“You’re not the least bit nervous, Em?” Leon asked with that one-dimpled smile of his.

“No. Not at all. Why would I be nervous?” I asked, trying to cram my books into the infuriating small locker. 

“Well, this is your first job,” Paige added, applying a layer of lip gloss to her lips. 

“It’s just babysitting,” I deadpanned with a shrug of my shoulder. “How hard could it be?”

▼▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼

I was completely wrong.

Babysitting sounds incredibly easy and the pay for doing such a simple task was pleasing to the ears.

What wasn’t pleasing to the ears was the constant whining of the seven-year-old brat in front of me as she argued with Paige like she knew better than the both of us. I watched in shock as Maia – whose innocent brown curls and doe brown eyes deceived her evil personality – yelled at Paige and me.

“This is my house!” Maia said slowly as if she was scolding a five-year-old child. She pointed a tiny finger at us with an angry expression on her round face. “You can’t tell me what to do in my house.”

“Well, excuse me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. My eyebrows hitched upwards when Maia reciprocated the action. “I’m your babysitter and I’m older than you. I suggest you listen to me, missy!”

“I don’t even know why I still need a babysitter!” Maia yelled, stomping her foot childishly on the tiled floors. “I’m fine by myself.  I act more mature than you two losers.”

Paige scoffed and by the way her head moved side to side, I could tell she was losing her patience. “One, you’re like five – “

“I’m seven,” Maia corrected, inspecting her pink polished nails.

“Whatever,” Paige snapped, throwing her hands up. “Point is, you’re still a child and you will listen to Emma.”

“What if I don’t want to do what Emmy says?” Maia asked, smiling evilly.

“It’s Emma,” I said in aggravation. I sighed, ignoring Paige who was saying something vulgar in Spanish and Leon who was trying hard not to laugh at this situation. “Look, all I asked was that you finished your homework before watching Good Luck Charlie.”

“But, I missed that episode last night! I need to watch it,” Maia whined. When I gave her a stern look, Maia rolled her eyes and walked away. “Whatever, I don’t care what you say because you’re not the boss of me.”

“No te alejes de nosotros, usted pequeño diablo!” Paige yelled out, about to run after her. Leon wrapped an arm around Paige with an alarmed expression. “Walking away while we’re talking to you is very rude! Leon, let go of me!”

Maia turned around with the same evil smile, cocking her tiny head to the side. “I don’t care what you have to say about me. My brother always told me not to care.”

Paige groaned. “Kids now-a-days are fu – effing annoying!”

“Jesus, Paige, calm down,” Leon groaned, giving her a warning look.

“I have three younger siblings and they are nowhere near as vindictive as this little brat!” Paige stated, pushing Leon away from her and crossing her arms over her chest. “I have no idea how you’re going to deal with the devil’s spawn, Emma, but I’m sorry. I’m out of here before she makes one of the veins in my brain combust!”

“I think all those veins combusted already because you’re dumb!” Maia yelled at her in anger.

“Oh, you’re lucky you’re only seven or yo Te habría mostrado lo que pasa!”  Paige yelled back before storming out of the house.

Watching Paige walk out deflated the tiny bit of hope I had left. Normally, Paige knew how to deal with little kids because she had three younger siblings she often babysat. The thought that she didn’t even know how to deal with Maia frightened me because I knew for sure I was going to have it three times harder than Paige had it with Maia.

It was only the first hour of the job and I dreaded it. I dreaded the first fifteen minutes alone.

When I first met Maia, she seemed harmless. She looked as innocuous as a lamb, smiling up at her parents like a perfect angel. However, once her parents walked out the door, her devil horns sprouted out from her tiny head and her words stunned me to the core.

“This is our little princess Maia,” Paul had said, patting his daughter’s head affectionately.

I looked down at Maia and returned her angelic smile as she beamed up at me with doe brown eyes. Her brown curls danced up and down as she bounced in place in excitement.

“Hi, Maia,” I greeted, shaking her small hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Maia simply smiled, nodding her head shyly.

“Well,” Natalia, who looked gorgeous in her classy black dress, added with a bright smile. “We’ll be gone until eleven. I hope that’s not a big problem.”

“Oh, no,” I replied, shaking my head. “That’s not a problem at all. It’s a Friday night, so my older brother is fine with it.”

“Good.” Paul grinned, fixing a stray hair of his slicked back salt and pepper colored hair. He looked at his wife and at his daughter before he sighed. “Well, we better get going. We’re always late for our own parties.”

Paul and Natalia laughed. Although I didn’t find what he said particularly hilarious, I let out a little laugh so I didn’t seem too rude.

