Note: I don't own, but sure enjoying dreaming of them! I have recently discovered this amazing show and have been daydreaming with the characters. I love Sophia Bush! Anyone who has read any of my work knows my stories contain parental discipline. If you don't like please find another story...there are plenty of them!
Brooke
"Brooke Penelope Davis! Get in here right now!" Karen's voice flew into the bedroom from across the house. I groan. Ugh, this whole having a caring mother thing is seriously overrated! How has Lucas dealt with having a meddling mother his whole life? I have only been living here for a few weeks and I am already going insane. There was a small part of me that sort of missed the freedom I'd had up until now.
"I'm coming." I yell, taking a deep breath and heading toward the door. I guess there is no time like the present to face an angry Karen. I don't even understand why she is so upset. I mean she seriously has a million rules! It's not like I can remember them all. Maybe she is finally sick of having me here and is going to send me away. Maybe if I screw up enough she stop caring. It's not like my parents ever cared what I did. They usually just throw money at me and ignore me for most of my life.
I walk into the kitchen and see Karen waving an envelope around. Boy, is she mad! I am about to ask whats wrong when she rounds on me.
"What on earth were you thinking, young lady?" She demands, waving the envelope again. I stare at her dumbfounded. What is in that envelope? She wont hold it still long enough for me to read the writing on the front.
"Ummm… what did I do, Karen?" I ask, trying to get her to calm down. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. Her face gets even redder and I am not sure if it is possible for her to get any angrier.
"You, young lady, have a lot of explaining to do. Your report card arrived in the mail. Do you have any idea what is in here?" Karen is furious and this is such a new feeling for me. I can count on one hand the number of report cards my parents have actually even glanced at. Karen actually cares about whats in there. Why? What do my grades matter to her anyway?
"I don't know what you mean." I whisper uncertainly, sitting down in a chair at the table and pulling my knees up to my chest. I bite my bottom lip and think about how so much has changed in the past month. I went from living basically on my own and not having anyone care about me at all, to having a perfect mother who cares almost too much at times. It is really overwhelming. I don't know how to deal with her overbearing mothering. Karen stops yelling and looks at me. Running her hand through her hair she takes a deep breath and sits down across from me.
"Brooke, sweetheart." She says softly, waiting for my eyes to meet hers. "This paper says that you have missed 20 days of school this semester. And you are almost failing 2 of your classes. Why on earth did you not come talk to me about this. And why have you missed 20 days of school? They better have been before you moved in here because you are dead if you skipped school on my watch. Brooke, what is going on with you?"
"I…ugh…well…" I stammer, my brain running on overtime. Why does she even care?
"I'm waiting." Karen says, her arms folded across her chest. So this is what Lucas meant when he asked me like a million times if I was sure that I wanted to move in and let Karen become my guardian. She takes this mothering thing to a whole new level.
"What is the problem? I didn't actually fail, right?" I shrug. My mind is reeling and I'm so confused about what I am supposed to do or say.
"What is the problem? What is the problem? Are you serious? These grades are unacceptable, young lady. You are better than this. You are smart and you can do better. You are going to do better, do you hear me?" My jaw drops at her words. She actually wants me to do good in school? Why does she care?
"What? Why do you even care? I just don't get what the big deal is?" I stand up and put my hands up. I cover my ears and squeeze my eyes shut. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"Leave you alone? Oh, hell no, young lady. You being left alone is what got us into this situation to begin with. So no. I will most certainly not be leaving you alone. You are in huge trouble. You are officially grounded. Go to your room. We will continue this discussion when we have both had a chance to calm down." As soon as she stops talking I jump up and race to my room.
Grounded? What does that even mean? Can she seriously ground me? I am so torn. I love knowing that she cares but seriously, why does she have to care so much? I look around my room and curl up on my bed. I hug my teddy bear to my chest and cry myself to sleep.
Karen
Its been 12 hours and I am still furious. I thought she understood the rules when she moved in. Skipping school, blowing off assignments, what was she thinking? It's almost as though she doesn't understand why I care. She is such an amazing kid and I don't know how her parents couldn't see that. I open the microwave and see the plate of leftovers still sitting there. She hasn't even touched it. Why didn't she eat her dinner last night?
I sit down on the edge of her bed and look at her sleeping form. She is still wearing her clothes from yesterday and I can see her makeup streaked cheeks. Did she cry herself to sleep? Oh, I should have come in and checked on her last night. I still don't understand how she can care so much for those around her and yet care so little about herself. I rub her back and smooth her hair back out of her face as she opens up her eyes.
"Karen." She whispers, "what are you doing in here?" Her question is so innocent and immediately, my heart aches for her and the apparent lack of parental concern she has had in her sixteen years.
"I am just checking on you, sweetie, to see how you are holding up." I say, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Why? You are mad at me." She says matter of factly. "Why would you want to check on me?" Her question breaks my heart and makes me seriously want to strangle her mother. I notice as she wraps her arms around her stomach which has to be starving.
"I love you Brooke. You are in so much trouble right now, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you. It's because I care about you that I am holding you accountable. And why didn't you eat your dinner last night?"
"But you yelled at me! You are punishing me. You said I was grounded." She says, fighting back tears. I see the confusion and fear in her eyes and it is almost my undoing.
"Brooke. I wouldn't be punishing you if I didn't care. You are better than those grades, Brooke." I say brushing a tear off her cheek. "You will survive, sweetheart. It probably won't be the last time you get in trouble. Now, come on, lets go get some breakfast."
"I am allowed to eat when I'm grounded?" She asks with such astonishment that I want to go find that absent mother of her and tell her exactly what I think of her parenting.
"Yes! I would never keep you from eating! I love you, Brooke. Sweetheart, I am not grounding you to hurt you. I just need you to make better choices. And the next few weeks will give you plenty of time to learn how to make them." I try to give her a hug and she gives me such a look that I stop. I hold her at arms length and wait until her eyes meet mine. "Brooke, sweetie, you have really never been grounded, ever? Have your parents ever punished you?" I ask, desperately needing to know the answer. How can her parents not see how amazing this sweet girl is? Her kindness and heart for others is more than any mother could have dreamed of. And yes, she has made some questionable choices but who knew she had such little guidance and support.
"No, Karen. This is the first time I have ever been in trouble. My parents don't care about me. They just pacify their parental obligations with money and as long as I stay out of there way they are perfectly happy to keep the allowance on going. No one has ever cared what choices I make."
"I care." I say firmly. Looking into her eyes. "I will always care, Brooke." I pull her into a hug and let her cry. I rub circles on her back and hold her close to me. "You are amazing, Brooke Davis. I am so thankful that I get to share this time with you."