Note to readers: Before anyone askes, the kids are eight in this story.
Was she overbearing? Was she overprotective? To Brittany she was.
"Oh, come on Miss Miller," Brittany whined to her mother, in the living room, "everyone else gets to!"
"If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?" Miss Miller added, like a parent would.
Brittany groaned. "It's not fair, Miss Miller! I'm not a baby!"
"Brittany, as your mother, it's my responsiblity to care for you... little girls your age shouldn't go anywhere without adult supervision!"
"Well, what about when you let us play outside, or go to the chipmunks' house?"
"First of all, when you play outside, your under supervision of myself, and when I'm not looking, other neighbors can see you. When you're at the chipmunks' house, Dave keeps an eye on you."
"It's just not fair!"
"Brittany... life isn't fair. Now I'm sorry, but you cannot go to the mall by yourself."
Brittany folded her arms, and pouted.
"You'll thank me one of these days, Brittany." Miss Miller pointed out.
"Yeah..." Brittany mumbled. "Thanks for nothing!"
"What did you just say to me?!" Miss Miller barked.
Moments later, Brittany stormed into her bedroom, and threw herself on top of her bed.
"What's wrong, now?" Jeanette asked, while she typed up her essay on her computer.
"Miss Miller grounded me for talking back to her." Brittany mumbled.
"You know you should talk like that to Miss Miller." Eleanor said, digging through her foot locker.
"Miss Miller just doesn't get it..." Brittany said, as she turned to lie on her back, and stare at the ceiling. "She's just being a fraidy cat!"
"What are you talking about, Brittany?" Jeanette asked.
"Miss Miller is afraid of us growing up, and becoming independant." Brittany said.
"Well," Eleanor started, "all mothers are nervous about their children growing up... we're not going to be around forever... she's aware of that we'll leave the nest eventually, it's probably kind of an intimidating thought for her..."
"That's not what I'm talking about!" Brittany barked. "Miss Miller won't let me go to the mall by myself!"
"So?" Jeanette asked. "I have to go to the library with a friend, or she'll take me herself."
"Yeah," Eleanor added, "and she always makes sure I get a ride with one of the moms from soccer practice."
"But we should be able to go to the places by ourselves!" Brittany pointed out. "We're not little babies, and everyone else gets to!"
"Everyone else gets to watch R-rated movies, but we don't either." Jeanette pointed out.
"Everyone else gets to stay up as late as they want, but we don't." Eleanor added.
"There's a lot of things that other kids get to do that Miss Miller won't let us do, Brittany," Jeanette said, "but unlike most other parents, Miss Miller actually cares for us."
"We can't stay up as late as we want, because Miss Miller knows we need plenty of sleep at night, so we can be ready to tackle a new day the next morning." Eleanor said.
"We can't watch R-rated movies, because Miss Miller doesn't want any disturbing, and graphic content to scar us for life." Jeanette said.
"And lastly, Miss Miller doesn't want us to go anywhere by ourselves, because something could happen to us, and no one would be around to help us." Eleanor added.
Brittany blew a raspberry. "Ah, Miss Miller's simply too overprotective."
"One day, you'll thank her." Jeanette said.
Brittany rolled her eyes. The next morning, breakfast was rather quiet. Brittany wasn't eating, still upset about the previous night, as she sat, picking at her oatmeal. Miss Miller had got to thinking about her argument with Brittany last night, and actually came to a resolution.
"Girls?" Miss Miller asked.
"Yes, Miss Miller?" Jeanette and Eleanor responded, while Brittany ignored her.
"I've been thinking..." she said, "you know, you're eight-years-old, you're big girls now..."
Brittany slightly pointed her eyes towards Miss Miller.
"And I know you're pretty responsible young ladies at that..." Miss Miller continued.
Brittany turned her whole head towards Miss Miller.
"I think you girls are old enough, and responsible enough to go from place to place without my being around." Miss Miller added.
Brittany perked up, while Jeanette and Eleanor exchanged looks.
"Really?!" Brittany squealed.
"Really!" Miss Miller exclaimed. "I just have two rules."
