“What is the meaning of this?” my father demands.
I thought I was pretty clear about where I was going and who I was with.
“You are grounded. Did you forget that fact?” he yells.
“Shush,” Mom says. “You’ll wake the others.
“But it was Christian Sucato.”
“Who?” My dad looks at my mom.
“He’s probably the best saxophone player that ever lived,” I cry.
“Good Lord,” he grumbles.
“Madison, I don’t know what has gotten into you. First leaving the competition and now this.”
“I had a sucky day, okay.”
“You won your events, how can it be sucky?”
Tears spring to my eyes. “Because I’ll never get into the schools I want without private instruction.”
“Not this again,” my father complains.
My mother gets up and holds out her hand.
“What?”
“Your phone!”
My eyes go wide. She can’t take my phone. She’s threatened before but she’s never actually taken it.
“You are grounded for a month, from the phone and your friends and from doing anything that isn’t school related. And, you will not talk to Peyton outside of school.”
“Fine!” I hand it over.
“I expect you to think long and hard about your actions today.”
I won’t, but I let them think I will.
With that they leave my room, closing the door behind them. If there was a lock, I’m sure they’d turn the key, leaving me here to rot.
Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but they don’t understand, and I don’t think they ever will.
Seven
Today is going to suck, big time. Peyton and I were going to hang out, but that’s not going to happen. I won’t be free until almost Christmas. No phone, for I don’t know how long, or television, or anything else. This is going to be hell.
Of course, I could always spend time writing music. Or trying to anyway. That’s how I usually spend my free time. Actually, I spend more time at the piano and with my violin and cello than I do with Peyton anyway. But, when told you can’t do anything else, it does feel like a punishment.
“The list is on the refrigerator,” my mom says as I come into the kitchen.
“List?”
“Duties, chores.” She puts a phone into her purse. “Punishments!”
I take it down. A full sheet of paper and there are things listed on each line, the front and back of the paper. I’ll never get to play today.
“I called in and told them I’d be late, but now I need to go.”
“You expect me to get all this done today?” Now I get how Cinderella felt.
“Of course not.” She pats my cheek as she walks by. “Before you go back to school. Given your suspension and the fact that Thanksgiving is next week, you have a whole week off to do my bidding.”
“What about Savannah and John?”
She blinks at me. “They are spending the day with their friends. That way you’ll have nothing to interrupt your day.” Mom checks the clock and hurries out of the kitchen, calling up the stairs as she goes. “Savannah and John, come on. I don’t want to be any later.”
With a sigh, I sink down on the kitchen stool at the large kitchen island and study the list. Alone, abandoned and punished.
This sucks.
On the bright side, I won’t have my brother and sister bugging me all day, so there is that. And, nobody will be here to tell on me if I just happen to turn on the television or get on the computer. We have a family one that we all have to take turns using. Not that Savannah or John care. She is happy with her phone, and John only cares about his gaming system.
After grabbing a glass of juice, I head to the family room and get ready to check in on social media and let Peyton know how much trouble I’m in. A note is on the keys. “Password changed.” It’s my Mom’s handwriting. “You’ll get the new one for Christmas. Now, clean!”
“Fuck!” At least I can watch television. I’m not going to spend all of my free time cleaning this house.
Except the televisions don’t work. None of them. “What the hell?” Then I realize that everything has been disconnected and the remotes are missing.
Great! No phone, no computer or television. Just me, alone in this house. What if something happens? What if there is an emergency? I’ll die because I can’t call anyone.
This sucks on so many levels, but I either just sit around all day and read or practice, or I clean. Mom and Dad aren’t going to let up until I’ve done what I’ve been told. This I know for certain since I’d seen my two older brothers and older sister suffer through various punishments. It’s better to just do what I’ve been ordered to do, and just maybe, if I get done quickly, the ban from my phone and the computer will be lifted.
With those thoughts in mind, I return to the kitchen, make a bowl of cereal and decide how best to tackle the humongous list.
Eight
By day two of my imprisonment only a few things have been checked off the list. They were big jobs, which were done to perfection. However, the list of things not done goes on forever. So, today, I’m going to do the stuff that is quick. Then I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something if there are lines drawn through a lot more things on the list.
“We’re heading out,” Mom says as she stops in the family room where I’m dusting.
“Have fun,” I answer brightly. At first I thought being stuck in the house with no entertainment would be hell. After yesterday, I love it. Not only did I not have a mom or dad asking me all kinds of stuff, but my brother and sister weren’t pestering me either. I got to just think, and compose.
