Chapter Twenty One: I Like Her
An hour later, Chris is done with basketball practice. He heads home and arrives some minutes later.
Oh yeah, the new babysitter. He remembers.
The first thing he notices is that she doesn't have a car, or didn't come with one. He begins to hope she isn't yet another psycho. He prays she's different, if not, he'd make her quit one way or the other.
He steps into the house and shuts the door. Immediately, he hears the sound of the TV. Frozen. She's watching Frozen with the babysitter. At least that's a good sign.
He turns around. The first thing he notices is a mop of jet black hair on the couch that has it's back to the door. Why does that look so familiar? He asks himself.
"Emily," he calls, walking further into the living room.
Emily turns around on the couch on hearing her name and jolts out of the couch.
"Chris," she hugs him.
He hugs her back, smiling. He looks up at the new babysitter who has also turned around on the couch and he is shocked.
"Hazel?" He says in disbelief.
She rolls her eyes and answers with a glare. "It's Stephanie. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
She's still seated as she remembers the conversation they had in the morning. He just wants to be her friend? Puh-lease!
Chris ignores her statement and moves closer. "What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?" She retorts.
Chris was expecting to see the new babysitter but instead, he sees Hazel. The only reasonable explanation of her being here is--
"You're babysitting Emily," he points out.
"Way to go, captain obvious." Steph snorts.
If Emily didn't believe Steph when she said she doesn't like her brother, she sure does now because it's clearly obvious. It looks like she feels the exact opposite about him.
"Why?" Chris voices out.
"None of your business," she snaps. Who does he think he is? It's none of his business just as she has said.
Emily who has been watching their interaction finally speaks up.
"Chris, be nice to Stephanie. You're upsetting her," she says.
Chris sighs. "I'll be up in my room."
Then he walks up the stairs to his room. She's clearly still upset about the conversation they had in the morning. Can you even call that a conversation?
He enters his room and sits on his bed after dropping his backpack on the floor.
Hazel is babysitting Emily.
At first, he didn't know she existed and then they kiss during a game. Now she seems to be everywhere. Even in his house. Emphasis on his.
He stays in his room for a while, thinking before he decides to have something to eat. He heads down and finds Stephanie reading Emily a book. He walks to the kitchen and decides to make himself a sandwich.
"Em?" He calls.
"Yeah," she answers and Steph pauses her reading out loud.
"Do you want a sandwich?" He yells from the kitchen.
"No, thanks."
"What about you Hazel?" He asks.
She rolls her eyes and doesn't answer him. How many times will she have to tell him not to call her that? Just a simple instruction.
Emily stares at her.
When she hasn't answered after some seconds, Chris sighs realizing why she didn't answer.
"Do you want a sandwich, Stephanie?" He asks this time though he prefers to call her Hazel.
"Nope," she replies.
He smiles. She sure is something.
It's just him then.
He makes himself a turkey sandwich and sits on a stool. He eats his sandwich slowly with the thoughts of Hazel being in his house. It feels like it isn't real. He drinks a glass of orange juice after.
When he's done in the kitchen, he goes back to the living room. He watches Hazel read for some seconds before making his presence known.
"You can go home now. I'll take it from here," he says, sliding his hands into pockets of his jeans.
Steph looks at him. "Oh okay."
She closes the book and gives it to Emily.
"See you tomorrow Emily," she smiles.
Emily gives her a smile. "Can't wait."
Steph stands and walks towards the exit.
"Bye," she waves Emily with a smile as she turns the door knob. She opens the door and walks out with Chris and Emily watching her.
Chris realises that she doesn't have a ride. He walks out of the house and finds her on their driveway, beside his car.
"Hey," he says to get her attention. She turns to look at him with her phone in hand.
"Did I forget something?" She asks.
"Do you need a ride?"
"I'll hail a cab," she answers.
"Let me give you a ride," he offers, hoping she'll agree without putting up a fight.
"Nope," she lays emphasis on the 'p'. "I'm good."
"Seriously?" He sighs. "I know you hate me but please let me give you a ride home."
"I don't hate you," Steph retorts.
Chris scoffs. "Sure and I'm Chris Hemsworth."
She exhales, contemplating his offer.
