"BSC038 - Kristy's Mystery Admirer - Martin, Ann M" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

"A girl who wants to go steady with you?
Kristy, grow up. Bart just wanted to make the envelope look nice."
"All right. How about this? Why did Bart, who knows perfectly well where I live, put the envelope in your mailbox?"
Shannon frowned. "That one I can't answer. But anyway, who else would send you a note like this? Can you think of anyone?"
I couldn't. Except for Sam.
"Listen, I have to go," said Shannon. "I have a huge history paper due next week. Why don't you call Bart? Maybe he'll drop a hint about the note."
"Okay," I answered. I walked Shannon downstairs. Then I got on the phone in the kitchen. I figured that if I made another cordless-phone-in-the-closet call, it would arouse suspicion.
Bart's little brother answered the phone. When I asked for Bart, he yelled, "BART!" and dropped the phone and walked away.
"Sorry about that," said Bart. "We've got to work on Kyle's manners. What's up?"
"Not much," I replied. "How's the band?"
"It's fine. We still don't have a place to practice, though."
Bart and I talked for about fifteen minutes, talked a lot about his band. Then we talked
about a teacher at my school that I don't like much, and about a couple of other things.
But Bart did not mention the mystery note and neither did I. When we got off the phone, I was not at all convinced that Bart was my mystery admirer, even if Shannon thought so. But if he wasn't, then who was?
Chapter 5.
What a day Tuesday was for me. Stacey's afternoon was pretty tame, judging from her notebook entry, but my whole day was, well, surprising.
It started when I leaned out of our front door very early in the morning to bring in the newspaper and found another envelope addressed to me. It was lying on the doormat, right next to the paper. (We have a very accurate paper girl. She hits the front steps every time. Either she has fantastic aim, or she walks the paper to the door.)
I grabbed the paper and the note, dropped the newspaper on the kitchen table, and then ran to my room with the envelope. I wasn't even dressed yet, but I read the letter right away, then thought it over while I got ready for school.
The envelope wasn't as fancy as the first one had been. It just said KRISTY on the front, and the back flap was sealed with a pink heart sticker. I kind of wished the "I" in my name
had been dotted with a heart again. Anyway, inside was another typed note. This one said, "Dearest Kristy, I can't stop thinking about you. Maybe I'm in love with you. I don't know. I've never been in love before. You are as beautiful as a snow-covered mountain. Love, Your Mystery Admirer."
Well, that last part was a little flowery (overwritten, my English teacher would say), but I didn't care. I'm not sure anyone had ever called me beautiful, except maybe Mom, and that doesn't count, because all mothers say their children are beautiful.
Of course, I told my friends about the notes while we ate lunch in the cafeteria that day. And, like Shannon, they were all sure Bart was my mystery admirer. I seemed to be the only one with any doubts.
Okay, so I had gotten a letter in the morning. Imagine my surprise when I found another one in our mailbox that afternoon. It said simply, "Dear Kristy, I love you, I love you, I love you. Love (get the picture?), Your Mystery Admirer."
I was floating on air by the time Shannon and I got to the ball field for the Krushers practice that day. And that was only the beginning of my excitement.
Stacey, meanwhile, went straight to the Per-kinses' after school. She was greeted at the door by an exuberant Myriah and Gabbie. (Myriah is five-and-a-half, and Gabbie is almost three. Guess what. Their family moved into our house when we moved into Watson's house!)
"Toshe me up, Stacey McGill! Toshe me up!" cried Gabbie. (That's Gabbie-talk for "Pick me up and give me a hug.") So Stacey toshed her up. When she set her down, Myriah grinned and said, "I'm learning how to ride a bike with no training wheels!"
She was very proud of herself.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Perkins left.
"Ready for your Krushers practice?" Stacey asked Myriah and Gabbie.
"Yes!" they cried. They were wearing pants, sneakers, and their special Krushers T-shirts.
"You need hats," Stacey reminded them. "You're going to be in the sun all afternoon." The girls dutifully found two old baseball caps, while Stacey tied a little pink hat on Laura and put her very distant fedora on her own head. Then they set off.
Gabbie and Myriah took turns helping Stacey push Laura's stroller. When they reached the practice field, the older girls ran to me.
Stacey took Laura to a grassy spot under a tree and sat next to the stroller.
"Do you want to sit on my lap?" she started to say to the baby, when she realized that Laura had fallen sound asleep. Well, thought Stacey, this will be an easy sitting job.
She was settling down with a book she'd brought along in case this happened, when I left my Krushers and ran over to her.
"Stacey!" I cried. "I got a third note this afternoon." I told her what it said, and Stacey just grinned.
"Hey, Kristy," a voice said.
Stacey peered around me and saw Shannon Kilbourne. She'd met Shannon a few times, so she knew her slightly. "Hi!" said Stacey.
"Hi," Shannon replied. "Listen, Kristy, your kids are getting a little zooey. I think you ought to start the practice."
So I did. I left Shannon and Stacey together under the tree with Laura. I hoped they would talk. I wanted Shannon and the other BSC members to know each other better.
They did talk.
"I've never seen you at a Krushers practice before," said Stacey amiably to Shannon. (She checked on Laura, who was still asleep.)
"I usually don't have time to come," Shannon replied. "Just like I can't come to the Baby-45
sitters Club meetings. I'm either at school in the afternoons — I'm in a lot of clubs — or I have to watch Maria, my youngest sister, or I'm baby-sitting somewhere else. But today I'm free! So I thought I'd come support the Krushers. A bunch of the kids I sit for are on the team. Kristy's great with them."
"How old is Maria?" Stacey asked. "Is she on the team?"
"Maria's eight. And no, she's not on the team. She hates anything athletic. Can you believe it? She likes doing homework."
Stacey smiled. "I know someone like that. Charlotte Johanssen. She's eight, too. But she's one of the Krushers cheerleaders, so she'll try athletic stuff sometimes. She's right over there." (Stacey pointed.) "I love that kid. She's almost like a sister to me."
Practice had begun and it was going well, from the actual playing to the cheerleading. Jamie Newton even put his hand out when the ball sailed toward him instead of ducking. He didn't catch the ball, but at least he tried. Claire struck out and did not have a tantrum. Overall, the kids on both of the teams into which I had divided the Krushers, hit very well. Plus, the two main pitchers, David Michael and Nicky Pike (one of Mal's brothers) were really improving.
When practice was over, Stacey and Shannon stood up and cheered, along with Charlotte, Vanessa, and Haley.
"Good game," said Shannon to Stacey and Mal (who was sitting for the Kuhn kids).