The Baby-Sitter’s Club #70: Stacey and the Cheerleaders

I’m a little confused by this book because I know that I read the series after Stacey met/started dating Robert, but I don’t remember this one. I also scrolled through some of the book titles that came later and none of them sound familiar. Plus I don’t remember Shannon being such a big member of the books, so maybe I stopped reading them earlier than I thought.

Anyway, in this book Mallory is out of the club because she has mono and Dawn has moved back to California, so Shannon is an alternate member. Stacey and Claudia are walking to school, when someone hits her with a snowball and she falls in the snow. Apparently she was wearing plum colored corduroy pants too, which sounds gross.

When she stands up, she sees the hottie RJ running after her. He apologizes and says that he was aiming for someone else and then walks her to her locker. RJ is on the basketball team and is a big deal at school because the team is undefeated. He asks her out in a really lame way and she agrees. Seriously, he says that Mall Chasers II is playing Friday night and he’ll pick her up. Nice.

Once people find out that she’s going out with RJ, everyone in school wants a piece of Stacey because she’s cool now too. Shelia, one of the cheerleaders, tells her that he liked her and hit her on purpose, even though he didn’t even know her name. The cheerleaders all think she’s the bomb now, while the BSC is kind of in shock.

So they finally go on their big date and of course it’s a disappointment. RJ just wants to talk about basketball and the movie is a huge bust. He makes fun of her for being on a diet and she doesn’t feel comfortable enough around him to actually tell him about her diabetes. But then they go to Pizza Express and sit with the popular kids and she starts having fun. She notices this guy Robert who’s on a date with another cheerleader and gets all flustered.

A few days later, she finds out that Robert actually thinks she’s cute and he’s not dating the cheerleader. He asks her out and then the cheerleaders suggest she try out for an opening on the squad. She asks Jessi for help and Jessi coordinates a dance routine and actually makes her practice.

The whole book though is really about Stacey getting trapped between the two groups. When she’s with the BSC, she keeps thinking about the popular girls and when she’s with the cheerleaders, she misses the club. The pops all think it’s crazy that she hangs out with the immature girls, like one girl can’t believe that they’re actually into boys or that any of them have been kissed. Um, doesn’t anyone realize that Logan and May Anne have been a couple for (what seems like) years? I find it hard to believe that the school is really that big!

The BSC can’t really believe that she wants to be a cheerleader, but at least they’re kind of supportive. I would totally smack Kristy though. They’re at a game and Stacey runs to congratulate Robert. Kristy can’t find her, so she stands on the bleachers, whistles super loud and then makes a big announcement about their slumber party in front of everyone.

Stacey and Robert start dating and even go on a double date with Mary Anne and Logan. When she tries out for the squad, she’s really good and everyone kind of applauds. Shelia even winks and gives her the thumbs up.

A few days later, she overhears the girls in the bathroom talking about her. The squad says they like her, but they don’t really like her little group and how she seems really nice. They finally announce that they gave the spot to someone else. One of the girls takes her aside and says they picked Kathleen because Stacey was too good and they didn’t want her showing them up. Of course she is.

Stacey runs to Robert and he kind of snaps. It turns out that the school is showing a lot of favoritism to basketball players and cheerleaders. Like Robert got a C on a paper he didn’t do, while someone in class put a lot of work into the paper and only got a C- grade. Plus they can leave class whenever they want to and do what they want. Robert goes to the coach and quit’s the team because of it all.

Later, someone writes an editorial in the paper, complaining about Robert. They say he only quit because he didn’t get to play as much as he wanted. The school launches an investigation and changes the way players are treated. The girls ask Stacey to join the squad and she turns them down. Then she and Robert write an editorial, expressing their joy in the changes at their school.

*Was your junior high like this? I don’t remember ever going to a junior high basketball game in school and the newspaper sure didn’t cover the games. I don’t think people really started caring about this crap until high school.

*Logan takes a baby-sitting job, after the club gets booked up. Kristy gives him her job, so she can sit at Shannon’s house.

*Shannon’s little sisters are fighting because Maria is now a star swimmer and Tiffany does nothing. Mary Anne helps her make a list of hobbies and she tries to do them all. Claudia then sits and tries to get her involved in art, but then realizes that she really loves flowers and gardening.

*Stacey wears new jeans and a flowered/scalloped edged/lace trimmed cardigan for her first date with Robert, plus flat suede ankle boots. Sounds like a lot going on.

*For her date with RJ, Stacey wears a black and white checked unitard, with a big black sweatshirt over it. Does that sound gross to anyone else?

*Stacey comments that Claudia looks formal in black pants with a leather belt, black flats and a white tuxedo shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Sounds like the most normal thing she ever wore to me!