Claudia and the Friendship Feud (FF#4)

Original Publication Date: 1999

Ghostwriter? Yes, Laura Dower.

Synopsis:

Now we get Claudia's side of the story regarding Jeremy. She felt betrayed because she perceived the situation as Stacey weaseling her way into Jeremy's good graces (...not really) and then really betrayed by some of the nasty things Stacey said during their blow-up fight (that I can get behind more). Anyway, it's November, and they're still not talking to each other. Claudia does feel bad for her part in the fight, and wonders about making up someday, but she's not ready for it, at least not yet. So she's relieved when a sitting job for the Pikes comes up and Stacey says she's busy and can't sit with Claudia (Mary Anne and Kristy are also busy). The BSC ends up having Erica Blumberg fill in (it's not totally out of left field; Erica came to a BSC meeting after the mess in Claudia and the Terrible Truth), and she and Claudia get along really well. They start spending time together and talk about a lot of things, including Erica confiding in Claudia that she was adopted as an infant and wants to search for her birth parents. But Claudia keeps making references to Stacey, and makes Erica feel like she's just a stand-in. Another complication in Claudia's life is that Jeremy wants to be friends, even though Stacey and Claudia still haven't made up yet (a talk with Claudia's aunt does get her considering it, at least).

Claudia and Stacey end up sitting together for the Pikes, and have what starts as a promising conversation, but Claudia realizes that Stacey thinks Claudia is trying to steal Jeremy, and Stacey hasn't really apologized for the mean things she said. They end up back where they were. But Claudia does apologize to Erica, and they go back to being friends. The next day at school, Claudia finds out that Jeremy is now in her English class, and they talk a bit. So Claudia might not be friends with Stacey yet, but she's close with Erica and friendly with Jeremy.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: Oreos in her closet

Mallory sends the BSC a letter saying she'll be home for Thanksgiving and that she has a crush on a boy she met in a writing workshop. That's three crushes for her.


Their Families:

Kristy and her brothers (it's unclear if David Michael was included in this) were invited to spend Thanksgiving in California with Patrick and Zoey. They were asked too late to make the plans, but Kristy is happy that the offer was made at all.

Vanessa Pike takes ballet.

Byron's sort of becoming the odd man out among the triplets.

Jordan is very ticklish.


The Club (and clients):

Kristy contemplates asking Logan to fill in before thinking of Erica.


SMS: nothing new.


PSA Time: nothing stood out.


Misc:

It's Thanksgiving...again.



The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 12

Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)

Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5

Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5

St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1

Summers after 8th grade: 12

BSC Fights: 13

SMS Staff and Faculty: 68

Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.

Clients: 38 families

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150

Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0