Upon being immediately caught in the small lie, Mrs. Wilkerson took me by surprise. I saw Francis, who had nervously stood up beside me. "It was nothing I couldn't handle on my own," I assured the woman after a few seds of ption.
"See, we behaved well; we don't need a babysitter," Francis quickly interjected.
"That's not what he said," Mrs. Wilkerson scolded her son, looking at him sternly with one eye narrowing slowly, almost as if sing him.
After a few tense seds, the woman turned her eyes away and tilted her head, releasing her son. "Go brush your teeth," she ordered, making her son quickly exit while muttering inaudible things.
"You did a good job, PJ. You were here all night, didn't have to call the fire department or the police, two out of three kids are already in bed, and it doesn't seem like there was much destru in the house," Mrs. Wilkerson graciously listed as she searched through the house.
"I knew you were the right one sport," Mr. Wilkerson proudly said with a big smile as he pulled out his wallet.
"Thank you," I said, taking money from Mr. Wilkerson. "By the way," I tinued walking towards where I had hiddehings I had taken from the kids, "I had to fiscate these," as I left the stapler and rat trap, "and in that cereal box, there's a ton of bait. The kids have hidden an unrated horror movie somewhere, and one of the trash s has water with burhings," I said as a farewell, approag the door, followed by a surprised Mr. Wilkerson.
"I'm sorry about that," the man shamefully opehe door quickly. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked.
"No hank you, Mr. Wilkerson. Goodnight, Mrs. Wilkerson," I said, quickly leaving the family's house and walking bae. Fortunately, I hadn't brought my car; who knows what kind of things these kids would have doo it.
Unlike a few ho, the street was almost pletely dark, only illuminated by streetlights and the moonlight, but unlike how I would have felt in the neighborhood of my past life, I was not worried about my safety.
Inside my house, the only ones present, at least in the living room, were Bob and Mom, fortably watg TV together. "Hi, PJ. How did it go?" Mom silently asked, moving away from Bob's embrace.
"Hi, Mom. It went well, though I'm quite tired. I just want to take a bath and sleep," I assured her, quickly heading to the bathroom, winking at Bob when I was out of the pregnant woman's sight, receiving a silent thank-you from the man as I let them tiheir 'romantic' movie date.
I was really tired, so after ing up with a fortable hot bath, I almost immediately id my head on the pillow and fell asleep.
The day, being Sunday and having no pns, I found myself surprisingly watg cartoons again with a young kid.
"PJ," with an excessively sweet voice, Teddy appeared in my field of vision, g her hands and strangely widening her eyes, seemingly trying to fore kind of ess.
"Uh-oh, this is what she does before asking Dad for something," Gabe pyfully said. "Careful, PJ, hide your wallet," the kid tinued, amused.
"It's not true, shut up!" losirange posture immediately, Teddy shouted at the kid, who began to ugh lightly, seeing that his plot to annoy the teenager had worked.
Pushing the little kid's head slightly, "don't bother Teddy," I reprimanded him, "what do you need?" I asked the teenager.
"So..." as quickly as before, Teddy ged her attitude and voice again, f sweetness, "Mom says if you take us, I go to the mall with Baja and Bianca," she quickly said with hope in her voice. "I promise we won't bother you, and it's just for a couple of hours," without waiting for a respoeddy tinued.
"Yeah, sure," I replied to the nervous teenager. I didn't mind, anyway; I had nothing else to do.
"Oh, e on, please, just for a little while. Mom is going out with her work friends for coffee, and Dad is w an emergency. You're the only oh a driving lise and free time today," apparently not hearing my respoeddy already had a pn in case I refused.
"Teddy—" trying to resolve the misuanding, I was interrupted by the eic teenager. "Please, pretty please!" pushing Gabe forcefully to wedge herself in the ter of the sofa, Teddy practically begged again, widening her eyes sadly. Obviously a being pushed, Gabe pushed Teddy back with his shoulder "he said yes" the kid said exasperated.
"Really?!" surprised and unfortunately for my ears, Teddy asked joyfully, shouting before tightly hugging my neck. "Thanks, thanks, PJ." After a few seds where I could hardly breathe, Teddy finally let go of my neck, quickly getting up to run out of the living room. "I have to call Biand Baja," she shouted before entering the kit.
