I sighed at the burnt crap in my pan.
After trying and retrying, I ended up burning all four pieces of chicken. By five o’clock, the entire kitchen was fuming with a light smoke. Later, I heard my mother screaming my name. She must have gotten off work early.
“Mom?”
“Ashleigh! Are you alright?” She quickly looked at the source of the smoke. “What’re you doing?”
“A school project, but…I failed that, too.”
Her panicked frown quickly turned into a rueful grin. “Ash, if you missed my home-cooked meals you should have said something.”
I huffed. “No offense, Mom, but your cooking sucks.”
She snickered, her booming laugh filling the entire kitchen. “Exactly. That’s why we don’t cook. What kind of school project is this anyway?”
I sulked at the chaos in the pan. “Culinary Arts… I hate that class.”
For a while it was quiet, then I noticed her attention was focused on something in her hands. She miserably looked through the many envelopes which mostly likely held bills, bills, and more bills.
“The cell phone bill’s overdue.”
“I’ll handle it. Since I’ve been . . . working extra hours, I have more money.” The money that I’d collected from the babysitting job would have to cover it. “Anything from Dad, yet?” I whispered. Anything to take my mother’s mind off of the other stack of bills.
She shook her head. After quietly staring at the kitchen clock for a long while she said, “You know, we haven’t heard from him in a while. Five months.”
Five months? It’d been that long? I wasn’t surprised to find that Mom had been counting the days…months.
“He’s alright, Mom.” I reassured her. Anyone who was blind could see that she loved Dad like bees love honey. No, scratch that. She loved him much more than that. She loved him enough to drop her wonderful rich life and marry my underprivileged father. At least that’s what she told me in the stories when she talked about him.
On the outside she was a trooper. On the inside I could tell she wanted to throw dishes at the wall out of pure grief, but she didn’t do that. She stayed brave. Just for me.
“I just wish he could at least tell us how he’s been for the past half year or so. A phone call…a letter. Something.”
I grabbed her shoulders so she could snap out of her depressing state. “I’m sure he’s just busy with work, Mom. You know how things can get.”
“Ashleigh, he hasn’t been sending over money for the bills.”
I felt my stomach drop into my stomach. There had to be some sort of explanation for him not showing any sign of life.
“At first I thought that…that maybe he got too tied up, but even then, he would’ve sent something, anything.” Then her depressed emotions sharply changed into a frightful one. “Oh, God! What if he’s been k–”
“No!” I shouted. “No,” the second one was more for myself to believe. This time, I almost lost it. I pulled her into a hug, mostly to hide my face since I was so close to breaking. Mom was strong for me all of these years, so it was my turn to be strong for her.
* * *
I caught the cab, but before heading to the house, I went to the cell phone company to pay the overdue bill. It took forever to pay it! But, luckily, it wasn’t too much and I had just enough for the cab and the bill.
It was my eighth time babysitting for Jasmine and Brandon, and of those eight times I never saw the arrogant Christopher Livingston. Not that I was hoping to, but I thought it a little bit strange that his pesky phone calls stopped after my first day at my new job.
Over the past eight times, Valerie and Vanessa were angels. They obeyed me and did everything I asked them to. Valerie the Adventurous talked and talked. I noted how she loved to crack jokes of all sorts.
Vanessa the Shy opened up to me after the awkward first Hi, how are ya stage. I noticed how she enjoyed reading storybooks about the Disney princesses. All it really took to bring her out of her shell was a little chat about Mulan. That was her favorite Disney princess even though she technically is not royal.
Even Ethan the Despicable was beginning to open up to me. It might have taken him much longer, but at least he talked to me…well all he did was ask for help on one or two math problems, but that was a start.
After I scurried out of the cab, I nearly ran up to the house. I was running a little behind, so I had to hurry. I almost ran into a tall figure standing in front of the door, and it made my heart race – my first thought was that it was some sort of predator just waiting for me.
Quickly recognizing his handsomely egotistical face, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
“Late are we?” Christopher said.
“Why are you here?”
I watched him scrutinize my face, then my entire body. The way he did it was so shameless. “Why are you late?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I had things to take care of. Why are you here?”
