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MidReal Story
The Boyfriend Effect
Scenario:Jack Earl is a 17 year old boy baby sitting a young girl who's crushing on him
Create my version of this story
Jack Earl
He is a 17yearold high school student working as a babysitter. He is resourceful, responsible, and sarcastic. Jack is forced to take care of his neighbor's 6yearold girl, Gracie, for three months during summer break. He initially resists this responsibility but grows attached to Gracie and learns to enjoy her company. Jack's parents are absent, and he has a brother who is away at college.
Gracie Scott
She is a 6yearold firstgrader who spends three months of summer with Jack Earl. She is curious, charming, and talkative. Gracie adores Jack and tries to make him her friend by bringing him treats and telling stories about her life. She brings joy and normalcy to Jack's isolated life and gradually becomes a significant figure in his life, encouraging him to see the world from a child's perspective.
Maggie Scott
She is Gracie's 10yearold cousin who lives with her in the same neighborhood as Jack. She is protective, witty, and independent. Maggie initially dislikes the idea of Gracie spending time with Jack but later softens up when she realizes he is kindhearted. Maggie serves as a bridge between Jack and Gracie's family, often coordinating plans and ensuring everyone gets along. She takes charge when Gracie is with Jack and helps maintain family harmony.
I was supposed to be at the beach with my girlfriend, working my part-time job and earning some extra cash for when I could finally get my driver’s license.
Instead, I was spending the fourth of July at the local pool with my six-year-old neighbor who currently had a crush on me.
This was not how I envisioned spending my summer break.
"Jack, can we get ice cream?"
Gracie asked, tugging on my hand and looking up at me with her big brown eyes.
I glanced down at her and sighed.
Gracie was a cute kid and all, but she was six and totally crushing on me.
It was a little weird to say the least.
"Sure," I said.
Gracie squealed and bounced up and down, her blonde ponytail moving with her.
Her cousin Maggie, who was ten and spent most of her time in the same neighborhood, rolled her eyes.
Gracie adored me.
Maggie wasn’t so thrilled about spending time with me, but she’d come around once she realized I wasn’t a total tool.
They were spending three months with me over the summer break because their parents were going on a cruise and couldn’t take the kids.
I led the girls over to the ice cream stand, trying to ignore the stares of my classmates who were lounging by the pool.
Gracie skipped ahead of me, her wet footprints leaving a trail on the concrete.
Maggie trudged behind us, her arms crossed over her chest.
When we got to the stand, Gracie pressed her face against the glass and pointed at every single flavor.
"What’s that one?"
"Is that chocolate?"
"Can I get that one?"
The vendor was an older man with a crooked name tag that read "Stan."
He patiently answered all of Gracie’s questions before turning to me.
"Would you like anything?" he asked.
I checked my wallet, counting out the few dollars I had left.
I could get a cone or I could buy the girls ice cream and have enough money left over for a bag of chips.
I looked down at Gracie, who was still staring at the ice cream through the glass.
"I’ll just get a bag of chips," I said.
Maggie rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms over her chest.
She tapped her foot impatiently as Gracie deliberated between strawberry and chocolate. "Come on, Gracie," Maggie said.
"We’ve been standing here for ten minutes."
"Just one more minute," Gracie said.
She looked up at me with those big brown eyes again, and I sighed.
"Take your time," I said.
Gracie grinned and turned back to the ice cream stand.
Finally, she made her choice and Stan scooped out two cones for them and put them in bags for Maggie and me to carry our snacks in.
I paid and handed each girl their snack before we headed back towards our chairs by the pool.
Gracie stopped walking halfway there and tugged on my shirt.
"Jack, can you get a cone too? One that matches mine?"
"I don’t have any more money," I said gently.
"Oh," she said, looking down at her feet.
"But it’s not fair if you don’t have any ice cream."
"It's okay, Gracie," I said, smiling as I ruffled her hair, "sometimes sharing a moment is sweeter than any ice cream."
Standing by the ice cream stand, I watched Gracie devour her strawberry cone.
Droplets of pink ice cream fell onto her swimsuit, but she didn't seem to care.
The summer heat beat down on us as other families milled around the pool area.