"Women, huh," sighing with annoyance, Gabe settled ba his pce, raising the volume of his cartoon before taking a sip from his milk gss, which he calmly left ba the small table in front of the sofa.
Amused again, I pushed the kid's head, much to his chagrin, without him being able to avoid it.
Several mier, and a mystery more than a talking dog and his friends mao solve, Teddy returedly. "Let's go, let's go," pulling me by an arm, the teenager urged me to move out of the house.
I had barely mao grab my keys before my excited sister mao pull me out the door. When we reached 'Debbie,' I opehe doors before entering. "Put on your seatbelt," I ordered the teenager before putting on my own and starting the car.
"All right, where are we going first?" I asked Teddy after a moment, allowing the car's eo warm up.
"Let's go to Bianca's first," turning on the radio, searg food station, moving things ihe car, opening the glove partment, and looking at herself in the small mirror of the sun visor, Teddy said casually.
"Oh yeah, sure, let's go to Bianca's house," I said sarcastically. "Where does Bianca live?" I asked after a moment, seeing that Teddy didn't uand my sarcastient.
"Oh, yeah, sorry," embarrassed, Teddy said before starting to guide me.
Several minutes after driving guided by Teddy, we arrived in front of a beautiful two-story house surrounded by a rge garden at the er of a street. "We're here!" Teddy cheerfully said, immediately getting out of the car as I parked 'Debbie' in front of the house.
From the driver's seat, I could see Kat fortably lying on a small porch chair, quietly reading a book. It seemed that Teddy had greeted her as they passed by because without taking her eyes off the book, Kat raised a hand to wave at my sister, who was already knog on the door.
A few seds after Teddy knocked on the door, it opened, revealieenage friend, who, excited to see my sister, dragged her inside before closing the door behind them.
Surprised by my sister's sudden abdu, all I could do was wait ihe car for her and her friend to e out. At least I still had the music station Teddy had chosen.
It was iing to withe diy in Kat's behavior, inside and outside of school. For the past few weeks, every time I tally entered her in the school hallways, she looked much more upset, strangely always alone. However, now, even when alohere was a ess about her as she read her book, involuntarily moving her feet that hung outside the small chair she was lying on.
Feeling the obligation to get out of the car to greet her, I followed the same path Teddy had taken a few moments ago until I reached the few steps before the porch of the house.
"Hey, Kat," I greeted the girl immersed in her book.
"Hi, PJ," she responded calmly while turning a page without divertitention from the book. "PJ!" a moment ter, probably registering what she had just said, she shouted in surprise, closing her book immediately and hiding it behind her back as she straightened up on the chair. "What are you doing here?" she quickly asked while erratically fixing her messy hair with her free hand.
"I'm taking your sister, along with Teddy and another friend of theirs, to the mall," I expio the teenager, whely seemed disappointed for a moment. "Oh, yeah, Teddy," probably remembering having greeted my sister a few seds ago, she said, pointing to the door of her house.
As Kat raised her hand, she saw the sleeve of her hoodie, then took a hem of it, looking at it for a brief moment before quickly getting up, yelling "no!" to run surprisingly fast into the house.
"Yeah, it was o see you too. See you ter at school," I said to no one as the girl left me aloside her house. Kat's behavior took me by surprise. The hoodie was a bit old and a bit torn, yes, but I didn't think it was enough to elicit such a rea. Well, obviously, it was the product of a teenager's modesty.
Cheg my watch as I walked back to 'Debbie,' I hoped that my sister and her friend wouldn't take much loo e out of the house. A few steps before I could leave the Stratford family's garden, the door of the house opened again. "Wait," I heard a woman's voice say.
From the door of the Stratford house, a blonde woman stood with a pleasant smile. "Oh, hi, o meet you, Mrs. Stratford. I'm PJ Dun; my sister Teddy is ih your daughter Bianca," I greeted, assuming the woman's identity, then walked back to the beginning of the porch steps.
"Yes, I know. Thank you for taking Bianca," the woman kindly said, still maintaining her pleasant smile. "So, you're the famous PJ," she said pyfully, studying me alongside 'Debbie.'
"Famous?" I asked, surprised.
"Oh, yes, it's just that teachers talk about you and the little genius kid occasionally in the parent-teacher meetings," the woman said, amused by what robably a surprised expression on my face. "And we went to see the st game," she tinued before losing her pyful smile, "sorry about that," she quickly apologized, probably thinking that the memory of the lost game had affected me, smiling again, albeit a bit forced.
