Part 7 – If I Get A Hickey, Please Don't Have A Cow

Sunday arrived quickly, thank goodness. There was only one problem: None of us have plucked up the courage to ask our parents to even go. Lou Ann had nothing to worry about. Her mom, Sarah, was the coolest, and she trusted Lou more than anything. Agatha might let Brenda go, only because she's cool enough to let Joey sleep over, and kick Brad out of the house. However, if Brenda ever decides to finally tell her parents about her irresponsibility, then her mom would never let her go. My mom, forget it. She would never let me. That's why…I'm gonna ask my dad instead!

Lou Ann and Brenda arrived with their mothers at around noon, just as Lou Ann had told me, with Sarah and Agatha. Sarah and Agatha sat down with my mom at the kitchen table, as Lou Ann, Brenda and I went upstairs to pick out what we were going to wear, and how we were going to do our makeup, of course.

Brenda and I sat on my bed as Lou Ann rummaged through my closet. "So, should I wear a dress, or a skirt…?"

"I'm wearing pants," I decided.

"I'm going with a dress," Brenda announced.

"Anyone know what Noreen's wearing?" Lou wondered.

"No idea," Brenda shrugged. "Probably something pink." She rolled her eyes.

I tried to remember what she had told me. "I'm pretty sure she's wearing that pink and black dress she has."

"Alright," Lou Ann said. She pulled out one of my favourite green poofy skirts. "Can I wear this one?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'm pretty sure I have the matching shirt in my second drawer." I pointed over to my dresser.

"Thanks, Shell." Lou Ann rummaged through my second drawer, until she reached a lighter green t-shirt that looked as though it would be incredibly tight for any of us. "What the hell is this?"

"Uh… You wanna maybe go and get one, instead?"

"Yes, please."

Brenda took her mom's car and drove us to our favourite clothing store, A.C.P. A.C.P. had all the cutest clothes, played the best music, and had the coolest employees. Actually, Doreen and Becky both worked there, so we got discounts every time they were working.

"Hey, guys!" Becky shouted, once seeing us. She finished folding a dark blue spaghetti strap shirt and scurried over to us. She gave us each a hug. "What would you like me to cut prices on today?"

"We just wanted a couple of random things, so we're just gonna browse."

"Okay, just let me know if you need anything." Becky left, smiling.

"Hey, Lou, how about this one?" Brenda wondered. She lifted a similar green shirt that looked like it was quite loose.

"I like it." Lou Ann ripped the shirt out of Brenda's hands. "I'm gonna go try this on." Lou left our sight, and Brenda started to ignore me quickly, keeping to herself, looking through a group of dresses.

"This one would look nice on you," I said, pointing to a cute, blue spaghetti dress. "That would look really nice on you."

"Yup." Brenda still hadn't looked at me. "I, uh… I told my mom about it."

"What'd she say?" I asked.

"That it's my responsibility to care for the child all by myself," Brenda shrugged. "That's about it. It was my dad that really got me, though. I thought he was about to cry. He told me he was disappointed in me, and that I should've known when to say no. He said he thought I was better than that." She picked up the dress I had pointed out and pressed it against herself. "You're right, this looks great. I think I'm gonna go and try it on." Brenda slumped off to the dressing rooms as well.

I walked over to the accessories table, and searched through the earrings. I picked up a really cute pair of hanging, diamond covered earrings that would look so cute with the outfit I had chosen to wear. I looked up at the manager, Heidi. I knew Heidi because of how often I had gone shopping here with Brenda and Tammy. "Hey Heid?"

The beautiful blond looked up at me. "Yes?"

"Imagine these earrings with a simple black outfit. Long pants, short sleeves, small heels. How would these look?" I held the earrings up against my ears.

"They'd look pretty good…" Heidi looked away for just a moment. "Hold on one second, alright?" She arrived back in only a minute with a shorter, silver hanging pair. "These would look better. They aren't even being sold yet, so don't tell anyone I'm doing this, okay? Just take them; I'll pay for them later."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it, I have money here!"

"For all the money you've given us, I owe you something," Heidi assured. "This place is overpriced anyway, so I could give you about 10 pairs of real diamond earrings for all the extra cash you've thrown away here."

"Thanks a lot, Heid."

