Nanny Diaries

Chapter 39 - Surprise

As soon as the car door makes contact with the frame and the sound of connecting latches emanate, a commotion of a certain kind travels from the front door. 

“Lauren! Oh my god! You’re really here! Thank the Lord, only you could be of help at a time like this!” A blur of the newest trends of clothing, curled hair and arms and legs streaked through the air and barreled into my abdomen, knocking me to my knees and had me gasping for breath and laughing at the same time. 

“Ow, Beth. What, did you take up wrestling while I was gone?”

My younger sister smiles at me, flexing her, what do you call a toothpick with skin? I guess you could call it an arm. “Maybe.”

“Not.” I tease, gathering her into a hug and smiling over her shoulder. Though eighteen years old, she is trapped in the body of an eleven year old. 

She isn’t really, that was a weird way to put it. She’s built like a fairy, tiny, delicate and beautiful. The only reason she knocked me over was the element of surprise. 

“What are you doing here?” she asks with a hint of amazement in her voice. It’s been a long time. I feel my heart give a tear as I regret missing the last three years of my siblings’ lives. 

“Can’t your sister come home because she misses you guys?” I ask in my most innocent voice possible. 

Beth considers this, pretending to be thinking hard. She taps her chin, pursing her lips. “Depends.” she says finally, shrugging her shoulders. 

“On what?” I ask. 

“On what you brought me.” she says, lunging for the door handle. I throw myself between her and the car, desperate to tell her before she finds out herself. 

“What’s wrong? Can’t I see?”

“It’s a surprise.” I say in lieu of an explanation. 

Her face flickers with different emotions, but eventually she shrugs her shoulder and grips my wrist, dragging me towards the house. 

“Brett is at football practice. But Jonah and Todd are in the media room.”

When did my brother start playing football? And when did we get a media room? Closest thing we had to that last time I was home was a ratty old beanbag chair plopped in front of our old tank of a television. It even had an antennae. 

“Dad’ll be home any second.” she says. The scene that is spread before in the living room is so incredibly surprising that my mouth drops into an O before I can stop it. 

Hundreds of pieces of fabric, strewn with beads and sequins and jewels are draped all over the room, across the back of the furniture and the floor. Shoes are piled in one huge stack in the corner. Accessories lay around randomly, one necklace directly underneath where I almost just placed my foot. 

“I know.” she groans, tugging on the ends of hair. “That’s why I need your help. The Spring Formal is coming up and I can’t decide on what to wear. Shane asked me, well of course he did, we’ve been going out since sophomore year, but..I don’t know, this time it feels different..” My sister continues on and on about her options and how important the dance is. 

Meanwhile, I’m confused as I try and remember who Shane is. 

Did I know my baby sister had been dating?

If I had, I’d have been home to see her off. And punch the guy where the sun-don’t-shine if he wasn’t a perfect gentleman. 

I hope Brett and Dad took over for me.