This had started as soon as I'd left Becca in the Pikes' driveway. As I'd walked toward Stacey's house, Mal had taken Becca's hand. "Come on, Becca," she'd said. "Let's go inside and drop off your bag. Then we can join the

scavenger hunt. Everyone's waiting for us!"

"No," said Becca. She put her duffel bag down on the driveway and sat on it. "I'm staying right here until my family comes back."

Mal almost giggled, but she managed not to. "Becca," she said. "You can't do that. It's going to get chilly when the sun goes down. And besides, you'll want dinner and a bed later on."

"Will not," said Becca. "I'm an orphan, and orphans don't need anything from anybody."

"You're not an orphan," said Mal patiently. "Your family will come back soon, and meanwhile you're an honorary member of my family. And even orphans need to eat and sleep and — get hugs." Mal reached down as she spoke and gave Becca an especially nice hug. Becca burst into tears. Mal squeezed her harder, and then gently helped her up and into the house.

Once Becca had been persuaded to part with her duffel bag (which wasn't easy), Mal rounded up the other kids and told them it was time for the scavenger hunt. "Becca and Claire will be one team," she said. "I'll help them until I have to go to the Baby-sitters Club meeting."

Claire jumped up and down. "Yea!" she said. "I get to be on Becca-silly-billy-goo-goo's

team!" Claire is five, and she can be pretty silly sometimes.

"Vanessa and Nicky and Margo will be another team," Mal went on.