A BLONDE GIRL SAT AT HER DESK, setting up her phone to record. pressing the little red button, she smiled into the camera.
"hello. my name's leah wish. otherwise known as bubbles. i'm blonde, love skirts, have a sister and two moms, love corgis, and i'm also a year older than all of my friends because i was held back in kindergarten."
sighing quickly, she continued, "and also, i have a eating disorder. 'wait, leah, didn't you beat that? aren't you okay now?' yeah...i thought i did. i was so proud of myself, until about 2 months ago. i realized how i changed and started eating more and more. and i don't like that." leah admitted, looking down at her lap.
"im gonna be okay, though. i'll get through this." she told the camera, giving it a healthy thumbs up, "let's go to some lighter topics!"
leah smiled quickly, showing the camera her nails.
"i got my nails done yesterday. my inspo was actually blue and yellow, me and sam's favorite colors. oh! also! sam! we're like...kinda dating? i dunno. it's weird." leah admitted, flipping her hands onto her lap in defeat.
turning to her water and taking a sip, she sighed through her nose.
"im still in the bsc, it's going great, though. kids stress me out. my blood pressure...is like...ugh." leah smiled, making her fingers go everywhere.
laughing at herself, she grinned at the camera, "i'll see you later! gotta go to a meeting!"
leah turned off the camera and stuffed her phone in her pocket and turned to her notebook, crossing off a little bullet point titled 'coping video.'
••••
"THIS MEETING OF THE BABYSITTERS CLUB WILL COME TO ORDER-"
kristy was cut off my claudia snapping a picture of her, smiling like a dork.
"claude, what is that?"
"it's a fuji x-t10! ease of digital, look of film. i just through i'd really document this year. just keep talking and acting natural!" clauida smiled.
"you and me both." leah said from besides stacey, as she fiddled with her phone.
"did you get that on on etsy too?" kristy asked.
"b&h. i took her when she came to the city." stacey interrupted, "it's this really famous camera store on 9th avenue."
"and they gave me a very good price." clauida added.
"great." kristy said.
"ooh! dawn! you look very tan!" clauida complimented, snapping some pictures of her friend.
"three weeks in southern california where the sun shines as advertised. i feel like a whole new person." dawn smiled.
(haha! get it? because...xochitl isn't there anymore! haha! ahaha. aw man i miss her! haha!)
"it was the best summer ever. ooh! can i see?" mary anne asked clauida.
"well, summers over now. and the babysitters club is officially back in business. we've all grown over this past year. physically, personally, and most importantly, in number. so, i would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest member..." kristy trailed off, looking over at mallory.
the door suddenly slammed open, "hi! sorry!" jessi apologized, rushing to sit down.
"...jessi."
"class went late and madame noelle is super strict about everyone staying to the very end." jessi explained, while kristy had a disappointing look on her face.
"ooh...she's mad." leah whispered, looking over at kristy with a smirk.
"it's okay. this time." kristy warned.
the phone began ringing, and dawn was quick to answer it.
"babysitters club. dr.johanssen! we're glad to be back too. thursday night?" dawn questioned.
"stacey!" mary anne whispered.
"stacey mcgill will be your sitter. we'll see you then!" dawn said, and hung up the phone.
"that was like clockwork. smooth as silk. a well oiled machine-"
jessi cut off mallory and nudged her arm.
"you guys are awesome!"
jessi did it once again.
"uhm...what are you guys wearing for the first day of school?" mary anne asked, trying to lighten the spirit.
"ooh! i have this amazing vintage blazer that i bleach-dyed myself, high waisted pleather shorts, and my purple docs!" clauida said.
a banging sound was heard, and all eyes were on jessi.
"sorry. i just had to break them in before tonight." she said, referring to her shoes.
"didn't you just come from ballet?" kristy asked.
"that was class. tonight i have rehearsals for the fall showcase!" jessi smiled.
"hm." kristy hummed.
"so, miss best summer ever, is it going to be the best fall ever?" stacey asked mary anne.
"what do you mean?"
"you and logan! things were getting pretty serious at camp." stacey smiled.
"mmm. camp. misquotes." leah said in disgust.
"uhm...i mean-"
"they kissed." mallory stated.
"stop-"
"thrice! that means three, by the way."
"so...are you guys like fully girlfriend and boyfriend now?" stacey asked.
"i dunno. we have talked since the end of camp." mary anne admitted.
"mary anne!"
"it's only been three weeks! that's like nothing. plus, it's summer." clauida defended.
