4

I gasp and scan the environment as far as my eyes can go. I sigh in defeat and take the binoculars inside with me. Could anybody really have been watching?

"What was that about?" Eileen demands,the minute she sees me walking. She rushes over to me and carefully studies the binoculars with me.

"Nothing, I don't know, there was nothing outside. " I shrug and toss it nonchalantly on the floor, not caring or bothering about it.

"Of course there wasn't. I mean, we are talking about you here. " She chuckles and flips her empty popcorn bowl around and shakes it motioning it's empty,"I'm out of popcorn."

"So?" I roll my eyes, walking up to my dinner to get ready to fill my stomach because I'm pretty sure the party is going to distract me from food.

"So, get me some more!" She commands, as if she is my boss which in a way, I've got to admit, might actually be the case.

"You've had too many sweet things to eat, I'm not ready to have you whine about your aching stomach endlessly." I blurt and head into the bedroom, her trailing behind me.

"I hate you." She says as I start to change out of my clothes,selecting the best outfit that's going to make me look casual yet hot at the same time.

"I don't." I chuckle and gesture for her to sit by the mirror. Which thankfully, she obeys.

"You already had your evening bath so change out of that dress, now!" I snap, she rolls her eyes and grabs a teddy bear off the floor before walking to the closet and pulling out a pink pajamas,covered with images of the barbie doll.

She slips it on before heading back to sit by the mirror. Now fully dressed to leave, I hurry to her side and pull out a comb and a few hair bands.

I give the hair bands to her and start to comb through her tangled hair. I groan when the comb gets stuck in her hair a few times, "Pass the de-tangling spray."

She passes the bottle and shakes it, "It's empty."

"What?! I just got that thing last week." I frown and meet her gaze in the mirror.

"I may or may not have used it on my dolls." She laughs nervously. I roll my eyes at her in annoyance, shaking the empty bottle in the air unknowing, "Dude,that thing cost me seventeen dollars."

"I'm sorry."She says and gives me the puppy eyes that she knows I always find hard to resist, "Please? Daddy?" I sigh and shake my head in amusement. I run the comb through her hair and put it up in a bun.

"Okay girl, be nice to the babysitter, okay? Those people cost me fourteen dollars each time and I can't have them not take care of you because you're being rude." I sigh. Every babysitter that's come by so far has either had something to complain about, or something negative to say.

"Or you could not leave me with them?" She shrugs and I grab her shoulder and head downstairs. I know she does have a point.

Right on cue, the doorbell rings,"I'll get it." I announce and stroll to the door to answer whoever was behind it.

"Duh, I wouldn't offer to get it anyways." Eileen says with a shrug, lying on her back on a couch.

I ignore her and open the door revealing a young woman in a full length hijab or something, or whatever people call it. The only thing visible being her eyes. I strain my eyes in confusion, "And you must be?"

She clears her throat. "I'm Ayesha, I'm here to babysit." Her voice is way too high pitched, how can somebody feel comfortable having to talk like that all the time?

I look at her from head to toe. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with leaving my daughter with her, she looks suspicious.

"Did they really send you here?"

"Yeah."She answers,her voice is deeper and I raise a brow, she clears her throat again, "I mean yes,yes they did." She answers in her former voice. "Sorry sometimes my voice gets honky."

"I don't even know what that means." I say and move aside, granting her access to come inside. She clings to her weird handbag and takes a look around the living room.

"So this is my dau. . .sister, Eileen Winter, she's four and basically rude, hard to control. . . " I pause when I notice she's not paying any attention to me."Are you listening?"

She stops staring at the fish tank and looks at me, "yes sure." she nods and then turns to look at Eileen.

"Hi little one, you look so cute." She lifts her finger and proceeds to poke Eileen's nose. Eileen slaps it out of her face before it gets to her nose and glares at the weird babysitter, "Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot." She spits and turns to sit on a couch.

"Oh." Ayesha blurts and turns to look at me with Hazel eyes.

"Well I told you so." I shrug. "Anyways no matter what, stay here with her. I'm going to be back by twelve in the morning at least."

"I see, that's what populars do right?" she raises an eyebrow.

I nod with a smirk, "Yeah. . ." I turn to look at my daughter, "Okay Lee, I'm off. . . Be nice," I start and rethink my selection of words, "or at least try and be nice to Ayesha."

She stands up and hugs me,"Fine whatever."

"Love you." I announce and grab my keys,heading out of the house after handing a to do and not to do list, to Ayesha.

"Don't exactly care." She frowns and Ayesha holds her mouth in place to avoid bursting in laughter. I ignore them both and head out the door.

* * *

"Ace!" I hear Emily call for me and I snap my head in the voice's direction. I smile when I see her, Sam and some new girl I've never seen before walking towards me.

"Hey babes!" I chuckle as both of them hug me. "Cool Party Sam, it's totes lit."

"It's not my party." She puts a hand on her waist and flaps the other one slightly. I laugh uncontrollably suddenly remembering Eileen's version of that display.

"What's so funny?" All three of them asks in unison, frowns plastered on their faces.

"Nothing," I shake it off. "Who's the chick?" I direct at the tall brunette in their middle. She blushes and Emily smiles, "She's my cousin,Summer. She just moved to town and she'll be coming to school with us!"

"How exciting is that?" Sam beams. "I mean Ace she's the coolest person you'll ever meet."

"And the hottest." I wink at her and her face goes red in embarrassment.

"Ignore him, typical jock." Emily smiles. She nods and extends her hand for a shake. I accept the hand and kiss it slightly, "Nice to meet you Summer. I'm Ace Winter."

She giggles,"You know what's funny?"

"Do I want to know?" I raise a brow and let go of her hand.

"I'm Summer Spade. That's a season and a card just like you're Ace Winter, a card number and a season!"

"Interesting." I remark thoughtfully.

"Okay, Sam and I have our boyfriends to attend to. You two wanna hang out or something?" Emily smiles.

"Do you?" Summer and I say in unison and we both laugh, "Yeah." we both reply and she skips over to my side.

"Okay catch you girls later." I say,waving them both off.

"I'll dial you when the pool is ready, that's when the main party starts." Sam winks and both girls turn to leave, both flipping their hair. A weird habit I've grown used to.

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