"What are they?" Brittany asked, now sound a little disappointed.
"Number one," Miss Miller added, "I want you girls to always, I mean always, keep your cellphones with you at all times, so in case of an emergency, I can get ahold of you, or you can get ahold of me."
"That's a good rule." Jeanette said, making sure her cellphone was in her pocket.
"Next," Miss Miller continued, "I would like you girls to have someone accompany you on your little trips, be it your sisters, or your friends."
"That's doable." Eleanor said.
Miss Miller focused her attention on Brittany. "Brittany?"
Brittany shrugged. "Yeah, sure." As long as Miss Miller wasn't making herself be seen, Brittany didn't have to worry about her cramping her style... she thought.
Later that day at school, Brittany was at her locker, grabbing her little big, fuzzy backpack, while one of her friends walked up to her locker, next to her's.
"Hey, Britt!" Brittany's friend, Jamiela, said casually.
"How goes it?" Brittany asked.
"Pretty good, we've got that school dance coming up, you know?"
"Yeah." Brittany said cooly, not really interested in going.
"I'm heading out for the mall tomorrow to pick out a new dress, wanna come?" Jamiela then laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot, your mommy won't let you go nowhere by yourself!" Jamiela mocked.
"You're wrong!" Brittany snapped. "Miss Miller said I could go anywhere I wanted, by myself!"
"Don't lie to me!" Jamiela said.
"I'm not!" Brittany said, sounding annoyed.
"Alright," Jamiela said, "so you wanna come tomorrow?"
"I'm there!" Brittany squealed.
"Coo. I'm heading down around noon, I'll meet you at the food court, we can grab some lunch, then go shopping when we're done."
"Sounds awesome!" Brittany said, slipping on her backpack.
Later that night, the chipettes began changing into their nightgowns, when Miss Miller walked in.
"Girls?" Miss Miller asked.
"Yes, Miss Miller?" The girls responded.
"I have another new rule of the house." She said.
The girls exchanged looks with each other, before Jeanette asked "What's that, Miss Miller?"
"Well," Miss Miller said, "since you girls really don't have to get up early Saturday mornings, I think you girls are old enough to stay up an hour later on Friday nights..."
The girls began smiling.
"... effective tonight!" Miss Miller said with a smile.
The girls were thrilled.
"Thanks, Miss Miller!" The chipettes squeaked, while Miss Miller left the room.
"Wow!" Eleanor said. "A whole hour of staying up on Friday nights!"
"This is great," Jeanette said, pulling a book out of the drawer of her nightstand, "now I can have a little more freetime to work on my book!"
"I'm heading downstairs and watching some late night TV!" Brittany said, leaving the room.
Brittany started for downstairs, when Miss Miller walked up from behind her.
"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Miss Miller asked.
"Huh?!" Brittany yelped, startled. "Uh... I just... uh..."
"I thought I grounded you..." Miss Miller said, raising her eyebrow.
Brittany sighed, and trudged back her for her room.
"Well, it doesn't matter now..." Miss Miller said.
Brittany stopped dead in her tracks, before turning to Miss Miller with a confused look on her face.
"I'm afraid I may have been a little too harsh with you last night, Brittany," Miss Miller admitted, "I'm still not used to having my own children to look out for."
"Well..." Brittany said.
"Go watch you some TV," Miss Miller said, "just be sure to have it turned off, and be in bed by ten o'clock. Understood?"
"Yes, Miss Miller." Brittany said.
"Good girl." Miss Miller smiled, as she bent down, and kissed Brittany's head.
Brittany smiled, before she slid down the railing, and dashed into the living room to watch TV. At exactly 9:57, Brittany's show began to roll the closing credits, so she turned the TV off, marched upstairs, and plopped into her bed, with time to spare.
"Boy, staying up late seems so weird." Eleanor said.
"Yeah, but it sure is fun!" Jeanette added.
"You said it!" Brittany said. "Night girls!"
"Night, Brittany." Jeanette and Eleanor responded to their older sister.
The next morning, when the girls had breakfast...
