Ivy and Bean were playing in the living room when Nancy finally finished vacuuming. They were playing doll babysitters. Bean’s doll was the kid. She had crawled out on the roof and was dancing on the chimney. Ivy’s doll was the babysitter. She was having a fit.
“Come down before you fall,” wailed Ivy’s doll.
“Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t,” said Bean’s doll. Suddenly there was an earthquake. The house was a tall stack of books. Bean’s doll fell quite a ways.
“Oh no! My legs are broken!” shouted Bean’s doll.
“Luckily, I’m a doctor!” Ivy’s doll jumped up.
“Let’s put Band-Aids on them.”
“Too late! The volcano next door is erupting!”
“Here comes the lava! It lifts the house up, and carries it for miles!” Ivy picked up the attic book and threw it across the room. “The babysitter is buried in rubble!”
Nancy walked into the living room looking crabby. “What a mess! You two can just pick up all those books yourselves. I’m tired of cleaning up after you!”
“But we’re playing!” said Bean.
“Well, stop playing and pick up those books,” snapped Nancy. “I want this place looking perfect when Mom and Dad come home.” She glanced at the clock. “Which is going to be soon.”
“That’s not fair!” Bean started yelling. “We’re having fun—” Suddenly she stopped. Nancy looked weird. Her eyelids were silver, and her eyelashes were blue. She had forgotten to wash the makeup off.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” asked Bean.
“You’re colorful,” said Ivy.
Nancy ran down the hall to the bathroom. She banged the door shut. Bean heard the water running.
“I guess we don’t have to pick up now,” said Ivy.
“She’ll still make us do it in a few minutes,” sighed Bean.
“My babysitters clean up for me,” said Ivy.
“So does Leona, but Nancy’s not a real babysitter,” said Bean. She tossed her doll onto the floor. Playing was no fun once you knew you had to clean it up. She missed Leona. What if Nancy was going to be her babysitter forever? Her parents would like it, and Nancy would like it, too, because of the money. Ugh. Bean couldn’t let that happen.
“I have an idea,” said Bean. “Come on.” She got up and walked down the hall, and Ivy followed. Bean leaned close to the bathroom door and said loudly, “If it weren’t for me, you’d be in big trouble.”
Nancy opened the door. Her face was wet and blotchy. “What?”
“It’s pretty lucky for you that Mom didn’t come in and see that silver stuff,” Bean said.
Nancy stared at her for a moment. “Okay. Thanks,” she said.
Bean leaned against the doorway. “It’s almost like I’m the babysitter,” she said.
“You are not!” said Nancy. “I’m the babysitter!”
“But I’m keeping you out of trouble like a babysitter,” explained Bean.
Nancy opened her mouth, but she didn’t say anything.
“That’s pretty nice of me, I think. And when we were in the attic, you didn’t even know it because you were down here,” said Bean.
“Anything could have happened to us.” Ivy nodded.
“But you’re fine,” argued Nancy.
“But I had to take care of myself,” Bean said.
“What do you want, Bean?” asked Nancy with narrow eyes.
“Money,” said Bean. “Since I was a babysitter, I should get some of your money.”
“What?!” yelled Nancy. “Why should I give you money? I had to do all that vacuuming!”
“But if you had been paying attention, we wouldn’t have been in the attic and you wouldn’t have had to vacuum,” Bean said. “I think you should give me five dollars.”
“No way!”
Bean shook her head. “Mom’s going to be mad about the makeup.”
Nancy looked like she wanted to slam the door, but she didn’t. “I’ll give you a dollar,” she said finally.
“Five,” said Bean.
“Two,” said Nancy.
“Four,” said Bean.
“Deal,” said Nancy. “You promise not to tell? And you, too, Ivy?”
“We promise,” said Bean. “Right, Ivy?”
“Right,” agreed Ivy.
Nancy looked at the two girls for a moment. “From now on, I’m only babysitting kids who can’t talk,” she said and slammed the bathroom door shut.
Ivy and Bean walked back down the hall. “That’s two dollars for each of us,” said Bean. “I think I’ll buy a doll baby.”
“Me, too,” said Ivy. “We can have twins.”
