Rules for Enduring the Sweenys

Rule #1: Never Trust a Sweeny

“Bella!” Anna Harken called upstairs. Her voice carried down the hall to Bella’s room. The teenager groaned into her light blue pillow. It took her a full minute to drag herself out of her bed and jam her feet into her black, hemp skate shoes that she’d ordered from the internet. She pulled her dirty blond hair into a messy ponytail and stuck her arms into her favorite, black hoodie.

She threw on her favorite, most comfortable pair of sweats over her black, purple, and silver basketball shorts and slid her dark purple and silver duffel bag over her shoulder. Sliding her phone and iPod into her pocket, she sighed heavily. This weekend was going to suck. She just knew it.

“Bella!” Anna called again. “It’s 6:25, you have to be there in five minutes!” Another groan escaped her lips and she rolled her dark, blue-green eyes.

“Bye Bells!” Anson and Damien sang as she passed the game room.

“I heard the Sweenys have somethin’ extra special in store for you,” Anson hinted with a cheeky grin. Damien elbowed his brother, but Anson chuckled darkly. They’d heard a little rumor going around the locker room about one of the stunts Eli and Owen had planned. Damien knew his sister was gonna freak, and he felt kinda bad for her at first. But then she just had to go and tell their dad that he and Anson had been using his workshop to make non-lethal bombs. She had it coming.

“I hate you guys,” Bella groaned, making her youngest sister laugh appreciatively.

“Bella!”

“I’m leaving right now Ma!” Bella shouted back as she jogged down the stairs heading for the front door.

“Call us before you go to bed!” Thomas Harken called from the kitchen where he and Anna were cooking dinner. Her stomach growled ferociously as the scent of baked potatoes, freshly tossed salad, and lasagna filled her nostrils.

“I will,” Bella promised. She opened the front door, her mouth beginning to water, and took one step outside, when she heard her name being called.

“Bella! Don’t forget your dinner!” Thomas handed her a paper bag with three Tupperware containers full of food stacked inside. “Bells,” he said, looking at her seriously, “be careful. That serial killer is still out there. I don’t want you leaving the house by yourself.” He kissed the top of her head before nudging her toward her car. “I love you.”

“I love you too. And I’ll be careful,” she replied.

When she arrived at the Sweeny’s gigantic house, she let out a deep breath and snatched her backpack, leaving the rest of her stuff in her car and locking the doors. It was time to put her game face on and build up her impenetrable guard. There was no way she would ever let her guard down while on babysitting duty at the Sweeny’s house.

“Oh good, you’re here!”   Marianne Sweeny brushed passed Bella. She was dressed in a glamorous black gown with expensive jewelry coating her wrists and neck. Her heels clicked noisily on the hardwood floor as she slipped a long black dress coat over her gown, and grabbed her suitcases. All the while giving Bella the instructions for the next few days, the same way she did every other weekend. “Lucy is sleeping in the den where the boys are. She’s been sick with the flu since this morning. The doctor said it could last all weekend, so I left specific instructions on the fridge.” Mrs. Sweeny took a deep breath, giving Bella an apologetic smile. “Danny has a hockey game tomorrow at ten. Don’t let him be late again, okay? Eli and Owen are grounded this weekend, so make sure they don’t go out, but they can have a few friends over to study. Dinner is on the stove. I’ll be home from my business meeting Sunday night. Any questions?”