NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Figured I'd throw in the disclaimers just in case anyone has any questions. Not my characters (except for Anna). Chase and Tempest Irvine-Hardy appear courtesy of Wrestlefan4 and Dark Kaneanite. This is my version of Adventures In Babysitting.

Chapter Eight

"Anna," Tempest whined, as she tagged alongside her babysitter and brother as they all crossed the street. "I gotta pee."

Phil, who was walking slightly ahead, glanced over at the helmet wearing girl. "You gotta what?"

"I gotta go to the bathroom. I really gotta go!"

Anna sighed and tried to reassure the antsy little girl. "Just try and hold it honey until we find a bathroom, okay?"

Chase, who was limping slightly, but otherwise okay, glanced over towards a large brick building with Greek symbols on the lawn. Several older model cars were parked at the curb. "Guys, I hear music."

Phil followed the noise and smiled. "Sounds like a party." He looked closer and saw people milling around on the lawn. "Looks like a party." He paused, and then it dawned on him. They were all in front of a frat house. "Kappa Gamma Phi! It is a party!"

With a triumphant yell, Phil sprinted across the lawn towards the house.

"Phil!" Anna shouted, "Get back here—oh, forget it!"

"Sorry, can't talk. Gotta run!" Phil dashed inside, before Anna could say anything else.

Chase had an exasperated look on his face. "Why do I have a strange feeling we're never gonna see him again?"

"Why do I have a strange feeling that's not necessarily a bad thing?" Anna fired back before gesturing with her chin towards the house. "Come on, Guys. Temper. You can find a bathroom in there..."

~~~BABY~~~

The frat house was jumping, with a party in full swing. A live band was playing some hot rock and roll music, and students, male and female, were talking, drinking, and dancing. A good time was being had by all.

Anna found herself singing along and nodding her head with the live band. "Now you won't look in my direction, On the expressway to your heart. That expressway, not the best way-"

"Anna!" Chase snickered. "Look at Phil!"

"Oh, God!" Anna had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Chase's best friend. Phil was dancing and be-bopping along with the music, oblivious to the weird looks the other partygoers were giving him. He looked like a complete and utter dork, and people were giving the kid a wide berth.

"Chase, Temper, pretend you don't know him."

Tempest was bouncing up and down, but not because she was a lousy dancer. "Anna I really have to go to the bathroom. I have to go real bad."

"It'll be okay, we'll find a bathroom."

"Annnaaa..."

"I'm gonna catch up to Phil before he makes a complete ass of himself," Chase said.

"I think it's a little too late for that, Chase!" Anna chuckled.

Across the room, three guys were standing at a makeshift bar, sipping beer and cracking jokes. One of them glanced up and spotted Anna with the kids. "Jay! Cena! Look over there! I don't believe it!" He motioned to his buddies and they all glanced over at the new arrival and her charges.

The second guy—John Cena was his name—asked, "Well who is it, Dolph? Some high IQ kids?"

The third guy—a smirky looking blonde guy—shared a smile and friendly look with Anna, as Dolph smacked Cena on the side of the head. "No, dumbass! It's Miss March!" Dolph pulled his own Playboy copy out and showed it to Cena.

Cena's eyes goggled. "No way! Dolph, let's go check her out!" He caught up to Anna and the Irvine-Hardys. Dolph was right behind him, and their blonde friend was brining up the rear.

"It is Miss March!" Dolph exclaimed.

Anna jumped, turning in surprise to face Dolph and his friends. "What?!"

Cena had a cheesy grin on his face as he and Dolph held out the magazine, which was open to the Miss March Centerfold. "This is amazing."

"Could you sign this." Dolph looked like an over-eager puppy.

Cena pointed to the middle of the centerfold. "Right here?"

Anna shook her head. "I can't believe it."

Tempest glanced at the centerfold, and she gasped, eyes wide in shock. Chase covered her face before she could see anything else.

"Can't believe what?" the blonde guy chimed in.

Anna shook her head and folded the centerfold back up. "This is not me!"

Dolph shook his head. "It sure is you."

"It is not!"

The blonde friend looked at the magazine cover, and then looked over at Anna. "What's your name?"

"It's not Shayleen."

After studying the Playboy cover, and Anna's face, once more, the smirky blonde handed the magazine back to Dolph. "She's not Shayleen."

Dolph looked incredulous. "But, wait a minute-"

The blonde guy cut him off. "Guys, come on. Think about this. Do you honestly believe a Playboy centerfold would have nothing better to do on a night like this…than to show up at a Kappa party with a bunch of kids."

Chase glared at the smirky blonde guy; he didn't appreciate being called a kid.

Dolph actually had to think about his answer. "Uhhh...yeah.?"

Cena was a little quicker on the uptake. "Maybe."

The smirky blonde looked at his buddies like they'd just sprouted horns. "Which head are you thinking with? The one on top of your shoulders, or the other one?"

Dolph and Cena glanced up at Anna, who shrugged back at them. Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Dolph smacked Cena on the arm before stalking off. "I told you it wasn't her, dumbass."

"Sorry," Cena shrugged as he followed Dolph.

Once the two of them were gone, Anna smiled in appreciation at the smirky blonde. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Dolph and Cena are actually pretty harmless-"

Tempest whined. "I really gotta go Anna."

"Oh. Where's your bathroom?"

"Straight that way," the smirky blonde pointed towards a door with a line of people waiting.

Chase, feeling like a fifth wheel, put his hand on Tempest's shoulder. "I'll uh…I'll take Temper to the bathroom, thanks."

