Adventures in Babysitting
Chapter Fourteen: Nightmares
Chapter Fourteen: Nightmares
I woke up to the sound of childish laughter. My eyes fluttered open and I saw the four girls, still sitting on the floor, watching that stupid video on Youtube again. Wait. Those weren’t the voices I heard in the video. Were they..reciting it?
“Charlie!” Adele screamed in a childish manner. Shut up. Oh God, make them stop! I had no choice. I walked to the bunk area and slammed the door behind me. I turned around to face the beds. Gerard was laying on his bunk, drawing a picture.
“What are you drawing?” I asked. I was quite curious.
“A new character of mine,” he told me. He pulled the sketchbook off of his lap and showed the open page to me. It was a picture of a young girl, with one dark eye and one light one. She had fangs and sharp black nails.
“A half werewolf half vampire,” I said. Gee nodded. “Interesting.” Gee nodded and laughed. He then went back to drawing, I watched him for about five minutes before I started talking again.
“So how long have you been up for?” I asked.
“Dunno,” he looked at his watch, “Three hours and five cups of coffee I guess.”
I chuckled. “How long have they been up for?” I motioned towards the door.
“Longer than me!”
“Are they-”
“Yep. Word for word.”
“Fuck,” I said. I’ll have to deal with this for the rest of my life! Well, at least until they find a new video to recite. A less annoying on. Note to self: find a new video on Youtube to keep them distracted. Otherwise, I’ll be hearing that shit till I’m eighty. Ugh.
We heard more giggles coming from behind the closed door, and footsteps. The door opened a crack. Adele peeked in. “Frankie?” she said.
“Yea?” I asked. What does she want?
“Um, should we change now?” she asked. She looked at her feet and blushed.
“Yea. I think that’s a good idea.” I told her. She nodded and closed the door. We heard then several pairs of feet running to the bathroom and the door clicking shut. Gerard and I look at each other. We both laughed. After that, I went into the kitchen to make some coffee and Gerard went back to drawing.
It wasn’t long before the girl’s parents came to pick them up. It was only an hour or so later. God, that hour lasted long! They wouldn’t shut up! Do all five year-olds act this way? I don’t think that’s normal...
After Sakura finally left around one thirty, Adele collapsed onto the couch and was out cold for the next three hours. The guys and I had to practice quietly. Actually, we didn’t even practice. Bob got too frustrated with having to not play the cymbals when needed. So, we didn’t practice. But we know the songs, so it’s okay I guess.
Around five I walked back into the living room to check on Adele. She was sitting on the couch, trying to read another book Sakura lent her. Charlotte’s Web. Isn’t that book a little...challenging for a five year old? I couldn’t read it until I was nine, so how could Adele read it. I decided to ask.
“Adele?” she looked up from the book, “What re you doing?”
“Trying to read,” she replied. She sighed, “But I can’t get past the page she marked.”
“Who marked? Sakura?” I was curious.
“No.”
“Julie?”
“Nope.”
“Zoë?”
“Zoë hasn’t read this book yet. So no.”
“Then who marked the page.”
“Mommy,” she told me. My heart sank. She hasn’t said ‘mommy’ in a while.
“Was your mom,” I paused, “Reading you this?”
“Mhm!” she nodded, “I told her I’d finish it myself on day since we read it together, and I want to keep that promise.” With that, she looked back at the page she was stuck on. “But I can’t get past this one page.”
I got an idea. “Do you want me to read it to you?” I asked. She beamed.
“Yes please!” she replied. I smiled at her as she handed me the book. I began to read the page to her. By the time we finished the chapter, she was asleep again.
Adele woke up half an hour later. I was still sitting there, stroking her hair. “Hey.” I said to her, “Was I that boring?”
She laughed and shook her head. I smiled down at her. I looked over at the clock. Six. “You hungry at all?” I asked. Everyone had already eaten. Taco Bell. Fun.
Adele shook her head again. I smiled at her as she rubbed her eyes. “Frankie?” she started.
“Yes?” I asked softly.
“Um, can you tell me the secret from before. Of why you were looking at me?”
“I could,” I replied, “But I want to know something myself.”
“What?”
“Are you ready to tell me what’s bothering you?” I asked. She sighed and looked away quickly. I sat down next to her, leaning over the edge of the couch to see her face. “Please?” She nodded.
“My nightmare,” she told me, “They’re bothering me.” I thought that may be it!
“Do you want to talk about them?” I asked her. She shook her head.
“They scare me too much. And I know I need to face my fears and get over them, but if you had my nightmares, you'd understand.”
“Are you okay Adele?” I asked. She looked like she would cry.
“Mhm!” she replied smiling. She looked up at me. “Can I go to bed early?” she asked. I nodded and she ran off. I thought about what she said.
