Stacey and the Missing Ring

  “Oops!” she said. “It’s eight-fifteen, and you’re supposed to be in bed by eight-thirty. Time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” As they marched up the stairs together, Claud was already thinking about what she’d do after Jenny was asleep. She knew the Prezziosos wouldn’t be home until at least ten-thirty, so she figured she’d have time to finish her math homework. For once she’d remembered to bring her school stuff with her.

  Just as she was squeezing the toothpaste onto Jenny’s brush, Claud heard a funny noise downstairs. She tensed up. Jessi had told us about the report she’d heard on the radio, and I think we were all a little nervous about burglars. Claud’s an experienced enough sitter to be able to control her fears, though, so she hadn’t thought much about thieves that night. And of course she’d made sure the doors were locked after the Prezziosos left.

  But now she stopped what she was doing and listened closely. The noise had stopped. She handed Jenny’s toothbrush to her, then stood by the bathroom door to listen some more. She heard the noise again! It sounded exactly like the door opening downstairs. “Oh, my lord,” Claudia muttered.

  “Whzzt?” asked Jenny, her mouth full of toothpaste.

  “Nothing,” said Claud. “Keep on brushing. You’re doing a good job.” As soon as Jenny turned back to the mirror, Claudia tiptoed into the hall.

  “Claudia?” someone called from downstairs.

  Claudia told me later that she nearly jumped through the ceiling. But she pulled herself together fast. “Mrs. Prezzioso!” she said. “What are you doing home so early?”

  Mr. and Mrs. Prezzioso were climbing the stairs together. “Why don’t you put Jenny to bed,” Mrs. P. said to her husband. “I’ll talk to Claudia.” She led Claudia into the bedroom and motioned for her to sit on the bed. “Don’t worry. Everything’s all right,” said Mrs. P. She must have noticed the look on Claud’s face.

  “What happened?” asked Claudia.

  “Well, we were at this dinner party,” said Mrs. P., “and another couple, the Gardellas, were there, too.”

  Claud drew in a breath. “I can ex —” she started.

  “It’s okay,” said Mrs. P. “We didn’t believe what they were telling us. We’ve hired you girls as sitters for so long that we think we know you pretty well. And we know that none of you would ever steal from a client.”

  Claudia let out the breath she’d taken. “But why did you come home?” she asked.

  “Well, we were kind of upset by what the Gardellas were saying. It turned the evening sour for us. I didn’t want to have an argument with them, so we just left,” said Mrs. P.

  Claud was impressed. “Wow,” she said. “You really believe in us.”

  “Of course I do,” said Mrs. P. “Besides,” she added in a lower voice, “between you and me, the party was a real dud. I didn’t mind leaving.”

  Claud laughed. “Thanks for your support,” she said. “But even if the party was no fun, I’m sorry you had to leave. You were looking forward to your night out.”

  “I know,” said Mrs. P. “But we’ll go out again soon.” She rummaged in her purse. “Here’s pay for two hours’ work,” she said. “I’m sorry I can’t pay you for the whole time.”

  Claud was sorry, too. She’d been counting on that money. But, as she told me later, what could she say? Mrs. P. was being so nice. She left their house feeling pretty good, but by the time Mr. P. had driven her home, Claudia had had more time to think and she was fuming. How could the Gardellas do that? How could they spread rumors about the club? It just wasn’t fair.

  On that same Saturday night, while Claud was sitting, I was home with my mom. In a way I was glad I didn’t have a sitting job that night. Ever since Mom started working again, I don’t get to spend too much time with her, and I kind of miss her. We’ve gotten pretty close since the divorce (even though we still fight occasionally, as you know), and I honestly like just hanging out with her.

  We’d made dinner together, after deciding that we both felt like spaghetti. I threw together a salad while she made a quick tomato sauce. Then we brought all the stuff to the table. It looked great, and I was starving. I helped myself to a big plate of spaghetti and sprinkled cheese all over it.

  “So, no sitting job tonight?” asked my mom.

