Babysitter or Boyfriend?

Chapter 1

A/N 

Hey guys thank for choosing this story to read anddd this story is shorter compare to my other stories sooo... Yeah, enjoy!!! ^_^

Chapter One

"Ave, are you really, really sure about this? I mean, Santa Barbara is a lot bigger than you think, and besides that, I hear UC is kind of a party school." My older brother Jake said, watching as I crammed one of the last few boxes into the trunk of my Chevy Cobalt. "You're not exactly the party type."

Shoving the box marked "clothes" into place, I grinned slyly over my shoulder at him. "Maybe not, but whose to say that won't change?" Recieving the expected look of horror, I laughed. "Relax, J. I'm not going to become some wild party girl, you should know that. Besides, it's a little late to change my mind now, don't you think? I've already paid most of my tuition."

Jake sighed. "Fine, but I want you to at least text me every day. This is the first time we've been far apart for more than a week or two, and I just...I want to make sure you're okay. I want to make sure everyone's, you know, treating you alright." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking a little sheepish.

Okay, so I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I have the most obnoxiously overprotective older brother in the entire world, and you're not entirely wrong. Ever since dad left our family when both Jake and I were really young, he's taken it upon himself to look after me. Almost five years older than myself, Jake was all I had that even resembled a father figure. Still, he was my very best friend and I loved him. We had fun together. Heaven knows he wasn't always this...paranoid. I was going to miss him so incredibly much.

I threw my arms around Jake's neck and murmured into his ear, "I promise, Jake. At least one text every day. I don't want you to worry so much, okay? Like it or not, I'm a big girl now. Eighteen years old. Besides, you've already made Alex promise, like, a bazillion times that he'll take care of me." I said the last part a little crossly.

Alex Everett had been my brother's best friend almost since I was born. He'd grown up right down the street, and as the years went on, the guys only grew closer. Alex became like another part of our family--it wasn't unusual for him to walk into the house at any hour of the day, without bothering to knock. Then high school ended for the boys and Alex moved to Santa Barbara for college, while Jake stayed home, near Sacramento. Still, they were in very close touch and when I made my decision to attend UC-Santa Barbara, Jake almost immediately called Alex and made him promise he'd look out for me while I was there. I thought he was going to make Alex sign a contract in blood. Annoying, but not particularly surprising.

"Hey," Jake said, nudging me. "You're lucky Alex lives in Santa Barbara. He's a good guy. It helps a lot to know at least one person when moving to a new place."

I nodded, and we hugged again, pulling apart only when our mother joined us outside. I could tell the water works were about to begin, and broke away from Jake to hug her. "I'll be okay, mom," I whispered. "It's just college; I'm not being drafted into a war."

She nodded vigorously, kissed my cheek, and then insisted on taking about fifty pictures of Jake and I. Like we didn't already have a million, framed, inside the house. Nevertheless, we humored her for awhile, and then to my surprise, Jake admitted that it was best if I got going. It was just past nine in the morning, and I still had a seven hour drive ahead of me. That was one part of this moving thing I definitely was not looking forward to. That, and unpacking all my stuff once I arrived. Luckily, my iPod was fully charged and Jake had bought me a bunch of snacks--some healthy, some not so much--for the road.

"Yeah, I better go," I agreed, and a thousand hugs and kisses and I love you's later, I was buckled in and backing out of the driveway. I ignored the tightness in my throat as Jake and mom waved, smiling but clearly concerned. It was weird, growing up. Most of the time I felt like I was still in junior high, and my biggest worry was the new zit on my forehead. Not moving away from home and everything else that was familiar to me.