne is Claudia’s boyfriend. Sort of. He had taken Claudia to the HalloweenHop, and once they had gone to the movies. I could understand why she didn’t want Trevor to see her.
    â€œI know, ” I replied.“I hope we don’t see Pete. Or Sam.”
    â€œOh, no. Oh,
no
!” Claudia suddenly cried.
    â€œWhat? Is it Trevor? Pete?”
    â€œNo. Look.” Claudia pointed down the road behind us.
    I turned around. A school bus was heading our way, loaded with high school students. They hung out of the windows and called to us as the bus passed by.
    â€œHey, hey!”
    â€œWhoooo! The Baby-sitters Club!”
    â€œHey, girls, give me your number!
I
might need a sitter!”
    Kristy held her head high and kept walking, looking straight ahead.
    â€œI’m dying, I’m dying, ” I whispered to Claudia. But I told myself that if I felt like a fool, it was for the sake of the club. And the club was worth it.
    We reached school fifteen minutes before the first bell.
    â€œOkay, now spread out, ” Kristy instructed.
    â€œYou mean we have to do this
alone?”
cried Mary Anne.
    Kristy nodded.“Yes, ” she said firmly.“Walk around outside the building where kids can see you as they arrive at school. If anyone asks you questions, tell them about the club. Make sure they know they get to keep all the money they earn. And especially try to get some eighth-graders interested. Tell them the first meeting they’ll attend will be on Wednesday.”
    We separated then, and I wandered around by the main entrance to the school. Every single kid stared at me as he or she went by. Some pointed at the sign, then turned to speak to friends. A few laughed at me. But only three kids asked any questions.
    â€œWhat’s the Baby-sitters Club?” each one wanted to know. I explained. I even told them about some of the kids we sat for.
    â€œYou ought to meet Charlotte Johanssen, ” I said to one girl (who, unfortunately, was a sixth-grader).“She’s such a great little kid. She loves to be read