Revised: March 22, 2008

Chapter one of the awaited story! I'm very happy I finally finished this... but I have the whole story planned out already so I don't think it's going to take too long to update

Hmm I can't remember what I put in here that I have to disclaim... I think some cereal was in there... and maybe something else... well whatever you can recognize is probably not mine.

Hmm don't forget to review! I take negatives, positives, or advice.

Candy Land

Chapter One

"You're a big bitch you know that?"

I hate my life. Actually, in reality, my life is pretty great, except for him. Him, the demon, the devil incarnate.

Not really, more like the son of my kind friendly dearest twin brother of mine. He says I love him. I say not on his life.

I guess that's the depressing thing about having a twin. Everyone thinks you two must absolutely adore each other. The only time I'm nice to Ren is when he's passing me the pizza box and dinner time.

But it's not just Ren, aka the devil incarnate, who thinks I'm a bitch. It's the whole freaking family. I can hear it already.

"Annelise, why are you being such a bitch today? Is it that time of the month?"

"Thanks, Mom."

No, but seriously, that's what happened this morning. At six am. On a Saturday. Why, you might be asking. Why, on God's green earth, would I possibly be up that early? And why, on God's green earth, would I have the willpower to actually make verbal contact with my mom that early?

Because of them, the neighbors, the kind, sweet, loving Massengers, who always use me to baby sit for them. Which makes absolutely no sense to me since they have a son my age, but no, they want the responsible, caring Annelise Dunn from next door to baby sit.

Half the time their son, who would be my age thank you very much, is there! That stupid Chason. Chason, Chason, Chason. Chason the golden boy, Chason, Ren's best friend, Chason got strait A's this year, Chason is the star football player, did you hear? Chason, Chason, Chason!

Well, Chason can get up at six am to watch his own siblings! This is ridiculous. Why am I always stuck with the stupid jobs of watching kids? Can't I do yard work like Ren? I'd do anything besides those kids.

So there I am at six o' five am, knocking on the Massengers' front door, wishing to high heaven I was back in my room, snuggled in between my warm gray comforter.

But obviously, someone up there really hates me.

Mrs. Massenger opened the door, looking ready as hell to get to the airport in time to actually make her flight. Which, I highly doubt would happen, but that's only going off the fact that two little girls had firmly attached themselves to her legs and she was trying to get them off by dragging them across the cold floor.

She obviously didn't know how hard those kids could grip.

"Annelise! Glad you could make it on such short notice." She said, waving me in and slowly making her way back down the hallway.

I dumped my bag in the living room and slipped off my flip flops.

Following Mrs. Massenger, I walked into the kitchen to find a lot of things.

One of these things being a bunch of Cheerios being thrown at my face, just delicious.

"And good morning to you, Zachy," I said to the baby that was laughing hysterically at my now wet face.

Sarafina and Joshuwa both said hello to me then continued to eat, while Bartholomew tried to aim up another shot, like his brother's Cheerios hadn't done the job already. Juliana was serving herself breakfast, and Jamie Lynn and Emmie were still firmly attached to Mrs. Massengers legs, while she was frantically talking to her husband, who seemed to be more interested in the paper. The sad part was that this was one of their slower, relaxed days.

And I had yet to see Chason.

I tried not to laugh as I watched Mrs. Massenger scramble around the kitchen trying to get everything done. I swear this house had no order. You open a kitchen cabinet you might find what you're looking for or you might find toilet paper, it all depends on your karma.

All I know is that Mrs. Massenger wanted to leave right then, and if she didn't get what she wanted, well, this could be a bad scene.

Eventually, she dragged me in the hallway after her and started spitting directions at me while she grabbed her coat and suitcase.

"And Juliana still likes to play with fire. Remember that one time I let her baby sit?"

When she set the house on fire?

"Well, that's why I'm not letting her baby sit anymore. Hence you're here. Did I tell you that Zachariah needs a nap at one or else he won't go to sleep tonight for my cousin, oh, and don't give Bartholomew any sugar. It just doesn't sit well with him."

