Closer To The Truth

When I got home I realized Roxie wasn't home I figured she was working. I had just changed into a pair of old denim shorts and an old high school soccer jersey when my phone started ringing. I realized it was Mr. Groves probably wanting me to come over to baby sit. I picked up the phone and told him I'd be right over. I flipped my hair up into a messy bun and grabbed my phone and keys before walking down the hall to their apartment building. I knocked on the door and shifted my weight waiting.

"Hey Alaska, thank you so much for babysitting!" Mr. Groves answered the door looking pretty suave with a striped oxford shirt tucked into dark grey slacks. He held the door open and Tommy came bolting out before I could even say anything.

"It's really not a problem, Tommy's a sweetheart," I laughed wrapping my arms around him and picking him up before entering the apartment. He was wearing a spiderman shirt and muttering about a new movie he and his dad rented earlier.

"Well, thank you, it's hard to find responsible teenagers who I can trust and Tommy loves so, we appreciate it," He laughed and I smiled in gratitude before Tommy started jumping up and down excitedly and Mr. Groves checked his watch quickly. "Shoot, apparently my date is already at the restaurant, I'll hopefully be home around ten. Tommy's bedtime is at 9:30 he's already had a bath and we rented a movie he can watch," Mr. Groves listed off while slipping on a matching sports coat while walking out the room.

"Oh, he got an extra thirty minutes?" I chuckled noting his later bedtime since the last time I had babysat him. I saw the makings of dinner on the counter and realized I was making it for him. "Chicken nuggets for dinner?" I asked again before Mr. Groves could answer.

"Yeah, I swear the kid's gonna be a lawyer one of these days. If you could that'd be amazing. Again thank you so much, I'll shoot you a call if I'll be home later than ten, if that's okay?" He asked looking for my approval. He was definitely going on a good date tonight. He waved Tommy over and hugged him tightly, "I love you buddy, be good for Alaska okay?" He said love pouring into his voice and I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I have nothing better to do on a thursday night," I shrugged before smiling brightly as he walked out of the apartment. "Have a good time on your date!" I called out after him before closing the door. I laughed turning to see Tommy jumping on the couch excitedly. "Hey! What movie are we watching buddy?" I grinned.

"Despicable Me!" He cheered before handing me the case and jumping once more before flinging his leg out and letting the couch catch him. He crossed his legs excitedly before staring at me put the DVD into the TV.

"I love this movie, so while you watch it I'm gonna get started on your dino nuggets okay?" I asked before he cheered. I laughed putting a couple on a plate and stuck them in the microwave while pouring some milk for him. As the smell started spreading through the apartment I realized I hadn't eaten all day and made a second plate for myself.

"Hey monkey, do you want ketchup or ranch for your nuggets?" I asked once his were ready. I kept them out to cool off before putting mine in. He screamed 'ranch' I laughed sorting through the fridge and grabbed the bottle of ranch and pouring some on his plate. I brought the milk and the plate to him on the couch.

"Thank you, Alaska!" He chimed before his attention back to the movie. I checked my phone after hearing it ring and I saw a call from an unknown number and I just ignored it. I put some ketchup on my plate and joined Tommy on the couch.

After the movie we played a couple of games, but Tommy was getting tired my phone began ringing again and I ran to pick it up seeing Mr. Groves' number I figured he was staying out past ten. "Hello?" I picked it up having what I thought I expected.

"Hey Alaska, I really hate to do this, but my date is going really well and, uh, I was wondering if you could take Tommy over to your place. It wouldn't be right to bring a date home with him there. I'll pay you extra and you could drop him off first thing in the morning. If it's too much to ask I understand completely," He began sputtering off.

"Oh, uh, yeah. It's not a problem I'll take him over what time should he be back?" I asked scratching my head in complete shock.

"Oh, his school starts at 7:45, so if you could have him back by seven that'd be greatly appreciated. Alaska thank you so much, I really do appreciate it, I just really like this one so..." He dragged off.

"Yep, it's no big deal. I'll have him back at 7, bye," I said shortly feeling slightly awkward from the situation. I smiled and looked and Tommy yawning curled up on the couch despite the fact it was barely nine. "Tommy! Sleepover! Let's get you changed into your jammies and get a pillow and a blanket," I smiled as he lifted his head up dragging his feet as he changed into batman pajamas, complete with cape. I piled the pillow and blanket into my arms and grabbed my keys and phone and slid them in my pockets and realized Tommy was really tired.

"'Laska can you carry me pwease?" He asked a cute little kid accent coming out while his eyes blinked rapidly. I chuckled and nodded after closing the Groves apartment door and I got down on my knees and let him climb into my free arm. Then I realized two things, Tommy was heavier than he looked and my keys were under a big blanket and a pillow.

"Crap," I sighed rocking Tommy gently after realizing I had woke him up. I thought about my options before Roxie, Garrett and John all came talking loudly up the stairs and I thanked God she was getting home right as I needed to get inside, I looked up and grinned.

"'Laska what are you doing out here?" Roxie asked before noticing Tommy in my arms and letting out a big aww. "Are you locked out?" She asked before running up to the door.

"Hey y'all, sort of locked out my keys are out of reach currently, but can I just say your timing is perfect!" I smiled before adjusting Tommy further up my shoulder. Before I could ask where they all had been John spoke.

"Hey, who's the kid?" John asked nodding towards Tommy in my arms. I raised my eyebrows skeptically as Garrett followed Roxie into our apartment and I smiled. Tommy shifted in my arms and he yawned looking up to him.

