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The Next Day
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I woke up with a massive headache. It was 6:53. Ugh this was early, even for me. My headache kept getting worse. My head was throbbing.
With all the pain, I decided to go outside for a smoke. The little girl came out and sat next to me again. I tried to ignore her. I lit my cigarette with my lighter. I looked at her, she was crying.
I let out a sigh, smoke escaping my mouth. "What's wrong, hun?" I asked. She pointed at the cigarette. "What?"
She finally spoke, trying to hold back her tears. "You should stop.."
I was confused. She understood more than I thought she could. "What's your name, sweetie?"
She spoke, shyly. "Isabella."
I nodded. "Well you should go inside, Isabella! It looks like it might storm."
She nodded and walked inside. A few seconds later she popped her head back out, "aren't you coming?" I shook my head. She ignored my answer and grabbed the cigarette, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. Then grabbed my hand and brought me inside.
"What are you doing?" I ripped my hand from hers.
She looked at me innocently. She finally spoke. "Saving you.." she grabbed my hand and walked into my apartment. "Where are they?" she began rummaging through my stuff.
"What are you looking for?" I asked, curiously.
She stopped and turned to me. "Don't act stupid. Where's your cigarettes?"
Wow for a little girl, she's smart. "What? why?" I asked. Still confused by why there is a little girl in my apartment, looking through my stuff for cigarettes.
She went in my bedroom and walked up to my bedside table. I followed her. "Ah. Here they are!" she pulled them out of the drawer. I tried to grab them but she had a death grip on them. "Oh no no no!"
She went into the kitchen and grabbed scissors. She came back to the living room and sat down on the couch. I stood in from of her and ripped the scissors from her hands. "What do you think you're doing?" I yelled at her.
She wasn't afraid of me. She was confident of her actions. "I'm going to help you stop destroying your lungs!" she said with a smile. She grabbed the scissors back and cut all of my cigarettes so that there was no tobacco in them. When she was done, she stood up and looked at me with a smile on her face. "There! Don't buy any more. They can ruin you!"
I sat on the couch and patted the empty space next to me, inviting her to sit. She did as asked and sat next to me. "How do you know about all this stuff?" I asked, concerned.
"Well..." she paused and looked in her lap, studies her hands fumbling over each other. "My grandfather had lung cancer and died." she started to cry. Moments later she continued. "He died because of those crap sticks!"
I wrapped her tight in my arms. "It's okay, Isabella! It's okay..." we sat there for a long time. "I won't buy anymore.. Ya know why?" she shook her head. "Because! A little girl name Isabella saved me." I poked her nose with my index finger. She smiled. "Do your parents know you're here?" she shook her head again.
I sighed as I grabbed her hand and gently pulled her up to walk. I opened my apartment door and shut it when she walked out with me. We walked to where her apartment door was, which was less than 5 of my normal steps away.
I knocked on the door. A woman opened the door. She looked confused. "She came over to my apartment and I didn't know that she didn't inform you. Sorry."
She scanned over me and then spoke. "No need to apologize, Melosa! It is Melosa, right?" I nodded and then stared at her, confused. She answered as if she was reading my mind. "You were on tv with One Direction! Isabella is in love with them!" moments passed. "um. Are you busy from now until tomorrow at 5 PM?"
I nodded. "Free as a bird! May I ask why?"
She continued. "Well I have to go to a business trip at this exact moment and won't be back unti-" her phone went off. "Sorry. Please excuse me." I nodded.
She took the call. I could hear her voice. "Hi Glen. What? I don't know if I can make those arrangements. I-I know but. Yes. I know. Hold on one moment." she walked back to me. "can you babysit her from now until next week Friday?" it was Monday. Wow that's a long time. "I'll pay you $1850" I nodded, nervously.
She continued the call. "Ok I'm leaving now." she hung up and came back to her daughter and I. "I love you Isabella but mommy has got to go on another business trip. Melosa will watch you." she started to walk away. She turned her head and said "thank you" I nodded and she continued out the door.