~~~BABY~~~

Meanwhile, back at the bar Phil watched with rapt interest as Dolph, Cena, and another guy chugged down mugs of beer. A light bulb went off in his head. I can do that!

Sure Phil was too young to drink alcohol (and even if he was old enough, he'd decided long ago that he'd never touch the stuff), but he could do the same thing these guys could with a Pepsi. He asked the bartender for a bottle of his favorite soda pop, and then he poured it into an empty mug.

"Hey guys!" he called out, trying to get the attention of Dolph and his dumb buddies. Once they glanced over (Dolph had an expression on his face that read, who the hell does this kid think he is?) Phil chugged down his Pepsi. Actually, he tried and failed miserably. The Pepsi got into Phil's nose, and he wound up spewing a huge mouthful across the bar. The beer guzzlers busted up laughing, and Phil laughed along with them, to conceal the reality that he looked like an Über-dork.

Cena snorted. "I must be hallucinating. Does anyone else see a talking penis?" Everyone laughed, including Phil.

Fortunately, Phil was able to think of a snappy comeback. "Hey, speaking of penises…do you know how the Playboy unabashed dictionary defines oral gratification?"

Dolph and Cena looked like they'd both been hit with a steel chair. "Uhh...no?"

"I do," said a hot-looking young woman as she sidled up to Phil and threw his arms around him.

"Jackpot," Phil smirked, as the girl dragged him out of the room, amid the shocked looks of Dolph and Cena. Dolph was the first one to find his voice again.

"What's my girlfriend doing with that bo-tard?"

~~~BABY~~~

Meanwhile, in the living room...

Chase waited in line for his sister, and he couldn't help but listen in as Anna and the smirky blonde guy engaged in small talk:

"You know, I haven't seen you around campus much. You a freshman?"

Anna shook her head.

"Sophomore?" Another head shake. "Well you can't be a junior."

"I'm a senior..." Anna paused, as the smirky guy cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "...in high school."

"In high school?!"

"Damn straight," Anna laughed.

"I can't believe it. The prettiest girl on this campus is in High School."

"Good pick-up line."

"No, I mean it."

"Yeah?"

The smirky guy smiled genuinely, as the band finished their song, to a big round of applause. "Damn straight. Wanna dance?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't have time," she said, before the blonde guy took her by the hand.

"Come on, come on. She'll be in line for a few minutes. You've got time."

Anna shrugged and glanced over. As Tempest was waiting in line, a big guy wearing a Viking helmet similar to hers emerged from the bathroom. Tempest and the Viking guy saw each other, grinned wickedly and gave a thumbs up. "Okay."

"By the way, I'm Jay. Jay Reso."

"Anna Hollenbeck."

The lead singer of the band announced, "We're gonna slow things down now and do a song I wrote for the woman I love. Do it Bobby."

The band began a nice, slow-grove ballad, and Jay and Anna got out on the floor to dance:

I go through each day, hoping for something
Some little sign, showing me the way...
Now that you're here, I realize,
I can see the future in your eyes...

"So you're babysitting these kids?" Jay asked.

Anna laughed. "I don't think you can call what I've been doing tonight babysitting. If these kids turn out to be drug addicts and mass murderers it'll be my fault."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Jay reassured her. "Everything's going to be okay. I think you're doing a great job.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You've gotten the kids this far. You're still alive." Jay laughed and Anna smiled. "It could be a lot worse."

Anna nodded in agreement and moved in a bit closer. Jay seemed like a nice, sincere guy. "It could be."

Now all that I ask is to cherish this moment,
Hold onto this dream, this one precious moment.
I know, I know, how quickly time flies,
But I can see the future in your eyes...

Meanwhile, Chase watched from the doorway as Anna and Jay slow danced, a look of sad longing in his eyes. Reality was beginning to sink in for him. She's out of your league, Chase, the voice in his head chastised him. Give it up and find someone your own age.

Yes, I've heard the sorrow, and I've heard the cry,
Believe me, I've tasted the tears...

