These Lines Were Never Established

Hayley stomped through the house with a pout on her face. Huffing she looked around the living room at everyone sitting around talking. Huffing once more she stormed over to Andy, who was the closest to her on the end of the couch, and began tugging on his pants glaring up at him.

Smiling Andy leaned forward to the pouting two-year-old.

“You’re supposed to be napping little one.” He pointed out teasingly. Swallowing he glanced at Travis as she kept glaring at him. “What’s…wrong?” he tried instead as Travis began rubbing the bridge of his nose and sinking into his seat, trying to hide from her. Travis had yet to figure out how to work with the cranky two-year-old so he hid instead. Crayons and paper didn’t even work at this point.

“May ‘im stop!” She puffed up at his angrily.

“Make who stop?” Jolene asked leaning into Andy eager to interact with Hayley more. Jolene loved kids.

“Moose.” Travis sat up at her little growl.

“Moose?” Travis asked confused looking around for the mentioned dog. Sure enough the only animal he found, besides Tommy munching away on a massive sandwich, was Tiny sleeping by the lit fireplace.

Storming her way over to Travis she huffed up at him evoking a nervous laugh from the twenty-five-year-old man. Grabbing his pant leg she kept glaring, her eyes slightly red form the lack of sleep with her sagging eyelids.

“Yes.” She nodded sternly.

“Sweetie, Hayley,” Jolene butted in as she watched Travis flounder for what to do next “What’s Moose doing?” She asked only getting a mumbled, indecipherable answer for the toddler. “What’s he doing?” She asked only to get the same answer. “Here, let’s go solve that problem.” Jolene stood up letting Hayley storm back towards the stairs, leading the way.

“She understood that?” Jim whispered amazed watching the two walk away slowly. Travis shrugged dramatically at the idea.

“Thank god she’s here though, I don’t know if I can handle her not sleeping again.” He breathed.

“How bad can she be?” Travis simply turned to Tommy with a blank look.

“So what’s Moose doing?” Jolene asked as she watched Hayley climb her way up onto the bed with a little difficulty. Hayley sat on the end of the bed and turned to Jolene, still glaring and crossed her arms over her chest. “Show me.”

“Just hate…” Hayley growled darkly.

Moose crawled around the bed nudging Hayley with his nose, getting a growl at of the cranky toddler. Jolene blinked at Moose did it again when Hayley did pay any attention to him.

“I get it.” Jolene grabbed Moose’s collar pulling him down off the bed. “Down stairs.” She pointed getting no where with the dog. “Down stairs!” Jolene barked startling Hayley and Moose both. “Now.” Moose sulked out of the room as Jolene turned back to Hayley. “Alright little one! Let’s get you tucked in and back to sleep.” She chirped picking the small girl up and placing her in the middle of the bed under the blankets all tucked in. “Now go to sleep.” Tapping Hayley’s nose Jolene held back the ‘aw’ creeping in her throat as the yawn emitting from Hayley’s small mouth. “When you wake up from your nap,” Jolene stated as Hayley’s eyes began drooping slowly. “You and me, we’ll have lots of fun and bug the boys, okay?” Smiling Hayley nodded. “Go to sleep sweetheart.” With that Jolene left, dragging Moose with her as he tried to sneak back in the room, closing the door behind her and moved downstairs.

“What was the problem wanna-be-mommy?” Andy teased only causing Jolene to let go of Moose telling him to go ‘play’ with Andy. “No moose!” He yelled in time to watch the dog land in his lap painfully.

“What was wrong?” Travis asked gently eyeing Jolene closely.

“He kept nudging her with his nose wanting to play.” Jolene breathed as she sat down. “She’s so cute Travis.” She added looking up at him. “So cute.” Travis shrugged with a slow yawn.

“She wears me out.” He breathed sinking into his seat as he focused on the television. The group laughed as they watched Travis shift in his seat.

“You pretty good at it for someone who has no idea what they’re doing.” Jim mused later that evening as he waved to Debbie walking in with food and bags of stuff. Hayley jumped up seeing Debbie and rushed towards her happily with her newest drawing.

“Yeah right.” She snorted. “This little one,” She stressed the words down at Hayley’s talking, gibberish uttering form. “Gets away with so much because Travis is confused, lost, scared, or doesn’t see the harm in it. Huh?” Hayley paused in her gibberish about her new picture to look around the room. “Just nod.” Debbie laughed.

“Uh huh!” Hayley nodded vigorously before holding her picture up again to have it looked at.

“Thanks mom.” Travis called over his shoulder as the two headed into the kitchen. Huffing he sank deeper into his seat licked his lips nervously. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…” he admitted honestly.

“Travis.” Debbie called picking Hayley up. The little girl had dirt on her face and cloths as grease clung and clumped in her hair. “Have you given her a bath lately?” Travis looked over his shoulder at him mother confused. “Have you had a bath lately?” Debbie asked Hayley stepping out of the kitchen into living room, watching the little girl.

“Uh-uh.” Hayley shook her head at the idea of a bath. She didn’t really like them, she liked dirt more than she liked water since she didn’t know how to swim. That and dirt was grainy and fun to throw! It got everywhere!

“Travis!” Debbie scolded. He sat there stunned at the fact he was getting yelled at over a two-year-old. “She’s supposed to have a bath every night!” Hayley grimaced at the idea of a bath, sticking her tongue out as her nose scrunched up, she looked at Travis’s stunned face.

“I don’t even shower every night.” Tommy mused getting the group to look at him stunned. “I don’t. Waste of water.” He laughed.

“Travis look at her, she’s all dirty.”

“She was playing in the snow earlier!” He gasped, squeaking nervously.

“All the more reason she needs a bath tonight.” Travis grimaced at the idea. “You’ll have to learn to give her a bath at some point, better now than later because I’m not doing it all the time.” With that Debbie headed back into the kitchen taking Hayley with her.

“Eyes no need baf, Eyes fine!” Hayley stated loudly.

“Yeah!” Travis called nervously. “She doesn’t need a bath.” He didn’t know if he could give a small child, let along a small girl, a bath. “Ow!” He groaned rolling off the couch, holding his chest tightly.

“She’s filthy!” Jolene huffed. “Ugh! Guys and you, you!” She laughed pointing at Tommy. “Are nastier than I thought.” She laughed at him heading for the kitchen, leaving Travis on the living room floor holding his chest in pain and agony.

“Jo, sweetheart.” Debbie asked as the woman entered the kitchen.

“Hi’s Oween!” Hayley waved enthusiastically as she sat on the kitchen island with a juice box Debbie had given her.

“Hi Hayley.” Jolene giggled at the small girl.

“Jolene.” Jolene spun to face Debbie politely. “I can’t stay long so make sure Travis gives her a bath.”

“Yes Ma’am.” She nodded before turning back to Hayley and making a face. “You’re going to get a bath tonight little one.” Hayley grimaced.

“Eye no w’ike bafs.” Hayley stated. “Eye no taz one.” She added nodding to prove she was done talking about the subject and stuck the straw of her juice box into her mouth.

“You’re taking a bath.” Jolene and Debbie both stated sternly.

“Ow. Did you have to punch me so hard?” Travis whined as he stumbled into the kitchen with the others. “That really hurt.” He huffed sitting at the island and glanced at Hayley staring at him. “What?” He whispered at her confused by the stare.

After three days Travis still wasn’t use to getting stared down by a two-year-old. It wasn’t his thing, especially in the morning. Waking up to those big hazel eyes staring him down from across the bed, or god-for-bid, only a few inches from him was almost creepy, awkward even.

Hayley just kept sucking on her juice box even once it was empty, watching him. Clearing his throat Travis shifted nervously under her gaze but focused on his friends and mother around the kitchen.

“Yews goz somefing on yer face.” Hayley stated to Travis gently once Debbie had taken her juice box, sick of the noisy sucking sound.

“So do you.” Travis countered. Hayley giggled at him looking around the room.

“Well then why don’t you give her a bath?” Debbie stated grabbing her purse. “I’ll see you later. I have work.” Travis mouth floundered at her words and her retreating form. How was he supposed to bathe a two-year-old?

“On the note of bath, I’m leaving.” Tommy stated turning to leave as well, Jim and Andy following his lead.

“How do I bathe…”

“Eyes no take a baf.” Hayley shook her head at the two remaining in the kitchen. Travis shrugged at the idea, that solved his problem right there. Jolene on the other hand glared at her.

“You are taking a bath Hayley.” Jolene stated. Hayley shook her head, nose in the air.

“No.” Travis watched between the two of them.

“I don’t know how to bathe her.” Travis tried to reason, hoping to get the two of them, Hayley and himself, out of having to bathe her. She didn’t want one, Travis didn’t wanna do it. Who was going to make them? “And my mom left.” He tacked on at the cold stare he was getting.

“She’s getting a bath Travis Alan Pastrana.” Hayley’s ears perked and she turned to Travis staring at him. “And you Hayley.” Her attention shifted just as quickly as it had hearing Travis’s full name. “Are getting one.” Her nose scrunched up. “And I’ll help you Debbie already asked me to.”