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A New Direction

Babysitting

Crystal POV
I awoke to jumping on the bed. I peer over my sheets to see Jake and Chad jumping on my bed.
"Crystal get up get up."
I groan and roll over.
"Dad wants to talk to you."
I groan and get out of bed. I walk downstairs to the kitchen. My dad is in his kiss the cook apron making pancakes.
"Morning dad."
He turns around and comes to give me a big hug.
"Morning Crystal! How'd you sleep?"
"Fine until the twins decided to wake me up."
My dad just laughs.
"Sorry about that."
"Crystal!"
I turn to see little Ellie in the doorway. I kneel down in front of her and give her a hug.
"Morning Ellie."
I turn back towards my dad.
"So dad what did you need to talk to me about?"
"Can you babysit today?"
I groan.
"Can't Brittany do it or Mark?
"Your brother has a football (soccer) game and Brittany is going to her friends house and your next in line."
I groaned having 12 siblings was such a pain. I mean haven't my parents heard of birth control already?
"Where are you off to dad?"
"Well I'm going to hang out with the guys and then I have to go to the baby appointment with your mom. We finally get to see the baby." My dad says excitedly.
"Fine where does everyone have to go today?"
"The twins have a football game at three and Ellie has ballet at one."
"Can Jordan help me watch them?"
"Fine but be safe and use protection."
"Dad!!" I groan and cover Ellie's ears. "Theres kids around and he's just my best friend!"
My dad laughs. Taking off his apron he hangs it up and grabs his shoes and coat. Giving me a kiss on my forehead he leaves.
"Thanks for babysitting I got to go the boys are expecting me."
"Josh!"
"Up here."
I run upstairs and see Josh plopped down in front of the TV playing video games.
"Dad left I'm babysitting. I need to run over to Jordan's for a sec. Your in charge make sure nothing happens please!"
"Okay." He says his eyes never leaving the TV.
I turn in the door way.
"I mean it."
I head towards the door then realize I'm still in my pajamas. I run upstairs and throw on a red form-fitting tank top and short denim shorts. Running a brush through my hair I head back downstairs. Heading outside I cut through the bushes into Jordan's yard next door. I climb up the ivy lattice on the side of the house and knock on his window. Jordan sits up in his bed looking around. I make a face at him through the window. Seeing my face he falls out of bed. Laughing I open the window and go inside his room.
"Whats so important you have to disturb my beauty rest Crystal?"
I look at him and pout out my lip.
"Awww poor baby." Putting on a smile. "Dad left me to babysit today want to help?"
"Why didn't you say so in the first place. Lets go." Jordan stands up and the covers fall of of him. I realize he's only in his boxers. I look at the ground blushing.
"What?"
Jordan looks down.
"Oh."
I hear some shuffling.
"All better."
I look up and I see Jordan has slipped on some basketball shorts. He is still shirtless though and I admire his perfectly defined muscles.I quickly look away. Jordan sends me a shy smile.
"Lets go."
We head back down through the house. I see Jordan's mom making breakfast.
"Morning Mrs. Conner."
She looks up at me.
"Morning Crystal."
If she thinks its odd that I'm there in the morning and didn't come through the front door she says nothing. We head back over to my house and go into the living room.
"Jordan's here."
"Jordan!"
I hear a scamper of feet then Josh, Louis, Alexis and Ellie show up in the living room. The girls rush over to give him a hug while the guys do their weird handshake thing.
"Okay so Dad left me in charge and Jordan's going to help me. So no breaking anything. Where's the twins where's the baby and where's the sleeping beauties?"
Alexis looks at me with a look of annoyance on her face.
"Jake and Chad are in the playroom, Gwen is sleeping and Lily and Rose are having a tea party. So Jordan want to go play football?" They all go off. Josh, Jordan and Lexi to go play football and Louis to go do something intelectual. Sometimes I think it is unhealthy for a 9 year old to do so much learning related work. Ellie grabs my hand and we head upstairs. I first stop off at the playroom.
"Jake, Chad, Jordan's here and their downstairs playing football."