“My brother called me.” He crossed his arms like I did, the only difference being that his were more muscular than mine.
He confused me. In the short time that I’d known him, he never really failed at doing such a thing.
“Brandon Greene…”
They were brothers? “Really? I didn’t know that.”
“Obviously, ‘cos I just told you.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Are you always like this?”
He furrowed his brows causing his green eyes to twinkle. “Like what?”
I scoffed, attempting to make my way to the door which he blocked. “Forget it, Mr. Arrogant.”
Before I could touch the door handle, Christopher grabbed my wrist. Heat welled up there, as well as my cheeks. I wasn’t too comfortable with this.
To distract myself, I asked, “Did they try calling me?” If so, Mom and I’s cell phones weren’t going to be turned back on until tomorrow.
“I told them I would…which I did. By the way, the number you gave them isn’t a working one.” He smirked, causing my anger to boil a little bit. “But I could have sworn, Miss Wills, that I called you using the same number about a week ago. You should get that fixed.”
“You should get your face fixed,” I muttered under my breath, but unfortunately, he heard it.
But instead of getting mad, he chuckled. His pearly white teeth presented themselves and his eyes squinted just slightly. He laughed as if he hadn’t had a problem in the world.
God, he’s so attractive. Maybe it’s all a front. Maybe he’s really human on the inside.
“Cute,” he responded and disappeared into the house.
“Ashy,” Vanessa whispered. I was in the middle of reading one her Disney princess storybooks. “I’m hungry.”
As if on cue her little tummy grumbled. I smiled and replied, “Well, let’s go get you something to eat, then.”
We dropped by Valerie’s room so she could take a field trip to the kitchen with us. I knew better than to mess with Ethan. As we got closer, a delicious smell fenced us. “Girls, is Ethan in the kitchen?”
“No, Uncle Shane is. He’s making dinner tonight.” Valerie replied.
“Uh, who?” Was there someone else in the house with us? The thought began to freak me out.
“Uncle Shane.” She said again.
We entered the kitchen, me on high alert. Maybe Brandon and Jasmine called to tell me that another person would be at the house today. If only Mom and I had paid that cell phone bill…
My steps slowed as the girls entered the kitchen. The loud sound of boiling water and frying oil filled my ears as I peaked around the corner. There was a man standing in front of the stove, stirring and tending to a pot and a couple of pans. His back was turned toward me as his somewhat muscular arms showed its strength. I could have sworn I just saw…wait, is that–
“Uncle Shane?” I asked myself. The man turned around and sure enough if was Mr. Arrogant himself. So the bastard can cook?
Chris – or Shane – turned his nose up. “Don’t call me that. Only my close friends and family can call me Shane.”
I raised my eyebrows at his rude tone. “Excuse me?”
He turned his attention back to the stove. “Do me a favor, will you. Turn the chicken while I drain the spaghetti.”
There was no way in heaven I was going near that stove. I had that magical touch to mess things up when a frying pan and a hot fire were involved.
The twins were sitting at the table unusually quiet, their hands politely folded as they stared at them.
“Hey, c’mon! I don’t want the food to burn.” He was still looking over the stove, so I began to stealthily back out before he could see me. As I tiptoed my way out, I looked at the twins who were containing their laughter. I placed a finger over my lips, signaling them to not give me away. Valerie’s eyes widened as she gaped at something behind me.
I was almost out of the kitchen, almost in the clear when my left foot stepped on something sharp. I fell back, falling straight on my bottom. The twins’ laughter filled the kitchen as I closed my eyes and groaned in pain.
The twins emerged from their seats and ran to me, giggles still erupting from their traitor mouths. Before they could reach me, Shane held his hand out. “No, back to the table.”
They both halted, pouting at their uncle.
“You’re not the boss of us, Uncle Shane!” Valerie said.
“Back to the table…now, or no dessert.” Shane pronounced every word, sternness filling every word.
As I stood up, I watched the twins slouch in defeat and do what he had told them to do. Then he turned to me with a frown on his face and a fork in his hand. “Don’t just stand there looking stupid.”
And to think he was actually human on the inside.