Never again. Never in a million years.

Chapter 5.

A million years took two days. On Thursday I went back to the Wilders' house as planned. And you know what? I felt good. At our Wednesday BSC meeting, I had told everyone about Rosie. Practical Kristy had made a great suggestion. She thought I should treat the job as a project. Each day I could try to set a few simple goals to make things go easier.

So Thursday was Day One of Operation Rosie. These were my simple goals:

1. To keep myself in a good mood, no matter what.

2. To finish two sketches while Rosie was practicing for her audition.

3. To call Janine if Rosie really needed help with her homework. (I had asked Janine about it, and she said it would be fine.)

Thursday was a perfect spring day, warm and breezy. I arrived at the Wilders' house just as a blue minivan pulled into the drive-

way. Mrs. Arnold, a BSC client, was driving Rosie home from school. Her twin daughters, Marilyn and Carolyn, were in the backseat with Buddy Barrett. Rosie was sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Hi, Claudia!" Mrs. Arnold called.

"Hi, Claudia!" Marilyn, Carolyn, and Buddy chimed in.

"Hi!" I yelled back, waving.

I guess Rosie figured there had been enough "Hi's" said already. She stepped out of the van and began walking silently toward the house.

As the van drove away, I said, "I got here just in time, huh?"

Rosie pulled a set of keys out of her backpack. "I'm early. I told Mrs. Arnold to drop me off first because I have so much to do."

"I know," I said. "With your audition practice and all ..."

"Rehearsal," Rosie said, pushing the front door open.

"What?" I asked.

"It's called a rehearsal, not an audition practice. You practice for lessons. You rehearse for an audition or a performance."

I nodded politely and said to myself: Smile, Claudia, smile.