That Summer Job

Chapter 3

(unedited chapter)

I wake up to the horrifying sound of my alarm clock… usually. Today though it doesn’t go off. I wake up at 10am, I’m late for babysitting! I jump around my room scavenging clothing to throw on. As I run down the steps I don’t see my mom. Weird, she always tells me when she’s leaving. Also if I’m late for something she wakes me up.

I peek outside and notice my car is missing. Something seems wrong.

I walk into the kitchen and search for a sign, a note, just something! I finally find a note on the fridge. Of course it’d be in the most obvious place.

“Hey honey, since you snuck out last night you’re grounded. No babysitting for a month! – Mom”

Well it seems as if the boys weren’t very quiet when sneaking me in… then again they didn’t know I snuck out. Shit, what if my mom told them I wasn’t allowed to go? Also I don’t give a fuck if she’s my mother, I’m babysitting tomorrow. Then the day after that. The day after that… But who’s babysitting now if I’m not? My mother better not be, the kids will hate her.

I sprint to the phone line and dial my mother’s number. She wouldn’t dare just take my job, right? I mean who would do that?

“Why hello dear,” My mother said to me in a friendly voice.

The devil. She could hear the mischievous sound in her mom’s voice. Her mom was hiding something. Shivers went down my spine picturing the way she talked into the phone. I just kept imaging her smirk as she picked up the phone. Knowing she had to ruin her summer somehow.

“Where exactly did you go?” I questioned her, “Doesn’t sound like work to me.”

A sigh was made on the other side of the phone line. The sound of shameful ‘tsk’ followed. I narrowed my eyes at my mother’s reaction.

“I have off work today, and since I’m grounding you for the rest of the month I decided I take your last day on the job,” She simply replied.

If you heard that crack, it was my heart. How could my mother act so coolly about grounding and making me quit my job? Did she not want me to go anywhere in life? Maybe a short punishment would be ok, even though all I did was sneak out. Yet I was 15! I’m less than 3 years away from becoming an adult! She shouldn’t be so controlling.

“Mom, I will not quit my job. Also I’m almost 16, which means I’m 2 years away from being 18. Becoming 18 means I’m a young adult. Stop treating me and pushing me around like a child!” I screamed into the other line, sticking up for myself.

There was a beep. That meant the call had been ended. Well that can't be a good sign.

I tried three times to call back, but soon my mom turned off her phone. I couldn’t believe how controlling she was.  It wasn’t even her protecting me anymore. She was just locking me up.

I sighed trying not to think of my ruined summer. I mean it’s not like I planned to do anything else this summer. I was just going to babysit since it seemed as my only friends were Hayes, Skylynn, and possibly even Nash.

I took a look at my couch in the living room and sadly drooped onto it. As I pulled out my phone, my doorbell rang.  A ding rang around my whole house. Causing me to stand up and dread the raft of my mother. Good bye life as I knew it.

Only my mom wasn’t at the door, it was Nash. As I opened the door he rushed in, knocking me onto my butt.

“Gosh, hi to you too,” I mumbled as I sat on the floor.