  “No, no sitting job tonight, or tomorrow night, or any other night this week,” I answered glumly. Suddenly my spaghetti didn’t look so good.

  “Oh, Stacey,” said my mom. “I’m sorry. Listen, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that business is slow. Your club has so many loyal clients. I know they wouldn’t desert you.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said. But I’m sure I didn’t sound too convinced — because I wasn’t. Mom changed the subject, trying to distract me. She talked about the weather. She discussed the news of the day. She explained why she had decided to stop buying white bread. She told me about her job. But if she’d given me a pop quiz the next day on everything she said, I’m sorry to say I would have failed it. I just wasn’t listening too well. I know that isn’t nice, but I couldn’t help it. My mind was on other things.

  After dinner, I cleared the table and washed the dishes, without even being asked. After all, I figured, I had nothing better to do. I was almost finished when my mom walked into the kitchen. I must have looked pretty depressed, because she gave me a big hug.

  “Come on, honey, cheer up!” she said. “Listen, how about if we rent a movie and watch it together?”

  “Okay,” I said. “Why not?”

  We drove to the video store and spent what seemed like hours picking out something. Everything I wanted to see she had no interest in, and vice versa. “How about this?” I asked, holding up a horror movie about some girls at summer camp. I’d heard it was really good.

  “Ugh!” said Mom. “I don’t know how you can watch that junk. Now this,” she said, holding up another movie box, “is a real movie. Holiday, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Oh, is Cary Grant handsome! Don’t you think?” She showed me the picture.

  “He’s cute, I guess,” I said, although I couldn’t really see what was so great about him. “But don’t tell me that movie’s in black and white. No way!”

  She put the box back. We both kept looking. “How about this?” I asked. I’d found a concert film featuring my favorite group.

  Mom shook her head. “I don’t even like their records. I don’t think I could stand watching them for two hours.” She held up the box she’d been looking at. “This one is a classic.”

  “It’s a Wonderful Life?” I said. “I can’t say I agree with that these days. And anyway, I just don’t feel like watching a ‘classic.’ ”

  But then I found a classic I love — a movie I could watch over and over again. And it’s even in color. “What do you say, Mom?” I asked, holding up the box. She gave me the thumbs-up-sign, so I brought the box to the counter. Gone With the Wind. I think we’ve seen it about ten times, but we still love it. It’s one movie we can always agree to watch together.

  We drove home, and while Mom went into the kitchen to make popcorn, I went upstairs to check my blood sugar and give myself some insulin.

  Then we settled in to watch the movie. By then I was feeling better about things. The popcorn was great, and as soon as I heard that Gone With the Wind theme music I was in heaven. But ten minutes into the movie, the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” I said.

  “Should I stop the VCR?” Mom asked.

  “Just for a minute,” I answered, as I picked up the phone. “Hello?” I said.

  It was Claudia, and she sounded upset. Quickly, she told me what had happened at the Prezziosos. “This has really gotten out of hand,” she said. “It’s one thing when we don’t get a lot of jobs, but then when I finally do get a job, it ends after an hour and a half!”

  I felt terrible. “Maybe business will pick up again next week,” I said hopefully.

  “Not if the Gardellas have their way, it won’t,” she said. “Liste
n, how about if I come over? It’s still early. I’m sure my dad won’t mind driving me there.”

  “Sure,” I replied, “I’d love to see my best friend.” We always turn to each other in bad times. After I’d hung up, I asked my mom if she wouldn’t mind watching the movie by herself, since Claudia was coming over. I figured Claud and I would just hang out in my room. Maybe talking about the situation would make her feel better.

  Mom understood. “Sounds like Claudia needs a friend right now,” she said. “I’ll be fine with Rhett and Scarlett for company.”

  But when Claud arrived and we went upstairs, she didn’t seem to want any comforting. In fact, she seemed kind of cool toward me, and she wasn’t talking much.

  “So tell me again,” I said. “Exactly what did Mrs. Prezzioso say when she came home?”

