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Tucker Up Baby -*- Copyright 2000 by Ellen Hayes.

Any resemblance between the writings in this work, and any actual
persons or places, living or dead, are purely coincidental, except when
used for satirical purposes.

This work contains adult situations, adult language, adult concepts, and
possibly sex.  If you are legally not allowed to read materials
containing such things, then you will be breaking the law by reading
this.  I am not responsible.
Continuing to read this document, or storing it or reproducing it
in any format means that you explicitly affirm that you are legally
allowed to possess and read such materials in your city, county/parish,
state, and country.

All rights reserved.  See the bottom for distribution rights.


Tucker Up Baby


***
11:41 23 Jun

     "Don't you want to eat something?" Davy asked as I put three plates
down.
     "No, I'm too tired," I admitted accidentally.
     "How can you be too tired to eat?" Gary asked, obviously not too
tired himself as he dug in.
     "It's a grownup thing," I told him.  "Besides, I brought my own
lunch today," I remembered.  The idea of leftovers had just perked up my
appetite a lot more than sandwiches and baby food had.

***
11:45 23 Jun

     "WHAT are THOSE?!" Ricky burst out.
     "Stuffed grape leaves," I said.
     They stared at me like I'd said 'fried roaches'.
     "Good!  More for me," I decided happily.

***
13:06 23 Jun

     "Can we go swimming?" Ricky asked.
     I looked at my watch.  "Wait half an hour and then you can," I
said.
     Gary complained, "Half an-" before Ricky hit him, and then the
three of them were in a rolling fight on the dining room floor.
Apparently, the other two had some not-very-buried resentment towards
Ricky for this morning's antics, judging by the comments they were
shrieking.
     I made sure Stella was secure, and sat down to wait until it was
safe to walk.

***
13:42 23 Jun

     "Valerieeeeeeeee!" came a wail of agony.
     I checked my watch, and it was long enough.  "Okay, swimming is
on!"  Shrieks of excitement followed.

***
15:54 23 Jun

     "Valerie?  If you're gonna lie out here, shouldn't you wear some
lotion too?" said a small voice.
     I pulled myself up off the table, wondering when I had gone to
sleep, and felt my back.  *Ouch!*  "Too late," I groaned.  I checked
Stella, and she was still in the shade, at least.  "I'm gonna go back in
before I get any worse.  But I'll still be watching out of the window,
so don't get any ideas."

***
17:02 23 Jun

     Showering was painful, and I wondered if doing it now would help
any with the burn or if it was too late, but I couldn't leave the three
of them alone for that long before now.  I gritted my teeth and forced
myself to neither scream nor move out from under the cool stream that
was causing me such agony.

***
17:25 23 Jun

     "Stuffed grape leaves?" Miz Parker asked either me or Ricky, I
couldn't tell.
     Ricky made a face, and I shrugged and elaborated, "I offered, but
they didn't want them.  Said they were too gross.  Hahahaha," I
chuckled, partly forcing it.  "More for me that way!"

***
17:27 23 Jun

     "Valerie?" Miz Parker asked, in a way that set off alarms in my
head.
     "Um, yeah?"
     "Your company does catering, too, right?"
     "Ummm, yeah?"
     She smiled at me.  *She wants something.  And I'm not going to like
it.*

***
17:38 23 Jun

     "I guess I could," I admitted.  "All you want is help cooking
before?"  She nodded.  "That won't be a problem."
     "We'll pay you extra for all the work, of course," she said like
that was obvious.  It sort of wasn't, but very welcome it was anyway.
     "Okay, but I'm also going to need some extra cash, if I need to go
shopping," I put in.

***
17:41 23 Jun

     "I promised I'd ask," I told Miz Parker.  Amy had held my pants
hostage until I'd agreed, but I wasn't going to try and explain that.
     "Let me get this straight.  She's your cousin; she came to visit
you over the summer; and she's so bored that she wants to come over and
help you babysit, and she's not going to get paid?"  She seemed to have
it straight.
     "Well, no.  I mean yeah."  I was confused.  "I mean, yes, that's
what she wanted, and no you wouldn't have to pay any extra.  I just had
to promise I'd ask you, I can tell her 'no', no problem."
     "Well, if she wants to come.... how old is she?"
     "Fifteen, a year younger than- yes?  Are you saying yes?"
     "Why not?"
     I knew there had to be a reason, but nothing was coming to me.
     "Is she going to help Friday?"
     I wanted to scream; this all fit too well.  Had she talked to Amy
this morning?

***
17:57 23 Jun

     Driving home was a torment I hadn't anticipated.

***
18:36 23 Jun

     "She said yes," I admitted, feeling strangely defeated.
     "Wahoo!" Amy said, and pulled me into a hug, which hurt a lot.  I
guess the yelp of pain gave her the clue that it was a bad idea.

***
18:41 23 Jun

     "Want me to put some Solarcaine on it or something?" Amy asked
after inspecting my back.
     "Oh god, if you would..."