“Maia, behave,” Paul said, kissing her forehead and squeezing her tiny arms. “Don’t give Emma a hard time.”

“Yes, daddy,” she replied obediently.

As Natalia hugged Maia, she told her, “Please finish your homework today – before you watch TV – so you don’t have to worry about it over the weekend. Make sure you sleep early. Don’t eat too many sweets. Call me if you need anything. Emma’s going to buy pizza for dinner. Emma’s going to call me when you eat so I could keep in track with your eating habits and make sure you clean up your toys when you’re fin –“

“Honey,” Paul said with a chuckle, patting her back. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Emma here has it all under control.”

“Yes, I guarantee you that I’ll take good care of Maia,” I reassured genuinely as Maia giggled at her mother’s prattle.

After Paul and Natalia left, I turned to Maia and gave her a smile. My smile instantly fell as I saw her arms crossed over her chest and an arrogant smile as clear as day on her face.

“This is how it’s going to go,” She began. “I eat whatever I want. I’ll do my homework when I want. I’ll sleep when I want. Your only job is to get me food when I’m hungry and drive me places when I’m bored. Oh, and reach for the candy at the top of the pantry because I’m too short for that. Okay?”

When I didn’t say anything and stared at her in utter shock, she said, “Don’t look so surprised. All my babysitters did whatever I wanted, but they became huge babies and quit before I could get them fired. If you don’t listen to me, I’ll tell daddy that you hurt my feelings and we won’t have to see each other again.”

“Excuse me?” I scoffed, watching as the smug smirk on her face fell. “This is how it’s going to go – you will listen to me because the only person I’ll listen to is your parents. I’ll do exactly what your mom asked me to do.”

She began to walk away and I followed with growing agitation. She walked into the television room and said, “Emmy, Emmy, Emmy – “

“It’s Emma.”

“I’ll call you whatever I want,” she snapped, plopping down on the couch across the television. She turned it on and changed the channel to Disney. Good Luck Charlie was playing. I scoffed again when she giggled at a scene that she found funny. “If things don’t go my way, I won’t hesitate to lie to daddy and have you fired.”

One thing this girl needed to know about me was that I didn’t give up so easily, especially when it came to helping the ones I loved.

I snatched the remote from her and shut the television off. Ignoring her complaints, I scolded, “Listen here, missy – “

“It’s Maia,” she said, mocking me.  

“Whatever,” I shot out. “I don’t give up so easily and I won’t have you step all over me like you did with all your other babysitters. You will do your homework now! If you don’t, no television for you.”

Maia narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“A seven-year-old girl who thinks she knows it all.”

Maia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and giving me the best angry face she could muster.

“La, la, la! I can’t hear you!” She yelled, sticking her fingers into her ears and repeating it over and over again despite my attempts to shut her up. “La, la, la! All I hear is a weirdo talking!”

I groaned loudly, stomping my foot as childishly as she did. Dialing a number I knew by heart on my phone, I called the person who would be best for this type of situation.

“Ems, seriously? I was eating my favorite – “

“Paige, get your butt over here now!”

With Paige gone, my stress level was off the charts and my panic has risen. I paced the room in front of Leon, shoving my hands into my blonde locks. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe Paige left,” I muttered. “What am I going to do? This is a total disaster!”

“Chill, Ems,” Leon said, patting my back. “I think I could handle this.”

“What do you know about children?” I lashed out, still tugging at my hair. “You’re the youngest in your family.”

“Ouch, your lack of faith in me is really disappointing,” Leon commented, feigning hurt. “Just Relax. If I could convince her to do her homework, you owe me two cartons of chocolate milk.”

“If you have some magical voodoo, I don’t care, just do whatever it takes to make her do her homework. If Natalia and Paul come home and she didn’t do what she was supposed to, it’ll make me look super bad because it’s my first day. Oh gosh, if I get fired, that means no job. Losing my job means that Evan will rub it in my face that I wasn’t ready for a career. He wouldn’t dare make me get a new one. No job means no money. No money means I can’t help Evan,” I blabbered, still pacing the room.

“Ems, calm down,” Leon advised, shaking me. “Just trust me.”

“Maia!” Leon called out in a non detrimental manner. “Please come here. I just want to have a little talk with you.”

Maia’s little head appeared from the entrance of the television room as she looked at Leon in suspicion. “Are you going to be annoying and boss me around like those two other girls?”

“Oh, dear lord, please give me the strength not to strangle this child,” I muttered, looking at the ceiling. Leon shot me a look at my statement and motioned for me to keep my mouth shut.

