The Babysitter
A. Gautam
Kyle called me because he was furious, and texts couldn’t do justice to his emotions. This was a big deal. Kyle never ever in a million years had called me. So, I asked my mom to drop me off at his house for a few hours. Because my mom considered Kyle an excellent influence on me, she agreed. Kyle, the kid with perfect grades, plenty of trophies in sports and music, was my coolest friend.
When I rang the bell, a girl I had never seen opened the door. I understood immediately. Kyle was upset that he was stuck with a babysitter because the last one had made him miserable, and his parents hadn’t believed him. Now, he wanted a witness. Kyle’s parents loved me because I always looked out for their son, and I never ever in a million years lied. They trusted me, an average kid, and loved me like one of their own.
“Jeff?” the girl in her late teens asked. She was dressed in a dark full sleeve shirt and pants. She even wore gloves which seemed strange on a day hotter than a pizza oven.
“Where’s Kyle?” I asked and let myself in. The girl didn’t take her eyes off me for even a second. She locked and bolted the door and sat on the living room couch. “Hey, I’m here,” I announced, staring at the girl the whole time. I heard Kyle come up behind me and take my hand to pull me to his room.
“Dude, she’s strange,” I whispered. “Where did your parents find her?”
“Hush,” Kyle whispered and locked the door. “Something is off. The agency Mom and Pop use sent us. Said she has great references. Did you see her eyes?”
“That’s it,” I nearly screamed. “She doesn’t blink.”
“Exactly,” Kyle agreed. “Let’s talk to her a bit. I didn’t want to do it alone. We’ve got two hours before Mom is back.”
We decided lunch would help us to try to act normal. We wanted to test everything she could do. So, we were in the kitchen, pretending to mess with the oven.
“What do you mean you’ve never baked a pizza before? How hard could it be? Maybe Leslie can help. Leslie!” Kyle said his practiced words.
“I am not allowed to,” Leslie, the babysitter said. “I watch.”
What kind of a babysitter doesn’t feed? I thought. I was hungry for real now.
“The kind that’s not trained,” Leslie said.
That’s when my knees buckled, and I held on the counter for balance. Kyle and I screamed at once, “She’s a robot!”
Question
Which two themes are found in the story? (Select two)
Responses
A Sometimes imagination is worse than reality. Sometimes imagination is worse than reality.
B One should listen to his or her instincts. One should listen to his or her instincts.
C Young minds come up with impractical solutions.Young minds come up with impractical solutions.
D Safety is more important than fun. Safety is more important than fun.
E With support, one can face puzzling situations.
