American Nannies (working Title)

Chapter 1

            “There’s just no way we are going to be able to pay for it.”

            “Then what are we going to do about it? She was so excited that she got accepted to the University of South Carolina.” Cassie frowned as she pressed her ear to the tightly shut door, as she listened to her parents talk about her future. She could have kicked herself for not working harder in high school so she could earn scholarships to help pay for her college. As she was thinking this over, with her ear still pressed against the door, she didn’t notice that the voices on the other side had stopped talking until the door opened and she was knocked to the hardwood floor with a thud.

            “Ouch!” She muttered as she turned to look into two shocked faces. “Oh hello there I was just um…”

Checking the door for termites, dear”, her mother offered with an amused smile. Cassie smiled at her mother until she saw the look on her father’s face.

            “Well I guess you heard that we not going to be able to pay for your college. We could probably cover half, but it’s the other half I’m worried about.”

            “Yes sir I heard most of it.” Cassie said as she got back to her feet and brushed herself off.

            “Then did you hear what your mother and I decided you would have to do in order to get at least half of your college tuition.” She thought back and realized that she must have zoned out during that part of the conversation so, she just shook her head no.

            “We decided that you will just have to get a job and earn the money yourself.

            “A what!?”

            “A job it’s this thing you go to and you-”

            “I know what a job is daddy”, she interpreted her father as she pouted, “What kind of job?”

            “That’s up to you honey,” her mother and father said in unison as they walked away leaving Cassie staring after them. She frowned as he thought about that. What sort of job could she get, she was only nineteen and she had no experience. Well that is besides babysitting; she could be someone’s nanny until she could afford to pay for college. Cassie smiled to herself as she went to her room to search the internet for any available nanny jobs.

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            “Have you found anything yet?” Izzie asked Cassie as they laid on the beach. Izzie, Short for Isabelle was Cassie’s best friend. They had been friends since they could walk.

            “No. nothing. How can there be no jobs anywhere? I don’t know how I’m going to pay for college.”

            “Maybe you should find a sugar daddy.” Izzie joked.

            “Oh yeah. Great idea. And while I’m at it I can pick up some nights on the corner too.”

            “Well desperate times call for desperate measures.”

            “I don’t think I’ll ever be that desperate.” Cassie laughed.

            “Well, I’m desperate. Desperate for ice cream. Do you want some? My treat.”

            “Sure. Just get me-“

            “Cookie dough.” Izzie interrupted.

            “You know me so well”

Izzie laughed and walked down the beach to the pier. Cassie sat and watched the wave’s crash ashore. She loved the beach. It was her place, that one place she could think and be herself. As she watched the water she saw two little kids playing in the water and inspecting a jellyfish that had washed ashore. Suddenly the little girl screamed and started to cry. Cassie got up and rushed down to where the kids were.

            “Hey, what’s wrong honey?” Cassie said as she kneeled beside the girl.

            “I told her not to.” The, identical to the girl, boy said.

            “Not to what?”

            “Touch it.”

            “It stung me.” The little girl held up her finger where a whelp was starting to appear.

            “It’ll be ok sweetie. I’ve got something to fix this.” Cassie picked up the little girl and the little boy followed to Cassie‘s things. Cassie sat the girl down then started digging around her oversized beach bag for ointment.

            “What are your names?”

            “I’m derrick and she’s Charlotte. We’re twins. But I’m older.” Derrick said matter-a-fact-ly.

            “Nice to meet you two. I’m Cassie.” She said as she applied ointment to charlotte’s finger.

            “See all better.” Cassie smiled.

Charlotte shyly smiled. Just then Izzie came back with the ice cream.

            “Oh what adorable children you have! Where is their father dear?”

            “Oh these aren’t my… Izzie! That’s so not funny missy!” Cassie shouted as she struggled to get up so she could smack Izzie. But Izzie moved back as she shouted, “Ice cream!” Then held it out as if it was a peace offering. Cassie stuck her tongue out then took her ice cream. Cassie had almost forgotten about the twins until she heard them giggling behind her. “Oh Izzie this is Derrick and Charlotte.”

            “Oh they look identical,” Izzie stated as if no one had noticed. Cassie rolled her eyes at her friend and then noticed the grin Izzie shot her way.

            “That’s because we are twins.” Derrick boldly announced and Charlotte nodded shyly in agreement.

            “Oh that’s awesome! Cassie and I are twins too.” Izzie smiled at the twins as Cassie smacked her in the arm. “Ouch! What was that for?”

            “Really?” Charlotte asked so quietly that Cassie almost didn’t hear her. Cassie shook her head at Izzie as she bent down in front of the little girl.

