WELCOME

[alexandra jamison]

Alexandra finished vacuuming the small living room, and was now taking out the trash. It was almost seven and she found herself glancing at the clock more often. It had been about three years since she had taken this job. She was content with the work and was used to her normal routines. She actually became friends with the older woman whom she worked for. Her quirky and impatient personality was charming to Alexandra. Michelle was rude and yet she was interesting to talk to. Michelle would go on about how things should be in the world. Her opinions biased from her old age. She had opinions about everything. There was always something in this world that she would criticize and complain about. But her colorful personality was what kept things interesting.

But the best part of the whole job was Tanner. Tanner and Alexandra had best good friends ever since she moved into the city. She became fond of the mysterious boy who left his aunt frequently to go earn some money usually by babysitting. That was where Alexandra came in. She would tend to the older woman while Tanner was out trying to find some kind of babysitting job. So usually promptly after school she would hitch a ride with Tanner to the house on the corner where she would proceed to clean and tend to his aunt.

Tonight he had found a family, not too far from the small house where he lived, who wanted to go out for a movie. But the small infant was an inconvenience. So he would look after the baby while they were out on the town. And Alexandra would stay at his house and listen to his aunt tell her what to do and how exactly to do it. And when Tanner would come home late into the night with a pocket full of cash Alexandra and him would steal away into the night. He would walk her to her house a few blocks away. Unless of course she decided to sleep over on the weekends and then they would stay up talk late into the night about anything and everything.

She loved talking to the boy who made her feel so comfortable in his gaze. He seemed to understand and know her better than even she did. It was elating to just hear his opinions on things. I guess you could say that Alexandra had a small crush on the boy. Maybe not entirely too small actually, since she has liked him for about three years now. But of course she would never admit it, being the coward that she was. They had a good thing going for them, his friendship meant a lot to Alexandra and she didn't want to screw anything up because of her silly emotions.

Alexandra was now making noodles in a small pot on the stove in the quaint kitchen. Michelle slept in the other room but Alexandra knew from years of working here that when she woke up she would expect something to eat. So spaghetti was on the agenda for tonights dinner. It was quiet in the small house while Michelle slept. And as Alexandra waited for the pasta to be ready she picked up a book that was laying on the counter. Now she absorbed herself in the novel.

The thick misty steam continued to puff from the small pot while the girl read. She knew that this was probably a bad idea since that was what got her in trouble last time, where she tried to multi task turning the noodles into a thin mush. So with great sadness she set her book down and got up from the kitchen table to tend to the pasta.

After draining the noodles she poured some butter and fresh chopped tomatoes into the pot, adding some spices for flavor and finishing it off with a small tint of red wine, which she knew that Michelle would enjoy very much. Vuala! It was done! She looked proudly down at the tasty meal and then glanced back up at the clock. Any minute now Tanner would be walking through the front door and her work would be finished for the night. But while she waited for his arrival she got out her bulging backpack filled with textbooks and todays homework. She let the dinner sit on the stove staying warm while she waited for the woman in the back to wake and call her.

Alexandra proceeded to open her thick and heavy literature book. She had taken a course of honors classes to test her skill with language and writing. Those were her favorite topics. She thoroughly enjoyed reading the different stories she was assigned to. Today she had to read a story about a war veteran whose life was turned around by the violence he had witnessed in Vietnam. Then she was to answer a page of questions about how it made her feel.

So the girl sat in the quiet kitchen reading through the short story and listening to the small mp3 player that lay on the table beside her blasting a mix of different rock sounds. The clock continued to tick slowly, the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing through the silent room, keeping beat with the clear sound of the music coming from the small ear buds that were placed in her ears.

[tanner brandt]

Tonight he was sitting for the O'Keeffe family six houses down and across the street. The O'Keeffe family was a very pleasant one, a small family made up of a young married couple and their son. They seemed to reflect the perfect household to everyone around them, and there wasn't a soul who met them that didn't enjoy their company, smiles, and cooking. They were the type of people whom everyone else looked to when they imagined a happy and tranquil life. That's one of the things about his job though; when you take care of someone's child, you learn some interesting things about the family.

