The Bad Boy's Nanny

Ch. 9 - What Are the Odds

"Jett, stay outside!" Nora yells at her younger brother. "Go take a tomato bath or something." She shakes her head, placing her hiking bag on the kitchen ledge. "I can't believe he got sprayed by a skunk."

Jett sticks his face against the screen cover of the back door. "I thought it was a bunny!"

"Hey, back up," Nora demands. "Don't stink up the Kennedy house."

I laugh, feeling slightly sad for Jett but also more concerned his smell will linger into the house. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Actually, I should be getting home with Jett," Nora says. "My aunt will kill me for letting this happen."

"Okay. Well, I had a nice time today on the-"

"What is that awful smell?"

Elliott and Flynn come into the kitchen, sweaty from their workout. Nora stops from leaving and stares at the two boys for a minute, evidently surprised by all the manly beauty in the room.

"Oh." She fixes her hair quickly. "Hello."

"The smell would be me," Jett speaks, holding his hand up from the backyard. "I got sprayed by a skunk that closely resembled a bunny."

Elliott scrunches his nose up. "That's gross, dude."

"Guys, this is Nora and her younger brother, Jett," I introduce. "They're the new neighbors from across the street."

"Hi, I'm Flynn," he says with a happy smile that always seems to be on his face. "And this is Elliott. He lives here. I just come for the food."

"Hello," Nora says all dreamily.

"You already said that," Elliott notes, digging through the refrigerator to find water bottles.

Nora nods, blush on her cheeks. "Well, we should get going now!" She leaves the house, plugging her nose as she grabs Jett by his t-shirt. "Bye!"

"Bye," I say and wave to the two.

"Nice to meet you!" Flynn calls after them. "Good luck with the smelly problems, Skunk Boy!"

Elliott tosses Flynn a water before pulling himself up to sit on the counter top. "Was that kid wearing a kimono?"

I nod with a closed-mouth smile. "He's unique."

"If that's what they're calling it these days," he mumbles and takes a sip of his water.

"Hey!" Flynn exclaims after reading something off his phone. "Guess who's having a party tonight!"

"Mark?"

"Why would you guess Mark?" Flynn asks Elliott angrily.

"I don't know. Why are you getting mad at me for guessing Mark?"

Flynn shakes his head in disappointment. "It's just- Never mind. Ivy, any guesses?"

"The girl Elliott gave a black eye?"

Elliott stifles a laugh.

An unamused Flynn clenches his fist together, calming himself down. "I really don't see how she would have anything to do with us. You guys suck at guessing."