The Babysitting Job

Chapter 11

"I won!" I said once we got back to the stables.
"You got a head start" Hayes said behind me.
"sore loser" I said
"there you guys are" Uncle Robert said walking out of the stables. "I hope you guys had a good time" he said smiling at us.  I hoped of Darcy. "I'm done here for the day. Hayes you can go home now. And Danny I will me in my office when your done putting Darcy back in her stable" I nodded, "OK uncle Rob" I said. Hayes and I walked over to the stables and put the horses in to rest.
"hey Tez and I were gonna hang out downtown tonight. Do you wanna join us?" Hayes asked scratching the back of his neck.
"Actually, my uncle had this whole evening planned out already. He was going to show me around." I said
"oh thats cool. Some other day then" he said.
"yeah sure" I said.
We locked the horses in their stable and headed out.
"I've been meaning to ask, where are your glasses?" Hayes asked pointing at my face.
"I don't need glasses out here", I said slightly laughing, "I'm not THAT blind. I'm near sighted so I need them to read and watch TV and stuff you know, like read the back of the cereal box" Hayes nodded, "i see" he said looking at me, "so you don't wear them often?"
"Well I wear them most of the time" I said. I looked down because him looking at me like that made me unconformable for some reason, like insecure or something. I looked at his watch and laughed.
"What?" he asked smiling.
"Why do you have that on? You don't need a gold Rolex watch out here on the farm" I said raising my eyebrow.
"uh yeah you do, to tell time" he said in duh tone, "plus I work on the farm in style"
I looked at what he was wearing, red hat, RVCA shirt, shorts, Nike shoes and that watch. Not normal clothes you would wear to work with animals or on the farm, more like something the boys would wear at my school. He was covered in dirt though, and so was I.
"Danielle are you ready to go?" I hear my uncle yell from the truck.
"Yeah I'm coming!" I yelled back.
"Well see you soon" Hayes said
"yeah" I said and ran off with my uncle.
We got home, shower and changed. Uncle Rob took me to see the town of Mooresville. I was actually a really nice town. Later he took me to a small diner downtown. "be prepared to have the best burgers of your life" He said. We were eating and talking at our table, everyone seemed to know my uncle here, even the waitress. She said, "would you like your usual seat Robert" I guess he comes here often. After introducing me to Wendy, she sat us right infront of a big window
"There is a really nice lake here too" he said, "Lake Norman, not too far. I had planned that we would go this weekend"
"that's sounds like fun" I said cleaning myself with my napkin.
"you still know how to swim right" my uncle joked.
"oh course I do!" I said laughing My uncle was the one who taught me how to swim when I was 7.
Right then I looked out the big window  and saw 3 teenage boys goofing around outside. They were so loud we could hear them laugh from inside the diner. I heard a laugh that I recognized immediatly. Hayes, I thought. As I looked closer I saw that they were on those hoverboard things and playing loud music. I only recognized TeX and Hayes, I had no idea how the other boy with ling hear was. Hayes was wearing camo pants, a white and black shirt, a red hat and his gold watch. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Hayes was just like the popular kids at my school who said they had 'swag' whatever that even mean. Dressed in weird and ridiculously expensive clothing. I remember when some of the boys actually brought their hoverboards to school. They rode them in the hallway all day and all around school acting as if they were better than everyone else. Those things are super expensive. Well those are the kids who had money to burn and waste it on unnecessary things. I observed Hayes and his little group, they were just like them, I thought. Walking around like the own the place, feeling like they are kings of the world without any worry in mind. The boys who have it all and think they are the shit because they have money good looks and think they can get any girl they want. They were no different. He was no different. They soon disappeared and walked, no rolled.....hovered?.....what ever the term is for using those hoverboards things, they went to another street and were out of sight. I turned around and looked at my delicious meal I was enjoying. "he is a good kid you know" I heard uncle Robert say. Did he just read me mind? was I being to obvious when was looking at Hayes?
"who" I asked trying to play it off.
"Hayes" My uncle said looking at me like you know what I'm talking about.
"oh" was all I said before taking another bite of my really good burger.
"Hayes has been helping me in my stables for the past few weeks and he has been working on his farm. He is a really hard worker" I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "Yeah because its for his TV Show. Its all show" I said.
"Danny" my uncle began to say but I gave him a look like what did I do wrong? He sighed, "you know, you too would get along really well. I think maybe you too would become great friends-"
"We have nothing in common Bert" I said flatly looking at him, "If it weren't for this 'show' he probably wouldn't even step on the farm or your stables. All he thinks about is fun and excitement, were thus I think about work and responsibilities"
"that's exactly why Danny" he said, "over the years you have matured so fast. All you think about is work. school and your resbosoblityes. Were is my little dandelion who ran through sprinklers while wearing a brand new dress, the little girl who was always up to something and did nothing but laugh all day" my uncle gave me a sad look, "I thought maybe Hayes could bring that little girl inside of you out into the world again." I miss that Danielle too, I thought.
"Like you said, that was the LITTLE Danny. I have grown up and realized that there are much more important stuff to do. Like school. If I don't get good grades, I would get accepted into a good college and I wont get a good job. And volleyball, I need that scholarship of college, mom and dad cant afford it-"
"do you even like playing volleyball anymore" My uncle asked me.
"what do you mean of course" I said automatically. We stayed silent for a while.
"remember when you were little and you wanted to quit piano?" my uncle said. I nodded, "do something because you love it. If your not going to do something with your full effort and heart, might as well not do it at all" I sighed, "because you have to do what you love and love what you do" we finished the last sentence together. I cracked a small smile and so did my uncle.
We went home and watched a Kevin Hart movie then went to sleep.
*Beep Beep* My phone buzzed. I looked at the time it was 12am.
Elizabeth Floyd- I'm so sorry to bother you Danielle at an hour like this but its an emergency. I need to head out and I need you to watch Skylynn. Can you be at the house by 8am?
Danielle- Yeah sure no problem! Be there at 8.
Elizabeth- oh thank you so much! 
 
I covered myself with my blanket, its gonna be along day,