I was giving Krissy a bath when Annie came into the bathroom. Abby
was working a late shift so I was home with the kids. It was 6:00 and a
frozen pizza cooking in the oven.
"Hey, Dad?" Annie said. I turned around. Annie was wearing a short denim skirt and a light blue tank top that was a little too tight for my liking.
"Yeah?" I said, lowering my eyebrows.
"Um, can I go to the movies with a couple friends?" she asked.
"Which movie and which friends?" I said, squirting some Johnson's Baby shampoo into my hand.
"School of Rock with Margo, Todd, and Ricky," Annie said, pouting slightly, trying to convince me to let her go.
"What time will you be home?"
"Around nine?" Annie bit her lip. "Please, Daddy," she said. "Please." Great. Now I was Daddy. This kid sure knew how to suck up.
I thought about what Abby had said about loosening the reins on Annie. "OK," I said. "But I want you to take my cell phone." I unhooked my phone from my belt and held it up. Annie reached out to take it but I didn't let it go right away. "Call me if ANYTHING goes wrong, OK?"
"OK, OK," she said, grabbing the phone from me and skipping down the stairs.
"And put a coat on!" I hollered after her. I rolled my eyes when she slammed the door.
Kaden poked his head into the bathroom. "Where'd Annie go?" he asked.
"Movies," I said.
"Movies?" Kaden replied. "You told her she could go?"
I looked up at him and I wrapped Krissy in a towel and lifted her onto the floor. "Yeah, why not?" I towel dried Krissy's hair and stood up, bring her with me.
"Because Mom said she was grounded," Kaden said, heading back to his room.
"WHAT!?" I screamed, following him.
"Yeah, our report cards came today while you were at work. Annie failed math so Mom said she's grounded for a week so she can spend her time to do make-up work." Kaden sat down in front of the TV in his room and turned on his playstation.
"Are you just making this up to get Annie in trouble?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Call Mom if you want. She'll tell you."
I took Krissy into her room and got her dress, and then I cut up the pizza. While Kaden and Krissy were eating, I called Abby.
"Hey, is everything OK?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said. "Um . . .did you by any chance tell Annie that she was grounded?"
Abby sighed. "Yeah, I forgot to tell you. She failed math so she's grounded for a week."
"Shit," I muttered. "I can't believe she . . .goddamn it."
"Did you let her go out?" Abby asked.
"Yeah, she went to the movies with some friends," I said.
"Well, go get her!" Abby said. "And ground her for two weeks! I can't believe she would ask you when she knew that I . . ." Abby was interrupted by shouting. "I gotta go, John. I'll see you later."
**********************************
"I need you to get my daughter," I said to the manager of the movie theatre. "Annabelle Carter. She's in 'School of Rock.'"
Krissy was squirming in my arms so I handed her to Kaden who was standing calmly beside me. "Sir," the manager said. "I can't just interrupt the film for one girl."
"My daughter is not supposed to be here. She needs to come home right now. If you don't interrupt the movie, then I will," I said.
The manager sighed. "What was the name?"
"Annabelle Carter."
Two minutes later the manager came back followed by a bright red Annabelle. I thanked the manager, slipped him a twenty, and led my children back to the car. We rode home in silence and when we got there I sent Kaden and Krissy to their rooms.
Annie sat on the couch, her arms folded across her chest. "What do you have to say for yourself?" I asked, trying to stay calm.
"I'm sorry?" Annie said, hoping that was the right answer.
"Not good enough," I said. "It's bad enough that you went out when you knew you were grounded but you lied to me . . ."
"I didn't lie!" Annie shouted. "I never said anything that wasn't true!"
"Do NOT interrupt me!" I bellowed. Annie was stunned into silence. "Instead of one week, you are now grounded for two."
"What? But Dad . . ."
"No," I said firmly. "You break the rules, you get in trouble. That's how it goes. That's how it's always been. You need to start acting responsibly . . ."
"I AM responsible," Annie said, standing up. "I made a mistake, that's all."
"Damn right, you made a mistake. What's going on with you, Annie? First your report card and now this?"
"I don't have to listen to this," Annie said, heading for the stairs.
I grabbed her arm. "Yes, you do."
She tried to pull away from me but I tightened my grip. "Dad, you're hurting me!" she shouted with tears in her eyes. I let go and saw a mark in the shape of my hand on her arm. "I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!" With that, she ran up the stairs and slammed her door.
