To celebrate hitting book #50 in the regular series, I wanted to post something different, just for fun. Not to mention, when you're reading so many of these books, you start to think about things like this. Years ago, I read Sweet Valley Confidential, and like many others, I absolutely hated it. The idea got me thinking about the BSC though, and wishing something similar would be released for them. Since it never has, I want to come up with my own.
Now, to be clear, I'm far from the first blogger to come up with this idea. I've seen these on quite a few other blogs. The ones I've come across weren't very serious though, they were more dark and snarky. It doesn't really bring me any type of amusement to imagine my beloved childhood characters dying in car accidents or having multiple abortions. I want to write one that my eight year old self would approve of. Is it also wish fulfilment? Most definitely. We could all use some of that, especially this year.
Some of the younger characters I feel like we don't know enough about to really speculate on how they will end up. If that changes in later books, I might update this. For now, this is what I came up with.
Kristy Thomas:
*Continues a babysitting business through high school, even though she has to find almost all new members when her original club moves on to new things. Also keeps busy playing several sports and coaching kids.
*After graduation, she goes to a local college while living at home. She remains involved in sports, various clubs, coaching, and of course, still babysitting to earn her own money. While in college, she decides coaching is her main passion, and gets her teaching credentials.
*When she finishes college, she gets a job coaching and teaching PE at SHS. She also coaches little league and works at the Boys and Girls Club during the summers.
*She remains living in Stoneybrook, but only remains close with Mary Anne and Stacey from the former BSC.
*She dates only boys until her late 20s, when she finally figures out her sexuality. After some internal struggle and a slow coming out, she begins dating women. Suddenly everything makes much more sense to her, as there is a world of difference in how it makes her feel. (Her entire family is very supportive and happy for her. Most of them already knew she was gay long ago.) The coming out process is also helped by her free spirited step-sister, Karen (more on this later!).
*In her late 30s she gets married to a divorced single mom with one child, a three year old son. She's a restaurant manager, a great mom, as well as serious, quiet, and a great listener. The marriage is a happy one. Kristy doesn't have any other kids of her own, but is a wonderful stepmom, and a devoted aunt (see below!). She babysits for her nieces and nephews whenever she can.
Mary Anne Spier:
*Only original BSC member to remain in the club with Kristy in high school. She dates quite a bit, all long term relationships, but never gets back together with Logan.
*Goes to college in NYC, her dream. She attends NYU with Stacey, and they remain close. During her junior year she studies abroad in London. Her major is English, and she also decides to get a teaching credential. Student teaching is a disaster for her though, and she ultimately decides littler kids are her passion, and becomes a preschool teacher.
*In her early 30s she marries the single father of one of her former students. He's divorced, with two young children. Mary Anne wants to have children right away, but they end up struggling for years with infertility. Instead they adopt two children together, both as newborns.
*She remains on the East Coast, but travels a lot with her family. Her father Richard also moves after his retirement so he can be close to her and her children. (He's a wonderful and attentive grandpa.)
*Mary Anne also remains lifelong friends with Kristy and Stacey, but keeps in touch with everyone in the former BSC. She never misses a Christmas card or a birthday. Her and Dawn are not very close as adults, although they of course remain family.
*When all her children are grown, she fills her empty nest with cats.
Claudia Kishi:
*Quits the BSC after 8th grade, but still babysits on her own occasionally. Instead she keeps busy in high school with dating and her art. She wins numerous art prizes, and studies abroad in Italy the summer after her junior year at SHS. Despite her artistic successes in high school though, she's never a professional artist. (Sorry, but that's almost impossible to do!)
*Academically, she struggles even more in high school, and has to repeat 10th grade. After graduation, she enrolls in community college, where she's FINALLY diagnosed with a learning disability that went undetected during her years in grade school. From there, she's able to get specialized help and graduate college, even though it takes her much longer than 4 years.
*She quickly learns it's nearly impossible to make a living as an artist, and gets a job teaching art to 8th graders at SMS. Her students adore her, and she's one of the most popular teachers. She also loves the job, so she remains in Stoneybrook.
*In her late 20s she marries another local, and they have two daughters. They end up divorcing while the girls are still young, and she's a single mom for many years, before settling into a second marriage later in life.
*In her free time, she teaches art at the Stoneybrook Community Center, and runs a very popular Etsy store. One of her daughters is also very artistic.
*She lets her kids eat, wear, and read anything they want.
Stacey McGill:
*Also leaves the BSC after 8th grade, but unlike the others who do, she doesn't do much babysitting afterwards. Instead she enjoys spending her years at SHS trying new things, traveling, making new friends, and dating. During the summers, she works at Bellair's to make her own money. When she's 15 she starts dating Sam Thomas again, more seriously this time. By then the age difference doesn't matter. They break up towards the end of her senior year, after a pregnancy scare leads her to realize all she wants to do before getting really serious with someone.
*For college she moves back to NYC and attends NYU, majoring in fashion. That ultimately doesn't turn into a career, but she finds some success doing interior design instead. She also gets to travel quite a bit, mostly with her dad during the summers. Her and her mom are still very close, so she's constantly visiting Stoneybrook.
*After college she reconnects with Sam while she's back in Stoneybrook for a BSC reunion (organized by Kristy, of course). This time they make it work and marry young, 24 and 26, respectively. Stacey's the first BSC alum to get married.
