The Babysitter

Peter Fucking Miller

I heard her laugh through the door as footsteps approached it. "You seriously did that?" I heard her asking through laughter while keys jangled and the door opened slowly. 

The door opened to reveal Aubrey standing with her back facing me, looking at Peter that was standing in front of her. "It was dumb I know but at least I entertained the people there." He blushed slightly while scratching the back of his neck. 

Son of a bitch. If I didn't already hate that guy, I do now. 

Their laughter died down and neither of them could see me from where I was seated, so I got to listen in on their conversation a little longer. "I had fun today. Did you?" he asked her after a moment of silence. 

"Sure did." I could hear the smile in her voice. "And you got me back home before-" she was saying but he finished for her. 

"Before your nine o'clock curfew. Used to be eleven," he stated. 

She took in a deep breath. "Yeah, used to be eleven. Then midnight. Now we're back." she spoke. 

"Back to square one," he chuckled. I want to punch him so desperately, I feel like I didn't do it hard enough last time. 

"I should get inside," she paused. "And you should get home," she laughed. They fell into another moment of silence before I saw their shadows. She gently kissed his cheek before they said goodbye. She turned and walked into the house, still not noticing me while my jaw and fists clenched. She set her things down on the kitchen counter.

She was dressed like usual. Casual. She wasn't all dressed up so I take it that it wasn't an all-out date. She hung the keys on the coathanger before turning to me, gasping and jumping back. "Xavier," she spoke a little shakily, "What uh- what are you doing here?" she asked while standing still in her spot. 

"I need to talk to you. Sorry for scaring you I didn't mean to," I said a little awkwardly while standing up and slowly making my way towards her. 

"It's okay," she spoke lowly. 

"I need to talk to you about uh- about everything that happened." I stopped walking once I was standing in front of her. 

"I thought we already did. We decided I'm just your babysitter." 

Bullshit. 

"No. You decided that you're just my babysitter but I already told you, that's not what I want. I want you as more than that. More than my babysitter, more than a friend," I explained. 

"And I told you why that can't happen. Xavier, how did you get here?" she asked, confused. 

"Sheriff Clarke took a lot of convincing but he agreed. After I told him it's for you," I sighed. 

She huffed. "Xavier, we're not going to work. We didn't work now, we won't work later either," she reasoned. 

"You and Peter didn't work but I see you're with him again," I spoke bitterly. Shouldn't have done that but a little too late now. 

"We're friends," she explained vaguely yet sternly. 

That's a load of crap. 

"Bullshit. Aubrey, you kiss friends on the cheek like that? You go out with them like this? Just the two of you? The last time he tried to kiss you, you slapped him. Now you won't," I stated. 

"Yeah, last time I did that because I liked you. And I was loyal to whatever we had even if it wasn't an actual relationship. We weren't boyfriend and girlfriend but we were something," she argued. She was right in that. Fair point. 

"I was loyal too. Nothing happened between us," I explained for the billionth time. 

The whole argument last time was because Aubrey didn't believe that after I told her that I liked her, I didn't see Julie. I admit, I was seeing Julie before that, but I did not see her after Aubrey started babysitting me and after I started liking her. 

She just doesn't believe that. She thinks I was with Julie the three days that her dad was in town. "Yeah right," she scoffed. 

"Aubrey, you have to believe me. The last time I saw her before you heard the conversation was when we were out. The day you asked Sheriff Clarke to take the monitor off!" I explained, frustration seeping through my voice. 

"The day I told you I like you, I know!" she raised her voice, clearly beginning to get frustrated with me.

"Why don't you believe me?" I questioned. 

"Because you're a player, Xavier. You don't last with one girl for more than a week! That's exactly how long we lasted. A week. Now you tell me you want it longer?" she huffed while running her hand through her hair frustratedly. 

"Yes, I want it longer! I've always wanted it longer! You didn't even hear the whole conversation Aubrey!" I tried to justify. 

She was right, I should have told her but she should believe me too. "Why don't you tell me then? Enlighten me!" she shouted while marching up to me, breathing heavily, standing right in front of me.

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