California Girls Chapters 11-15
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Chapter 11
The BSC club and the WLK club are having a sleepover. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to have Kristy in the same room as them. I’m surprised she doesn’t start quizzing them on what they’ll do if a kid spills a glass of milk or gets injured. Kristy is pessimistic that the only food they’ll get to eat is health food and they’ll probably have celery and eggplant pizza. I love veggies on my pizza. I had no idea broccoli on pizza could be so delicious. On one hand, I keep remembering how Dawn offered Kristy some really nasty health food when they first met and how sometimes Dawn goes out of her way to make her health food sound as unappealing as possible so that everyone can know she’s willing to suffer for her beliefs. Then I think that the BSC wouldn’t die if they ate a vegetable. Then I think that it is possible to compromise and eat healthy food that tastes nice, or get food that your guests would enjoy, but doesn’t compromise your beliefs.
Dawn complains about Carol being a busybody and trying to be one of them. I’m getting a little more irritated at Dawn’s attitude. I know that some kids might take a while to adjust to their parents dating again, but seriously. Carol has been nothing but nice to Dawn and her friends and Dawn complains about her constantly. How is Carol being a busybody? All she’s done is offer to drive you guys around. Jack isn’t here, so what are you guys going to do without Carol? Well, I suppose Stacey’s new friends could drive her around. I’m surprised Dawn didn’t declare she’d rather stay at home or walk until her feet bled rather than accept a ride from Carol. She also told Stacey about the surfing lessons and told Claudia to make a move on Terry. The BSC meddles more than Carol ever did. All Carol did was offer some suggestions and then let things alone.
How is Carol trying to be one of you guys? I haven’t really noticed her intruding on your group. Maybe Dawn thinks that Carol interacting with them counts as trying to be one of them. I think Carol is just being polite and friendly, and Dawn is misinterpreting it as, “That horrible woman wants to be one of us.” Dawn also complains about how Carol let Mallory dye her hair blonde. Why do you care, Dawn? Are thirteen-year-olds really concerned if their friend dyes their hair? How does Mallory’s blonde hair affect Dawn? It’s Mallory’s hair and her money, and if she wants to spend her money on a bad-looking dye job, it’s her business. I think the BSC has issues with the members changing their appearances. Now I want to see Mallory come back from Riverbend with tattoos and piercings and her hair dyed wild colors just so I can see the BSC’s reactions. Now I want to draw pictures of what the BSC look like when they’re teenagers, but I can’t draw. I basically want cute Janine and Mallory art.
Mallory points out that Carol didn’t let her dye her hair. She didn’t even know. Dawn insists that she should have. So Carol was supposed to know that a girl she only met once or twice was going to dye her hair based on something she said once? It’s not like Mallory was talking about dying her hair all the time. All she did was say that maybe she could dye her hair blonde. I say things like that all the time. I might say that I want to dye my hair purple or that I want to cosplay as a Pokemon, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it. How does Carol know that Mallory wasn’t just thinking out loud?
The subject switches to Terry. Dawn says that Claudia shouldn’t try to change herself to be with Terry. Claudia protests that Carol said she should. They’re being a bit loud, so Carol pops her head in to see if everything is okay. Mary Anne says that Carol probably heard them talking about her and Dawn doesn’t care. She’s lost her appetite because Carol is so horrible. Carol should act her age and butt out. Shut up, Dawn. Carol has been nothing but nice to you and your friends. It’s not like she’s borrowing your clothes and gossiping with you about cute boys. I don’t really see how Carol is acting like some teenage wannabee. And she’s not butting into your business. All she did was pop her head in and ask how everything was going. My mom has done that when I’m sure Dawn would prefer if Carol didn’t interact with her at all. But suppose Carol didn’t interact with Dawn? Would Dawn have complained then?
I just thought that Dawn’s attitude towards Carol reminds me of how my brother complains about how our mom acts around his friends. He complains about her being nosy when she makes small talk with his friends and asks them what they’ve been up to. I guess in my brother’s mind, my mom shouldn’t have any contact with his friends at all. The same goes for Dawn. Carol shouldn’t have any contact with the BSC at all. Maggie changes the subject to remind Kristy that she has a babysitting job tomorrow. Kristy is insulted. Calm down, Kristy. Maggie didn’t realize that you didn’t think about anything other than children. She probably didn’t know that you’ve been looking forward to this job and the chance to prove your superiority for the longest while.
Dawn remembers something. Mallory is busy examining her hair in mirror and hopes it’s not about Carol. Go, Mallory! The image of Mallory examining her hair and being completely disinterested in Dawn’s complaining is hilarious. Dawn remembers that Jack is supposed to take them to Universal Studios on Saturday and that’s when Kristy’s babysitting job is. Kristy says that she’ll take Erick and Ryan with her. The WLK club tries to tell her that the kids will run wild, but Kristy is confident in her abilities as the child tamer. Kristy says that she can handle children because she’s the president of the first babysitting club. I wish the WLK club had asked, “So what’s your point?” Just because Kristy had the idea for her and her friends to form a babysitting club first doesn’t make them superior sitters. I’m pretty sure people were babysitting without forming clubs. The world isn’t split into bad babysitters and the BSC. It is possible for someone to be a good sitter without being a member of the BSC. Kristy is judging the WLK club based solely on the fact that their club isn’t organized like the BSC, so they must be inferior.
