The Babysitters Remember Chapters 12-21
http://bsc-snark.livejournal.com/673864.html
http://bsc-snark.livejournal.com/675179.html
Chapters 12-14
Logan’s memory involves his point of view of Logan Likes Mary Anne. Seeing an event from another perspective can be quite interesting, but this isn’t one of those times. Nothing really of note, except that Logan saw Mary Anne and thought she’d be the perfect beard. He also keeps wondering why she’s so quiet, despite being told that she’s shy. Seriously, Logan is wondering why Mary Anne isn’t saying anything and I’m like, “You were told that she was really shy. Did you really expect her to start talking to you right away?” Oh, and Logan thinks he fucked up when he babysat Jackie, but Mary Anne was like, “No, Jackie’s accident-prone. The mark of a good sitter is someone who can cope with accidents.”
Yeah, then you guys aren’t good sitters. Jackie spills some milk and you act like he just set the house on fire or sliced an artery. I’ve said it before, but I really doubt these girls are hiding their annoyance. They’re probably sighing and rolling their eyes and talking in annoyed voices. Mary Anne says that it’s too bad Jackie thinks he’s a handful because the accidents aren’t his fault. Then maybe you guys should stop acting like he fucks up on purpose? Just a thought. Oh, and there’s also a part where Logan has a bunch of good shit to make a sandwich at home, but he decides to buy lunch so he doesn’t look like a loser. Does anyone really care? I brought lunch from home and no one gave a shit. In stories and TV, everyone acts like bringing lunch from home is the worst thing you can do, but in my experience, no one gave a shit.
Chapter 15
Mallory finds a rough draft of a letter she was writing to her favorite author. I’ve always wanted to meet my favorite authors, but they never come to Florida. And if they do, they never come anywhere near where I live. I know that some authors have Tumblr, so it’s easier to ask them a question or say how much I loved their books, but I’ve just been too chicken shit. Mallory says her life was much different at ten because she wasn’t a member of the cult as yet.
Mallory talks about how she loves the BSC, but is embarrassed about being babysat by them. It’s kind of sad seeing her level of hero worship of these girls. It also takes me back when I wanted to be friends with people and I was so desperate it was pathetic. Thankfully, they weren’t like the BSC. I basically just admired them from afar because they were smart and pretty. Since Mallory isn’t a member of the BSC as yet, she has more time for reading and having a life. Yeah, if the BSC cut into my reading time I’d have been like, “Fuck this shit.” Okay, I wouldn’t have joined the BSC because I don’t like kids that much and I don’t feel like putting up with Kristy. But on the list of reasons why I quit the BSC, I’d list, “Less time for reading. “
Mallory’s memory starts with Mary Anne and Claudia coming over to babysit. Mallory is trying to get to a good stopping point in her book. Yeah, you say you’ll stop here, but then you have to find out if this character lives, if the character you hate gets their comeuppance, if the couple you are rooting to get together kisses, etc. I do it all the time. I say I’ll stop here, but then something happens and I’m like, “Let me just read until I find this out.” Anyway, Mallory has been trying to get her hands on a book for a really long time. She’s had a hard time finding it at the bookstore and everyone keeps checking it out of the library. I relate to this on a gut level. It’s so annoying to want a book and it’s not available anywhere. Of course I can just order the book online, but I’m kind of cheap and I don’t want to spend twenty dollars on a book I hate. It really depends on the price of the book. If it’s a book that’s on sale, even if I ended up hating it, I’m not that upset.
Right now there’s this book at the library I’ve been wanting to read for a while. It was due on the twentieth of this month and it’s still not on the shelves. I’m getting annoyed. Maybe there was a family emergency and the person couldn’t return the book.
Mallory finally puts her name on a waiting list. The librarian finds her in the hall and says she’ll give her the book at the end of the day. Mallory is like, “Fuck that, I waited months and I’m not waiting a second more,” so the librarian hands over the book. Mallory wants to finish the book, but she doesn’t want the story to end. Yeah, been there, done that. Mallory goes downstairs and she and Mary Anne have a nice conversation about books. Friendships based on love of books is the best thing. But I’m biased. I always headcanon that Janine recommends books to Mallory because I can see Janine reading all sorts of things.
Mary Anne suggests that Mallory write to the author, Ameila Moody. Mallory wonders what she’s supposed to say. I’d be like, “Why would an author give a shit about some random girl writing and saying they like my books?” Mary Anne says Mallory can say how much she likes Amelia’s books. Mallory writes to Amelia. First she barely hopes for a reply and then after five or so weeks she’s forgotten all about it. Yeah, that’s what happens when I apply for a job. At first I’m waiting to see if they’ll call and then five months later they call to reject me and I’m like, “When the fuck did I apply to this job?” Amelia says she’s signing books at Washington Mall and invites her to attend. I’m shocked Mallory’s parents weren’t like, “No, we need you to do a whole bunch of shit that we can’t do for some reason and neither can your siblings.”
Chapter 16
Mallory is really excited about meeting Amelia Moody and the time is just dragging by. She compares it to how time seems to slow down when it’s the last few weeks of school. I remember that. I think in my senior year I was just like, “I don’t give a shit. I just want this year to be over. Fuck all these assignments.” I remember that during my first day of senior year I got overwhelmed because there was so much stuff I had to do. I was worried because I had to make sure I was taking all the right courses and fulfilled all my requirements and had the correct number of service hours and had prepared for my AP exams.
Once there’s a week left, Mallory is suddenly like, “Oh crap, what do I wear? Should I bring a present? What should I bring?” Mallory gets Vanessa to leave her alone so she can think. Vanessa is in too much of a daze to argue. I’m pretty sure Vanessa would wander into traffic while she’s composing a poem. Mallory tries to figure out what to wear. She isn’t sure if she should dress up and how dressy should she get. She wonders of she should dress up like she’s going to church or like she’s having her school picture taken. I always hated school pictures. I can never smile naturally.
