She opened it to find Luke standing outside. He was dressed in an expensive-looking tuxedo and was holding a huge bouquet of peonies.
“Hey, babe. Ready for our date?” he asked.
“We don’t have a date,” Jessie answered.
“But I carefully instructed Bertram to make us boeuf Bourguignonne,” Luke pleaded. “With extra boeuf!”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Hold your boeuf!”
Just then, Emma walked by on the way to her room, holding a sandwich and texting on her hot-pink phone.
“From now on, we’re all going to have dinner together. As a family,” Jessie announced as she plucked Emma’s phone right out of her hand.
“Ew! No!” Emma squealed. “I can’t eat and look at Luke at the same time.”
“And don’t you think having a bunch of kids on our date is kinda going to kill the mood?” Luke whined.
Jessie ignored both of them and strode over to Zuri’s door. She knocked politely and said, “Zuri? It’s time for dinner.”
Zuri opened the door partway and poked her head out. “I’m already eating dinner with my friend Millie the Mermaid,” she informed them.
“Zuri has imaginary friends,” Emma whispered to Jessie.
“I like my friends real—especially my lady friends,” Luke cut in, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and stepping closer to his new nanny. Jessie put one finger on Luke’s forehead and pushed him back several steps. Then she turned to Zuri.
“Well, if Millie can flop downstairs, she’s welcome to come eat with us,” Jessie said.
“Thank you,” Zuri answered. “But she won’t do that. Luke makes her uncomfortable.” She turned back into her room. “Have a nice dinner, Millie.” Then she shut the door and took Jessie’s hand.
Jessie herded the kids over to Ravi’s door. She knocked loudly. “Ravi! Time for dinner!” she hollered. There was no answer. Jessie reached out to open the door, but Luke grabbed her arm and pulled it back.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” he warned her.
“Why?” Jessie scoffed. “Is there an imaginary monster behind the door?” Then she opened the door.
Standing just inside was the biggest lizard Jessie had ever seen—and she’d gone to the Texas Zoo, which had some of the biggest lizards in the country. It had scaly brown and green skin, and it was gigantic. The lizard’s eyes met Jessie’s, and it hissed menacingly.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Jessie screamed and slammed the door shut. She was shaking all over. This job was getting harder by the second.
“That’s Mr. Kipling,” Emma explained.
Luke nodded and added, “Yeah, Ravi’s giant, razor-toothed lizard.”
“But I’m not allowed to have a pony?” Zuri whined. “That’s cold.”
Even after Jessie got the kids downstairs, things didn’t go quite as she had planned. Everyone was mad at Jessie and annoyed that they were being forced to spend time together.
After a few bites, Ravi’s anger got the better of him. “I cannot believe you excluded Mr. Kipling from our family dinner,” he said bitterly as he looked at Jessie.
“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “Mr. Kipling is the only thing Ravi brought from India when we adopted him last month.”
“I couldn’t board the plane with four ounces of shampoo, and he gets to carry on a velociraptor?” Jessie muttered under her breath. These kids had no clue how lucky they were, she thought. “So, isn’t this nice?” Jessie continued loudly, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt. “Would anyone like to share about their day?”
But nothing answered her except for the sound of silverware on china as the kids pushed around the food on their plates.
“I guess that’s a no,” Emma finally said. “Now can I go upstairs to finish my science project?” She stood up and was almost out of the door before Jessie even answered.
Jessie sighed. “Okay, okay. Fine.” Convincing these kids to get along was going to be harder than she thought.
“I must leave, too. When Mr. Kipling is alone, he gets scared,” Ravi said, folding his napkin and placing it neatly on his chair.
“Of what?” Jessie asked squeakily. She couldn’t think of anything scarier than that lizard.
As Ravi headed upstairs, Luke stood up. “I’m out, too,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “This date was a total waste of clean underwear.”
“Ew! TMI!” Jessie replied. “Go do your homework.”
“Hey! You’re not the boss of me. You can’t tell me what to do,” he said, glaring at her.
“Actually, I kind of am. I’m your nanny, remember?” Jessie replied.