"Don't worry," I said, trying to show that her ent hadn't affected me. "We'll win the one," I asserted fidently to the woman, making her smile again. "So, we'll definitely be there to support you," she kindly assured before fortably falling silent.
Not knowing how to tihe versation, I also remained silent, making a sudden feeling of awkwardness grow quickly, if possible.
Desding the few porch steps of her house, the woman lost her friendly smile, putting on a much more serious face. "Look, PJ, you seem like a nice guy," she said, cheg the door of the house and speaking in a low voice, "and I'm only telling you this because I believe you're really a great kid," she tinued, lightly squeezing my arm, "please take care of my daughter." With seriousness, the woman requested.
"Oh yeah, don't worry about it, Mrs. Stratford. I'll keep an eye on wherever the girls go in the mall; Bianca will be safe," I assured the woman, imitating her serious demeanor.
"You're very kind, PJ, but I didn't mean Bianca," the woman responded, smiling again as she shook her head. Before I could ask what she meant, the door of the house opened again, and Teddy and Bianca came out heading towards 'Debbie,' talking merrily. "We're ready, PJ. Let's go. Mrs. Stratford, it was o see you again," Teddy said to the woman, who also said goodbye to the teenager and her younger daughter.
If the woman wasn't referring to Bianca when she asked me to take care of her daughter, then she was referring to "Katherina!" turning toward her house, the woman shouted, and a moment ter, Kat, with a much less worn hoodie, came out of the house with a furrowed brow, walking slowly towards us.
"Please, PJ," smiling again, the woman said before walking bato her house. She stopped in front of her daughter for a moment, kissing her cheek and whispering something that, judging by Kat's rea, slightly ahe teenager, making the woman ugh as she tinued walking bato her house.
"Hello again," I greeted the teenager, amused. "So, are you ing with us?" when Kat reached my side, I asked pyfully as we walked towards 'Debbie.'
"It seems so," staring ahead, Kat responded with irritation as she tinued walking until we reached the car and the girls waiting.
"Hello, Bianca," I greeted the youratford as I opehe driver's door and adjusted the seat for them to get into the back.
"Hi, PJ," for some reason, the amused teenager greeted back before quickly entering the car behind Teddy, apparently uanding how, promptly returning the passenger seat to its pce behind her.
"Well, after you," I joked to a strangely irritated Kat, who quickly ehe car, allowio close the door behind her.
Bidding a final farewell to Mrs. Stratford, who stood on her porch with a much wider smile, I circled around 'Debbie' to ehrough the driver's door.
Ihe car, the younger girls were ughing amusedly at something. "What's so funny?" I asked as I started the car. "Nothing," irritated Kat was the one who replied, making the girls in the back ugh even more.
"Why did you decide to e with us?" genuinely intrigued, I asked Kat, who was staring fixedly out of her window. "It's a stupid rule my dad made," expined Kat, annoyed.
"Yeah, right, as if you didn't want to e," Bianca from the back sarcastically added.
"Shut up!" annoyed, Kat turned in her seat to shout at her sister, who was again ughing with Teddy.
"Where are we going now?" I asked, trying to quiet the ughter of the girls so that Kat wouldn't be so upset.
After finishing her ughter, Teddy again took charge of direg the way. Besides the cheerful chatter of the girls in the back of the car and the music pying, there could have been an unfortable silence as Kat tio stare out of the passenger window.
Surprisingly, Baja, Teddy's other friend, lived on the same street as An. In fact, An's house was just a few neighb houses from where I had parked. After letting the two younger girls out on my side of the car, I didn't have to wait long this time for them to return, now with the new addition of their third friend.
"PJ," aowledging with a slight head movement, Baja greeted, entering the car behind Teddy and Bianca.
As we passed by An's house, "Baja, do you know the Treveilers?" I asked, hiding my . "Yes, Mr. Treveiler is a veteran. My mom says he's one of those who obviously saw a. He wakes up very early in the m with his older son to exercise oreet and train boxing in their frontyard. He's very cute, the son, not Mr. Treveiler," the girl tinued, crifying the st part while trying to stop Teddy and Bianca's teasing.