Nightmares. I know that’s not just it...
I woke up to the sound of childish laughter. My eyes fluttered open and I saw the four girls, still sitting on the floor, watching that stupid video on Youtube again. Wait. Those weren’t the voices I heard in the video. Were they..reciting it?
“Charlie!” Adele screamed in a childish manner. Shut up. Oh God, make them stop! I had no choice. I walked to the bunk area and slammed the door behind me. I turned around to face the beds. Gerard was laying on his bunk, drawing a picture.
“What are you drawing?” I asked. I was quite curious.
“A new character of mine,” he told me. He pulled the sketchbook off of his lap and showed the open page to me. It was a picture of a young girl, with one dark eye and one light one. She had fangs and sharp black nails.
“A half werewolf half vampire,” I said. Gee nodded. “Interesting.” Gee nodded and laughed. He then went back to drawing, I watched him for about five minutes before I started talking again.
“So how long have you been up for?” I asked.
“Dunno,” he looked at his watch, “Three hours and five cups of coffee I guess.”
I chuckled. “How long have they been up for?” I motioned towards the door.
“Longer than me!”
“Are they-”
“Yep. Word for word.”
“Fuck,” I said. I’ll have to deal with this for the rest of my life! Well, at least until they find a new video to recite. A less annoying on. Note to self: find a new video on Youtube to keep them distracted. Otherwise, I’ll be hearing that shit till I’m eighty. Ugh.
We heard more giggles coming from behind the closed door, and footsteps. The door opened a crack. Adele peeked in. “Frankie?” she said.
“Yea?” I asked. What does she want?
“Um, should we change now?” she asked. She looked at her feet and blushed.
“Yea. I think that’s a good idea.” I told her. She nodded and closed the door. We heard then several pairs of feet running to the bathroom and the door clicking shut. Gerard and I look at each other. We both laughed. After that, I went into the kitchen to make some coffee and Gerard went back to drawing.
It wasn’t long before the girl’s parents came to pick them up. It was only an hour or so later. God, that hour lasted long! They wouldn’t shut up! Do all five year-olds act this way? I don’t think that’s normal...
After Sakura finally left around one thirty, Adele collapsed onto the couch and was out cold for the next three hours. The guys and I had to practice quietly. Actually, we didn’t even practice. Bob got too frustrated with having to not play the cymbals when needed. So, we didn’t practice. But we know the songs, so it’s okay I guess.
Around five I walked back into the living room to check on Adele. She was sitting on the couch, trying to read another book Sakura lent her. Charlotte’s Web. Isn’t that book a little...challenging for a five year old? I couldn’t read it until I was nine, so how could Adele read it. I decided to ask.
“Adele?” she looked up from the book, “What re you doing?”
“Trying to read,” she replied. She sighed, “But I can’t get past the page she marked.”
“Who marked? Sakura?” I was curious.
“No.”
“Julie?”
“Nope.”
“Zoë?”
“Zoë hasn’t read this book yet. So no.”
“Then who marked the page.”
“Mommy,” she told me. My heart sank. She hasn’t said ‘mommy’ in a while.
“Was your mom,” I paused, “Reading you this?”
“Mhm!” she nodded, “I told her I’d finish it myself on day since we read it together, and I want to keep that promise.” With that, she looked back at the page she was stuck on. “But I can’t get past this one page.”
I got an idea. “Do you want me to read it to you?” I asked. She beamed.
“Yes please!” she replied. I smiled at her as she handed me the book. I began to read the page to her. By the time we finished the chapter, she was asleep again.
Adele woke up half an hour later. I was still sitting there, stroking her hair. “Hey.” I said to her, “Was I that boring?”
She laughed and shook her head. I smiled down at her. I looked over at the clock. Six. “You hungry at all?” I asked. Everyone had already eaten. Taco Bell. Fun.
Adele shook her head again. I smiled at her as she rubbed her eyes. “Frankie?” she started.
“Yes?” I asked softly.
“Um, can you tell me the secret from before. Of why you were looking at me?”
“I could,” I replied, “But I want to know something myself.”
“What?”
“Are you ready to tell me what’s bothering you?” I asked. She sighed and looked away quickly. I sat down next to her, leaning over the edge of the couch to see her face. “Please?” She nodded.
“My nightmare,” she told me, “They’re bothering me.” I thought that may be it!
“Do you want to talk about them?” I asked her. She shook her head.
“They scare me too much. And I know I need to face my fears and get over them, but if you had my nightmares, you'd understand.”
“Are you okay Adele?” I asked. She looked like she would cry.
“Mhm!” she replied smiling. She looked up at me. “Can I go to bed early?” she asked. I nodded and she ran off. I thought about what she said.
Nightmares. I know that’s not just it...