"Barely," I answered.

    And at that moment I heard our front door open and close, and then feet running up the stairs. "I'm here!" yelled Stacey McGill.

    Chapter 2.

    By five-thirty, Janine had left my room and settled herself in front of her computer in her place were the six other members of the Babysitters Club: Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Stacey McGill, Dawn Schafer, Jessi Ramsey, and Mallory Pike.

    "This meeting of the BSC will now come to order," announced Kristy. She was sitting in my director's chair, one leg crossed over the other, a visor perched on her head, a pencil stuck over her ear, and a notebook open in her lap. Kristy is the president. She gets to call meetings to order. (She has a mouth which is suited to that purpose.) It seems like forever that my friends and I have met in my room every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from five-thirty until six but, as I mentioned, the BSC has only been around since the beginning of seventh grade. The club was Kristy's idea, and when it first began, there were just four members - Kristy, Stacey, Mary Anne, and me. As business grew, so did the club. Soon Dawn joined, and later Mal and Jessi joined, too.

    How does our business work? It's simple, really. When parents in Stoneybrook (especially in our neighborhood) need a sitter for their children, they call us during one of our club meetings. Since they reach seven capable sitters at once, they're bound to line up someone with just one call (instead of making a million phone calls, trying to find a sitter who's free). My friends and I get tons of jobs this way, which is great, since we adore children. (We like the money we earn, too.) As president, Kristy runs things smoothly and professionally. Every club member has her own duties and responsibilities. Kristy's duties are to be in charge, and to keep coming up with her good ideas. Kristy is famous for her ideas. She thought up the club, and she thought up a lot of other things. Like Kid-Kits. A Kid-Kit is a cardboard box (we each have one now) that we've decorated and filled with our old books, toys, and games, plus art supplies, activity books, and so on. We often take them along when we go on a sitting job. Kids love to explore them, which is one reason we're popular sitters.