  Claudia was roaming around my room, picking things up and putting them down. She didn’t look at me when she answered my question. “She said Mrs. Gardella seemed convinced that you had taken her ring, but that Mrs. P. didn’t believe her.”

  “Well, that’s good,” I said. “I mean, Mrs. P. knows me pretty well. And anybody who knows me knows I wouldn’t steal.”

  “Yeah, well …” Claud drifted over to my dressing table.

  “So did she say anything else?” I asked.

  “Just that the party was ruined for her and she didn’t want to stay.” Now Claud was looking through my makeup, moving around my bottles and brushes and compacts.

  “Do you want to try some of that new blush I got?” I asked. “It’s really a good color for me. I wonder whether it would work on you, too.”

  “What? Oh, no,” said Claud. She seemed distracted, as if she were somewhere else.

  “Claud,” I said. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing’s the matter,” she answered. “Nothing at all.” But she sounded kind of mad. I was beginning to feel that something weird was happening between us.

  I tried to ignore it. “So what did Mrs. P. wear to the party?” I asked. “She always looks like she stepped out of a magazine.”

  “I don’t really remember,” replied Claud.

  Something was definitely up. Claud always pays a lot of attention to clothes. She can remember every outfit she’s worn to school over a whole season, and she tries never to repeat the exact same outfit.

  I looked closely at what Claudia was doing. She had finished checking out my makeup, and had started to look through my jewelry. I heard the tinkle of my musical jewelry box as she opened its lid. Then I watched as she started to look through my things. I couldn’t figure out what she was up to. She’s seen my stuff a million times before. In fact, she’s borrowed most of it once or twice. We’re always trading jewelry back and forth. But Claud looked serious this time as she checked each one of the little drawers and pulled out necklaces, earrings, and rings.

  Rings.

  All of a sudden I realized what she was doing. She was looking for Mrs. Gardella’s diamond ring! Even Claudia, my best friend, had become suspicious of me. I couldn’t believe it.

  “Claud, I know what you’re doing,” I said. My stomach was in a knot. “You’re looking for that ring, aren’t you?”

  Claudia didn’t answer right away, but at least she took her hand out of the box for a moment. Then she drew in a deep breath. “Well, I am looking for it,” she admitted. “I started to think on my way over here. You know, you did talk a lot about wanting a diamond ring. And now one is missing. I was wondering if this really was such a coincidence, after all.”

  “How could you?” I cried. “I thought you were my best friend.” I felt as if I might start to cry any minute, but I fought back my tears.

  “I just figured that before this went any further, I better make sure you really didn’t have the ring,” said Claudia.

  “And?” I asked. “Are you sure, now that you’ve gone through all my private belongings?” I felt less like crying then. I was starting to get mad.

  “I’m sure. At least, I’m pretty sure.”

  That did it. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me,” I said. “Anyway, if I did take the stupid ring, do you think I’d keep it in my jewelry box, where any fool could find it?”

  Claudia just stared at me.

  Oh, great, I thought. That was brilliant. Now I sounded as if I had taken the ring. “Look, search my whole room if you want,” I said. “I don’t care.”

  “I don’t want to search your room,” said Claud. “In fact, I don’t even want to be in your room anymore.”

  “Well, that’s good,” I said. “Because I’m kicking you out.”

  “Don’t bother kicking me out,” she said. “I’m leaving.” She left without another look at me, slamming the door behind her. I opened it right away. I heard her run downstairs to the phone in the kitchen. I heard her call her father and ask him to pick her up. And then I heard her say something to my mother, and march through the front door to wait outside.

  Some best friend, huh?

  I hate it when Claud and I fight. I really do. We don’t fight that often, but every time we do, it’s just awful. The world can be a very lonely place when you and your best friend aren’t speaking to each other.

  All day Sunday, I thought of calling Claudia. I wanted to make up with her. But you know what? As much as I wanted to make up, I did not want to apologize. I figured she was the one who owed me an apology. After all, best friends are supposed to trust each other, right?

