"I'M SO EXCITED," Dawn said as she, Mary Anne, and Blue walked downstairs.
"I know, long-lost high school sweethearts, reunited!" Mary Anne cheered.
"I still can't believe it," Blue added with a giggle.
"It's like...Romeo And Juliet; but, if Romeo grew up, went to law school, and then reconnected with Juliet in middle age," Mary Anne explained, handing the other girls their coats.
"Do you think we'll have matching bridesmaid's dresses?"
"Totally," Blue replied, making the other girl chuckle.
"Maybe. But I was actually talking about this meeting of the club," Dawn clarified, putting her coat on.
"Oh, right," Mary Anne said.
"It means a lot that you're bringing me, it'll be so nice to feel like a part of something again."
Blue grinned sympathetically, it must've been hard for Dawn to completely start over and leave her old life behind. The blonde put her scarf on.
"Are you sure it's ok with Kristy?" Dawn asked.
"We didn't tell her," Mary Anne replied.
"Oh, but, Mary Anne!"
"It's perfect timing, it's a new year, everyone's back from vacation. Act first, then ask for forgiveness later." Mary Anne explained.
"But you 2 know how weird she is around me, she's gonna flip. And then I'll never be able to join the BSC," Dawn grumbled.
"It'll be fine," Blue explained, smiling and placing a reassuring hand on Dawn's shoulder.
"She just needs to get to know you, that's how she is," the blonde said, reluctantly removing her hand.
"You'll see," Mary Anne added.
The 3 girls exited Mary Anne's house.
"AS PRESIDENT, ALL GUESTS SHOULD be run by me. It's in the bylaws" Kristy spat at the club meeting that day.
"Since when do we have bylaws?" Blue asked defensively.
"Since I wrote them in the club constitution over break."
There was a pause.
"Do any of you check your email?"
Blue rolled her eyes, whilst Claudia and Stacey shook their heads.
"We brought Dawn with us today because she's a great friend and a great babysitter," Mary Anne said.
"And," Blue added, "Things were quiet over Christmas. And now everyone's back, and everything's gonna be hectic, we're going to need a helping hand, or else we'll be completely swamped," she explained.
"Well, as the last new girl in town, I am thrilled that Dawn is here," Stacey stood up and took Dawn's hand.
Blue's eyes were glued to their hands, she wanted to hold Dawn's hand, more than anything. But she quickly blinked away her thoughts and went a bright shade of pink.
Nobody seemed to notice. Thank god.
"And about those bylaws, anything about kicking jobs to members who spent way too much money on holiday gifts/new riding boots?" Stacey joked, she and Dawn sitting down on Claudia's bed. Whilst Blue sat in the purple chair next to Kristy
"Second that, I have a roll of handmade Washi Paper being held at Dick Blick."
"Third, I'm running out of decorative vines and only half of the wall is covered."
"Oh! Speaking of shopping, and decoration, I have some news. My dad is finally letting me redo my room a little bit!" Mary Anne announced, making everyone cheer.
"Yes! New year, new you!" Stacey added.
"Nothing major," Mary Anne clarified, "I have some babysitting money saved, so he said I could buy a couple new things."
"Yes!" Blue whisper-cheered.
"Some new pillows, maybe, -or a cool new lamp?" Mary Anne suggested, her eyes lighting up with possibility.
"Hot, let's browse," Claudia said, Stacey grabbed her hand and lead her over to the table, where everyone crowded around her laptop.
"Ok, I'll pull up my Pinterest," Stacey said as everyone walked over, Kristy stopping behind the group.
"I still have some boards saved from when I moved, sorted by color story."
"Navy blue is nice-" everyone turned to look at Kristy, "-And it hides the dirt."
Everybody ignored her.
"How about a theme, something personal that you love?" Dawn suggested.
The girls nodded, "Oh, yeah."
"Broadway Musicals," Kristy immediately answered.
"Or textiles?" Blue and Dawn said in unison, both turning a deep shade of pink.
"What, like yarn?"
Blue slightly scoffed as an uncomfortable silence fell between the girls.
Suddenly the phone started ringing and Blue went to answer it.
"Thank god."
The blonde put the phone up to her ear.
"Hello? Babysitter's club! This is fundraising officer, Blue Scout speaking."
"Hi, Blue. This is Natalie Barret."
"Hi, Natalie!" Blue said in a faux enthusiastic tone.
The blonde rolled her eyes and mouthed: "The Barrets."
"Can you check if someone can watch my kiddos on Thursday?"
"Ok, I'll check."
Blue muted the phone.
"About the job I wanted, I think I can live with a half-empty wall for another week. Who wants the job?"
Claudia laughed, "Are you serious? I'm broke, but not 'sit for the Barret's broke." the small girl plopped down on the purple chair beside Blue.
"Stacey?"
