"Whoa dude. Your li'l sis sure can yell loud!" Scout said, putting his hands over his ears. 2 weeks had passed since that eventful weekend, and Jake was glad her Mom had let her keep little Cameron. They were sitting in her "house", the old boathouse that Dean Fleming had converted into a little home for her and the baby. It was nice, with enough room for her to go into a different room from Cameron, and do her homework. There was also a mini common room, with two couches and a coffee machine. That was where Jake, Will, and Scout were sitting lazily on a sunny Sunday afternoon, but Cameron had just woken up and was now screaming.
"She can't help it, she's just a baby!" Jake shot back, gathering the child into her arms, "Shhhh, it's OK, Jake's here now, don't mind stupid old Scout, it's OK, come on…"
Man she's good with the kid, Scout thought. I'll bet she'd make a great mother! Just than, Hamilton came running in, panting. "Paige and Lena are coming!" he gasped, whilst bending over and leaning his arms against his legs, "You've gotta get her back to sleep!"
"What?!?! I can't just do that, she'll only go to sleep when she's tired. You'll just have to baby-sit her in my bedroom while I talk to the girls." She thrust Cameron into his arms, and he gingerly jiggled her as her screams softened to coos. "See? You're a great daddy for her!" Jake grinned broadly as she fastened on her corset, "Now scoot!"
Just as Hamilton left the room, Lena and Paige entered. They looked curiously around.
"Hi…" ventured Lena, "Umm, nice place you've got here Jake…"
"Hey yourself. And thanks. I like it, it kinda suits me…"
There was an awkward silence as they all stared at each other, waiting for someone to start up a conversation. Eventually it was Will who began talking again.
"So…why'd you girls come over?" he said, flashing them a broad smile.
"Oh…" Paige seemed embarrassed by the question, "We were just checking out Jake's' new pad. And we were wondering…" Lena nudged her and she finally got to the point. "We were kinda wondering why you get to have a place for yourself, and not have to go stay in the dorm rooms…"
Jake smiled – she'd been anticipating this sort of questions, and luckily had a story prepared. "My room…it has…woodworm, I think the Dean said. There are no more single rooms, and I can't go stay in the Girls' dorm…more's the pity...so Dean Fleming made me a li'l house of my own. Nice, huh?" she grinned at Will and Scout, who were both staring open-mouthed at her as she completed her fabrication.
Lena smiled. "Yeah, very nice…come on Paige, we have to…go do…that thing…you know?"
"Yeah, the…uhhh, the thing…bye." Paige said nervously as Lena dragged her out of the room.
As soon as the door was closed, Jake, Scout and Will burst into hysterical laughter.
"I've never seen anyone look so embarrassed…you do realise that they're going to tell the whole now, don't you?" Scout was practically crying with laughter.
Hamilton poked his head round the doorframe, Cameron still in his arms. "Hey, what's so funny?"
"Lena and Paige were being so funny!!! They were, like, completely embarrassed to be here, and were trying to ask why I was in here by myself without making total fools of themselves." Jake replied as she wrestled with her corset.
"Yeah…they didn't manage it though!" Will added. "Anyway, me and Scout have to go study for our Lit. exam, and as the kid shows no signs of sleeping again, we're gonna go do it in our room. Sorry guys." He smiled ruefully at them and nodded to Hamilton, who held a cooing Cameron.
"That's OK dude, I was gonna go study for a while in my room anyway." Jake flopped onto the sofa, and gestured for Hammie to give the baby to her. As Scout and Will left, they could hear her singing "American Pie" to Cameron as she rocked her to sleep.
"Interesting choice of lullaby" Will commented, smiling.
"Hey dude, don't knock it! This is my favourite song ever!!!" Scout replied, wiggling his hips and jiving his hands in time to the music as he walked outside into the sunlight.