The WLK club tries to tell Kristy that she doesn’t know Erick and Ryan. That’s a good point. Kristy says it doesn’t matter. She’s so arrogant. Does she really think that just because she founded the BSC, she was endowed with magical abilities to understand children? You’re a thirteen year old girl, Kristy. Stop acting like you’re an adult. It’s funny because for all their bragging about what great sitters they are, the BSC can’t handle when something doesn’t go according to plan. They complain about Jackie being clumsy and making messes it would take a minute to clean up. They called Mallory’s first trial job a disaster because she asked the kids what they wanted for a snack, asked a question that made a toddler cry, and let the dog in. They freak out at minor inconveniences. It’s all very well when the kids are kissing their asses, but once the kids start expressing an opinion that doesn’t coincide with the BSC, and then it’s a disaster. I’m pretty sure Kristy will grow up and think that no one else knows anything about children. She’ll write a book denouncing teachers, child psychologists, daycare workers, parents, and anyone else who has ever worked with kids. The book will be filled with idiotic advice and there’ll be a huge outcry.
Mary Anne thinks that it’s too bad they can’t bring Stephie because of her asthma. Maggie says they can. She says that Stephie would probably love to go. Kristy makes a sarcastic comment that Maggie probably considers herself the Queen of Babysitters. I can’t. I really can’t. Maybe Maggie is saying that Stephie would like to go because she actually knows the kid? Pretty soon Kristy will get pissy that anyone expresses an opinion on how to care for a child, even the child’s parents. I can see parents telling Kristy that their kid likes to do things a certain way and her completely dismissing them because she knows best. After all, she founded the BSC. That totally makes her an expert on child care.
Kristy and Mary Anne go to make arrangements for the kids. The WLK club doesn’t think that Kristy knows what she’s doing. Kristy gets pissy because how dare they question her knowledge of children? These irresponsible girls don’t even have a club notebook. Next they’ll say that they let the kids do what they want (within reason) instead of planning a schedule down to the minute.
Chapter 12
Claudia is going out with Terry again. She’s given advice to be herself. She and Terry are going to a French restaurant. They go to the restaurant and most of the customers are thirty years older than they are and wearing suits. Terry is wearing a suit as well. I’m having a hard time imagining a thirteen-year-old going there for a date. The waiter speaks French. Is that usually a thing? If you go to a French restaurant, would they usually speak French? I can understand maybe a greeting in French, but would they talk about the specials in French? Can you ask them to speak English, or is that considered rude? Terry asks if Claudia needs help with the menu, but she says she can read. Unfortunately, the menu is entirely in French. At this point I would have just asked for help. Would a restaurant like this one have a translation, or does it depend on the restaurant? Claudia orders escargots because it’s easy to pronounce.
Claudia tries to make conversation with Terry by asking him what he thinks about the situation in the Soviet Union. He answers, but Claudia doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Terry is more worried about the greenhouse effect, and Claudia doesn’t understand what harm greenhouses can do. The waiter arrives with dinner and Claudia realizes she’s ordered snails. She tries to choke them down, but has a difficult time. The date is really awkward because Claudia can’t think of a subject that interests Terry. There’s also the fact that she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. God, I hate awkward pauses in conversations. I either pray the person will go away so I can brood in peace or the topic will be changed to something I can talk about or the person will start talking and I can listen. By the end of the date, Claudia thinks she’s made a complete fool out of herself.
Chapter 13
It’s time to go to Universal Studios. Mallory read that people are picked to demonstrate special effects and hopes the she’ll be chosen. She hogs the bathroom while putting on her makeup. I would find this a pain in the ass. I remember when my mom and brother would be getting ready in both bathrooms and I would really need to pee. I usually got more annoyed with my brother because he was always fixing his hair and taking an ungodly long time and he would do it right before he had to leave for school. No one tells Mallory that she looks nice. I feel kind of bad for her. She hears about how ugly she is all the time and she tries to look pretty, but no one tells her she looks nice. In fact, they disapprove of her dying her hair blonde. They pick up Stephie, Erick, and Ryan. Erick and Ryan play loud imaginary games in thecare. So they’re just like the Pikes, then? I think I would have seriously considered throwing myself out of the car if I had to share it with the Pikes.
Mallory isn’t happy being squished between Jessi and Stacey. Yeah, being squished in a van full of people isn’t any fun. She also hopes her makeup doesn’t run. When they get to Universal Studios, Mallory asks how her hair is and Jessi snaps that it’s fine. Mallory wonders what her problem is. I don’t know. Maybe Mallory’s plot is about her acting like a conceited jerk because of her makeover, but she’s not as conceited as I thought she was going to be. Aside from hogging the bathroom, she hasn’t done anything really horrible. I think the BSC is just mad Mallory dyed her hair. I really don’t see why they care. It’s her money and her hair. I’m also beginning to think that unless you’re Stacey or Claudia, you can’t want to look pretty. Only Stacey and Claudia are allowed to care about their appearances. Stacey has made a bigger fuss over her hair before. Mallory just asked if her hair was okay. I don’t think it warranted her being snapped at.
