62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever ch 11-15
Okay the conclusion- but before I snark I want to comment on a few things… First, I don’t blame the BSC for their reaction because it is obvious that a group of pre-teens who have lived very privileged lives and probably never encountered a foster system, so it is logical they wouldn’t realize the depth of emotional trauma that Lou has coming into the situation. I don’t blame Karen et als because they are children and really don’t understand that not everyone is privileged. Given that Karen thinks she is special to have two houses, which leads me to believe nobody in her class has divorced parents. I do not condone what Lou did with the cat- I will agree with that. However, I feel like that was put in there to try and made Lou the enemy, because really up to that point she did nothing actually wrong. She played with the boys and was fine, it was when the 3M wanted her to play house that she was upset, she didn’t want to sell her houses for a hotel, she didn’t feel like she was a Papadaksi. I blame the Social Worker for not properly teaching the Papi’s how to bring a Foster child into their home. I blame the parents for not helping the BSC & kids adjust and understand. What upsets me is that Kristy & the BSC do not like Lou because of the simple fact that she is not Charlotte Johannson. Every book we here how Kristy et co are amazing baby-sitters, amazing with children, they are better parents than the real parents, but the second a child is not perfectly well behaved they are horrible, without even considering why. It further pisses me off that Kristy thinks to herself multiple times how difficult Lou’s situation is, but then doesn’t think to consider there is a reason why Lou is tough and instead of being mean to her, be soft and warm. And it really pisses me off that Ann portrays the BSC to be innocent victims to a devil child, when really she is simply a heartbroken child who has had more loss in her life than ALL the BSC combined.
Chapter 11
It’s a Dawn baby-sitting chapter so automatically I am going to hate it. Dawn is dreading the job because of Lou. Lou is teasing Noodle by pretending to flush his (her?) favourite ball down the toilet, fairly innocent. Dawn’s pissed. Lou said she wasn’t teasing, but she used to know a dog who loved to play that game. It frustrates me that the super-sitters don’t clue into this- Lou misses her pet in addition to her family and stability. Sari has a stuffed pickle toy that she loves and Dawn, despite being a “vegetarian” feels is scary. Dawn’s a bitch. Lou says cats are stupid because they can’t do tricks, Hannie says Pat can chase balls, Lou says that’s not a trick, it’s a trait. Then Dawn has to be a bitch and start defending Hannie by saying she knew a cat in California that comes to them when you whistle. For fuck sakes Dawn. Do you not realize you’re isolating her even further by shooting her down with every single comment that you BSC kids make to her. Dawn has a carob cake recipe she wants to try and Mrs Greek said it was okay. Stop fucking inserting your fake health diet on everyone else Dawn. Lou doesn’t want to wear an apron and Dawn puts hers on and gives a look that forces her too. FUCK OFF DAWN. I bake and I don’t always wear an apron- if she doesn’t want to wear it don’t force it. It’s really not an issue; the Greeks have more than enough money to wash the clothes if they’re dirty. You all bitch about Jenny being a “fussbucket” because she wants to be clean and now you have a kid who wants to be dirty and you’re pissed? Lou took some of the batter and flung it into Hannie’s hair, Hannie overreacts and says “I hate you” to Lou, Lou says the same thing back. Dawn then and I quote this verbatim “And that was when Dawn did something completely uncharacteristic: She grabbed Lou, lifted her clear up off the floor, and carried her out of the kitchen. Put me Down- commanded Lou. Dawn kept going without answering. When she reached Lou’s room, she carried her and dropped her on her bed. ‘Congratulations Lou’ said Dawn through gritted teeth, ‘you get to stay in your room until you can behave. I wonder how long that (italicized) will be’”… ARE YOU FCUKING KIDDING ME- First DO NOT pick up and grab a child, especially one you DON’T KNOW. Okay maybe Lou shouldn’t have done that, but they are kids baking, it’s not the end of the world. Kids throw batter, adults throw batter- stop overreacting and deciding she is a horrible child and treating her as such. There is a big issue about Dawn washing Hannie’s hair- seriously its not that big of an issue. Kids do homework and Dawn goes to search for Lou who has gone to Hannie’s room and is cradling one of Hannie’s doll and has been crying. Dawn sits down next to Loy and says “Oh Lou”, Lou tells Dawn she hates her and everyone else. She then cries angrily and says she wants her father back, he left her. Dawn reassures her he wouldn’t have if he could have helped it; he loved her very, very much. Lou is angry that Jay’s gone and her mother left. She didn’t have to leave. In an even bigger bitch move Dawn says “maybe she did, you don’t know what happened”. Okay active listening would tell you Dawn NOT TO SAY THAT. Lou says she wants her mother and wants to go home. Dawn in another bitch move says “shh, its okay Lou. You have friends here; we’ll take care of you. And things will work out”. Again Dawn, try active listening. And what friends- you all hate her. And taking care of her? Everyone is treating her like shit. Dawn tries to hug her and Lou tells her not to, she doesn’t want a hug. (again, why neither Kristy, Mary-Anne nor Dawn should have grabbed her). She doesn’t want Dawn to pretend to like her and then leave again (there is irony in the fact that it is Dawn who this conversation is with, considering 5 books later she moves to California) . Lou starts talking about everyone leaves her, even her dog. Dawn is all “you had a dog?” Are you friggin kidding me Dawn, how did you not figure this one out? Lou talks about how smart the dog was but one day he ran away and then her dad died. Then there is this verbatim “Oh, though Dawn. That’s why Lou was pestering all the animals. Keeping them and us- all from getting to close to her. Testing us”. OH MY WORD. I want to scream. A little more dialogue, then they go down for brownies. Lou apologizes to Hannie who after some silence says okay. And when Dawn is home she calls Kristy and says “she’s not the worst kid ever, she’s the saddest”.. OH MY RAGE