“Ooh, someone’s about to flip a table,” Zuri murmured gleefully.
“Well, you know what, babe? That doesn’t work for me. In fact, that’s it. This relationship is over!” Luke shouted. He started to stomp out of the dining room, then stopped and spun back around to face Jessie. “And to think, you coulda had all ‘this.’” He flexed his muscles, did a spin, and marched out of the room.
Jessie shook her head sadly. “He is delusional,” she told Zuri, her mind clearly focused on what to do about Luke. “But hey, look who I’m talking to—a girl who thinks mermaids are real.” As soon as she said it Jessie realized how hurtful that would be to Zuri. “No, no, no! I meant—”
Zuri’s eyes filled with tears, and she stood up, interrupting Jessie. “Millie the Mermaid is real!” she shouted as she ran from the room. “This is the last time I pick a nanny up out of the gutter!”
Jessie put her head down on the dining-room table. The kids had finally agreed on something—too bad that something was hating her.
“Whoa! That was harsh,” a strange voice said, booming through the dining room.
“Tony? The doorman?” Jessie asked, looking around in confusion. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the lobby,” Tony answered. “Door manning.”
Jessie spotted an intercom by the door and walked over to it. “And you’re listening over the intercom? Spying on me?” she asked.
There was a long pause before Tony answered quietly, “No.”
Then the intercom went dead, leaving Jessie all alone.
So far, Jessie’s cookies seemed to be smoothing things over with the other kids, so she decided to try to talk to Emma next. Armed with a platter of cookies and a glass of milk, she went into the living room, where Emma was working on her science project.
Emma was making an elaborate model of the solar system. The planets even rotated around the sun, thanks to a small motor. She had her glittery clipboard out and was busy gluing planets in place when she noticed Jessie.
“Emma, is there anything I can do for you?” Jessie asked tentatively.
“You could pack your bags,” Emma replied, pointing to Earth on her model. “And then go to this planet.”
“That’s Earth,” Jessie said gently. “I’m already here.”
“Oh,” Emma said and pointed to Saturn instead. “I meant this planet.”
Before Jessie could reply, Emma’s laptop rang as a videochat call came in.
“Ooh! It’s Mom and Dad!” Emma exclaimed. She pressed a few buttons, and Christina and Morgan appeared on the screen.
“Hey, honey,” Morgan said.
“Hi, sweetie,” Christina added.
“Don’t look at my project!” Emma said, turning the laptop to ensure it wasn’t pointed at her model. “I want it to be a total surprise for tomorrow!”
There was an awkward pause before Morgan said, “Em, about your project. We’re really sorry, but we’re not going to be able to make it.”
Emma laughed. “Of course not; that would be cheating! I’m making it.”
“I mean, my movie is way behind schedule, and Galactopus hasn’t devoured Angelina Jolie yet,” Morgan continued.
“And tomorrow is the only time Angelina is available to discuss endorsing my new clothing line,” Christina added.
“So…you’re really not gonna make my science fair?” E
mma asked, looking crushed.
“We’re really sorry, sweetie,” Christina said.
“If I get too far behind schedule, the studio will fire me,” Morgan explained.
“It’s okay. It’s no big deal. Bye.” Emma flashed them a cheerful fake smile, logged off of the call, and shut her laptop.
“Emma, are you okay?” Jessie asked softly.
Emma shrugged, trying not to look too upset. “I’m used to it. They missed my tenth birthday because of the first Galactopus. And they’ll probably miss my wedding because of Galactopus Three,” she said, her voice rising. “Memo to Angelina Jolie: Kill that stupid space squid!”
Tears filled Emma’s eyes as she ran up the stairs, nearly knocking Zuri over as she walked into the living room.
“Emma! Wait! I’ll help you finish your project!” Jessie yelled. She grabbed Emma’s project and ran after her—but tripped over the ottoman and landed hard on the floor, crushing Emma’s solar system model.
“Ow! Oh, no!” Jessie wailed. “She’ll never forgive me now.”
“Don’t worry, Jessie, just do what I do. Blame it on Luke,” Zuri said. Then she turned and yelled up the stairs, “Luke! You’re in trouble!”
