Chapter Twenty-One
The following day, Shelby, a responsible and highly organized person, decided to delegate some chores to her three daughters – Santana, Kitty, and Quinn – as well as to their Rachel. She meticulously prepared a list of various housekeeping tasks that needed to be completed, including cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, vacuuming the floors, and doing laundry. Shelby emphasized the importance of having a clean and tidy house and urged her daughters to complete everything on the list by the end of the day.
However, Santana, Kitty, and Quinn began to complain about the long list of chores assigned to them. They found it overwhelming and were dissatisfied with the amount of work expected of them. They expressed their displeasure and dissatisfaction with the task list to Shelby, who tried to calm them down. She explained to them that completing these chores was essential for maintaining a clean and organized household. Shelby also informed them that she would add more tasks to the list, which made Santana furious, and she stormed out of the living room, with Kitty and Quinn following her.
Shelby was about to follow them but Rachel, who was also present, touched her hand and offered to talk to Santana, Kitty, and Quinn to understand their concerns. She suggested that Shelby could focus on her work and let her handle the situation. Shelby, who trusted Rachel, agreed and decided to continue with her work, confident that Rachel would handle the situation well.
Cassie walked into the living room and noticed that her wife Shelby seemed upset. She decided to ask her what was wrong, and Shelby explained that their daughters had been yelling at her. When Cassie asked why, Shelby revealed that she had assigned them a long list of chores, and they didn't like it. However, Rachel was the only one who didn't yell at her.
Cassie sympathized with Shelby but reminded her that their daughters' behavior was not acceptable. She reassured her wife that they both deserved respect and that they needed to address the issue with their daughters. Cassie suggested they sit down with their daughters and have a conversation to understand their perspective and come up with a solution that works for everyone.
Rachel was feeling frustrated with her friends. She had been trying to get them to work together to finish all their chores on time and avoid being grounded for another week. But her friends seemed to be in a bad mood and were not willing to listen to her.
She let out a loud sigh and said, "What's going on with all of you? Don't you understand that we need to work together to get all these chores done? If we don't, we'll be grounded for another week, and our parents will be even more upset with us."
Santana, who was already in a foul mood, was not interested in listening to Rachel. She was frustrated with the amount of work they had to do and was not willing to do it all on her own. "Look, Rachel, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not doing all of this on my own. It's just too much," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "We need to find a way to make this easier for us."
Kitty, who was usually quiet, spoke up as well. "I don't see why we have to do all of this. It's going to take all day, and I have other things to do," she said, crumpling up her chore list and throwing it across the room. Santana nodded in agreement and said, "Exactly. We need to figure out a way to get out of this or at least make it more manageable."
Quinn, the older sister, tried to calm her younger siblings. "Guys, we can't just ignore our chores. Let's try to do half of them and forget about the rest. That way, it won't be so overwhelming," she suggested, putting her chore list on the table. "Let's start with the first three chores and see how it goes. Maybe if we work together, we can finish them faster."
Santana rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs to clean her room, as it was the first item on her list. Meanwhile, Kitty had to clean the bathroom that she shared with Quinn and Rachel. Quinn had to clean the pantry, and Rachel had to tidy up her bedroom, which she shared with Quinn.
When they were done with their first task they went to their second Santana kicked off her day by gathering all the necessary cleaning supplies, including the vacuum cleaner, dustbin, and cleaning solution. She then began vacuuming every inch of the carpets, moving furniture as needed, to ensure that no speck of dust was left behind. She was meticulous in her work, making sure that every corner of the floor was dust-free.
Rachel and Quinn teamed up to clean their shared bedroom. They started by removing all the clutter, making the room look more spacious. Next, they dusted every nook and cranny until the room was spotless. Rachel paid close attention to the beddings, making sure that they were arranged neatly and tidily. Quinn, on the other hand, focused on mopping the bathroom floors, scrubbing away any dirt or grime that had accumulated over time.
Kitty was busy tidying up her parents' bedroom. She started by making their bed, then went on to organize the closet and drawers. She carefully arranged everything in its place, making sure that the room looked neat and tidy. She then proceeded to vacuum the entire house, ensuring that no corner was left untouched.
Throughout the day, Shelby and Cassie checked in on them periodically to offer guidance and support.
Once they had finished their assigned tasks, Santana and Rachel tackled the bathrooms, cleaning every surface until they sparkled. They scrubbed the sinks, toilets, and bathtubs, leaving them looking brand new. Quinn turned her attention to the refrigerator, scrubbing it down until it was pristine and organized. She threw away anything that had expired and rearranged the shelves according to the items' categories.
As the clock struck 6:30 in the evening, four teenage girls let out a sigh of relief. They had spent the whole day doing their daily chores, and they were exhausted. They had been cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry, among other things. Finally, they all sprawled out on the living room couch, closing their eyes and trying to catch their breath.
Just then, Cassie, one of the girls' mothers, walked in with a smile on her face. She saw the girls and immediately knew they were tired. She informed them that dinner was ready and asked them to wash up before they sat down to eat. Rachel, one of the girls, was vegan, so Cassie served her vegan tacos, while the others were served regular tacos.