"Oh I just found him on the side of the road, you know," I laughed sarcastically. He chuckled and nodded shyly before grinning and he noticed Tommy waking up and staring at him.

"Alaska, who's that?" Tommy whispered into my ear and I smiled before walking into my apartment and dropping down Tommy's pillow and blanket on the couch before hoisting him higher again as John walked in, Tommy's eyes glued on him.

"That's my friend John, and that is my friend Garrett and that is my sister Roxie," I smiled pointing to the particular person. Tommy waved shooting them a bright smile and I cleared my throat, "And this is Tommy Groves, he lives right down the hall from us."

"You can put me down now," He whispered in my ear. I laughed before letting him down on the floor and he walked right up to John and stuck his hand out, "pleased to make your aquatance sir," he said with a straight face and I nearly died from how cute it was. I could tell Roxie was on the same page as me as far as taken aback at the cutest little kid ever. John took his hand and shook it right back.

"Hey kiddo, it's bed time. Where do you wanna sleep on the couch or in my bed?" I asked making sure he was listening to me.

"But I'm not even tired!" He started pouting and of course John had to jumped in and ruin my babysitting job by egging him on. I smiled at Tommy crossing his arms like it was threatening.

"Yeah Alaska! He's not even tired yet!" John pleaded for Tommy and I rolled my eyes. I gave John a stern look before raising my hands to my hips to shoot a look at the now wide-awake five-year-old. Tommy matched my look with the same gesture.

"How about you can sleep on the couch and hang out with us and you'll technically be in bed?" I conceded to him. He was just so darn cute. Roxie laughed shaking her head and he nodded his head jumping up onto our couch I made a bed for him and tucked him in before John joined us in the living room.

I saw Garrett whisper something to Roxie and she laughed before they both made their way out of the room, John and I giving our best suspecting looks. "We'll be right back," Roxie said then they just laughed more and I bit my tongue from any sexual innuendos since I was babysitting.

"John! Can you tell me a story?" Tommy yawned while snuggling into pillow. I smiled turning off the all the lights and walking to the bathroom and turning on that light as a night light of sorts.

"Sure, bud, what kind of story?" He asked smiling.

"I dunno, just make one up," Tommy yawned again before his eyes fluttered shut. I smiled watching John sitting on the floor next to Tommy with his ankles crossed and arms around his skinny legs. I smiled before grabbing the blanket on the recliner and cuddled up for the story.

"Okay, well, uh, I'll make one up then. Once upon a time, there was a great adventurer named Cornelius-" John began before Tommy let out a chortle at the name and John looked offended. "What kid? Cornelius is a good manly name. Anyway, he was a lone rider, going off adventures seeing the world, eating great foods, seeing beautiful women and searching for vast treasures," John continued and I couldn't help but laugh at John staring at me when he wiggled his eyebrows about beautiful women. "Cornelius continued to tear sh- I mean stuff up. Living life like a rock star and chilling with his friends all day until, he met a girl. This girl was prettier than all the other ones and a lot meaner. She was smart had a quick tongue and loved to use it. Now the girl just came to live with her sister in the palace and when Cornelius saw her he knew he had to have her. But she didn't make it easy, when all he wanted was to call her his and she didn't let him in and to make it more complicated she was a royal princess and he was just a regular dude. Cornelius asked his mother, 'what should I do' and she was the wisest woman in all the village and she told him to be patient and honest with her with his feelings. Then it was up to her," He spoke eloquently, a light blush came to my cheeks as I stared at him realizing he was asking me in his own way.

"So what happened?" Tommy asked sleepily. John looked at me and I realized he wanted an answer right then.

"She realized he was a good-looking guy, but was worried about the people he hung out with. Especially one of them, Greg, because he was the biggest, meanest boy in the village and Cornelius was really good friends with him. She loved spending time with him, but she couldn't get over that fact, but she thinks his mother had good advice and she decided to listen to her heart instead of her head and wanted to run away with him, because they could never be together in a place where they knew she was a princess and he wasn't royal," I continued hesitating while I tried to figure out what I did want to do, looking John straight in the eyes with a small smirk in my eyes.

"So Cornelius and the princess met secretly in the middle of the royal garden, and he promised that he would treat her right and protect her no matter what. So with that promise, they climbed over the garden walls and ran off together to see the world. They were married in a magical place and lived happily ever after. The end," John ended on the perfect tone as I saw Tommy lightly snoring. I smiled and realized how good he was with Tommy, it was kind of a turn on.

"So this Cornelius sounds like a stud," I laughed quietly before checking my phone again and realizing I had two more missed calls from the same unknown number.

"Yeah, but you should see this princess, she is hot," he sang excitedly. I let out another laugh before he noticed the concern in my eyes. "What's up?"

"Do you know who this number is? They've called me three times tonight, but I don't answer unknown numbers," I explained before handing my phone over to him. He pulled out his own phone before and a confused look came on his face. "What, do you know who it is?" I asked again.

"Uh, yeah, it's Craig's number," John said in a daze. I'm sure we both had the same question on our minds. Why was Craig calling me, after all I had made myself pretty clear. I captures John's eyes and we both seemed alarmed in a way. "I also took the liberty of adding me to your contacts and I may or may not have sent a text message through your phone to get your number. Maybe," John smiled trying to lighten the mood, and I let out a small laugh, but regardless I was still confused and troubled over why on earth Craig would call me.