            “No sweetie, Izzie and I are not twins.”

            “So she lied to us,” Charlotte frowned as she thought this through. Cassie smirked up at Izzie as she tried to figure out how she was going to explain this to Charlotte. Maybe she should just let Izzie fix this problem and she could just sit back and watch. It could be fun and then she could post it on facebook later. “Lies are not good and we should always tell the truth no matter what.” Charlotte stated matter-a-factly as she started at Izzie.

            “Um…I’m sorry and how old are you,” Izzie actually blushed as she stared at the little girl.

            “We are seven,” Derrick stated in a very grown up manner.

            “Really? I would have thought you were thirty.”

            “We don’t look Thirty,” Cassie struggled to hold her laughter in as she watched the exchange.

            “Izzie you just got lectured by a seven year old,” Cassie whispered as she finally burst into laughter as Izzie frowned at her.

            “Ok let’s change the subject please. Are you two from around here or are you visiting?”

            “We are visiting.”

            “Where are ya’ll from?” Cassie asked before Izzie could so she could give her some recovery time from her little lecture.

            “Chroi-tine,” Cassie shot a questioning glance at Izzie who only shrugged in return. Derrick and Charlotte noticed the exchanged and asked,” Have you ever heard of it?”

            “Nope,” Izzie and Cassie said in unison then looked at each other and laughed.

            “Well it’s the country we will one day rule.”

Cassie stared wide eyed at the twins but Izzie couldn’t hold her response back,” Say what!”

            “I’m really Prince Derrick and this is Princess Charlotte.” Cassie and Izzie started at each other in wonder. Cassie was trying to figure out what to ask next when she heard her best friend say,” Well I’m a princess too.” Cassie could have smacked her friend since she had just been lectured for fibbing to charlotte.

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            “Ouch!” Izzie exclaimed. “What was that for?”

            “For saying you’re a princess.”

            “If they can say it why can’t I?”

            “Because you’re lying about it.”

            “And how do you know they aren’t lying? They’re kids, and we both know kids think they are or can do a lot of things. Remember you thinking you could stop the wind?”

Cassie punched Izzie in the arm again.

            “Stop hitting me!”

            “I told you to never repeat that story!”

            “Well I was just trying to get a point across and besides if they are royalty where are their guards? Or nannies? Exactly. They are not really roya-“Izzie stopped mid word and stared over Cassie’s shoulder.

            “Step away from those children.”

Cassie turned to see a man in his 50’s with salt and pepper close cut hair and steel grey eyes in a suit pointing a gun at them. Cassie and Izzie instinctively moved in front of the twins.

            “Look you can take the money in our bags. You can have anything you want but let’s just leave the kids out of this.” Cassie said her voice denoting how scared she was. Just then the twins got up and started to run to the man but Cassie and Izzie held them back.

            “Let us go Cassie. He’s not going to hurt us he’s just our bodyguard.” Derrick said nonchalantly

Cassie and Izzie shared a look and let the kids go.

            “Kale! Kale! Guess what we saw today. A Jellyfish! And then Charlotte touched it and screamed cause she’s a big baby.” Derrick said as he gave his sister one of those ‘disgusted at girls’ little boy look.

            “I am not!” Charlotte interrupted.

            “Are too. Now shut up. Cassie, that’s the one right there” he said pointing her out “ came and fixed Charlotte’s finger then Izzie, she’s the one who doesn’t believe we’re royalty, she had ice cream and we all shared. They talk funny but I like them.”

            “I like them too.” Charlotte said smiling shyly at the girls.

The guard looked up at the two girls with an unreadable expression then simply said “your mom is very worried we need to go back. And you two” he pointed to the girls” are coming with us. Grab your bags.”

Izzie always the one to speak her mind said “I don’t think so buddy.”

The guard gave a stone cold hard look at Izzie.

            “I said you are coming now we can either do this peacefully or you can be hauled down the beach.”

            “Look man there is only one of you and two of us.” Izzie stated as she grabbed up her bag. Cassie turned to grab her bag too and looked down the beach only to see two other suits had come up behind them.

            “Um Izzie I think you should stop talking and start walking.”

            “What? Don’t you know that how we’re gonna end up in a ditch?”

            “Look behind you. We don’t have a choice.”

Izzie did as Cassie said and spotted the two very large suits.

            “Awe Fucking Bloody Hell” Izzie whispered Izzie was known for her colorful exclaims during times like these. The girls looked at each other with dread then at Kale who stood there with that look. The girls started to walk down the beach with the twins leading and the Gorillas in the suits following.

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            “Next time you see a couple of cute kids and one cries, just ignore them.” Izzie whispered.

