When I met Josh

Chapter 4

"BENJAMINNN"

I slowly open my eyes, feeling attacked by the harsh contrast in light. First thing I notice this morning is that weird tummy feeling; butterflies. They're still there. A smile is plastered across my face thinking about yesterday. You know maybe my life is changing.

"BEYLINDA GET OFF ME NOW YOU STUPID TOAD"

Oh great... babysitting, and I'm not even getting paid. I stumble out of bed and look In the mirror. Staring at the girl looking straight back at me, I notice something different. A glint in her eye maybe, or the way her forehead wasn't burdened by nasty stress lines or maybe just by the smile  on her face. I look and feel different today. Taking a deep long breath I grin like an idiot.  I let my hair down and wonder into the hallway to see a mass of stuffed teddy's, toys, blankets and basically the content of their room spilled across the hallway. "What on earth happened here?" I declare, trying my best to use child friendly, non swearing language.

"We were bored, you didn't get up so we're playing houses but Benjamin has my princess cotton doll," Beylinda whines. I look up at the clock: 7:30 am. They are up and bored at this time. Sighing, as I know I do not want to clean this all up I come up with a cunning plan "Benjamin, you better get out here in 5 seconds or else I will throw away all of your football trophies," I hear a muffled cry and the bathroom door being unlocked. "NO! Mum wouldn't let you!" He screams

"Well mums not here, so get here right now!" I demand him. Sounds harsh but these kids really are brats the only way to get through to them is threaten them. 

"Right okay, so guys you like going to the cinema don't you?" I ask them smiling. They both nod and shout in agreement. "Well, lets have a competition, if you can put away all your toys away and get yourselves changed in an hour, as quietly as possible and come down stairs, I will make you both coco pops and take you to the cinema," I say as energetically as possible. Thankfully they agree and get straight to work. So I go the bathroom to shower and get ready.

I really can't wait until the day I get to leave this family. Just as I'm about to apply my last coat of mascara my phone buzzes, my heart leaps, hoping it's Josh but its not. It's Vicky. I open the text it reads.

You better be taking care of my little kids, anyway they have a sleepover tonight you'll need to get them too, its at 32, Bushmead road. Its a bus away, get them there for 2 pm and pick them up at 10 tomorrow. You're dad and I have decided to stay here for the week, will text you the arrangements for the twins this week tomorrow.

I blink. Reading the text twice, ignoring the fact ill have to babysit all week, I realise I have a free  house tonight. I should tell Josh, or will that be way to forward? I don't know i'll figure it out later. I look at the time 9:00. Shit the kids have been a little too quite, I walk into their room to see them fully dressed and playing with their kids laptop and their room is sort of tidy. Well anythings possible if you bribe a kid with going to the cinema. Ah shit. There's no time for cinema if they've got their sleepover as well.

"We're ready Carter!" Beylinda beams

"I wanna watch a film about Cars!" Benjamin screams

How will I word this. "I have something better than the cinema planned, you guys are going to a sleepover!" and to my relief, they are still smiling. Maybe these kids aren't too bad, "Right now who wants breakfast"

I've just got back in from taking the twins on a disgusting crowded bus to their friends house . I decide I should text Vicky back so she's not on my case all weekend, when I look down I see 2 messages from Josh, and yes my stomach flips. But first I'll text Vicky back while I remember