Has it been mentioned what religion the Pikes are? Do any of the characters besides Abby have a religion? Granted, I’m not religious myself so knowing a character’s religious background isn’t high on my list of priorities. I remember that when I was a kid I had to go to Mass on Fridays and I think it was from five to six. I can just see Kristy’s tantrum if Mallory said her family was going to Friday Mass. I can also see the triplets having a bible fight and Margo throwing up when she drinks the wine. I guess I’m thinking of the Pikes as Catholic. I guess since my family is Catholic, I default to that if I don’t know a character’s religion.
Mallory also practices what to say, but then she’s like, “What if I forget what I’m supposed to say?” She also tries to figure out what to get Amelia, but she’s ten and only has four dollars. It’s not like she’s a member of the BSC yet. I bet she doesn’t get an allowance. My mom actually pays my little brother to do chores, but does she pay me? Nope. I can see the same bullshit going down with Mallory and her family. Mallory will do all the laundry, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, mop, make dinner, and tuck Claire into bed and get jack shit. Meanwhile the triplets will get a dollar to straighten up a mess they made.
Mallory wakes up on the day of the book signing nervous because she’s about to meet one of her favorite authors. I’d be nervous, too. Miraculously, Mrs. Pike decides to make it a mother-daughter day. Mallory is relieved. Yeah, if I was going to meet my favorite author, I wouldn’t want my siblings running around like a pack of wild animals and embarrassing me. I’m shocked Mrs. Pike is actually letting Mallory go instead of being like, “You can’t leave. We need someone to make Claire’s bed and clean up spilled milk, and do the laundry. We can’t possibly ask the other kids or your father to do any work.”
Mallory dresses in a flowered vest over a pink turtleneck with a navy skirt and navy tights. She gets nervous when Mrs. Pike asks if that’s what she’s wearing because she knows that’s code for, “Your outfit looks like shit.” Yeah, but if Claudia wore that she’d look totally stylish. I hate it when I pick out an outfit and my mom is like, “Do you think that goes together, or look at your outfit and tell me if you think something is wrong.” I don’t have time for this hinting bullshit. Just tell me if the colors clash or if I need to fix my shirt.
They get to the store and the line is really long. I’m shocked Mrs. Pike wasn’t like, “Fuck this, you don’t need to meet your favorite author that badly.” Mallory finally meets Amelia Moody and gets so awestruck she can’t speak. Instead she bursts into tears. Yeah, I’m sure I would have done the same thing. It would be really overwhelming to meet someone you really admire. Mrs. Pike tells Amelia Mallory’s name and Amelia signs the book. Later Mallory decides to become a writer when she sees what an impact an author might have on a reader. And when they get home they see the house is on fire and all the kids are running around naked.
Chapter 17-18
Shannon’s memory is from when she recently turned thirteen. She says her home life isn’t the greatest, so she uses school as a distraction. The problem with her home is that it lacks warmth and her parents might be fighting. Sharon can sense the tension. There’s some new girl named Sally White. Everyone kisses her ass because she traveled a lot. Everyone fights to be her friend and Sally gets off on it. This is why Shannon didn’t like Kristy when she first moved to the neighborhood. I thought it was because Kristy was a bossy, insensitive brat who thought the world revolved around her.
Chapter 19
Dawn’s most vivid memory is from when her parents got divorced. She says that she thought her parents would always be together and they’d always live in California. Yeah, I would have a hard time imagining my parents being divorced and living on two different sides of the country. Dawn noticed Sharon and Jack have been fighting more often and wonders if she just never noticed. Yeah, there are things in my family that I never picked up on as a kid, but now that I’m older I’m like, “Was this always going on and I was too young to notice or is this a recent thing?”
Jack complains that Sharon is making scrambled eggs when he likes poached. He’s a grown man, he can make poached eggs himself. Sharon says as much. Later Sharon wants to go to the movies and Dawn is happy because she gets to babysit Jeff. I never looked forward to babysitting my brother. Okay, I had an aunt and uncle that would babysit me and my brother. Anyway, Jack would rather hang out with his friends. Sharon and Jack fight over insignificant things like once a day, but they fight so much that it just kind of builds up.
Dawn and Jeff get so used to their parents’ sniping at each other that they don’t even notice it anymore. One Wednesday Jack is late getting home. He doesn’t come home all night. One night Dawn has an upset stomach and goes to get something to drink when she stumbles on her mom sleeping on some sort of portable bed. So she and Jack aren’t sleeping in the same bed anymore. I’m pretty sure Jack was out cheating on Sharon, too. Dawn gets worried because her parents aren’t sleeping in the same room.
Another night Dawn wakes up to Sharon accusing Jack of lying. I guess she’s confronting him about the other woman. Jack storms off and he makes such a racket that the walls are vibrating and Dawn thinks the house might fall down. I would have liked to see some conversations with Dawn and Stacey about their parents’ divorce. Both parents had horrible fights. I really think they would have been able to relate to each other on that. I would have been scared if I woke up to my parents screaming and having a fight. Jack leaves and doesn’t come home for three days.
Chapter 20-21
I really can’t snark this. I can’t find anything snarkable about how upset Dawn and Jeff are about their parents getting a divorce. Dawn and Jeff are mad because they want their parents to stay together. Dawn and Jeff are also upset that on top of their parents getting a divorce, they have to move to Connecticut. It would suck to have your parents get divorced and then have to move halfway across the country on top of it. I mean, you don’t know anyone there and the climate is completely different. If Dawn was in California, she could have a support system with her friends. I do think the writers did a decent job showing how horrible divorce could be and what the kids go through.