***
18:44 23 Jun

     The spray hurt, but the freezing mist had the promise of relief,
which is why I let her do it.  I had burned almost all my back and my
arms too.
     "You know, Tuck," she chuckled, "this is gonna HOLY SHIT!"
     "What?"  I was more confused than usual.
     She turned me around by grabbing my body and shifting me, which
made me say a rude word or three, but she didn't even hear them.
"Tuck!" she hissed.  "You're gonna have tan lines!"
     "Do what?  Of course I am, I got a burn-"
     She hit me in the head.  "You DORK!  What kind of swimsuit were you
wearing?"
     "My OH SHIT!"

***
18:47 23 Jun

     Susan had her head in her hands for a long time, and I thought she
was thinking, until she lost it and fell out of the chair laughing.  I
didn't have enough room to kick her, but that was okay because the
reason I didn't was because Amy was in the way, and she was kicking
Susan for me.

***
18:55 23 Jun

     "You have to admit, this is sort of funny," Susan pleaded as I got
my food and sat down at the table.
     "No I don't," I grumbled.  "I don't have to admit anything, and
this is not funny."

***
19:18 23 Jun

     And I got stuck with washing everyone's dishes, too.  Life was so
unfair.

***
19:34 23 Jun

     "We looked into it on the Web, and we think we could find one of
those instant tanning lotions that would work," Susan said as I sat on
her bed.
     Amy sat down next to me after making sure the door was shut.  "But,
they keep talking about testing it on your skin first, so-"
     "So we may have to try a couple of different ones," Susan finished.
     "Why-"
     "It's either this, or tanning yourself without a top on at all, or
a tanning salon," Susan interrupted.  "And with the last two, the tan
lines are gonna be a problem."
     "Oh god," I moaned.  I almost flopped down on the bed, on my back,
but I remembered in time not to.

***
20:18 23 Jun

     There being nothing to do for my tan at the moment, I remembered
that I really ought to restart checking my voicemail.  All of them.
     There were a LOT of messages.  All of them from either Pack
members, Julia, or Jack.  I sighed, and listened to all of them before
deleting them.  They had been more worried than I thought.

***
23:08 23 Jun

     "Don't you have to work tomorrow?" Amy asked when I pulled off the
'phones.
     "Oh.  Yeah, I guess," I admitted, and started shutting my synth
down.
     "Want some more?" she asked, waving a can at me.
     "Yes please," I agreed instantly.

***
06:56 24 Jun

     One of the sundresses tied around the neck, pulling pressure off
the burned spots, and I had a bra somewhere that would too...  It took
me a few minutes of quiet digging, flashlight held in my teeth, before I
found it, though.
     It was quite a bit less painful than the Tshirt had been, though,
so I guess it was worth the search.

***
07:26 24 Jun

     "Good morn- oh, dear," Miz Parker said as she opened the door.
     "What?"
     She pointed at my top, and I was worried that I was falling out of
my clothes or something until she said, "Did you forget the sunblock
yesterday?"
     "No, well, on me I did, but then I fell asleep at the side of the
pool, and the kids didn't catch it until it was too late.  Did any of
them burn?  I know Stella was in the shade, but the kids kept
swimming..."
     "Ricky looked a little pink, but nothing bad," she said.  "Does it
hurt?"  I nodded, and she made a sad face.
     "Not that bad," I said.

***
07:30 24 Jun

     "And watch her, just like she watches you," Miz Parker told Ricky.
     "I didn't know!  I don't have a watch," he pointed out.
     Miz Parker sighed.  It sounded like this was a long-running debate
or something.

***
07:39 24 Jun

     "She keeps saying I'll lose it or something," Ricky grumbled.  "But
how can I lose it if I keep it around my arm?"
     *You'd find a way,* I didn't say out loud.

***
07:55 24 Jun

     There was a sedate knock or three at the door.  *I wonder who that
is?* I thought as I got up to answer it.
     It was Gary and Davy.  "Is it okay to come in?" Gary asked.
     I tried to figure out what scam they were pulling, but I couldn't
think of anything, so I let them in, with a definite idea of watching
them carefully.

***
09:12 24 Jun

     I suppose that if I'd bothered to check the weather this morning,
it would have mentioned that it was going to rain, but I hadn't, so the
roar of a thunderstorm startled me.  Stella didn't seem to notice,
busily engaged as she was in crawling backwards.  I wondered if this was
one of those weird neurological symptoms of brain damage, or just
something about kids I hadn't heard about yet.  Something else.

***
11:14 24 Jun

     "You know," I mentioned to Stella, "if I fix something interesting,
it'll keep their minds off the rain and the swimming they aren't doing."
     I hadn't noticed Davy come in, but his moan of anguish announced
him.  "Whyyyyyy?" he asked me.
     "Be- I don't know," I said, irritated.  "You think I like being
cooped up in here with you monsters?"
     His face brightened, and he dashed off.  I worried for a while, but
I couldn't hear anything especially strange, so I just tried to put it
out of my mind and think about what to cook for lunch.  Stella shrieked
and banged on the floor for a while, but she was smiling when I looked
at her, so I smiled back.

