Babysitter | Calum Hood

18

For the past couple of days, everything seemed normal. Nothing was off at all. Ashton was back to loving Lindsay, and Lindsay didn't really change in any way. She was still oblivious to Ashton's feelings towards her. Luke was still that kid who didn't really talk, but whenever he did, Ashton was there to make a joke out of his dumb play on words or just shoot down Luke's efforts to be funny. I haven't heard from Michael in a couple of days, so who knows what he's up to?

Ryder was still a little brat who loved to watch me suffer. I mean, I guess he's kind of warmed up to me because he stopped trying to destroy my will to live, but he still acted as if I was just a random stranger he didn't have to listen to. It was Friday night and Calum was out being Calum. He didn't know I was babysitting tonight.

"I kinda wished I had superpowers," Ryder said as Big Hero 6 was playing again. He never gets tired of it and he only ever seems to watch it with me. I'm sure it's a trick to get me annoyed and hate the movie, but Baymax was so squishy and cute that I really can't get tired of it.

Ryder was sprawled out on the carpet in front of the television and my body was like a fetus curled up on the couch with a bowl of normal popcorn. Ryder had one of his own because he likes kettle corn and I think it's the grossest thing that has ever touched my tongue.

"But they don't even have superpowers. They have machines as costumes," I said, shoving a handful of buttery goodness into my mouth. Definitely better than kettle corn.

"Well, so does Iron Man. Does that mean he doesn't have powers either?"

I looked at the little boy who's hair really needed to have a brush run through it. He was still watching Hiro attempt to shove Baymax into a metal machine despite his really big stomach. "I mean he does have a power."

"Money?" Ryder joked. I laughed a little, and so did Ryder.

"No, my dear grasshopper. He had knowledge to build that suit and so do the characters in Big Hero 6. Being smart is cool."

He sat up from his position on the ground and just stared at me before saying, "That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life." Ryder threw a piece of kettle corn at me, which landed in my hair and made me yell an offended "hey!", but he just lied back down and said, "It's definitely all about the money."

Groaning, I try to pick the small piece of food out of my now sticky, brown hair.

"You know who really has superpowers, and not just money?" I spat out. "Demigods like Percy Jackson."

"Ew, that loser?"

It was my turn to throw popcorn at him, yet it didn't faze him the slightest bit.

"Have you ever read the books?"

He shook his head.

"How about Harry Potter?"

He shook his head.

"Have you watched any of the movies based on those books?" I questioned, completely surprised from his answers.

Ryder scoffed really loudly. "I mean I've heard some of the lines and weird music from that time you and Cal and all of those weirdos decided to invade my home."

"We're gonna watch Percy Jackson the next time I come over, and then we're gonna watch every single Harry Potter movie."

Ryder shot up from his position on the floor with wide eyes. As if I'd let him get away with not seeing the some of the best movies to ever be made. Who does he think I am?

"You can't make me," he breathed out. He took some more popcorn and reeled his arm back, ready to throw some more of his ammo.

I arched my eyebrow and grabbed another handful of my buttery popcorn, ready to aim and shoot if I needed to.