"Girls," Miss Miller began, "I have to run some errands this afternoon, so don't be getting into too much trouble now."
The girls giggled. "We won't."
After Miss Miller left, Jeanette and Eleanor began to clean up the kitchen, while Brittany headed out. "Well, I'll see you two later!"
"Where are you going, Brittany?" Eleanor asked.
"Jamiela's meeting me at the mall today!" Brittany exclaimed.
"You need either of us to tag along with you?" Jeanette asked.
"Yeah, remember, Miss Miller said she wanted us to have a friend or relative with us while we're out." Eleanor added.
"I'm going to be with Jamiela," Brittany responded, "she's, like, one of my best friends ever."
"But what about while you're going to and from the mall?" Jeanette asked.
"The mall's just outside the neighborhood," Brittany reminded them, "besides, at this time, everyday, Mrs. Kellerman down the street will be out watering her garden, Mr. Jenkins from next door will be mowing his yard, and officer Tomkins will be parked at the end of the street, observing the neighborhood for his beat."
"That's okay, I guess." Jeanette said.
"Yeah, I guess." Eleanor agreed.
"I gotta go, I'm running late!" Brittany made her way out of the house, while her younger sisters continued to clean the kitchen.
Brittany walked down her walkway, turned right, and walked down the sidewalk. Like always, Mr. Jenkins from next door was mowing his front yard, and waved at Brittany as he watched her pass his house, while she waved back. Brittany walked further down the street, and looked across the street to see Mrs. Kellerman puttering in her garden. Mrs. Kellerman leaned up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Afternoon, Brittany!" Mrs. Kellerman called out.
"Hi, Mrs. Kellerman!" Brittany responded. "Your yellow roses are looking pretty!"
Mrs. Kellerman laughed. "They're yellow tulips, sweetheart."
"Oh, okay!" Brittany said, continuing down the street, before she came to the intersection, looking both ways as she did. "Safety first, right officer Tomkins?"
"Right!" officer Tomkins responded. "See you, Monday!" officer Tomkins said, referring to the fact that Monday, he will be giving talks to various third grade classes at the chipmunks and chipettes' school about stranger danger, neighborhood safety, the right time to call 911, among other things for the junior safety officer program.
Brittany crossed the street, looked both ways, before cross the street again, heading to the left, where she could see the mall at the end of the street, which was five blocks away. Jamiela was standing around in the food court, tapping her foot, and looking at her watch, before she finally heard Brittany's voice call out. "'Sup, girl?"
"What took you so long?!" Jamiela whined.
"Eh," Brittany said, with a shrug, "I had to say hi to some freaks along the way, let's eat!"
Brittany and Jamiela each grabbed a slice of pizza, and a large grape soda from the pizzarea, before they headed down to J.C. Penney. Once in the girl's department, Brittany helped Jamiela pick out her dress.
"Come on, Jamiela," Brittany hounded, "you always wear purple!" I'm telling you, blue is you!"
"Blue?" Jamiela cringed.
"Yeah," Brittany said, "it brings out your eyes!"
"Maybe..." Jamiela said, "but... blue?"
"Come on... here!" Brittany spotted a cute, powder blue dress, and grabbed it. "And it's in your size!"
Jamiela took the dress from Brittany, and held it up in front of her. "Yeah?"
"Yeah, try it on!" Brittany said.
Moments later, Jamiela stepped out of a changing room, wearing the powder blue dress. "Well, how do I look?"
Brittany tilted her head, and squinted her eyes. "Well... it seems to be missing something..." Brittany then perked up. "Accessories!"
"Maybe," Jamiela said, "but if I spend too much money, my dad'll kill me!"
"Okay, okay..." Brittany said, all too familiar with Miss Miller killing her for spending too much money. That's when Brittany turned her head, and saw something in the hat department. "Wait a minute..."
Brittany brought back a fancy, little, blue hat, and placed it on the back on Jamiela's head.
"There, that's better!" Brittany said.
"Yeah, I like it, too!" Jamiela said, looking in the mirror on the door of her changing room.
