"Amelia Gillian Bailey, get down these stairs at once" Rachel shouted as she shoved papers and files into her bag manically between frequent checks of her watch. The stomp of a stroppy teenager could be heard throughout the house, it was Amelia approaching the bottom of the staircase. "Have you seen the time, you're going to be..." Rachel began but was stopped by the sight of her daughter "What on earth are you wearing?!"
"Er, my uniform" the girl snapped back"
"Don't you speak to me like that, I'm your mother not a kid in the playground and that is not uniform" Amelia's skirt was rolled up so high it could have been a belt, her shirt buttons were undone so low most of her chest was on show and she had so much make up on she looked like a doll. "It's school you're going to not a night club!" Amelia done up a couple of buttons and unrolled her skirt once. Rachel checked her watch one more time before rushing to the door. "Come on, we're late enough, I've got a meeting in half hour with thr Chief Super"
"What do you mean 'we're going to be late?" Amelia asked in dismay.
"I'm taking you to school. Now hurry up"
"Ahaha you are kidding me right, I'm not 5?!" She laughed.
"No, you can't be trusted to make your own way there and stay there so I'll have to take you, you want to act like a child, you'll be treated like a child!" Amelia didn't answer back again, she knew she wouldn't win. She picked up her bag, sighed and flounced out of the door and into her mum's silver mercedes.
After dropping Amelia at the school gates and watching her daughter disappear into the building Rachel rang her best friend, Janet.
"Good morning" Janet answered "I can hear the engine, I hope you're not driving!"
"No mum, it's on bluetooth" Rachel chuckled, Janet may have been her best friend but she always looked out for her in the way she had grown up wanting her mum to do.
"So, what do I owe this pleasure?!"
"I realised something awful this morning Jan"
"What, you're going grey?" Janet shot back with a serious but sarcastic tone.
"Oi, you'll be grey long before me mate!" Rachel went off topic.
"So, what have you realised?"
"I've turned into Gill! I've got a stroppy teenager, I'm Chief Inspector, I've got paperwork coming out of my ears and I'm listening to talk radio in my old lady car! I'm old Janet" Rachel was deadly serious but got no sympathy from Janet, only laughter. "It's not funny, I'm sensible and boring and old and I'm having a civilised party at mine, with nibbles and a few drinks. A couple of years ago I'd be having a knees up in the grapes, getting off my face and punching lamp posts, not this! I said I wanted to be her, but I didn't mean it literally..."