I slipped right in the back door, twenty minutes late. No one said a word.

Quickly I tiptoed to my room. When the phone rang, I called out, "I'll get it!" as if I'd been in the house for hours.

I picked up the phone in my parents' room. "Hello?"

"Mallory? Hi, if s Claudia! Guess who just called me?"

"Who?"

"Mrs. Barrett."

Sometimes BSC clients call during non-meeting times. It’s usually an emergency, which means Claudia has to call around frantically.

"She's, like, hysterical," Claudia continued. "I had to listen to a lecture about bad caterers. Then she tells me every single thing going wrong with the wedding plans. Finally she says she totally forgot about all the kids who are coming to the wedding. What if they make too much noise? What if they get hun—“

"So she needs a sitter?"

"Two. I already lined up Shannon, but no one else can do it."

"I can!" I exclaimed.

"Great," Claudia replied. "Thanks. We'll talk later. I'm going to call her right now. 'Bye."

" 'Bye."

How cool.

I was going to be part of the wedding. Official Keeper of the Kids. Maybe I could stand in the receiving line with the families.

I began dancing around the bedroom. I began thinking about a beautiful dress I'd seen at Steven E, a store in the mall. Maybe I'd be allowed to buy it for the wedding. I had a whole week to convince Mom and Dad.

I froze.

A week from today. That was the day of the wedding.

Saturday.

The same day as the Christmas caroling I'd just planned.

Uh-oh.

I picked up the phone and began tapping out Claudia's number.

"Hey! Quit it!" shouted my brother, Adam, over the phone. "I'm talking!"

I was about to yell at him, tell him to get off, but I didn't. I just said "Sony" and hung up.

It was no use. Claudia was already calling Mrs. Barrett. Confirming the appointment.