✅ My Sister's Problem

88. Into the Frying Pan

I squirmed and writhed, but I was lying on my back and my hands were securely anchored to the table. There was no way I could lift my sister's weight in that position, and she just laughed as I tried to shift her. I was desperate to know what Hugo's message said; and hoping that he wouldn't be offended that I hadn't managed to reply yet. But now my phone was in Lindy's hands, and I was even more determined not to let her know what he was sending to me. If it was a continuation of his thoughts about being a babysitter, that would be enormously embarrassing for both of us.

"Oh, he says he's going to be your babysitter!" she crowed, and I wanted to bury my face in my hands to hide from the blushes. Of course, there was nothing I could do, and my hands were just as immobile as ever. "And there's another message too. Says he hopes he didn't upset you, and he's starting to worry because you didn't reply. I guess he hasn't realised yet you're too little to type. Maybe he–"

"Give it back!" I yelled at the top of my voice, fighting back instincts that told me I should be crying. "You can'phhht!" I struggled to speak around a giant pacifier that she'd just shoved into my mouth, but the silicone bulb was so big that it was hard to even get a sound out. Lindy held it in my mouth as I wriggled, until I eventually gave up on trying to speak. It was clear that I was helpless now, and there was nothing I could do to resist whatever she wanted to do.

"Shush, baby. You're too little to know words like that, aren't you? Or do you want me to let your new babysitter know just how many diaper changes you need? I bet that while you can't move, I could take a pretty good picture of that soggy diaper. And Mum's not going to get mad at me when it's on your phone, is she? If you want to send the kid next door a naughty photo with your diaper on display, that's something for you to get in trouble over. What do you think? Are you going to keep on fussing so that I have to punish you?"

I whimpered, but I stopped fighting. I hated the thought of her having pictures of me; and especially the fear that she might send them to Hugo. Of course, it would be clear from the pictures that I wasn't the one taking them, and Mum would surely give her some punishment that dwarfed mine if she sent pictures of me like this to the guy I liked. But that was no consolation, because by the time the pictures were sent it would already be too late. And I didn't want my sister to be punished. I wanted her to be a good person, the kind of sister who would never even think about something like this. In a situation like this, there was no point in punishment because there was no way to undo the damage. I wasn't so shallow as to feel better because someone else was suffering too. And so I would keep on doing what she demanded, and hope that she wasn't really cruel enough to send Hugo anything.

"Maybe I should answer," she said. "What would you like me to say? A message all in baby talk, to let him know what kind of babysitter you need? Or maybe I should ask if he knows how to change diapers. Not telling him anything, of course. That would be cruel. If he draws any conclusions from that, it's all on him. But I'm sure you want to know that he knows what he's doing before you get a new babysitter. Don't you? Or do you think he's being creepy, wanting to treat you like a little baby? I'll happily tell him not to bother you again if you think that's better. I wouldn't want to get you–"

"Girls?" Mum yelled, and Lindy quickly went silent, jumping back over to the sofa in case Mum walked in and saw what she was doing. A second later she dropped my phone to the carpet beside her, and kicked it under the edge of the sofa. Just getting it somewhere Mum wouldn't see it, I guessed. Her only priority now was to stay out of trouble. And after a half second of thought, she seemed to realise how suspicious it would be if I had a couple of ribbons tying me to the furniture. She stood up again and rushed to untie me, showing an urgency that told me just how scared she was.

"Are you in here?" Mum asked, sticking her head into the room. "Nobody's answering me, I was starting to worry. Oh, have you been playing with the baby? You should still listen out for me, Lindy."