The first part of the babysitting job was cake. The twins were well-behaved and laughed at all my jokes. I was on a roll. I had just turned on a cartoon for the younger kids when I heard a creak upstairs. 

 Now reader. By this point in my fledgling career as a superhero babysitter, I had learned a few things about childcare such as young children like candy and cartoons, while teenagers like rebelling against authority figures.

 I pulled out my phone and pulled up our group chat: League of Extraordinary Babysitters.

ClaryP: I have a runaway.

ScarLett: What did you do?

ClaryP: Nothing! Why are you assuming I did something?

DoreenQueen: Because you probably did.

ClaryP: :P

ClaryP: Teenager. I think she’s ready to make a break for it. Can someone cover the twins?

Silence

ClaryP: Anybody? Kev, can you?

KevinLandry: Sorry. I’m covering for Scarlett while she goes to get smoothies.

ClaryP: I thought you two already went for smoothies before you went to Madrigal’s.

KevinLandry: We got ice cream and tapas earlier.

ClaryP: Scar? @ScarLett?

ScarLett: USER IS UNAVAILABLE TO RECEIVE MESSAGES. SENT FROM CAR.

ClaryP: I hate you all.

GingerSnap: I can do it.

 I punched the air, grateful for our part-time intern, Ginger Patel.

ClaryP: Scratch that. I hate everybody, BUT Ginger.

ClaryP: I’ll DM you the address @GingerSnap

 Doreen sent a gif of a woman raising her wine glass, while Scarlett sent a string of heart emojis. I have great friends.

 A few minutes later, Ginger arrived.

 “I’m ready boss,” she said enthusiastically. On cue, the upstairs window slid open.

 “The younger kids have already eaten dinner, and they are watching a movie before bed.” I hugged her. “You smell really good. Why do you smell like cookies?”

 Ginger pulled out a plastic tub of her world-famous gingersnap cookies from her bag. “I was making cookies when you texted.” She held up a cookie. “Want one?”

 “Yes.” I bit into the cookie. It was delicious and absolutely flawless. “So good...”

 “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.” I spied a dark blob streak across the yard. “I gotta go. Text me if you need anything!”

___

 Dark clouds rumbled across the sky and here I was, without a raincoat.

 I did my best to follow young Coral across town, but she was fast, and I hate working out. I followed her to the docks, located a few blocks outside of town. Two scenarios flashed through my head. The first was Coral was there to kill someone. While that scenario was likely, my other thought was drugs. I, as her babysitter, was not prepared to handle either situation.

 Then I heard it. The soft thump of dance music.

 She snuck out to a party.

 Now dear reader, this is what we call a cliché.

 I watched for a moment as Coral partied, debating how uncool I wanted to be at the moment. But I was leaning toward becoming a responsible adult. It was dark, cold, and not the safest area for a teenage girl to spend time in. If anything bad happened to Cora or the twins, we’d have to refund Gaia’s deposit.

 “What are you doing here?” hissed Coral, hurrying over to me.

 “Checking up on you,” I reply.

 “Ugh... You’ve got to get out of here,” she insisted. “If any of my friends knew you were my babysitter they’d never, and I mean never let me live it down.”

 I looked over to Coral’s “friends”. They all looked like extras at every teen party during the early 2000s. At least six I could count looked higher than a kite, and another two looked half asleep. A kid wearing an oversized tie-dyed pajama shirt was asleep.

 “Coral, you know what your mom said. It’s a full moon, and you haven’t mastered shifting yet.”

 “Please, Clary!” Coral begged. “Please be cool. Can I please stay? Please!”

 “Coral...”

 “Be cool for once in your life and let me stay!”

 Coral got me. Right in the high school insecurities.

 “Fine...” I scrubbed my face with my hands. “Ten minutes, and then we go.”

 “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

 Coral began to dance with her friend, slowly edging closer and closer to the edge of the pier when finally—

 SPLASH!