Chaper One - The Job

"Ah, crap!"

I look at the expired milk carton in disgust, then at the floating white lumps that are now in my tea.

Great, now there's no milk for my tea or cereal.

Shit.

Cereal is the thing I eat most. I mean, it's perfect. It takes two minutes to make, and it's delicious. How can you not love cereal?

I take the milk carton over to the small trash can sitting in the corner of our small kitchen, ignoring the sour smell, I drop it in. I should pour it out in the sink or something, because it'll probably start to smell in here.

Are you supposed to do that?

Oh well, I guess I'll just ask my mom when she gets home. I really have no idea how I'm supposed to cope with living on my own. I am the most unsure and indecisive person ever. I'm sure of that.

Hey, look! I'm sure of something!

I snap out of my thoughts and go back over to my mug of rotten tea. I take the mug and pour the contents down the sink, then place the mug in the dishwasher.

I then stride back into the living room and grab my phone from where I left it on the couch. After collapsing down on the comfortable couch, I send my mom a text asking her to pick up some milk on the way home from work.

My mom works as a nurse in our local hospital. She leaves a little earlier than I leave for school, and gets back home a couple hours after I finish school.

Since I don't have a social life, I usually spend my time after school studying or watching teen wolf or criminal minds.

Yeah, I'm pretty much a loner. Although I never used to be, until my brother – Joey – went off to college last year. Joey and I get on pretty well, despite the usual brother-sister arguments. I do miss having him around though, and only seeing him on holidays just isn't enough for me.

After watching teen wolf for a couple of hours, I finally hear my mom come in and the familiar hello she always shouts to me.

I walk through to the kitchen where I see her sitting a grocery bag down on the circular kitchen table.

"Hey, mom," I say while taking the fresh milk out of the bag and putting it into the fridge.

"How was school?" She asks as she picks up the paper bag and puts it into the trash can.

"It was alright I guess."

She gives me the slightest smile. I can tell she's stressed from her day at work. She says she likes her job but I know she doesn't, but she has to work long hours so she can make a living for us.

"Anything interesting happen at the hospital?" I ask, hoping for some juicy gossip like, they brought in an injured werewolf who'd been shot by a silver bullet, or, a girl came in with a werewolf bite and started attacking all the doctors and now the hospital is taken over my werewolves.

Yeah, I'm a little obsessed with teen wolf.

"Hmm, well I had to help a doctor remove a wart from a lady's backside."

I scrunch up my face. "Gross."

She laughs. "Oh, and my friend from work asked me if you could babysit her son." She fills the kettle up with water then turns it on.

"Umm, sure. When?"

"Tomorrow night. At 8."

"Okay. But how much will I be getting payed?" I raise my eyebrows and grin.

"I don't know, Marnie." She says with a slightly annoyed tone. I ask this question every time my mom tells me about a babysitting offer. But hey, who can blame me? I am doing it for the money after all. Who would want to look after sticky children for free? Don't get me wrong. I love kids. They're cute and sweet – sometimes. But I don't love them enough to do it for free.

"You'll have to wait and see what she gives you. She's a very nice lady." She continues. "I'll send her a text letting her know you'll do it." She takes her phone from her black leather handbag that is sitting on the table. As she types into the phone, I get two mugs from the cabinet and place a teabag into each one, then pour in hot water from newly boiled kettle. I get the milk my mom bought from the fridge, and pour a little bit into my moms cup, and then a little extra for me. Just the way we like it.

She gives me a grateful smile as she glances up at me, then draws her attention back to her phone. It's a cheap model, unlike mine which I payed for myself.

I take my cup of tea and head upstairs to my room, climbing each step carefully and trying not to spill my tea on the creme carpets.

I sit it at my desk then sit down and turn on my laptop, ready for a night full of studying.

It takes about five minutes for me to realise I'm hungry.

I run downstairs and quickly get myself a bowl of Reece's Puffs.

This milk isn't gonna last very long with me around.

+++

I knock on the door of the house where I'm supposed to be babysitting the little boy.

My mom gave me the address, and it turns out the lady – Evelyn, my mom said her name is – only lives round the corner from us. Not even a five minute walk.

A pretty middle aged woman opens the door. She has dark brown curled hair that goes just past her shoulders. She has a friendly smile and her eyes are locked on mine.

"Hi! You must be marnie," she greets cheerfully. "I'm Evelyn, come on in." She opens the door wider for me to step in, and after I do she shuts the door behind me. Her house is similar to mine, although her kitchen is in the place my living room is.

She notices that I'm looking around, so I quickly say something so I don't look like a creep.

"Your house is very similar to mine." I blurt out.

"It is, isn't it. I've only been in your home once and I noticed it."

"You've been at my house?"

