Where it all went wrong…

“So how was your first babysitting job,” my mom asked in excitement.

I wanted to tell her, but I couldn’t help to think back earlier in the day.          

“Mom, where are we going? This isn’t the way home,” I asked.

 “I am going to drop you off at your first babysitting job!”

I answered her with a yay because I was excited. I had met the people a few times. But little did I know how the kids behaved… I arrived at the house- a gorgeous garden in the front yard. I was anxious and tense. I could feel my hands shaking.

“But mom what if the house burns down?” I ask.

“It won’t,” she exclaimed.

“But what if- it won’t Hayley!”

 I ring the doorbell. DING DONG. I was only supposed to babysit for an hour and a half. I look at my reflection in the window as I waited for someone to answer the door. I had one of my maroon assumption shirts and black athletic shorts. My hair was in a low braid which made me look like a little boy but not one hair was out of place. The mom answered the door.

“Hey Hayley, how are you,” she asked.

“I’m good!” I replied.

“So the girls can have a snack if they want but try to play outside. It is a beautiful day.” She exclaimed.

The mom left the house and I entered the house- spic and span. Out of no where it feels like a bear has just jumped on my back and started attacking me. No, not a bear. It was just a dog the size of a bear. A dog named Sue. A dog named Sue that was a boy dog. I turned around freaking out. I mean Sue had just made me jump out of my own skin. She left me with her three- just absolutely NOT lovely children. Hadley was eleven, Avery was 7, and Bailey was 5.

 I asked what they wanted to do.  It was a nice fall day outside so we all decided to play capture the flag outside. Bailey and I were on a team and Avery and Hadley made up the other team.

Running back and forth from side to side made me sweat. The breeze helped with the sweat dripping down my back  After a long 20 minutes, Hadley and Avery snatched the flag and won. Well, I was asking them what they wanted to do now, and Bailey got so mad because we lost- she ran inside. We all walked up to the backdoor of the house. I turned the knob but it wouldn’t open. I rattled it as if my life depended on it. IT WAS LOCKED! So then, we go to the garage door- LOCKED. So then we go to the front door-LOCKED! Bailey had locked us out of the house! I spoke to bailey through the back window and she finally- for what felt like years- let us in the house.

“ Bailey, please let us in! I am going to tell your mom when she gets home!”

Bailey replied, “no… ok ok ill let you in the house.”

She let me in the house to find out that sue had gotten up on the table, eaten all the watermelon, gotten off the table to mark his territory in the middle of the kitchen, he had eaten bright red lipstick which was all over the carpet, and he chewed through my purse. And not to mention the kitchen smelled like a farm. I stood frozen still in the doorway. All of a sudden- SMACK! Avery was slapping me with play-dough. It stung so bad. Tears started to fill my eyes- not because of the play-dough but because of everything.

 “Ok everybody, your mom is going to be home in 20 minutes. We have to start cleaning,” I ordered as my voice started to crack.

We finally got it all cleaned up and I heard her car pull up. I started to shake. Did I miss a spot? Did I clean everything? I thought to myself. She walked in and her mouth opened. Come on Hayley pull it together.

Her mouth opened, “its spotless!”

Thank goodness. I stopped my baby-like shaking and grinned. I looked like a caveman, my purse was chewed up, the dog had made a mess, and we had been locked out of the house.

“And then you came to pick me up,” I sighed to my mom.

“So did that answer your question,” I asked my mom.