Before The Babysitter

Seth tossed and turned fretfully in his sleep, his long auburn/cinnamon colored hair fluttering roughly over his young features, due to his paniced breathing. He groaned audibly, weakly clutching his frail, yet heaving, chest as tortured images of hurtful rememberance taunted him, vaguely. He squeezed his eyes shut against this consuming mental pain, now curling himself into a rocking ball, protesting faintly with fluctuating cries.

He was in a long and twisting hallway that creaked suspensfully by it's own accord. A few overhead lights had flickered on, the rest...revealing creeping shadows within the shadows. He hugged his blacksweatshirt tightly around him, feeling very vulnerable and...cold?

He jerked around, sharply, and looked at the windows which had begun to accumulate frost...on the inside. He turned again.Forbidding and gigantic lockers stretched out on his left-hand side, glaring down at him cruelly. He aveted his eyes nervously, as if they would jump over and eat him.

He froze fearfully as he heard a few slivers of familiar luaghter ahead of him. The silence around him was unnerving. Something inside told him to keep moving, but something stronger told him not to go that way. Following his nervous instincts he swerved around-right into a brick wall.

So(with no other choice)he began to walk towards the now growing guffaws, that was accompanied by an increasing dull, yellow/orange light that made his head throb dizzily...

Seth's skin began to prickle with goose-bumps underneath his thick, green comforter.

He approached the two double-doors of the gym, hesitating. He looked behind him-only to find the rusty brick wall pressed against him, causing him to blink in surprise.

Taking a nervous gulp he swung the metal door open with a CLANG!

"SETH!"

His hazel eyes snapped open in shock, pupils dilating quickly to adjust to the unfamiliar light...the very, very unfamiliar light.

Seth jammed his eyes shut again and yelled, "Lulu!"

Lulu screamed and ran down the stairs, flashlight still on in her small hand, in an attempt to escape the monstrosity she had created.

But unknown to her knowlage Seth had in vain, tried to get some un-dream-inhabited rest. He shoved the pillow over his pounding head, trying to block out the morning noise.

He had just begun to grasp a few strands of ever-elusive sleep when...

Lulu was downstairs eating her cereal of cherrios when Seth came thundering down the stairs. (not in his p.js anymore) Stomped across the breakfast table and grabbed his backpack and flew out the front door with a SLAM!

Julie looked across the table, sleepily, at her cheerful, younger sister," What's his problem?" she asked without any real concern.

Lulu smirked and raised her hands to her loud mouth and shouted up the stairs one word,"Marsha!" Both girls began to laugh, it was painfully clear why Seth was ready for school so fast...Lulu's friend, Marsha, had (unknown to Seth) slept-over last night. To most people( who don't live in or visit the plummer residense or go to Marsha's school) this wouldn't seem funny, but it was.

Marsha came down into the room that was echoing with giggles of laughter and at once sat down and began to talk about her favorite topic in the world.

Seth.

Once everyone, but Seth, had eaten breakfast Julie Plummer hustled everyone into the car.

Seth, in the hope that he could avoid Marsha, sat in the back corner of the mini-van. But, unfortunately for him, she somehow managed to do it anyway. He decided he would ignore her, and besides...he wasn't that great with the girl population in general.

But Marsha knew how to make him talk,"Ms. Plummer, Seth's ignoring me!" she whined, while eyeing him up and down, making him feel very uncomfortable. she already knew it would work so she began to scoot closer to the nervous boy, who helplessly rolled his eyes.

Ms. Plummer, who was used to these conversations said,"Seth talk to her, or else." Marsha turned her wavy, brown head towards him, a look of victory on her beaming face.

So after a few embarrassing questions about his underwear andsuch later...they made it to his school.

And after trying to unclamp Marsha's small arms from around his thin waist, he made his way into his school. Ears burning due to everyone laughing at his little admirer.

Only to run into a great, muscled chest that belonged to a thug named George.