Chapter 12
Kristy is baby-sitting, you know this is the fourth time in this book that the Papi’s have had a sitter, given that Lou just came, it would be appropriate for them to take time off rather than getting sitters. The Social worker calls while Kristy is baby-sitting; she has to talk to Lou and is on her way over. Apparently the Papi’s called Kristy at home last minute to sit for an hour--- why couldn’t she just ask Watson to let the kids play, Hannie can work on the damn house and Lou & the boys can play soccer. Kristy tells Lou the SW is on her way, and Lou believes its because Mom has come back and is going to take her. I really don’t know why the SW would just show up so suddenly, rather than ensuring an ADULT was home. The SW shows up and talks to Lou, her and Jay will be reunited with her aunt and uncle who were “so excited to hear about you two”. Where were they before this? Surely they knew their brother/in-law had two children. Lou screams Noooooooooooo and how she wants her mother. She’s screaming, the SW calls for Kristy- I refuse to believe a SW would call a 13 year old for assistance. Mrs P comes home and is all “wtf happened”. She sends Kristy home and Lou is still saying she won’t leave. Just before dinner Mrs P comes over and asks if they’ve seen Lou, she went on a rampage, Mrs P took her to her room and she ripped it apart and flew out of the house. Where the frig is the social worker in all of this? DM comes in and tells Kristy that Karen’s playhouse is wrecked, totalled but good. Kristy knows it was Lou. There is bad English with Elizabeth saying “she can’t have gone far”- couldn’t, not can’t. Kristy finds her on a swing and tells Lou its time to go home- Kristy immediately realizes the bad choice of words. Lou says she has no home. Lou wants her mother, aunt & uncle aren’t the same. Lou and Kristy leave together
Chapter 13
The Papi’s are having a farewell party for Lou with everyone, including the entire BSC- of course. Dawn and Kristy go up to Lou’s room, she is wearing the same out she had on when she arrived. There is a skirt and sweater that Kristy suspects she is supposed to wear. Why must they make her wear something she clearly doesn’t want to wear. Kristy then says she hates skirts but likes new sweaters-ones with snowmen and dolphins, oh wait that’s Stacey. Lou goes downstairs and has the new sweater on over her overalls. Jay is in the living room and they have a nice reunion, it’s sweet. Aunt and Uncle have a new puppy for Lou, it’s all hers and was Jay’s suggestion. She’s a three month old shelter dog. I am touched. There is really nothing I can snark here. Well except when Lou apologizes to Karen for wrecking the old playhouse and Karen says “it was a NEW playhouse”. OMW Karen.
Chapter 14
Kristy is a bitch. Dawn says things might be easier for Lou now and Kristy says “and more difficult for the McNallys” and then says “Well they went from no kids, to two kids”- sure Kristy, admit it, you’re a bitch with a grudge. Mallory said Lou makes life more interesting. Jessi makes some comment about how she’ll comment when she meets a boring perfect child. I love their denial of how boring the kids are. Kristy then worries what the McNallys will think of Lou making noise and wants to be protective- seriously Kristy, you were a bitch to her this entire time and now you’re worried. And chances are the aunt/uncle realize it is a PARTY and she is a CHILD. Kristy gives Lou a book (well she gives it to the uncle to give to Lou). SW says Lou is lucky, many stories don’t have a happy ending. Kristy doesn’t think it’s a happy ending because she doesn’t have her father and mom is still gone. Kristy, the thing with life is, your reality changes. You want a perfect ending but when that doesn’t happen you change what the ending is--- you don’t have your father, but you have a happy ending. Mary Anne doesn’t have her mother but she has a happy ending. Given the choices for Lou, this is a happy ending and will allow her to heal and recover. Apparently everyone the BSC wrote to gave something for the auction. I highly doubt celebrities would send something to a HS auction, imagine if they answered all requests? Kristy & the BSC all wrote cards to Lou, nice how you can be nice to her now. But god forbid you tried to have empathy when she was living there. Lou writes a letter back, it’s cute and Kristy is all “I wouldn’t trade that letter for anything”. I really hate how Kristy is seen as the victor in this.
Chapter 15
Auction- frig this shit. The BSC donated celebrity items, Cokie did not. All the items are listed and the BSC celebrity items were the last, the grand finale. Karen gets the TV aquarium and someone tells her “indoor voice”. Cokie’s father apparently bid on the CD spree and so high that nobody else could bid that’s weird- just in that you usually do the starting bid, you don’t go to a high amount. Ridiculous. Kristy bid on an autograph photo of J.C. Kalisi who is apparently one of the first women to win gold in track. This makes no sense: first of all- I googled Kalisi, nothing came up. Secondly, women started doing “track” (which is not a sport, it is Athletics and running can mean a lot of things) in 1928. So if she was one of the first women to win gold, then that means she won a medal in 1928. There is no way a photo from the 1928 Summer games would be given to a high school auction. Kristy said she is a heroine of hers, since when does Kristy like “track”, if anything I’d say Ann Harnett would be her hero… Oh but the BEST PART- the highest item was donated by the BSC- 24 hours of free babysitting. FUCK NO. COME OFF IT. They charge 1$ an hour, nobody is going to pay more than 24$ for that item. I refuse to believe that Cokie’s Mason’s father paid less than 24$ for an item that would be worth thousands of dollars. Why the frig does the BSC need to be the best at everything, RAGE
I am really angry. I apologize for the language, but this is the worst book ever. Some please snark something fun for me.