Chapter Three – Grounded!
An hour later, London came back from shopping. She walked over to the candy counter.
"Hello, London," Maddie greeted her. "How was your father's memorial service?"
"Oh... Umm... It was nice..." London replied.
"London, save the fake answer for someone else. I know you didn't go!"
"How do you know that?"
"Your step-mom told me."
"How did she know?"
"There was a guestbook that people were supposed to sign and your name wasn't in it."
"Oh," London said, as she started walking off.
"London, don't just walk off! Why didn't you go?"
"I... uh... forgot..."
"Really? I don't believe that... I think you purposely didn't go..."
"Why would I do that?"
"To avoid really having to deal with your father's death."
"I'm dealing with it easily... I mean it's not like I was actually very close to him."
"I think that you really hurt your stepmother by not going."
"Oh... I guess I should apologize to her..."
"That might be a smart idea, London, but remember that sometimes an apology isn't enough to gain back the respect and trust of someone you really hurt. It might take a while before Brandi actually completely trusts and forgives you."
"Oh... Fine! I admit it! I skipped the memorial service!"
"You went shopping, instead, right?"
"Yes."
"I see this as a repeat of a prior event."
"What do you mean?"
"I remember a time in which your father called and said he could meet you when he said he was going to. You responded by taking my purse, which had your credit cards, and standing outside the stores yelling for them to open."
"When did that happen?"
"A few months ago..."
"Oh."
"If you want to talk to me about your father, you know I'm here to talk."
"Uh yeah, I'll keep that in mind," London said, walking to the elevator.
"She turned her cellphone back on. A few minutes later, she heard it ring. She looked at the caller ID, and saw it was Brandi. I should answer it, she thought. Even if Brandi is going to yell at me for not showing up to the memorial service...
"Hi Brandi," London said, answering her phone.
"Hello London," Brandi replied, annoyed. "Why were you not at the memorial service?"
"I forgot," London replied, lying. "I'm sorry."
"Maddie thinks you skipped it... Is that true?"
"No."
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes."
"Because either way you're grounded."
"Ok, fine. I admit it. I purposefully didn't go!"
"Why?"
"I didn't care. I would have rather gone shopping, which I did. Yay me!"
"No, not 'Yay'. That was very disrespectful. You're grounded for two months... You are not to leave the hotel except for school, and you must be in the hotel no later than 3:20 after school and I'm coming by the hotel to get all of your credit cards."
"How are you going to enforce your 'no going out of the Tipton' rule? You don't even live here... And don't expect me to leave this hotel and live with you!"
"I've asked Mr. Moseby to keep an eye on you for the next two months. No, I wouldn't expect you to leave the hotel and live with me. I understand why you wouldn't want to."
"Ok then."
"Just so you know, part of the reason why Mr. Moseby agreed to keep an eye on you is because he was disappointed in you too."
"Ok then. Talk to you later."
"Bye London."
London then put her phone away. What am I going to do for the next four hours, She thought. Guess I'll just watch TV...
She went into her bedroom and laid down on her bed and started flipping through the channels on her television. There is absolutely nothing on! she thought. Just then, Ivana jumped onto her bed.
"Hey Ivana," she said petting her dog. She sat there petting Ivana for fifteen minutes, then turned the television on to see what was on at 5:30. Ooh... Sixteen Candles is on! Thought London. I like this movie. She decided to watch it. At 7:30, when the movie was over, she called room service and ordered dinner, which was usual for her. While she was waiting for room service, she fed Ivana. It was one of the few things she hadn't hired hotel staff for. Her dinner came and she ate it in silence in the kitchen (which she rarely used). She then returned to her room and watched The Bachelor and went to bed after brushing her teeth and washing her face.
The next morning she woke up at 6:00, took a shower and got ready for school. At 7:40, she walked out the door of her suite and left for school. School went as it usually did.
After school, she went straight back to the hotel. She walked in the door at 3:15. "Hello, Mr. Moseby," London greeted him as she went over to the front desk.
"Hello London," Mr. Moseby said, shortly. "Brandi s coming to the hotel at 5:00."
"Ok..."
"I'll send her to your suite when she gets here."
"Thanks..." London replied, half-heartedly. She walked over to the candy counter.
"Hello London," Maddie said.
"Hello," London replied.
"How come you're back at the hotel so early? Shouldn't you be out shopping or something?"
"Umm... I would like to be out shopping., but I'm grounded for the next two months."
"Oh."
"Brandi's coming by the hotel to take my credit cards, so I won't go shopping or whatever."
"Oh. That makes sense. And I suppose Brandi has asked Mr. Moseby to keep an eye on you so that you stick to her rules?"
"Yup. Was there any other homework at school besides math?"
"Uh... no, except for there is that essay due next Wednesday."
"Oh. I'll do that tomorrow..."
"Wait! You're actually going to do your homework?"
"Yah! It's not like I have anything else to do."
"Oh... Well, if you want anyone to hang out with, you can hang out with me."
"Uh... yeah... Thanks for the offer... Goodbye..." London said and walked up the stairs.
London then did her math homework, while lying on her bed. When she was finished, she took a nap. At 5:00, she woke up to someone knocking at the door. It must be Brandi, she thought. She got up, put on a pair of slippers and answered the door.
"Hello," London said greeting her step-mom.
"Hi, London," Brandi said, shortly. "Where are your credit cards?"
"Right to the point, then? Mmmk... I have my purse right here," she said reluctantly giving Brandi her wallet, which was in her purse. Brandi took the credit cards out, and handed back the almost empty wallet to London; Brandi had left London's student ID and drivers' license in the wallet. London then put the wallet back in her purse and put her purse back on her kitchen table.
"Goodbye, Brandi," London said, anxious to get her stepmother out of her suite.
"Not so fast," Brandi said. "I have two more things to say."
"Go ahead."
"First, I wanted to say that Mr. Moseby told me that you got back to the hotel on time, and I am very happy to hear that. To me it shows that you are at least trying to show me a little bit of respect."
"Of course," London said with a fake smile on her face.
"Second, I wanted to tell you that if you should disobey me by not coming back to the hotel at 3:20 or trying to leave the hotel for anything other than school, you will be grounded for another week."
"Is that everything?"
"I think so. Goodbye, London," Brandi said walking out the door of the suite. London then waited a few minutes before calling room service for dinner. While she was waiting for her dinner to come, she fed Ivana. She then ate dinner and looked for something to watch. When she saw that nothing on television interested her, she decided to watch one of the movies she owned. She decided to watch Pretty in Pink. When the movie was over, she watched reruns of Friends. She then got ready for bed. At about 10:00, she fell asleep.