The Babysitter

The next morning, Mrs Vanhook called early in the morning, causing Zack to slowly get out of bed and wince to the living room, answering, “Hello?”

“Goodmorning Zack, I didn't wake you up too early did I?”

Zacky yawned and looked at the clock, “Not really. I was about to wake up Wynonna and Andy.”

“How are they? Are they treating you okay? Wynonna isn't giving you that much trouble is she?”

Zacky laughed, “She could be giving me more.”

Mrs Vanhook sighed, “I'm sorry. She's been like that with every babysitter. We're coming back home tomorrow, my Mom is starting to show signs of health so we should be home by tomorrow afternoon. Does that sound good?”

“That sounds great.”

“Thank you so much for babysitting last minute. We really appreciate it.”

“It's nothing really. It wasn't that hard, apart from Wynonna being Wynonna, Andy was a really cool kid and he didn't give me much trouble at all.”

“You should've seen him when he was four.” She laughs, “Anyway, home tomorrow, payment tomorrow, and we'll be out of your hair.”

He laughed in returned, “That sounds great, Mrs Vanhook.”

“I'll see you tomorrow, Zack.”

“Tomorrow.” He repeated, hanging up the phone and walking up the stairs back to bed.

“Was that my mom?” Wynonna asked sleepily.

“Mmmmhmm.”

“What'd she say?”

“She said that she would be home tomorrow.”

“Finally. A week with you is torture.”

“Oh and thanks by the way.”

“Thanks for what?” She grumbled.

“For the help from your uncle, even though I didn't need it.”
“Oh fuck right off.”

“You're really starting this right now?”

“You started it first!”

“I was just thanking you!”

“I told you yesterday that it was completely unnecessary for you to thank me because I did it to piss. You. Off.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe I wanted you to call your medical relatives to heal me?”

“Hasn't crossed my mind, actually.”

“Maybe that's why I'm thanking you.” He grinned.

She rolled her eyes and walked to the bathroom, “You're such a cock.”

“I've one. Would you-”

Wynonna slammed the bathroom door which caused Andy to walk out of his room, rubbing his eyes, “Why don't you guys just kiss already? Jeez, you don't let me sleep.”

“No offense Andy, but your sister is the last person I would kiss.”

“That's what Jake said about Melissa. Too bad that she already knows he likes her.”

“I don't like your sister.”

“She likes you, at least I think so, Mom said that hate and love are close together. That's why you shouldn't hate people because you end up living them in the end, kind of like Romeo and Juliet.”

“For a nine year old, you watch a lot of soap operas.” He mocked.

“Mom watched them all the time. I learn a thing or two.”

“The hate-love thing is only true for certain people, I think.”

“Maybe you and my sister are those certain people.” Andy mumbled, passing him by.

Little did he know, that everytime Wynonna and Zack argued, Wynonna's heart would quicken. Currently, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and took deep breaths. Her eyes were closed and her face slightly damped due to her splashing water on her face so that she would calm down. Her heart was still pounding in her chest and she could feel it in her throat as if it were to jump out any second now. She took several deep breaths and began to brush her teeth, why was her heart so overreactive? Was it because of the anger or was it because of something else? Wynonna tried to convince herself that it was the anger that made her feel this way, but deep down in the crevice of her soul, she knew it was something else. But she ignored it, she always did. She didn't want a repeat of Nick.
xx

“Wy? You're being quiet again.” Adam pointed out at lunch. It was true, she was barely poking at her food, she was too busy thinking.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“About?” Alyssa asked.

“My stupid babysitter.”

“You're still on that?” Adam asked with sigh.

“You like him, don't you?”

“No, he's a dickhead.”

“You aren't a saint either, Wynonna.” Alyssa pointed out.

“No but he's worse than I am.”

“People like that exist?” Adam joked, “Seriously, we told you this last time, if you actually tried being nice, it would help.”

“But-”

Adam let out an exasperated sighed and lifted up his arms in desperation, “Goddammit Wynonna, give it up already!”

And with that, Adam left the table to cool down. Alyssa only sighed and said, “Sorry Wy, but he has a point. Even though he made it a little bit more dramatic than normal people, you're being really unfair to this guy.”

“You should've heard what he said the other day.”

“What did he say?”

“Some shit about how I'm a nerd and how I have no friends.”

“Yeah but did you start it?”

Wynonna sighed and poked her soup, Alyssa raised an eyebrow, “See, I told you. You need to stop starting it and just be polite, forget about that Nick guy and forget everything that happened in Portland. You're in California, whatever happened there stays there, alright?”

“Alright.”

