"When you guys are ready to go home, discretely wipe your eyebrow." Alex told his daughters as they pulled up to Perrie's aunt's house. They've never brought the children here knowing the living conditions were a bit iffy. But they were old enough now. At least Leigh-Anne and Jesy are.
"What's a discretely, daddy?"
"It means to do it carefully, without getting caught or drawing attention to yourself. Try it."
Jesy smiled wiping both her eyebrows with the palms of her hands.
"No. You need some work" She laughed when Alex shook his head.
"Leigh, go on" Leigh-Anne swiped her eyebrow discretely.
"There you go. Jes, did you see that?"
"Yeah. I'll just tell sissy when I want to go."
"That works too. Listen. I'm telling you both now their living conditions are different from ours. It's okay to be shocked or curious but try not to be rude. Daddy and I will try to make you both comfortable. We also brought some things of our own, okay?"
"Yes mommy" The eight year old smiled while Leigh-Anne nodded.
"What about Jade?"
"We will take care of Jade, don't worry"
"Okay, we're here" Alex pulled into the driveway of the spooky house.
"Everyone's sleeping mommy" Jesy pointed out, it was pitch black, There wasn't a single light on in the house.
"I doubt it. They don't have lights remember I told you?"
"Okay, I dont mean to be rude but I don't know If I can do this I'm sorry" Leigh-Anne said, staring at the dark old house.
"Auntie is sick baby. Try for her please"
"Okay, I'll try. What if I fall down the steps and break my neck?"
"You will be fine." Alex shook his head lifting Jade out of her carseat. She laid her head on Alex's shoulder.
"Wait for me daddy!" Jesy jogged to catch up to Alex.
"Come on you big baby" Leigh-Anne smiled taking her mothers hand.
"Dorothy, how are you?" Alex let go of Jesy's hand to hold the elder woman's hand. Jesy hid behind her father, she was scared. The woman looked dead. She was in a wheelchair she had thin white hair with patches missing. Her eyes were cloudy and she was surrounded by candles.
When the creaky door opened Jesy jumped in fear she ran to her mother wiping her eyebrow aggressively. Leigh-Anne laughed at her little sister.
"Auntie Perrie" Perrie's nieces ran over to her hugging her. Jesy frowned. She was lied to. She was told that she would have fun. This place was scary. She wanted to go home.
"Cut it out" Perrie hissed at her daughters when they put their hands out trying to feel around the place. Turns out it wasn't as dark as they thought. But they did have black out curtains everywhere.
"Here. Take Jade upstairs while we help out with dinner." Alex handed Leigh-Anne the eighteen month old.
"Want me to give her a bath?"
"Let's go. Upstairs." Perrie turned Leigh-Anne around pushing her up the stairs.
"Is she blind mama? Why does she look like that?"
"Who looks like what?
Jesy and Leigh-Anne screamed thinking the room was empty.
"what?" Perrie's uncle asked making the girls scream.
"Calm down. Stop it" Perrie was embarrassed by their behavior.
Jesy was clinging to her sister. They weren't trying to be disrespectful or anything but they were genuinely scared.
"Leave them kids alone. I would be scared too coming into this haunted house." He joked.
"Haunted?" Leigh-Anne asked.
"No but there are mice and lots of roaches because she won't let me get an exterminator or turn on the damn lights."
"Wait. The lights work?"
The man nodded.
"Yeah, yall can turn them on while you're here. I'll pay the bill."
"Wait, you live like this because she's cheap?" Leigh-Anne asked the man who turned on the light revealing the room with several holes in the walls and mice scrambling in them.
"Pretty much. I cleaned two guest beds for you guys. Perrie, I know you weren't expecting this. The next hotel is about ten miles away and quite expensive."
"Its alright. We will spend the night, see how things go."
"No please. Please mommy can we go to the hotel?" Leigh-Anne begged once the man left.
"Cut it out. You two are being extremely disrespectful."
"We're sorry" Leigh-Anne apologized for herself and younger sister.
Alex brought their bags upstairs and Perrie began to take out bath supplies for the baby.
"Go have a bath Jes, it's almost bedtime"
Jesy looked at Perrie as if she had two heads. She wanted her to go into that spooky bathroom by herself?
"Can Leigh-Anne shower first, mommy?"
"No, I can't."
"Please. You're older"
"No. Mama told you to go shower. Not me"
"Please, sissy"
"No."
"Mommy, can you make Leigh-Anne shower first?" Perrie sighed, leaving the room to give Jade a bath.
"How about I come with you"
"Please sissy" Leigh-Anne nodded, picking up their soap, towels and other needs.
Once Leigh-Anne turned on the light Jesy screamed.
"Shhhh! You're going to get us in trouble with mommy."
"It's so many bugs, sissy. Look! Ew!"
"I know, get in the shower" Leigh-Anne instructed after laying a towel down in the bathtub. To be fair, the guest rooms, apart from the creepy crawlies, were in decent condition.
"Hurry and wash up well" Leigh-Anne began brushing her teeth while Jesy took a bath. Once finished they switched and got dressed before heading back to the bedroom.
Leigh-Anne looked for the McDonald's bag, he parents brought them fast food knowing they probably wouldn't eat what they ate here.
"You want chicken or nuggets?"
"Mmmm. . . Nuggets" Leigh-Anne took Two for herself before handing Jesy the box.
"Wanna watch a movie with me?"
"Sure." Leigh-Anne got in the bed with her little sister watching her scroll through Disney plus on her tablet.
An hour or so later, Jesy was fast asleep while Leigh-Anne watched Deadpool. Things were going fine until her stomach rumbled. She stood up to get her food but stopped when she noticed a huge hole in the brown bag.
"Are you kidding me!?"
She sighed laying back down, trying to get some sleep. This was not how she planned on spending her spring break.