Arron and Victoria, the parents, were both in their late twenties and had been married for five and a half years. Their first born son, Sean, died only a few months into life, from what even the doctors didn't know. For some reason though, Victoria had taken to blaming the girl who had been tending to Sean one night while the young wife tended to Arron in the hospital after a work injury. After that, when little Logan was born nearly a year after Sean had died, the mother had chosen to care for her child herself for the most part. Tanner was the first person hired after that incident.

That wasn’t the extent of the family’s history though. Once the family had suffered that immense lose, Mrs. O’Keeffe had had an affair. Or, at least that’s what Tanner was assuming, due to the fact that Logan’s slightly darker skin, black hair, and greenish eyes matched neither his mother or his supposed father’s appearance. That, plus she was a rather flirty thing, not acting shy whenever her husband stepped out of the room. Arron was oblivious all of this though, and he remained loyal to his beloved, even if she wasn’t. One thing was for sure though: they both loved their son dearly.

It was clear why they did though. Tanner smiled as he looked down at the three year old, who was so small one might think he was only a slightly large baby, especially since he hadn’t really started talking yet. Currently, he was racing around his little race car track rug with the little wooden convertible the older boy had made, painted, and brought for him. So far they had been hanging out together for at least nearly four hours that night, excluding the few times before when both parents and Victoria alone had asked him to babysit. The toddler’s laugher rang throughout his little play room as he rounded a wide corner with his toy, giggling as Tanner jumped right into the fun with him, pulling his own hot wheel car out of his pocket and joining the race, making vrooming noises along the way.

About fifteen minutes later, when cars had become uninteresting and the new trend was watching Crash Box, there was a burst of noise that erupted from the front room. If the teenager’s ears knew what they were hearing, it was most likely the sound of Mrs. O’Keeffe stumbling through the front door, snickering with more than one shot in her system. He turned to the little boy, picking him up and sending him soaring safely through the air as he did so, placing him on his shoulders. Logan laughed gleefully, putting his arms out like he was an air plane. Tanner made the best air plane noise he could imagine, trotting into the living room to greet the couple who had just arrived home from their movie date.

Mr. Brandt had been right when he had assumed that the lady of the house had knocked back a few. Upon entering the room, the woman was nearly doubled over in cachinnation, clinging to her man to keep herself from falling. Mr. O’Keeffe took on a flustered look when his child entered the room. Gently, he helped his wife straighten herself up, then guided her in the general direction of their bedroom, stopping and turning around once she was on her way and had a wall on either side to stabilize her. He took the young boy from Tanner’s shoulders, a smile immediately as he did so. He hugged his son lovingly, then placed him on his hip, looking to the babysitter in gratitude. Already his free hand was digging through the pocket with his wallet in it, trying to fish it out. Arron was a smooth man of few, but powerful, words. His routine was simply to pay, then to say thank you and goodnight.

Apparently he had no money though, or his wife had taken his wallet or something. “Hold on for a moment please,” he said with that kind yet stern tone that he always carried. He walked away with his little boy, calling out to his darling dearest to pay the boy as he put their offspring to sleep. The woman who was a little more than buzzed strutted towards him, the strap of her blue dress falling off her shoulder and her red hair in her eyes. She had a small wad of cash in her hand and he simpered some in an awkward fashion. She always made him nervous, in a creepy kind of way. He shivered.

Victoria looked over her shoulder briefly, then tripped over her own foot, basically falling into his chest. Of course, with Tanner’s nice manners, tried to help steady the woman so she didn’t fall over in the state she was in, but then it became apparently that her fall had been premeditated as she slid her hand deep down into his pocket, shoving the money into his pants and causing his eyes to immediately widen at the same time. She smirked, then just as quickly as she had put her hand there, withdrew it, saying goodnight and moseying back to her bedroom. Note to self, the boy thought as he strode out of the house as fast as his little feet would carry him: never accept payment from a drunk Victoria O’Keeffe.