*Sam goes back to school after the wedding, and gets a job working for Watson's company. They live in NYC, and have three very well dressed children. Stacey continues working in interior design, and does volunteer work helping the city's homeless.
*Stacey's lifelong friends with Claudia and Mary Anne. She also remains close to Kristy, who is now family, and very involved with her nieces and nephew. She drifts apart from the others though. Her mom ends up moving back to the city to be with her daughter and grandchildren.
Dawn Schafer:
*She remains in California for high school, doing a lot of extracurriculars and some babysitting. During her high school summers, she returns to Stoneybrook to visit her mom. On these trips she always sees the other former BSC girls, but as time goes on they drift apart.
*After high school she opts out of college, and finds work in restaurants while searching for her passion.
*She gets pregnant in her early 20s, during this period of searching. Her boyfriend is too young to deal with it, and isn't involved. She becomes a single mom, as well as the first BSC alum to become a parent. Her father and Jeff help out a lot with her son though, and she lives at home with them for many years.
*Eventually she decides she needs a fresh start, and moves to San Diego. There, she opens her own vegan restaurant. It's a modest success, and she enjoys the work, especially spreading the word about healthy eating. (Her son is also raised vegetarian.)
*Dawn never marries or finds "the one", but has several serious relationships, and a lot of friends. She also does volunteer work, rescues strays, and refuses to drive or own a car. After saving enough money, she buys a tiny house and has an organic vegetable garden.
*After she retires, she teaches an adult education class about global warming.
*She never gets to live close by her mom again. Sharon remains with Richard, and they live out on the East Coast, close to Mary Anne's family. Dawn usually sees them only once a year. Her and Mary Anne aren't very close as adults either, although Dawn is the maid of honor in her wedding.
Mallory Pike:
*By high school, Mal starts rebelling from her parents, who she feels never let her do anything. She ends up messing up her high school grades, but she's still smart enough that they aren't terrible. Tired of her parents nagging her about her wasted potential, she skips college and tries to make it as a writer without going.
*This doesn't go very well, and by her early 20s she's reconciled with her parents, is back living at home, and attending night school to graduate with a creative writing degree. During the days, she works as a barista.
*Eventually gets her BA and ends up doing freelance editing work, lots of textbooks mainly. She keeps writing off and on but never gets anything published. (Her sister Vanessa does however, making family reunions a bit strained.)
*Relocates to LA, and later Portland, Oregon, where she marries and divorces. She never has any kids of her own...she feels like she's already raised 7. Plus she has tons of nieces and nephews to spoil, because all the other Pike kids except Jordan have children.
*Continues dating, but decides to never marry again.
*She does get contact lenses for awhile, but never gets that nose job.
Jessi Ramsey:
*Keeps doing ballet through high school, and also participates in the SHS dance team. Remains a perfectionist, doing a lot of extracurriculars and getting straight As. She does mostly stop babysitting though, due to her busy schedule.
*After graduation she goes to Georgetown, the only BSC alum to attend an ivy league school. She devotes herself to academics there and mostly gives up ballet, because of her demanding course schedule. Following some searching for her passion, she decides to major in law.
*Once she earns her degree, she begins working an entry level job in DC, ultimately becoming a campaign manager.
*She marries in her mid 20s, and has a daughter, but the marriage doesn't work out. After a stint as a single mom, she ultimately remarries and has another child, a boy. Her second husband also has three children from another marriage. Both of her children take dance classes.
Karen Brewer:
(No, unlike a lot of BSC re-readers, I do not hate Karen. I read the Little Sister books before the BSC ones, and she was my first beloved book character ever. Is she annoying to me now? Yes. Because she's a seven year old kid, and I'm not anymore. Otherwise, I find nothing wrong with her at all.)
*Remains interested in storytelling, and ends up going to a small liberal arts college in Rhode Island, where she majors in English, tries out tons of new extracurriculars, and dabbles in Wicca. She also comes out as bisexual her sophomore year, and dates around a lot, just having fun.
*After college, she remains on the East Coast to be near her family. In her late 20s she marries a man and has four kids. Finally, she gets to be in a loud, busy household full time.
*Works in a library, and starts seriously writing while her children are small. She gets published after a few years of trying, and ultimately becomes a wildly successful author of spooky book series for children. Her main book series are Shivers & Spooks, Campfire Nights, and The Coven, as well as numerous spin-offs. Eventually she outsells R. L. Stine.
*She repeatedly tries to get a paranormal tv show to investigate her father's mansion, but without success until she's famous. When they finally agree to do an episode, there are numerous strange occurrences recorded on the third floor.
*Despite some hard times, she works hard to make her marriage a success, so that her children never have to be two-twos.
Charlie Thomas:
*Marries young and becomes the kind, responsible, hard working father that he never had himself.
*Remains in Connecticut with his wife, moving to another small town. There, he works as a mechanic, and eventually owns his own place.
*Has five children of his own, and is a good uncle to all his nieces and nephews, as well as always being there when one of his siblings needs him.
Janine Kishi:
*Mellows out during college, when her interests also expand a great deal. She attends Princeton, and earns a degree in computer science.
*Works doing freelance computer science for various companies.
*Marries in her early 30s, and has one child.
*Her and Claudia are very close as adults, getting together often.
Whew, that's all for now! When I get further in the series I will add Abby, Logan, and probably a few others. I also wanted to do Andrew Brewer and David Michael Thomas, but we don't really know a lot about them.
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