I fumbled with my hair as I walked toward the Christiansens' house.
I rang the doorbell, finally pulling my hands away from my hair. "Mommy!
Mommy! Somebody's at the door!" called a little voice from inside. A
heavyset woman with short blonde hair answered the door. "Hi," she said
coldly. "I'm Lenore Christiansen. Come in." I smiled. "Hi I'm Charlotte
Johansson."
I'd never seen a house so nice in my life. The living room was completely metallic, the walls, couches, and even paintings were in shades of silver. An expensive looking television was hung from the ceiling and a chrome fireplace completed the upscale air. "Annie, Lee; come down at once." said Mrs. Christiansen, ringing a tiny silver bell. A tiny toddler with white-blonde hair and eerie light blue eyes walked down slowly, holding the banister. Directly behind him was a girl of about six, quite plump as well. I guessed it was Annie. "Hi Annie," I said, smiling. "I'm Charlotte and I'm going to be your baby-sitter." "Annie Lucretia Isabella Christiansen. Quite pleased to meet you." she said crisply, lifting her little hand. I shook it and she made a face. Mrs. Christiansen showed me the phone numbers and closed the door quietly behind her.
"So," I said uncomfortably. "What do you want to do? I brought coloring books and crayons." Annie smiled for the first time. "That would be pleasing," she said. I changed Lee's diaper and gave him a bottle and we headed upstairs to Annie's room. The room was entirely pink, and included a huge plastic tree house (also pink) complete with a slide, a canopy bed, and all the dolls in the world. I sat her down at her pink desk with the coloring book. I played with Lee and studied Annie. I concluded that she was very cute, though quite prim. She had long braids the color of corn silk, large grayish-blue eyes, and very pale skin. She wore an obviously uncomfortable red taffeta dress with a white sash and little gloves.
"I'm finished." She announced. I smiled. "That's a really pretty picture." Annie beamed. "You think so?" she said. I hugged her. "I know so."
I leaned over. "Do you have any friends that you want to invite over?" Annie frowned sadly. "I don't have any friends, we just moved here from Milwaukee." I grinned, to cheer her up. "I know some kids that would love to play with you." Luckily, I'd brought along the record book, I thumbed through. Vanessa was baby-sitting Lucy Newton today at 4:00. It was 4:05. I called the Newton household. Vanessa said she'd be right over once she left a note for Mrs. Newton. Fifteen minutes later, we could hear a wagon scraping along outside. Vanessa was pulling Lucy along in a bright red wagon. Lucy was wearing big dark sunglasses with rhinestones decorating them and a pink floppy hat, a couple necklaces hung around her neck, and she had pink lipstick smeared on. Lucy is such a funny, cute kid. Annie hid shyly behind me. Vanessa grinned. "She wouldn't leave without the jewelry." We both giggled. "I'm Lucy Newton, dahhhhling." Lucy said, holding out a hand decorated with pink and red rhinestone jewelry. "I'm Annie," Annie whispered from behind me. I moved Annie in front of me. "Why don't you show Lucy your room? Annie nodded and Lucy followed her up.
"Whoa," Vanessa said raising her eyebrows as she entered the house. I nodded. "I know, that's what I said." Vanessa sat on the couch. "So what's the kid like?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows. "Her mom's a bit of a weirdo, you know, almost like she's too good for the rest of us. Annie is really polite and quiet but she's shy. And Lee is upstairs sleeping." Vanessa nodded. "I get it." All of a sudden, my baby-sitter's instinct kicked in. "Something's wrong." I muttered. Vanessa nodded. "I feel it too." We rushed upstairs. Annie's bottom lip was trembling and Lucy stood, guilty. All of Annie's stuffed animals had miraculously come from her bed to the floor. "I told her not to.not to touch my stuffed animals. My mommy's going to get mad at me." She sobbed. There was a little cut on Lucy's knee from where she'd fallen off the high bed. I took Lucy into the bathroom to be cleaned up while Vanessa comforted Annie and picked the toys back up. I smoothed Annie's hair and handed Lucy to Vanessa. Vanessa mouthed goodbye and yanked Lucy from the room. I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping I wouldn't be fired.