Once he was out of the house and away from the “perfect family,” he realized what a beautiful night it was. It was surprisingly dark for only about eight at night, but he hardly noticed that. Even though he was in a neighborhood, the small enclosed town had strict rules about the lighting in the city, so you could see all the stars in the sky so clearly it was almost as if you were standing in a large planetarium. The night was so quiet that he just wanted to preserve it in time because it just seemed so peaceful, like there was nothing wrong with the world at the moment, even if there had been slight chaos a second before and there was to be a war within the next few seconds. This moment right now seemed perfect.

A tiny chill ran through him as a slight breeze brushed up against the exposed skin of his neck and face, churning a few loose leaves along the sidewalk he walked on. Slowly, he drifted towards the center of the street, just letting his feet carry him as he ambled in the road. He pulled his black, blazer like jacket a little tighter around himself, the green and rather tight Pinback shirt he wore underneath it not helping against the sudden shiver any. The soft swishing noise of his dark blue jean legs brushing against each other as he walked carried up to ears and joined the noise of his own footsteps and breathing, creating the soundtrack for his walk back home. In his mind, This Time by Jonathan Rhys Meyers played, instantly making things even more calming and wiping his mind clear of all thoughts. He absolutely loved that song.

The small wind played with his hair as he finally arrived at his own home, or at least at the house where they lived at. He paused for a second, looking at the second story windows. They were off and everything seemed quiet, and for a second Tanner stopped to again, for the hundredth time, wonder what was up on the second story. The owner of the house had rented out the first floor to Tanner and Michelle and didn’t occupy the top floor, yet they weren’t allowed to so much as peak up the stairs. When he was little, the boy would try to sneak up the creaky steps leading to the other story, but somehow his grandmother always knew when he was up to something. She would always get there just in time to slap his hand before he touched the doorknob at the end of the stairs.

His feet automatically took the little cobblestone path straight to the front porch, making sure to step over the crack on the third stone that had tripped him many times before in his eighteen years. The boy’s hand fished around in his back pocket, searching for the small silver key that he kept on him at all times. He approached the front door and went to unlock it, the doorknob cold in his hand as he silently slipped into the house and locked the door again behind him. It was habit more than anything really. There were no dangers of the night to worry about in Londonderry, Ireland

Immediately the smell of pasta filled his nose and inhaled deeply, smiling. Even through walls, the scent of Alex’s cooking was magnificent and mouth watering. He hung his jacket on the hooks in the wall which were hidden behind the front door, then peaked into the kitchen through the glass door. The young girl had her headphones in, no doubt listening to something louder than footsteps, and was reading. It was too easy.

All of the door hinges in the house were well greased, so the door opened without so much as a squeak. Alexandra was sitting in the chair facing away from the door and towards the oven, no doubt so she could watch her cooking while she read, so sneaking up on her wasn’t a problem. He tiptoed up to where he was standing directly over her, then leaned over her and tilted her head up gently, guiding her head up with his fingers carefully lifting her chin. “Boo,” he said softly, smiling warmly.

[alexandra jamison]

Oh what a dull, dull world when you have to write answers for fifteen questions about what you just read. Alexandra loved to read, but hated answering the stupid and pointless inquirings that followed. The story had been quite interesting and she had enjoyed thouroughly, but now she had to do some real work. Alexandra reached in her backpack and pulled out a thick notebook then opened it to the first page that was blank, passing numerous doodles and drawings to get to it. Taking on the first question about why she thinks the story ended the way it did, she replied in a short answer that was probably very typical. It's not that she hated writing, she just hated answering lame questions, because Alexandra was a decent writer, at least that was what her teachers had relayed to her. Moving on to the next question, she flipped back into the story to find the information she needed.

