"Emma get down here! Jay will be here soon." Came Emma's mothers voice, Spike.
Emma got up from playing with her dollies, she was about 9 now, and she happily smiled and breathed heavily as she ran for dear life down her upstairs hall and down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Why don't you ask that other wierd girl to baby sit her?" Paige asked Spike, her mother as well.
Paige was the second oldest at 15, their brother Spinner was 16. Then it went to Ellie, who was 14. And then Emma the youngest at 9.
Spike answered, "Because Emma loves Jay and he likes to baby sit her.. and I happen to love him, as should you!" she confirmed while making dinner on the counter the girls leaned on, "He's like family."
"Yeah Paige.." Ellie taunted the blonde, Ellie was the only redhead of the family, took after Snake, their dad. She grinned, "Like family."
Paige rolled her eyes, clearly her and Jay had something bitter or something between them.
"Is he here yet?" Emma panted, jumping up on a stool infront of the counter and leaned on it, she was a bouncy bubbly little girl with long white blonde hair and big brown eyes.
"On his way." Laughed her mother.
Jay has babysat her four times now this year. Emma's mother knew his mother from highschool, they were best friends and just moved here this year. He was Paige's age at 15.
"then I'm out." Paige informed, grabbing her purse.
Ellie was at the freezer and pulled out icecream, Emma got excited and jumped up and down for it thinking she was going to get her a bowl.
"Paige stop being so rude!" Spike hissed, "You know that boy has the deepest crush on you."
"He's in love." Purred Ellie, smirking. She was always the bad seed of the girls.. but the funny one. A bit of a punky side to her while Paige was Miss Popular and Emma well..she didn't know what she'd turn out to be yet.
"I'll pass." Paige confirmed, "I gotta go, I have a party to go to." She said as their father came in and gave her a look.
"And a curfew at 11pm sharp." He reminded.
She rolled her eyes but plastered a fake smile as she went to the front door, "Yes Daddy."
"Yes Daddy." Mocked Ellie putting a spoon right into the icecream bucket instead of a bowl and didn't share with Emma.
Emma frowned deeply.
"Ready to go?" Snake said to Spike.
Spike was still on the other conversation though, "Paige, how about you do me a favor and just be nice to him? They move a lot, he doesn't have much friends."
"Much be the gigantic glasses he wears." Ellie insisted and as much as her and Paige didn't get along, Paige laughed with her.
"I think he's charming." Spike insisted.
"He's funny!" agreed Emma and the door bell ring and she screamed, "HE'S HERE!" she got out of the stool and went running to where Paige was when the door opened.
Paige rolled her eyes again to Emma's excitingness. He wasn't much to look at.. Jay Hogart was a nerd. But you know what, if you looked closer, like Emma could.. you saw potential.
Yes he was tall and way too skinny and his hands and feet were too big for him, but he was sure to grow into them, right? And yes his shirt that was suppose to be tucked in sometimes fell out on one certain side and maybe his glasses were to big for his face and his hair was way out of date, a bowl cut. You know, those gross hair shapes that literally looks like someone put a bowl on your head and cut around.
But other than than, his jawline was handsome and he had piercing eyes.
"Hey sprout." He smiled wide, because he was so skinny his cheeks were a bit sucked in, so maybe his lips were too full for his mouth but it didn't stop Emma from smiling back and hugging around his waist.
He laughed until he noticed Paige behind Emma
He coughed awkwardly and stuttered, "H-hey Paige. How are you?" he asked.
Paige sighed, remembering what her mother have asked her, "Good Jayson." She confirmed. He looked shocked she even replied but she also even LOOKED at him.
He blushed
"Come on." Emma said, pulling him towards the kitchen where Spike was grabbing her purse and Snake waved to him.
"Hey Jayson." He greeted, he always liked the boy, smart, charming, had manners, other than the other punks his older daughters hung around..let alone Spinner.
Guess it was a good thing Spinner wasn't here, he liked to tease Jay even though they were friends, Spinner liked to sometimes be too rough on him.
"He's your money upfront Jayson." Spike kindly said, smiling to the 15 year old boy as he pushed up his glasses and shook his head.
"Oh no it's okay Miss Nelson, I'm doing this for fun." He confirms, smiling to Emma who sat down next to him to the counter.
Spike gave him a gawking look, "Who made you such a sweetheart?" she asked.
"Yeah Jayson?" snorted Ellie, "Who?" she rested her ice cream on the counter and Emma quickly grabbed it happily.
FINALLY!
She then pouted, where was the damn spoon? She scowled at Ellie who paid no attention.
"Ellie don't you have some show or concert to go to?" Spike asked as Jay got up.
As if reading Emma's mind, he grabbed her a spoon.
"Sean coming over." Ellie confirmed with a shrug.
Spike huffed, "You told me you couldn't babysit because you were busy." She folded her arms at her daughter.
Snake sighed, just wanting to leave, they had a date!
"I am busy.. with Sean." Noted Ellie happily with a smirk, then glared to Emma, "I'm not babysitting the brat."
Paige spoke up while putting on her shoes at the front door, "In other words, she's going to be in her bedroom with a boy Daddy." She said to Snake and smirked, "And above all, the baddest boy in school.. he's got a bad reputation."
