P.S. I Hate You
Jessie And Caleb
I grab my wallet and jacket then wait for Benji to get ready. I grab my own banana and we head out. It’s a nice walk and I get there in twenty-five minutes. I find the lady who talked to me- Alice Walker. She welcomes me and talks a little about the shop, the people working here, what I would do, and proceeds to interview me. I talk the best I can and then she decides I’m in.
I’m in!
I have to spend the first week in training, and then another week with someone being my mentor to make sure I have everything grasped- and I even get paid during that. “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” I gush when it ends after we’ve worked out the times for me.
“No problem- we were lucky to grab you,” she winks. “Now have a good day and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Definitely,” I beam and head off to find Benji immersed in some book. “Like that?” I ask him, glancing at it. The original Peter Pan.
“Yeah,” he grins and then proceeds to tell me all about it. “It’s so cool!” He grins.
“I’m glad. Why don’t we spend some more time here and then we can grab an ice cream and walk home?” I offer. He nods quickly and I head off to find some music. Just to think- soon I can be buying more of this stuff for less. That gets me excited and I find some new cd’s out that I plan to keep my eye on.
Then it’s time to go. We share a large cookies and cream ice cream bowl for the walk home, laughing and chatting. He tells me how he played around with Devin, making up a new game that seems to be a lot of fun and so on. There I manage to organize my room a little more, and we work on Benji’s room and homework with mother and Gerald are out back, ‘sunning.’ Talk about ridiculous. Then I remind them about the barbecue and with their own complaints, they agree to get ready.
I change into a more agreeably nice top that’s gray and has some butterflies in a corner. I grab a jacket, in case it gets cool and it’s time to go. “Mother! We’re going!” I yell.
“We’ll be over in a minute!” She yells back from upstairs. Ha- more like an hour. She just got out of the shower and it takes her forever to get ready to go out and everything. Hello, it’s just a barbecue! Jeez…
The door swings open before we can knock on it. “So glad you’re here!” Mrs. Williams smiles widely. “Come in, come in- everyone’s out back,” she smiles. “Please, come.”
I give a hesitant smile, pushing Benji ahead of me who goes gladly. Obviously he feels just at home here and runs on through to the back where I see Devin with a few other boys… will Benji be okay with them? I watch them for a minute, chewing on my lip, worried.
They’re laughing. I give a small sigh of relief. Okay, good. They’re all smiling, even Benji who starts talking animatedly to them. This could be good, yes…
I don’t really know any of my other neighbors, so I go over to their pond- they have a huge, beautiful yard- and sit down, watching the fish. What are they called again? Not goldfish… but sort of cute. In an anatomic way, you know?
“Koi,” grunts a familiar voice. I whip around in surprise.
“Uh… right,” I say, with lack of saying anything.
Caleb shifts, looking sullen. “Mom wants you to help with games.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Awww, she thinks you can’t do it alone?”
“No, she just thought you looked pathetic and needed something to do,” he snaps. Good thing none of this is true. “Are you going to help or not?”
“Fine,” I give him a look as I stand, brushing the dirt off myself. “What’s first?”
He shoves a paper list in my face. “Ah. Three legged-race,” I say out loud. I look up. “Well? What do we need? Are we tying their shoelaces or do you have some scarves or something?”
He shrugs, holding up a bag. I grab it and find them on top. “See? It’s not that hard,” I say mockingly. “Hey, kids!” I whistle to catch their attention. “Game time, who’s ready to party?!”
They all shout. “Well then get over here and we can get started,” I grin and they race over. I’m surprised so many kids came- at least twelve, with mostly boys. “Okay, first off we’re having a three legged-race. Has everyone done one before?” Some shake their heads. “Well, there’s a first time for everything, right? Okay, so everyone get a partner…” I trail off, counting.
Odd number. What do we do?
“Hey, it’s okay,” I coo to the little girl without a partner. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Jessie,” she says softly.
“Yeah? Well, Jessie, today’s your lucky day- you get to be partners with Caleb!” I grin and look at him.
“No!” he hisses when I come over. “What if I trip and crush her?”
“Well then it sure isn’t my fault,” I smirk. He still looks angry and I roll my eyes. “Let her pick the pace, okay? Talk to her- nicely,” I add. “And it’ll be fine. Just help her have a good time! Got it?” And I shove his scarf towards him.
I show everyone the line and check everyone’s ties, making sure they’re tight enough- which was really odd, with Caleb- but moving on, it worked and on the count of three, they all go off.
