Jenny (Babysitter's Club 5)

I felt robbed somehow, which I knew was stupid. He never asked me to put my life on hold, to give up my teenage years for a dream that lived only in my head and in my heart. I knew all these things, but knowing, accepting, didn’t stop the pain.

“I’ll be right back; this one needs changing.” He looked at me before grabbing his other daughter as well and leaving the room. Gutted, he didn’t even trust me to be alone with his kid, so why exactly am I here? I was tempted to get up and walk out, but some inane sense of propriety kept me there.

Just then, the phone rang somewhere in the house and was answered on the third or fourth ring. I looked around the room that was strewn with family photos and little feminine touches that showed that the woman of the house had good taste.

You’d think I’d be interested in getting a glimpse into their lives, that I’d be curious enough to get up and walk around the room or go peek behind doors, but nothing could be further from the truth. I felt sicker the longer I sat there like I was suffocating.

Why didn’t I come up with an excuse good enough to get me out of this embarrassingly awkward situation? It’s bad enough that he doesn’t remember my childish infatuation, something I was dreading. But now I dread even more when he figures it our somewhere down the line.

Should I remind him? I’d already rehearsed the speech I would give, the casual way to play it off as if I too had long outgrown my childish crush, but now because he didn’t remember, didn’t bring it up, I’m left to suffer through the worry of him recalling it at some later date.

How can I play it off then? Would he buy the story that I, too, had forgotten? I don’t see why not since he had? But how easy would it be to convince him that I’d forgotten all about him, his very existence?

It was too late now, too much time had passed between the time he opened the door and now. I can’t very well say, ‘oh right, you’re that Derrick Masters, as if I was only just remembering. I’m the one that used to hang around his house like a lovesick puppy after all.

I heard him coming back down the stairs and was ready to bolt. I don’t care what I have to say, but there’s no way I’m staying here any longer. I opened my mouth with a ready excuse, but he beat me to it.

“That was my wife on the phone, she asked that you stay until she gets back, she should be here in ten minutes or less.” He smiled before turning away to put the little girls back into their playpen before taking his seat again. I’m so hopeless I was still looking for that glimpse of recognition.

How awful that he didn’t even remember me when he’d been such a big part of my life. Had I really been that insignificant? Sure, I was just a kid, but even to just remember me as the little nuisance who followed him around everywhere would’ve been enough.

But it was as if those years had never happened as if that time that had meant so much to me was nothing to him and never was. I didn’t really look at him as we spoke but pretended a great interest in his daughters as they played together.

His wife must be gorgeous as well since the little ones didn’t look a whole lot like him though they had some of his attributes, but it was already obvious that they were going to grow into beautiful young women someday; another rip in my already torn heart.

Derrick

I waited for Lauren’s return, not bothering to question the babysitting prospect any further since I was sure as soon as my territorial wife caught one glimpse of her, it’d be bye-bye. I kinda sorta felt bad for her though poor thing, only because I wasn’t even willing to give her a chance, not that she needed it.

Because of my wife’s love for all things fashion, I knew that the clothes and even the purse the girl carried were top of the line, so she definitely didn’t need the money. I just felt terrible because she’d wasted her time. Not because I found anything wrong with her, but I just wasn’t ready to leave my two little girls alone with a stranger no matter how highly recommended they came.

I heard my wife coming in the door and looked at my watch, yep, ten minutes exactly. Though it had felt more like an hour while I sat there trying to come up with small talk to kill the time with the young lady that now that I think of, it seemed like she’d rather be anywhere else but here.