Andi Babysits

by Livia W.

  

"Are you sure you have everything you need?” Mother said as she climbed into the buggy. While Justin was in San Francisco, and Chad and Mitch were catching some runaway horses, Kate had come to visit with her kids. Now, Mother, Kate, and Melinda were going out and leaving Andi in charge of Levi, Betsy, and Hannah. 

“Yes Mother, now go have a great time.” Andi said with a grin.

  Mother waved goodbye as the buggy disappeared. Then, Hannah started to cry for her mother. Suddenly, Andi wasn’t so sure she wanted to do this. She went over to Hannah to comfort her. “It’s okay Hannah.” Andi said. “She’ll come back. How about we bake an apple pie?” 

Hannah instantly stopped crying, “Yes, yes!” She and Betsy both squealed. 

“How about you, Levi?” Andi asked. 

But Levi was too busy looking at a grey horse to notice. “What’s that horse's name?” he asked. 

“Lighting.” Andi said. “But don’t go near him OK? He hasn’t been broken yet.” 

“Oh. Alright.” Levi replied, and they headed inside.

  Andi had learned her lesson about untamed horses when she almost died from going near Chad’s wild stallion. She wasn’t about to let Levi make the same mistake she did.

  When they got inside, Andi started to give directions. “Alright, Levi, you can wash the apples, while I help Besty and Hannah make the crust.” This isn’t too hard, Andi thought as she helped the girls make the crust.

  After Andi put the pie in the oven, she said, “Now, we just have to wait. How about we play a game in my room?” 

“OK!” The girls said, 

“Alright.” Levi agreed.

                                                     * * * * * *

  “Levi,” Andi said as she showed the girls how to make a difficult string picture in cat’s cradle (they had been in Andi’s room for almost an hour now), “would you like to-” She looked up. Levi wasn’t there. “Levi, Levi!” She called. No answer. “Hmm.” She started looking for him in the house. When she got to the kitchen, it hit her. Levi had been interested in Lightning. She had said no to going near him. Now he had left without telling her.

  “Girls, stay here,” she said and ran outside.

  She gasped. “Levi, get down from there!” 

But it was too late. Levi had been standing on the coral of Lightning, and he jumped onto the back of him. Lightning neighed and ran like crazy in the coral. Then, he threw Levi off his back, over the coral, and to the ground. He groaned.

  “Levi!” Andi exclaimed, running to him, “Are you okay?” 

“I think so.” he said groggily.

  “Ahhh! Andi, Andi!” Andi heard Betsy screaming from the kitchen. She ran inside to find both girls screaming and pointing at the smoking oven. 

“The pie!” Andi exclaimed. She took the burned desert out of it.

  Then, she saw Mother's buggy driving up. Good, She thought, I think I’ve had enough babysitting for a long, long time.

                                                             THE END