~~~BABY~~~

In a quiet stairwell, away from the crowd...

"It's always the same," sighed the girl who'd hit on Phil (her name was Eve Torres, and he'd even gotten her phone number!). "All he cares about are the Bears, the Patriots…the Celtics. What about the love? The romance? The sex?"

"I care about those things," Phil said, honestly. "I care about them a lot."

Eve had a discouraged look on her pretty face. "I'm so lonely."

Phil shook his head, genuinely surprised. "How could a righteous babe like you be lonely?"

Eve smiled, genuinely flattered. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." She paused, and then she grinned slyly. "Wanna go to bed?"

Phil's eyes went wide, and he grinned like a cat. Scoooorrrre!

~~~BABY~~~

Back in the living room, Anna spotted Chase in the doorway, waiting quietly. "Oh, I really have to go."

"Oh no," Jay said, kindly. "There's a reason why you're here. Tell me what I can do to help. What do you need?"

"Well, um…actually…I need fifty dollars to fix a car tire."

"No problem," Jay grinned, digging in his jeans pocket.

Anna couldn't stop the grin from flashing on her face. "Really?"

Jay unfolded the bill that was in his pocket. "Sure. Oh, but all I've got is a twenty."

Anna took the offered bill. "Oh, no that's fine."

"Anna, wait right here. I've got some buddies who'll be willing to help you guys out, they're not all hormones and beer. I'll be right back." With those words, Jay rushed down the hallway, and Anna sought out Chase.

"He is getting us fifty dollars, Chase."

Chase nodded and smiled tiredly, as Tempest exited the bathroom and approached him. "That's terrific."

Tempest was a little more enthusiastic. "We're gonna get the money? Really?"

Chase ruffled the curls that poked out of Tempest's helmet. "We are, Winghead."

Jay returned with a handful of folded currency. "I could only get forty-five."

That didn't matter to Anna, who pocketed the cash. "Hey, that's great! Really! Thank you so much!" She paused. "Anyone seen Phil?"

~~~BABY~~~

"Eve!" Phil and Eve glanced up in time to see Dolph glaring down at them. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Eve glared hotly at her boyfriend. "You've been replaced, you big, dumb, bo-tard," she snarled.

Dolph snarled and lunged at Phil. "Oh you're dead, Punk! "

"I didn't touch her! I'm just a kid!" Phil squeaked, as Dolph dragged him to his feet. Eve stepped nimbly out of the way, thinking, You're still replaced, Dolphie. I'm calling this kid later.

Dolph was about to slug Phil in the jaw when Jay yanked him by the collar of his shirt and flung him aside. "Hey! Back off! He's just a kid, you big, dumb bo-tard!" He ushered the kids out the door. "Let's get your car. I'm driving..."

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Sorry it took so long to update this one! Work and real life kinda got in the way, plus I had my holiday stories to post (Didn't I Get This Last Year? & The Lot Across The Street). This one's probably gonna wrap up in about three or four more chapters.

On a personal note, after I finish with these stories, I may be taking a break from writing to deal with a few legal issues. Hopefully, they'll be taken care of quickly and I can get back to writing like I want to.

The songs in this chapter were Expressway To Your Heart and Future In Your Eyes by Southside Johnny & The Ashbury Jukes.

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