My fingers glided across the worn table, silently studying the different array of wood. I sat in the kitchen, Evangeline and Mrs Blatherwick talking and seeming deep in thought. I didn't cut in, I just sat there, book in hand, head in book, that's all I do most days anyway.
Evangeline was a sweet looking girl, with a youthful face and a small figure. When I was younger, I use to admire her. She was calm, clever, and I never understood why she was here. Mrs Blatherwick was very different to Evangeline. Her skin looked worn from the many years of working in a kitchen, almost like the table. She was also grumpier, and always the loudest voice in the room.
I was never sure how the Brown's put up with her, but they didn't really. I had been here from when I was 6 and a half years old. My life before here felt like a warm blur of colour and light for the most part. Until my mother died at age 5, and my dad fell into a sort of darkness that he couldn't get out.
I was sent here. The only thing I really have left of my old family is a brown, worn-out notebook. I've written things in there, dark things, thoughts, secrets, things I'd never say aloud. But the most obvious and recurring thing in there is my ongoing crush for Simon.
Simon's my age, he has brown gingerish hair, which always seemed windswept and never quite sat right on his head. He was defiant, and smart, and confident - he was a lot of things but well-behaved wasn't one. I adored him for it though, because his eyes would shimmer with mischief that even I still got scared.
He was the oldest of his siblings and my best friend. There are 7 Brown's children in total. Him, Tora, Lily, Eric, Sebastion, Christianna and baby Agatha.
The children don't see me as a sister which I'm thankful for because if I were to be really close to them and something happened to them, I don't think I'd be able to handle that kind of heartbreak.
That's why I can't like Simon, he's my best friend. And for the sake of my sanity and his, that's all we'll stay as.
I get snapped out of my thoughts by someone screaming as they launch themselves down the stairs.
"They ate the baby!" The 17th nanny screams breathlessly, disappearing through the front door. The children have now been able to get rid of 17 nannies.
It's funny how Simon is the naughtiest out of the seven and we're the closest. If anything, I would've thought Simon hated me if we weren't best friends, considering we're vastly different from each other. He was outgoing, and I was everything he wasn't - quiet and reserved.
I stand up abruptly, grasping my book in the process and walking over to the door. I share an uneasy look with Evangeline, glancing shortly outside before closing it. I turn on my heel and face the stairs to go up. When I reach the bottom, the door then flings open...again and instead of a nanny, in rushes Mr Brown.
"Good Afternoon" I say quietly, he looks at me for a second before walking past me and up the stairs, muttering a small "Same to you" as he whizzes by.
I frown before closing the door, I wait there for a few seconds to check if anyone else is going to burst through it and when no one does, I finally go upstairs. When I walk into the children's room, Mr Brown stands next to a pot with a cabbagy Aggie in his hands. The children stand, holding cooked chicken in their hands with Aggie's knitted gloves and shoes.
Mr Brown hands Aggie to Lily before looking at each of his children.
"Nanny Whetstone has resigned from her post. I shall go to the agency this afternoon to hire a new nanny....and you will not drive her away as you have done with all her predecessors!" he says before storming past me and down the stairs.
I glance at each of the children before my gaze lands on Simon, who is staring straight back at me. I can feel us both watching each other, before I continue looking at the children then down at the floor. That's my usual excuse to break the gaze that Simon holds with me ever so often.
"That wasn't very nice" I state quietly, still looking at the wooden boards which line the floor.
"Doesn't matter, she deserved it. I hate nannies anyway" Simon mutters, I look up at him, not knowing what to say next. Simon walks over to his 'Nanny Chart' which is hidden most of the time by this contraption within the closet. It bursts forward, revealing a variety of different statistics.
"Three days, Eight hours and forty seven minutes...so that got rid of her..." I walk over to the chart as Simon does the math. I study it quickly.
"Twenty three hours and twenty minutes quicker than the last one" I finish for him. He smiles before his gaze goes back to the chart as he pins a doll in its place. During all this I faintly hear someone fall down the stairs and for once, it isn't me.
"I think the turning point was definitely eating the baby, well done Eric" Simon snaps me out of my thoughts as he grins at his younger siblings.
I put my book down on my bed, lightly sitting on the abstract looking quilt.
"Well, that's the final straw" Mr Brown shouts while barging into the room. I look up from my lap to see Chrissy quickly grabbing onto his leg as he walks.
"There are no more nannies. None. All over, finished." He says with a harsh, annoyed tone while walking awkwardly.
"I told them not to, it wasn't my idea" Tora cries, Mr Brown only looks at Simon.
"Don't look at me! It's not my fault!" He protests.
"You seem intent on distressing me so I'm going to distress you. You are to..uh...to go to bed immediately" Mr Brown threatens, seeming somewhat unsure about the whole situation. He asks Chrissy to let go of his leg before walking to the door.
"Before Supper?" Sebastian asks, standing up and running towards him. Mr Brown hesitates.
"Without supper" He growls before leaving the room. Sebastian's face drops
"Did he just say...without supper?" He asks, pouting slightly.
"Never mind that. There's no more nannies" A playful smirk appears on Simon's face. I sigh to myself, picking up my book and flipping to the page I left off.
The kids started war the second Mr Brown left, but I had gotten accustomed to all the noise. They're all screaming as Sebastian is hitting the black and white keys on the grand piano.
"Eric! Eric! Give it back, it's my teddy!" Chrissy's voice rang through the room, filled with anger and sadness. I spun around to see Eric, a ginger haired boy with glasses, running to a guillotine he had built himself. He positioned the Bears head under the blade and within a second the Bears head was cut off clean.
Eric laughed evilly as he ran around the room with the teddy and its head in his hands.
"Eric! That's MY Teddy!" The younger girl screamed while chasing after him and around the room.
"Eric, stop" I ordered, slamming my book shut and standing up. The truth is, I hated the noise these kids were making and I couldn't concentrate on any of the words on the page.
I walk up to her and kneel down to her height, lightly taking the teddy out of her hands.
"Lucy? What are you going to do with my teddy?" Chrissy asks me, pouting slightly.
"I'll...uh...try and sew the head back on" I say, trying my best to make her feel better.
I find a needle and thread as Chrissy turns back to Eric, getting ready to run into his side before they both start screaming at each other once more. I start to sew the head back on the bear, my concentration unbearably noticeable due to the noise. I swear, if anyone distracts me, it won't end pretty.
Suddenly, I hear another scream, louder than Eric, and Chrissy, and Lily, and most definitely Sebastian and the piano all combined. It tears through the room, making it fall still. My eyes snapped to the door intensely, the bedroom filling with an uncomfortable silence.
