3PB/SarahC/After/Nothing

He doesn't say a word though, so you just look away and watch the TV. When your mom gets home, he tells her how Jason is already in bed and you were very good, quiet, and well behaved for him. He makes a comment about you seeming a little shy though, which gets you blushing again for some reason.

"Well, that's really not like her." Your mother comments. "She's usually quite the curious little scamp, maybe it means she likes you?"

"MOM!" You yell at the top of your lungs, shocked that she would say something like that right in front of both you and also him. Now you are REALLY embarrassed. Jordan, however, just chuckles and says that he tends to do well with kids and that's why so many mothers like to have him babysit. Yeah, you knew it. So stupid! He IS just a babysitter after all. But why do you feel so disappointed about hearing him say that?

"Well, I have to get home now before my mom starts to worry. Thanks Mrs. Carter. Sarah, I look forward to seeing you again." He says, and then blows you a kiss. Your cheeks flush again when he does that. Now you are just confused. Does that or doesn't that mean he likes you?

Once he leaves, your mom comes and sits next to you. She seems like she is in a good mood, her date must have gone well. "So," she says. "Did you like Jordan as your babysitter?

"Y-yeah." You admit hesitantly. You guess he's better than that lady who was watching you before. She was really strict and mean, you don't think she liked you very much.

"Oh? Looks like someone's embarrassed." Your mom teases you. "I guess that means you are getting to that age, huh?" You aren't able to really do anything but grunt, and your mom just chuckles. "It's Ok pumpkin. All girls your age have a little crush on an older boy, it's perfectly normal. The kids your age are all stupid and bratty, but the older boys and grown-ups like your teacher or something are all smart and dashing and a lot more gentle. It's fine. You'll probably look back fondly on Jordan when you get into highschool, then you will find a nice boy closer to your age who reminds you of him. That's just how these things work."

You blush and smile at her words.

"Well, you should get up to bed I guess. I'm going to be out again tomorrow, so Jordan will be watching you again. Make sure you come straight home and do everything Jordan says for you to do."

"Ok." You groan, and head upstairs to bed. You can't stop thinking about what your mommy said. You guess you do sorta like Jordan that way, but you are sure it's not going to go anywhere. You can't have an older boy like that as your boyfriend, you guess you are just not old enough for boyfriends yet.

At school the next day, you talk to your friend Rebecca about it; she says that you can have an older boy for a boyfriend and boasts that she's kissed a boy and liked it, but she won't say who it was so none of you are really convinced that she is telling the truth. On your way home through the park, you see a teenage couple sitting on a bench with their arms wrapped around each other kissing and you stop to watch. When the boy sees you watching he gets cross and shouts a rude word at you so you run off.

You get home out of breath and sweaty. Jordan is already here with Jason again, you tell him that you're going up to have a bath before tea and disappear upstairs before he has a chance to say anything. You hang your skirt and jacket up, but your blouse and underwear go in the dirty washing basket before you climb into the twelve inches of water that's the maximum you're allowed. You use the last of the bubbles someone gave you for Christmas and lay in the warm water until your little brother pounds on the door and tells you that tea's ready. You quickly rinse the soap off your hair and dry yourself before putting your towelling robe on and go downstairs. You're halfway down before you remember that Jordan's there and you are naked under your bath robe, but you carry on anyway.

After tea, Jordan tells your brother that he needs to go up and have a bath; he makes a joke about it, holding his nose and pretending that Jason's smelly and then chases him, laughing and giggling, up the stairs and runs the bath for him. When he comes back down he asks you if it's okay to leave Jason on his own in the bath, and you say that it is.

• Then he sits down on the couch and snuggles up to you
• Then he sits next to you and asks if you have a crush on him
• Then he sits on the far end of the couch and talks about the sex-ed classes you've taken in school
• Then he starts teasing and poking at you for wearing a bath robe, and asks if you have underwear on