FicWad

"Oh yeah?," I rolled my eyes, "Be my guest"
But I was talking to myself, the beeps told me that the pranksters already hung up.
What the fuck? If someone out there thought they could spook this babysitter with a threat of killing me, they had another thing coming.
I stood up, stretching and looked at the clock when the lights flickered, quickly they were turned off and on. A barely noticed blinking to the unsuspecting eye.
Muting the TV I glanced around myself, straining to hear anything but the house was quiet.
The deadly silence was such a contrast to the shrieking and the screams earlier. So I decided to check up on the kids, not because the prank call made me feel uneasy or anything. No, it was just a stupid prank call but Mary went up a while ago and I haven't heard anything from them since..

"Bass? Hawk? Mary?," I called out, peering into a few dark rooms, "Where are you? I ordered pizza," I tried hawk's room again to find all three sprawled on the carpet playing peacefully. The scene made me smile. Hawk and Bass were playing with little soldiers and barbies without lower body parts to fit the soldiers size while Mary was coloring in a big book opened before her.
I retreated back, shutting the door gently not to disturb them. What do you know, they weren't the devil kids after all. But they weren't crazy about me either. I still have a shot with the baby. Baby loves everyone so I might stand a chance there.
Donny's room was dim and girly. That was my first impression of the room, everything and it's mother was painted in pink and peach, every shelf was covered in fuzzy stuffed animals. Holy fuck! Maybe Donny was actually a girl and I just assumed it's a boy's name, "Hey Donny," I cooed gently over her or his baby bed but it was empty with only the blankets tossed carelessly aside.
"Donny, where are you?," I gasped, spinning around myself like a puppy chasing it's tail, "Donny? Come out where ever you are! Please!"
But Donny wasn't in her or his room and I know cause I checked everywhere! And I do mean everywhere!

"OK where the hell is Donny?," I barged into hawk's room, wagging my finger at them, my gaze lingering particularly on hawk, "What did you do to Donny?!"

Bass blushed, shrugging while hawk calmly jerked her head in my direction and nodded at Mary who without even looking up from her book knew what her sister wanted to say. She picked a red sharpie and concentrated on her coloring, "Hawk doesn't know where Donny is so stop screaming"

"But Donny's missing," I collapsed beside them with frustration, still clueless whether the missing baby is a vagina owner, "You must know where Donny is!"

"No," she said shortly.

"Are you sure?," I literally felt like crying. If they didn't have him it means I lost a kid! I fucking lost a kid less then hour on duty!

"Yes," Mary wasn't exactly emotional. Her manner was cold and she seemed to be more worried about staying in line then worrying about her baby sibling where abouts.

"Won't you help me look?," I begged, "Please"

Bass immediately jumped on his feet and nodded. The twins, however, were more hesitant in their response, "You give hawk piggy ride?," hawk glanced at me suspiciously with her eyes narrowed, her little hands gripping her fucking arrow, "And play tie the petty?"

"Yeah," I exclaimed, eager for some help, "Sure. Whatever you want!," I was so glad to see her scramble to her feet and follow her brother down stairs, I didn't even stop to think what a big mistake it was to promise hawk whatever she wanted, "And you Mary?"
Mary wrinkled her nose but stood up and gave me a hand.

The phone rang as soon as Mary and I reached down stairs, Bass and hawk already stood huddled up together, pointing to various areas of the kitchen and whispering.
I squeezed Mary's hand, my heart beating a little faster, "Hello"
First it was dead air and then the sound of raspy breathes once more filled the line. I didn't wait to hear what they were gonna say this time before slamming the phone back down. Yeah yeah I know I die tonight, maybe die out of stress, that was more likely by the way things were going.
Suddenly it clicked and horror completely overtook me.
What if it wasn't prank callers. What if it was for real and they kidnapped Donny and I fucking hung up on them instead of negotiating?! What if they intend to lure me out of the house and then kill me?! What if they intend to kill the entire family?
Mary gave me a weird look, almost like a smile but more like a frown.
What if it was Matt trying to fuck with Carla's mind. Or mine! She said he was a bad fucker, why not make the young babysitter wish she never took the job and kidnap one of the other kids?
Why did I take the job?! Ray offered to buy me crap and land me money but noooooo, I had to do the Viola thing and get involved with psycho ass family! Hawks, lunatics. Too many thoughts, too little oxygen, "Kids, gather around!', I shrieked into the kitchen.

Bass and hawk walked into the living room hesitantly, "We look for Donny"

"Now listen to me," I whispered, kneeling at their eye level, "Something really weird is going on and I want you to stay where I can see you at all times and you must stay together"

"Then how are we supposed to look for Donny?," Mary wrinkled her nose again.

