She led me down to a room with about five computers. "Wow!" I gazed around in awe. "How many computers do you have?"
"Six, I think. One's in my room." She put her head inside the room. "You all still alive in here?"
"I want to get into the garbage smasher, don't you?" came a kid's voice. I froze. Kaye noticed my anxiety and grinned.
"Relax. They mean on a Star Wars game they have." She rolled her eyes. I smiled a little.
"Hey you guys? I'm Stacey, and I'm babysitting." I stepped into the room. It was a horrible mess. The boys never glanced away from the computer screen.
"Hey, you! This is Stacey. Say hi." Kaye gave her brothers a look that rivaled Kristy's, and put her hands on her hips.
"Hi." Only one answered.
"Earth to R2D2!" Kaye waved a hand in front of the computer. "Say hi!"
"Hi."
"Hi."
I don't think they ever noticed they were talking.
Kaye was holding back laughter at my expression. "This is Jacob, and this is Joseph, and this is Joshua." She said, pointing to each in turn. I looked doubtfully at Joseph. Kaye looked too.
"Yo, Joseph. You break anything, I confiscate this darn game." She waved in the general direction of the computer. He stuck his tongue out.
"Dumbo-heads!" he glared at us. "I wanted Melanie to baby-sit us!"
"Our usual babysitter." Kaye explained. "Jacob, where's Joy?"
"I don't know. She went off down the hall." Jacob's voice came from somewhere far away.
"Oh no!" Kaye dashed down the hall, and snagged the one-year-old before she got to the bathroom.
On the way back, she kicked open a door. "Celeste! Stacey's here." A girl about nine was lounging on a queen-sized bed that was piled with junk. She turned a page in the book she was reading, and ignored us. Kaye shrugged and walked on.
"Don't mess with her. She can get nasty."
From the room that contained the boys came a scream.
"Joseph! What'd you do to Joshua?" Kaye sounded unconcerned.
"Nothing!" Joseph yelled. "He hit me." This was added sullenly.
Joshua came into the hallway, tears streaming down his face. I gave him a hug.
"Are you okay?"
"Wahhhhh!" he said. I looked meaningfully at Kaye, who just gazed back.
"Happens every five minutes." And she slouched into a hard chair in front of a computer.
I gulped. There was
more to this family than met the eye….and none of it good!