As the four teenagers rushed upstairs to freshen up, Shelby, Cassie's wife, wrapped her arms around her, happy to see that Rachel and Tiger didn't argue at all that day. In fact, they worked together quite well to finish the chores. Maybe there was hope for them to finally get along with each other.
Cassie suggested that they could have Tiger and Rachel clean the backyard after school. This would be a good opportunity to see how well they could work together. Shelby agreed, kissing her wife, and they both waited for the four grumpy teenagers to come downstairs so that they could all eat together.
As the four teenagers sat down at the dinner table in their pajamas, they thanked their moms for the delicious meal. During dinner, Shelby informed the teenagers that she didn't appreciate how they stormed out of the room earlier. She specifically addressed Tiger, telling her that she understood that she was visibly upset about the chores assignment but that it didn't give her the right to stomp out of the room. As a result, Tiger was grounded for another week.
Santana mumbled something under her breath, but Kitty heard her and burst out laughing. Cassie warned Tiger that she was on very thin ice and turned to Kitty to inform her that she had an extra week of grounding, which she knew why. Kitty slouched in her chair, upset about being grounded for an extra week.
Quinn hid her smirking, but Shelby saw it and scolded her, "Quinnie bear, wipe that smile off your face."
"I'm sorry, Mom," Quinn quickly apologized.
Shelby looked towards Rachel on the other side of Santana and thanked her for helping her out. Rachel smiled at her, telling her, "You're welcome."
Cassie and Shelby cleared the table, telling the girls to bring their backpacks downstairs and get to bed.
All four of them mumbled as they went out of the dining room and up the stairs. They were tired and ready for bed.
Cassie and Shelby had just finished cleaning up the upstairs of their house, making sure everything was in order. However, they noticed that their daughters had been acting differently lately and were worried about their well-being. They decided to check in with each of them to make sure everything was okay.
First, they went to Rachel and Quinn's room. They informed Rachel that she would be helping Santana clean up the backyard the next day. Rachel seemed a little surprised at first, but she quickly agreed to help out. Cassie and Shelby wanted to encourage Rachel to be more responsible and helpful around the house.
Then, they moved on to Kitty's room. They wanted to talk to her about her recent behavior, which included calling them "crazy". Cassie and Shelby wanted to make sure that Kitty was doing okay, and they let her know that they cared about her. They talked to her for a while about why she had been acting out and what they could do to help her. They wanted to make sure that Kitty knew they were always there for her.
Finally, they went to Santana's bedroom and sat down on either side of her. Cassie placed Santana's book down and began to explain to her that she and Rachel would be tidying up the backyard the next afternoon. Santana seemed a little confused and asked why she had to work with Berry, knowing that they didn't get along well.
Cassie and Shelby reassured her that they understood her struggles and appreciated her efforts to get along with Rachel. Shelby kindly brushed a piece of hair off Santana's face, making her smile. At this point, Santana revealed that she wanted to discuss something with her parents.
Santana looked down at her fingers and said, "There is something I want to discuss with the two of you." Shelby gently placed her hands on top of Santana's, making her feel comfortable. However, before Santana could say anything, Shelby corrected her when she called Rachel by an incorrect name. "Her name is Rachel, please be respectful and call her by her given name," Shelby said.
Santana then revealed that on the day of her friend Carmen's party, when Kitty and she went with Mama to the grocery store and did a little shopping for Rachel's sleepover, she saw Karofsky in the parking lot. Cassie and Shelby asked if he saw her, and Santana replied that she ducked down in the seat, so he didn't see her.
Cassie and Shelby hugged Santana, and Shelby said, "I wish you had told us sooner," with concern in her voice. Shelby explained that whether or not Karofsky saw her, Santana should always tell them if she ever sees him. They would have gotten him arrested because he isn't allowed within 1,000 feet of her, and he violated those rights.
Santana promised to tell her parents next time, and Cassie and Shelby kissed her goodnight. Before leaving the room, Cassie reminded Shelby that they needed to talk to Rachel about Karofsky and tell her to stay close to her friends Kurt and Mercedes while she's at school and not go anywhere alone because Karofsky or his friends might be lurking around.
Shelby and Cassie were concerned about Rachel's safety at school after learning about Karofsky's bullying. They decided to talk to her and make sure that she was aware of the situation. So, they went to Rachel and Quinn's bedroom and had a heart-to-heart conversation with Rachel. They advised her to stay close to her friends, Mercedes and Kurt, while at school and not to go anywhere on the school grounds alone.
Rachel promised them that she would follow their advice and stay close to her friends. Shelby and Cassie were relieved to hear that and kissed Rachel and Quinn goodnight before retiring to their own room.
Later that night, Rachel was still curious about Karofsky's bullying. She asked Quinn about it, hoping to get a better understanding of the situation. Quinn told her that it was a long story and that she would tell her about it some other time. Cassie and Shelby were glad to have checked in with each of their daughters and made sure that they were safe and okay. They could now sleep peacefully.