  So I sat around and waited for her to come to her senses and call me. “Stacey?” she’d say. “I’m really sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Of course you didn’t steal that ring. Can you ever forgive me for doubting you?”

  But the phone never rang. Well, that’s not entirely true. It rang three times. Once someone from the subscription department of the local newspaper called, wanting to know if we would like to subscribe. Another call was from my dad. He wanted to find out when I was planning to visit him next. And the third call was a wrong number.

  In between calls, I spent the weekend hanging out in my room: doing homework, reading magazines, listening to my Walkman, and thinking. After a weekend like that, it was almost a relief to go back to school on Monday.

  Claudia avoided me in the halls that day. I know she saw me, because I saw her. But we didn’t make eye contact, and we didn’t say hello. I skipped lunch in the cafeteria and went to the library instead. I sat at one of the corner tables and ate my sandwich and apple quietly, so the librarian wouldn’t kick me out for eating in there.

  I was feeling pretty lonely.

  But I was also feeling kind of good. I had decided that something had to be done about the situation with the Gardellas, and I thought I might have come up with a solution to the problem. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was something. I would tell everybody about it at the club meeting this afternoon. If they liked my idea, I’d go ahead with it.

  I was careful not to get to the meeting too early that day; I did not want to be alone with Claudia. When I did get there, I felt funny walking up the stairs to her room. I’ve walked up those stairs so many times, and just about every other time I’ve been looking forward to seeing my best friend. But that day I was dreading it.

  I was relieved when I walked into club headquarters and saw Kristy, Dawn, and Jessi already there. They looked up and said hello when I walked in, but Claud ignored my entrance.

  She was sitting on the bed next to Dawn, so no way was I going to sit on the bed, too. I didn’t really want to sit in my other usual spot — the desk chair — because then I’d be facing Claud. I decided to sit on the floor near Jessi, with my back against the bed. That way I wouldn’t have to look at Claudia or be near her.

  I don’t know if everybody was talking before I arrived, but they sure weren’t saying anything once I sat down. The room was very quiet. I could hear the cellophane rustling as Claudia unwrapped a pack of Twinkies. (Of course, I wasn’t looking at her, so I wasn’t positive they were Twinkies; th
ey might have been Devil Dogs or Funny Bones. But my guess is that they were Twinkies, because those are favorites of Claud’s.)

  After a couple of minutes I heard footsteps on the stairs and then Mary Anne and Mallory came into the room. Mary Anne gave me a funny look when she saw where I was sitting, but then she shrugged and took a seat on the bed. Mal sat on the floor next to Jessi, and smiled at me.

  “Okay,” said Kristy. “We’re all here and it’s five-thirty. Let’s get started.” She leaned back in the director’s chair and straightened her visor. “Does anybody have any club business?”

  Somehow I wasn’t ready yet to tell them my idea. But there was something else I had to do. “Well, it’s Monday,” I said. “Dues day.”

  Everybody groaned.

  “You know,” said Claudia. “I don’t think we should have to pay dues when we’re not earning any money.”

  “But we always pay dues!” said Mary Anne. She sounded shocked.

  “That’s right,” agreed Kristy. “We need that money in our treasury, no matter how slow business is.”

  “It was just a thought,” said Claudia crossly.

  Now I really didn’t want to look at her. I pulled out the manila envelope that we use for a treasury and held it in back of me, waiting for someone on the bed to take it from me so I wouldn’t have to turn around.

  “Okay,” said Kristy, once the envelope had made its rounds. “Now listen. We’ve all heard about what happened with the Prezziosos on Saturday, right?”

  Oh, great. If Claud had told everybody that story, then she must have also told them about our fight. Did they feel the same way she did? Did they suspect me, too? It didn’t seem like it. At least the others were speaking to me and acting more or less like my friends. So even if Claud had told them, maybe they hadn’t made up their minds who to side with.

  “Yeah,” said Jessi, answering Kristy’s question. “And I can’t believe the nerve of those Gardellas.”

  “What they’re doing isn’t right,” said Mallory.