Thanks to Cherie-24-Addict, Freedombutterfly14, and childatheart94!
There were very few people Action could stand in this world. His little sister, Ella, probably topped his list of most annoying people he knew. And after countless hours of pleading, arguing, screaming, compromising, and more arguing, Action had very, very reluctantly accepted to babysit her that Sunday night. Now, call him whatever, but Action was absolutely NOT a stupid softy like Baby John. This was a one-time deal for Action, and he didn't like it one bit.
"Now Action, I should be home around 10. And thank you so much for doing this." Mrs. Devito reminded her son as she stepped out the door.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Action mumbled under his breath as he shut the door to the apartment behind her. "Fuck off." he mumbled under his breath as soon as he was sure she was gone.
"Ooo! Action said a bad word!" Ella, came running from the kitchen. "Now you gotta put a penny in the swear jar!" Ella pulled out the little empty glass jar she was hiding behind her back and held it out hopefully toward her big brother.
Action rolled his eyes. "Leave me the fuck alone, Ella." Action stomped angrily past her and to his room, slamming the door behind him.
"Action! That's two pennies now! Aw c'mon Action! ACTION!" squealed Ella, pounding her small fists on his bedroom door. He quickly grabbed a pillow off his bed and covered his ears until the pounding and squealing stopped. "Thank you God." Action said to himself.
"Action?" a knock came at his door. He sighed, he knew the peace and quiet was too good to last. "Action, I'm hungry." Ella said quietly.
"That's not my problem. Go make yourself something to eat." he scowled without so much as opening the door.
"Fine then, I will." Ella said in a I'm-gonna-show-you voice.
Five minutes later, he realized that was probably not the best idea he'd ever had. And this thought was finalized when he heard glass shatter from the kitchen. Quickly, Action bolted out his bedroom and into the kitchen. Where he found Ella sitting on the ground, munching on bread slathered with peanut butter. She was staring down a shattered jar of grape jelly, and the purple goo that was scattered on the floor.
"Ella! What the hell?" Ella winced as her brother's voice grew too loud.
"That's three pennies now." she reminded him. "And you told me to make myself something to eat." she said quietly.
Action was steaming. He picked up Ella and held her in front of the kitchen sink. "What are you doing?" Ella fussed as Action scrubbed the peanut butter off her hands. "Stop it!" she squealed as he worked to clean her face.
"Go to your room." he ordered.
"What?" Ella protested.
"Go to your room!" his voice rose to the loudness level that made her cringe.
"I hate you!" Ella buried her head in her hands and ran into her room.
Action rolled his eyes and proceeded to clean up the mess Ella had made. After scrubbing the last bit of peanut butter off the counter, he settled down on the couch in front of the television and turned it on. After flipping through the channels, he finally settled for a western.
"Ahh yeah. Guns and violence." Action muttered to himself. He settled back and watched guys in funny costumes shoot each other to death.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ella ran out of her room and around the couch screaming her lungs out. Until a very, very, very pissed off Action grabbed her by the shoulders.
"What the hell is it?" he seethed, trying extremely hard to stay cool.
"I saw a spider in my room." she said quietly. He let go of her shoulders and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down
"You know what? Why don't you go take a bath. I'll run the water." Action said through gritted teeth. He was shaking with anger and his jaw and fists had begun to turn red because he was clenching them so hard.
"Okay! Don't forget the bubbles! Oh, by the way, that's four pennies." Ella skipped happily away.
Action didn't think is was possible for his fists and face to get any redder.
After he had cooled down, Action started to run Ella's bath. He checked his watch. "Two more hours." he sighed.
"Bubbles!" Ella reminded her big brother as she skipped happily into the bathroom, clad in her bathing suit and goggles.
"What the hell? Why are ya wearin' that?" Action said as soon as he saw her.
"Gee Action, I'm gonna be rich by the time I go to bed. And mommy lets me wear my bathing suit in the tub sometimes." Ella said nonchalantly as she climbed into the bathtub.
Action rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just let me know when you're finished." he turned the water off and headed for the door.
"WAIT!" Ella screamed.
"What is it now?" Action whined.
"You have to stay in here with me. In case I drown." Ella said.
Action rolled his eyes again. If he wasn't careful, he thought, they were going to stay like that. "Ella, you are not going to drown."
"But what if I do?" Ella screamed. "Then it'll be all your fault! And you'll go to jail!"
"Yeah right." Action scoffed. "I ain't afraid-a no stupid cops. See ya." Action walked out the door.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ella shrieked again, effectively stopping Action.
"Alright, alright. I'll stay." Action settled down on the floor. He watched his little sister pretend to be everything from a mermaid to an Olympic swimmer and he had to wonder, had he ever been that innocent? Nah, never.
After what seemed like forever, Ella finally hopped out of the shower and grabbed her towel. "Thank you." she nodded to him as she walked to her room.
"Get your pajamas on, Ella." Action called to her.
"I know!" Ella called back.
Action sat down on the couch again, but before he could turn the television on again, Ella came bounding out of her room and onto the couch.
"Action!" she said. "It's raining!" Action cocked his head to glance out the window, she was right.
"Looks like it's gonna storm." he shrugged.
"Oh." Ella tensed. "Well, what are we gonna do now?"
Action glanced at his watch. "Well, seeing as your bedtime's in ten minutes, I suggest you brush your teeth."
"Noooooo." Ella whined. "I want ice cream first!"
Action sighed, "If we have ice cream, you can have it." he got up and trudged to the kitchen. Upon opening the freezer he found no ice cream. "Well, we don't have any."
"Nooooooooooo!" Ella screamed. "I WANT ICE CREAM!" she ran around the apartment kicking and punching and screaming and throwing a huge tantrum.
Action looked on annoyed. He had seen his sister thrown a tantrum before, it was nothing new to him, he just hated when she did it. "Ella, shut the hell up." he said.
Ella promptly came to a dead halt. "Six." she wiped her eye and held out her hand to him.
Action rolled his eyes. "Go brush your teeth."
"Fine." she scoffed, heading to the bathroom.
Action went to collect her dirty towel and bathing suit when a flash of lightning hit, followed by thunder. Ella dashed to his side immediately. "Finished." she said quickly.
"Alright then, get into bed." he said. Ella climbed into bed and held the blankets tight as the rain fell harder.
"Good-night." he said walking out of her room.
"Action?" she said. He turned around annoyed, what could she possibly want now? "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked quietly.
"What? No." Action said. He definitely was not spending any more time with his sister.
"Please?" she pleaded, shrieking as another rumble of thunder sounded. "Please Action?"
"No, Ella. Good night." he said as he turned off her bedroom light.
"Action please! Please!" she cried.
"Absolutely not." he said harshly as he walked halfway out the door.
"Action!" he spun around as she called his name. "Action please I'm scared!" she cried as more thunder and lightning came.
Action was about to say no until he saw tears escaping from the corners of her eyes. Now, Action knew he wasn't the nicest guy. He insulted girls, laughed at them, made them angry, but he'll be damned if he ever made a girl cry. Even if that girl was just his stupid little sister.
"Alright, fine." Action said defeated.
"Thank you." she sniffled wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Action mumbled, seating himself on the floor next to her bed. She reached her small hand toward him, and he reluctantly took it.
So, Action was absolutely NOT a stupid softy like Baby John. And, there were definitely better things he could be doing right now. But, he was here, holding his sister's hand as she fell asleep, so she wouldn't be afraid of the rain. And that, he thought, was pretty righteous.