I turned around and Brenda and Lou Ann were in their cute clothes. "Bingo!"

We walked past Sarah, Agatha and my mom with our bags in hand.

"What'd you get, girls?" Sarah asked. She turned to face us, flipping her long red hair out of her face.

"Clothes," Lou answered.

"Let's see," Sarah demanded.

We showed off our new items.

"All very cute, girls, believe me…" mom said, "but what's the big occasion?" My mom hadn't seen me spend so much money since two years ago, probably, when I was spending all of my grade eight graduation money. I guess now I wouldn't be able to ask my dad first…

Brenda scooted between Lou Ann and I in order for us all to be facing our own mothers directly. "You first!" She pushed me forward.

In shock, I threw the words out of my mouth. "Mom, can we please go out to that n—"

"Stop!" My mom shouted. She never even let's me finish.

"Um, you next!" Brenda breathed to Lou Ann. Lou Ann pushed Brenda forward instead, causing her to try on her own mom. "Mom?"

"Don't!" Agatha warned, sternly.

Brenda stepped back slowly and looked over at Lou Ann. We all knew Lou Ann's mom would at least let her ask. "Mom, can we go to that new dance club?"

"No!"

"But ma!" I yelled. The three of us prepared to beg and whine.

"Stop!" My mom repeated.

"Stop telling me what to do," I sang.

"Don't!" Agatha already knew what was coming up.

"Don't treat me like a child of two-oo!" Brenda demanded.

"No!" Sarah shouted, already guessing that Lou would try the same thing on her.

Lou Ann was nervous. "I know that you want what's best…"

"Please!" Brenda and I begged.

"But mother please…"

"Give it a rest!" We all shouted.

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please! Mama, I'm a big girl now!"

Lou Ann stepped forward to beg first. "Once upon a time when I was just a kid, you never let me do just what the older kids did, but lose that laundry list of what you won't allow!"

"Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!"

I continued. "Once upon a time I played with childhood toys, but now I'd rather play around with teenage boys! So if I get a hickey, please don't have a cow!"

"Cause mama I'm a big girl now."

The floor then belonged to Brenda. "Ma, I gotta tell you that without a doubt, I get my best dancing lessons from you. You're the one who taught me how to twist and shout, because you shout non-stop and you're so twisted too! Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"

"Once I used to fidget cause I just sat home," Lou Ann sang. "But now I'm just like Gidget and I gotta get to Rome! So say…"

"Arrivederci!" I shouted, waving at my mom.

"Toodle-loo!" Lou Ann rang.

"And ciao!" Brenda stated.

"Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!"

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"Stop!"

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Please! Mama, I'm a big girl now!"

"Hey mama, say, mama…" Lou and I said together.

Brenda went solo. "Once upon a time I was a shy, young thing. Could barely walk and talk so much as dance and sing. But let me hit that stage, I wanna take my bow!"

Brenda joined me for a moment to sing, "Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!"

That's where Lou Ann started using her pipes. "Whoa, oh, oh, oh oh! Once upon a time I used to dress up Ken, but now that I'm a woman I like bigger men. And I don't need a Barbie doll to show me how!"

"Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!" We all sang. "Ma, you always taught me what was right from wrong, and now I'm just gonna give it a try. Mama, I've been in the nest for far too long, so please give a push and mama, watch me fly!"

"Watch me fly!" I sang loudly, holding a long note.

"Show off…" They muttered.

I chuckled. "Someday I will meet a man you won't condemn, and we will have some kids and you can torture them! But let me be a star before I take that bow!"

"Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!"

Sarah, Agatha and my mom all looked at each other. "Where are you going?" Sarah asked.

"Just to the club down the street," Brenda explained.

"Who else is going?" Agatha wondered.

"Us three, Noreen, Brad, Bix, I.Q., and Joey," I told her.

"And how long will you be staying out until?" my mom wondered.

"Nine o'clock until whenever, Maddie," Lou Ann said.

"Three a.m." Sarah said, staring Lou down.

"One a.m. for you, Brenda, you need your sleep," Agatha demanded.

"And for me mom?" I wondered.

"It doesn't matter." Gee, if my mom doesn't care, why didn't she just let me go in the first place?"

"You guys are the best!" Bren shouted.