The next morning, Jessie followed the kids down in the elevator, making sure everyone had their homework, lunches, and gym clothes before they went to school.
When they arrived in the lobby, Tony was holding the door open for Mrs. Bieberman, a little old lady who moved slower than molasses in January.
“Take your time, Mrs. Bieberman. And hold on to your wig. I don’t want to have to chase it down in between traffic again,” Tony said patiently.
Jessie stopped the kids before they got to the door. “Good luck at the science fair, Emma. Remember, Pluto might need a little extra glue.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Emma replied sullenly. “But thanks for staying up all night to fix what Luke broke.”
“You’re welcome,” Jessie said guiltily.
“There’s the bus!” Zuri exclaimed, pointing out the door.
The kids made a mad dash for the door, sprinting around Mrs. Bieberman and nearly knocking her over.
“Wait! Your lunches!” Jessie yelled. She hurled the lunches over Mrs. Bieberman’s head for the kids to catch. Her aim was a little off.
“Ow!” Zuri yelped.
“Ouch!” Ravi whined.
“Jessie!” Luke exclaimed.
“Sorry, kids!” Jessie said, wincing as the lunches hit the kids in their heads. “Coulda been worse! That tuna coulda been canned! Good luck, Emma.”
“Enjoy your jog, Mrs. B.,” Tony said as he closed the door behind Mrs. Bieberman. Then he turned to Jessie. “She only goes to the end of the awning and back. So, poor Emma’s really disappointed, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jessie said sadly. “I’ve been trying to reach her parents all morning, but all I get is voice mail. I’ve got to get up there fast so I can talk to them.”
“Too bad you can’t fly Morgan and Christina’s helicopter,” Tony said with a laugh.
Jessie stopped in her tracks. “But I can!” she exclaimed. “Wait, they have a helicopter?”
“Of course. Can you really fly it?” Tony asked.
“My dad taught me,” Jessie yelled as she sprinted for the elevator. “He also taught me how to survive in the desert for a month with just a compass and a toothpick. You’ve got the keys, right?”
“Really? Jeez, my dad didn’t even play stickball with me,” Tony mumbled as he grabbed the keys to the helicopter and tossed them to her.
Jessie rushed through the movie studio’s soundstage. There were people everywhere, and she had no idea where Christina and Morgan might be. She was just about to try another stage when a girl wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard stopped her.
“Hey! This is a closed set,” the girl said.
“I need to speak with Morgan or Christina Ross. A little girl’s happiness is at stake!” Jessie replied.
The girl looked Jessie up and down and scoffed. “You’re not that little. And it’s creepy to refer to yourself in the third person. This is their set, but only cast and crew are allowed in.” Then she grabbed Jessie’s arm and marched her out of the stage, leaving her in a hallway next to a rack of costumes.
“Ow,” Jessie said, rubbing her arm. She had to get into that soundstage. She looked at the rack of costumes and had a brilliant idea. If she were dressed like a cast member, that girl would have to let her onto the set. Jessie shimmied into a space suit, pulled on boots, and snuck past the clipboard girl and onto the set.
The set was really cool. It looked like a giant spaceship, complete with shiny walls and colored lights.
“Extras! Get over here and act dead!” the clipboard girl yelled. “And remember, corpses don’t chew the scenery!” She grabbed Jessie and herded her onto the set with some extras.
Jessie didn’t want them to kick her out again, so she lay down on the floor with everyone else. As she put her face on the ground, Morgan walked in and sat down next to the cameraman. An assistant stepped onto the stage with a black-and-white marker and clapped it. “Galactopus Two: This Time, It’s Personal, scene thirty-six, take one.”
Christina followed, holding a thick file folder, and sat down next to Morgan. “Morgan, where’s Angelina? I want her to see my designs.”
“She’s still in makeup,” Morgan said, checking his watch. “It takes a while to apply tentacle mucus.”
Jessie spotted Christina and Morgan. She stood up, all ready to deliver the speech she’d practiced the entire helicopter ride over.