This proceeded for about ten minutes, and she was nearly done when a startling presence had settled over her head. Then she felt fingers under her chinning, lifting her head up gently to face the boy who was standing there mouthing the word "boo". She had jumped ever so slightly but it probably would have been ten times more frightening if Tanner had done it in a less gentle way. Though of course Alexandra couldn't hear him actually exclaim "boo" because she had her headphones on and Billy Talent blazing out of both buds that she now popped out of her ear.

She smiled warmly up at the boy. Then leaping up to give him a warm embrace, knocking her textbook onto the floor in the hasty process. But she hugged him warmly ignoring the book that fell with a loud crash to the kitchen floor. Then she turned around and picking up the book that had fallen and began stuffing her things back into the bulging backpack. She would have to finish the tedious homework later. Trying to zip her overloaded backpack up was a chore though, but she eventually managed it.

"So I made some dinner but Michelle hasn't woken yet. I assume she will any minute now." Alexandra updated him. Grinning she turned back in his direction after pushing her heavy backpack off of the table and on to the floor to try to clear some room for dinner. She looked at him again with a complacent smile and spun around to grab a couple of plates for dinner. She brought them over to the pot where she served up to heaping clumps of the delicious looking pasta. She brought them back to the table and set them down next to each other.

"Hello." She exclaimed, finally slowing down to address the boy who was watching her run around the kitchen. She had realized that she forgot that part of the greeting. She was such a ditz sometimes when she was around him. The girl was silly in nature and sometimes felt like a little kid. But Tanner seemed to humor her childishness. His laugh was comforting to hear and he could make her feel so giddy at times.

She was now getting some glasses and forks to place next to the steaming plates. The food did look pretty good. Before Alexandra had taken the job she wasn't really a good cook. She could make stuff from the boxes but never had she taken on a full blown meal like this. But ever since she got the job she found herself making more and more different and good things to eat. It was probably because after the first few days Michelle would request certain things that Alexandra had no clue about making. So she got better and better and discovered a hidden talent she had with food.

"Do you want me to go check on Michelle? The food is going to get cold and I don't think she would be to pleased about that." She exclaimed, while thinking about how grumpy the old woman would be after a nap and how much she would hate cold pasta. Michelle usually took naps during the day but it never really lasted after seven. It was a bit unusual that she would still be sleeping. But who knows, she could be doing awake and reading or something. But knowing her she would call for dinner around this time. Alexandra just wanted to check up and make sure everything was okay with the frail woman.

Here she was again. Talking, and running around. It had been a pretty busy day and it usually took her a while to get out of the working frenzy. She laughed a little to herself and finally stood still to actually see Tanner.

[tanner brandt]

Even if he had known Alexandera Jamison for around three years, he had never fully gotten used to the leap and hug. It threw him off nearly every time, even if it was almost routine. And, even though she was a relatively small girl, the strength that she put into her friendly embraces was not only enough to warm a man’s heart but enough to squish the air out of a person’s lungs and possibly break a few ribs in the process. But he didn’t mind, he had drank enough milk as a child to develop bones as strong as steel, plus, in a world where he wasn’t really seen, it was nice to be recognized as a person every once in a while.

He let a small ‘oof’ out, as he always did, then laugh, returning the caring hug. Immediately afterwards she jumped into action, picking up the book that had fallen on the floor with a rather loud bang and trying to shove everything into her bag. As she did so, he turned to look at the stove, wondering exactly what she had been preparing when he had interrupted her studying. Some sort of pasta, that was for sure, but which? He resisted the urge to lick his lips and he walked towards the dinner, peering over the edge of the pot. Mm, spaghetti. Delicious.

At the sound of the girl’s voice he turned, his head tilting subconsciously in that ‘I’m listening’ sort of way. Of course, he really was. He wasn’t one of those insensitive guys who pretended to be paying attention simply in order to gain someone’s trust; he really did take in every little word, it’s just the way he was raised. When he was little if Michelle caught him not listening, well let’s just say she didn’t put up with it. Besides, what kind of a friend would he be if he tuned her out?

