#18 Stacy's Mistake

“Stacy has never been so wrong in her life!”  It’s on the cover, but I can think of some worse ideas than inviting your friends to the city.

The book starts with Stacy commenting out how only in New York can you be in a gorgeous bedroom and have a giant roach run across the floor. (She has obviously never been to Texas or anywhere south of the Mason Dixon line).  Stacy has always loved the city and is happy to be back.  The only thing she misses about Stoneybrook is the group of friends she left behind.  She even loves the homeless people, especially Judy, which is why her friends are coming to visit.  Confused?  Yeah, the first chapter of this book is filled with, “Do you have any idea what I’m talking about? Wait, let me back up.”  There’s a meeting about what to do about the homeless situation and since it’s not vogue to babysit in NYC and because NONE of these people have heard of a sitting agency, Stacy’s friends are coming to help her sit so all these parents can go to the meeting.

Stacy grabs a cab (so NYC cool) and gives us the lowdown on her friends.  Their train arrives, but they do not show at the meeting place.  Stacey paces and waits and finally they arrive.  They had followed the crowd and ended up outside.  Stacy is miffed since they had to have walked right past her, but decides to let it go.  Mary Anne is a walking guide book, Dawn looks as though someone is going to leap out and murder her and Claudia is carting a giant suitcase on wheels.  Stacy gives her grief about having wheels on her suitcase, but in these days you rarely see suitcases without wheels.  Must have been uncool in 1987 to have wheels on the suitcase.

They go to the Hard Rock Café for lunch and Kristy orders fil-it mig-non.  An honest mistake, but Stacy practically has a heart attack over it.  And really, a group of tweens at the Hard Rock Café alone?  I must be an old fogey. 

After lunch they head to Bloomingdales, where Stacy’s friends proceed to embarrass her further.  MA pockets what she thinks is a sample (it’s not) and store security chases her down.  Dawn almost falls down the escalator.  Kristy’s big mouth is loud and is exclaiming how expensive everything is.  Needless to say, NYC cool Stacy is not overly pleased.

Back at Stacy’s building, the girls start at the top floor and work their way down, meeting the families they will be sitting for the next day.  Dawn is freaked about the elevators and is sure one will get stuck until Kristy tells her they could just crash to the basement.  Sigh…are there no elevators in Stoneybrook?  Do these girls live in Amish country?  Plus Dawn’s from Cali; pretty sure there are elevators there too.  IT WILL ALL BE OKAY.  The actual meeting of the kids is pretty tame, although they point out they’re sitting for the girl in the penthouse.  What I want to know is why the kid in the penthouse doesn’t have a nanny and requires teens from Connecticut to sit for her.  Are her parents really cheap?  Is that why they can afford the penthouse?  Maybe I’m being too judgy of the NYC glam.

The head back to Stacy’s to get ready for the party and MA declares that Stacy will tell them what to where.  Everyone else is like wtf and in the end, MA decides against wearing Stacy’s recommendation, so what was the point of this?

Laine comes over early and she and Claud don’t exactly hit it off.  I tried mixing my home best friend and school best friend at a sleepover once.  Longest night of my life and the next day I was out two friends.  In my experience, this is exactly how it goes down, only with more food flinging. 

The party in general doesn’t go well.  MA makes fun of Dawn, Kristy finally talks to someone not from Connecticut and then Claud steals him away, Dawn hides in the corner.  Woo-hoo!  Somehow the party manages to last until 11.  Laine was supposed to spend the night but after a snippy fight with Claudia, Dawn bawling out MA and Kristy reaming out Claud, she opts to head for home.  Stacy assigns everyone their sleeping quarters and they go to bed.

The next morning, they have a tentative truce on hold and Krsity calls a club meeting to prepare for their sitting duties.  Every time someone makes a suggestion another girl doesn’t like, “TRUCE!” is shouted.  There are a lot of truces in this chapter.

The kids arrive, the parents leave and it’s time to put the plan into action.  The put the kids into two lines and march them to the museum.  They go to the dino exhibit, which the kids love, but at the next exhibit, they realize they’ve lost a child.  They split up and go to find him, which they do. 

After they find the kiddo, they have lunch and head for Central Park.  Having been to Central Park, I can tell you it’s a pretty amazing place.  They spend time at the children’s zoo and end the day with ice cream and popcorn and wandering through the park.  By this time the kids are tired and start squabbling, so they head back to the apartment.  The parents are there and the kids head for home.

Lanie calls and offers tickets and a limo ride to a show and the girls all decide to go.  They have a blast and are happy to really get to know each other.  Laine goes home ad the girls spend the rest of the night catching up.

The next day is their last day and they all are sad to be leaving.  They cry and hug at the train station and then the Stoneybrook chapter of the BSC heads for home.  The end.  The endings are always so anticlimactic and picture perfect.

Mommy Moments:

• Now I have learned in my many many years and through many many situations, you should never try to mix two different groups of friends.  Rarely does it ever work out well.  Why, why why Maureen would you suggest a mixer party?  Maybe she has had better experiences than I.
• “Have fun and be careful!”  It’s what Stacy’s mom says every time she leave the apartment.  I don’t know that I’d let my 13-year-old daughter go to downtown Manhattan alone.  I don’t plan to let my girls go to downtown Milwaukee when they’re 13, much less Manhattan.
• When all the kids are dropped off to be babysat, there are some crying children, as would be expected when dropped off with strangers.  Maureen does the wise thing and hustles the parents out, letting the sitters deal with the tears.  It’s always easier that way.  Sucky, but easier.