Karen's Nanny

  Uh-oh. I had a feeling I was wearing too many clothes.

  “Blueberry muffin, Karen?” Mommy offered.

  “Yes, plea — ” I started to say. I love blueberry muffins. They are especially delicious with blueberry jam on them. I spotted the jar of jam on the table. The lid was already off the jar. The jam was calling to me. But my resolution said Oatie-Os every morning no matter what. I had to be strong.

  “No thank you,” I said. “I will have Oatie-Os.”

  Mommy cocked an eyebrow at me. “Okay,” she said. “Or would you rather have Krispie Krunchies? I bought some more at the store.”

  Of course I would rather have Krispie Krunchies! I wanted to shout. But I did not. “Oatie-Os are fine.”

  “Karen has a new favorite,” said Seth with a smile. I did not smile back.

  Mommy handed Andrew a muffin and put a gigundoly huge dollop of jam on his plate.

  “Karen, the paper says it is going to be quite warm out today,” Seth said. “Maybe you should change into cooler clothes.”

  “Um, I think I will be okay,” I said. I was already feeling too warm. But I could not change. “This way I will be ready if it turns cold later in the day.”

  “The forecast is for unusually warm weather all week, Karen,” said Mommy.

  Uh-oh again. Yesterday I had laid out a whole week’s worth of heavy winter clothing. Hopefully the weather would change, since I could not.

  “Choosing my own clothes is a big responsibility,” I said. “And I am trying to be more responsible. I think I can handle dressing myself now.” I smiled brightly at Mommy.

  She opened her mouth to say something. No sound came out. Then she smiled and asked Seth to pass the jam, please.

  * * *

  School was horrible. In my heavy winter clothing I was hot and uncomfortable all day long. There is nothing worse than sweating on the playground in January.

  At lunchtime I was not quick enough to line up behind Bobby. Natalie was behind him. So I sort of butted in ahead of Natalie.

  “Hey! No fair, Karen!” cried Natalie.

  Hannie and Nancy looked at me and frowned from the end of the line. I wanted to explain, but I could not.

  “No cutsies!” said Natalie. But I made myself face straight forward and stay behind Bobby. I felt as if my whole life depended on it.

  “I’m going to tell Ms. Colman,” said Omar Harris. He was right behind Natalie, so I had sort of cut in front of him too.

  Ms. Colman was on lunch duty that day. Omar ran to her.

  “Karen, you know it is not nice to cut into line,” Ms. Colman said. “I am surprised at you. Everyone must wait their turn. Please go to the back.”

  I could not disobey Ms. Colman, resolution or no resolution. I slunk to the back of the line. Everyone frowned at me as I went past. I met Hannie’s and Nancy’s eyes. They did not look happy.

  After lunch Ms. Colman told us to meet with our planet partners.

  Addie showed me what she had done on Project Jupiter. She had taken excellent notes on an encyclopedia article. She had written them on index cards.

  “The planet Jupiter is named for an ancient Roman god,” Addie read from her notes. “In the Roman religion, Jupiter was king of the gods.”

  Gee. I had not known that.

  “Okay, your turn,” said Addie. “What did you find out about Jupiter?”

  “Ummm …” I said. “Actually, I have not had a chance to do any work on Project Jupiter.” I did not mention that the reason I had not done any work was that my schedule did not allow for homework on weekends.

  “Karen!” Addie said. Her eyebrows bunched up in the middle. “I am not going to do all the work for both of us, you know.”

  “I know,” I said. For some reason my wool sweater was making me feel especially hot right then. “Do not worry. Everything is under control. I have a schedule all worked out. I will do my fair share of the work with plenty of time to spare.”

  “Well, okay,” said Addie. “I guess.”

  Ms. Colman asked us to return to our seats.

  I felt embarrassed. I am used to being a good student. Being embarrassed made me feel grumpy. On the way back to my desk, I bumped into Ricky. “Watch out!” I snapped at him.

  “Watch out yourself,” he said. “You big grouch.”

  I did not think that was a nice thing for a pretend husband to call his pretend wife. Even if it was true. I sat down at my desk, my face burning.

  Boo and hot, sweaty bullfrogs!

