I felt terrible. I was embarrassed. I bet my face was red.
“Are you very, very mad, Mommy?” I asked.
“I’m mad about what you did. But I am not mad at you. You’re my Karen, and I love you.”
Mommy held out her arms. I got off of the couch. I ran to her. Mommy hugged me for a long time.
Apologies
After we finished hugging, Mommy said, “Karen, I think you need to apologize to some people. Don’t you?”
“I think I need to apologize to a lot of people,” I replied.
“But first I want to make an apology,” said Mommy. “And I know Daddy apologizes for this, too. We’re sorry we asked people to spy on you. And I’m sorry I read your list when I found it. We won’t do those things again. We just needed to teach you a lesson, okay?”
“Okay,” I replied. Then I turned to my brother. “Andrew,” I said, “I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I’m sorry I spied on you. And I’m sorry I made you cry at dinner. I do wish you would floss your teeth, though. It is a very good idea. It prevents gum disease. And — ”
“Karen,” said Seth, “I think you’ve said enough.”
I nodded. And Andrew said, “That’s all right, Karen.”
“Mommy? I think I better call the big house,” I told her. “Is that okay? I have a lot more apologizing to do over there.”
“Go ahead,” replied Mommy.
I went into Mommy and Seth’s room. I wanted to close the door and use their phone. I needed privacy.
Ring, ring! went the phone at the big house.
“Hello?” said Daddy.
“Hi,” I said. “It’s me, Karen…. Your daughter.”
“Oh, that Karen,” said Daddy, laughing.
“Don’t laugh,” I told him. “I called for a very important reason.”
“Okay,” said Daddy seriously.
“I want to apologize,” I said. “I’m very, very, very sorry I spied on you. And I’m sorry I read out of the notebook at dinner. I hope you have good luck with your diet. I bet you can lose ten pounds by April — if you really want to.”
“Thank you,” replied Daddy. “I accept your apology.”
“Now let me speak to everyone else. Is everyone else there?”
“Yup.”
“Okay. I’ll take Sam first, because I yelled at him first.”
Sam came to the phone in just a few moments. “Hi, spy,” he said.
Just for that, this was my apology: “Hi, Sam. I called to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry you burp at the table and gross out everybody.”
“ ’Bye, spy,” replied Sam. I think he was laughing.
My other apologies were nicer.
To Elizabeth, I said, “I’m sorry I spied and I’m sorry I embarrassed you.”
To Nannie, I said, “I’m really sorry about what I did, Nannie. I know you’ll be walking before the doctors think you will.”
To Kristy and Charlie, I said, “I’m sorry I eavesdropped on you. I promise not to do that again.”
To David Michael, I said, “I’m sorry I embarrassed you. But you know, you really should practice hitting and pitching more. Especially pitching. You are one of our best pitchers and the team needs you.”
“Thanks!” said David Michael.
Then I asked to talk to Daddy again. “Daddy?” I said. “Will you apologize to Emily and Shannon and Boo-Boo for me?”
“All right,” he agreed.
“And one more thing. I want you to know that I am throwing away all the mean pages in my notebook and I will never keep spy notes again.”
“I love you, Karen,” said Daddy.
Will You Marry Me?
Boy, what a weekend. I have never had to say “I’m sorry” to so many people. I was very glad when Monday came.
On Monday, I walked into Ms. Colman’s class. I was wearing my backpack and carrying … the notebook. The first people I saw were Hannie and Nancy. They were in the back of the room. And they saw me, too.
“Oh, no!” cried Nancy. “Look who’s coming. It’s the spy.”
“With her notebook,” added Hannie. She made a face.
I ignored what Hannie and Nancy were saying. I walked toward them. Hannie and Nancy ran into the coatroom.
I followed them.
“Here’s the spy,” said Hannie.
“I am not a spy anymore,” I told her. “I still have my notebook, but I am not a spy. I’m through with that.”
“What’s in the notebook, then?” asked Nancy.
“I’ll show you.” I opened up the book. Each page still had someone’s name at the top. And under each name I had written things. I turned to Nancy’s page.
“Here you go. See for yourself.”
Nancy took the book from me. She read, “ ‘Nancy is one of my best friends. Nancy always shares. Nancy taught me about Hanukkah. Nancy got 100% on her reading test.’ ” Nancy looked at me. “Hey! These are nice things! Thanks, Karen.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied. “Okay, Hannie. Here’s your page.”
Hannie read, “ ‘Hannie is one of my best friends. She is nice to animals. She always listens. She is working very hard on her cursive writing.’ ” Hannie thanked me, too. She looked really pleased.
“And I will keep adding things to the lists,” I told my friends. “I will write down anything good you do. Or, like, if you win an award.”
“Hey, what’s going on in here?”
Hannie and Nancy and I turned around. There was Ricky.
“Oh, it’s that notebook again,” he said. He groaned.
I looked at Hannie and Nancy. Then I turned to the page I had made for Ricky. It said: Ricky makes me laugh. Ricky does not tease me anymore. Ricky is the nicest boy I know.
Ricky grinned. Then he said, “Gotta go. I just thought of something I have to do. Karen, don’t come to your seat until Ms. Colman starts class. Stay in the back with Nancy and Hannie.”
“Okay,” I answered. What was Ricky up to?
* * *
I found out on the playground. Hannie and Nancy and I were trying to make a snowman when Ricky came over to us.
“Karen?” he said. “Can I talk to you? Alone?”
“Sure.” I left Hannie and Nancy. Ricky walked me to a private place on the playground. Then he held something toward me.
It was a paper flower. I guessed that was what he had been working on in the morning.
“Karen, will you marry me?” asked Ricky.
Finally! I thought. But all I said was, “Of course. Thank you so much, Ricky. Now we have to plan the wedding.”
I ran back to Nancy and Hannie. I could not wait to tell them my good news.
About the Author
ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.
Copyright © 1991 by Ann M. Martin
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This bo
ok is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First edition, 1991
e-ISBN 978-1-338-05586-3
Ann M. Martin, Karen's New Year
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