Here Come The Bridesmaids (6 page)

I took a deep breath. I didn't really feel like saying anything. I especially didn't want to talk about Mrs. Bruen when she was close enough to hear.

But I could mention the furniture. Dad was being pretty nice. And maybe I was worrying for nothing. Maybe Carol was going to sell her stuff, or give it to a charity, or to the Museum of Modern Ugliness.

"Um, when are the movers coming?" I asked.

Carol rolled her eyes. "The evening of the wedding, if you can imagine that."

"Where's all your stuff going to go?" I asked.

She shrugged and looked at Dad. He shrugged, too.

"We haven't thought much about it, to tell you the truth," he said, looking toward his room. "I suppose the dresser will fit in our bedroom."

"It had better," Carol said.

"What about that wall unit?" Dad asked. "We don't really need two."

"True," Carol agreed.

"And I'm sure the Salvation Army will make a pickup at your house on short notice — "

Carol frowned. "My house?"

"Well, yeah," Dad replied. "You don't want to keep that thing, do you? I mean, it's not very well made. And you said you've had it since just after college."

"So? It's already a period piece, sweetheart. I came of age with that wall unit. It would be like losing a part of me."

Dad chuckled. "I lose a part of me when I clip my toenails, but — "

"Jack, did I hear you right? Did you say what I thought you said?"

"I was kidding, Carol. But — "

"Besides, your unit is smaller than mine. Maybe you could put it in Jeff's room."

"Yeah!" I blurted out.

Dad gave me a Look. Then he sighed and turned to Carol. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else."

They said good-bye. I closed my door.

But I could hear them arguing for the next fifteen minutes or so. While Mrs. Bruen cleaned up around them.

Oh, boy. I had really started something.

Chapter 8.

Kristy.

I was kidding.

Well, mostly kidding. The dudes in question were the We V Kids dub. That’s what Dawn and a group of baby-sitting friends call themselves.

They have meetings, sort of. They take calls, sort of. And they arrange baby-sitting jobs, sort of. Which makes them a baby-sitters dub.

Sort of.

I mean, I don't want to sound rude. They are all great people. They were really nice to me the last time I was in Palo City, and we had fun together. But a dub they are not. A dub has rules, officers, a dues structure, and regular meetings. A club has organization.

Take the Baby-sitters Club. Everyone participates. Jobs are filled. We always have money for whatever we need. Parents trust us to be there when they call.

The We V Kids (So-Called) Club? They meet whenever they feel like it, sometimes at one member's house, sometimes another. No one has a title, and parents can call any member, any time. What happens? Jobs get double-booked and misplaced. And parents still have to call around from sitter to sitter. Which defeats the whole idea of a club in the first place!

Once, the WVKC was featured in a local

TV newscast. They got a lot of publicity from that — but they were completely overwhelmed. They could not take advantage of it. If that ever happened to the BSC, whoa! We'd be prepared.

Thus speaks Chairperson Thomas.

I know, I know. I sound seriously dweeby. All my BSC friends make fun of me for being this way. But if you think about it, it makes sense.

Still don't believe me? Okay, let me tell you about the meeting I went to. It was the day after Claudia, Mary Anne, and I had arrived in California. We had been awake almost the whole night before, gabbing. Then we got up and had a Dawn-style breakfast — wholewheat vegetable pancakes with sprouts. (Yes, I am serious, and no, it did not make me barf.) Claudia, Mary Anne, and I visited Dawn in school for awhile (the school allows that). Afterward, we hung out in the school courtyard with Dawn's best California friend, Sunny Winslow.

Then we heard, "Kristy T.! M.A.! Claudi-o!"

It was Maggie, with brand-new nicknames for us. We all hugged and said hi.

"You look sensational!" Claudia said to Maggie.

She did, too. Her hair was in dreadlocks.

Two of them were dyed red and green. She was wearing this crazy neon-patterned jumpsuit, under a tailored cotton jacket with padded shoulders. I'd never seen anything like it before.

The next thing I knew, Dawn was pulling me toward the front of the school, shouting, "Wait!"

We all ran to the line of school buses. Jill Henderson was starting to climb onto one of them. When she saw us, she jumped back down. "Hi!"

"Hi, Jill!" I exclaimed.

More hugs and kisses, "You look greats," news, gossip, blah blah blah.

Then Sunny suggested a meeting of the We V Kids Club.

"Well, Claudia and Mary Anne and I have to get home and help with the wedding," Dawn explained.

"Just for a few minutes," Sunny insisted. "Then you guys can leave."

"Come on," Maggie pleaded.

"Please please please," Jill said.

Dawn looked at us and shrugged. "Okay."

Boom. The We V Kids Club was about to meet. Just like that. No planning, no nothing.

Kristy, be nice, I told myself. I was not going

to roll my eyes. I was not going to lecture them. I was going to be mature. Accepting.

"Great," was all I said.

Sunny shot me a Look. "Uh-oh," she murmured. Then she cleared her throat and announced, "I hereby move for the official holding of a special meeting."

"I second!" Dawn piped up.

Jill raised her hand. "I third!"

"You guys." I couldn't help laughing.

"You know, Kristy," Sunny explained, "we have been holding regular meetings lately . . . more or less."

"Uh-huh, that's cool," I replied. Coolly.

I was well-behaved on the walk to Sunny's house, which is in Dawn's neighborhood. When we got there, Dawn, Maggie, and Jill called home to tell their parents where they were.

We watched a video of the WVKC's TV appearance, then rewound and replayed it again and again. Each time we found something different to laugh about.

Then Sunny said, "Dawn, guess what? Mom got some packs of dried fruit and this fantastic yogurt trail mix."

"Mmm," Dawn yummed.

