But boy, was I feeling sorry for myself.

By the time I reached the kitchen, I had made up my mind. I needed a change. I was going to do something new with my life. Something interesting. Fun. Different.

By the end of the day, I, Claudia Kishi, was going to turn my life around! Chapter 2.

I lied.

My life was exactly the same, right through to the next day, Wednesday.

But I'd been trying. After I left the Pikes, I mentioned my problem at home. Janine suggested taking computer programming. Dad brought up stamp collecting. Mom's response was, "Don't you have homework?" Big help.

So I sat down and made a list of possible choices — the first things that came to mind, no matter how strange.

1. Tuba 2. Tap Dancing.3. Cooking.

4. Chorrus 5. Swiming.

6. Dramma Club.

The next morning, I began testing the waters.

I tried making an omelet in the microwave. It tasted like plastic with cheese sauce.

Scratch number 3.

At school I took a look at a tuba. It was love at first sight. Sooo cool. Then I imagined taking it home to practice.

Ugh. Number 1 was out. (I'd have to take weightlifting first.) I asked the music teacher about chorus, and she told me I needed to come in after school and sing for her. Alone.

I said thanks but no thanks. Flush number 4.

I was going to talk to the captain of the SMS swim team, until I took a look at her chlorine-damaged hair. NFM! (Not For Me.) Number 5 bit the dust.

That left tap and drama. I was once involved in a production of Peter Pan, but only as a set designer. And I knew nothing about tap. Fortunately one of my BSC friends, Jessica Ram-sey, is an excellent dancer. Several BSC members have sung and acted in shows. (Kristy played the lead in Peter Pan, and Shannon Kilbourne has starred in summer camp musicals.) I figured I'd bring up choices 2 and 6 at the Baby-sitters Club meeting.

So after school, I went home and waited.