There's something about Kristy that you would never guess. She's rich! Her stepfather, Watson Brewer, is a real millionaire. Her family lives in an actual mansion. It's unbelievably gorgeous.

Kristy certainly doesn't look like my idea of a rich kid. Jeans, a sweater over a turtleneck, and sneakers — that's Kristy's idea of fashion. She gives her long, brown hair a few quick

strokes with a hairbrush and thinks she's gone all out. (Since she's short, she's often mistaken for being younger than she is.)

Kristy doesn't act like a rich kid, either. You couldn't find a more regular, down-to-earth person. She loves sports and even coaches a little kids' softball team called Kristy's Krushers.

I suppose Kristy isn't a typical rich kid because she wasn't always rich. Her mother didn't marry Watson until Kristy had finished seventh grade. Before that, Kristy's family wasn't poor, but they weren't loaded, either. Kristy's father just up and walked out when Kristy was little, leaving her mother to support the whole family. (Kristy hardly ever hears from her father. She says she doesn't care, but it's got to hurt.) Her mom must have had it tough. Kristy has two older brothers and a younger brother. Four kids is a lot for one person to take care of all by herself.

Kristy's mother works hard, though. She has a good job with a company inStamford . I think that's how she met Watson.

Since Watson came along, Kristy's mom's life is much easier, although she now has even more kids. Watson has two little kids, a boy and a girl from a previous marriage. They stay with the Brewers every other weekend, over some holidays, and for two weeks in the sum-

mer. And (as if the house wasn't full enough) they adopted a little girl fromVietnam . Emily Michelle is two and a half, and is so cute you can hardly stand it. Then Nannie (Kristy's mother's mother) moved in to help out with the kids. With all those people living together, I guess it's a good thing that they do live in a mansion.