The Wallflower Game

Chapter Two

Hey guys,” Keith smiled as he sat around the table with his usual group of friends. Most of them were from the basketball team.

“The weather’s getting warmer these days,” Blaze, the tallest member of the basketball team commented. He wore his dark hair in a crew cut because the discipline mistress had caught him for his dyed mohawk and demanded that the ‘thin red bush’ as she called it, be shaved off. 

“I need help,” Keith said to everyone at the table, completely ignoring Blaze and his irrelevant comment. “I need someone to babysit Kim when we’re training and having competitions next week.” 

 “Why can’t your mom do it? Or your dad?” 

“Do we look like we are babysitters?”

“Dude, we’re training with you too, remember?”

“Ew.”

“I can’t take care of little girls, Keith!”

“You actually trust us with your baby sister? I’m impressed.”

Keith cleared his throat loudly. 

“Listen, listen. I know none of you bums are going to do it. The point is…ask someone to help?” 

Blaze shrugged. “But what about your parents?”

Keith scowled. “They’re away for their wedding anniversary for a week.”

Blaze whistled, earning himself a glare from Keith. Blaze chuckled, looking around for possible candidates.

“You don’t have anyone in mind?” Blaze was slightly surprised. Keith was always a superb planner.

“I asked my cousin, but she rejected because it’s her week-long term break and she’s going to Vegas.” Keith sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Vegas...with who?”

“A bunch of her friends. I guess she thinks she can run wild now that she’s twenty-one but honestly I think she’ll just get herself in some sort of trouble.”

“There, there,” Blaze patted Keith on his back. “Don’t be jealous.”

Keith turned to Blaze and saw the twinkle in his eye. “I’m not jealous. I need a babysitter,” he ground out. 

Katy and her friends walked into the canteen and this caught Blaze’s eye. He said the first thing that came to his mind, as he always did.  “You could ask Katy?”

“That’s too random, Blaze. I don’t even know her well,” Keith said, taking a bite of his lunch. 

“Just a suggestion,” Blaze shrugged, and both of them returned their attention to their food. 

“Wait a minute,” Keith said into the silence. Thinking of Emily, he smirked. “Alright, we’ll get Katy.”

Keith stood up and took a deep breath. He walked over to Katy’s table and smiled at the girls sitting around her. A few of them blushed.

“Hey Katy,” Keith said. “Can I join you?”

“Sure,” Katy smiled while the other girls giggled. 

“You had an awesome party yesterday, I didn’t have a chance to thank you for it,” he said smoothly. 

“Thanks,” Katy replied, not sure what to say. 

Keith pretended to look troubled. “Uh…well, you see…”

“Yes?” Katy leaned forward, curious.

Keith put a pained look on his face and let a short moment of silence pass before finally saying, “I need help.”

Katy’s eyes widened, looking really worried. Keith almost smirked. Now she was all ready to help him.

“I need someone to babysit my sister when I’m gone for my competitions.”

Later, Keith walked down the hall, smiling to himself. He recalled the way Katy agreed without even thinking or asking for an explanation. Now all he had to do was to find a way to prevent Katy from babysitting his sister. He made his way towards Chris’ classroom, preparing how to ask Chris for a favour to help his plan work out.

Next Monday, Emily was washing the dishes with her mom when Katy rushed into the kitchen with a panicked look on her face. Her dyed-blond hair was in a chaotic knot on top of her head.

“Ohmygosh Em please help me,” Katy gushed out.

“What’s wrong?” Emily put down the dishes and gave Katy her full attention. 

“I agreed to babysit this guy’s little sister for a week but then Chris needs my help.” 

Emily dried her hands and frowned. “So you want me to babysit a girl for the whole of next week? Just because a guy asked you out?”

“It’s just five days,” Katy pleaded. “And no, he didn’t ask me out, he asked me to help him in his part time job if not he’ll get fired.”

It was just like Katy, getting herself involved in so many things and unable to manage them all. Her heart was too soft for Emily’s liking, always caring for people when they were facing problems. 

“Well done, dearest sister,” Emily said dryly, then sighed. “Fine, I’ll help you, but you owe me one.”

“Thank you!” Katy jumped forward, hugging Emily. Emily rolled her eyes and didn’t return the hug. 

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Emily asked, pushing Katy away.

“Oh, this guy at school. Don’t think you’ll know him. Anyway, here’s his address and his phone number. Call him when you’re on the way there. His little sister’s name is Kimberly,” babbled Katy, thrusting a slip of paper into Emily’s hands. “And that’s pretty much all you need to know.”

Emily looked down at the paper. There was no name on it, only a hand phone number, an address and a messily drawn map.

“Thank you, Emily! I always knew a sister like you had some use,” Katy grinned as she turned to walk out of the kitchen.

“You two need to go to school now,” their mother reminded them. 

“See you,” they said un unison as they took their bags and walked out the door. 

“Some use?” Emily turned to Katy. “Now you owe me two huge favours.”

“Your sisterly love will overcome it,” Katy laughed, earning her a dirty look from Emily. 

A few hours later, Emily stood outside the door, where Katy should have been standing now. Checking the address again, she rung the doorbell and waited.