As she shoved her bag off the table, he wa0lked over and picked it up, resting it against the wall to make sure that no one would trip over it. That was one thing about him, his little OCD habit that took over him sometimes. He couldn’t stand things that belonged to other people on the floor. Sure, his room was messy enough but if it was someone else’s it had to be somewhat tidy. The boy straightened up after he set it down, leaning against the wall and watching Alex zip around from one thing to the next. Tanner smiled to himself, just thinking about how nice it was to have her around.

‘Hello,’ she finally said, taking a moment to breathe. “Hi,” he replied, laughed a bit. She really did need to slow down some, even if it was her job. Maybe that was just the friend in him talking, but he really did thing that Michelle would understand if she did, even if she wasn’t happy about it. Talking about Michelle, where was she? The boy glanced around, looking through the clear glass doors into the living room across the hall, looking for his great aunt. Usually she was awake by now and attempting to clean the practically spit shined home. As if reading his mind, Alexandra brought her up, asking him if he wanted her to check on her. “No, it’s alright. I’ll do it myself.” He smiled at her, opening the door and peering into the hallway, then turning his gaze back to her. “If you want you can go ahead and eat. I’m sure you’re starved.” Then grinning, he stepped out into the hall and headed towards Michelle’s room.

The boy walked down the short hallway and took a left, knocking on the door to the first bedroom lightly. He wondered if she was still napping, or if she was just being anti-social and moody. Quietly, the boy slipped into the room, expecting to see his family member up and about, but instead the old woman lay under the sheets, resting peacefully. Hm… Maybe she had gotten a later start on her nap than normal. Tanner went to her bedside, brushing the hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. He wondered if he should wake her, then noticed some medication on her nightstand. There was a new prescription bottle where she kept her normal one. That’s when it hit him and he remembered. The doctor had given her some new medications only a few days ago for migraines that she kept complaining about, and when he glanced at the bottle again he saw a note underneath it that confirmed his thought. It read “Having a headache, don’t wake me.”

After reading that, he moseyed back into the kitchen, shutting his guardian’s door as he left. He looked at the girl quietly existing in the kitchen and then updated her just like she had only minutes before to him. “Michelle probably shouldn’t be woken. There’s a note on her bedside table explaining that she had a migraine. She’ll probably be out for a while longer.”

[alexandra jamison]

Tanner disappeared through the entrance to the kitchen and left for Michelle's bedroom. Alexandra took the time in his absence to compose herself and finish setting the table. She felt so foolish running around like an idiot trying to please. She probably looked ridiculous in her frenzy, like a puppy who is excited when it's owner comes home. So she slowed down a bit to get back into her normal manner. But that was the thing. Her normal manner was being a frantic silly little creature. But she did try to be less pathetic around Tanner. She smiled to herself and sat at the table.

She glanced over at her backpack that was set perfectly in the corner of the kitchen. It made her roll her eyes. Tanner was a bit OCD Alexandra had noted many years ago. But it didn't bother her, she found his quirks rather amusing and adorable. It was probably the same way around with her. Because Alexandra had many different bits and habits that were silly to him. It was their relationship. They enjoyed the hell out of each other, with the silliness and everything. They could talk about almost anything and they could agree on almost anything. She was very glad to have him in her life. Otherwise she would probably be one lonely girl.

He came back into the kitchen proclaiming that Michelle had a headache and wouldn't be joining them for dinner on account of her deep sleep. It was almost lethal to wake Michelle from a sleep like this. When she had a headache she had it bad and a disturbance would have their head torn off. So Alex stood once more and took the third plate from the table and headed over to get some plastic wrap to drape over it. Once it was completely covered she stuck it in the fridge for later when Michelle decided she was hungry. Alexandra returned to the table to sit next to Tanner. Where he had already began to get started on the delicious meal.

