Ruby and the Babysitter

Chapter 1

A red fox walked across the streets of Gongmen City. She had red-orange fur and white at the tip of her tail and by her paws. Her green eyes looked around the city. The city always had something for her to do. She mostly stirred up trouble. The red fox named Ruby Xiaolin, heard someone call her name. She turned around to find on the top of the hill, a metal-gray fox.

He waved to her and she waved back. "Ruby, you need to come home," he said.

Ruby nodded. She went to the top of the hill and followed him home. She looked at her older brother and asked, "What is it, Zenghui?"

"You'll find out when we return home," he said simply.

Ruby wondered what it could be. Was she getting a present or was going to get yelled at? Would she be happy or disappointed with this surprise? Maybe Zenghui is going to get his revenge for putting stinky cheese in his sock drawer, she wondered.

As they approached the large mansion, she took a step back and shot him a look. He looked at her with a curious look. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

"What are you up to?" she asked suspiciously.

Zenghui sighed. "I'm not up to anything that involves pranking you or anyone else. This is Mother and Father's idea," he told her.

Ruby nodded. Then she wondered what their idea was. Zenghui just grabbed her paw and pulled her in the mansion. Their mother and father sat down at the dining room table. Their father, a tall metal-gray fox with blue eyes, looked at them. "Come and sit down Ruby," he said gesturing to the seat next to him.

She sat down and offered for Zenghui to sit down next to him. "I can't," he said heading up to his room.

Ruby watched as the gray fox walked up the flight of stairs. Then her attention was on her parents. She made sure her back was straight, chin was up, and her long ears up. "Ruby, your father and I are going to an important meeting that's far away and your brother is coming as well," her mother began. Before the red-orange fox could finish, Ruby bounced up and down with excitement.

"We're going on a journey? That's so cool!" she cheered.

Her father put his paw on her shoulder, telling her to stop. She went back to sitting up straight and still. "Ruby, you're not coming with us," her mother said.

Ruby's heart sank. "I'm not going? But why?"

"Zenghui is old enough to go to the meeting, but you're not," her father told her.

"But I'm fourteen now! I can go, right?" Ruby said, trying to convince them to let her join.

Her father shook her head no. "I'm sorry Ruby. But we're leaving you here with a babysitter," he said.

Ruby frowned at the thought. Babysitter? But I'm old enough to take care of myself here! she thought in her head.

"No arguments," her mother said as she saw Ruby was about to say something. Ruby sighed. She nodded. "Now go up to your room," her mother instructed her.

She nodded again and went up stairs, her tail dragging on the ground behind her. She closed the door behind her as she came in her room. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She fired arrows at a poster on her wall. Meanwhile, Zenghui had finished packing and came downstairs.

"I don't think we should leave Ruby here. Who knows what she could do to that babysitter," Zenghui stated.

"She'll be fine," said her father.

Zenghui shook his head. "It's not Ruby I'm worried about it's the person who's watching her that I'm worried about," he said.

"They'll both be fine," his mother told him. Zenghui still disagreed, but nodded before he caused a fight. "Now, I'm going to go and call the babysitter and then I'll be on my way."

Zenghui and Mr. Xiaolin nodded. Zenghui stayed still while his father went outside. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just going to give the babysitter a few tips before they meet Ruby," Zenghui said. They're gonna need it! he thought to himself.