Maggie glanced at her vanilla ice cream, then at me, before extending her arm.
"Here," she said, her usual stern expression softening.
"You can have some of mine."
I was taken aback by Maggie's offer.
She had never been particularly warm towards me, but there was something in her eyes that made me hesitate.
Before I could respond, Gracie bounced up and down excitedly, getting ice cream on her chin.
"Really? You'll share with Jack?"
Maggie shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.
"Yeah, well, he did buy us ice cream," she said, looking away.
I smiled, touched by her gesture.
After the ice cream, I scanned the crowded pool area and spotted Ryder lounging by the deep end.
He was surrounded by a group of girls, all vying for his attention.
I hesitated, not wanting to drag the girls into an awkward conversation with my friend.
But Gracie tugged on my hand again, ice cream still smeared on her face.
"Let’s go swimming!" she exclaimed.
I glanced at Maggie, who nodded in agreement.
As we walked across the hot concrete, Gracie skipped beside me while Maggie trailed behind us, her eyes fixed on the ground.
The sun beat down on us as we made our way to the pool.
Gracie ran ahead, eager to dive into the cool water.
Maggie followed more cautiously, her gaze darting between me and the other kids in the pool.
I watched as Gracie splashed around in the shallow end, her laughter echoing through the air.
She was so carefree and full of joy, it was contagious.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned to see Ryder standing there, his hair wet from swimming. "Hey, man," he said, grinning at me.
"What are you doing here?"
I shrugged, trying to play it cool.
"Just hanging out with some friends," I replied casually.
Ryder raised an eyebrow at me before his gaze landed on Gracie and Maggie in the pool.
"Friends?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding towards them.
"They’re my neighbors."
Ryder chuckled knowingly and nudged me with his elbow.
"Nice," he said with a smirk.
"So that’s why you didn’t come to the party last night."
I sighed inwardly, knowing I couldn’t avoid explaining myself forever.
"Yeah," I admitted reluctantly, "I had to watch them."
Ryder’s grin widened even more as he leaned in closer to me.
"Well, I guess babysitting isn’t so bad if you get to hang out with cute girls like that," he teased. I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head good-naturedly.
"Shut up," I said with a chuckle.
"It’s not like that."
Ryder laughed harder now and clapped me on the back before turning around and heading back towards his group of admirers by the pool edge.
I watched him go with a mix of amusement and envy as he easily charmed his way through conversations with several girls at once.
Maggie swam over to the edge of the pool, wiping water from her eyes.
"Is that your friend?" she asked, nodding towards Ryder.
"Yeah," I replied, "he's kind of a goofball, but he's alright."
After the girls were done swimming, I walked them over to a shaded bench where we could dry off.
I sat down and watched as they wrapped themselves in their towels, their hair dripping wet from the pool.
I glanced around, taking in the bustling atmosphere of the pool area.
Kids were splashing around in the water, while others lounged on deck chairs soaking up the sun.
Suddenly, I noticed Ryder walking towards the maintenance shed behind the pool.
He was with two other guys who looked older than us.
They were all talking quietly, glancing around as if they didn’t want anyone to see them.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I stood up to get a better look.
The girls were still engrossed in drying themselves off and didn’t seem to notice what I was doing. As I walked closer to the shed, I saw Ryder exchanging something with the other guys.
It looked like money and small bags were being passed between them.
My heart started racing as I realized what was happening right before my eyes.
Ryder was doing business with these guys, and it wasn’t anything legal.
I felt a rush of adrenaline mixed with fear as I watched them finish their transaction and quickly disperse into different directions.
I knew that if anyone saw me watching them, it could put me in danger too.
But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Ryder as he walked back towards his friends by the pool edge.
What exactly was he involved in?
And how much money was he making from it?
My mind raced with questions as I made my way back to where Gracie and Maggie were waiting for me. "Jack," Gracie called out, "I’m cold."
I hurried over to her and wrapped her in her towel again, trying to distract myself from what I had just witnessed.
But my eyes kept drifting towards where Ryder had disappeared into the crowd of swimmers.
As we packed up our belongings to leave, I made sure to walk past the maintenance shed one last time.
