Friends Don't Look At Friend That Way | Jake Baker

Chapter 11

Me and Tom are sat at the dining table, babysitter magazines sprawled across the table and the phone and crayons in front of Tom.  "So is Nora a definite no?" I ask.

"Yep. She's got a real job now and she's still kinda mad about the last time she came round with Hank." Tom says awkwardly.

"Okay." I nod. "So what we just start calling people?"

"Pretty much." He nods.

"Alrighty then. Call this number." I circle an add in one of the magazines and pass it to Tom who dials the number.

"Hello. My name is -um- Tom Baker and I'm interested in hiring a domestic helper." Tom says over the phone. "Um, I have 13 children... Actually I'm serious.... Hello? Hello?" Tom puts the phone down and crosses the number off.

"No luck?"

"Nope." He huffs.

"Well, we still have all these magazines to go through." I try think on the bright side.

"You're right." He smiles. "Who's next?"

______________

After going through multiple magazines I think of a small solution. "Hey Tom?"

"Yes?" His head on the table. 

"The whole problem is about the 13 kids right?" He nods. "So what if you didn't have 13?"

"I'm not going to sell my kids." Tom mumbles.

I laugh, "I didn't mean that. I meant we could lower the number."

"What?" He asks, lifting his head up.

"Well think about it. Nora don't live here, Charlie is always at practise or driving around, Lorraine won't listen to a sitter, Mark is awol most of the time and me and Jake normally go skating after school." I list while putting a finger up each time. "That's 6 kids the babysitter won't have to worry about, and it can be 7 or 8 if me and Jake can convince Sarah and Mike to come with us. That's like half the kids."

"Good point, Maddie!" Tom praises. 

______________

Unfortunately, even with the compromise there was still no luck and I had to leave Tom half way through so me and Jake could go skating. 

Me and Jake are on our way back from the skate park, we chose to walk and not skate this time. 

As we're walking I notice we're only a few houses away from our house and a couple walk out of their home and head down their drive just as we're passing. "You?!"

Me and Jake whip round at the loud voice. As I get a better look I recognise who it is. "Grandma? Grandpa?"

"What are you doing here, you demon?" My grandma asks.

"I-I just mo-oved here." I stutter.

"With who? Satan?" Grandpa guesses.

"No, with me and my family." Jake speaks up.

"Is there a problem here?" Charlie asks, walking up to us.

"Yes, yes! The devil is back!" Grandma exclaims.

"I was talking to these two." Charlie tells her. "Maddie, Jake, you alright?"

"Ch-char its the-them." I stutter again. 

Charlie crouches in front of me. "Who Maddie? Who is it?"

"That thing killed my son!" My grandmother accuses.

"She didn't kill anyone!" Jake stands up for me.

"Then why is our boy six feet under and not her?!" My grandfather asks.

"I don't know, why don't you ask the guy driving the damn car?!" Charlie snaps, standing in front of me, trying to shield me from my grandparents icy glares.

"She's a devil child!"

"No I'm not!" I shout.

"You killed your parents!"

"No! I didn't even know they were coming!"

"Yes you did!"

"It was a surprise!"

"Some surprise! Finding out your parents are dead and its your fault!"

"No!"

"My baby is gone!"

"He was my dad too!"

"And you caused this!"

"No - I- no."

"You should've died not my son." My grandfather spits on the floor in front of me.

"You little-" Jake goes to charge up to them but the voice of his father stops him.

"What's going on here?" Tom asks.

"This child of Satan is the reason my son is dead." My grandmother cries.

"Well, I'm sorry for your loss, but I know for fact that Maddison had nothing to do with it. Now if you'll excuse us, our dinners ready and is on the verge of getting cold." Tom says as politely as possible. "Thank you."

We all turn to walk away but my grandmother grips my arm tightly making me wince in pain. "Ow! Let go off me lady!"

"Do treasure your time with your new 'family'. Before you turn on them like you did the last." She whispers in your ear.

"Get your hands off my little sister!" Charlie growls.

She lets me go and walks off in a huff with her husband and I stumble back into someone. Jake.

"Its okay Mads. They're gone now." He tries to soothe me as he wraps an arm around me and the four of us walk back home.

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Its been a few days since my encounter with my grandparents and a lot has gone downhill. For starters, Tom is a lot more work orientated, its like we don't exist anymore. Charlie is thinking about dropping out of school as everything on his end is going terribly. And a couple of the girls found out about my parents and have been bullying me about it.

Jake knows somethings up as I'm a lot more easily annoyed lately and he's starting to get worried about me, but I just keep telling him I'm fine.

And to top it all off, Tom is late to picking us younger kids up today, again. I even had time to pick up Nigel and Kyle from Pre-school and come back, with Tom still not turning up. The pre-school is a few blocks away so I didn't walk far but the twins walk slow and I was expecting Tom to be there when I got back.

Finally, the burgundy mini van pulled up in front of the school. "Hey kids, how was your day at school?"

"I'd say that the high point was that you are only 45 minutes late picking us up." Kim says angrily to her father.

"Hey, you know what? There was a pep rally at school today. There were 20,000 people in the stands, and I just couldn't leave." Tom tries to justify.

"I'm glad you got your priorities straight." I grumble.

"Maddison, I-"

"Here." Mark shoves a piece of paper in his father's face.

"Hey, you did a drawing." Tom smiles while looking at his son's picture.  " 'My favourite place in the world...' Is that the Midland house?"

Mark nods sadly.