***
12:03 24 Jun

     "How do YOU know how to cook Chinese food?" Davy asked, as if such
a thing was impossible without slanted eyes.
     "I have a brother, he's from China," I said, trying not to smile.
     "Nuh UH!"

***
12:06 24 Jun

     "You and Kim want to come over, hook up after I get off work?" I
asked Mike, holding the phone with my shoulder while stirring
energetically.
     "Why are you doing this?" Mike asked suspiciously.
     "One of them doesn't believe I have a Chinese brother."
     "Ahhhh so," he said, and I could picture him nodding.  "I'll ask
Kim, but she might be working or something."

***
12:24 24 Jun

     "You have to eat SOMETHING!" Davy insisted.  "Or you'll STARVE!"
     "I will not," I scoffed.
     "It happened to someone I know, I saw the movie!"
     "You did not," Gary insisted back.  "Mom and Dad wouldn't let you
watch it, you got scared-"
     "So did you!"
     "Did not!"
     And so on, while I tried to figure out why Davy would have known
people who starved to death, and why they would have made a movie out of
it.

***
14:30 24 Jun

     I checked the weather radar channel despite protests, and the whole
city was covered in green and yellow.  Peachy.

***
17:37 24 Jun

     "Finally," I said as I heard the garage door work.  I didn't care
who it was at that point; I just wanted to get away from the maniacal
children. And it STILL hadn't stopped raining.

***
17:42 24 Jun

     Miz Parker had had some menu ideas at work for her party Friday
night, so we were discussing them when someone knocked at the door.
     "Oh jeez, I was supposed to meet them," I explained.  "They're
friends of mine, we were supposed to meet here after I got off work," I
explained further as Miz Parker and I went towards the door.  It was
just a guess, but it turned out to be the right one, as Mike and Amy
said hello.  "No Kim?" I asked.
     "She was working tonight, but she said hi," Mike said.  "Good
evening," he said to Miz Parker, and clicked his heels and bowed.
     "Um, this is Mike and this is Amy," I said, remembering manners.
"This is Miz Parker, half of my bosses.  Mister Parker hasn't gotten
home yet."
     "He said he'd be late tonight," Miz Parker explained as she shook
hands with the other two.  "This is your cousin Amy?" she asked.
     "Do wh- yeah," I said as I remembered yesterday's conversation.
That was about all I wanted to remember about yesterday.
     "You were supposed to wake me up this morning," Amy complained.
     "You did not look like you wanted to wake up," I lied.  Though she
didn't.
     "You forgot I was going to come with, din'tcha?" she guessed.
     "Shut up, Amy," I ordered hopefully.
     As Amy opened her mouth, Gary asked from behind us, "Is that your
brother?" and pointed at Mike.
     "Yep," Mike said before anyone else could think of anything, and he
bowed at the kids, who had gathered previously unnoticed behind us.
     "Are you really from China?" Ricky asked.
     "Hong Kong," Mike said, which was technically accurate.  He'd spent
about four days there after his birth, and he'd been in the states since
he was six.  Six days old.  I whispered as much to Miz Parker as Mike
embellished and Amy supported him.  When I stopped, she was fighting to
keep a straight face.  The kids, luckily, didn't notice.

***
17:44 24 Jun

     "Sure, that'd be okay," Amy agreed after glancing at me.  "Sounds
like fun," she smiled at Miz Parker.
     Miz Parker smiled back, then turned to me.  "So, we'll see you
tomorrow?"

***
17:45 24 Jun

     "Anywhere without children," I suggested as Mike slammed the door
to his car.  It still hadn't stopped raining, and his front seat would
hold all of us, and the roof would keep out most of the rain.
     "What happened to your back?" Mike asked.
     "Ah-"
     "You forgot sunscreen, didn't you," he stated.
     "Yes, Mike," I sighed.
     "You idiot."
     "Yes, Mike," I admitted.
     "We had some ideas on how to fix it," Amy inserted.

***
17:48 24 Jun

     "I guess all we can do is try it this weekend or something," Mike
sighed.  "So what did you want to do tonight?"
     "I'm kind of hungry," Amy suggested.

***
18:28 24 Jun

     "'Cause I'm cold, stupid!"  Rain on bare shoulders, right before
going into air conditioning, had a tendency to cause that.
     "Well, put something on," Amy suggested.
     "Like what?" I retorted, pointing at my pink shoulders.  She
sighed, and glared at me.
     "Can we just eat?" Mike asked.  "You two can go to the bitch room
if you want to do that."

