No Worries

Chapter 2
Surprise

Chapter Description: Chis is disappointed to learn he and Melanie must babysit her little brother Paul. Chris unwittingly exposes himself to a substance not approved by the government.

Before Chris had even had a chance to knock the door swung open and Chris was shocked at the sight. Rather than Melanie dressed in tight jeans and a revealing top as he had hoped, it was an eight-year old boy in a spiderman t-shirt jean-shorts and bare feet. Chris’ smile disappeared in a nanosecond. "Hi Chris! Look at what I got!" exclaimed Paul, Mel’s little brother, grinning ear to ear. Paul extended his hand to show Chris a little white mouse. "His name’s Cheddar, ’cause he likes cheddar cheese," Paul informed Chris. Chris shook his head, leave it to an eight-year old to name his mouse Cheddar. It was at that moment that Melanie appeared from the kitchen and smiled apologetically. "Hi Chris! Paul take that mouse back up stairs now! Honestly, I told you to stay in your room till I talked to Chris, what part of ’stay in your rom’ don’t you understand!" Paul looked guilty as he scuried back up the stairs. Melanie led Chris inside and closed the door. Before Chris could say a word she started explaining, "Look I’m sorry, I didn’t know this would be the situation until just yesterday or I would have told you."

"I thought you said he was staying with your aunt and uncle?" Chris exclaimed, incredulous. He could feel his chance for a perfect night slipping away.

"Well Auntie Jane’s back went out again so I’m afraid we’re stuck with him for the week."

Chris’ jaw dropped, "A week! The whole week! What happened to our alone time, this was going to be our summer, Mel."

"I know but look at it this way, he’ll be at school all day, that’s plenty of time to ourselves, well except...ooh."

"What, except what?"

"Well I forgot, we’re having some plumbing done in the kitchen and our neighbour Bob is coming during the day to do it."

Chris was so dissapointed he felt sick, but he really couldn’t afford to scream much more at Mel, it wasn’t really her fault. So Chris took a breath and decided to role with the punches. "Well at least we get to share a bed." Melanie wouldn’t make eyecontact with Chris as he said that and Chris had a sinking feeling.

"Chris, the thing is mum told Paul to tell her if anything like that happened and you can bet he will. He has night terrors some times and he comes into my room when that happens. I think he’d notice if you were there, don’t you?" Melanie explained with regrett in her voice.

"Fine, whatever, I’m gonna have something to eat." Chris declared, thwarted at every turn.

As he walked into the kitchen he found Paul had left his room an was now standing with his dirty bare feet on the counter trying to get something from a top shelf. "Hey, Paul, get your dirty feet off the counter top, we put food there mate!" Chris exclaimed, absolutely to his limit. Paul just shrugged, "I need the sugar bowl and mum put it all the way up top."

"She probably put it there to keep you out of it. Now off you go." Chris took Paul by his armpits and lifted him off the counter and down to the floor. "Now go play outside, the grown-ups need time to talk."

"Will you come play with me later?" Paul asked, sounding hopeful.

"Not today, I’m tired, now go on." Chris watched the kid head out back, looking disappointed. Well so what, Chris was the on who had a right to be disappointed.

Melanie did her best to make it up to Chris that evening. She cuddled with him and kissed him as they sat on the couch watching ’Lost’ while Paul played on his hands and knees on the floor with his toy trucks and cars, making vrooms and crash noises as he played. Then Melanie took Paul upstairs for a bath.

Chris decided to have some chamomile tea so he could sleep better, alone. He microwaved some water, then steeped the tea. One sip told him he had forgotten the most important ingredient, sugar. Chris looked through the cabinets then remembered what Paul had said earlier, it was up top. Chris felt arond the top shelf and found what felt like a sugar bowl. Taking it down it did have what appeared to be confectioners sugar in it. Chris found that odd, why would anyone put confectionary sugar in a bowl. But he didn’t want to keep looking so in his tea it went. To his surprise it made the tea extra sweet, almost too sweet. But he drank it down nonetheless. Melanie came back down just as he finished and Paul followed now in a batman t-shirt and spongebob underoos, ready for bed. He said his goodnights to Chris then skipped back upstairs. Melanie tucked him in then came back down. "Now, you wanted some alone time, you got it." she said in her most seductive voice. Maybe this week would be so bad after all.

Two hours of making-out later Chris went to his seperate bedroom exhausted. He slept peacefully, unaware that what he put in his tea was not sugar and the effects of that substance were working their magic as he slumbered.