The boys look at me then run downstairs. I hear a crash and wince. Lookin downstairs I see that a picture is lying on the ground. I place it back on the wall and look at it. It was a family picture from 3 years ago before Ellie and Gwen were born. Back when Brittany and I got along and Mark thought it was okay to hang with his family. Well now to check on the baby. I enter the nursery and see Gwen passed out asleep. I watch her breathe for a couple of minutes. Its a miracle she's here she almost didn't make it. We weren't sure she was going to make her 1st birthday. I head to the girls room. Openning the door all I see is pink. Matching heads of red hair turn to look at me.
"Crystal! Ellie! Come join our tea party."
Ellie rushes to them and in her princess dress she fits right in.
"I'll be back in a second I just have to check on Junior."
I head up to Junior's room and lookinside. Good he's still asleep. I run and jump on his bed. Junior groans and goes to roll over.
"Oh no you don't"
"Oh Crystal its you. I thought it was one of the little ones.Your heavy get off."
"Of course its me." I say sticking my tongue out at him. Most of the time Junior annoys me but he's my twin so what can I say.
"Lily and Rose are having a tea party and the request their knight in shining armor."
Okay a bit of a lie but I'm not venturing into the land of little girls tea parties by myself. Junior groans and gets up we head to the twins room.
"Junior!" They say and give him a big hug excited to see him.
Junior sends a glare at me realizing I had lied. I send him a triumphant look and sit down at the pink table. A couple of hours later I smell hamburgers through the open window.
"Hey guys looks like Jordan made food. Lets go eat lunch."
We all rush downstairs and out into the yard. Jordan is at the grill cooking. He gives the little girls a hug and looks up at us.
"Harry how are you?"
"Good Jordan how about yourself."
Jordan is the only one who calls Junior by his real name it is too confusing for the rest of us.
We eat and hang for a bit. Then I hear squealing and Chad comes running around the corner with Jordan on his heels. Chad hides behind me.
"Who dares hide the tickle monster's pray." Jordan growls.
Chad shrinks even farther behind me and grabs onto my legs.
"If I give you a brownie will you sell him to me?"
Jordan cocks his eyebrows at me.
"Fine where's the brownie?"
"Over here." I say moving away.
I fake left grab Chad's hand and start running.
"Hey! You promised me a brownie!"
"We didn't shake on it."
Jordan chases us around until Chad trips. I lean down to help him up and Jordan swoops in and throws me over his shoulder.
"Put me down!"
"Never."
Jordan runs and jumps into the pool. I come out of the water gasping. Jordan just laughs so I dunk him. He just splashes me. Soon some of the other kids joined us and it was WWIII in the pool. I come out of the pool dripping.
"Okay, Okay. Everyone get out and get dry."
The kids groan and I look at my watch 1:30 shoot ballet lessons. I look around and try and find Ellie and the twins. I have to take them to their game right after. I dont find any of them. Panicking I head into the kitchen. Seeing a note on the fridge I grab it.

Crystal,
Stop panicking. I didn't want to interupt your fun. I have the kids. Watch the other one. You owe me now.
-Junior

Oh thank god. All of a sudden I hear a baby's cry. Well that's my cue. Reaching the nursery I see Jordan rocking Gwen. I stand in the door watching them. When Jordan turns around I see tears streaming down his face. Jordan must be thinking of his sister. We all want justice for the accident. I come up and give his a hug Gwen between us. Jordan cries into my shoulder and pretty soon Gwen is asleep in his arms. He looks at her with a lot of tenderness.
"I just remember when Lucy was this age. I would rock her to sleep and sing her lullabies. "
"Lets go watch a movie."
Entering the living room I see all the kids in there.
"Lets watch a movie."
"Yay!" They all yell.
I go over to the cabinet.
"What should we watch?"
"Barbie."
"Finding nemo."
"Football."
"The Godfather."
I look at josh with my eyebrows raised. He just sinks into the beanbag chair. I grab Aladdin and put it in. I sit down next to Jordan and snuggle into his side. No matter what anyone says were just friends. After about 30 minutes of the movie I fall asleep listening to Jordan's heartbeat.