What had just happened?
Stacey had tried to apologize. But that was no apology. In any case, do real friends forbid you to talk to their boyfriends? I hadn’t realized Stacey was so insecure. But she was.
If only she had trusted me.
If only she were more like Erica.
Erica?
I suddenly realized that I had made a big mistake.
Everything made sense now. I had thought I wanted to be best friends with Stacey again, but what I really wanted was for Stacey and me to be the way we used to be together.
I took another deep breath because now it was impossible to hold back the tears.
I had spent so much time obsessing about Stacey that I had overlooked someone else who was a much better friend to me. Someone who listened, who cared, and who even shopped — just for me. I had been wrong. I didn’t want Erica to be more like Stacey.
I wanted Stacey to be more like Erica.
I owed Erica the biggest apology.
I would NOT lose two friends in one week.
After leaving the Pikes’, I dashed over to Peaches’s house to say good-bye to Molly, who was taking off on a business trip to Japan. Her Thanksgiving visit was almost over.
“I wish I could go to Japan with you,” I said wistfully. “I could meet some of the other people in our family.”
Molly smiled. “I’m afraid my suitcase is already stuffed to the gills. I’d never be able to squeeze you in.” She turned to Lynn, who was wriggling around in Peaches’ arms. “But you, little peach, would fit perfectly. Hey, Miyoshi, are you sure I can’t borrow the baby … just for a while?”
Peaches handed Lynn to me and wrapped her arms tightly around Molly’s shoulders as they said good-bye.
“You’ve already had my entire family on loan for a week — what more do you want?” Peaches asked.
“I wouldn’t mind having your life, I’ll tell you that.”
Molly promised that she would try harder to write and that she’d send along all of her Thanksgiving photos as soon as they were developed.
On her way to the airport, Peaches dropped me off at Erica’s house. I was ready to apologize. I had called ahead so Erica was prepared. I was coming with a peace offering.
The minute Erica opened the door, I started my apology. “I am sorry for everything that happened on Friday. Really sorry.”
“Claudia, look —”
“No, no. Let me finish. Stacey is the only best friend I’ve ever had. When I think about things to do with a best friend, I think of stuff I did with her. I don’t want you to be like Stacey. I just want you to be you. In fact, I wish Stacey were more like you.”
“Oh, Claudia,” said Erica. “I forgave you on Friday night.”
“You did? On Friday?”
“Yeah. I just lost my temper. I’m sorry too. I’m sorry about you and Stacey. I guess I got a little jealous, though.”
“Jealous?”
“I felt like I couldn’t compete with someone you’ve known for so long. I’ve only been your friend for a week.”
“So you’re not mad at me?”
Erica laughed. “Of course not. How about coming in out of the cold?” Erica held the door open for me. “Let’s just keep the shopping trips to a minimum, okay? Come on in and I’ll make some hot chocolate.”
I perked up. “Hot chocolate? Ooooh, I hope it’s the kind with the teeny marshmallows in it.”
It was. We hung out for an hour or two in her basement. Her parents had put a couple of old chairs and a sofa there and turned it into a recreation room. It would be fun to hang out here more often, I thought.
I was definitely planning to do that.
The next morning, I was dreading school more than usual. I didn’t want to run into Stacey just yet. (I hadn’t even thought about what I would do at the BSC meeting later that afternoon.)
But Erica calmed me down.
I had to walk three blocks out of my way to go to SMS via Erica’s house, but I did it anyway. I returned the garnet earrings to her and put on the silver hoops I had gotten for free. We both looked mah-vel-ous! Then Erica even let me help fix her hair.
When we got to school, we said good-bye at the lockers and made plans to meet at lunchtime.
“Save me a seat!” I called after her.
“That’s what friends are for,” she sang back to me.
I laughed.
As I headed to class, I realized that I had forgotten about the reading assignment in A Tale of Two Cities. But before I could get too upset, I saw Jeremy standing outside the classroom.
“Hey, Claudia.”
“Hey, Jeremy.”
“Is this your English class?” he asked me, pointing to Mrs. Hall’s door.
I nodded.
“Mine too,” he said. “I just got switched into it.”
He smiled.
I smiled.
Coincidence?
Maybe.
Monday morning was turning out to be very interesting.
The author gratefully acknowledges
Laura Dower
for her help in
preparing this manuscript.
About the Author
ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.
Copyright © 1999 by Ann M. Martin
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
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All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First edition, 1999
e-ISBN 978-0-545-87489-2
Ann M. Martin, Claudia and the Friendship Feud
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