PLEASE READ

Hi, welcome to a new series I'm working on entitled 'The Last Time I Listen to Quil'. It's basically about all the trouble that Quil and Embry get involved in (the prior being the instigator and the latter being the unfortunate who is tricked into it).

This is the first installment - Babysitting.

Summary: Quil convinces Embry to help him babysit Claire and one of her friends, who, in Embry's opinion, is the spawn of Satan.

"Pssst. Embry..."

Oh God, I know that voice.

"Eeeeembry..."

Oh God, I know what that tone in his voice means.

"OI! Embry!"

Ow! -and I know what that smack on the forehead means as well.

"Go 'way Quil..." I groaned, rolling over. Unfortunately, I'd fallen asleep on the couch, so when I rolled over, I also rolled off. Great.

Quil nudged my side with his foot. "Embry, get up. I need to ask you a favour,"

I groaned again, pushing his foot away as I sat up. "What?" That's when the warning bells should have gone off - doing a favour for Quil normally ended up with me doing something either extremely stupid, outrageously embarrassing, or down right dangerous. Sometimes all three. But, unfortunately, I wasn't mentally awake at that point, so the warning bells forgot about that minor, inconsequential, totally IMPORTANT detail, dooming me to my fate.

Quil smiled, and made himself at home in the armchair facing the couch. "Well, like I said, I have a favour to ask of you, and, if you do it, I'll never, ever, ever, EVER ask you for a favour again,"

I rolled my eyes, clambering back onto the couch. "I distinctly remember you saying that the last time you asked me for a favour..."

He smiled sheepishly. "True, but I mean it this time!"

"Fine," I yawned, still not fully awake. "What is it?"

Quil smiled at me, a weird, almost evil smile, and in my half-asleep state, I assumed it was because he was glad I was cooperating. However, I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it was something else... I shook my head, and stared at Quil blankly as he made his proposal.

"Okay, so you know how it's Claire's tenth birthday tomorrow?" I nodded. "And you know how she's having a sleep-over at Emily's tomorrow night?"

Again, I nodded, if not a little apprehensively.

"Well, one of her friends is coming around tonight, because her mom can't drop her off tomorrow."

I frowned, my sleepy brain trying to work out how this lead to Quil wanting a favour. "So?"

"So, Emily is going out tonight and can't look after them..." My eyes widened as I realised where this was going. "And she asked me to babysit them, and, of course, I said yes, but I don't want to do it by myself...so, I thought that, because you're my best friend in the whole wide world, you would come and help me!" he looked at me expectantly, before adding as an afterthought. "Please?"

I blinked slowly at him. Babysitting. One of Claire's friends. Oh God...

"Please Embry? If you do, I'll run all your patrols for the rest of the week."

I deliberated. On one hand, it wasn't that I didn't like Claire, hell, Claire was like a little sister, it was just...I'd heard stories from the other pack members about Claire's friends. And they weren't pretty. On the other hand, not having to sneak out to do midnight patrols for a while might make my mom happy. That, and I could get some sleep in a bed, instead of on the couch, or at my desk. Hmm, maybe switching patrols with Seth on the night of the math final had not been such a good idea...

I was brought out of my thoughts by a hand being waved in front of my face. "Helooo, Earth to Embry, we are losing contact, please switch on your brain..."

"Shut up," I snapped, lobbing a pillow at Quil. If he wanted my help, he needed to be nice. After a few more seconds of intense inner discussion, I sighed. "Alright, I'll do it,"

"You promise?"

I yawned again. "Sure I promise...I'll help you babysit Claire and her," I gulped, "friend,"

Quil's smile probably put the sun to shame. "Great!" he cried, pumping his fist in the air. "Thanks Em, you're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, curling back up on the couch as he left. If I was gonna do this, I would need all the energy I could get.