Chapter 10

Dawn knew she was in trouble when her big sis told her Mom would be staying home from her art gallery for a week while new inventory was being brought in for a week from California. Dawn knew she could pull the wool over her sister’s eyes about what she had been doing on the internet with her friends. However, her mom was another case altogether. Buffy and especially Dawn’s art gallery and their mother was a real task master! Too put it lightly and would have no problem finding out what Dawn had been up to over the past few months.

Normally having her mom stay home during spring Break would be great, but her mother had been asking questions about her activities lately, especially those on the internet and asked her sister Mom to help her. Dawn suspected comments from some of her friend’s parents had aroused her curiosity. Regardless of the reasons for her big sis’s suspicions, having her mom involved did not sit well with Dawn.

Coming home from school the first day after her parents had left, Dawn found her mom sitting at the kitchen table with Dawn’s computer on her instant messaging site. “You hacked into my computer! I can’t believe you don’t respect my privacy! You had no right at all. I am fourteen years-old and you have no business looking at my personal stuff.” Dawn’s tone was close to crying as she tried to grab her computer off the table and slam it shut.

Ms. Summer’s pulled the computer out of Dawn’s reach and said, “Hold it right there, young miss, I have permission from your mother to find out what you were up to on the net, so don’t give me this privacy crap.” You are fourteen years-old and your parents have a responsibility to know what you are doing! It is apparent though you don’t want them to know, an after what I have read, I can see why!”

“I write personal stuff in those messages, they are not meant for anyone else to read. I have done nothing wrong, so give me back my computer, and leave me alone!” Dawn, desperate, hoping against hope that her mom had not read to many of the messages sent to her from her friend Willow.

“Well Dawn, if you have done nothing wrong, let me read a few messages aloud. Let’s see, how about this one:

D: I found out that ‘preparing’ my binder is not a good idea.

W: If you mean making the binder look as if you did the work when you really hadn’t! Her mom after going through the computer history looked up from the at Dawn, her youngest teen daughter. “Not doing your school work is doing nothing according to you Dawn. Is that right? Let me read another one here, concerning your sister, Buffy.”

D: my sister is in college and my parents still spank her.

W: Really, when and what for?

D: Twice, last Summer and once on Christmas break. She was grounded and broke her curfew to climb out her window and see Angel.

Buffy had entered the kitchen while the IM’s were still going back and forth, stared daggers at Dawn across the table as their single-mom read the incriminating instant message transcripts.

Dawn spoke out, “no one else was suppose to know. Arlene is my best friend, and we share everything.”

Their mom stood and said, “Dawn, I want you to go upstairs to your bedroom and wait for me. Please don’t slam your door like you do when you’re mad. I don’t want to hear it! I will be up in a minute and we will continue this conversation there.” Mom walked out of the kitchen, needing time to compose herself before going upstairs.

When their mom left the room, Buffy showed her anger, her face getting redder by the minute. She was furious as she got up from the table, and walked away while Dawn was trying to explain.

Dawn reacted to Buffy’s walking out by throwing an empty Coke can at her, hitting her sister in the back. Dawn knew it was wrong, but it was all she could think of doing in the moment. Buffy went straight to her mom and told her what had happened. Before mom could come to the kitchen, the petulant fourteen year-old stomped up the stairs to her room. She paused for a moment, wondered if she should do it, and then slammed the door.

Downstairs, Buffy had told her mom she was going to visit a sort of fair weather friend, Cordelia. A suggestion that Mom took an opportunity to suggest she stay away for at least an hour while she and Dawn worked things out, and a plan entered her mind to extract a little revenge on Dawn. Buffy grabbed a few things and left the house, but only went far enough to be out of sight.

Their mom took a couple of deep breaths and went up the stairs towards Dawn’s room. Before going into Dawn’s room she stopped at the master bedroom and picked the shiny paddle off the white dresser. Entering Dawn’s bedroom, Mom watched as Dawn turned to face her. Mom saw her eyes showing a hint of fright at the sight of the wooden paddle. It was obvious to Dawn by the stern expression on their mom’s face that she was very serious.

Mom started by saying, “you know what I think, Dawn? I think you are one spoiled brat. You have your father wrapped around your little finger. Whatever you want, he gives you. I also think you have not told your mom what you were doing on the internet when she asked you.”

Dawn let her mouth react before thinking she would only make things worse by saying, “I think you need to keep your nose out of my personal computer! How my parents and I get along is just fine. I wish they were here!”