"What's up?" I asked her.

"You will never guess what I just heard."

"What?" I pulled my French book and a pair

of dirty gym socks out of my locker and stuffed them into my knapsack.

"Are you in a hurry?" asked Claudia.

"Yeah. I'm sitting for Charlotte Johanssen today. I'm supposed to be at her house by three. . . . What did you hear?"

"That Howie Johnson asked Dorianne Wall-ingford to go to the library with him this afternoon."

I frowned. Howie wasn't exactly my boyfriend. In fact, he wasn't my boyfriend at all. But he had taken me to the last few school dances. So why was he asking Dori to study with him?

"Maybe they're doing a group project together or something," I suggested. But I was far more hurt than I let on, even though there was no reason to feel that way.

"Yeah. That must be it." Claudia slipped her arm comfortingly across my shoulders. "Come on. I'll walk you toCharlotte 's. And then I'll see you at the club meeting later."

Claudia left me at the Johanssens' driveway. We had talked about Howie all the way fromStoneybrookMiddle School toCharlotte 's house.

We had decided that Howie was a jerk.

When I rang the Johanssens' bell,Charlotte met me at the door, bouncy and happy as

usual. She's my favorite kid and I'm her favorite sitter.

"Hi!" she cried. "Hi, Stacey! Guess what — I got invited to a sleepover party! It's at Vanessa Pike's and we're going to go to the movies first. Four of us. Me and Vanessa and Suki and Merry."

Charlottestopped chattering only long enough to let her mother give me instructions for the afternoon. As soon as Dr. Johanssen left,Charlotte began talking again. Sometimes I just couldn't get over how she had changed since I first baby-sat for her. That was a year ago, when she was seven. She was quiet then, and sad, and had no friends her age. Now she's happy and friendly and has a new best girlfriend each week.