I nodded and pretended like I was listening, it wasn't like I hadn't baby sat them all before, and that includes the golden boy.

Then he barreled down the stairs.

"Speak of the devil," I murmured under my breath. That boy has absolute perfect timing.

"Well then, looks like we're all set here." Mrs. Massenger continued, "Well Chason is going to take us to the airport, and then come back to help you baby sit."

Say WHAT?

"And my cousin, Denise, is coming at three. Thank you so much, Annelise! You are a complete lifesaver."

Then I guess she was getting in the European mood since she gave me that two air kiss on the cheeks thing, and then dragged Chason and her husband out the door.

Good riddance.

But one last thing, when do I get paid?

I do not understand how Mrs. Massenger can control seven kids. This is ridiculous. What other family would have a pyromaniac, a whiny baby, and a massive load of other kids and they just happen to live next door to yours truly.

"Lise! Lise!"

"Yes Emmie?" I say picking up the little five year old, trying to think of a better nickname for myself. Her blond hair was in a total mess on top of her head, and her eyes were bright red from crying. "What's wrong, honey?"

In one quick movement, her sad little tears where wiped from her face and was soon replaced with a downright evil grin, "Its Bartholomew's fault. He punched me."

And I should believe this little villain why?

I sigh and put her down, "I'll make sure to give him what he deserves."

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" She chants jumping out of my arms and racing down the hall, most likely to meet up with Jamie Lynn to make up another devious plan to get another of their siblings in trouble.

It's been thirty minutes since Mr. and Mrs. Massenger left, and I'm already going out of my mind.

Walking into the kitchen, I step over the puddle of chocolaty milk and almost knock over a bowl of Coco Pebbles that were left on the very edge of the table, ready to tumble at any small indication of movement.

I caught it right before it fell, and took it, and stacked the rest of the dirty dishes so I could take them all over to the sink at one time.

The warm rushing water felt good against my cold hands, and as soon as I put the first dish in the mountain of bubbly soap, Sarafina walks in carrying Zachariah, and looking like she was about to hurl her breakfast on me. This was not good.

"Um, Sara, are you okay?"

She shakes her head and looks like she's choking on her own throat, if that's even possible.

I take my hands out of the warm water, turn off the sink, and grab a nearby cloth so I can dry my hands. "Uh, how about I take Zachie, and you go back to bed?"

She nods and holds him out in front of her, like she's getting ready to drop him. I grab the little blondie before she has a chance to drop him and with a rush of dirty blond hair she's running upstairs hand in front of her mouth.

Perfect. That's exactly what I need. The only other person in this house above eleven that wasn't a pyromaniac is sick probably with the flu. Why me? Why, why, why, why me?

I felt a little palm on my face, and I look down to see Zachie drooling all over me his hand that is touching my face pretty much soaked with delicious baby drool. I sigh and grab the same cloth I dried my hands off with to clean him up.

Trying to decide what to do with Zachie, I end up putting him in the playpen and dragging it into the kitchen so I can finish these dishes and check on what the other kiddies are doing.

I actually got half of the dishes done this time before the phone starts ringing. I've started to wonder how Mrs. Massenger does this all. Now I don't felt as bitter towards her leaving, she definitely needed it.

Of course I don't pick up the phone. How could I? My hands are wet and soapy and like I'm going to carry a Winnie the Pooh sippy cup around the house until I find a phone.

The ringing stops and within a heartbeat, Juliana is holding out the phone, saying it's for me.

As soon as I take it, she whips on a coat and says she's going out before I can stop her. I put the phone down, ignoring whoever was on the line, and practically tackle her to the ground.

"No you don't."

She pouted, "Come on! I'm fifteen years old! I'm old enough to look out for myself. I don't want to stay here in this hell hole!"

I laughed, "Ya well, and I didn't want this babysitting job, oh! But look, here I am."

Juliana almost screams at me, and with a wave of her died black hair, she stomped up the stairs as hard as she could, making sure I knew that she was staying here and she did not like it.

God help single mothers with teenagers.

Walking back into the kitchen, I find Zachie almost falling asleep in his playpen, Bartholomew trying to steal a cookie from the jar on top of the fridge, and an abandoned phone.