"yeah, he said he was going to his grandparents in kentucky."
"see? they probably don't have reception there!" clauida cheered.
"yes they do!" stacey laughed.
"they absolutely have cell reception in kentucky." kristy said.
"if you wanna see if it's meant to be, there's one foolproof way to know." dawn said.
"stalk him on social media." stacey said.
"no...compare your detailed astrological charts to find out if your love is truly written in the stars."
leah was suddenly interested in the conversation, so she sat up and looked at dawn.
"we'll figure out the position of the planets at the moment of both your births-"
"or, get this, you could just text him and tell him you miss him!" kristy smiled sarcastically.
"...no." stacey said.
"it's what you would do." kristy smiled at stacey.
"kristy! i told you, sam texted me! his ex lover...lover girl...thing, is in here right now! and she knows we're just friends!" stacey said, pointing at leah.
"kristy, they're just friends. shush." leah said, holding up a finger to the brunette.
"what is even happening with you two?!"
"are you together?"
"you're a capricorn, right leah?"
"no, dawn, im an aries." leah corrected her.
"the most effort sam has made with socializing with his neighbors is texting leah! she's sick of it! right?" kristy asked the blonde.
"i enjoy the company while ginny and mom are out on their honeymoon." leah said.
"don't you mean, like, mom and mom?" mary anne asked.
"that's the thing! i dunno what to call ginny! mom, mother, mama, mommy, i dunno! it's so weird!" leah exclaimed.
"at least sam is making an effort to have a social life! unlike someone..." stacey trailed off.
"that is so not true! in fact, i do have a social life within my neighborhood!" kristy yelled.
"who's that with?" mary anne asked.
"it can't be mr.squiggles." leah said.
"leah, it's not," kristy frowned, "i'm going over to this girl amanda denlaney's house, in a couple of days. with my mother. for tea."
"for tea!"
"fancy! okay."
mallory chuckled, "it's just like paddington!"
••••
LEAH STOOD IN FRONT OF HER MIRROR, figuring out what to wear for the first day of school. since it was brought up at the meeting, she thought it would be smart.
so far, she decided on her pink vans and a pink tee shirt.
going into on of her drawers, she grabbed some jeans. holding them up to her waist, she realized they seems a little tight. frowning at herself in the mirror, she threw them back in the drawer and grabbed another pair.
pair after pair after pair, none of them fit her. she had outgrown all of them. leah became worried. how was she going to tell her mom she gained all this weight? does she need to diet? does she need to loose some weight?
"i'm not buying new jeans." leah scoffed, throwing the last pair back into the drawer and grabbing a pair of sweat pants instead.
••••
AT THE NEXT BSC MEETING, leah wouldn't stop thinking about her jeans. it was so weird. she thought she was recovering, not gaining weight. it was so weird.
"she acted like she was going to wipe down the furniture the minute we left, and she said that my mom 'won the lottery.' can you believe it?" kristy explained to the girls about this amanda girl.
"it's not great. but maybe she meant cause watson's such a nice guy." dawn brought up.
"yeah, or maybe she's shy. some people think other people are snobby, when in reality they're just socially awkward." mary anne defended.
"stop projecting yourself onto mrs.delaney."
claudia went over to leah, who was looking at the ground cross-legged in kristy's chair.
"candy?" clauida offered, snapping leah out of her thoughts.
"hm? oh, no thanks. thanks though." leah turned down kindly.
"also, she has no first name!" kristy continued, as claudia nodded, "she made that very clear."
"well, kristy, she is an adult. isn't that just respectful?" jessi asked, as kristy sat on the ground by leah.
kristy seemed shocked by her back-talk, so stacey butted in to help out.
"so, how's the astrology going?"
"compatibility inconclusive. without an exact time of birth, it's about as unscientific as a magazine horoscope." dawn explained.
"is it, esperanza?" mary anne questioned.
"okay, time for plan B." clauida smiled.
"a sèance?"
"men are visual creatures, and i just got a fancy new camera." claudia smiled.
"OMG! photo shoot?" stacey questioned.
"what're you gonna do? take a picture of mary anne and sneak it into his locker?" kristy asked.
"instagram, the worlds locker." clauida corrected her.
"no way! sam looks at leah's insta all the time!" kristy smiled.
"what?" leah smiled awkwardly.
"i thought you hated social media?" mary anne asked.
"it's a means to an end. leah will make you an account..."
"he'll slide into your dms...and then happily ever after!" stacey smiled.
