Cheap Labor

As most of you know, I absolutely hate cleaning my room. I have NO idea how it gets so messy. I'm never even in there! Right now it is basically a disaster. However, I have received a warning from my mother, she said that I might want to clean my room... and I saw Thomas' number on the Caller ID. Now I'm a reasonable person and I don't want him to see my room in its current state. On the other hand, I didn't want to make the effort to clean out under my bed. I don't know why everything ends up there, but it does. Anyway, my little sister Emily is eight years old, and she likes to help me clean my room if I pay her a quarter. So I went to her and said, "Hey Emily, I'll give you a quarter if you help me clean my room." I usually have her just clear everything out from under my bed and I'll give her some little assignment to make her feel special, such as carrying the dirty clothes basket upstairs, organizing my stuff into piles, etc. She actually enjoys it. But today she wasn't going to come as cheap. "Four quarters," she told me. I was shocked, we always go with the one quarter deal, it's tradition! Plus, anything that I don't want that she does, she keeps. So I told her "One quarter, one dime, and one nickel." She wouldn't settle for that either. Eventually we settled on three quarters and getting to use Squiggles (my blue hippo stuffed animal) for one night. She decided she wanted to sort my clothes, so being the kind person I am, I let her. She kept holding them up to herself, and trying to act like me. It was rather interesting... Then she saw my candy stash. I really haven't eaten much of my Easter candy which shocked her, because hers is usually gone within a week. I guess I haven't had Heather and Bree over often enough... After she hopped off to go watch American Idol she left me with strict instructions. "Okay, your room has to be clean for one whole week, or I'll never help you again... even if you pay me. Every night make sure your clothes are put away, and whenever you use something, put it away right after you use it! Is that clear?!" Wow... what has this world come to... Anyway, I guess I'd better get back to cleaning that room, this could take a while.