            “If there is a next time.” Cassie whispered back.

            “Think if we made a break for it they wouldn’t chase us?”

            “No. they would just shoot us.”

            “What are we going to do? We are far to young to die and let’s face it you might not be worrying but I’m no angel I’ll be going to hell for sure.”

            “We could beg?”

As the girls debated what was going to happen to them Kale stopped in front of a set of stairs that led up to a two story light green beach house with white trim and lots of windows. Charlotte turned to the girls and said “this is where we’re staying isn’t it beautiful?”

Then bounded up the stairs after Kale and her brother.

            “Well at least we’ll die in a beautiful place together.” Cassie said

            “Well that’s comforting.” Izzie said sarcastically.

They walked up the steps behind the twins with the goons bringing up the rear.

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Queen Eleanor sat worriedly on her beach house chair. Charles was still in a meeting in town and she had been working on organizing a charity ball back home when the kids went missing.

Maybe it’s time for a nanny. She thought to herself.

The Queen had always rejected society’s views on how royalty raised their children. She did not believe in handing her kids off to nannies and governesses to be raised her eldest son Alexander didn’t have a nanny until he was in grade school which the twins were fast approaching. It would be hard letting someone else, even for only a little while during the day, Watch her children. As she mused over the idea of nannies Kale returned with the twins and two young girls.

            “Mommy! Mommy!” the twins exclaimed as they ran to hug her. She looked up to Kale and said “thank you for finding them”

            “Your welcome your highness but these two girls are the ones to really thank. They were watching the twins when we found them. They had given them ice cream and even bandaged Charlotte’s finger.”

The Queen interrupted at hearing Charlotte was hurt. “Darling are you all right?”

            “Yes Mommy. Cassie made it better.”

            “They also,” Kale finished “put themselves in front of the children when we asked for them. Seems to me these two girls were protecting them. Interesting qualities when someone does that for strangers.”

            “Please sit down you two.”

The girls didn’t argue and sat down. “Thank you for helping my children.” The Queen said.

            “It was no problem.” Cassie said

            “Are you two sisters?”

The girls laughed and said together “no but we should be.”

            “Do you go to school?”

            “We’ll both be going to college.” Izzie said.

            “Hopefully” Cassie added quietly.

            “Do you work?”

            “I’m looking for work to pay for college.” Cassie stated.

An idea formed in the Queens head. These girls had protected and watched over the children before they even knew who they were it showed great character.

            “How would you like to be the twin’s nannies?”

            “Oh yes please!” The twins shouted as they ran back into the room. “We would just love it if you would accept.” They clasped their hands together and bounced up and down as if they couldn’t contain their excitement if they didn’t hear the answer soon.

            “Now now children let them think this over. I’m sure this may have been a bit of a shock for them,” the queen said as she tug her children back to her and gave Cassie and Izzie an apologetic smile. The twins noticed their mother’s smile and followed her lead and turned their sweet smiles on Cassie and Izzie as they nestled in next to their mother. As they waited for their answers the queen started to prod for an answer, “Well-“

            “Um would you excuse us just a moment please,” Cassie said suddenly tugging Izzie out the room before the queen could answer.

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As soon as they were out of the room and no longer in hearing range Izzie grabbed Cassie’s arm and almost shouted, “What are you doing!”

            “Arg! I don’t know.”

            “Um hello. Job, Money, College….Roommates!” Izzie waved her hands around as if it would help emphasize what she was saying.

            “I know but what do we know about them?”

“Well they are-“Cassie put her hand up to stop Izzie mid sentence and in turn received an amused look from her best friend.

            “And just where the heck is chor-tine? I’ve never heard of it and I know you’ve never heard of it. Who has heard of it? They never covered that place in history! Or was I asleep during that part? Huh? Tell me will you! Oh and what would our parents think? Oh forget what they would think what would they say? And don’t forget to think about the jet lag and and…Ouch!” Cassie’s eyes went wide with shock as she touched her cheek, “You slapped me.”

            “You needed it,” Izzie shrugged,” You probably would have fainted if I hadn’t slapped you with the rate you were going.”

            “I would not have fainted,” Cassie muttered as she glanced at her friend and tried to collect her thoughts.

            “Oh yes you would have and don’t you argue with me. And don’t even think about picking up where you left off I still have a few hit left for payback from when you hit me earlier.”

            “But-“

            “ No stop right there. This is what I want you to think about, I want you to think about what an adventure this could be.”

            “True,” Cassie smiled as she started to relax then frowned as she said, “ Do you think they are really royalty?” Izzie looked at Cassie as if she was crazy then started to laugh.

