Hours After Sundown [Completed]

07

CHAPTER 7

Since the time I turned 15, I have been babysitting kids around my neighbourhood. Partly because I wanted kids to have someone who genuinely cares for them and just didn't do it for the money, but also because there was hole in my heart that could never be completely filled. It was never completely dug in the first place, yet it existed anyway.

 After two years of doing this, there are many kids around the block and outside that I'm familiar with, one of which I'm going to babysit today- Zoe. She was the one I was the most attached to, and I babysat her quite often too. She was as close as a younger sibling to me, but she could never be him.

"Yeah, I'll be there by 6." I said, as I hung up the call,

"Who was it?" Taylor asked,

"Aaron. I have to babysit Zoe at 6."

"Oh." Looking at her face, I figured she was thinking about when she had to babysit because my phone was dead.

"Don't laugh! I didn't know you don't give too much candies to kids."

"Excuses. Excuses. It's not like you have a younger brother." I said, still chuckling as she pouted. She did have a 14 year old brother- Jake. Zoe was actually the reason behind how we met two years ago. I had just started babysitting and this was perhaps the fourth or fifth kid I had to attend to. Even though the house was only ten minutes away, I was confused with the address. After a while, I went ahead and knocked at a door that I thought was my destination. The door was opened by a girl who looked about my age, in white casual off shoulder t-shirt and grey lower. Her blonde hair were in two neat braids that fell on her shoulders.

"How can I help you?" she asked with a bubbly smile,

"Um I am looking for Zoe; I'm supposed to babysit her." I explained with a small smile and her face filled with recognition.

"Oh Zoe! She lives across the street." she said while pointing towards a beautiful house on the other side of the road, "Really cute and sweet kid."

"Oh, thank you so much."

"Anytime!"

In the same week, we happened to bump into each other in school and decided that we clicked too much to not be friends.

"Hey, can you guys help me with my assignment?" Taylor asked as Dylan joined us on the table. Dylan, Taylor and I shared our English class and had an essay due this Friday. Shoot, it was Wednesday already.

"I haven't had time because of the practice. Can I join you guys?" Dylan asked,

"I haven't even started it either" I groaned as I threw my head back, "Let's do it tomorrow. Stay an hour after school tomorrow?"

The school stays open about two hour after the study periods end, for the school sports teams and students in detention. Also for those who wanted to stay and use the library and other school facilities.

"Good with me."

"I'm sure I can ask coach for a day off from practice."

"So let's meet in the library after the last bell." I declared and they nodded.

...

Pulling on a shirt with black and white squares, and jeans, I grabbed my keys and climbed down the stairs. I slowed down a little on the second floor as I noticed Drake coming out of his abode. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt with a small logo on the left side of his chest with blue jeans and not going to lie, he looked good.

"Hey!"

He turned towards me and gave me a once over and started walking towards me –or well, stairs- before waving, "Hi"

"Where are you going?" I asked, walking beside him,

"Somewhere."

"How descriptive."

"I know."

"I am going to walk down three blocks."

"Did I ask?"

"Did I speak to you?"

"Is there anyone else here?"

"Can't I speak to myself?" To this, he raised an eyebrow while looking down at me and then shook his head as if to say 'Why did I even bother?"

Seeing that we had stepped out of the building, I said, "Well, I'll be on my way then. Bye!" Not expecting an answer I started walking towards Taylor's street.

"Hey Astrid!" he called out

"Yeah?"

"Can I have your number?"

"What?" I asked, both confused and surprised.

"How else am I going to tell you when to meet me for your tutoring sessions?" Instagram? Maybe it slipped from his mind, eh.

"Oh right. Give me your phone."

I reached Zoe's 10 minutes later, and her parents left as soon as I came in. As if it were routine, she grabbed all the things she made in the time we hadn't met and gathered colours and pages for new drawings she planned to make. We drew different objects for an hour and watched Tom and Jerry for another before she got hungry. I decided to take her out for something seeing that the kitchen held nothing I could make something of. Carefully locking the door behind us with the key Jamie -or Mrs Rodrigues- gave me before going, we started walking down the street as the five years old wrapped her fingers around my index finger.

My thoughts wandered back to how good Drake looked in such a casual outfit today and where he must have been going. What about his tracks? Did he make any more of them? Was he the one who put that blanket on me that day?

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized when we reached the café. It was neither too big nor too small, just enough to be cosy for many people with its dim yellow lights in the evening and soft music playing in the background. The wooden tables, cushioned chairs and sofas were just an addition to make it feel homey. You could see an old lady sitting near the door reading and also sipping her drink alongside while some students worked on the centre tables.

"What do you want to have?"

"Fries and chocolate milkshake please" she said in a cute voice.

"Do want to sit and wait on the seat by the window or come to order with me?"

"Order!" she said with wide grin, beaming.

We reached the counter and stood behind the girl who was ordering. As soon as she was done, the person behind the counter went inside came back just to turn his smile into groan and say,

"Good even- you have got to be kidding me!"

...

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Posted on 4 October 2020