CHAPTER 2 
Babysitting and A Strange New Discovery 
 
Babysitting isn’t the best job for a 16-year-old girl, but you need to know that I am not a regular 16-year-old. No, I am not pulling a  
“different” card on you, I just don’t really have the actual freedom to do really techy jobs like everyone else is. I either play basketball, take care of my older sister Florin, or go to Central Park with Javon and my little sister Maci. That’s pretty much all I do all day. My friends say that babysitting isn’t much of a “niche” and that people would see “babysitting” and reject me on the spot. I cannot believe them however, not now.  
Vibrations from my phone make my back pockets buzz and I look at the screen. Carver.  
 
“Hello?”  
 
“Blainey Cakes! You’re awake!” 

“Yeah? And?” 

“We been wanting you for the past few days to play basketball with us!” Carver says to me.

 
“I’m sorry, I’m busy with babysitting duties.”  

“You and your babysitting duties, ugh.”  

“I'm serious Carver. I cannot pass up this opportunity to make some dough.” 

“C’mon now, we are trying to have fun!” Carver says. 

“Fine, but can you wait an hour or two?”

 
“Alright, just don’t come with that sweater. Its 80 degrees here.” 
 
This might be the last time I hang out with Carver. He thinks I have patience to deal with his basketball games. I cannot believe he relies on me to play on the team when he’s the great shooter and all that.  
 
Its time.  
I get my things and leave the house, wondering why people think babysitting isn't a real job. 
 
*** 
 
There’s no way Carver wants me that early. He’s going to want me to wait. The bustling and hustling streets are full of all sorts of transportation. Buses, cars, and everything you can think of is here. Even certain musicals are here too. That’s the beauty of NYC. Everything is at your fingertips.  

A text comes through the phone and its Carver again. What does he want? 

Calls buzzed through my phones from two different friends of mine. One is Carver and the other is Tanyi.  

“Hello?” 
“Blainey Cakes! We been waiting for you!” 
 
“Carver, I told you I’m on my way!” 
“Ooh, Blaine is mad at me. Ooooh.” Carver says 
“Carver! I told you minutes ago! Can you just be patient?” 
 
“Alright. Sorry for the disruption.” 

As I talked to him on the sidewalk, I found out where the basketball court was. A large expanse of courts and the sight of seeing boys and even girls shooting hoops makes my heart flutter. I run up to it like it's my baby while Carver looks at the hoops he’s shooting. He’s taller than I remember, he used to me average height but he probably grew more inches.  
“Blainey Cakes! You’re here! How were the duties?” Tanyi gives me a hug.  
“Not bad. The kids acted better than yesterday when I had the duties.” I say. 

“That’s good.” 
 
Carver’s eyes widened. “Blaine, you’re a lot taller now.” 
 
“Same for you, Carver.”  
 
“You ready to shoot hoops?” 
 
“I might be.” I say. But Tanyi looks off. She twirls her hair coils with her hands franticly, messing them up. “Guys?” 

“Yes Tanyi?” Carver and I say in unison. 

“I... need to talk with Blaine for a bit.”  
“Ok.” I say.

 
“Carver can join too.” 

She puts us both near the side of the court, eyes darting sideways. “I have some news for everyone, and it's not good news.” 

“What is it Tanyi?” Carver looks concerned.  

Tanyi let out a long-winded sigh. “I went to school yesterday and I heard something... strange.” 
“What happened?” I ask.

 
“One of my friends left school yesterday because her mom died of mysterious causes.” 
 
“Oh sh*t...” Carver looked like the blood drained out of his face.  
 
“The last time I talked to her, she had a mysterious creature in her room. She wanted to call 911 because she thought she was seeing things. Then, her dad had a scar on his back and neck area. She thinks someone broke in.” 

“You’re clearly making this sh*t up Tanyi... nobody would have done that. You have security cameras, right?” Carver says. 
 
“Yeah, I used to.” She starts looking like she’s going to break into tears. 
Oh no. I never seen her this depressed before. I think to myself.  
“My mom said I shouldn’t go to school. I might go missing or something.” 

I don’t know what to make of it. My friend, the one I know is always at some degree neutral on everything or opinionated on certain things, is crying, 

 It hurts you as a friend to see that, and I know for a fact.  
 
“Have you told the police anything?” Carver asked. 
“I think I know what caused it.” 
 
“What?” Carver asks again. 
“I think it’s the Haganeias and the paranormal.” 
 
“Hagan what now?” Carver raises his eyebrow.  
“Wha... what's that?” I ask her. 
“It's complicated.”  
 
The paranormal never seemed to be a real thing to me. I always thought spirits were only myth. But Tanyi? She believes in ghosts and stuff. It's not surprising to me. But it sounds so believable... 

But again, she’s kind of like that. So maybe that’s a lie. Or is it? 
But one thing is certain. sh*t may get real.