Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ann M. Martin Read Free Book Online

sister. "One out. Runners at first and third. I know you've never hit the ball, but if you hit it now you could send Matt home."
    Claire nodded.
    "Good. I know you can do it," said Nicky.
    On the sidelines, the baby-sitters smiled at each other again. Nicky was rarely so nice to his sisters. Usually he teased them with rude songs or played tricks on them or tried to gross them out.
    "The Krushers stick together," Claudia commented.
    And then Claire struck out.
    "Whoa. Two outs. Tantrum time," muttered Mallory.
    But nothing happened.
    Nicky was up again. He swung and missed. Then he slammed the ball deep into left field. Matt ran home. Margo ran home. And Nicky reached second base before he realized he better not go any further.
    The Krushers looked at each other proudly. Claudia told me later that the triplets seemed sort of awed. (And maybe just the teeniest bit proud.) To the Krushers' credit, they didn't gloat. I wish I'd been there. I would have been proud of them, too.
    I would have been proud right up until what happened next.
    Matt struck out, the triplets ran off the field - and Claire threw a tantrum. I'd never seen Claire throw a tantrum. I didn't even know she threw tantrums until Mallory mentioned it over the phone. But sure enough, as soon as her team had three outs, Claire clenched her fists, screwed up her face, and began screeching, "No fair! No fair! No fair!" until, according to Claudia, who got the job of calming her down, it sounded more like she was saying, "Nofe-air! Nofe-air! Nofe-air!"
    "She only throws baseball tantrums," Mallory informed me later. "She does it with ball games on TV, too."
    However, Claire got over her tantrum and Matt pitched to the triplets. They scored four runs in the first inning. In the second inning the Krushers scored zero runs and the triplets scored three more. By the end of the fifth inning, when Mrs. Pike came home, the triplets were ahead, sixteen to five.
    But, with the exception of Claire's tantrum, the Krushers never once lost their patience or their courage. They did lose their concentration a few times, but what can you expect from 5.8-year-old kids?
    When the game was over, Jordan actually said to Nicky and his sisters, "Good game,
    you guys." Then he remembered to sign for Matt. Matt grinned.
    Haley, who had watched the entire game with Claudia, Mallory, Jessi, and Vanessa, just said, "Whew. That was amazing. There was no way they could beat the triplets - but they never gave up."
    "Never," agreed the others.
    When Mal and Claudia told me about the game later, I felt terrific. My team, my Krushers, had real spirit.
    Chapter 8.
    "Claire, can you please get out of that tree? And Karen, stop teasing your broth - Jamie, what are you doing? Leave that bat alone. You're supposed to hit balls with it, not walk on it."
    "I'm a tightrope walker, Coach." Jamie replied, but he stepped off the bat.
    It was the beginning of another practice with the Krushers. I seemed to be having a little trouble getting everyone organized. Claudia was there, and she was supposed to be helping me, but she'd found some candy in the pocket of her jeans and was concentrating on unwrapping it. You could tell that the candy was much more interesting to her than softball.
    I clapped my hands. Suddenly I felt like Mr. Redmont, my old teacher from seventh grade. He was always clapping his hands to get kids' attention.
    "Hey, you guys!" I called. "Would you come
    here, please. . . . PLEASE? . . . Claudia. I need help."
    What was wrong with everybody? I thought these kids wanted to play ball so badly.
    Claudia popped a piece of candy into her mouth and wandered over to me. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.
    I could have been sarcastic, but I kept my temper. After all, the kids were nearby. I didn't want them to think I was an ogre.
    "Just help me get them together. We need some practice time first."
    "Come on, guys!" I called again. "Where's your Krushers spirit?"
    Right away, the kids ran to me -