  Launch Delays

  “Karen, would you come here, please?” called Mommy.

  It was 4:01 in the afternoon. I was at my desk, in my room. I had just sat down to begin my homework. A library book about Jupiter lay open on the desk in front of me.

  “Coming, Mommy,” I called.

  I found her in Andrew’s bedroom.

  “Would you please strip the sheets off all the beds, while I put a load of wash in?” Mommy asked me.

  I hesitated. I really needed to do some work on Project Jupiter. But Mommy needed my help. I had promised her that I was going to be more responsible. And the responsible thing was to help her with the housework.

  My schedule said:

  4:00 – 5:00 — Do homework and chores.

  I guessed it would not break my resolution to help Mommy.

  “Okay, Mommy,” I said. “I would be happy to do the sheets.”

  “Thank you, Karen,” said Mommy. “You are my special helper.”

  I smiled. I liked being Mommy’s special helper. Besides, there would be plenty of time later in the week to work on Project Jupiter.

  After I stripped the beds, Mommy asked me to help her put the clean sheets on them. Then I helped her fold laundry. Before I knew it, my scheduled homework hour was up. I was forced to play from five until six.

  There went Monday.

  On Tuesday I did not do any homework either. Mommy had to take Andrew to the mall to buy new shoes. Since we did not have a nanny yet, I had to go too. By the time we got back home, it was practically dinnertime. After dinner, I thought about skipping my bath and doing my homework instead. But I stuck to my schedule. I took a bath, read for awhile, then went to bed at eight o’clock sharp.

  On Wednesday I helped Mommy set up her jewelry-making studio at the crafts center.

  It was very interesting. Mommy showed Andrew and me how the solder gun (that is a tool shaped like a pistol with a very hot pointy tip) works. She uses the solder gun to melt the metal she makes into jewelry. We were not allowed to touch the solder gun.

  After my bath that night, I wondered if I could read my book about Jupiter. Would that count as before-bed reading? I decided it probably did not. I picked up The Adventures of Katie Kelleher. I was on chapter three. Again.

  On Thursday I had a dentist appointment. (No cavities, hooray!) I got home at 5:10. Boo and bullfrogs. When was I going to get this project done? I had been avoiding Addie all week, but sooner or later she would find out that I had not had a chance to catch up. She would probably be angry with me. She might tell Ms. Colman. And Ms. Colman had already spoken to me this week about cutting in line.

  All of a sudden it was Friday. Even though I had meant to, I had not done my homework all week. Now it was the weekend, and I had no homework time in my schedule. What was I going to do? Project Jupiter was suffering from launch delays!

  Trouble at School

  Here is what I wore on Friday: red-and-green-plaid pants, a purple flowered sweatshirt, a magenta scrunchie, and blue-and-yellow polka-dot socks. I was not too hot. I was comfortable. But I felt like Bozo the Clown. And I looked like a fashion disaster. Somehow the piles of clothes I had laid out carefully on Sunday had not come out evenly matched.

  Over breakfast I kept expecting Mommy to mention my outfit. I wished she would order me upstairs to put on clothes that matched. Then I would have to change.

  But Mommy did not order me upstairs. She did not say a word about my clothes. She was respecting m
y choices. I wished she would not.

  “Karen, is it circus day at school?” asked Andrew. He said this seriously.

  “No,” I replied. I did not say anything else.

  I knew I looked ridiculous. But I could not change. I would have to go to school looking as if I had gotten dressed in the dark.

  * * *

  “Who can tell me what sight greeted turn-of-the-century immigrants when they first arrived in New York?” Ms. Colman asked.

  I had no idea. We were supposed to have read a chapter on Ellis Island in our social studies book. I had not done any homework for more than a week. But I had not raised my hand for the last question (which I had not known either). So my resolution said I must raise my hand now.

  “Please do not call on me,” I begged silently. I kept my eyes on the floor and only raised my hand a little bit.

  “Karen?” Ms. Colman called on me.

  Aaugh! I thought hard. “Umm … the Empire State Building?” I guessed.

  Ms. Colman frowned. “No, Karen,” she said. “The Empire State Building was not built until the nineteen-thirties. Yes, Pamela?”

