"Dawn! Do time out," Mom said.

"I'm sorry," I said.

So I went to my room. I'm too old to be grounded. I should talk to Mom about that, but she knows that already. I didn't do anything wrong either.

My name is Dawn Schafer. It was a day for a Baby – sitters Club meeting, but I couldn't make it because of Mom sending me to my room. I'm sure that my stepsister, Mary Anne, would tell the other girls about my not showing up.

Twenty minutes later, Mom called me to let me know I could come out. Now would be the perfect time to tell my mother about me being too old to do such a thing. I really didn't do anything wrong, but why would Mom do that if she knows I didn't do anything? Didn't make sense to me. I'm sure Mary Anne probably didn't bother using the word grounded to the girls at the meeting, even though she knows I didn't do anything and it wasn't my fault.

As I opened my door, I walked downstairs. Mom was calling me from the living room, so that's where I was heading.

"Have you thought about what you did wrong, Dawn?" Mom asked.

"Mom, can we talk?"

"About what, Dawn?"

"About sending me to my room when I didn't do anything. I'm too old for being grounded," I said.

"Well, I understand you're growing up, Dawn, but sometimes parents have to punish their children. I thought you were messing around in the barn, and I thought you were doing something wrong there."

"No. I was only spending time in there, but that's about it. Why would I be messing something up when I didn't do anything? Am I still good to go to the meeting?"

"No, but you can wait until Friday. What were you doing in the barn?" Mom asked.

"Just hanging out. Why would I need to spend time in my room for spending time in the barn?"

"I thought you were doing something I didn't know about," Mom answered.

"That happens."

I looked at the clock – 5:30 on the dot. Kristy probably called the meeting to order by now, I told myself.

At least Mary Anne would tell me what went on today, which I like hearing about when I am not there with the other girls.

Being grounded for twenty minutes didn't make sense to me. All I was doing was hanging out in a dark spot in the barn until Mom sent me upstairs like I was five years old again. She knows I'm in middle school, not in elementary school.

"Mom, let's keep talking about this."

"Go ahead and tell me what you have to say about being in your room for twenty minutes. I'm listening."

"Mom, you didn't have to do that to a teenager. I remember Jeff wasn't like that very much when we were in California."

"Jeff has nothing to do with you spending time alone for twenty minutes. We're only talking about you."

"I know. Since I'm in the eighth grade now, why did I deserve this for no reason? I know we talked about it a couple minutes ago."

Mom already gave me her answer, but I didn't need her to repeat it, which she knew.

I just don't want to spend another twenty minutes arguing with my mother about useless things such as this. It's a waste of time for both of us if we did argue about something useless like this conversation on something I never did.

We continued to talk for about fifteen more minutes, and then Mary Anne and Mr. Spier showed up at the same time.

Mary Anne and I headed upstairs to her bedroom while her father and Mom talked and see who would do the cooking tonight. At least Mary Anne and I didn't need to worry about one of us doing the job.

"Dawn, the other girls asked about you."

"They did? What did they say?" I asked.

"Well, they were wondering if you were going to show up or not, so I ended up telling them about you staying home."

"What did Kristy say about it?"

"Not much. We got a few phone calls, but not many."

"Who called?"

"Jackie and a few others."

"Jackie's quite a handful," I agreed, and then asked, "who got that job?"

"Mallory did since it was a daytime job. Logan even called, so I'm not available to do it this time. Remember I'm watching after Mallory's sisters?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about it."

"At least you don't need to come along since the boys were planning to go to a friend's house to spend the night."

"At least it's a Friday, which is a good thing."

Mary Anne agreed with me.

Our client, Jackie is quite a handful because he's known as a walking disaster. That's why somebody needs to be around him when he has something. I'm happy it isn't me to do that job this time.

Mary Anne and I talked more about the meeting for a while longer. It sounded like Richard was the one who was making dinner tonight.

"I'm just sorry about you staying in your room for the beginning of the meeting. So Sharon's letting you come Friday?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Good."

"I know. Mom put me in time out for no reason. I didn't do anything, remember?"

"Of course I believe you, Dawn. What makes her get any ideas on you doing something wrong when you didn't? Doesn't make sense to me."

Good thing my stepsister agreed with me about being too old for this sort of thing.

About twenty minutes later, Mom called us to join them for supper. That's what we did. I'm happy this conversation with Mom is over. Now we both can forget about it happening.