After a few minutes, Jamiela was carrying a J.C. Penney bag, as she and Brittany began to leave the store.
"Seriously, Britt," Jamiela said, "you ought to pick you something out, and come to the dance!"
"Ah, those dances bore me to tears!" Brittany said.
"Oh come on," Jamiela said, "I happen to know Robert's had his eyes on you, and he's going to be there."
Brittany paused. "Robert Baxter? From Mr. Simmon's class?"
"Yep!" Jamiela said.
"Wow..." Brittany said, looking back towards J.C. Penney. "Well... I've been needing to pick out a new outfit anyway..."
Another few minutes later, Brittany stepped out of another dressing room, wearing hot pink sweater, a baby blue mini skirt, and black knee-high boots. "What do you think?" She asked Jamiela.
"I think it's too preppy." Jamiela said.
"I like preppy!" Brittany said, looking at herself in the mirror. "Besides, I have enough allowance money for this ensemble!"
"Whatever you say." Jamiela said.
Brittany later walked out of J.C. Penney with a bag in her hand herself, but her old outfit was in the bag, she wanted to wear her new outfit home, so she can show it off, first thing she gets home. Brittany and Jamiela headed down the sidewalk outside the mall.
"Well, see you later." Jamiela said.
"I'll call you sometime tonight." Brittany said.
"Cool." Jamiela said, as she went her seperate way, before Brittany crossed the street, to head down her street.
Brittany made it to the corner, when she decided she wanted to grab some ice cream, so instead of heading for her street, she walked down the street a ways further, to the ice cream parlor, which was a couple of blocks down. Brittany had an ice cream cone, and before long, she was on her way again, but as she strolled down the sidewalk, she heard a whistle coming from an alley she was passing. Brittany stopped and looked around, before she saw a punk teenager with long, black hair, a black t-shirt with a skull on the front, and baggy black jeans, leaning up against the wall of the alley, eyeballing her.
"Hey there, hot stuff." The punk said to her.
"Yeah..." Brittany said, not interested in engaging in conversation with this 'loser', "hey there..."
"You know, you're the hottest girl who's crossed my path all day." The punk said, trying to flirt with her.
Brittany smirked. "I bet you say that to every girl who crosses your path."
"Only the ones with style, and girl, you got style." He said.
"Well," Brittany said, "I do know a thing or too about today's fashion."
"Tell me about it." He said, before pausing. "No, seriously, tell me about it."
"Look, I gotta go," Brittany said, "maybe some other time."
Brittany turned to leave, but the punk then stepped in front of her, preventing her from continuing her route for home. "Maybe you didn't hear me..." he said "I'd like to hear all about it... all about you... tell me everything."
"Oh, would you get lost?" Brittany said, growing annoying.
The punk shrugged, and stepped aside to let Brittany pass. Brittany shook her head, and rolled her eyes, before continuing for home, but with lightning speed, the punk grabbed her arm, and pulled her into his alley.
"Hey!" Brittany shrieked. "Let go of me, you perv!"
The punk dragged Brittany further down his alley, and brought her to a busted up door, which he opened, dragging her into a poorly lit room, full of garbage, and empty cardboard boxes.
"Okay," Brittany said, "I'm going to have to get rough with you!"
The punk laughed. "Hit me with your best shot, girly!"
Brittany clinched her fist, and punched the teenaged punk in the mouth. He began chuckling, as he rubbed his jaw. "Was that your best shot?" He asked her.
Brittany braced herself, trying to look like she was getting into attack mode.
"Let me show you mine..." the punk kicked Brittany in the mouth, knocking her back. Brittany was taken completely by surprise, as she wiped the blood away from her bottom lip. The punk stood over Brittany. "Had enough?"
Brittany tried to hide her tears, his kick was really painful.
"Let's party..." the punk said, as he scooped Brittany up, and took her into another room, lying her on the couch, and proceeding to pull her underwear down.
Brittany screamed, pulled herself loose, and tried to run out of the building, but the punk tackled her to the ground, causing her to scream even more, she he pulled her back into the room, locking the door as he did.