of us. And they're not all locked up inside themselves.
"I thought," I went on, "that if I could just introduce Susan to what a 'normal' life is - you know, living at home, playing in the neighborhood, making friends with other kids, learning games - that she would change. But she didn't. She couldn't. She needs extra-extra-extra-extra-special help." I got up and looked out Claud's window. There were James and Zach, whizzing down the street on their skateboards.
"The Hobarts ended up fitting in," I said to Claud. "Susan didn't." "What do you mean?" Claudia was busy changing her cactus earrings for her spider earrings.
"I mean, let's see. . . . Okay, the Hobarts moved here about the same time Susan came home from school. At first, they were all outcasts, like Jessi said. The kids around here didn't accept any of them because they were different. But it turned out that the Hobarts weren't so different after all. They stood up for themselves and fit in. But Susan was too different. Unless she changes a lot, she'll never fit in here . . . with 'regular' kids. You were the one who pointed that out to me." I looked at Claud's digital clock, the BSC official timepiece. It read 5:20. "The others should start arriving soon," I said, and at that moment we heard someone absolutely thunder up the stairs.
"You guys! You guys!" called Mallory's voice. She barreled into the room and stood in the middle of it, her hands on her hips. "Oh, I'm glad someone's here," she said. "I would have been pretty embarrassed if I'd done all that yelling and no one was here yet." "Well, we're here," said Claud. "What's up? Mento?" She held out the roll.
"What's up? Boy, everything," replied Mal, taking a Mento and settling herself on the floor. (Jessi and Mal always sit on the floor, even when they get here early and there's plenty of space available on the bed.) "First of all," began Mal, "Jamie Newton invited Johnny Hobart over to his house to play." "Great!" said Claud and I.
"Second, Zach invited James to his birthday party. James is beside himself. It's his first American party and he can't decide what to give Zach, but he's really, really excited." "Fantastic," I said.
"Fantabulous," said Claud.
"Third, the kids in Mathew's first-grade class voted that he should have the lead in a play they're putting on." "Wow," said Claud and I. That really was impressive.
"How do you know all this?" I asked. "I was just over at the Hobarts' and they didn't say anything to me." "I guess they're a little shy sometimes. Ben told me all the news. And speaking of Ben, I haven't told you the best news yet. But maybe I'll wait until everyone else gets here." "Boy, it really must be good news," I said.
"The best. It's the piece de resistance." Claud looked blank.
I said, "The piece of resistance?" "No!" cried Mal, grinning. "That's French for 'the best part.' " "Oh," said Claud and I.
The next club member to arrive was Stacey. No thundering up the stairs for her, though. She trudged up, made her way down the hall, and flopped on the bed.
"I get the bed this time," she said wearily. "Dawn will have to sit at the desk. I'm exhausted." "You look horrible," I said. I couldn't help it. Things like that just fall out of my mouth sometimes.
"Kristy!" exclaimed Claudia.
"No, it's okay," said Stacey. "Since I feel horrible I'm not surprised that I look horrible, too." "What's wrong?" asked Claud. "If you have the flu or something you should probably go home." "I don't think if s the flu," Stacey replied. "I'm just tired. Maybe I've been doing too much lately. Going back and forth between here and New York and stuff. I've lost some weight, too. But I don't have a fever or anything." "Speaking of losing weight," I said, "guess who's gaining weight?" "Who?" asked the others, looking puzzled.
"Mrs. Felder. She's pregnant. They're going to have a baby, a girl. Her name will be Hope." "Oh, awesome!" cried Claud, and we all began talking at once.
I hardly noticed when Jessi, Mary Anne, and
"I thought," I went on, "that if I could just introduce Susan to what a 'normal' life is - you know, living at home, playing in the neighborhood, making friends with other kids, learning games - that she would change. But she didn't. She couldn't. She needs extra-extra-extra-extra-special help." I got up and looked out Claud's window. There were James and Zach, whizzing down the street on their skateboards.
"The Hobarts ended up fitting in," I said to Claud. "Susan didn't." "What do you mean?" Claudia was busy changing her cactus earrings for her spider earrings.
"I mean, let's see. . . . Okay, the Hobarts moved here about the same time Susan came home from school. At first, they were all outcasts, like Jessi said. The kids around here didn't accept any of them because they were different. But it turned out that the Hobarts weren't so different after all. They stood up for themselves and fit in. But Susan was too different. Unless she changes a lot, she'll never fit in here . . . with 'regular' kids. You were the one who pointed that out to me." I looked at Claud's digital clock, the BSC official timepiece. It read 5:20. "The others should start arriving soon," I said, and at that moment we heard someone absolutely thunder up the stairs.
"You guys! You guys!" called Mallory's voice. She barreled into the room and stood in the middle of it, her hands on her hips. "Oh, I'm glad someone's here," she said. "I would have been pretty embarrassed if I'd done all that yelling and no one was here yet." "Well, we're here," said Claud. "What's up? Mento?" She held out the roll.
"What's up? Boy, everything," replied Mal, taking a Mento and settling herself on the floor. (Jessi and Mal always sit on the floor, even when they get here early and there's plenty of space available on the bed.) "First of all," began Mal, "Jamie Newton invited Johnny Hobart over to his house to play." "Great!" said Claud and I.
"Second, Zach invited James to his birthday party. James is beside himself. It's his first American party and he can't decide what to give Zach, but he's really, really excited." "Fantastic," I said.
"Fantabulous," said Claud.
"Third, the kids in Mathew's first-grade class voted that he should have the lead in a play they're putting on." "Wow," said Claud and I. That really was impressive.
"How do you know all this?" I asked. "I was just over at the Hobarts' and they didn't say anything to me." "I guess they're a little shy sometimes. Ben told me all the news. And speaking of Ben, I haven't told you the best news yet. But maybe I'll wait until everyone else gets here." "Boy, it really must be good news," I said.
"The best. It's the piece de resistance." Claud looked blank.
I said, "The piece of resistance?" "No!" cried Mal, grinning. "That's French for 'the best part.' " "Oh," said Claud and I.
The next club member to arrive was Stacey. No thundering up the stairs for her, though. She trudged up, made her way down the hall, and flopped on the bed.
"I get the bed this time," she said wearily. "Dawn will have to sit at the desk. I'm exhausted." "You look horrible," I said. I couldn't help it. Things like that just fall out of my mouth sometimes.
"Kristy!" exclaimed Claudia.
"No, it's okay," said Stacey. "Since I feel horrible I'm not surprised that I look horrible, too." "What's wrong?" asked Claud. "If you have the flu or something you should probably go home." "I don't think if s the flu," Stacey replied. "I'm just tired. Maybe I've been doing too much lately. Going back and forth between here and New York and stuff. I've lost some weight, too. But I don't have a fever or anything." "Speaking of losing weight," I said, "guess who's gaining weight?" "Who?" asked the others, looking puzzled.
"Mrs. Felder. She's pregnant. They're going to have a baby, a girl. Her name will be Hope." "Oh, awesome!" cried Claud, and we all began talking at once.
I hardly noticed when Jessi, Mary Anne, and
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