The Baby-sitters are way out of place in the big city.

"Stacey?" said Mary Anne. "What do you do at a New York party?"

I tried not to look exasperated. "Exactly what you do at a Connecticut party," I told her, and was relieved to hear the doorbell. "That must be Laine!" I cried.

Laine comes over so often that the doormen know her and let her upstairs without calling us.

I dashed to the hallway. "Laine?" I said, before opening the door.

"It's me!"

I opened the door. "Hi! Oh, I'm glad you're here! Come on in and meet my friends."

The six of us gathered in the living room and I introduced everyone. I saved Claudia for last. "And this," I said, "is Claudia Kishi. Laine, Claudia. Claudia, Laine."

Laine was taking off her coat and my friends were watching her with interest. I knew they were wondering what she was wearing.... Well, even I was surprised.

Laine was beyond chic. She had chosen a short black dress, black stockings, and simple black flats. On one wrist was a single silver bangle bracelet. On her dress was one of those silver squiggle pins. Her fluffy brown hair was newly permed and perfectly cut. She looked wonderful - at least nineteen. My friends were speechless. Claudia looked good, too, but well, maybe only fifteen - tops. Her hair was long and flowing, and her outfit was wild, but no particularly adult.

"So you're the members of the Baby-sitters Club," said Laine, smiling. "Stacey's told me a lot about you."

"She's told us about you, too," replied Claudia, and added, "You're the one she had the big fight with after she found out she was diabetic, right?"

That was true - Laine and I had had a fight - but what was Claudia doing? I looked at her, aghast.

"And you're the one she had the fight with when your little club almost broke up," Laine countered.

I groaned. This was not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. The party looked like it was going to be a big mistake.

Stacey's Mistake
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590437186