  My best enemy was waving her hand as if she were being attacked by a swarm of flies. “The Statue of Liberty?” said Pamela.

  “That is right. Very good, Pamela,” said Ms. Colman.

  Pamela smirked at me. I frowned back hard.

  Ms. Colman asked another question. Luckily, I did not have to raise my hand for that one. I did not know the answer anyway.

  Ian answered it.

  “Did most of the immigrants speak English?” Ms. Colman asked next.

  I timidly poked my hand in the air. “Yes, Karen? Would you like another chance?” asked Ms. Colman. I wanted to cry.

  I thought for a second. Probably, if people were moving to America for good, they would have learned English before they came, so they could get jobs right away.

  “Um, yes?” I guessed.

  Ms. Colman looked at me and shook her head. “No. Jannie?”

  “No, Ms. Colman, they did not. Many could not read either — even simple things, like social studies homework.” Jannie and Pamela smirked at each other, then at me. Ms. Colman did not see them.

  It was the worst morning of my life. I raised my hand to answer every other question. Ms. Colman gave me a few more chances, but I didn’t know any of the answers. After awhile, the class started giggling whenever I raised my hand. Then Ms. Colman ignored me. I felt terrible. Not only that, but every time I looked down at my outfit, I wanted to sink through the floor.

  At lunch I found Hannie and Nancy sitting with Sara Ford and Audrey Green. I hesitated, then sat down with them. For a few minutes we ate silently.

  “Karen, is there something wrong?” asked Hannie softly.

  I wanted to blurt out that everything was wrong. I was dying to tell someone what was going on. But if I told the secret of my resolution, it would not work anymore. “No,” I said. “Nothing is wrong. Why?”

  “Well,” Nancy said, glancing at Hannie. “You seem sort of … different lately.”

  “Yes,” said Hannie. “You have changed.”

  What? I was bending over backward not to change! “I am not different!” I said. “I have not changed! I am exactly the same as I was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that!”

  I slammed my milk down, splashing my flowered sweatshirt.

  “You have changed, Karen Brewer,” said Hannie firmly. She and Nancy stood up to leave. “You are not any fun!” They stalked out of the cafeteria.

  I sat there, unhappy and angry, as Sara and Audrey looked at me curiously. So much for the Three Musketeers, I thought. I was not different. I had not changed. And I was still fun!

  Back in class, Ms. Colman asked us to form our planet pairs.

  “I borrowed a book from the library on Jupiter,” said Addie, taking out her stack of index cards. The stack was thicker. She read from them: “ ‘Scientists are not sure if any part of Jupiter is solid. Some scientists think Jupiter might be a giant ball of gas.’ ”

  Wow. A giant ball of gas. Who would have thought it?

  “Okay, Karen,” said Addie. “I am ready to find out what research you have done on Jupiter.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me.

  Could this day get any worse? I did not think so. “Um … I have not exactly found out anything,” I whispered, my head hanging down. “Yet.”

  “What?” Addie shouted. She jerked her wheelchair forward. It smacked into my desk with a loud crack! “You still have not done any work on our project?” I had never seen Addie so angry.

  “Well, you see …” I wished I could explain things to Addie. I felt soo miserable. Then I saw something that made me feel even worse. Ms. Colman was heading toward us.

  Uh-oh.

  Karen Has Changed

  “Hello, girls,” said Ms. Colman, smiling. “You two are working on Jupiter, right? How is it coming along?”

  I waited for Addie to tell Ms. Colman what a bad planet partner I had been. But she did not.

  “Um, it is coming along okay,” Addie said. She showed Ms. Colman the work she had done.

  “That is very good, Addie,” said Ms. Colman. “But all these notes are in your handwriting. Karen, where are your notes?”

  Addie quickly answered for me. “Well, you see, Ms. Colman, Karen and I decided that I would take all the notes, because my handwriting is neater, and …” Addie rambled on.

  I realized that even though I had been a terrible planet partner, Addie did not want me to get in trouble. She was covering for me.

