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CHAPTER THREE | ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
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the body has been made so problematic for women that it has often seemed easier to shrug it off and travel as a disembodied spirit.
-of woman born // adrienne rich
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Jackie was tidying up the downstairs area of her house when someone rang the doorbell. Sighing, she leaned the broom she'd been sweeping with against the wall and made her way to the door. Lisa Sinclair stood on the porch, smiling a bit nervously.
"Hi Mrs. Sinclair," Jackie said, opening the door further. "What's up?"
"I'm so sorry to ask, but our babysitter cancelled last minute and I was wondering if you could watch Lucas for a while? Erica's sleeping over a friend's house."
Jackie bit down on her lip. Technically, she had plans. Of course, there was nothing extraordinary about those plans. Steve was merely coming over so they could work on their physics homework and study for their upcoming test.
"Um, I had, uh, plans for a friend to come over and, um, study, so if that doesn't bother you, I'm totally cool with Lucas hanging out for the night."
Jackie really liked the Sinclair family. Lisa and Rick were the type of parents Jackie liked to imagine she would have had, assuming her father hadn't ditched her mother when he found out she was pregnant and that her mother hadn't died during childbirth. And never having had siblings, Lucas and Erica were everything Jackie had wished for when she was younger.
"That is perfectly fine! Thank you so much, Jackie! I'll bring them over in a bit."
Steve arrived a few minutes later, in all of his fluffy haired, trendy dressed glory. The cuts on his face from when they'd first met were long gone and Jackie could now really appreciate how handsome he actually was. She tried to ignore it though, considering he was still deep in pining over his ex, Nancy.
"Steve," Jackie grinned, stepping aside and letting him enter her house. "Hi."
"Hey, Jackie," he said, shooting her a wink as he pulled off his jacket. He held up his backpack and wiggles it in front of her face. "I got the good stuff."
"You make it sound like you're a drug dealer," Jackie told him, rolling her eyes teasingly.
"That's exactly what I am," Steve said, feigning seriousness.
Snorting quietly, she grabbed his backpack from him and led him towards the dining room. Her own books were spread out on the wood, making her look far more studious than she actually was.
"So," Jackie began, trying to figure out how to delicately tell him that she also had to babysit two children amidst their studying. "About tonight..."
"Don't tell me you've planned a party," Steve said dramatically, knowing full well that Jackie would never.
They'd only been friends for about a month and Jackie had already made it perfectly clear that she was not about the party scene.
"Seriously though, what's up?"
Before Jackie could answer, the doorbell rang, which was answer enough, really. Shooting Steve an awkward, guilty grin, she backed out of the dining room and moved to the front hallway.
"Thank you so much again for this, Jackie," Mrs. Sinclair said, her voice rushed and her hands firmly on Lucas's shoulders.
"It's really no problem, ma'am," Jackie said, smiling down at Lucas. "You good with eating pizza tonight?"
"Lucas loves pizza," Mrs. Sinclair said while the boy in question just shrugged and nodded.
"Cool," Jackie nodded, opening the door a bit wider so that he could come in. "When can I expect you back, Mrs. Sinclair?"
"Around ten," Mrs. Sinclair said. "And, please, call me Lisa!"
The front door closed and soon Jackie was standing with a child looking up at her expectantly. Lucas wore a backpack over his jacket, his hands tightly gripping the army green straps. Without her realizing it, he had taken his shoes off — something Steve hadn't done.
What a jerk.
"So, you're babysitting tonight?" Steve chuckled, poking his head out of the dining room.
"You're friends with this asshole?" Lucas immediately fired out, scowling in Steve's direction.
"Hey!" Steve exclaimed, looking rather offended.
"You know each other?" Jackie asked, gesturing between Lucas and Steve.
"He's Mike's sister's asshole boyfriend!" Lucas's face morphed into a giddy smirk. "Jonathan beat him up last month."
Well, now Jackie knew why Steve's face had been kind of destroyed when they first met. She'd seen Jonathan Byers around school. He was a year below her and she only really knew who he was because Tommy H and Carol loved to make fun of him.
(Jackie's suspicions on her first day were correct — Tommy and Carol were complete bitches)
"Steve and Nancy aren't dating anymore," Jackie said bluntly.
"We're—"
"Making it work," Jackie said, using finger quotations and rolling her eyes. Lucas laughed loudly.
"Okay, enough of this," Jackie finally said after a minute. She pointed at Lucas. "Why don't you take a look at my VHS tapes and put something on while I order a pizza? Steve and I have to study so we can't watch with you, which means you can pick whatever you want."
"Do you have Halloween?" Lucas asked giddily.
"Um, that's rated R, buddy," Jackie chuckled, shaking her head.
At the same time, Steve exclaimed, "Oh, that movie's awesome."
Jackie shot him a glare before putting her hands on Lucas's shoulder and guiding him towards the living room.
"How about Star Wars: A New Hope?" Jackie suggested. "You ever seen that? It's great."
"Obviously, I've seen A New Hope," Lucas scoffed.
"Good. Watch that."
Jackie shoved the VHS tape into Lucas's hands and grinned at him before turning on her heel and rushing out of the room. Steve was leaning against the wall in the hallway, snickering quietly.
"You're such a mom."
Narrowing her eyes, she opened her mouth to make a sassy rebuttal. Instead, she just sighed and glared at his sneakers.
