You’re In Real Hot Sauce Now

(I am 15. I work at a day care and one evening have been employed to babysit two young children. Their mother leaves me specific instructions including ‘If they won’t go to bed put a drop of hot sauce on their tongue.’ I didn’t like that at all but wanted to adhere to the parental practices. When bedtime rolled around the hellions were being ridiculous so out came the hot sauce. After I applied the drops the phone rang and I went downstairs.)

Me: “[Family] residence. [My Name] speaking.”

Caller: “Where is [Mother]?”

Me: “They’re out for the night. Can I take a message?”

(Cue a war cry from upstairs followed by a crash.)

Caller: “What was that?”

Me: “I have to go. They’ll be back later!”

(I went to the living room where there was a smashed hot sauce bottle and a huge streak of red across the white carpet, white wall, and quilt hanging on the wall.)

Me: “Aaaaaaaaahhhh!”

Boys: *terror faces*

Me: “GET. IN. YOUR. ROOOOM!”

Me: *calling my mother* “Mom! You have to help!” *explained the situation* “And I have no idea what to do! Can you… Can you bring the carpet cleaner?”

(So, my amazing parents bring over our carpet steamer and clean the carpet while I scrub  the walls. There is nothing, however, I can do about the quilt. My mother also helps me get the boys to bed because I am freaking out. They leave before the boys’ parents get home. When they do they immediately see the red on the quilt.)

Boys’ Dad: “What is that?”

Me: “Hot sauce. They threw it from the upstairs landing.”

Boys’ Dad: “Why was there hot sauce upstairs?”

Boys’ Mom: “It was a threat…”

(He didn’t seem like he knew about that and wasn’t thrilled with it. The mom drove me home in the most awkward car ride of my life. My boss at the day care told me not to agree to babysit if they asked again. They did not. What I learned? If you’re uncomfortable with something, don’t do it.)