chapter one
"Yeah I know...hold on, coming mom! Yeah
I gotta go, talk to ya lata, uh huh, bye." I said to my friend Kristin as I
hung up the phone. I walked out of the den and into the kitchen where my mom
was. "Yeah?" I said.
"Honey, can you make some brownies? There's mix in the cupboard."
"Yeah sure but why?"
"We have new neighbors. They just moved in yesterday while you were at
school. I want to make them feel welcome in the neighborhood."
"Alright, I will then. What's the family like? Any cute boys?" I asked
mischeviously.
"I'm not sure, why don't you go over there later today?"
"Ok, I'll check it out."
"Ok, well I gotta run, I'll be back before dinner. Bye sweetie," she
said as she kissed my forehead and hurried out the door.
"Hmmm...new neighbors.." I thought to myself. I got out the mix and
made the brownies. As I was enjoying licking the bowl I heard my favorite song
on the radio. "Yes! I Want You Back!!" I said as I turned up the
volume. Me and my friends had just heard of this new group, *Nsync. We didn't
know much about them, just that I Want You Back was a killer song. As the song
ended, the timer rang and I hurried out of the den humming the song to myself.
"I should probably take a shower so I don't look terrible when I go over
there," I said. I took a shower, put on my favorite jeans and a blue shirt,
blow dried my hair and got the brownies. I took a good look in the mirror.
"Not bad for a first impression," I thought and walked out. There was
no moving truck outside and the garden looked the same as when the Robinson's
left it. I put my hair behind my ears, took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
A little boy came to the window. He pointed to me and started laughing and
waving. Then a middle-aged woman opened the door. "Hello," she said in
a pleasant voice.
"Hi, I'm Shannon and I live next door. I heard you just moved in so I baked
you a welcoming gift."
"Oh my, that is so sweet. I'm Lynn and this little rascal is Jon. Please,
come in, come in." I smiled at Jon and he giggled and ran around the corner
and into the hallway.
"You'll have to excuse him, he's shy around new people."
"I don't mind. When I first met the Robinson's little boy he was just like
that. But then he warmed up to me and he was really fun."
"Oh, so I take it you babysat for him?"
"Yeah, all the time. His parents would be away when he got home from school
so I would sit with him."
"Oh yes, I think Mrs. Robinson told me about you. That's good you have
experience because I'm going to need a sitter for the next couple of months,"
she said as she rubbed her swollen stomach.
"Congratulations," I said. "How many months along are you?"
"Seven and a half. But, truthfully, it seems like a lot longer. I didn't
know much work it was until I had Jon here."