“And…action!” Morgan yelled.
A giant black tentacle shot down from the ceiling and wrapped around Jessie’s waist, lifting her into the air before she could say anything to Morgan and Christina.
“Ahhhh! Help!” Jessie screamed. She wiggled and punched, trying to free herself, but the tentacle was really strong.
“Wow, that extra’s truly fantastic,” Morgan whispered to his wife.
“I know. She really looks scared,” Christina agreed.
The tentacle jerked around, knocking Jessie against the set walls.
“Keep your tentacles to yourself, Galactopus!” Jessie yelled. She grabbed the tentacle and yanked, pulling it from the ceiling and throwing it to the ground. “Hoo-ah!”
“Cut!” Morgan yelled. He pouted, whining, “That extra broke my tentacle!”
Jessie ran to the director. “Morgan! Christina! It’s me, Jessie!”
“Jessie?!” Christina said in disbelief.
“What exactly are you doing here?” Morgan demanded.
Jessie took a deep breath and launched into her speech. “I came to tell you how much Emma wants you to be at her science fair!”
“But she said it was no big deal,” Morgan said.
“She lied!” Jessie insisted.
“Oh,” Christina replied. “Well, we’ll make it up to her.”
“When?” Jessie asked. “Look, haven’t you guys ever wondered why you have revolving nannies? Your kids drive them away because they want your attention! They miss you, and even if you fire me for saying this and I lose the best job I’ve ever had, you guys need to start being there for them!”
Morgan and Christina looked at each other, and then turned to Jessie in unison. “You’re fired,” they said matter-of-factly.
“What? Wait. No!” Jessie wailed. “This is the part where you thank me for being honest with you and for caring more about your kids than I do about my job, resulting in warm hugs all around!”
“That only happens in the movies,” Clipboard Girl said to Jessie as she dragged her off of the stage and out of the studio.
Jessie snuck into the science fair at three o’clock and sat down next to Emma and Luke in the audience.
“Did I make it in time?” she whispered.
“I’m next, but I don’t care,” Emma said glumly.
“Me neither. Let’s bounce,” Luke suggested. He stood up and
grabbed his bag, but Jessie pulled him back down into his seat.
“You’re staying,” she said. “And you should care, Emma! You worked really hard on this, and you should be proud of yourself.”
“But—” Emma protested.
“Emma, listen…” Jessie interrupted. “Just because your parents can’t be here physically, doesn’t mean they’re not with you. They are, believe me.” Jessie pointed at Emma’s model of the solar system. “It’s like these planets. They’re far away from each other, but there’s a gravitational pull that always keeps them together, right? That’s what love’s like. It stretches over any distance, and it’s too strong to be broken.”
Before Emma could respond, the head judge tapped the microphone to announce the next student. “Our last contestant is Emma Ross.”
“Now you go on up there and kick some asteroid!” Jessie said cheerfully.
Emma smiled, tossed her hair back, and took her project up to the stage. As she did, Christina and Morgan walked in and stood in the back. Emma spotted them, but Jessie didn’t. Emma’s frown disappeared and she broke into a huge smile.
Emma turned on her project so that all of the planets revolved around the sun. She read from her notes on her bejeweled clipboard. “This is a model of our solar system. It demonstrates that, even against massive opposing forces, one stronger force can keep everything together. That force is gravy.”
The crowded giggled and Jessie cleared her throat loudly. Emma looked down at her notes. “I meant, that force is gravity,” she corrected herself.
Emma curtsied and waved as the judges conferred.
“Also known as Jessie,” Morgan whispered, tapping Jessie on the shoulder. Jessie turned to see Morgan and Christina behind her.
“You came!” she exclaimed. “Just like in the movies. So does this mean I’m not fired?”
Christina reached out and hugged Jessie. “You are definitely not fired.”
Just then, the head judge walked back over to the microphone. “Well, students, you’re all a disgrace and the reason this country is twenty-eighth in the world in science. That is, except for Preston and Emma. Great job, guys! And the winner is…”
Jessie: New Nanny (Jessie Junior Novel Book 2) Page 2