Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

wouldn’t you like to put on play clothes while you paint?” I thought she must own
some
thing more casual than what she had on.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œNo? Not even a smock? We could put it on over your dress.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHow about one of Mommy’s aprons?”
    â€œI DON’T WANT AN APRON!”
    I watched Jenny smear the paintbrush overa big apple on the page. The apple turned red. Jenny lifted the brush and returned it to the cup. So far, so good.
    I relaxed a little.
    Then Jenny swung the wet brush back to the book. Two faint pink streaks appeared on her dress. Oh, well, I thought. It must come out with water.
    But I wasn’t sure. I decided that Jenny would have to wear an apron whether she liked it or not, and I dashed into the kitchen. I had just found one when I heard Jenny say, “Oops.”
    â€œJenny?” I called. “What happened?”
    There was a pause. “Nothing.”
    A nothing is usually the worst kind of something. I ran back to Jenny — and gasped. She had spilled the entire cup of water in her lap. A huge pinkish stain was spreading fast.
    â€œOh,
Jen
ny!” I exclaimed.
    Jenny stared at me with wide eyes. She looked as if she were daring me to do something.
    â€œOkay. Off with your dress. Right now.”
    â€œNONONONONONONO!” Jenny threw herself on her stomach and began kicking her legs on the floor.
    I took advantage of that to unbutton her dress. “Off it comes,” I said. “Then I’ll show you some magic.”
    Jenny stopped kicking and yelling. “Magic?”
    â€œYeah.” I hoped the trick would work.
    Jenny let me take her dress off. She followed me into the kitchen and sat on the counter while I held the dress under a stream of water from the faucet. She watched as the color flowed out.
    I breathed a sigh of relief. “Does your mommy have a hair dryer?” I asked.
    â€œYup.”
    â€œCome show me where.”
    So Jenny, giggling, helped me blow-dry her dress. Then I told her that she would
have
to wear play clothes if she wanted to finish painting. She took me to her room, pointed to a drawer in her bureau, and said, “That’s where the play clothes are.”
    I opened the drawer and found myself looking at three piles of neatly folded, spotless, almost-new shirts, blouses, and slacks. “These are your play clothes?”
    Jenny gave me a look that plainly said, “I told you so.”
    I closed the drawer. “Okay, Jenny-bunny,” I said. “Do you want to finish painting?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAll right. Come on.” We went back downstairs and Jenny spent the rest of the afternoonpainting in her underwear. I got her dressed just five minutes before the Prezziosos came home.
    â€œHow was she?” Mrs. P. asked.
    I glanced down at Jenny. “An angel,” I replied. “An absolute angel.”
    Jenny smiled at me. Our secret was safe.

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I decided to ask my father if he would extend my baby-sitting hours. If all the other members of the club were allowed to stay out until ten o’clock, I ought to be able to as well. After all, I was the same age as they were, I was just as responsible as they were, and I had just as much homework as they did.
    The one job that I had had to turn down, when I was taking club phone calls the Friday after our fight, had been for a client who needed a sitter until ten o’clock on Saturday night. Kristy had taken the job.
    I felt humiliated.
    But I was nervous about facing my father. He wouldn’t be angry; he just wouldn’t see my side, unless I figured out exactly the right way to approach him. And I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do that.
    But by Monday night, I was ready to talk to him — no matter what.
    Unfortunately, he came home in a bad mood.
    â€œWe lost the Cutter case today,” he told me. “I can’t believe it. I thought it was