“No, I just want to talk to you. Come here,” Leon said as he crouched down and motioned Maia to come over. I watched with wide eyes as Maia obeyed and stood in front of Leon. “Do you want to fail your classes and disappoint mommy and daddy?” Maia shook her head, but stayed quiet. Incredible! She didn’t answer back! “You know, if you don’t do your homework, you’ll fail your classes. You know what disappointing your parents would do, right? They won’t buy you toys or makeup or whatever seven-year-old girls like these days.”

Maia’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise. “No way.”

 Leon nodded his head and continued talking patiently to her. “So can you do your homework? When you’re done, I promise that Emma will make you watch TV and eat ice cream at the same time.”

“Really?” Maia asked in enthusiasm, bouncing up and down. “I never ate ice cream and watched TV at the same time. You will, Emmy?”

Ignoring the fact that Maia called me Emmy, I quickly nodded my head with a strained smile.

“Cool,” Maia yelled, throwing her tiny arms around Leon’s neck. “I promise I’ll do my homework. I won’t disappoint you guys! By the way, Leon, I think you’re cute.”

“Thank you?” Leon said, but it sounded more like a question. He stood back up, ruffling Maia’s hair. “Go get started on your homework and make sure you listen to Emma, okay? Or else.”

When Maia bounded up the stairs in a hurry, I squealed in happiness and quickly hugged Leon. “Thank you so much! You’re the best,” I sighed, feeling my stress being flushed down the toilet. “Who knew ice cream had so much affect on children?”

“No problem, Ems,” Leon replied, patting my head. “Don’t forget, two cartons of my favorite chocolate milk. I want it by tomorrow.”

After Leon left and Maia completed all her homework, I carried out my end of the deal and gave her ice cream while she watched TV. She was occupied and I thanked the heavens that I had at least a bit of peace and quiet. However, right when I sat down on the same comfortable sofa from the day I got interviewed, Maia skipped into the room and tugged on my arm.

“Come on,” she grunted when I didn’t get up from my seat.

“Why?” I moaned in exhaustion.

“You need a makeover,” She answered.

“What’s wrong with my look now?” I asked in bewilderment as I looked down at my clothes and my blonde hair.

“You’re pretty,” Maia said, crossing her arms while she observed me. Just as I was about thank her for the sudden compliment, she had to open her mouth and say, “But you seriously need a lot of work.”

I simply stared at her in incredulity, my eyebrows raised. I was contemplating whether or not I should ask her what she knew about makeup and fashion being only seven-years-old, but I knew that would be an invitation for the devil’s spawn to return.

“Please,” she pleaded with a pout, her hands clasping together as she begged. “No one will see you! I promise I’ll make you look fantabulous.”

Well, she did have a point. Nobody would see me and I could always wash it off before Natalia and Paul come home and when Maia was too busy dreaming to see me do it. In addition, I didn’t want her to become a brat again when she was already calm.

Sighing, I stuck out my pinky and said, “Promise?”

“Promise,” She reassured, wrapping her pinky around mine.

I let her drag me up the stairs, down the hallway, and into a white door that had butterflies scattered all over it. In all honesty, I wasn’t all that surprised when Maia opened the door and the color pink was the first and only thing I saw.

Pink walls, light pink bedding, pink stuffed animals, pink mirror, pink dresser, and pink bean bags – even the one direction poster taped up on her wall was pink. It was as if the damn color puked its contents all over this room. It was a pink heaven … or hell, whichever you prefer.

“Do you like my room?” Maia said with a smug smirk. She sat me down on a small stool in front of her mirror. “My brother doesn’t. He absolutely hates the color pink because he said I’m the reason he’s sick of it.”

“I think it’s wonderful,” I lied, shuddering when Maia put a huge amount of purple eye shadow onto my eyelid. “I think that’s too much and – “

“Shush,” Maia scolded, pointing a finger at me. “I know what I’m doing.”

I continued to watch myself in the mirror in dismay as Maia applied makeup after makeup. I closely resembled a ghost after she applied layers after layers of powder on my already white face. Red blush heavily coated my cheeks. I grimaced when I realized it looked like I was ruthlessly slapped on both sides. My lips were suffocating under the caked on cherry red lipstick.

Although I quite enjoyed the smile on her face as she worked on my makeup, I had to stop her when she raised a black marker to my face.

“Uh, what are you doing?” I asked in horror, my eyes widened at the tool that should only be used for drawing.

“Duh,” Maia said as if it were obvious, rolling her eyes. “I’m filling in your eyebrows. Girls do it now-a-days.”

“Yeah, but they don’t use markers!”

“My mommy didn’t buy me the eyebrow stuffy yet. I’m just practicing with a marker first,” Maia complained. With a pout, she pleaded, “Please. It’s washable. I promise you could take it off if you don’t like it.”