***
18:43 24 Jun

     "I can't stand it any more," Mike sighed, making no sense.
     "What?" Amy and I asked at the same time.
     "It's too tempting."
     "Dessert?" I guessed.  "Go ahead and-"  He flipped an ice cube down
my cleavage.  "Ahhhhh!" I said, standing up and starting to dance.  I
don't think it was conscious on my part; I think it triggered some
reflex in my spinal cord directly.
     "You ASSHOLE!" Amy announced as Mike put his head on the table,
hands over his neck.  He didn't even try to block her as she beat upon
him.
     When I finally got the ice cube out, I noticed people were staring
at us.  I sat back down as quietly as I could, but it was far far too
late for that.

***
18:44 24 Jun

     "It was too much temptation to bear.  I'm sorry, Val," Mike
apologized.  "You know how my dark side is."
     "Just, don't do that again for a while," I pleaded.  "It might give
me epilepsy."
     "Don't do it to me either," Amy warned.
     Mike looked at her like she was crazy.  "Why would I do it to you?"

***
19:58 24 Jun

     "Two please."  I was going to have to talk to Amy about paying me
back, and soon.

***
22:09 24 Jun

     Men In Black looked like it was going to be awesome, I had to
admit.  At least, that's what the trailers looked like.
     "I have GOT to get sunglasses like that!" Amy enthused.
     "Then you have to get a job," I told her.
     "But-
     "No!"
     "But you could-"
     "No!"
     "But-"
     "NOOOO!"

***
22:37 24 Jun

     "You're kind of late," Rachel said as she opened the door and let
us in.
     "That's why I knocked.  I'm sorry, we went out to dinner and a
movie-"
     "You should call me next time!  Maybe I'd want to go!" she said,
and I was worried that she was actually mad or something until she
smiled.  Then she frowned, and I thought that maybe she WAS mad until
she pointed at me and asked, "When did THAT happen?"

***
23:18 24 Jun

     Ahhh, bed.  With Amy, yet.  I dove on top and rolled-
     "Still sunburned?" Amy asked when I ran out of breath from cursing
and doing a flip in the air to get my back off the bed.  She waited for
me to get done a second time, then asked, "Want some more Solarcaine?"
     "Ah ah ah ahplease?" I gasped out.
     "And after all those things you just said to me," she said
teasingly as she opened the door and went to get some.
     "I'm SORRY!" I yelled.
     "Sorry about what?" Susan asked as she peeked in the door.  "Oh
God," she said, and zipped in my room and shut the door.
     "What?"
     "Mom," Susan said simply.
     "What's wrong with Mom?"
     She pointed at me.  "Mom is just the kind of person to freak out
over something like that sunburn, and those lines."
     "Oh God," I moaned.
     Amy tapped in the code and opened the door; Susan shut it behind
her.  I wanted them OUT, but not until I had some spray relief-  "Yii!"
I said into the mattress as the aerosol hit my exquisitely tender skin.

***
07:07 25 Jun

     "Why am I doing this to myself again?" I asked myself.
     "Money," Rachel unexpectedly replied from the bed.  I waited to see
if she was going to say anything else, but she just started breathing
heavily again.

***
07:11 25 Jun

     I found a lightweight gauze dress I didn't remember having, and
after trying it on, I found it to be relatively painless, so that was
clothing for today.  *Now if I can find my sandals again...*

***
07:20 25 Jun

     "You awake?" I asked Amy as I got back in the car.
     "Uh huh," she lied.

***
08:04 25 Jun

     The pounding on the door started, but cut off a lot sooner than
anyone could get to the door, which worried me somewhat.
     I hurried out of the kitchen, and Gary and Davy were still there,
scuffling on the porch.  *Wonderful,* I felt in relief; they hadn't run
off or something.  "Come on, guys, I'm fixing eggs and sausage this
morning."
     They stopped almost instantly and rushed past me into the kitchen.

***
08:19 25 Jun

     Amy was enjoying breakfast a lot more than the kids were, which was
not unexpected.  She wasn't used to me cooking it every day.
     "You two look a lot alike," Gary observed.
     "It's 'cause we're cousins," Amy said, looking at me.
     "Our moms look a lot alike, and I look a lot like my sister too.
It's Brian that takes after Dad."
     "Who's Brian?" Davy asked.
     "He's a pest," Amy snapped.
     I answered, "He's my little brother."
     "I'm not a pest!" Davy asserted.
     I was confused.  "Did I say you were?"

***
15:26 25 Jun

     The burn was starting to itch, which made my entire body itch in
sympathy.  I was about to go crazy when I realized that I had at least
one munchkin who owed me a lot and wasn't involved in diapering Stella
at the moment like Amy was.  I stomped outside, half insane, and hissed,
"Ricky!  Come here!"
     "But I didn't DO-"
     "RICKY!" I screamed, "COME HERE THIS INSTANT!"  It was probably
unfair, and I thought about apologizing.
     "What?" he wailed as he scrambled out of the pool.
     "Scratch my back!" I demanded, turning around and squatting on the
concrete.  "Lightly!"
     "Wh-"
     "IT ITCHES!"  I was seriously out of control; I was about to start
squirming around on the ground like a dog if he didn't get a clue soon.
     Small fingers started scratching before I could try it, though, and
I almost cried with partial relief.  And it hurt, too, but I didn't want
him to stop.  "I'm sorry I yelled, but it's making me crazy," I
explained.
     "What is?"
     If he'd stopped, I would have had to hurt him, but he didn't.  "The
sunburn, it itches... like one mosquito bite the size of my back.  Ah!"
I said when he ramped up to about twice as hard.  It hurt about twice as
much too, but it felt SO good.

