"The club must be doing awfully well," Janine commented.

"Oh, it is. Extremely well." I decided to toss out a few big words. "Thanks to the foresight of our president, it's both profitable and proficient . . . profusely proficient," I added. "Well, we must continue on."

We ran past Janine and up the stairs, but I could hear Janine yell after us, " 'Continue on' is redundant!"

I didn't know what redundant meant, and I didn't care.

We entered Claudia's room. Claudia was

sitting cross-legged on her bed while her grandmother, Mimi, brushed her hair. Claudia's hair is absolutely beautiful. It's long and jet black and always shiny. She uses special stuff in it.

Claudia and Stacey have suddenly taken great interest in their hair. One night a week they muck it up with an egg rinse. On Wednesdays and Sundays they squeeze lemon juice on it — from real lemons. They keep telling me I should use eggs and lemons in my hair, too. I have long, 1-o-n-g hair (almost down to my bottom). It's thin and fine, and so blonde it's white. Mom says if s like cornsilk. Claudia says the egg would give it body. Stacey says the lemon would make it shiny. I say it's my hair and what I do with it is my business. (I plan to try an avocado paste on it. If Claudia and Stacey and I put our heads together, we'd have a salad.)

"Hello, girls," Mimi greeted us in her gentle Asian accent. "Is it time for your meeting?"

"Yes," Mary Anne replied, leaning over to kiss Mimi on the cheek. She and Mimi are special friends.

"Well, then, I will leave you to your work." Mimi rose and left the room, just as Stacey thundered up the stairs. She was followed a few moments later by Kristy.

"Hi, everybody!" called Kristy. "We're all

here! Great. If s dues day. Did you guys bring your money? Did you bring the treasury, Sta-cey?"