Jenny (Babysitter's Club 5)

“You’re out your fucking mind.” I’d held it in long enough. “We’re not going anywhere tonight; I’m sending Jenny home.” I turned to leave not willing to have this conversation with someone else in the house, but I was at the end of my rope.

“Don’t call her name.” She hissed behind me and made a running jump onto my back. I’ve never hurt my wife, nor any other female for that matter and I’m not about to start now. So when she wrapped her arm around my neck and squeezed, I just did one of the maneuvers I’d learned in my martial arts class as a beginner years ago and got her off me.

She looked up at me from the floor, her eyes wide. “I can’t believe you…”

“I didn’t hurt you, so let’s not go there. I’m going to get rid of the babysitter, and you and I are gonna have a talk.” She must’ve seen the disgust on my face because she didn’t say anything else.

I got a sick feeling in my gut that this thing had become bigger than me. I wasn’t sure what I was dealing with, but I knew I needed help. I can’t for the life of me figure out what her fixation is with this girl. Sure Jenny’s gorgeous, but there were gorgeous women all over campus, and she never reacted this way to any of them.

In fact, her jealousy is something we used to laugh about, and it never lasted any longer than however long the other female was around. But this erratic almost manic behavior was something new, something I have no way of handling.

I found Jenny in the nursery, and as I watched her sitting in the rocker reading a book like nothing happened, I realized that all this was going on, and the girl and I hadn’t even shared a conversation, not since the interview.

“Jenny I…, I’m sorry.” I ran my hand over my head. “I don’t know why she did that…” I was surprised when she put the book down and stared at me.

“You think she’s just being jealous, don’t you? I thought so too in the beginning, but there’s something else going on here. What kind of medication is your wife on?”

“What? What’re you talking about? Lauren’s not on any medication, nothing except the odd extra strength Tylenol here and there for a headache.” What’s with this kid anyway? She’d asked that question as if she knew what she was talking about.

I’d learned from Lauren’s snooping that Jenny wanted to be a psychiatrist, is she already pretending that she’s one? “Anyway, we don’t need you anymore tonight.” I reached for my wallet to pay her, but she just breezed past me, cool as a cucumber. I don’t get this girl.

“That’s not necessary, I didn’t do anything, so I shouldn’t be paid.” I wanted to tell her to stay away, that the next time my wife called, she should tell her no, that she’s busy or something, but the words wouldn’t come. It felt too much like I was punishing her for something that was no fault of hers.

I checked on the girls one last time before heading back to the bedroom, where I’d left Lauren. She was busy staring at my phone, at the nanny cam in the nursery. Thank heaven the sound wasn’t on, and I doubt she even knew how to turn it on.

“What were you two talking about?”

“I was telling her we don’t need her services tonight. I’m thinking you shouldn’t call her again.” She looked up at me with the most pitiful look I’ve ever seen on her face, and my heart twisted. I walked into the room and sat down beside her, wrapping my arms around her when she started to cry.

Jenny

Some psych major I’ve turned out to be. How did I not see it before? In all fairness, I haven’t spent any real significant amount of time with Lauren, but still, there were so many signs. I’ve been too caught up in my own head to look too closely.

But I’d seen it tonight, and now when I put it all together, it was beginning to make sense. The stunt in the grocery store, the driving by my house, and the asking around about me that she didn’t know I knew about.

I’d even used an app that shows how often someone looks up my social media, and she had visited my Facebook page way more than was necessary for what I had on there, which were a few pictures from a while ago. I haven’t even been on there that much myself lately.

I went home and switched everything to private and made up my mind to never enter that house again. I felt a slight twinge when I thought of the innocent little girls, but I have faith in Derrick. He might not want to hear the truth right now, but the seed had been planted.