The Babysitters

Chapter 3

The ride was awkward as soon as it started. I was filled with embarrassment. Why did they have to come in at that exact moment? God, Chester probably thought I was mad. Oh, why is it always me? If only I had-

"Do you want to stop at this diner and get something to eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Now that I thought about it, I was hungry; really hungry. I guessed I was too preoccupied with cleaning that bloody kitchen to notice how ravenous I was. I nodded to him and we went in the diner to sit at the bar.

"What would you like?" He asked.

"Oh, no, I can't expect you to pay! No, it's fine, I'll just pay for it see, I have a-"

"Don't worry Tabi, it's only fair after you looked after the kids!" He said and pulled out his wallet. "Now what would you like? Last chance and if you don't answer or refuse, I will buy the most expensive thing on the menu with extra toppings and sides." He smirked.

"Ok, I'll just have a...burger and fries then, thanks."

"No problem-o."

The food was nice, we discussed how the kids were and how my schoolwork was going as we ate. I was really enjoying Chester's company, it was really strange, I thought, that someone so many years my senior could make me feel so at home in my own skin.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" He asked curiously.

I just smiled and shook my head at the counter as I chuckled.

"Ha, yeah, nice joke."

"Seriously? You don't have one?" I shook my head. "Come on, you're mature, smart, beautiful and kind - and you clean! What more can a guy want?" I gestured to the crowd of boys from my year in the corner. One guy was sticking breadsticks between his lips and his teeth to look like Dracula whilst the others laughed. Chester hummed in acknowledgement.

"So how did you meet your wife?"

I swear that Chester would've spat out his coffee if he hadn't been in a public place.

"My wife? Where did that come from?" He asked, incredulous. I shrugged and looked at the counter shyly.

"Well, I guess it was...Well, there was this bridge on the other side of town with the railway tracks on it and it was where the kids...where the kids went to get high," I chuckled and he joined in. "Well, my friend took me there one night to...y'know, check it out..."

"Yeah right!" I interrupted.

"To check it out! Anyway, so we're standing on this bridge and this wild girl - who later turned out to be Sabine - walked up to us, off her face on...whatever, and she turned to Mike and just said 'nice catch Mikey, what else have you brought me?' And I turned to Mike and said 'that girl is trouble'"

He laughed and I tried to fake it convincingly.

Obviously it didn't work as his face fell after a while.

"You had to be there." he murmured.

"I wish I was." I replied honestly.

He glanced at me with something sparkling in his eyes that I couldn't decipher, but as soon as it had materialized, it vanished.

"So what was with the cleaning?" He asked.

"Oh god," I moaned as I covered my face with my hands. He laughed and pried them off gently.

"No, I mean it, please."

"Okay," I sighed. "I have this weird thing with where things go and stuff. So this:" I pulled the condiments together on the table. "Is good."

"Good." He repeated.

"And this:" I pulled a bottle forward so that it wasn't in line with the others. "Is bad."

"Bad. Got it."

I grinned at him childishly and he grinned back. We went back to our meals and I saw him finish as he set his knife and fork on the plate.

His eyes slid over to me as his hand crept over the packets of sugar in the dispenser and he pulled two out and lay them haphazardly on the counter. He smirked and I accepted defeat.

This was going to be a long journey home.

****

"Hey, do you want to see something cool?" Chester asked on the way back.

"Yeah, sure." I repeated, not quite sure what he was going to take me to see.

He parked by what looked to be just an abandoned shack, it was run down and rotting, definitely not what I would consider cool, but hell, if Chester liked it, I did. He took my hand and lead me around the shack. I gasped as I saw the beautiful machinery that was hidden from view. There were three old trains on the tracks - steam engines - and they were undoubtedly pretty to look at in the dull moonlight. Chester pulled me towards the blue one in the middle, it's smooth carriges shining silver like the stars above. Suddenly, a bright light approached from behind us and a police officer started shouting.

"Run!" Chester grinned as he pulled me fast into one of the carriages and we fell against the wall, our chests heaving until the cops were gone.

We glanced at each other and burst out laughing for ages. Eventually, the laughter died down and he looked straight into me eyes.

"So beautiful." He said as he leaned in and pressed his soft lips to mine. My head exploded with the sensation and I almost jumped in shock. I pulled back. Chester looked almost...disappointed? I couldn't take that look and I couldn't stand not feeling his lips on mine again. I tipped his head up with one finger under his chin so that he could look into my eyes and kissed him. Hard.

His hands roamed my body and my hands roamed his, searching for extra friction. I could feel something hard against my leg and knew what it was, but I didn't care, I was too hyped up on whatever chemicals my brain was sending in the moment - sending shivers down my spine and making my fingers and toes tingle with anticipation.

And I bet nobody else had a first kiss as good as that.