"Hell no, I'm not sitting for the Barret's. Are you crazy?"
"What's wrong with the Barret's?" Dawn asked the group politely.
Blue softly rolled her eyes "Oh god, here we go."
"The three kids are out of control. And the mom is in a recently-divorced-wrecking-ball phase," Kristy explained.
"They're crazy!" Blue exclaimed.
"That's kind of reductive."
Everyone turned to Dawn.
"Excuse me?" Kristy scoffed.
"I mean, newly divorced, a mother of 3 kids, of course, she's feeling overwhelmed."
Blue shrugged "I guess you can say that."
Kristy ignored the blonde, "Then why don't you take the job?" she sassed.
"Kristy, no! They're gonna kill her!" Blue exclaimed in protest.
"She wants in, this is how she's gonna get in."
Dawn's face lit up, "Does that mean I'm in the club?"
"Possibly, on a probationary basis," Kristy cleared up, "We'll see how she does, and then we'll make a final decision."
"That's not fair" is what Blue wanted to say, but she didn't really feel like picking a fight with Kristy.
"So if she's great - which she will be - she's in?" Stacey asked excitedly.
"And if she tanks," Claudia added, "Natalie loses our number forever. It's a win-win!"
"Good luck, and don't say you weren't warned."
BLUE SAT STARING AT HER PHONE she had 5 unread messages from Elijah. Why hadn't she just said yes? She didn't know what was wrong with her. Why couldn't she just go out with a boy as a normal girl could? Why couldn't she even click on his name without feeling a wave of awkwardness come crashing down?
Blue's finger had been hovering over the conversation for way too long. Until she just couldn't take it anymore and clicked on it, immediately regretting it. She viewed the messages from before.
Elijah 😜✨
If you don't want to it's fine.
Helloooooooooo?
Blue?
U there?
Blueeeeeeeeeeee
(A/N: Jeans too!!! Not jeans shorts, jean pants!!!)
BLUE STARED AT ELIJAH'S TEXTS while Claudia was droning on about colors at the next BSC meeting.
"So, acid yellow or dove gray?"
Dawn, who had been asleep for the past 5 minutes, leaned her head onto Blue's leg. She smiled and looked back at her phone.
Claudia noticed that Dawn was asleep.
"Dawn. Dawn!"
Blue tapped her shoulder to get her awake and put her phone in her pocket.
"Huh? I'm fine, I just dozed off," Dawn explained, half-asleep.
"You fell asleep in Biology class today, Mrs. Fairmont definitely noticed," Stacey brought up.
"It's just..." Dawn groaned, "The Barrets!"
"Knew it!" Kristy sassed, making Blue discretely roll her eyes.
"It's not your fault," Claudia defended, "They're impossible."
"Natalie leaves the house looking like an earthquake hit it. I mean, I started straightening up to help, but now she expects it, and she's bad about coming home on time, and the kids have no discipline."
"That sounds awful. Sorry, Dawn," Blue said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be ok, you know? I'll just, have some sleep, and...I'll be fine," Dawn nestled her head on the couch, right next to Blue's leg.
Claudia walked over and sat her upright, "Cancel. Now."
"Seriously Dawn, you can't keep living like this, falling asleep in corners and during frog dissections," Stacey sat on Claudia's desk chair.
"But the kids need me," she defended, "Bailing on them with everything going on would just make everything worse. And I'm still on probation, right?"
"Screw probation, you shouldn't have to go to this much trouble just to join the club," Blue said, twirling a strand of her hair.
"Maybe you can talk to Natalie," Mary Anne suggested, "Discuss what's ok, and what's not ok, to ask of a babysitter."
"Or maybe the family just needs someone a little more experience, someone who can set boundaries," Kristy mouthed off.
(A/N: You can see my obvious use of thesaurus.com ^ )
Everyone sighed, and Blue felt fury boiling inside of her.
"Kristy shut up!" she shouted bolting up from her seat.
"Excuse me?"
"You always do this, if someone isn't the all-mighty-goddess babysitter, you mouth-off and try to kick them out or just generally make them feel like shit! And you do the same thing if they're better than you! You know that the Barrets are impossible, and yet you still constantly beat her up about it!" Blue exploded.
"If you want someone experienced, then help Dawn, give her experience. You know she wants to join the club. So why not be a decent human being for a change."
The blonde began panting heavily and stormed out.
(A/N: They're pants!!!)
BLUE SCROLLED THROUGH HER INSTAGRAM carelessly flicking through random photos. Suddenly, her phone froze, there was an incoming call from an unknown number.
Blue picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Dawn. Blue, I need your help."
"What's wrong?" Blue asked, her voice full of concern.
"I can't find Buddy. I was here for like 5 seconds, and then the back door was open, and he's not here!"
"I'm on my way."
