we're all mad at each other?" sug-

Kristy

. yes. I think Claudia and I are the speaking to each other, so yest— " Claudia are speaking?"

"Yes."

"Brother. Whatever happened to faithful friends?"

"What happened to them?" I cried. "They had doors slammed in their faces, that's what!"

"Okay, okay, okay. Well, how about if we take turns answering the phone in Claudia's room at meeting times? You go one day, I'll go the next. ..."

"What about offering the jobs around? If we have to call each member of the club to tell her about each job call that comes in, we'll end up talking to each other more than ever that way."

Kristy looked to the ceiling for help. "When a club member is on duty, she takes on as many jobs as she can. Then the only jobs she has to offer around are the ones she can't take herself. How does that sound?"

"Fair," I said. "I'll tell Claudia."

Kristy nodded.

"Hi, Mary Anne!" called a voice from down the hall.

It was Dawn.

I turned around and waved. She ran toward me. "How are you? Yesterday was fun, wasn't it?"

"Great," I agreed. "And I was wondering. Do you want to come over on Saturday? We

don't-have a VCR, but maybe we could make fudge or bake cookies." I glanced at Kristy. If she opened her eyes any wider, her eyeballs would roll out and land on the floor.

"Sure!" exclaimed Dawn.

"Good! See you at lunch?"

"See you at lunch." Dawn trotted happily down the hall.

Kristy was still staring at me. At last she managed to say, "You just invited her over to your house."

"Right."

"But you never ask anyone over except me. You don't usually even invite Claudia or Stacey over."

I shrugged. "Dawn's a good friend."

Kristy narrowed her eyes. I think she knew what game I was playing, because she chose that moment to say, "Oh, by the way, Mom extended my baby-sitting hours. Now I can stay out as late as Stacey: ten o'clock on weekends, nine-thirty on weeknights."