I can’t help but chuckle as Caleb practically lifts Jessie and helps them run to the finish line, winning. Jessie squeals with excitement, clapping and hugging Caleb. “See?” I smirk, coming up. I turn to Jessie. “Great job, you were amazing! Here’s your prize,” because there is one for every winner- and smaller prizes for everyone else, of course.
I’m in!
I have to spend the first week in training, and then another week with someone being my mentor to make sure I have everything grasped- and I even get paid during that. “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” I gush when it ends after we’ve worked out the times for me.
“No problem- we were lucky to grab you,” she winks. “Now have a good day and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Definitely,” I beam and head off to find Benji immersed in some book. “Like that?” I ask him, glancing at it. The original Peter Pan.
“Yeah,” he grins and then proceeds to tell me all about it. “It’s so cool!” He grins.
“I’m glad. Why don’t we spend some more time here and then we can grab an ice cream and walk home?” I offer. He nods quickly and I head off to find some music. Just to think- soon I can be buying more of this stuff for less. That gets me excited and I find some new cd’s out that I plan to keep my eye on.
Then it’s time to go. We share a large cookies and cream ice cream bowl for the walk home, laughing and chatting. He tells me how he played around with Devin, making up a new game that seems to be a lot of fun and so on. There I manage to organize my room a little more, and we work on Benji’s room and homework with mother and Gerald are out back, ‘sunning.’ Talk about ridiculous. Then I remind them about the barbecue and with their own complaints, they agree to get ready.
I change into a more agreeably nice top that’s gray and has some butterflies in a corner. I grab a jacket, in case it gets cool and it’s time to go. “Mother! We’re going!” I yell.
“We’ll be over in a minute!” She yells back from upstairs. Ha- more like an hour. She just got out of the shower and it takes her forever to get ready to go out and everything. Hello, it’s just a barbecue! Jeez…
The door swings open before we can knock on it. “So glad you’re here!” Mrs. Williams smiles widely. “Come in, come in- everyone’s out back,” she smiles. “Please, come.”
I give a hesitant smile, pushing Benji ahead of me who goes gladly. Obviously he feels just at home here and runs on through to the back where I see Devin with a few other boys… will Benji be okay with them? I watch them for a minute, chewing on my lip, worried.
They’re laughing. I give a small sigh of relief. Okay, good. They’re all smiling, even Benji who starts talking animatedly to them. This could be good, yes…
I don’t really know any of my other neighbors, so I go over to their pond- they have a huge, beautiful yard- and sit down, watching the fish. What are they called again? Not goldfish… but sort of cute. In an anatomic way, you know?
“Koi,” grunts a familiar voice. I whip around in surprise.
“Uh… right,” I say, with lack of saying anything.
Caleb shifts, looking sullen. “Mom wants you to help with games.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Awww, she thinks you can’t do it alone?”
“No, she just thought you looked pathetic and needed something to do,” he snaps. Good thing none of this is true. “Are you going to help or not?”
“Fine,” I give him a look as I stand, brushing the dirt off myself. “What’s first?”
He shoves a paper list in my face. “Ah. Three legged-race,” I say out loud. I look up. “Well? What do we need? Are we tying their shoelaces or do you have some scarves or something?”
He shrugs, holding up a bag. I grab it and find them on top. “See? It’s not that hard,” I say mockingly. “Hey, kids!” I whistle to catch their attention. “Game time, who’s ready to party?!”
They all shout. “Well then get over here and we can get started,” I grin and they race over. I’m surprised so many kids came- at least twelve, with mostly boys. “Okay, first off we’re having a three legged-race. Has everyone done one before?” Some shake their heads. “Well, there’s a first time for everything, right? Okay, so everyone get a partner…” I trail off, counting.
Odd number. What do we do?
“Hey, it’s okay,” I coo to the little girl without a partner. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Jessie,” she says softly.
“Yeah? Well, Jessie, today’s your lucky day- you get to be partners with Caleb!” I grin and look at him.
“No!” he hisses when I come over. “What if I trip and crush her?”
“Well then it sure isn’t my fault,” I smirk. He still looks angry and I roll my eyes. “Let her pick the pace, okay? Talk to her- nicely,” I add. “And it’ll be fine. Just help her have a good time! Got it?” And I shove his scarf towards him.
I show everyone the line and check everyone’s ties, making sure they’re tight enough- which was really odd, with Caleb- but moving on, it worked and on the count of three, they all go off.
I can’t help but chuckle as Caleb practically lifts Jessie and helps them run to the finish line, winning. Jessie squeals with excitement, clapping and hugging Caleb. “See?” I smirk, coming up. I turn to Jessie. “Great job, you were amazing! Here’s your prize,” because there is one for every winner- and smaller prizes for everyone else, of course.