"on it." leah said, whipping out her phone.
"or...you could just call him on the phone like a normal human woman." kristy said.
"i can't do that..." mary anne whispered.
"sam and leah spend all the time on the phone!" kristy said, "and their relationship is awesome!"
"no, she's always texting him!" stacey defended.
"actually, the only time i genuinely text him is to send him these..." leah said, pulling up a picture of a cat eating a piece of bread.
"he liked her in camp, which was less than a month ago. they were practically inseparable. and now, all of sudden, he doesn't know she's alive because she got on a bus?" kristy asked.
the girls all knew it was a good point, but the phone started ringing.
"and...mic drop. hello, this is kristy thomas, president of the babysitters club!" kristy answered the phone, as leah passed it to her while making mary anne's account.
"sunday afternoon? hold, please," kristy pressed the mute button, "why, it's stoneybrook abbey's very own mrs.delaney. she needs a sitter for amanda."
"didn't you say she was my age? why does she need a sitter?" mallory asked.
"the rich are different from you and me." dawn pointed out.
"says the grocery store heiress."
"one grocery store, which was sold, like, 20 years ago. and i try to be the change."
"kristy...you're the only one free that afternoon." mary anne broke to the president.
"no! why? tell her i'm cleaning the gutters. or going to public school. or anything she thinks is socially unacceptable." kristy said, holding the phone to leah.
"we all go to public school."
"kristy, she's just a snob. you got this." stacey assured her, as leah pushed the phone away from her and worked her heart out on mary anne's account.
kristy unmuted the phone, "i'll be your sitter. thank you!" she said quickly, and threw the phone into leah's lap, who pressed the button on the receiver.
••••
"BUBBLES! GRAB ME A COKE!"
"no!" leah yelled from inside of the brewer's fridge, as she searched for some yogurt.
finally finding some, she grabbed it and pulled a spoon out of the drawer and going up to sam's room.
his room had improved since they had moved from one house to another, but leah preferred the old one. she had remembered the horrible smell that reeked from it, and now this one smelled like roses.
she hated the difference, and she was sad to admit it.
going into his room and sitting on a beanbag chair, sam looked down at her from his bed.
"no coke? serious?"
"i'm not your maid, dude." leah smiled, and ate her yogurt.
"mehhh." sam mocked her.
"mehh mehh mehhh." leah did right bag, and took an aggressive bite of her yogurt.
sam smiled at her, "do you have your first day of school outfit planned out?"
"kind of? i mean, i was hoping to wear jeans." leah laughed, and took another bite.
"why cant you?"
"well...it's supposed to be warm. and i think i'll wear shorts!" leah smiled awkwardly.
"good idea. hey, wanna hang out after school? we haven't been hanging out a lot lately-"
"i've had to watch louise." leah frowned.
"louise loves me!" sam defended, making leah laugh.
"i know she does. but it's like...she's been mad about mom marrying ginny. i dunno, is she homophobic?" leah laughed.
"if she's homophobic in an house with a lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual person, then she's gonna have to start planning where to live on the streets." sam joked, making leah burst out in laughter.
••••
"KRISTY!" leah shouted out to her friend, as she entered the pool party.
the president looked up and smiled at the blonde, and rushed towards her in a hug.
"leah! i thought you couldn't make it?"
"well...someone wanted to come and swim..." leah trailed off, as louise ran up to charlie in a hug.
"ooh! hey, are you gonna swim?"
"nope! i thought today was a perfect day to chillax." leah sighed.
"you say that every time!" kristy laughed.
leah smiled at her, going over to sam, who was sitting on the ground.
"hey! bubbles! so glad you could join us." he smiled, as leah sat on the sun chair besides him.
"yup! thought it was a great day to soak up the sun-"
"in the pool?" sam interrupted.
"nope! right from this chair." leah smiled, laying in it and getting comfortable.
"you haven't been swimming all summer, though." sam pointed out, taking a sip from his coke.
"i've just been wanting a nice tan to last till january, is that too much to ask?" leah joked, pushing her sunglasses down onto her nose.
sam reached up and took the sunglasses, which made leah face him.
"hey, you know if anything's wrong, you can tell me. right? i wont even tell kristy. you've just been...off."
leah gulped at the words he said, but was quick to shake it off.
"i'm okay, sam..." she said, grabbing her sunglasses back, "thank you, though."
A/N:
ITS ME! HELLO! ITS MAGGIE! AHHHHHHH!!!!!
oh also this is a type of picture sam and leah would send to each other: