Lily Baby.

Jeph’s POV

The first time I met Quinn was the day he moved into the ugly little house across the street. His mother had him under severe surveillance as they unpacked the moving van that was parked outside their house. Quinn had been roughly 13 yet you couldn’t tell apart from how he was much taller than the other kids with a mental age of 5. I suppose that’s what I liked about him… he was adorable.

My mom had walked me to his house to introduce ourselves, knowing that I was around the same age as Quinn but when we arrived, Mrs Allman was rushed off her feet and neither me or my mother had a clue what to do as she ran around the front of her house making sure the removal men didn’t break any of her good china.

“Oh, hi!” she gushed, upon seeing us, “This is Quinn!”

“Oh… hi, Quinn.”

The kid just ignored us as he sat on the curb of the pavement kicking stones at passers by.

“Could you watch him for a while?” his mother said to me, panting heavily as she snatched another box from a removal man’s hand, “I don’t want him to be alone.”

My mom looked at me in confusion and I shrugged, “Sure…”

“Could you help me carry boxes?” she asked my mom, passing her a box before waiting for her answer and bustling off onto the van for me.

“God, I didn’t expect getting hooked into arranging her house…” Mom muttered as she carried the box away.

I sat down onto the curb next to Quinn, scraping my feet against the ground as I did so.

“Hey,” I said. He looked at me with his big shiny eyes, cocking his head to one side as he did so. And I just knew…

Needless to say I was excited to be babysitting him. It took a long time to find a pair of jeans that looked good enough, and took even longer to find the perfect shirt. I styled my hair to perfection and put on my favourite pair of shoes. In my opinion… I looked hot. Not that it mattered.

I walked across the street to his house, my knees literally shaking with anticipation as I knocked on the door, to be greeted by Mrs Allman.

“Jepha, dear! I haven’t seen you in a while!” she cried, cheerfully. So bloody cheery. Stupid Bitch, “Why is that?”

I’ve been watching you…

“I’ve been ill…” Lie number one.

“Aw, what did you have?”

Quinn-itis. Highly contagious.

“Tonsillitis.” Lie number two.

“Did you have it removed?”

I’d never remove Quinn from my heart… or other places…

“Yeah…” Lie number three.

“Did it hurt?”

She’s a nosy bitch, isn’t she?

“Yeah…” I said, “Where’s Quinn?”

“He’s in bed, he has a cold. So all I need you to do is be there in case he wakes up,” she smiled, “Okay honey? You know where stuff is?”

I nodded slowly as the information sunk in. Quinn. Bed… Perfect.

“Will you be okay?”

“Yes Mrs Allman… I’m sure we’ll be just fine…”

Frankie’s POV

I felt something move beside me as I lay on the cold floor of the kitchen. I thought I’d gone blind when I tried to open my eyes, I almost panicked, before remembering how much chocolate sauce had been on my face. I prised my eyelids apart and saw Lily, sitting up in the half light. The moonlight hit her skin, her pale skin more lucid than ever.

“What’s the matter?” I croaked, leaning forwards, placing a hand on her back.

“Nightmares,” she whispered, rubbing her cheek nervously as she spoke.

“What are they about?” I asked. A girl of Lily’s brain capacity would, surely, only dream of magical far away lands and majestic tea parties.

She turned in her position to look at me, her eyes turned a navy blue colour in the darkness… not even a hint of hazel remained at night, it seemed.

“There was a car.”

I nodded, “Go on.”

“Th-the car… hit me.”

I gulped, “Then what…”

“Then there’s nothing. That’s what’s so scary.”

I nodded again, wrapping my arms around her cool skin, “It was just a dream…”

“But,” she began, as she leant backwards into me, “Why did it feel so real?”