BSC #34: Mary Anne and Too Many Boys

By Ann M. Martin, ghostwritten by Mary Lou Kennedy. Published May 1990.

So, it’s summer yet again. This is now the second summer after eighth grade. The first was for SummerVacation. I’ll try to keep track.

Anyway, the Pikes are headed back to Sea City, and Mary Anne and Stacey are going as mother’s helpers again. If you’re wondering, her parents will pay Mal for helping out with the kids, but they mainly want her to relax and have fun.

Everything is pretty much the same getting there. Nicky and triplets fight from separate cars, Vanessa is annoying with her poetry. No reports of Margo throwing up, but they do lose Claire for a few minutes at their rest stop.

Mary Anne takes the girls into town on their first day, and they have fun just looking around. They end their trip at Ice Cream Palace. I could use an Ice Cream Palace in my life. Anyway. Mary Anne catches the boy behind the counter staring at either Mal or Vanessa. His name is Chris, and he looks to be about twelve. Ah, our first child labor violation of the series. Good times. Anyway, Vanessa’s eyeing him back, or at least Mary Anne thinks so. Then Claire spills her chocolate soda all over herself. And then Chris loses control of the whipped cream machine. Vanessa is trying not to cry, and Mary Anne is ready to get the hell out of there.

Back in Stoneybrook, Kristy sits for the Rodowsky boys. They go to the pool for the day. Jackie drops a cookie in the pool, steps on a bee, tries to buy out the snack bar, and disappears to go take a shower. That’s pretty much all you need to know about that.

Mary Anne, Stacey, and the Pike kids are at the beach for the day, when who should show up but Alex and Toby with a bunch of kids. They’re mother’s helpers for two families for a month. With the Pikes, there’s fourteen kids in all, and they all start work on a sandcastle. Mary Anne and Alex, and Stacey and Toby are all very happy to see each other. At the end of the day, Stacey says Logan should be worried. Mary Anne says no, that she’ll always be true to him, but on the inside is all, oh shit, haven’t thought about him all day.

The Pikes have given them one night off each week, but they have to have them separately, so the parents can go out every night if they want. Because god forbid they spend time with their kids. Anyway, Mary Anne and Stacey don’t discuss this, and make plans to go out with their guys the same night. They have a little fight, and Stacey’s all, “Too bad, bitch” and leaves. Honestly, Mary Anne, you do have a boyfriend waiting at home for you.

Vanessa shows Mary Anne some poems she’s been writing for Chris. She’s going to leave them at Ice Cream Palace, and be his secret admirer. I’m sure that will go well.

Out in California Dawn’s visiting Jeff and her father. And Carol, her dad’s girlfriend, because she’s always there. One evening, Carol comes over with some random kids, a colicky baby and a three-year-old. She’s baby-sitting for a friend in town. Umm, Carol, maybe you should have stayed home with them. And then Dawn’s dad surprises Carol with tickets to a show. Dawn and Jeff won’t mind watching the kids, will they? Real nice. But Jeff turns out to be an excellent second sitter, so it ends up ok.

Mary Anne assumes that she’ll get to take the next night off, so she’s all sorts of surprised when Stacey starts getting ready. Stacey says she’s going out, and Mary Anne can have two nights the next week. Mary Anne actually stands up for herself, though, and gets to go out with Alex. They have a nice time out at a seafood restaurant and the boardwalk. It’s totes a real date. Mary Anne ends the night feeling confused.

Mary Anne takes the little girls into town, and of course they end up at Ice Cream Palace. Apparently, Vanessa has left three poems for Chris already. And he talks to her, asking a bunch of questions. But then he tells her he’ll be able to go out with Mallory that Saturday. Vanessa is crushed.

Jessi’s family is pet-sitting Frodo, the Pikes’ hamster. They think lose him, but Squirt had just put him in the Ramsey’s hamster’s cage, because he just learned a matching game.

Toby dumps Stacey, saying he wants to just date people at home. It turns her into a raging bitch. Mary Anne and Alex go out again, but it’s awkward. Then they learn they each have somebody back at home, and they laugh about it. They part as friends.

Vanessa has figured out how to handle her problem with Chris. She writes another poem, saying she can’t go out with him, because they won’t be there. She signs it his secret admirer, and lets him think it’s from Mallory.

Stacey apologizes for being a jerk to Mary Anne, and they make up.

Then it’s back to Stoneybrook. Mary Anne is excited to see her family and talk to Logan. And she finds a poem from Vanessa in her suitcase, thanking her for being a good friend. Aww.

o   Mallory is scary when she sleeps. She scares the shit out of Mary Anne, sitting up and yelling about wanting sunscreen, not sunblock! Vanessa says she does that all the time. I’ve always felt Vanessa puts up with a lot.

o   I read on the BSC boards that this is the best-selling BSC book of all time. Really? I guess the title is enticing to young girls. I found it kind of boring.