Mallory needs to borrow money to get into the park. It would be a pain in the ass to have to pay for someone else. No one thought to bring a camera. Really? I’m surprised the idea machine didn’t think to bring a camera or organized Mary Anne. I would think that you’d bring a camera to a Disney theme park, (or on vacation) unless you think there’s absolutely nothing worth photographing. I bring cameras when I go on vacation. Well, I usually just use my phone if I’m going to be technical, but I already have ways to take pictures. If I was going to a Disney theme park, California, or somewhere on vacation, I’d have a way to take pictures. They buy disposable cameras. Poor Mallory doesn’t get chosen to be a volunteer because nothing nice can happen to her. Jessi keeps saying that she knew that during the tour and being a know-it-all. Mallory almost tells her to shut up, but remembers that she still needs money, and Jessi is her best friend and she doesn’t want to fight.
Chapter 14
Kristy thinks that Erick and Ryan aren’t as bad as the WLK made them out to be. Maybe Kristy is being lulled into a false sense of security. I would laugh so hard if a newbie BSC member had to babysit Jenny, Jackie or any other of the BSC problem charges and they came back and said, “What was the big deal? All Jackie did was spill some stuff, but we cleaned it up. He seems like a nice kid. And Jenny’s nice enough, just a little high maintenance.” I just think it’d put the BSC in their place to know that other people could be better sitters than them and handle the problem kids better. I’d also like to see their reactions to a newbie babysitting Karen and saying she was a little brat and they told her to stop spreading bullshit stories about the neighbors.
The tour guide says that this is the last chance to go to the bathroom. Erick and Ryan want to go, and they want to go by themselves. Kristy thinks this will be a great chance to show up the WLK club and prove that the boys can responsible, so she agrees. Kristy waits for a long time and Erick and Ryan don’t come out. They’re either having bathroom troubles or this is a trick. I’d be praying the kids are just constipated or something like that. But if I hear stories about how unruly the kids are and they’re taking a long time in the bathroom, I’ll probably be paranoid and think that something is up.
Kristy almost goes into the bathroom, but is embarrassed. I guess barging into the boys’ bathroom is a line Kristy won’t cross. Stacey comes to see what’s going on and Kristy tells her to get Jeff. Jeff goes to get Erick and Ryan. They were squirting each other with water and throwing wet paper towels at the ceiling. I’m pretty sure the Pikes would do the same thing or worse. They catch up to the group. Jeff is picked as a volunteer and Erick and Ryan whine. Claire would have been on the ground screaming, “Nofe air!” and Karen would probably throw a tantrum as well. Hell, Karen would probably try to shove Jeff out of the way and take his place.
Kristy tries to get the boys to shut up by covering their mouths. They bite her. This is hilarious. I’m having flashbacks to Kristy’s Big Day when the same thing happened to Watson. Kristy tells them to behave. They do, but they complain a lot. During the tour, Erick and Ryan keep standing up, despite the guide telling them not to. I hate rude little kids who don’t listen. I wouldn’t be able to work with them because I don’t have a lot of patience and I’d be worried I was going to yell at the kid and call them a rude little shit. Kristy is getting annoyed with Erick and Ryan. I think the Pikes would behave like them. I’m not sure if Kristy would be annoyed. The Pikes’ behavior usually gets chalked up to rambunctious and high-spirited, not disruptive and annoying.
There’s another earthquake special effect, and Ryan and Erick get scared. They sit on Kristy and Stacey’s laps. Kristy tells them that they can’t be trusted to sit by themselves, so they’ll have to sit on their laps. Kristy also realizes that the WLK club was right about Erick and Ryan and that she’s not the only one who knows a lot about kids. I’m happy to see Kristy admitting this, but I’m not too excited because she’ll go right back to thinking she’s a superior babysitter in the next book. Still, I suppose I should be glad Kristy even admitted that she was wrong and she wasn’t a babysitting guru.
Chapter 15
Mary Anne is afraid Stephie is going to have an asthma attack and keeps jumping at the littlest thing. Stephie is having a good time. Stephie is quiet on the tour and Mary Anne asks if she’s okay. Stephie says that she is, but Mary Anne doesn’t fully believe her. Maybe Stephie is just a quiet kid. There are times I don’t feel like talking. During the tour, they come face to face with King Kong. Mary Anne grips the inhaler, but Stephie just laughs. I’m getting the feeling this chapter will be about Mary Anne getting the inhaler ready only to see that Stephie is having a good time and isn’t having an asthma attack. Yeah, it pretty much is. Mary Anne freaks out at a special effect, grabs the inhaler, and realizes that Stephie is having fun. Mary Anne lightens up.