The phone! I had forgotten about the person on the phone.

"Hello?"

Whoever was on the other line chuckled, "Sounds like you're having fun. Did you actually tackle Juliana? Or was that just my imagination from what I heard?"

That asshole. "I hate you."

"Aww, sweety, no you don't."

"I officially hate you, Ren Fuller Dunn."

My brother laughed, "Well, you win some you lose some. Anyway I called to tell you that what's her face called you and she said it was important, and it better have damn been important cause it woke me up."

"Good!"

"Shut up. Anyway, ya, so call her back."

I sighed and leaned against the counter, "I would if I knew who it was, brother dearest."

"I hate you too, Annelise Skye Dunn."

"Whatever."

And he hung up. What I couldn't believe though, was that we were actually civil with each other. That was nothing compared to our usual quarrels with each other. It usually ends in me jumping on him trying to take him to the ground by beating him with my fists, but that's beside the point.

Setting the phone down, I finish the dishes and set them all on the rack.

After that, everything was pretty much a routine.

I took Zachie up to his room and set him to sleep in his crib instead of his play pen, and I made sure that Juliana was sufficiently pissed at me.

She was. Juliana was blasting her music from her attic bedroom loud enough for me to get the "I hate you" vibes. My job there is done.

Sara was also officially sick, or so said the barf that was all over the bathroom. I sighed and cleaned up the bathroom, and held her hair back while she threw chunks. What I do for these kids, my god.

What some babysitters would say as surprisingly, I would say that Emmie and Jamie Lynn were playing suspiciously in their room dressing up their dolls and having them play with each other. I might have to watch out for those two. Who knows what they were planning.

Bartholomew was downstairs watching TV, eating some pretzels since he seemed to not be quite tall enough to reach the cookies, even while standing on the chair.

All's well that end's well right?

"Honey, I'm home!"

Shit.

"So how are you, my darling?"

Remember, I kept telling myself, deep calming breaths, deep breaths. Supposedly they help for anger, and God knows I need help right now.

"Aww, sweetie, did I do something to upset you? Baby, I've always told you, if you want this relationship to work, then we have to communicate."

"There is no relationship," I said while gritting my teeth.

Chason Massenger dramatically leaned against the stairwell railing and clutched his heart, "You've stopped my heart, Lis."

"Good."

I walked away from him and into the living room, determined to clean up the board games that had been strewn across the floor.

"Is there anyway I can make it up to you, sugar cakes?"

He's like a puppy. You push it away and it comes back even more eager.

My best plan of action was just to ignore him, and maybe if I'm lucky, he'll get bored and go away to his room, lock the door, and never be seen or heard from again.

But that's only if I get lucky, which, knowing my current statistics, didn't look to great.

"I could profess my love for you in the cafeteria."

Whoops, I think I just stepped on the figurine. Well, at least I didn't amputate anything. I think.

"Or maybe I can memorize Shakespeare and quote it to you."

Deep, calming breaths.

"Or maybe-"

"You're an asshole? Ya, maybe, if we're all lucky."

I need to work on this saying before thinking stuff.

Chason shook his almost white blond hair, tossing his bangs from his eyes, "Really now?"

Just one more game left, one more game. Calm yourself… seven years of doing yoga and I have nothing!

I reach for the game board, and start to grab all of the little cards.

He takes the board and holds it above his head, "Will you talk to me if I do this?"

"You jerk! You know you're at an advantage." I had to admit, I was whining, but I had a reason! He was a freaking giant compared to me. That's just not fair!

But of course he just laughs and swoops it down near my head so I think I can get it but when I reach for it, it's somehow out of my reach again.

So I do what any normal teenage girl would do in my place. Pounce on him and hope he falls to the ground.

Which he does, to my delight. So as I'm on top of him amidst the yells of, "You're a bitch!" and "Goddamit!", I try and reach for the board.

But as I try to wrench it out of his grasp, the board soon disappears and I'm left falling into God knows where.

Fuck.

What do you think?

Brittany