"What do you want for Christmas?"
"Nothing, the fact that you've done so much for Copeland for these past months is enough to last a lifetime, Vic."
He shakes his head and grabs a chocolate bar off a rack. "Chocolate?" I shake my head in return, chuckling. Copeland giggles from her seat in the shopping cart and holds onto the handle where Vic's hands aren't holding. I wipe drool from her chin as Vic throws the Hershey's bar onto the top of his - or I guess I should say our - groceries. "You deserve something nice for the occasion, Kells."
I feel my face heat up slightly at the new nickname and I clear my throat. "No, it's all good," I reply, trying not to smile too awkwardly at Vic. "I think you deserve something nice. What do you want?" I ask in return. He pauses for a second before smiling.
"For you to have something nice," he replies. I roll my eyes before resting them back on his face. "I have plenty of nice things, I don't need any more." I sigh as we continue walking.
"That's not fair. You babysit Copeland almost every day for no pay, hang out with me on the days you're supposed to be at home instead of working for no pay, and you expect me not to get you something?" I ask. He shrugs and I let out another sigh. "I don't care what you say, I'm going to get you an amazing Christmas gift, just you wait."
• • •
One day before Christmas Eve--
"You sure you want to meet my family? They're really not that great. Well, aside from my brothers and sisters," I inform Vic. He smiles and nods, clearly excited. "You're so going to regret this."
"On the contrary, I think I'm going to enjoy this," he argues, smiling. I can't help but smile in return, but I still shake my head. I'm not kidding, my father will eat him alive.
Eventually they showed up, which means it's time for Vic and I to put forth our little plan. His goal is to get them to accept my invitation for him to join our small family dinner, and ask if he can bring Mike. Then, he'll get to know my family, because for some reason that's something he really wants to do. I honestly don't know why, but he does.
"I'm so happy to see you guys again," I say to my father and step mom as they show up at the front door. I hug them both and usher them inside as they return the greeting. They take off their coats, mittens, and such before sitting on my couch. I don't know how we're going to fit so many people in this tiny apartment.
"So, what's for dinner?" my step mom asks, her hand on my father's knee. I shrug, smiling.
"The usual Christmas feast, just two days early," I reply. They both nod. "Where's all your other children?" I ask my father, considering none of them ever called me.
"On their way," he replies simply. I nod. "How about you get something for us to drink?" he suggests snappily. I nod and rush to the kitchen, grabbing glasses for them. I almost forgot how snobby and rude my father can be. Vic is seriously going to hate this.
I bring them both glasses of wine, not knowing what else they would want. "What's wrong with you, Kellin?!" my father says angrily after taking a sip of the crimson liquid. I give him a confused look and he shakes his head, clearly disappointed. "How could you keep alcohol in your house with a baby around? Where is that little bundle of bad choices anyway?"
My step mom turns and gapes at him, wide-eyed. "Copeland is upstairs, hopefully sleeping," I say through practically gritted teeth. "And I don't know who you think you are telling me how to raise my daughter when you hardly-"
I cut myself off when I hear a knock on the door. That's either Vic or my brothers and sisters. Either one wouldn't bother me so much, since my father won't be shitty to me with them around. Hopefully...
I excuse myself and open the door to see both my brothers and both my sisters (all laughing) and Vic. I'm actually super relieved he's already on their good sides. They calm down and notice that I'm standing there, smiling. My sister, Kailey, wastes no time wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug, taking the breath out of my lungs.
I trade hugs with everybody but Vic, even though he opened his arms for one. I pull him over slightly and whisper, "My father is clearly in a bad mood. I'm really not joking when I say it would be best if you go home before it gets worse." He looks at me with a confused expression before shaking his head.
"Trust me, I have a good effect on people," he argues. "Your dad is gonna love me." If only it was that easy.
We go back inside and all gather around in the living room. "Did you meet everybody?" I ask Vic, trying to put on a show of sorts for my father. Honestly, I want Vic to be a bigger part of my life, and I don't want my father to just turn around and dislike him like he's notorious for doing.
"No, I haven't actually. Who is everybody?" he asks, even though I think he knows most of their names. I name everybody off for him anyway and he greets them kindly, shaking everybody's hands. Then it gets to my father, who doesn't take part in the handshaking. Vic brushes it off though, being the optimistic guy he usually is.
"Why is he even here?" my father asks suddenly, interrupting everybody's individual conversations and our dinner, including mine with my brother, Hudson. We all turn to look at him and ask who he's talking about. "That one," my father says, pointing to Vic.
"I could leave if I'm not welcome here, Sir," Vic says sheepishly, obviously trying some kind of charm on my father. But that shit never works.
"Good, then leave! You aren't part of this family, there's no reason for you to be hanging out here!" my father encourages him, raising his voice slightly. Hudson rolls his eyes and whispers something about how our father is being ridiculous.
"Aw, come on, Dad. He's really nice," my other sister, Harper, says. I can tell by the way she says 'nice' that she's crushing on him. Too bad she doesn't know he's actually gay. My father shakes his head.
"We don't know anything about him and you're having your family eat an early Christmas dinner with him?" my father asks as if I'm doing some kind of horrendous crime. I sit up slightly and glare at him.
"Well, this is my apartment, and if I want to invite a friend to an early Christmas dinner then I will!" I say, raising my voice slightly. "You don't control me anymore, I'm my own person. If you have a problem with me - or my friends, my way of life, or even my fucking daughter - then you can get your sorry ass out of my apartment right now!" I practically yell.
Vic grabs my arm and pulls me down, causing me to realize that I even stood up in the first place. Everybody around us is completely silent, including my father. That is until he clears his throat and stands up himself, pushing his chair in. "I would get my 'sorry ass' out of your apartment if it was yours. I was paying for it, but don't count on that from me anymore," he says simply.
I feel my stomach, jaw, and heart drop at the same time. Everybody turns their head to face my father, expressions similar to mine on their faces. "Dad, you can't just stop paying for him!" my other brother, Devereaux, yells.
"We're leaving," my father says, grabbing my step mom's hands. "Whatever slim chance you had before, you absolute failure, you don't have it anymore. Goodbye." And with that, they leave me, and my father's other children, in what used to be my apartment.
_______
I FEEL SO BAD UGH POOR KELLIN
YOU ARE READING
The Babysitter ✯ Kellic
Fanfiction[Completed] Kellin Quinn is a high school senior with a one year old daughter he's no longer able to take care of. His father and step mother don't support him, the mother of his child left, and it seems as though there's nobody else willing to...