"Yes. Sometimes your mom and I carpool, and she invited me in for coffee." She glances at her wrist watch. "I better get going. My sons through here." She leads the way into her living room and I follow behind.

At my first glance at the living room, I see how nicely decorated it is. It's very tidy, not anything out of place, and there are picture frames hanging on the white walls.

"The babysitters here," she says to someone sitting at the other side of the room.

"Are you serious, mom?" I recognise the voice. It's deep and manly. It definitely can't be the little boy. But where do I know that voice from?

As Evelyn moves forward. I step into the room and look up, ready to find out who the voice belongs to.

And that's when I see him.

Zeke Blakely.

Aka the biggest player and bad boy in school. And also the hottest bad boy-

No. Actually, he's just the hottest human being in school.

I stare, wide-eyed, at the perfect boy sprawled across the couch in front of me.

"Marnie, this is my son, Zeke."

His eyes meet mine and instantly I blush.

I can't help it. The most popular guy in school is paying the littlest bit of attention to me.

But then I realise.

I'm supposed to babysit him? No. It can't be him. She must have another son right? A much younger son.

Evelyn goes over and gives Zeke a kiss on the forehead. "Be good for the babysitter, Zeke."

"I cannot believe you did this," he says.

"I'll be back around half past ten," she says as she heads back over to the door. "He's not allowed any friends over and he's not allowed to leave the house." She informs me and I nod, unsure of whether she's joking or not.

She gives me a smile before leaving the room. "Have fun!" Then I hear the quiet click of the front door closing.

I keep my attention on Zeke.

"Uhm..." Is all I manage to get out.

He scowls at me then moves his legs from the couch and sits up properly.

After a moment, he sighs and looks up at me. "Well? Are you just going to stand there."

Jerk.

I sit down on the couch opposite him. In the center sits a wooden coffee table.

"I'm confused," I say.

"Yeah, I can tell by your face."

I roll my eyes at his annoying attitude.

"You go to the same school as me, right?" He says this in a nicer tone.

"Yeah. I'm in your chemistry class."

A smirk tugs at his lips.

I narrow my eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." He clears his throat and the handsome smirk disappears.

"So, um, why exactly do you need a babysitter?"

He rolls his eyes. "My mom found out I was doing drugs at a party. She doesn't trust me to stay home alone anymore, so she did this. It's part of my punishment."

I can't stop myself from laughing. "Wow. The bad boy is grounded. How cute!"

"Shut up."

I can't help but notice how attractive he looks when he's angry. He really is a work of art. His dark hair is tousled into the perfect quiff. His eyes are a dark brown colour. The type of eyes you could get lost in if you stared too long.

And his jawline.

DAMN.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I need to stop thinking about him like this. He's a jerk. A popular jerk who thinks he's better than everyone else.

He stands up from the couch. "You better not tell anyone about this." He then walks over and stands in front of me. I stand up too so that he isn't looking down at me, but when I'm up, I realise how close our faces are.

"Aw why not? I'm sure your fandom of desperate girls would love to know that their precious prince charming needs a babysitter." I smile innocently back at his death glare.

"I am serious, nerd. I could make your life hell."

"Hey, watch that tone. I don't want to have to tell your mom that you were being a bad boy." I pout.

He stares at every feature of my face. I can't imagine how ugly I must look up this close.

My cheeks start to heat up, so I look down at the ground and let my hair fall by my sides to hide my blush.

"You can leave. Now you know this is all bullshit." He takes a step back and runs his hand through his perfect hair.

"Why would I do that? I gotta do my job to get payed."

"Whatever, nerd. I am going upstairs." He makes his way out of the room.

"You better not sneak out, Blakely! Or I'll need to put you on the naughty step!"

He sticks his middle finger up at me as he leaves and walks upstairs.

I go over to where Zeke was sitting and sit down, then take the remote and scan through some channels. There's really nothing good on right now, so I settle on watching The Simpsons.

I can't believe I'm getting payed to sit here and make sure Zeke doesn't leave. Not that I could stop him if he did though.

I also can't believe, that out of all the guys at school, Zeke happens to be Evelyn's son.

I could totally embarrass him at school with this. Heck, I could ruin his entire reputation.

Or maybe not. Girls are obsessed with him. I can't go one day at school without hearing a girl say his name. You'd think they'd see that he's an egotistical asshole who plays with girls' hearts then throws them in the trash. He doesn't give two shits about anyone but himself, and his two best friends. Who, might I add, are also jerks.

Anyway, if I did try to tell people he would 'make my life hell' as he said.

He's probably just bluffing. What is he supposed to do? Seduce me and get me to sleep with him and give me an STD?

Well that would never happen because there's no way in hell I'd ever get into a bed with him.

Never ever ever ever.

So I have nothing to be afraid of.

Right?