By Ann M. Martin. Published May 1988.
 |
| Nobody looks particularly upset. |
So I never understood why Ann would effectively get rid of
the most popular character. But she does. Stacey is moving back to New York.
Her dad’s company is merging the Stamford and New York branches. The Office totally stole that plot
point!
Stacey is mainly excited, she really does miss New York. And
Laine is super excited when she hears the news. But when she has to tell
Claudia, she fully realizes the bad side to this. She even goes over to her
house to talk, even though it’s a school night. Claudia’s entire family answers
the door; it’s pretty sweet. But when the two of them start talking, Claudia
pretty much has a breakdown, and tells Stacey she’s the only best friend she’s
ever had. It’s pretty sad. For a moment they have the idea of Stacey staying
with the Kishis for the rest of the year, but both sets of parents shoot that
shit down pretty fast.
Then Stacey has to break it to rest of the club. It upsets
everyone, and they face the problem of losing a member when they’re already
really busy.
After Stacey leaves, the other girls decide they need to
throw her a really special party. But they don’t know how to make it special,
and the girls are all broke. Well, maybe you should charge more.
Mary Anne sits for Jeff, and he’s still being a moody little
jerk. But they have a talk, and Mary Anne learns that Jeff thinks his dad needs
him, that it would be fairer if he moved back to California. Mary Anne shares
this with Dawn, and she’s worried because either way someone will get hurt.
Stacey and her mother realize they’re never going to be able
to fit an entire house worth of stuff into an apartment. Stacey comes up with
the idea of letting the BSC hold a yard sale. Her mom likes the idea so much
she says the girls can keep all the money they make. After hearing that, the
other girls realize this is where they’ll come up with the money for the party.
They still have no idea how to make it special.
Claudia sits at the Pikes, and appreciates how mature and
levelheaded Mallory is. She wonders if Mallory could fill Stacey’s spot, but
then decides she’s too young.
If Stacey thought Claudia’s reaction was bad, she wasn’t
prepared for Charlotte’s reaction to the news. She gets pissed and says she hates
Stacey. But then she just gets sad. Stacey takes her to her house to see the
progress being made, and gives her a book they read together to remember her
by.
While sitting for the Barretts, Dawn comes up with the idea
of how to make the party special. Invite all the baby-sitting charges. Thus
setting the precedent for all BSC parties.
The yard sale goes really well, they make a ton of money,
and get rid of a lot of the McGill’s junk. Charlotte comes over late, and gives
Stacey a book she made, called The Girl
Who Moved Away.
The party is also a success. Twenty-eight freaking kids. And
they play a bunch of kids’ games. Not my kind of party, but Stacey is touched,
especially when they all give her homemade cards.
Stacey attends her last BSC meeting. They officially make
Dawn the treasurer. Mary Anne pretty much cries the whole time. Claudia brings
up maybe asking Mallory to join, but they know she’d only ever be able to sit
afternoons and weekends, so she could be a junior sitter. Stacey calls to see if
she’d be interested, and she definitely is.
Moving day comes, and her empty room saddens Stacey. But the
other girls show up, bearing a bed sheet that says See you soon, Stacey. They give it to her to keep. Is she really
going to hang that up or something in her new room? Maybe.
Then it’s time to go. Stacey hugs everybody, and Claudia
gives Stacey an envelope to open in the car. It’s a thirteen page long letter.
Oh my god, could you imagine having to read thirteen pages of Claudia’s
atrocious spelling? But because they’re besties, Stacey does it, and loves it.
Claudia says Stacey will always be her best best friend, and in her head,
Stacey says Claudia will be her best best friend. Take that, Laine.
o
Ha, Stacey says she’s looking forward to
graduating with Claudia. Wait about twelve years, Stace.
o
Dawn says people in California don’t have yard
sales. I don’t have anything to back it up, but I suspect this isn’t true.
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