Ellie harshly glared and Paige put her hands on her hips smirking at her sister. Victory is hers!
"Excuse me?" Snake growled. Who was this boy?!
"You're going to be late for your trial Paige." Ellie confirmed.
Paige got confused, "Trail?"
"You know, the party where people judge if you're actually worthy of being part of their social diseased popular group." Taunts Ellie and Paiges mouth dropped and whipped the door open, leaving.
"This is why you're a big freak Ellie." Paige said before slamming it closed.
Snake and Spike kissed Emma good bye and left as well.
"Want to go watch a movie or play a game?" Jay asked Emma, still in the kitchen with Ellie.
Emma had ice cream on her nose and he laughed, grabbing a napkin and removed it, she blushed.
Ellie laughed seeing that. Emma had a huge crush on Jay. Jay looked to Ellie and Emma asked her sister.
"Want to come watch Toy story?"
Ellie snorted, "You dorks go do that, I'm going to my room for the rest of the night." She went to the stairs.
Jay asked Ellie politely, "Should I let Sean in when he comes?"
"No, he'll come in from the window. But try not to show your face would yeah Hogart?" she teased, as if it'd be social suicide for her if she did.
Emma turned to Jay and watched him frown and look down. She got sad for him too, her sisters could be so mean.
Her little hands grabbed his and pulled him, "We can watch Monkey Bone instead." Emma insisted, "I know you like it."
Jay sadly smiled and followed the little girl out. As they watched movies and played checkers on the ground Jay playfully teased Emma.
"I think it's time for sleep for someone." He confirms as Emma yawned, moving her checkers and shook her head no frantically
He laughed and it got silent.
Emma looked up at him and noticed that sad look again, Emma was laying on her belly so sat up on her butt like he was.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked him quietly, looking quite sad herself. She hated seeing people sad, let alone him.
Jay looked at her and shrugged, "I'm alright sprout, it's your turn." He said, moving his checkers piece.
Emma shook her head, "No you're not." She confirms, she liked Jay a LOT because he didn't treat her like other grown ups did, or her sisters and brother. Also, he was nice to her! And played with her.
Silence.
"You think I'm a loser?" he asked and Emma's eyes widen.
"No!" she said, "You're the funnest person ever!" she admitted. Her family lived in a big house, not rich, but defiantly more than average so her sisters and their friends were kind of snobby, even though their parents tried to make them not like that.
It was hard when you were in highschool I guess.
"If only other people saw that." Jay informed, and sighed, "The summer can't come soon enough."
"What's that mean?" Emma asked, titling her head so childishly and curiously
He smiled and stood up, "Meaning I get to leave this place. We're moving again." He confirms, "I'm going to make us a bedtime snack..then bedtime ok?" without answering him, he left.
Emma sat their emotionless, really sad. Leaving?
Jay made her a sandwhich and bit into it as he came back "Don't get mad but I had a bite. I make damn good sandwhiches." He joked and then stopped. Emma was still sitting on the ground, with tears in her eyes.
He dropped the sandwhich like it meant nothing and ran to her, bending down.
"What's wrong, EM?" he desperately asked, looking her over, did she fall or something?
Emma sniffed and tried to wipe her tears, she stood up and then ran up the stairs.
"Emma!" he called but she slammed it close.
Paige came home first before her parents and she leaned on Emma's door, hearing the little girl still snuffeling. Was she crying? Paige listened through the door and then looked down.
Jay was against the door with his elbows on his knees, glasses off and rubbing his eyes.
"Jay?" she asked and he jumped and looked up.
He didn't even notice her come in and would of blushed, but he was too concerned for Emma, he sadly huffed and played with his glasses in his hands.
Paige took the chance to realize his eyes were kind of nice.. and he did kinda looked-
"She locked herself in there." Jay confirmed and thought about it, "Last thing I did say to her was I was moving away..." he drifts. Was she upset about that?
Paige nodded, made sense. Emma would miss him a lot.
"You're moving away?" Paige asked him.
He nodded, not looking at her, "My parents split, I'm going to go with my mom whose going to LA." He explained.
Paige actually frowned, "Emma adores you..probably just upset over that." She then insisted, "I'm sorry to hear that by the way.. I didn't know."
He snickered looking up at her, "How could you when you're too stuck up in the clouds with your perfect life?" as he stood up he breathed, "You're such a brat."
Paige's mouth fell. D-Did he just say that.. to her? To Paige Nelson?!
Jay told her, "Tell Emma I promise to come say Goodbye."
Paige was still in shock
Jay stopped by the stairs and turned, putting his glasses on, "Also, try to give her some attention." He nodded back to Emma's room, "It's a big house.. it can feel lonely. You don't know the feeling." He gave her a sore look until leaving.
Paige sadly looked away until she heard the front door close and then the door behind her opened. Emma peeked her head out, tears down her cheeks.
"Is he gone?" she sniffed.
Paige looked behind and smiled sadly to nod, "Why don't you run up and say good bye? You're going to miss him Emma and he's moving far away."
Emma paused for amoment until her little feet went dashing down the steps and out the door.
But Jay was already out of sight.
Soon enough, he was out of her life, like he was never there. And he never came back to say Goodbye. Then, he became just a memory Emma kept in the back of her head, forgotten.