***
17:38 25 Jun

     "Valerie, I made a list of things I could find recipes for," Miz
Parker said, handing me a stack of laserprint.  "Could you read through
it tonight and tell me what you think you can handle?"
     "We can handle anything," Amy grinned, sounding like a fool.
     "I will, I promise," I said.
     "Thank you so much, both of you," Miz Parker said gratefully.
     "We're happy to help," I replied.

***
17:55 25 Jun

     "How much do we get paid?" Amy asked.
     "I dunno, but she pays pretty good bonus," I answered.
     "Cool!" she grinned.

***
18:37 25 Jun

     The only reason I didn't run in the house and up the stairs as soon
as I stopped the car is that Amy had suggested we stop for some more
Solarcaine and some cortisone cream, and she'd put it on at Rachel's
place.  Rachel and Amy had both laughed at the sounds I'd made when she
was doing it, but I didn't care that much.

***
19:34 25 Jun

     "I just want to play my synth for a while," I told Susan and Amy.
"I'll be okay.  Just need a little quiet time," I explained.
     "Well, if you're sure," Amy said skeptically.

***
22:38 25 Jun

     The itching finally broke through my concentration about ten forty,
and I was debating who I should ask to rub cream on me in the dark  - I
really didn't want to talk to anyone else in the family about how I'd
gotten tan lines - when I heard Susan's voice from her room.  *Thank
God,* I thought, and then I realized how long it had been since I'd ever
been grateful that Susan was home.

***
22:40 25 Jun

     "At least it looks like it's healing," Amy observed as she rubbed
cream in.
     "God I hope so.  I haven't been that dumb in a while."
     "Yeah, two or three days even," Amy giggled.

***
06:04 25 Jun

     It was handy, I guess, having Amy in my room and going to work the
same time I was, because she had to be up anyway, and she could
therefore buff a fresh coat on me.

***
07:32 25 Jun

     Amy had copied me and 'borrowed' a coverall-short thing that I'd
gotten a lot of, so we looked almost identical when Miz Parker saw us.
"That really is too cute," she said, smiling.

***
08:01 25 Jun

     "And you always fix breakfast?" Amy asked as I worked on blintzes.
     I shrugged.  "Remember the Bill Cosby PSA about it?  Plus," I
motioned her close so I could whisper it, "it slows them down a little."
     "Not that much."
     I shrugged, which hurt some.  "Better than nothing.  TRUST me,
every little bit helps."

***
08:40 25 Jun

     "You want to help me clean up?" I asked Amy.  The boys disappeared
immediately, thinking perhaps I was asking them I guess.
     She thought about it, then shook her head and said, "Not really!"
     "Amy-"
     "Besides, doesn't someone need to watch them?"
     "They can be okay for a couple of minutes," I said.

***
13:41 25 Jun

     "Would you mind if I went swimming with them?" Amy asked
     "No... IF you help me clean up," I said, taking a stack of plates
to the sink.  "And you have to wait the same time they do before you go
in."
     She sighed, but got up and got the rest of the table cleared as I
started running water.  "This is what you do all day?"
     "Yep.  Paid housewife."
     "Bleah.  Remind me never to be a housewife."
     "Okay, Amy," I chuckled, "I'll remind you.  If it ever comes up."
     As she dumped the stuff into the sink, she added, "Just in case, I
mean."

***
19:47 25 Jun

     "Tuck!" Amy complained.  "Would you stop scratching like that!
It's making ME itch!"
     "I'm not doing this for fun!" I protested.  "And I can't reach
everything."
     She thought about it for a minute, then asked, "You want to take a
shower, and let me scratch it off?  Sometimes the water loosens the skin
up."
     I thought about it for about fifteen or sixteen microseconds before
I decided that it might help.

***
19:49 25 Jun

     "Just stay under the water for about ten minutes," Amy instructed
as I turned my back on the shower head and hissed in pain and relief.
     "Okay," I finally acknowledged, when I could talk again.

***
19:52 25 Jun

     "Sorry," Amy said as she opened the door and came in.  "Aunt Sarah
wants me to do the laundry again."
     "This late?  You'll never finish and get enough sleep to come with
me tomorrow."
     "Do you think we could take some of it to their house?" she asked.
     "I did it last week, but I had to do all hers too.  I guess we
could-"  Amy pulled the shower curtain aside and stepped in with me.
She was completely naked.
     "Turn around," she demanded, and pulled me around so I couldn't see
her again.  Then, she started to scrub, and I almost collapsed in
relief.  "This is so gross," she commented after a while.  "You are just
peeling all over, and it's all coming off..."
     "Oh God, thank you thank you Amy," I gasped.  It felt like she was
using sandpaper, but it felt so GOOD.
     "So you think we could take our laundry over there and do it?" she
asked as she continued to scrub.
     "Ah, ah, ah, yeah, but, oh, we have, ooooh, we have to do hers
too," I forced out.  It was hard talking when you were on the verge of
collapse.