I'd never seen a house so nice in my life. The living room was completely metallic, the walls, couches, and even paintings were in shades of silver. An expensive looking television was hung from the ceiling and a chrome fireplace completed the upscale air. "Annie, Lee; come down at once." said Mrs. Christiansen, ringing a tiny silver bell. A tiny toddler with white-blonde hair and eerie light blue eyes walked down slowly, holding the banister. Directly behind him was a girl of about six, quite plump as well. I guessed it was Annie. "Hi Annie," I said, smiling. "I'm Charlotte and I'm going to be your baby-sitter." "Annie Lucretia Isabella Christiansen. Quite pleased to meet you." she said crisply, lifting her little hand. I shook it and she made a face. Mrs. Christiansen showed me the phone numbers and closed the door quietly behind her.
"So," I said uncomfortably. "What do you want to do? I brought coloring books and crayons." Annie smiled for the first time. "That would be pleasing," she said. I changed Lee's diaper and gave him a bottle and we headed upstairs to Annie's room. The room was entirely pink, and included a huge plastic tree house (also pink) complete with a slide, a canopy bed, and all the dolls in the world. I sat her down at her pink desk with the coloring book. I played with Lee and studied Annie. I concluded that she was very cute, though quite prim. She had long braids the color of corn silk, large grayish-blue eyes, and very pale skin. She wore an obviously uncomfortable red taffeta dress with a white sash and little gloves.
"I'm finished." She announced. I smiled. "That's a really pretty picture." Annie beamed. "You think so?" she said. I hugged her. "I know so."
I leaned over. "Do you have any friends that you want to invite over?" Annie frowned sadly. "I don't have any friends, we just moved here from Milwaukee." I grinned, to cheer her up. "I know some kids that would love to play with you." Luckily, I'd brought along the record book, I thumbed through. Vanessa was baby-sitting Lucy Newton today at 4:00. It was 4:05. I called the Newton household. Vanessa said she'd be right over once she left a note for Mrs. Newton. Fifteen minutes later, we could hear a wagon scraping along outside. Vanessa was pulling Lucy along in a bright red wagon. Lucy was wearing big dark sunglasses with rhinestones decorating them and a pink floppy hat, a couple necklaces hung around her neck, and she had pink lipstick smeared on. Lucy is such a funny, cute kid. Annie hid shyly behind me. Vanessa grinned. "She wouldn't leave without the jewelry." We both giggled. "I'm Lucy Newton, dahhhhling." Lucy said, holding out a hand decorated with pink and red rhinestone jewelry. "I'm Annie," Annie whispered from behind me. I moved Annie in front of me. "Why don't you show Lucy your room? Annie nodded and Lucy followed her up.
"Whoa," Vanessa said raising her eyebrows as she entered the house. I nodded. "I know, that's what I said." Vanessa sat on the couch. "So what's the kid like?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows. "Her mom's a bit of a weirdo, you know, almost like she's too good for the rest of us. Annie is really polite and quiet but she's shy. And Lee is upstairs sleeping." Vanessa nodded. "I get it." All of a sudden, my baby-sitter's instinct kicked in. "Something's wrong." I muttered. Vanessa nodded. "I feel it too." We rushed upstairs. Annie's bottom lip was trembling and Lucy stood, guilty. All of Annie's stuffed animals had miraculously come from her bed to the floor. "I told her not to.not to touch my stuffed animals. My mommy's going to get mad at me." She sobbed. There was a little cut on Lucy's knee from where she'd fallen off the high bed. I took Lucy into the bathroom to be cleaned up while Vanessa comforted Annie and picked the toys back up. I smoothed Annie's hair and handed Lucy to Vanessa. Vanessa mouthed goodbye and yanked Lucy from the room. I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping I wouldn't be fired.