Babysitter [cake au]

👶5

Chapter 5

Luke

"Lucas Hemmings you better have a good reason for being late!" mum hollered from the living room where she was probably reading.

Since I'd predicted this happening, I knew that responding would only add fuel to the fire. I kicked off my shoes and hurried upstairs, dumping my bag in my room and going to the toilet to relieve myself after a long day.

I couldn't believe what had just happened. I'd just bagged a guaranteed hour of time with Calum; what's more, his kids weren't even gonna be home! I mean – I wasn't entirely sure what I was gonna do or what I was gonna get out of it, but regardless I was excited. And I hadn't been excited since I went to my last concert (the one where I broke my arm).

After changing into some more comfortable clothes, I hopped onto my unmade bed and got Netflix up, watching an episode of Stranger Things before mum shouted that it was dinner time.

"Help set the table, won't you? Your father's just stuck in traffic, but we'll start without him," she ordered, serving whatever wonderful dish she'd made that evening onto two plates. I groaned, but still went over to the dinner table to set out the placemats and cutlery. I'd done it most days of my seventeen years of living, to be fair.

We sat down and mum turned the lights on, despite it still being pretty light outside.

"So, how was your day?" she asked, cutting into her steak.

"Fine. Mr Irwin made me stay late to... help him with something. Oh, and Calum says he can help tutor me on Sunday."

Mum gasped in delight. "That's brilliant! We've been thinking of getting you a chemistry tutor, haven't we? Isn't that convenient – he lives so near as well!"

"Yeah. S-so how come his kids went off with that woman earlier?"

She rolled her eyes at my ignorance. "That woman, was Blair and Ellis' mother. I said hello to her when she came."

"But she looked so young!"

"Well, she is – but that's not for us to judge, Luke. Calum said she wanted to have them for the weekend, which I don't think has actually ever happened since he moved here."

I nodded slowly. "Wow. I had no idea. What else do you know about it?"

"Lucas! That's their private lives – we have no right to be nosey."

I pouted. What was so wrong about doing a little investigating on the guy that was on my mind all day? The only thing that mattered to me was that she was out of the picture, even if they did have two kids together.

Calum

I made myself a quick pasta dish that evening, switching the TV on and for once, having some time to myself. It felt pretty strange, not gonna lie – it was as though I was back to being a regular 22 year old; that is, until I saw the toys lying across the floor in an untidy manner.

Sighing, I finished my dinner and picked them up, shoving them in the toy box in the corner of the living room. For once I had no idea what to do. Usually Friday nights were spent playing board games with Blair and Ellis (or at least trying to), watching a film or reading them bedtime stories.

I decided to just get an early night – after all, Ashton was supposed to be taking me out tomorrow and I was pretty sure I wouldn't get a moment's rest.

~

On Saturday morning, I was so bored that I called up my manager at the restaurant and said I could do that extra shift after all. I went in, helped out for a couple hours, and pocketed some wages at the end of it too.