"That's a really good question. Let me think," I ushered them to sit on the sofa, while I paced in front of them, rubbing my temples, "Sit here while I think. I gotta think"

They watched me with amusement, elbowing each other and whispering but I didn't care. I had to come up with some plan to find Donny, not lose the others and fucking stay alive at all the same time.

This was a fucking nightmare! I had too many thought and times were slipping by as horrific images flooded my mind of a little genderless infant crying and it being abused by some huge motherfucker with the raspy voice. I wish I had Frankie's pills right now but I left them home.
I took a deep breathe and close my eyes, trying to concentrate. Let's just assume the calls weren't connected to Donny's disappearance, where could a 3 year old kid disappear to? It wasn't in it's room and the other kids didn't seemed anxious about the whole thing. Maybe it did shit like that often, the little fuckers must know something but how do I let the kids help me search the house, not if the calls were connected to his disappearance. fuck, it would look so bad on my resume if I lose any more kids.
I glanced at the clock, Gerard was supposed to be here in a few and he would help me but then again he didn't know the kids or the house layout.
Then an alarming thought crossed my mind, what if the killer or the kidnapper or whoever was stalking the house sees Gerard coming and think I called for help and hurt him.
This thought just caused me to pace even faster till I was dizzy. He was probably on his way over right now, poor unsuspecting Geetard.
God I'd hate it if he gets hurt, that would look even worse on my resume.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. He would have a ball with this. Forget the fucking goldfish, Viola lost a fucking 3 year old kid, let's tease her for eternity about that! Suddenly the thought of Gerard getting hit with a blunt object over his head didn't seem like such a bad idea.
Maybe I should call Ray, he specifically told me to call if I have any problems. Yeah and fucking give him a proof I was a kid myself and couldn't handle a simple situation of possible murder and kidnap. Was I a New Jersey born or a fucking wimp?! So this option goes out of the question.

"Hawk hungry," she whined loudly.

"A few more minutes, hawk." I waved my hand absent mindly.

She huffed, crossing her arms on her chest as I paced some more. Dread and anxiety filled me up to the point of paralyzing my mind.

Finally Gerard and the pizza arrived at the same time, "What's wrong?," he asked after he tipped the delivery guy and I dragged him in by his shirt, looking left and right before closing the door and leaning on it, "You look like you've seen a ghost"

"I'm fine," I wiped the little sweat bits forming on my forehead, "Everything's great. Let's eat, kids," I took the pizza boxes from him and motioned the kids to follow me into the kitchen.

"You look weird," he frowned, following me behind the row of hungry little kids.

"Thanks," I giggled nervously, placing the boxes on the table and arranging the napkins and the plates, "This is Gerard," I smiled calmly at the kids and glanced back at Gerard who kinda waved awkwardly.

"He's petty too," hawk cooed, taking a big bite of two pizza slices she piled one on top of the other.

"Thanks," Gerard nodded at her, tossing his backpack at his feet.

"She says that to everybody," I shrugged, "Don't get so smug, I don't even know what that means"

"That's baby talk for pretty you idiot"

"I'm the idiot? You're the one who understands what the crazy kid is saying," I hissed in a low whisper.

He rolled his eyes, smiling at me and helping himself for a slice of pizza, "So when are we gonna do my project?"

"Well I still have to tuck the kids in," I fiddled with the red napkin I grabbed from the napkin holder, "Then I'm all yours"

Marry giggled a little to herself, causing Gerard to blush. Hawk frowned at the prospect of bed time and wrapping up her torture the people around you game and began muttering something to herself. Bass however, had other plans in mind, "When are we gonna look for Donny?"

Gerard immediately shot a suspicious look my way, "Who's Donny?"

"Mmm their imaginary friend," I laughed, disguising my nervous twitch by rubbing my eye, "We're playing hide and seek"

"No we don't," Mary narrowed her eyes to tiny little cracks, "Daddy says it's wrong to lie"

"Yeah, Vi," Gerard turned to me, smirking, "Don't you know it wrong to lie?"

I glared at him resentfully, "Don't worry, Mary. I'll find Donny"

"OK. Who the hell is Donny?"

"You're so nosy"

"Who. Is. Donny?"

I pulled him out of the kids ear shot while they still stared at us shamelessly, "Donny is one of the kids I'm babysitting"

"And why are you supposed to find him?"

"Well. You want to know why I'm supposed to find Donny," I smiled up sweetly to Gerard who looked like he knew I stalled like my life was depending on it. Who knew maybe it was, "It's a good question, and I definitely have the answer"

"Can I know too cause I'm getting older as you stall," Gerard crossed his arms on his chest and watched my face very closely almost like he was trying to read my mind. I wasn't worried though, my mind was kinda babbling in foreign lingo right now. If I couldn't understand, neither would Gerard.