“No,” I deadpanned.

“Pretty please with a cherry, banana, and a strawberry on top!”

“No.”

“I’ll tell daddy and mommy that you were really fun,” Maia bribed with an overly friendly smile. “And you will be on their good side.”

I simply stared at her, knowing she wouldn’t give in until she got exactly what she wanted. Oh, and I needed some bonus points for being a wonderful babysitter. “Fine,” I groaned, closing my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see my horrendous face anymore.

“Yes, this will make you look more fantabulous!” Maia cried in glee. I resisted the urge to flinch when I felt the cold, wet ink of the black marker on my face. “Wow, it already looks good!”

I couldn’t possibly look the least bit good. In fact, I bet I looked better with a plastic bag over my head. Looking on the bright side, at least Maia was preoccupied and silent.

Her silence was music to my ears.

That’s how I heard a door slam shut from somewhere downstairs. My eyes shot open as Maia simply looked back at me in fear. As far as I knew it, Natalia and Paul were supposed to make a call announcing their return home and I was sure their party wasn’t over this early, Paige and Leon left two hours ago, and Maia and I were the only ones home.

“What was that?” Maia asked, gripping my arm. “Didn’t you lock the doors?”

“I did,” I whispered, remembering that I turned the locks to all the windows and doors. All the hairs on my body stood on end.

Remembering what Natalia asked me on my interview, I was beginning to regret that I haven’t actually thought of a plan on what to do in case of a break in. “I’d protect Maia with my heart and do whatever is plausible in a dangerous situation.”

“Stay here,” I muttered to Maia as I opened her bedroom door slowly. I looked at her in warning. “Just stay here and find a place to hide. If you hear me scream, call 911, all right?”

Maia nodded her head rapidly while she looked around for a place to hide. Locking her door behind me, I crept along the hallway and down the stairs.

All I heard was cabinets being shut closed and drawers sliding open. The closer I got to the sound, the more rapidly my heart thudded against my chest. Stopping at the corner which led to the hallway, I took a deep breath but I never had the chance to exhale because I felt and heard someone behind me.

Looking slowly and fearfully, I whispered, “Maia? What are you doing? I told you to stay in your room!”

“I felt useless!” Maia answered back with determination. “I’ll help you take this loser out.”

“No,” I scolded. Tugging her down the hallway as quickly and silently as possible, I opened the door to a small closet – one that had boots and coats in it – and shoved her inside. Pointing my index finger at her, I said, “Stay in here and don’t leave.”

Before I could shut the door, Maia shot her hand out. “Wait, Emmy,” she said. She took a wooden hanger from the rack and handed it to me. “Take this just in case.”

I nodded my head and took the weapon into my sweaty hands. “Thanks,” I whispered back.

The sound was coming from the kitchen. I still heard the same shutting of cabinets and the sliding of drawers. When I got to the entrance of the kitchen, I snuck against the wall to get a clearer view of the criminal.

My mouth flew open in shock as he continued to look through cabinets and drawers. Did he really want to go to jail again? Closing my eyes to muster all the courage I had none of, I held the hanger in front of me with shaking hands.

I jumped into the kitchen, holding the hanger in front of me. With what I hoped was a strong voice, I screamed “Stop right there!”

“Oh shit,” Noah Callaway yelled when he turned around. He stared at me in horror. “What the fuck?”

Ignoring his vulgar language, I continued to near him with the hanger still in front of me. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“What is up with your face?” He shouted back, still looking at me in horror.

“I asked you a – “ My words were cut short by an annoying girly laugh.

Maia entered the kitchen, clutching her stomach as she laughed her lungs out. I watched her in confusion as I rushed over to her, still holding the hanger in front of me. “Maia,” I whispered. “I told you to stay in the closet. Why are you laughing?”  

I watched in utter shock as Maia hopped her way over to Noah and wrapped her arms around his waist. Throughout my four years of high school, this was the first time I’ve ever seen Noah smile genuinely and I had to say, if he was handsome when he wasn’t smiling, he looked even better now. Noah smiled down at Maia, flicking her nose.

“Hey, little monster,” He said.

“Hey, Noah,” Maia greeted back while she beamed at him.

“What did you do to Emma’s face?” Noah asked. While Maia looked at me, Noah simply ignored that I was in the room. What I couldn’t shake was the fact that he knew my name.

“I tried the makeup you bought me yesterday,” Maia answered. “I think you should call her ‘Emmy’. Emmy sounds better than Emma.”

Noah nodded his head. “I’ll think about it.”

Maia looked up at me with pure amusement dancing in those big eyes. “Oh, Emmy, this is my brother Noah.”