BLUE BURST THROUGH THE BARRETS DOOR. Dawn and Kristy were sitting in the living room.
The blonde girl ran over to them, "Hi!" she exclaimed in comfort, leaning over Dawn and giving her a quick hug.
"Hi, Blue. Thanks for coming. Did you see Buddy on your way here?"
"No. Sorry."
Kristy sighed.
"I'm gonna call the cops," Blue said, Dawn was silent, "You call your mom, we'll get help, ok?"
Dawn nodded and Blue enveloped her in another quick hug.
"We're gonna find him."
KRISTY WAS TALKING TO THE COPS, while Blue, Dawn, and her mom, Sharon were huddled together on the couch, Blue's head resting on Dawn's shoulder.
"They're gonna find him, baby," Sharon reassured Dawn, planting a kiss on her forehead.
Dawn was biting her nails, "But what if they don't?"
"They will."
Blue twirled her hair on her finger, her eyes flickering all around, butterflies were delicately traveling through her stomach.
Suddenly, Blue looked up and saw a man standing in the living room doorway.
"Sir we need you to identify yourself."
"Ok."
"Daddy! I love you!" the Barret's little girl ran up to the man and hugged him.
"I love you too, Munchkin."
Buddy came scampering inside.
"Dawn, you should've seen me at swim class, I held my breath for one whole lap!"
Dawn jumped up and enveloped the boy in a tight hug.
"Officers, I'm Hamilton Barret, I'm Buddy's father," the kids' dad introduced himself and handed the cops his ID.
"I picked up Buddy a few hours ago for swimming lessons like I always do. Didn't Natalie tell you about that?"
Dawn, had tears running down her cheeks. "What? N-no! She must've-"
"-Forgotten. Yeah, of course, it's not surprising," Hamilton sighed, "Buddy was outside, I thought he was waiting for me, she does that sometimes so we don't have to see each other."
"I didn't know she had a sitter today, I'm so sorry! You must've gotten quite the scare," he apologized.
Marnie began crying and Hamilton took the kids upstairs to check on her.
Kristy suddenly walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Blue could see the sadness in her eyes. Both girls followed her out.
"Can you believe this?" Dawn exclaimed, "Natalie not telling me about Buddy's dad taking him swimming?"
Kristy was panting in the corner, her eyes were red and puffy, like she was about to cry.
"So, I was supposed to hand over a kid to a strange man, while she's off having her face frozen off or something?"
Taking hold of a bag of chips, Kristy began punching it and smacking it repeatedly. Broken chips flew everywhere, as Blue looked at her with worry in her eyes.
"Girls!" Sharon called from the other room, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah."
"Just, amazing Ms.Schaefer."
Kristy grabbed another bag and began beating that one too.
Blue didn't know what to do. What was Kristy doing? What was going on?
Blue's thoughts quickly fled her mind when she heard Dawn screaming. The blonde girl quickly clamped her hands over her ears.
"I-i'm sorry. I just wanted you to tell me what was wrong, like David Michael and the bread," Dawn explained to Kristy.
"His dad," Kristy said, her voice clouded with sadness.
"What about his dad?" Blue asked.
"He was with his dad the whole time. Everyone's dad is just so desperate to hang out with them. Mr. Barret takes Buddy to swimming, Mary Anne's dad wants her home with him every second of every day, Blue, your dad picks you up from school and taught you how to cook, and, Dawn, your dad facetime you constantly, but my dad-"
Kristy began crying.
"My dad left me. I don't know where he is. He hasn't called me in a year and a half!"
Blue walked over to Kristy and enveloped her in a hug as the brunette sobbed.
"Kristy," Dawn started, "You have many, many people who want to be in your life. Your mom and your brothers, the club, Mary Anne."
"My mom has Watson, my brothers have each other, Mary Anne has you guys."
"That doesn't mean she loves you any less," Dawn explained.
Blue released Kristy and slung her arm around her shoulders in comfort.
"Yeah, she's still your friend," Blue said, "And so are we."
"But, I've been so mean to you."
"It's ok, we're all strong women with big personalities."
Kristy laughed.
"And, you can't just let anyone into the BSC."
"I think I should probably let you in," Kristy admitted.
"No more probation?" Dawn joked.
"You'll need a title," Kristy thought for a moment. "Alternate officer, it means you'll do it all. You are kind of alternative, in like a '90s sense."
"I should probably clean this up," Kristy finally came to her senses.
"Oh, Natalie won't even notice."
The girls bust out laughing. Blue popped a crushed chip in her mouth.
"Blue!" Kristy exclaimed in her fit of giggles.
The 3 girls stopped laughing and joined each other in a large group hug.
"Thank you guys."
"You're welcome."
2514 words
A/N:
bLuE iS tIrEd Of KrIsTy'S sHiT ™