#82: Jessi and the Troublemaker
Okay, there are a few things going on in this book. First of all, remember Danielle Roberts from Jessi’s Wish, the friend of Becca’s who has leukemia and has been in and out of the hospital? Well her family is a new client of the BSC and it’s great that Danielle is feeling better but she’s expressing her newfound energy in some dangerous ways, like Rollerblading in the house while Jessi’s sitting and “sledding” down the basement stairs while Mary Anne is sitting. Everyone realizes that she’s getting away with things because everyone feels bad about what she’s been through and because they’re happy she’s doing better — but where do they draw the line? After she basically floods the bathroom with her friends while Kristy is sitting, the BSC decides something has to be said.
During the next meeting, they call Mrs. Roberts and tell her about what’s been happening. And? She doesn’t give a shit. She’s like, “yeah, isn’t it great that Danielle has so much energy?!” And the BSC is like, “uhhh…” What can you do? Well, here’s what Danielle does: the next time Jessi baby-sits, Danielle drives the Roberts’ car out of the garage and across the street where it nearly hits a frantic Jessi and then crashes into a parked car. (Full disclosure, when I was four years old I put my dad’s Jeep in reverse and careened backward down a hill. My dad jumped in the Jeep to yank the emergency brake just as we crashed into a small brick wall, and my dad broke his nose. Sorry, Dad!) Anywho, this situation is no bueno — Vanessa Pike has to go to the hospital and get a stitch in her head — but at least it wakes Mr. and Mrs. Roberts up from their reverie. They apologize to Jessi and assure her that they will stop indulging Danielle quite so much.
Meanwhile, Jessi and Becca overhear Aunt Cecilia talking about “something old, new, borrowed, and blue” with a random man named Mr. Majors and decide the two are getting married. Since Aunt Cecilia doesn’t announce anything, they assume it’s a secret wedding and they buy themselves and Squirt some new clothes and accessories, and they buy Aunt Cecilia and Mr. Majors a gift, and then on the wedding day… there’s no damn wedding. Aunt Cecilia and Mr. Majors are going to a wedding, not getting married, and Jessi and Becca basically look like idiots and get busted for eavesdropping. Whoops.
And, finally, Stacey has been bailing on BSC meetings and passing off sitting jobs without any explanation. Most of the baby-sitters are worried and confused, and Kristy is downright pissed. What’s going on with Queen Stacey? No one finds out, but in the end Stacey comes through and does a great job helping Danielle mend fences with her friends (who are pissed because they got in trouble for being the passengers in her accident) and Jessi and Mal thinks she’s worthy of being forgiven. (Duh.)
