That was all it took to make Stacey - and the chair - fall over. Stacey was fine. She just lay there on the floor, laughing until she was almost crying. "Who does she think she is, anyway - just because she's won some beauty pageants. All that makeup - it's too much!" 1 was giggling, trying to imagine the outfit Claudia had described, when Kristy spoke up. "Order!" she said. It was 5:30. And our meetings always start on time.

    Stacey got up from the floor and brushed off her jeans. She was wiping the tears from her eyes and trying to stifle her laughter. Kristy gave her a Look, which meant straighten up, but Stacey was too far gone. You know how it is when you're not supposed to be laughing - like in the library, or during science class - but you can't stop? That's how Stacey was.

    She just kept shaking her head and saying "Minnie Mouse" and then breaking into giggles all over again. Kristy looked a little annoyed.

    Luckily for Stacey, the phone rang then. Kristy dove for it. "Baby-sitters Club," she said, answering it. Then, "Sure, Mrs. Perkins. No problem. I'll call you right back." Kristy hung up and looked around the room. The phone call had given Stacey the chance to get serious. "Mrs. Perkins needs a sitter for Laura," said Kristy.

    Laura is a baby. We usually sit for her and her two big sisters. "What about Myriah and Gabbie?" asked Mallory.

    "The Perkinses are taking them to that big show in Stamford," said Kristy. "You know," she continued, "the one with Minnie Mouse on ice skates." That did it. We all clacked up, including Kristy, and laughed until we were rolling on the floor. We didn't stop until the phone rang again.

    We were busy handling calls and setting up jobs for awhile, so I had to wait for a chance to tell everybody about the disastrous rehearsal I'd had that afternoon. But finally there was a lull in the action, and I told the awful tale.