Looking After You

(3) Ages: 11 & 8

Ages: 11 & 8

"I don't have problems! You have problems!" Eight-year-old Jenny argued while sitting in her room with her best friend. 

"No, you have problems if you think I'm letting you put that makeup on me!" The eleven-year-old boy fought back while playing his inexpensive handheld game on top of Jenny's bed.

"You're in my room so you have to do what I say." Jenny placed her hands on her hips to plead her case while standing at the foot of her bed. There were very few times Jenny would wear dresses but when she did it was on her own terms and preferably when there was a fake tea set involved. She was wearing bright red lipstick that was drawn below her lip line, a dress with ruffles at the bottom and high heels that looked as if they could fit a gorilla's when compared to Jenny's tiny feet. 

"My mom said I had to keep you busy which I can't do unless I'm in your room so either play quietly by yourself or I'll tell your mother you were being bad." He warned aimlessly while keeping his eyes glued to his game.

Jenny glared for a moment before a small, devious smirk played at the corner of her lips. "Either do what I say or I will tell your mother you were being mean to me."

Both of them knew a threat to tell Denise was far worse than a threat to tell Alison. At most, Jenny would get a firm talking to but if Jenny told on James, at the least he would get his game taken away for a week.

James let out a conflicted sigh and lowered the game in his hand.

~

"No! No more!" Suddenly, loud shouts were heard throughout the house along with the sound of someone being chased and feet hitting the tile floor. "Mom! Make her stop!" James pleaded as he ran around the parents who were sitting at the kitchen table chatting and drinking coffee. He stood on the opposite side of the table and hid behind his mother while Jenny smiled with a bright red lipstick in hand.

Denise turned to get a better look at her son and noticed a bright pink blush on his cheeks and purple eye shadow covering every inch of his eyelid. Denise immediately covered her mouth to hide her laugh and the young boy scowled in response. "It's not funny!" He whined and crossed his arms over his chest. "She's evil! Make her stop!"

Denise forced a serious expression despite the humor of the situation. "That's not very nice, James. You should apologize to Jenny."

James' eyes got as big as tennis balls in pure disbelief. "Me?! What about her?! She did this to me! Why doesn't she have to apologize?!"

Denise had no argument and turned to Alison for assistance. Immediately retracting her smile, Alison applied a serious expression as well, directed at her daughter. "Right. Jenny, I want you to apologize to James right now and promise me you are never going to use that color on his eyes again. He is an autumn, not a summer, understand?"

"I promise, mommy." She looked back at James with a mock frown. "Sorry, Jameson."

All four adults immediately busted out laughing and James' face fumed red in anger. "Now, go upstairs and practice on some of your dolls while we speak with James, alright sweetie?"

She smiled sweetly at her mother and nodded in obedience. "Yes, mommy." Turning around, she merrily skipped up the stairs.

Alison held her arm out and motioned for Jameson to come to her. He reluctantly walked over and stood in her arms as Alison gave him a quick squeeze and chuckled softly. "Hunny, you don't have to do everything she says. Tell her no when you don't want to do something or come to me, okay?"

"Really?" His face lit up as if she just gave him some of her powers.

"Yes. We want you to look after Jenny which means sometimes she's going to need you to tell her no." She watched his expression as he processed the request and shook him from left to right  before releasing him. "Now go upstairs and wipe some of that gunk off your face before it becomes permanent," she chuckled and gently pushed him towards the stairs. James' eyes widened, yet again, and in a flash he was upstairs, scrubbing every trace of make-up from his face.