"So... how was your day?" she teased. She was referencing the way that their whole situation seemed so domestic and grown up. It was as if they were all one family. He went out to earn the money and she stayed home to take care of life in the home. It was sometimes rather funny to them both, but hey it made life interesting right? She smiled over at him and laughed. "Where did the O'Keeffes decide to go this time?" she asked referring to the family he had went over to sit for.

She didn't really know much about the family but she had liked the little boy whom she had met once before. The parents had their own complications going on and it made Alexandra pity the boy a little. Alexandra heard all the good horror stories from Tanner who willingly shared the gossip. And that particular family always had stories to tell. Alexandra as shallow as she sounded though. She didn't thrive off of news, it was just something to pass the time between the two. It always made her a little guilty to make fun of people with their issues. But what do you expect from a teenage girl?

Alexandra took a bite out of the steamy pasta that lay in front of her. She had outdone herself this time. It was delicious! She felt a bit of pride for the good meal. It wasn't long ago that she couldn't make anything that didn't come out of a box. It was definitely an improvement.

[tanner brandt]

Immediately Alex did what she did best: went to work. She snuggly wrapped up the delicious looking plate of pasta that was meant for the eldest member of the house to insure its freshness, then tucked it away in the refrigerator. He wondered when his nana would wake as his body placed him conveniently behind a place of warmth emitting food. Sometimes when she had headaches like this she would be out for hours and it was usually his job to tend to her as she rested in bed. If she woke in the middle of the night, he would defiantly hear about it, not to mention the entire street behind their house probably.

He turned his attention to delectable meal in front of him which made his mouth water simply by looking at it. If you added the smell of it into the equation though, then he just felt like one of those dogs with drool simply falling out of its mouth. What could he say though? The girl had become an excellent cook in the time spent aiding Michelle. Tanner smiled; he was a complete sucker for a well cooked plate of spaghetti. As they say, one way to win a man’s heart is through their stomach.

The boy took the closest fork and dove right in, just realizing how hungry playing with the little child had made him, his manners slipping his mind. “ So... how was your day” the girl joked as she slid into the seat next to him. Sometimes, in situations like the current night, it was almost as if they were a married couple, a happy married couple. He chuckled lightly giving one of those ‘so-so’ shrugs, a noodle slipping out of the corner of his mouth slightly as he did so. He brought his napkin up to his face in embarrassment, wiping away the nonexistent sauce that he could swear was dribbled on his chin. He could be a messy eater sometimes.

“Where did the O'Keeffes decide to go this time?" the girl questioned. Tanner shuddered, thinking of that… unpleasant incident with Victoria. She had never been bold enough to do that before, even if she had already frenched him while he was in mid-sentence. He felt bad for her husband. A kind man like that deserved a lot more appreciative woman than the one that he currently resided with, even if his “sweetheart” acted as innocent as can be around him.

“They went to the movies tonight,” he replied during a moment when his mouth was actually empty and capable of speaking correctly, keeping his eyes on his plate. His cheeks turned red as he recalled the moment of payment from just a bit earlier, but he just stuffed more pasta into his mouth, purposely not bringing it up. Wouldn’t it be a big awkward, talking about how a grow man’s wife pretty much stuffed her arm into his pants? Granted, what had happened was a better situation, but only slightly. The fabric on the inside of his pockets, combined with his boxers, was only so thick.

But even if he didn’t come out and blurt it, Alexandra always had a way of knowing when the less than faithful woman had done something. Even if his blushing and obvious eye contact avoidance wasn’t a dead give away, she could read him well enough to pretty much guess what had happen. Tanner took a quick look at the girl digging into her own meal, slurping up a noodle silently at the same time. He wondered if she would. It would sure make it easier on him if she guessed it word for word. If he had to tell her exactly what had happened, he would be blushing like mad and sputtering probably. Or maybe she wouldn’t catch on at all… What a lucky day for him.