Four Year Old Cupid

Chapter 1

The comforting ‘beep’ of the stopping of my watch resonates in my ears. I wipe the sweat off my forehead and amble out of lane one.

“What was that, Darc?” My Coach comes up to me and asks.

“Seventy nine, Coach.” I rasp out between heavy, deep breaths.

“Good, good. And that was number…” He trails off, waiting for me to fill in the answer. I simply hold up two hands, all fingers up to communicate I was on my tenth.

“Okay, get some water and jog a mile. You’re done for today. Good hustle.” He gives me a pat on the back and I wobble away, my legs feeling like jelly. My cool down mile seems to drag on for hours, and when I am finally finished cooling down and stretching my muscles, I collapse into my car. I turn the music up while waiting for Oliver, my freshman neighbor. He is a sprinter on the track team and therefore usually gets out later than us distance runners. The opening of the passenger door startles me, but I relax as I see it is only Oliver climbing in.

“How was your practice?” I ask, trying to make conversation as I pull out of the Central High School parking lot. The sun has barely set, but the roads of Independence, Oregon are already empty. I wait patiently for Oliver to answer my question, but to no avail. He already has his earphones in and is tuning me out like I am his mother. When I pull up in front of his house, the car barely comes to a complete stop before he is already opening the door and lugging his cello out of the backseat. “Have a goodnight,” I wave; the only response I get being the slamming of the car door. “Charming kid.” I mumble to myself and pull away and down the street.

I am not surprised to find a note on the kitchen counter when I get home that explains the absence of my parents. They are at yet another neighborhood party, drinking the night away with fellow fifty year old cop outs. Deciding I am not yet hungry, I step into a steaming hot shower, and relax my muscles to the soothing voice of Ed Sheeran.

My night continues as usual, shower, dinner, homework, until my mother barges through my bedroom door.

“Don’t go downstairs, your father puked in the sink.” I crinkle up my nose.

“What a role model.” I roll my eyes and my mother laughs and closes my door half-way before urgently pushing it back open.

“I almost forgot! I got you a babysitting job.” My ears perk up at this. I have been trying for months to get a job babysitting and I don’t think I would be able to handle finding another one of my intricately designed flyers crumpled up in the garbage can outside the grocery store.

“Who? When?”

“A friend of mine, Candice, and her husband are going out tomorrow night. She needs you to babysit her son Benjamin. He is four.” With that my mother leads me to my studying. I pull out my phone and message my three friends.

‘Guess who can now afford lunch on Saturday?’ It reads. Every Saturday we meet at Raw, a café in the center of town, and I always have to order a lunch that caters to my small budget. Not anymore.

Hiii guys! The average chapter size won't usually be this small, but I wanted to give you guys a start to the story. I hope you enjoy it! Chapter two will be coming soon :)