***
20:01 25 Jun

     Amy had continued until it actually stopped feeling good, which I'd
thought would never happen.  She said there was tons of skin peeling
off, but most of it was gone now.  It had stopped itching, at least,
even after she shooed me out of the shower.  She'd brought my robe in,
so I put that on.  "I'll be in in a few minutes," she called over the
water.  "I need to wash my hair tonight."
     "Okay, see ya," I called back, and walked out, shutting the door
behind me.
     "Are you done yet?" Brian complained as he popped out of his room.
     "N- I am, but Amy isn't, so you still have to wait."
     He thought about that, his eyes getting bigger as he did.  "You and
her were taking a shower together?"
     I shrugged, keeping the grin off my face.  "We used to get baths
together when we were little.  It's not a big deal."  I had to go in my
room and smother myself in a pillow quickly after that, but it was worth
it to see the look on his face.
     AND I didn't itch.

***
20:06 25 Jun

     Someone knocked at my door.  I guessed it was Mom, since everyone
else in the free world seemed to know the access code.  I sighed and got
up and opened the door.  "Whatsup?"
     Mom was frowning.  "Brian said, said you and Amy were-"
     "I got a sunburn a few days ago, and she was scraping the peeling
bits off."
     "You got burned that bad?  Let me look-"
     "No!" came out instantly.
     Her eyebrows went up.
     "Mom, I mean, it's already peeling, I'm fine."
     "Eugene, I used to DIAPER you-"
     I knew she was going to say that.  "Yeah, and you stopped doing
that a while ago, I noticed-"
     "Don't be a smartass, Eugene," Mom shot back.
     "Mom!" I pleaded.  "Come on, I'm sixteen, Amy and Susan already
looked at it and it's just a peeler.  No problem."  *Oh please oh please
LISTEN to me for once!*
     She thought about it, looking me in the eye, then asked, "And what
are you doing for it?"
     "I'm having Amy put on Solarcaine and cortisone cream when I need
it.  And then she made me stay in the shower about ten minutes to loosen
the skin before she started scratching it off."
     "You know about scratching-"
     "Mom, that's why I had her do it instead of me doing it," I lied.
"That way, she could make sure she didn't scratch too hard.  And it
feels a LOT better," I emphasized.  If I was really lucky, she'd give in
when she figured out it wasn't a problem.
     And she did.  "Well, okay.  If you're sure-"
     "I'm sure Mom."
     "I just worry about you," she said, like everyone did.
     "I know, Mom."

***
20:29 25 Jun

     My phone rang, and when the log said it was a business, I decided
to pick it up and see what I could do to confuse corporate America.
"Hello?"
     "Val!  It's Kim," Kim's voice said.  "Whassup?"
     "Nothing much," I admitted.
     "Mike said you had a sunburn?"

***
20:32 25 Jun

     "Anyway," Kim said, "why I called was, Mike also said something
about you catering a party for Miz Parker?"
     "Well, yeah-  Not really catering, just cooking at her house.
Appetizers and stuff.  She said she'd pay extra..."
     "Val, I don't mean to piss you off or anything, but you need to
make sure the payment goes through D&E, it's part of the contract deal."
     "Oh.  What about Amy?"
     "Amy's helping?"
     "She offered, anyway.  And Miz Parker said she wanted both of us."
Or something like that.
     "Hm.  Okay, I guess I'll have to call her..." Kim mused.
     "Call who?  And why?"
     "Well, Val..." she said, and stopped.  She took a deep breath and
started again, "I'm supposed to be the one talking to you, so you and
Debbie don't go mixing it up again."
     I didn't know whether to be relieved, or upset, or really pissed.
I sort of did all three at once.
     "I figured you'd rather talk to me than her, anyway," she rushed
out.  "So I'll call Miz Parker and tell her that if Amy's working
instead of just hanging out, that she'll have to get paid too."
     "Okay," I said, concentrating on business really hard.  "But don't
say anything to Miz Parker about the laundry we're gonna do tomorrow,
because even though Amy's helping me, we're gonna do ours there too.
Miz Parker said it was okay last time."
     "Did you ask her again?" Kim pointed out.
     "Um.  You think I ought to?"
     She sighed into the phone.

***
20:35 25 Jun

     "Hello?"
     "Um, Miz Parker?  It's Valerie again...remember last week?"

***
21:47 25 Jun

     I went to get ready for bed when I couldn't keep my eyes open any
more.  It was not possible to fall asleep in my desk chair without
risking serious injury.

***
06:02 26 Jun

     And I only itched a little bit.  Amen.