Ho hum, thought my belly. (The entire We V Kids Club likes health food. I'm sorry, but

nuts and dried fruits are not my idea of a snack. Give me Goobers, chocolate pudding, or Triscuits any day.)

"Want to get it, Dawn?" Sunny asked. "It's all in the kitchen cupboards by the fridge."

"Okay," Dawn said.

"And, um, maybe something to drink? Oh. And there's this great fifteen-grain bread — "

"Uh, Sunny, I only have two hands," Dawn said.

Sunny gave a little, high-pitched laugh. "Right. Sorry." She had this wide, plastic grin on her face as Dawn left.

I'd met Sunny before, but I didn't remember her being so strange. Maybe eating all that health food did it to her.

As Dawn went downstairs, Sunny ran to the door and closed it. "Did I sound too obvious?" she whispered.

We looked at her with a group “huh.”

"Guess what?" Sunny practically squealed. "I've planned a surprise going-away party for her on Sunday!"

"But she's not leaving until next week," I said.

"I know," Sunny replied. "And she'll be too crazy with last-minute stuff. Besides, you guys

are leaving soon, right? And I want you to be there."

"Cool!" Maggie said.

"Who's coming?" Jill asked.

Sunny rattled off a list of kids she had invited in school. Then she paused. "I think I asked a few others, but I don't remember."

"What time is the party?" Mary Anne asked.

"Oh, I haven't decided yet."

"Our plane flight is that day," I explained.

Sunny's face went blank. "It is? Um, okay. We'll have it early, I guess."

I was beginning to have a sinking feeling about this "party." "Sunny, what kind of plans have you made?"

"Plans?" Sunny repeated.

"Yeah. You know, food and drinks, decorations, activities, stuff like that."

"Oh." Sunny turned kind of pale. "Well, um, I guess I haven't gotten to that."

"This is for Sunday, the day after tomorrow?" I asked.

Sunny nodded weakly. "What should I do?"

Hoo, boy.

Thump, thump, thump. We all fell silent at the sound of Dawn's footsteps.

I thought quickly. I knew Dawn, Mary Anne, and Claudia had to leave the meeting

soon. Each of them had stuff to do for the wedding.

But I didn't. I could stay put. And Sunny sure could use my help. No way was she going to be able to pull this off on her own.

Knock-knock-knock. "Room service!" Dawn called out.

Sunny opened the door. Dawn entered with a huge tray, loaded with, well, very natural-looking food.

Everyone ate but me. I was too busy thinking.

When they were done, Dawn got up to go. "I think I'll stay and hang out," I said nonchalantly.

Dawn gave me an odd look. "Okay, if you want."

"Watch out," Claudia remarked. "In half an hour, you'll have rules and officers."

"Maybe even a uniform," Dawn added.

I threw an empty trail mix bag at them.

They both ran out with Mary Anne, shouting, " 'Bye!"

I waited a moment, then took a deep breath and grabbed a pen and pad from Bunny's desk. "Okay. What’s the name of the nearest grocery store?"

"Wally's," Sunny replied.

At the top of the list I wrote BUY AT WALLY'S, then asked, "And what should we have to eat?"

"Mini rice cakes, ranch-flavor!" Jill suggested.

"String cheese with caraway seeds!" Maggie chimed in.

"Tofu dogs in blankets," was Sunny's contribution. "And veggie chips."

Tofu dogs in blankets? Veggie chips?

I was surprised no one suggested a bowl full of seaweed.

Anyway, I asked Sunny to dictate names of guests she'd invited and guests she wanted to invite. I split the list between Maggie, Jill, and Sunny, and asked them to call the guests and give them specific information.

Then, assuming everyone would come, I made a list of food, including appropriate amounts. Then a list of simple decorations — a poster, some streamers, and not much else.

Sunny and Maggie volunteered to do the shopping, so I had them arrange a time to do it together. Next I made everyone decide on a time for the party (ten-thirty A.M.), and Sunny promised to clear it with her parents. We got so much done in such a short time that the We V Kids Club was practically breathless.

"Kristy, this is fantastic!" Sunny said.

"What a great party!" Maggie added. Jill was already tapping out a number on the phone.

Me? I was feeling pretty good. Just call me Kristy the Miracle Worker.

Chapter 9.

Claudia.

Lyle, the florist, was thinking. He gazed at the cases of refrigerated flowers before him. The shop smelled so good I thought I would die of delight. Finally he smiled and turned to me. "Nasturtiums," he said.

"Gesundheit," I replied.

He looked blank for a minute.

I blushed. "Sorry. I was joking. That word you said — it sort of sounds like a sneeze ..."

"Oh." Lyle grinned. "Well, it’s the name of a flower. A little expensive, perhaps, but for a wedding these days? De rigueur."

"Okay, then I'll take some of them, instead."

Now he looked confused. "Which?"

"De rigueurs."

"Uh, that’s a French word for 'customary.' "

"I meant nasturtiums," I quickly added.

"Mm-hm. All right." He began scribbling on a pad. "And for the best man's lapel, may I suggest stephanotis?"

"Sure." I looked around. "Where is he?"

Lyle glared at me over his glasses. His eyebrows were raised way up. That was when I realized Stephan Otis was —

"Another flower, Ms. Kishi," Lyle muttered.

Ugh. I was really blowing it.

You may be wondering what I was doing in a flower shop. Good question. I was working.

Yes, I, Claudia Kishi, was employed in Palo City. I had gone straight to the florist after the We V Kids Club meeting. My boss had ordered flowers in advance, and I was to make sure they looked nice and arrived on time. For my job, I wasn't getting a paycheck.

I was working off my plane ticket.

Confused? Okay, I'll start from the beginning.

Back in Stoneybrook, when Dawn called and asked me to come out West for the wedding, I, of course, said yes.