"Well the reason I need to look for Donny..."I glanced behind Gerard back, my eyes popping smiled a toothless grin.

"Viola, stop," he grabbed my arm when I started for the kids and pulled me back.

"I just," I shrugged, "She almost...Her brother"

"Viola"

I couldn't take it anymore, "I lost a kid," I shrieked into my palms.

"You lost a kid?," he stared at me, the corners of his mouth twitching a little.

"Yes, I lost a kid"

"You lost a kid?!"

"I really don't feel like playing this game again"

"How could you lose a kid," he was smiling in disbelief.

"I just did, OK," I shrugged pathetically

"How can you lose a kid?," he exclaimed, glancing back at the 3 I still didn't lose.

"I don't know!," I cried out desperately, "It was sleeping and next thing I know it wasn't sleeping"

"OK how does he look like?," he started for the back door.

"Mmm probably short"

"What do you mean probably?," Gerard narrowed his eyes, staring at me.

"I didn't see her cause she was sleeping"

"Maybe he wasn't even home," he suggested.

"No she was. Carla gave me instructions to wake him up for his bath and dinner"

"A she? Donny's a she?," Gerard's wrinkled forehead reminded me of his dad's.

"He might," I shrugged again, feeling the wind knocked out of me. What kinda babysitter was I if I didn't even know the gender of the babies I was sitting?!

"He?," Gerard scrunched his face, "Make up your mind!"

"What does it matter," I cried out as quietly as I could, "He. She. Whatever! Point is that Donny is fucking vanished!" I mouthed the F- word.

"How am I supposed to look for Donny when I don't even know if I should check the boys or the girls bathroom?!"

"Why would you go into the girls bathroom anyway," I snickered, "What kinda perv are you?"

He exhaled loudly, "I need details, Viola"
His manner annoyed the hell out of me. Suddenly it was his case? I was the babysitter! I was the one who read all these books! I was the one who almost got hit with an arrow earlier! I was the one who got harassed by sleazy Kyle and all for the sake of these kids well being (and my gold pool)! Who was he to barge in and take over! I was the queen of this castle! What I say goes! He was just fucking Geetard! A freaking commoner!

"You know what," I pouted, "I don't need your help. Go home. I'll handle this"

"You rather tell the mom her kid is missing?," Gerard placed his hands on his hips, bossily, "Be a grown up for once, admit you were wrong and let me help. I'll take one kid to go look for Donny cause it might not respond to me since it doesn't know me and you take the rest and scan the house cause I'm assuming you just paced instead of doing anything"

I blinked stupidly. Hating to admit he was right. What will I tell Carla when she comes home and doesn't find Donny? I'm sorry but I lost your boy or girl. I didn't mean to. Wanna go swim in my gold pool now?

Gerard knelt before Mary, taking her for the mature one, "Wanna help me look for Donny?"

"Out there?," she gulped, glancing out of the dark window behind the dining table.

Gerard nodded.

"You'll never find him out there," she said knowingly, getting elbowed by hawk.

"I won't?," Gerard narrowed his eyes a little and frowned his brow.

"Nope," Mary gloated.

"How come?"

"I'll help you look," Bass chipped in, glaring at his younger sister.

Gerard turned to him, "I wanted you to watch the girls while your sister and I go looking"

I rolled my eyes cause the 7 year old who was scared shitless of his younger sister would provide so much protection in case of an emergency.

"She won't be any help, she don't know where he is," Bass said.

Hawk groaned with frustration at her brother and sister and shook her head disapprovingly.

"So Donny does that a lot?," Gerard looked around the table with a certain authority, I would've smiled if he wasn't such an ass, "Hides and stuff"

They shrugged in unison.

"Come then," Gerard stood up, clapping Bass on his slender shoulder, "Before it gets to late and we'll have to call the cops"

"Cops?," I gulped, feeling the blood drain from my face. Oh the Belleville policemen won't be so glad to see me back. Again. Apparently I have quite the reputation. Which was ridiculous cause I wasn't that bad.

He winked, mouthing 'trust me'

I felt a little pang of annoyance with his butting in again but didn't say anything.

Bass nodded, pushing his plate away from him, "Is it OK if I go to the bathroom first?"

"Sure," Gerard stepped aside, clearing the way for him.

"I don't know," I exclaimed, biting my lip.

"Come on, Viola. Let him go," Gerard clapped Bass's shoulder with brotherly support.

"Maybe I should go with him," I suggested.

"He'll be fine," Gerard dismissed me with a wave, "Won't you, dude?"

Bass nodded, grinning shyly up an his new fucking role model.

"I dunno"

"Let's go watch TV," Gerard ignored my concern and led the girls to the living room after locking the kitchen's back door.