Dear Pup

Chapter 2

"Ok, so I'm going to need confetti. As soon as Ray walks through those doors I want it to just fall all over her," Oliver said. We were planning a huge surprise birthday birthday party for Ray. She'd just turned 16 but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I did. Turning sixteen is supposed to be a milestone. Whether she liked it or not, we were throwing her a surprise party. Oliver was in charge of decorating and set up. I was in charge of invitations and budget. We worked well this way.

"Hey, I gotta go sweetheart," he said nonchalantly. It took me a bit to notice it was already 10:30. We'd watched Grease 1 and 2 and put in lots of extra planning for the party, which was soon. I was kind of apprehensive. I didn't know whether or not this whole surprise party would work. Somehow, I had a feeling she knew about it already and was just playing along. Whatever. It's the thought that counts. I said goodbye to Oliver and got ready for bed, ready for another uneventful day...

***

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! My alarm clock blared in my ear, over alarming me. My hand swung towards the snooze button, but ended up knocking it over...damn it. It was definitely broken now. I picked it up and, to my surprise, it was still intact and working. I almost break it about twice a week. Instead it just chooses random times now to wake me up. I kind of wished it would just fall apart and let me sleep. It was 12:47, of course a very normal time for me to be waking up.

I ended up being very bored that day. There were many friends I could've called, but none of them I really felt like calling. That and I couldn't find my phone. I kind of just moped around my house for a while, going to the fridge, sitting on the couch, going back to the fridge, sitting back on the couch, sleeping...

I woke up again at 5:00, almost forgetting I had to babysit in an hour. I had to jump in the shower to rid myself of that dirty feeling that always sits with me as soon as I wake up. After that, I resided to searching for my phone for 20 minutes, finally finding it lodged between the pillow cushions, expected.

I drove myself to the address that the woman sent to me. I could've waited for my mom, but the house was in the neighborhood so it wouldn't really be a problem. Besides, I had a permit. Close enough.

The house was very hard to see. I passed it a twice before I found it. It was kind of tucked between two others and had no distinguishing features except a broken swing set in the lawn. My neighborhood wasn't a high class neighborhood of any sort. It wasn't a ghetto, but the residents are in that have-enough-to-get-by class. I knew nothing of this family. I hadn't heard of them, but then again, I don't talk to any of my neighbors, so I wouldn't have really cared anyways.

I knocked on the door, and almost immediately Mrs. Gates, I think, opened the door.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" She said letting me in. "Our other babysitter canceled last minute." I looked around the house. Obviously a house for boys. All sorts of sports equipment was scattered by the back door with cans and food on the table.

"I am so sorry about the mess! I didn't have time today to get to it!" She exclaimed worriedly.

"Oh, it's fine," I stated. "Where's your son?"

"He's in his bedroom right now getting dressed," she said, and then moved on to pay, bedtimes, rules, etc. "Oh, and his older brother, Julian, is out at a party or something. I'm never really sure... But anyways, I don't know what time he plans on getting back. He might not even be back while you're here, but if he is, he'll probably come in through the front door and then stay in his room all night. He won't bother you. Ok?" I nodded. We quickly discussed pay and house rules for a few minutes before her husband was ready.

"Thank you!" She said as she and her husband scurried out the door. As soon as the door closed, I went over to the son's bedroom and knocked. He didn't answer. I opened the door and peeked in. There were action movie posters and Sports Illustrated posters plastered all over the wall, with the occasional band poster. A bunch of work out equipment was stuffed in the corner along with an old TV. I could tell this wasn't the eleven year old's room. I closed the door gently and walked to the door across from it. I knocked.