The Babysitter

NO VISITORS

Samantha

I ask Mitch to meet up tonight. There is no way I can text him this. I don't even know if I can tell him face to face. He is gonna hate me. He is never going to talk to me again.

They draw blood into two plastic vile's as Angela sits next to me scowling.

After we leave the hospital, Angela drives me straight home. She doesn't speak the entire 45-minute drive and practically kicks me out of the car on the sidewalk in front of my house. She is going to try and corrupt us. I know her type. I'm not gonna roll over and let her do this to me.

"You're gonna feel like a real big idiot when this comes out the way you don't want it."

"Do not speak to my son. If you try anything, and I mean anything, I will have a no-contact restraining order against you faster than you can say welfare and don't slam my door." She immediately has her phone to her ear.

"You had better watch yourself. When the truth does come out and Mitch finds out what you've done. You're gonna lose him. You're gonna lose everything you so desperately protect and I'm going to take it from you."

She stares at me, her eyes red hot and I laugh. I start to cry on the spot, "Mitch, Mitch, your mother is trying to destroy us, she is trying to break apart our love," I say with devastating honesty that even I'm convinced. I even manage a few tears. Good enough for a Golden Globe.

I grab the baby clothes bags.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"Nope," I say, smile and slam the door.

She lifts the phone to her ear and speeds away.

I have to get to Mitch before she does. I call his phone but it goes straight to voicemail. Shit, she could already be talking to him. I need to get to him.

I check my watch. He might still be at basketball practice. I rush to my car when I realize it's not here. SHIT.

I have to get back to the school. I throw the bags inside the house and call Charlie. I tell her it's an emergency and that I'm desperate.

She shows up 5 mins later and I'm in the car.

"Charlie, listen, I have to tell something, and you can't tell anyone," I say.

"Samantha, I know," she says and looks at me quickly then turns back to the road. She isn't mad but I can tell something inside her is sad. "I'm not going to say anything. I just wish you would have told me,"

"I'm sorry Charlie," I say and mean it. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen.

"It's okay," she says and forces a smile.

I fill her in on everything, at least everything I'm trying to spin.

"Damn," she says, "Mitch's mom is a bitch."

"I know," I say as we pull into the parking lot across from the gymnasium. The red Tesla parked in the front. "Thanks, Charlie, I gotta run," I say.

"Go stop her!" She shouts as I burst out of the car into a sprint.

I slam through the double doors and once more into the gym when I stop on my heels partially on the court. It's packed and every eye seems to turn to me. I see Mitch standing on the court in uniform. He looks at me puzzled. The ref blows the whistle.

"Interference," the ref shouts.

"Sorry," I whisper as my face blushes.

"Get off the court!" Someone shouts.

I realize I'm standing on the court and quickly trot off to the sideline. I sneak up into the bleachers and find a place to squeeze in. I scan the crowd when I see her standing next to the bench. Her arms are crossed and she still has her oversized sunglasses on her face.