Ryder happened to be standing there again, this time alone.
I lingered by the entrance of the pool for a moment, telling the girls to wait on a nearby bench while I went to get something from the concession stand.
As soon as they were out of earshot, I made my way over to where Ryder was standing.
My hands felt clammy as I approached him, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Gracie and Maggie couldn’t hear our conversation.
Ryder looked up at me and flashed his usual cocky smile.
"Hey, man," he said, "what’s up?"
I hesitated for a moment before blurting out what I had seen earlier.
"Ryder, what were you doing back there with those guys?" His smile faltered for a split second before he regained his composure.
"Oh, that? Just some business stuff," he replied casually.
I narrowed my eyes at him, not buying his excuse.
"Business stuff? You know I saw you exchanging money and bags with them."
Ryder sighed heavily and ran a hand through his damp hair.
"Look, Jack, it’s nothing to worry about. Just some side hustles I’ve got going on."
I pressed on, needing answers.
"Side hustles? What kind of side hustles involve sneaking around with older guys and exchanging money?"
Ryder studied me for a long moment before responding.
"Let’s just say it’s not exactly legal," he admitted finally. My stomach twisted into knots as I processed what he was telling me.
"You’re dealing drugs?"
I whispered incredulously.
Ryder shrugged nonchalantly.
"It’s not a big deal. Just some weed here and there."
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
"Ryder, come on. You know how dangerous that is."
He scoffed at me.
"Dangerous? Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just weed."
I knew that look in his eyes all too well – the look of someone who thought they were invincible and above the law.
But deep down, I knew that wasn’t true.
And now that I had stumbled upon his secret, I felt like I was being pulled into something much bigger than myself.
"Look, Ryder," I said firmly, "I don’t want any part of this. But I need money too. My parents left town without paying me for babysitting Gracie and Maggie."
Ryder raised an eyebrow at me in surprise.
"They left without paying you?"
I nodded miserably.
"Shit, man," he said, shaking his head.
"That’s fucked up."
I sighed heavily and glanced over at Gracie and Maggie playing Marco Polo in the pool.
"I know. That’s why I need to find a way to make some cash fast."
Ryder leaned in closer to me, his voice dropping to a low whisper.
"I could use someone I can trust to watch my back during deals. You could make five hundred dollars just standing lookout for me next week."
My stomach churned as I watched Gracie’s pigtails bob in the water.
Five hundred dollars was more than enough to cover groceries for a month.
Maybe even replace my worn-out shoes that were held together with duct tape.
But it meant getting involved with Ryder’s dealings, and that terrified me.
I gripped the metal railing of the pool tightly, my knuckles turning white.
"Look, Jack," Ryder said, nudging my shoulder gently.
"I know you’re scared. But think about it this way – your parents screwed you over. They left you hanging without paying you. Don’t you want to teach them a lesson?"
I swallowed hard, feeling a mix of guilt and temptation wash over me.
Ryder was right; my parents had left me with nothing but debt and broken promises.
And here he was offering me a way out of that hole.
But at what cost? "So what exactly would I have to do?"
I asked hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Ryder grinned at me, his confidence evident in his smile.
"All you gotta do is stand outside wherever we’re meeting and keep an eye out for cops or anyone suspicious. If you see anything weird, just text me and we’ll bail."
He made it sound so easy, like it was just another day hanging out by the pool.
But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple.
I took a deep breath and looked over at Gracie and Maggie again, their laughter echoing through the air as they played in the water.
They were counting on me to take care of them now that their parents were gone too.
I leaned against the pool fence, watching as Gracie and Maggie splashed around in the water.
Ryder stood next to me, waiting for my answer.
The smell of chlorine mixed with the summer heat filled the air, making my head spin.
My wallet felt heavy in my pocket, a constant reminder of how empty it was.
When Gracie waved at me excitedly from the pool, I knew what I had to do.
"Okay," I said quietly, "I'll do it."
Ryder grinned at me and handed me a burner phone.
"Just text me if you see anything suspicious. One text is all it takes."
My hands shook slightly as I took the phone and shoved it into my pocket.
But a thrill of excitement ran through me at the thought of easy money.