***
07:08 26 Jun

     The question now was, How much laundry can I fit into one car
without risking mixing them up?  *Then again,* I realized, *Amy can
always claim any of mine was hers.*  So, that added up to 'lots'.
     "Is Rachel awake?" Amy asked.
     "Usually not, this time of day."
     "And you just change in front of her?"
     "She doesn't look!"

***
07:39 26 Jun

     "No, it looks pretty easy.  Just a lot of it."  At least she'd
gotten the recipes.  And done almost all of the related shopping.
     "I know," Miz Parker sighed.  "Are you sure you can handle it all?"
     "Me and Amy, yeah, we can handle it," I grinned back at her.  "Do
you have enough space in the refrigerator for all the stuff I have to
chill and things?"
     "I think so," she said, and then we both went to check.

***
08:45 26 Jun

     "You want cooking or laundry?" I offered Amy.
     "Um... cooking."
     I sighed.
     "YOU offered!" she snapped back.
     "I know I know!  I just hate it as much as you do," I grinned at
her.
     "Maybe we can trade after lunch or something," she suggested.

***
12:10 26 Jun

     Lunch was assorted hors d'oeuvres, which went over well enough with
the kids.  Stella was enjoying a bottle in my lap.  And Amy was eating
about as much as I was, which wasn't much.
     "You taste-tested too much, didn't ya?" I smirked.
     "Shut up Val," she said.

***
13:04 26 Jun

     "You want to trade?" she asked me as we washed up the plates.
Cleanup for lunch was easy today, although you couldn't tell with all
the other ex-dirty stuff in the dishwasher.
     "Sure.  I think I got most of theirs, so all that's left is ours."
     "All, she says," she said to the ceiling.

***
17:35 26 Jun

     Miz Parker was trying to suppress a smile as she looked at her
clean clothes.  "What?" I asked.
     "I ought to charge you for doing laundry here," which made my heart
sink, "but since I'm getting ours done at the same time, I can't really
complain."  I sighed in relief.  "Do you work this hard at home?"
     "Of course not!" Amy said, and we all giggled.
     "Anyway," I said, remembering the paper I was holding, "I made a
list of all the food and stuff we used today, and the stuff we need for
tomorrow, if you can go to the store again tonight," I said
apologetically.

***
17:49 26 Jun

     "How much do we have left?" I asked Amy as we got in the car.
     She sighed.  "About three more loads to wash, and then folding."

***
19:30 26 Jun

     It was better when we had Dad cross-patch his office stereo into
the living room speakers, so we could have that sort of 'big' sound you
get when you have plenty of speakers.  Laundry always goes faster with
music, even if it's old music.  Brian ran to his room holding his ears,
but Susan and Mom thought it was okay.

***
20:45 26 Jun

     "Kim?" I answered when I saw the call was from the same place Kim
had called from last night.
     "Yeah- how did you know it was me?"
     "Precognition.  Besides, you always make the phone ring different.
Must be the way you dial or something."
     "Really?"  She sounded as if she thought it was possible.
     "Um... no.  Caller ID," I admitted.  "Whatsup?"
     "Is Amy around?"
     Pause.
     "Why?"
     "Well, someone called off for Friday night, and so I have a
babysitting job for her if she wants it?"
     I switched the mike off and got Amy's attention.  "Amy, Kim wants
to know if you want to take a babysitting job tomorrow night, pick up
the phone."
     She did.  "Hello?"
     "Amy?" Kim confirmed.
     "Yeah- Tuck, stop listening!" Amy suggested.
     "It's my phone system!" I protested.

***
07:25 27 Jun

     "I'm only going to work half a day today," Miz Parker said, "so
make sure you save some extra lunch for me," she smiled.  "Also, I have
a really big favor to ask, I just thought of it."
     "What?"  I didn't mind big favors, when Kim had told me what we
were going to get paid, each, for this kind of work.
     "Ricky hates these parties, and Stella has a tendency to get over-
excited and cry a lot.  I feel bad about asking..."
     "You want me to chain them in the basement before I leave?" I
suggested.
     She laughed at that.  "Oh, don't tempt me...  No, I was wondering
if you could take Stella out and keep her out of the house until about
ten-thirty or eleven?  I know this is a big favor, and I didn't even
think of it until this morning, when Ricky had a tantrum when he figured
out what the appetizers were for."  That was probably why he wasn't
downstairs pestering us.
     "Um, I already said I'd work somewhere else tonight," Amy said,
looking at me.
     I assured them, "I can handle Stella... what about Ricky?"
     "Oh, I was going to let him spend the night with his cousins," Miz
Parker said.  That was even better.

***
10:02 27 Jun

     "Valerieeeeee?" whined a small voice, and I thought it was one of
the boys, but it turned out to be Amy.  "Can I go swimminnnnnnngg?"
     I checked my watch, and it was late enough.  "Sure, but don't
FORGET THE SUNSCREEN!" I had to yell over the happy shrieks.

