Nerds Are Lovable

16: Nerds Are Babysitters

"No no no, I'm gonna have to disagree. 'Twelve Dancing Princesses' is the best Barbie movie ever made."

"No," Bella whines, "Jay, tell her she's wrong."

Jayden laughs, looking at me with a cute smile, "You're wrong."

I stick my tongue out at him, crossing my arms afterwards. I couldn't believe they were ganging up on me. I am absolutely right, I used to live off of Barbie movies.

You can't argue with me either. I'm right.

Bella, Jayden, and I are eating dinner in the fancy dining room that's attached to the kitchen. I have to specify because, as Jayden explained, there's more than one dining room in this house. The three of us, leaning more to Jayden and me than Bella, had made some mac and cheese for dinner. It must be the expensive ingredients or the fancy silverware because this is the best mac and cheese I've ever had. I didn't even know mac and cheese could taste so good. I though it was just the Americans trying to prove they had a cuisine of their own.

Thankfully, Jayden had brought me some sweatpants to wear when he'd come back from changing out of his wet clothes. I gratefully took them as I was starting to feel awkward half naked in front of a seven year old that had already called me out on it. The sweatpants were loose on me, but they did happen to match the ones Jayden had changed into.

"Have you even seen 'Twelve Dancing Princesses'?"

Bella shakes her head, stuffing her face with more pasta.

"You let your sister be this uncultured?" I turn to Jayden now, who's looking at the two of us amused.

He only shrugs in response, probably not even knowing what we're arguing about.

"I'll make you a deal," I turn to Bella.

She perks up, looking at me with wide green eyes. She has the same eyes as Jayden, but more innocent. They're happier, unbeknownst to the world and all the shit it has to offer. Bella still lives in the world of rainbows and unicorns, you can tell just by looking at her eyes. Jayden's eyes, they're tired. Always calculating something.

"We watch both movies, and whichever one you like better wins."

"What do I win?" Bella asks excitedly.

What could I offer a seven year old? Worse than that, a rich seven year old. She probably had everything she could ever want. And if she didn't have it, she could easily get it. I could draw her something, but no kid wants a painting. It'll just get lost, broken, or dirty in the first week. But then I remember my favorite treat as a kid. The one thing that always got me in a good mood. The thing that always got me away from my painting.

I smile at her, "I'll bake you a cake."

"With chocolate sprinkles?" Her eyes grow even wider if that's possible.

"With chocolate sprinkles," I nod.

"Yay!" Bella jumps out of her chair and runs to the living room, excited to get to watching so she can get her chocolate cake.

"You're gonna lose, you know," Jayden's voice pulls my attention back to him.

He's cleaning up the dishes with a smile on his face. I start helping him, feeling odd just standing there watching him clean like some lord.

"Why do you say that?"

"She really likes cake."

After cleaning up some and making the kitchen and dining room look pristine again, Jayden and I make our way to the living room where Bella is. She's already put in the first Barbie movie of the evening. She's on the couch, bouncing on it with a stuffed rabbit in her hands. I smile at the sight, remembering how I used to be the same when I waited for my parents for movie night.