“I didn’t have anything planned in particular.” She paused. “Oh, shit, I’m babysitting for Lissa tomorrow. My mom is having a girls’ night with my aunt. They’re going out to dinner and then renting a chick flick, and I’m stuck at home. Unless you want to hang out with me and a six-year-old, I don’t think I can do anything.”
“Who says I wouldn’t want to?”
“Well, do you want to? Babysitting for her can be pretty boring. We usually end up watching corny Disney movie sequels all night. Disney movies are great, but the sequels are terrible.”
“I have to agree with you there, but I would still love to spend time with you two.”
“Great! Now I have some company.” She paused as she saw a light come on in the kitchen window. Her mom was still awake. “Do you want to come in and meet my mom?”
“Sure.”
She opened the door, and he followed her into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom!”
“Hi, sweetie. And you must be Nick, whom I have heard all about,” Ms. Willow said, turning to the stranger standing there.
“Yeah, that would be me. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Willow,” he stated.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, and please, just call me Judy.”
“Excuse me for a moment; I have to go pee,” Beth said, taking off for the bathroom.
“She was glowing when she told me about you, you know,” Ms. Willow told him.
Blushing furiously, he looked in the direction his girlfriend went. “I really fell for her. She’s something.”
“I’m glad she’s found someone who thinks so.” She paused. “So how old are you?”
“I’m seventeen.”
“Do you go to school here in Ruskin or what?”
“Actually, I’m home-schooled.”
“Oh, really?”
He hesitated. “Yeah. I’m in a band, and we’re on tour sometimes, so it would be too hard for me to go to regular school.”
Ms. Willow’s eyes widened. “Really? What band?”
“The Backstreet Boys.”
“Oh, Beth is crazy about you guys! She was so upset that she couldn’t find a music store the other day.”
“Yeah, that’s what she said, but I told her I would get her a free, autographed one, so that made her happy.”
Just then, Beth bounded out of the bathroom, and Ms. Willow was reminded of something. “Beth, I forgot to tell you, I’m dropping Melissa off at your Aunt Joan’s house tomorrow while I go to work. You’ll still have to babysit tomorrow night, but you have the day to yourself tomorrow.”
“Oh, okay. Great!” Beth replied. “Is it okay if Nick comes over tomorrow night and watches movies with us?”
“Sure, as long as you two don’t burn the house down or something.” She smiled. “I’m going to bed, kids. Good night! It was nice to meet you, Nick.”
“Good night, Ms. Willow – er – Judy,” Nick said.
“Night, Mom.” As soon as Ms. Willow was up the stairs, Beth turned to her boyfriend. “You should probably be getting home. I don’t want your parents to hate me for keeping you out until all hours of the night.”
“Beth, you do realize it’s only ten o’clock. It’s really not that late. I mean, not all hours of the night.” He paused. “But I guess I should be getting home because I have more stuff to do tomorrow. I have to be out of the house by seven.” Suddenly, his face lit up. “You wanna come with me?”
“What?” she exclaimed. “Your management would probably kill you, or at least they’d kill me!”
“No, the other guys bring their girlfriends all the time. Usually, the girls just hang out together while we’re in meetings and talk about, well, whatever it is that girls talk about. I understand if you don’t wanna come because it might get kinda boring, but if you do, we can go out to lunch and stuff.”
“Hey, I have no right to turn down something boring because you’re helping me babysit my sister tomorrow night. I’d love to go.”