"Hey, Dad?" Annie said. I turned around. Annie was wearing a short denim skirt and a light blue tank top that was a little too tight for my liking.
"Yeah?" I said, lowering my eyebrows.
"Um, can I go to the movies with a couple friends?" she asked.
"Which movie and which friends?" I said, squirting some Johnson's Baby shampoo into my hand.
"School of Rock with Margo, Todd, and Ricky," Annie said, pouting slightly, trying to convince me to let her go.
"What time will you be home?"
"Around nine?" Annie bit her lip. "Please, Daddy," she said. "Please." Great. Now I was Daddy. This kid sure knew how to suck up.
I thought about what Abby had said about loosening the reins on Annie. "OK," I said. "But I want you to take my cell phone." I unhooked my phone from my belt and held it up. Annie reached out to take it but I didn't let it go right away. "Call me if ANYTHING goes wrong, OK?"
"OK, OK," she said, grabbing the phone from me and skipping down the stairs.
"And put a coat on!" I hollered after her. I rolled my eyes when she slammed the door.
Kaden poked his head into the bathroom. "Where'd Annie go?" he asked.
"Movies," I said.
"Movies?" Kaden replied. "You told her she could go?"
I looked up at him and I wrapped Krissy in a towel and lifted her onto the floor. "Yeah, why not?" I towel dried Krissy's hair and stood up, bring her with me.
"Because Mom said she was grounded," Kaden said, heading back to his room.
"WHAT!?" I screamed, following him.
"Yeah, our report cards came today while you were at work. Annie failed math so Mom said she's grounded for a week so she can spend her time to do make-up work." Kaden sat down in front of the TV in his room and turned on his playstation.
"Are you just making this up to get Annie in trouble?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Call Mom if you want. She'll tell you."
I took Krissy into her room and got her dress, and then I cut up the pizza. While Kaden and Krissy were eating, I called Abby.
"Hey, is everything OK?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said. "Um . . .did you by any chance tell Annie that she was grounded?"
Abby sighed. "Yeah, I forgot to tell you. She failed math so she's grounded for a week."
"Shit," I muttered. "I can't believe she . . .goddamn it."
"Did you let her go out?" Abby asked.
"Yeah, she went to the movies with some friends," I said.
"Well, go get her!" Abby said. "And ground her for two weeks! I can't believe she would ask you when she knew that I . . ." Abby was interrupted by shouting. "I gotta go, John. I'll see you later."
**********************************
"I need you to get my daughter," I said to the manager of the movie theatre. "Annabelle Carter. She's in 'School of Rock.'"
Krissy was squirming in my arms so I handed her to Kaden who was standing calmly beside me. "Sir," the manager said. "I can't just interrupt the film for one girl."
"My daughter is not supposed to be here. She needs to come home right now. If you don't interrupt the movie, then I will," I said.
The manager sighed. "What was the name?"
"Annabelle Carter."
Two minutes later the manager came back followed by a bright red Annabelle. I thanked the manager, slipped him a twenty, and led my children back to the car. We rode home in silence and when we got there I sent Kaden and Krissy to their rooms.
Annie sat on the couch, her arms folded across her chest. "What do you have to say for yourself?" I asked, trying to stay calm.
"I'm sorry?" Annie said, hoping that was the right answer.
"Not good enough," I said. "It's bad enough that you went out when you knew you were grounded but you lied to me . . ."
"I didn't lie!" Annie shouted. "I never said anything that wasn't true!"
"Do NOT interrupt me!" I bellowed. Annie was stunned into silence. "Instead of one week, you are now grounded for two."
"What? But Dad . . ."
"No," I said firmly. "You break the rules, you get in trouble. That's how it goes. That's how it's always been. You need to start acting responsibly . . ."
"I AM responsible," Annie said, standing up. "I made a mistake, that's all."
"Damn right, you made a mistake. What's going on with you, Annie? First your report card and now this?"
"I don't have to listen to this," Annie said, heading for the stairs.
I grabbed her arm. "Yes, you do."
She tried to pull away from me but I tightened my grip. "Dad, you're hurting me!" she shouted with tears in her eyes. I let go and saw a mark in the shape of my hand on her arm. "I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!" With that, she ran up the stairs and slammed her door.
