Looking After You

(2) Ages: 16 & 13

Ages: 16 & 13

"James! Get down here right now! You are not going to make us miss our dinner reservations!" Mrs. Jenson yelled up the stairs in annoyance at her teenage soon. She shook her head and walked over to her husband who was holding out her coat for her to put on. "I am afraid we are teaching him nothing about responsibility. It's the third time this month he has pulled this."

"It's not like he volunteered to do this, Denise." Mr. Jenson defended his son yet again. "The last thing our sixteen-year-old son wants to be doing on a Friday night is babysitting a thirteen-year-old."

Denise rolled her eyes with a smirk while wrapping her coat tighter around her body. "One day that boy's going to thank us for making him look after Jenny."

The sound of footsteps slowly trudging down the stairs caused the both of them to turn. Denise let out an exasperated sigh. "Finally. Alison and Keith are probably wondering what's taking us so long."

"You know, you could have gone over without me. If I'm old enough to babysit a bratty thirteen-year-old then I am surely old enough to walk next door by myself." James said in irritation while standing beside his parents at the front door.

"Maybe when you are responsible enough to make it downstairs in time and mature enough to have a decent attitude, then we will let you walk next door by yourself," Denise said pointedly as a small smile played at the corner of her lips. He followed his parents out of the house and next door to the Loren's with ear buds stuck firmly in his ears as the music permeated the silent night air.

~

Knock, knock.

"Sorry, we are so late," Mrs. Jenson explained as soon as the door opened to reveal the couple already dressed and ready to leave for their group date night.

"Don't worry about it. I had Keith make reservations ten minutes later than usual tonight." Alison Loren smiled in satisfaction as her eyes slowly wandered over to James.

James chuckled at Alison's prediction that they would be late again. He had grown to love Alison like a second mom and unlike his first one; she never scolded him for being late. She simply made reservations ten minutes later and showered him with love and understanding even when he didn't deserve it. Reaching her hand up to place on James' neck, she pulled him down closer to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. James was already nearly six foot which made kissing his forehead difficult enough, Alison knew in just a few years she probably wouldn't even be able to do that anymore.

"Aunt Alison," he whined while trying to wipe the lipstick off his forehead with a smirk. Alison's punishments were lipstick prints across the forehead and those sometimes scarred worse than any grounding. James chuckled and stepped inside the house as both couples began walking away from the house and towards the Loren's car.

"Don't forget to rinse out the used shot glasses and if you are going to sneak out of the house, be home before we get back because I really don't want to have to ground anyone this weekend. It just takes too much effort on my part." Alison was always one to joke, but her joke's about throwing parties and underage drinking were never taken lightly by Denise. They were usually followed by a disapproving look from Denise and a chuckle from James, although it was rare for James to ever break the rules. Jenny, on the other hand, was an entirely different story that their parents seemed to be blind to.