"What about Emily? Would you leave her here? All alone?"
"She'll come with us," Chris decides.
Steph sighs, defeated.
What excuse would she give now?
"Fine," she gives in.
Chris smiles. "Great. Let me get Em."
He goes back into the house, looking a little too happy that he's driving her home.
"Hey Em. Come with me," he tells her in the living room.
"Where are we going?" Emily asks as she follows him.
"We're taking Hazel home," he replies as he locks the front door.
Emily doesn't understand why he calls her that. Her name's Stephanie.
Chris walks to his car on the driveway.
"Hazel, you can ride shotgun."
She chooses to ignore the name this time since he's doing her a favour.
"No thanks. I'll take the back seat. Emily should ride shotgun."
Chris gets in the driver's seat after helping Emily into the passenger's seat.
Steph gets into the back seat and Chris starts the engine. He backs out of the driveway and heads towards Steph's house with her directions.
Few minutes later, he parks in front of Hazel's house. Her house is bigger than his and he begins to wonder yet again why she's babysitting. It seems like her parents are loaded or at least comfortably rich - if their house is anything to go by.
"This is me," Steph announces as she's about to step out of the car but Chris' voice stops her.
"Wait."
"A question?"
She nods.
"Why do you babysit?"
She rolls her eyes. That's something she has been doing a lot around Christopher.
"Though like I said earlier - it's none of your business - I do it because I want to," she says and exits the car, slamming the door. She begins to walk up to her porch with Chris and Emily watching her. Steph turns around and smile, remembering Emily.
"Bye Emily," she waves.
"Bye," Emily says, smiling.
Chris chuckles as he watches her enter the house.
"I like her," Emily tells him as he starts the car.
"I'm sure you do, Em. I'm sure you do," he says.
"When is she coming over again?" Emily asks.
"Tomorrow," Chris answers with a nod.
"Yay!" Emily giggles.
***
"So Emily, do you like your new babysitter?" Kate asks as they eat dinner later in evening.
Emily smiles. "Yeah, I do. She's nice and kinda funny."
Chris smiles, happy that Emily likes Hazel. She's the first babysitter she likes. Even though he isn't exactly happy that she's babysitting - at least he'd see her more often and maybe they'll become friends.
His mum smiles too. "I'm glad you do."
"Imagine how surprised I was to come home and find Hazel as Em's new babysitter," Chris mutters.
"Huh?" Kate remembers Hazel as the first girl he has mentioned to her since Ivy. The girl he had detention with. She doesn't think she can forget that but why did he just say Hazel instead of Stephanie?
"Chris?" She stares at him.
"Yeah?"
"Stephanie is the name of the new babysitter," she points out, slightly confused and yet still amused.
"He calls her Hazel, mum." Emily comments. "And she keeps telling him not to."
"Really?" She asks with a curious tone.
Chris shrugs.
"Is she the same Hazel you got detention with yesterday?"
He doesn't give her answer for a few seconds. He notices his mum's eyes glinting because apparently, this is interesting news to her.
"Yeah, she is."
Kate stares at him astonishment.
"Oh my gosh!" She exclaims. "And now she's babysitting Emily. This is great."
To Kate, this is great news.
Chris gives his mum a blank stare.
"Seriously mum. What's so exciting? And we aren't friends or anything close to that," he mutters in monotone.
"Doesn't matter. It's just a matter of time. You two would become friends and maybe even something more," his mum beams.
"She seems like a good girl," she adds.
"Mum," Chris groans in frustration.
His mum chuckles and Emily joins.
Minutes later, Chris is in the room when he receives a text.
He enters his passcode for his phone and checks his text. It's from Piper.
'Hey.'
He groans. Instead of replying her, he goes to his contact list and dials Jason.
Jason answers on the second ring.
"Hey Chris. What's up?"
"I forgot to ask you," Chris starts gently. "Why the fuck you gave Piper my number?" He yells into the phone.
"I'm sorry dude. I thought you'll be okay with it," he apologizes. "It's not a big deal."
"Yeah, it's not a big deal but if she starts pestering me and blowing up my phone with calls and messages. I'll kill you," Chris says menacingly.
Jason chuckles. "You can't do that. You love me...."
Chris hangs up on him.