***
11:14 27 Jun

     *Can't have too much garlic,* I thought, *especially fresh-*
     "Val?" Amy interrupted my concentration.  "Time for more goo."

***
11:16 27 Jun

     "How's your back doing?" she asked as I finished up her legs.
     "Um.... I could use another coat," I admitted.

***
11:18 27 Jun

     "What ARE you fixing for lunch?" Amy asked as she rubbed a witch's
brew of drugs into my back.  "The smell is making me crazy!"
     "Just spaghetti, but I'm making the sauce fresh, and the rest of
the meatballs are appetizers too."
     "Oooh," she cooed in appreciation.

***
12:24 27 Jun

     "Hi Valerie, I- ooooh," Miz Parker said, closing her eyes and
sniffing deeply, and breaking into a smile.
     "Hungry?" I pressed.
     "Can I change first?" she asked, and the boys complained bitterly.
     I said apologetically, "I already made them wait half an hour."
     "Never mind, then.  What DID you fix?" she asked eagerly.

***
13:40 27 Jun

     "I was SUPPOSED to work on getting the house ready for the party
tonight," Miz Parker groaned.
     "Too full?"
     "Oooh," she moaned, and I smiled.
     "Val's almost as good as Mom," Amy said.  "And me."  I stuck my
tongue out at her, and she did the same thing back to me.  "Mom runs an
Italian place in New York," Amy told Miz Parker.
     "Is THAT where you learned to cook like that?"
     "That's a lot of it," I admitted.  It always embarrassed me to
mention the place; it seemed like it was cheating to me.  "Anyway, what
do you need done?"
     "Oh, Valerie, that's too much to ask-"
     "Not a problem!" I lied.  "Besides, it's not like the kids are
going to be a hassle for a while."  They'd stuffed themselves too, and
Miz Parker had come home with a few videos, and they were lying around
watching one, or pretending to while they passed out.

***
17:39 27 Jun

     We were all sitting around, enjoying Stella and the last of the
pre-party meatballs - I was glad I knew about the inevitable lossage
between cooking and party - and the relaxation that comes with being
Done, when someone knocked on the door.  I got up and checked, and it
was Miz Parker's sister.  "Hi-"  She sniffed.
     "Want some meatballs?" I asked, unable to keep from grinning.

***
17:50 27 Jun

     Mike and Kim finally arrived to pick Amy up, and we were all
outside as I loaded my car with baby stuff.
     "Wanna come out to dinner with us?" Mike asked.  "After we get rid
of Amy?" he said, and blocked her without even looking.
     "Dunno... page me?"  His eyebrows went together.  "I just thought
I'd spend some time alone, sort of, is what I was thinking."  I also
wanted to do some birthday present shopping without Mike around, heheh.
     Kim pointed at Stella.  "It's not like she's a real person yet,
Kim," I pointed out.  "Tomorrow?"
     "I am off tomorrow," Kim inserted.
     "Me too.  How 'bout it?" Amy asked, and Mike shrugged then nodded.
     "'Kay, man, see ya tomorrow about nine?"  Mike agreed, and we
locked hands like we did.

***
19:28 27 Jun

     I'd finally found the perfect gift, and now I was looking around
Westcross for something I wanted to eat.  I still hadn't decided when I
heard a familiar voice call my name.  I looked over and it was Travis.
     "Hey, whatsup?" he asked as he got closer.
     "Oh.... Miz Parker is like having this big house party, and all the
people and noise make Stella crazy," I pointed at the offending Stella,
"and so I offered to take her out until about eleven.  Whatsup with
you?"
     He shrugged.  "Just bored."
     "Want to have dinner?"  Despite what I'd lied to Mike, which I'm
not sure he believed, I did prefer eating with other people, especially
in a restaurant.  Even Travis.
     He thought about it for a while, then agreed, "Yeah, I'd like that,
if you want to?"
     "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," I reminded him, smiling to
show I wasn't being nasty.

***
20:51 27 Jun

     I didn't even think about Travis holding my hand until Stella
started whining to inform me that she had emptied something into her
diaper again.
     "Sorry," I said, smiling nervously, "but, but she needs to be
changed."
     "Oh, okay," and he got up and pulled my seat out for me.
     I went to the women's room, changed Stella, washed my hands, redid
my makeup, and came out to find him waiting for me with the stroller.

***
22:37 27 Jun

     I suddenly remembered the phrase I'd been trying to think of, at
the same time I remembered where it was from.
     'Tickling the dragon's tail,' from manually testing almost-
critical masses of uranium back in the forties.  Very dangerous stuff.
     "Val?" Travis asked huskily, and I opened my eyes as he pulled
away.
     I breathed, "Don't stop..."

***


"I was alone
and I needed love,
so much I sacrified all I was dreaming of.

Can't hold the passion
of a soul in need.
I look from Earth
see when my heart begins to bleed..." - Whitesnake


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+ ==[--------   Ellen Hayes   @>--,--'---      ellen@barkingduck.net +
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