#69: Get Well Soon, Mallory!
In the past couple of books, Mallory has been exhibiting symptoms of deep fatigue - falling asleep at school and in BSC meetings, not having enough energy to help baby-sit, etc. This book is the payoff (if you can call it that). Mallory is still feeling exhausted, and even sleeps right through Halloween night. She’s sick of being sick and tired, but now she’s also worried because the entire Pike family is supposed to go to New York for Thanksgiving and see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade - how is she going to go if she still feels like this?
Mallory is finally diagnosed with mononucleosis, which is a bummer. (I had mono on my 21st birthday - womp womp.) She is panicked at the prospect of having to stay in bed for a month and failing out of sixth grade, but she’s really bothered by the fact that everyone at school is saying she caught the “kissing disease” from Ben Hobart. (Honestly, when I was in sixth grade I would have been psyched if that rumor went around about me.) The BSC scrambles to cover Mallory’s sitting jobs with some help from Shannon and Logan. In fact, this is the first book that lists Shannon as the Alternate Officer on the back cover:
It also lists Mallory as an Honorary Member. This is because her parents and her doctor agree that since her recovery is going more slowly than they’d hoped, she has to stay in bed until she’s well enough to go to school and then she can only go to school - no extra-curriculars like archery club or the Baby-sitters Club. Mallory is worried that the BSC will replace her, but they all vote to keep her on as an Honorary Member until she can rejoin and, in the meantime, they’ll try to handle the extra jobs on their own.
Meanwhile, the BSC is working on a big Thanksgiving project - goody baskets for all the elderly people at Stoneybook Manor, many of whom don’t have friends or family with whom to share the holiday. The baskets were Charlotte Johanssen’s, because like her mentor Stacey, she is a beautiful genius. The kids brainstorm ideas for fundraisers and getting sponsors so they can actually afford to fill the goody baskets with food and treats, and decide to also hold a little carnival for the oldies at Stoneybrook Manor, with easy games and prizes.
Lying around like a lump at home, Mallory feels guilty about the stress she’s putting on the BSC. She knows they won’t let her quit, so she decides she’s going to have to get them to kick her out. She starts by being super rude to Claudia, and then by trying to pit Claudia and Jessi against one another. She also refuses to make phone calls and help with the Thanksgiving baskets, even though she’d already offered to. She’s a real dick to Mary Anne and Kristy, and if there had been any sharp objects nearby I have no doubt Kristin Amanda Thomas would have stabbed Mallory in the neck. But at the next BSC meeting, all the members swap stories and figure out what Mal’s up to - they’re on to her shit. And, luckily for Mallory, they are really good friends and tell her that they love her and she can’t get rid of them. Rather than being a burden, she can really help them by making calls for the project. Mallory is relieved and agrees to help - for real this time. She even helps the kids raise almost $150 overnight and she’s finally feeling better…
…that is, until her parents break it to her that because of her illness the whole family is staying in Stoneybrook for Thanksgiving instead of going to New York to see the Macy’s parade. She feels like she’s ruined Thanksgiving. On the other hand, the other members of the BSC are total Thanksgiving rockstars, as they put together really sweet Thanksgiving baskets, games, and a “Friendship Song” that the kids will perform for the oldies. This whole project is a good idea and I might steal it (I’m the National Honor Society advisor at the high school where I teach).
The BSC repurposes this project for a special surprise for Mallory the day before Thanksgiving - they bring her a goody basket, and the same games from the Stoneybrook Manor carnival. Claudia makes Mallory a pair of special “Miracul Cure” earrings, and Mal wins jelly beans and a cake. Mallory cries and maybe I do too.
*Sobbing uncontrollably*
Say hello to your friends…
*continued disgusting sobbing*
The BSC returns to the Pike house after dinner on Thanksgiving Day and Dawn calls from California. The gang’s all back together, sort of! Mallory’s even starting to feel better, but not well enough to rejoin the BSC and take on anything besides school. Kristy tells her that they won’t start searching for a new member or add anyone else unless someone great comes to them. PICK ME! PICK ME!