            “I was convinced they were royalty when the goons showed up. And we thought they were gonna kill us.”

            “Your right that is enough to convinces anyone that they are then it would be the goons.” Cassie made a face and started to mock the bodyguards and they started laughing all over again. As they were talking and giggling a door slammed behind then and they both jumped and screamed. When they turned around they saw a man that could only be the twin’s father since he had blond hair and green eyes. The started at each other for a while before the girls looked away to glance at each other.

            “Geez does everyone in this family have green eyes,” Izzie said at the same time Cassie said,”Geez we scream and the goons come running.”

            “Well that comforting,” Cassie and Izzie burst into a bout of giggles as kale and his group exchanged confused looks with the man that had just walked in.

            “Americans!” Kale exclaimed, “ And who are these goons you are referring to?”

            “No one,” Cassie and Izzie said very quickly then glanced away as if they had something to hide. Then glanced at kale and gave him their sweetest smiles.

            “I don’t know what is going on here but what I would like to know is who you two girls are and why you are here!” A Voice boomed from the man who had come outside that made both girls jump.

            “Um…well we were deciding if we wanted to be nannies but she” pointing to Cassie, ”Sort of had a bit of a .. Let’s just go with ‘moment of uncertainty’ and then you scared us and then the big old goon and his minions came running probably to point their guns at us again and now we’re all standing here.” Izzie rambled out to the man.

            “Watch who you’re calling an old goon youngin’.” Kale said in a tone of authority.

            “Hey! I ‘m not a youngin’ I happen to be an adult.” Izzie mouthed off.

            “Wait, nannies to who?” the man asked still trying to make sense of Izzie’s rambling tale.

            “to the twins Dear.” Queen Eleanor said as she walked outside and stood by her husband. “speaking of the twins, they went missing today and Charlotte was stung by a jellyfish. These two girls helped them and are now deciding if they would like to become our nannies.”

            “We do by the way.” Cassie interjected into this conversation everyone turning to look at her.

            “well I’m glad. Here let’s all go inside and discuss everyone’s terms.”

Everyone started walking inside or back to their posts around the house.

            “Wait! Wait just one minute. When did you decide to hire a nanny? And why are we giving the jobs to these girls? And What is this about Charlotte getting stung by a jellyfish?”

The Queen pushed her husband toward the living room. “Come along dear and I’ll tell you the whole story.”

Everyone went inside and sat in various array. The girls on a love seat near the big bay window, the Queen in the chair she occupied before and the King in a similar chair beside her.

            “Now are you two sure that you want to be nannies to the twins? In a different country?”

The girls shared one of their many looks seeming to others as if the two could read each other’s thoughts. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

            “yes.” They answered together.

            “Great you can start Sunday morning. We leave on Sunday night and fly back to-”

            “Where is Chroi-tine?” Cassie interrupted

            “you said yes before knowing where ye be going? Typical youngin’ stupidity” Kale muttered his Irish accent hinting.

            “and being rude seems to be typical old man manners.” Izzie shot back.

The King spoke before anymore insults could be tossed. “ It’s an island off the coast of Ireland. The name is Gaelic for heart-fire. When the people of our kingdom first landed on Chroi-tine they felt a firs burning in their hearts for this land. Hence heart-fire.”

            “Oh how ye love to tell that story.” His wife looked at him affectionately. These two obviously loved each other.

            “Now you two will be given room and board of course” the Queen beamed as she got an idea “Oh Darling the little cottage by the meadow would be wonderful for them. Well anyway you will have Saturday night thru Sunday afternoon off unless something comes up then We can change the days accordingly. You Will be free to travel throughout the kingdom and such. And shall be given an allowance for activities with the children. How does this sound so far?”

            “Fantastic!”

            “Amazing!” the girls exclaimed. They four sat and talked more than the girls headed back home to tell their parents of the adventure that was to come.

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            “So you’re taking a babysitting job in a place you didn’t even know existed before today?”

            “yes” Cassie said as she sat in front of her parents. “you said get a job well I did and it’s one where I can experience life in another country. Think of the opportunity this gives and Izzie will be with me. You have to let me do this. I m eighteen now It’s time I grew up and visited the world.”

Her parents looked at her and smiled.

            “you grew up too fast but I hope you send us lots of postcards and letter- ouff” Her dad huffed as Cassie crushed him in a big hug.

            “thank you thank you thank you!”

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Cassie Izzie sat at the end of Izzie’s driveway. 8 suitcases, 3 duffel bags, two carry ons and 2 backpacks sat on the curve alongside them. The girls saw the car pulling up. As it rolled to a stop Izzie smiled and said “Here goes nothing.”