√ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢

𝐯. 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆, "Hello, Babysitter's Club?" She greets the caller chirpishly

She hand the phone to Mary Anne who hesitantly grabs it with a timid expression, Mary Anne looks at the other girls nervousness spread across her features

"I don't-" She speaks nervously, Jamie frowns slightly from her spot beside Claudia on the bed. "No, I meam. yes, I'm free." Mary Anne states, the other girl's give her a confused look. "I think"

"But thing is I belong to a Club of Babysitters, so I'd have to check if any of them-What's your address?" She asks, Jamie watches empathethically.

She never had problems with speaking up, but she knew that it was a problem for some people. She didn't like how the other girls looked upset, Kristy sits down next to Stacey on the bed.

"I shouldnt've done that." Mary Anne sighs

"Clients aren't supposed to pick their sitters, Mary Anne. That goes against the entire mission statement." Kristy reminds her, Mary Anne frowns, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, just try to be more assertive. Stans up for yourself" Claudia says, Jamie smiles, at least she was trying to help.

"Sorry." Mary Anne apologized again, "You don't have to keep saying you're sorry." Kristy rolls her eyes

"Sorry" Mary Anne apologizes, "Mary Anne!" They all groan, besides Jamie who was starting to get anxious with all the talking and negative energy she could feel bubbling.

"You have to learn how to advocate better for yourself."
"Don't be such a pushover."
"Do you just want people to ignore you your whole life?"

As the other girls spoke, Jamie watched as tears bubbled up and Mary Anne's eyes, she could tell she was about to cry.

"Just leave me alone!" Mary Anne exclaims rushing out the door

Jamie frowns, she gets up, "Where are you going?" Kristy sighed exsasperated, Jamie gritted her teeth, for once she was dissapointed in ger friends.

"I'm leaving, I don't like how you guys talked to Mary Anne, and unless you guys apologize, I don't want to be your friends." Jamie says, grabbing her bag she rushes out of Claudia's house.

She hears footstelps treading after her, "Jamie, wait!" Claudia shouted, Jamie swivled around, "What?" She asks

Though she was upset, she knew her friend's had good intentions. She just wished they'd gone about it better, "I don't wanna talk right now." She says coldly walking away, Claudia's left with a ping of sadness in her heart.

Jamie texted her Mom once she was away frok her house to pick her up, as soon as she stepped in the car her Mom knew something was wrong. "What's wrong?" She asks

Jamie shrugged nocholantly, "Nothing." Silence filled the car, it was like that the whole way home.

Jamie pratically belted into the house and up to her room, she distracted herself with an audiobook.

Evenfually her Mom and Dad called her down for dinner, Jamie furrowed her brows as her Mom and Dad sat arms crossed with angry expressions.

Jamie sat down feelimg the thick tensiom arising, she gulped, "Is something wrong?" She asks

"Is something wrong? Mary Anne's Dad called us and told us you guys were bullying poor Mary Anne, I thought we raised you better." Her Mom tsks scoffing, so thats what it was Jamie thought.