Two hours later, Nicky returned.

"Look!" he said, marching proudly into the kitchen, Mom and Dad at his heels.

"What's that?" asked Claire, peering at his hand.

"A cast. My finger was broken in two places. They took X rays."

"He was very brave," said Mom.

Nicky's cast was a complicated thing covering most of his finger and hand, and positioning the finger in a way that looked pretty uncomfortable. But Nicky didn't mind. He was waiting for Monday so he could show off his injury in school.

And I was waiting for Monday so I could brag to the girls in the Baby-sitters Club about my unexpected job.

Chapter 2.

Monday morning at last! Sunday had seemed like the longest day of my life. I had finished Freaky Friday, read three more chapters of The Incredible Journey, and written a story about a frog in a rainstorm called "Rainy Days and Froggy Nights." I had entertained Nicky and baked cookies with Margo. When all that was done it was still onlyfour o'clock in the afternoon.

But now Monday had arrived. I leaped out of bed and flung open my closet door. I wondered what a person was supposed to wear to a baby-sitting meeting with thirteen-year-olds. I decided I should look just a little dressed up. I thought about Claudia and the other girls in the club. I was pretty sure that when they got dressed up, they wore trendy clothes like big, bright sweater-dresses or sparkly tops and tight pants. I don't have any

clothes like that. Mom says I'm too young. Maybe when I'm twelve or thirteen.

Well, I could look nice anyway. After standing in front of the closet for so long that Vanessa made a pig face at me while she chose her clothes, I finally decided on my red jumper that said Mallory across the front, a short-sleeved white blouse, and white tights with little red hearts all over them.