When it came to their youngest child, Aleksandr Ja and Lucinda Lavalamp went through babysitters like ordinary people went through paper towels. Perhaps it was a consequence of her psychic powers. Maybe it was her constant desire to have at least one little friend or another every night of the week. Perhaps it was her odd pets. Or maybe it was just her loud and slightly overbearing personality. Either way, they had racked up the online-babysitter website equivalent of frequent flyer miles in trying to find Minty a babysitter who didn't fold under the pressure.
All four of Minty's most endearing-slash-terrifying traits were out in full force today. She was playing chase with her best friend Longshot, hovering on top of a psychic ball, screaming and wailing, while a Ms. Wilson in bright red pumps () chased behind them, cooing and laughing. They were noisy, obnoxious, slightly strange (both Minty and Longshot were wearing capes), and resolutely unattended. Lucinda and Alek figured Minty and Longshot couldn't get into too much trouble while the babysitters arrived. They seemed to be happy to ignore the fact that their child was nothing if not a magnet for trouble. She did, after all, believe herself to be a superhero, and superheroes did have to go chasing bad guys...
"Caught you!" Minty pounced on Longshot. Her psychic ball evaporated, and the two of them tumbled together, laughing. The Ms. Wilson, Girl's Best Friend (Bestie for short) landed on their shoulder.
Laughing, Longshot peeled himself upright. "You think your new babysitters will be more fun than the last one ? I hope they don't make us eat brussels sprouts again!"
"Coo! And she smelled like dishwashing soap all the time." Bestie picked under her wing in a birdish fashion.
"Naah. I bet these one's'll be super fun," Minty said. "Fingers crossed!"