She smiled and carassed her cheek, “I'm going to go get my brother, he's probably in the girls bathroom whining or something. I'll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Wynonna smiled back, “Later.”

Being left alone in the large cafeteria, she got up and threw away her disposable tray, making her way to the library where she would read unil the bell rang. As she sat down on the chair, she pulled out her notebook and began to read silently and contently until someone sat in the chair in front of her. Sighing, she put her book down and looked at Zacky, who was smirking at her, “Why are you here?” She asked.

“You looked lonely. I was over there studying for a test and I thought, why not spend time with my favorite person?.”

“Why are you really here, Zack?”

He sighed and put his math book on his lap, “Daisy is right over there and I need to hide.”

“Be a man and confront her.” She said, rolling her eyes and putting her attention back to her book.

“Just pretend to talk to me and I will never ask you for another favor in your long miserable life.”

Wynonna put her book down, “Who said my life is miserable?”

“I did. I make it miserable.”

“Well you're not wrong there.” She replied, putting her book back in front of her face.

“What the hell are you reading?”

“The Hobbit, can't you read? I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't.”

“Isn't there a movie about that?”

“No. There is a movie being made about the sequel, The Lord of the Rings, not The Hobbit.”

“Are you going to watch it?”

“Maybe, why do you care?”

“Look, I'm just trying to make a conversation so this is less awkward, alright?”

“Whatever floats your boat. Or in your case, whatever keeps you from talking to your ex girlfriend.”

“Do you only read books and play video games?”

“I bake.”

“How come you haven't baked the whole time I was in your house?”

“Because, I try my best to avoid you to keep from further arguments.”

“You should make something when we get home.”

“I have math homework.”

“After your homework.”

“I have a ton of English homework.”

“Alright, enough said. You won't bake anything because you can't.”

“Excuse me?”

Zacky laughed, “That's the thing about you Freshman, you all are quick to defend yourselves.”

She rolled her eyes and continued reading, for a minute, it was quiet until Zacky opened his mouth again, “What's the book about?”

“ When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim the hoard of gold stolen from them by the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf the wizard suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming Hobbit dwelling in peaceful Hobbiton.”

“Sounds dorky.”

“It kind of is, to be honest. It's like the bible of dorky people. But it's a good book and I loved the Lord of The Rings Trilogy.”

“Dweeb.”

She smiled and continued to read her book.

“Hey, you didn't say anything sarcastic or smart ass-ish.” Zacky pointed out.

“Do you want me to?”

“No. I'm just used to you being mean for no reason.”

“I'm mean for a reason. But I like talking about books I like.”

“Are those the only books you read?”

“No, I read other books, but those are just my favorite.”

“Why?”

“Because they are.” Was all she said, when actually, these were her favorite books because these were the books her brother took the time to read to her.

“Can I ask you something now that you're not all...normal Wynonna?”

“Normal Wynonna?”

“Yeah, the Wynonna that is mean to me. Anyway, can I ask it?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“What happened in Portland?”

Wynonna closed her book and thought for a second, she hadn't really told anyone else about her brother, it was just something that was between her family and her. Sighing, she decided to tell him, “I had an older brother, his name was Ian and he was the best brother I could ever ask for. He was six years older than me and he always read to me and when he was ten, he got the playstation for Christmas, that Christmas morning he taught me how to play games.” She smiled at the early memory and suddenly began to feel regret for even agreeing to tell what happened, Wynonna looked at Zacky who was looking at her attentively, “We were twelve, we were playing in the park and I needed to use the bathroom, he took me and he waited outside, and when I came back out, he wasn't anywhere to be found. I tried to look for him but he was gone. I ran home to tell my mom and she called the police. I was six years old, and I always,” She took a deep breath, “I always thought that it was my fault my brother was taken. No matter how many times my parents reassured me, I knew it was my fault.” Wynonna felt the lump in her throat and shook her head, “Why am I telling you this?”

“Because you never told anyone else before.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if you did, you wouldn't be as emotional as you are now.” He pointed out, “So he never came back?”

Wynonna shook her head, “No. Two months later, Andy was born and it was like nothing ever happened. That's why we have you, I guess. Mom doesn't want us to be taken just like Ian.”

“And here I am, fucking poking fun at you for whatever happened.” Zacky ran a hand through his hair, “God I feel like a giant dick.”

“You act like one too.”

“I'm guessing normal Wynonna is back?”

She smiled lightly and picked up her things as the bell rang, walking off to her next class. Zacky stayed for a while and began to think, the previous Wynonna wasn't her. The way she was acting now, that's the real Wynonna, it was a shame that he just only cracked her shell on his last full day as her babysitter.