"Well, I'll tell An that you think he's cute. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know," I joked, making at least two of the three girls in the back ugh.
After several more minutes of driving, we arrived at the Stone Creek Mall. "So, don't leave the mall, and we'll meet in about three hours at the entrance," I told the younger girls as we all got out of the car. "Yes, mom," Teddy sarcastically replied before leaving with her friends, ughing again.
Now aloh Kat, the unfortable silehat reviously overshadowed by other things ihe car ainfully obvious. "So, do you have anything you want to buy?" unfortably, I asked the silent and still upset girl.
"Yeah," fixing her gaze ahead again, Kat started walking towards the mall.
"So, how have you been?" I asked as I walked alongside Kat in the mall parking lot, "How have things been at school?".
"Why are you here with me?" stopping abruptly, Kat asked, reguting her voice, as at the beginning of her abrupt question, she spoke much louder than she should have pnned. Now she seemed embarrassed to attract attention.
"What?" surprised, I asked without uanding. "Yeah, why are you with me? You go on your own; we'll meet in three hours at the entrance, right?" Kat quickly said with exasperation. "Well, I don't know, I thought it would be fun. We could talk about school or what we do outside of school. I mean, we're friends, right?" I asked puzzled by the sudden expression of disbelief in Kat.
"Friends, you and me?" strangely surprised, Kat incredulously asked.
"Well, at least that's what I thought," puzzled, I said. "Aren't you?" I asked, receiving as a respohoughtful frown, slowly shaking her head.
Well, this clears it up. She really ignored me because she didn't want to be friends with me. " I at least know why you don't like me?" I possibly did something uionally.
"What?" this time it was Kat's turn to ask, surprised.
"Yeah, well, obviously, I did something and now you do not like me. You ignored me the whole way in 'Debbie,'" I expined, recalling the awkward moment in the car.
"Debbie?" Kat asked, puzzled.
"My car," I responded, feeling a bit embarrassed as Kat immediately mocked, "you named your car?" ughing, Kat asked, obviously amused by the new piece of information.
"The previous owner did it. I just kept the of respect," feeling strangely attacked, I quickly expined, making Kat ugh again and making me uo help but join in her ughter.
"You didn't do anything," after ughing, Kat said with a sudden ge of attitude. "It's just that I thought you wouldn't want to be seen with me." Embarrassed, the teenager tinued.
"What? Why wouldn't I want to be seen with you?" surprised, I asked. "Are you a unist?" jokingly, I asked silently as I looked around. Being in the 90s in Texas, I was pletely sure that would be a valid reason to speak secretly.
"Don't be an idiot," amused by the ent, Kat shook her head. "It's because of the rumor, you know," she tinued, again avoiding my embarrassed gaze.
"Rumor?" once again, for what seemed like the tenth secutive time in our versation, I asked puzzled. "Usually, I'm the st to hear rumors at school, and I think I have enough intelligeo dis between truth and a rumor," I said, pretending to be offended. "I don't even care to know what the rumor is. I'm sure it's a lie," not letting the girl expin, I quickly spoke. "I'm sure that if I hadn't cleared up the rumor that reading about me, a few more days, and they would be callihe sed ing of hypocrites," I ironically ented, surprisingly making Kat ugh in agreement.
"You're right," again embarrassed, Kat affirmed. "I let a stupid rumor affect me. Sorry fn you," with a small smile, Kat said, now at least without avoiding my gaze.
"It's okay. It's not like the whole ride was awkward in the front of the car," sarcastically pretending pain, I said, making Kat roll her eyes, fake ughing again, "don't be overdramatic; you had Debbie to keep you pany," btantly mog, Kat ughed before moving forward.
"For your information, Debbie is incredibly o me," following Kat towards the mall, I responded, managing to make Kat ugh again, amused.
---
Author Thoughts:
As always, I am not Ameri and Not a Doctor.
In the movie, there is no Mrs. Stratford (in fact, it's one of many plot holes). Is she dead? Did she simply abandon them? We don't know. She is only mentioned but does not appear in the movie, and it is the father alone who takes care of the girls.
With this, I mark the beginning of the end, but of what? The one who answers correctly wins an incredible prize (the same prize as before).
Having said that,
I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, let me know, and I will correct them immediately.
Thanks for reading! :D
PS: LEAVE A REVIEW, please.