  But, I thought, if Ms. Colman figured out the truth, then Addie might get in trouble for trying to fool her. And Ms. Colman was looking at Addie as if she did not believe a word Addie was saying. I felt bad enough without getting Addie in trouble too.

  “I have not done any work on Project Jupiter,” I blurted out.

  “Is this true, Addie?” Ms. Colman asked.

  Addie nodded silently.

  “Addie should not get in trouble,” I said. “She was only trying to — ”

  “Addie is not in trouble, Karen,” said Ms. Colman. She looked unhappy. “But I would like to see you after class today.”

  Now it was my turn to nod silently.

  * * *

  “Karen, I am becoming concerned about you,” Ms. Colman said.

  It was after class. All the other kids had left the classroom. It was weird to be in room 2B when it was so quiet. I could hear the squeak, squeak of Hootie, our guinea pig, running in his exercise wheel. I hoped I would not miss my bus.

  “You are usually one of my best students,” Ms. Colman said. “But lately you have not been yourself. You have been cutting into line and upsetting your classmates.”

  I thought about the Bobby rule and hung my head.

  “You obviously have not been doing your homework,” continued Ms. Colman. “You have not been able to answer a single question all week. Yet you keep raising your hand. You have been slowing down the whole class.”

  I hung my head lower.

  “And now, today, I learn that you have not done any work on your project with Addie. Karen, it is not fair for you to let Addie do all the work. I am sure Addie is disappointed in you, and I must say I am too.”

  I was not sure I could hang my head any lower, but I tried. I felt hot tears well up in my eyes.

  “Now, Karen, look at me,” said Ms. Colman.

  I raised my eyes. There was Ms. Colman’s kind and gentle face.

  “It seems as if lately you have not been the same old Karen Brewer,” she said. “You are different somehow. You have changed.”

  What? First Hannie and Nancy, and now Ms. Colman! They had all said that I was different. That I had changed.

  Why did people keep saying that? I was not different. I had not changed at all!

  “Maybe you are just going through a rough patch,” said Ms. Colman. “Everyone does, now and then. But I would like to talk to you
r parents, to let them know what has been happening at school. I think they would want to know. Do you agree?”

  “Yes, Ms. Colman,” I whispered, so my voice would not crack.

  “Good,” said Ms. Colman. “Now run along. You do not want to miss your bus.”

  The Second Candidate

  “Karen, this is Mrs. Hamilton,” said Mommy as I walked into the kitchen. “Mrs. Hamilton is here to see about the nanny position. Mrs. Hamilton, this is my daughter, Karen.”

  I shook Mrs. Hamilton’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. I did not really mean it, but it was the polite thing to say. Mrs. Hamilton had bony fingers and a strong grip.

  Mommy told Andrew and me that she would be out in the backyard for a while. Mrs. Hamilton would fix us a snack.

  “I would like a bagel with cream cheese,” said Andrew.

  “Peanut butter on bread for me, please,” I added.

  Mrs. Hamilton shook her head. “Cream cheese? Peanut butter? Too heavy. Top of the food pyramid!” she said. “I will see what is in the refrigerator.”

  While Mrs. Hamilton poked around in the fridge, I looked at Andrew. His eyes were wide. He shook his head hard.

  I knew what Andrew was saying. He was giving the idea of Mrs. Hamilton as our nanny a big “No!”

  “Here is the ticket!” Mrs. Hamilton exclaimed. She started chopping something on the counter. Then she turned and put a plate before Andrew and me.

  On the plate were carrot and celery sticks.

  “Eat up, children!” said Mrs. Hamilton. She crunched a carrot stick. “Mmm! Delicious!”

  “Yuck!” said Andrew. “Bleh!”

  Mrs. Hamilton frowned. “That is not very polite, Andrew. Carrots and celery are delicious and healthful. But if you are not hungry, you do not have to eat them.”

  Andrew stuck out his lower lip. “I do not want any snack,” he said.

  My chin jutted out. “I do not want one either.”

  “Fine,” said Mrs. Hamilton. “Then I am sure you will eat a good dinner.” She put the plate away. I felt very hungry.

  “And now it is time for you to do your homework,” said Mrs. Hamilton. “I shall read to Andrew in the living room. I have a nice book of moral lessons.”