Can’t Do Everything...a “Missy” story (M/f)

(c) 2000 by Sampast

 

(Author’s Note: This story is dedicated to both Jennifer, and Peter, who have been such great friends to me, by talking and helping me so much.  Enjoy!)

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It was Christmas Vacation and we were off from school.  I should have been jumping for joy, but I wasn’t.  Life as I knew it was not so great.  Daddy had been working day and night on a big project, and Mommy had been extremely busy.  And to top it off, Katie was sick.  Real sick.  She had the flu and bronchitis on top of it.

 

Mommy didn’t want me and Debbie to catch what Katie had, so she sent us to stay with our aunt, uncle and cousins.  They didn’t live too far from our house, but it still wasn’t the same.

 

And don’t get me wrong, Aunt Jackie and Uncle Mike were great.  I loved them so much, but they weren’t Mommy and Daddy.  They also had a new baby at the house and she was always crying for something.  It was making me crazy.

 

I sighed.  At home, I was in the middle of the family.  But here, I was the oldest.  I was only seven, but Debbie was five years old and my cousin Jessica was four.  Aunt Jackie looked to me to watch out for the little ones.

 

“Missy, I need to talk to Jessica in her room.  Will you keep an eye on your sister for me, please?”

 

What could I say?  “Um, uh yeah, sure, Auntie,” I said.

 

I looked down at Debbie and said, “Okay, what do you want to do?”

 

“Climb da twee,” she said simply.

 

I looked at her.  Then I looked out back at the big maple sitting in my aunt and uncle’s backyard and shook my head.  “I don’t think so, sis.”

 

“Why not? I’s a good climber,” Debbie said, sticking her lip out.

 

“We’re not allowed to climb the tree,” I said.  “At least I don’t think we are.”

 

“But I wanna.  I not climbed one in a long time,” Debbie whined.

 

“Forget it, sis.  Think of something else,” I stated.

 

Debbie thought for a bit, took my hand, and said, “Come on, Missy, les go fingerpaint.”

 

She led me to the den where my cousin Jessica had a million arts and crafts stuff.  She also had a little table on which to do the crafts.  It was neat.

 

“Okay, Deb, but we gotta put down newspaper.  Member that time we didn’t at home? Mommy was really mad.”

 

Debbie nodded.  I went to get some newspaper and laid it on the table.  I put the fingerpaints in the middle.  “What color you want?” I asked.

 

I watched as my sister tried to roll up her sleeves.  Oh, man, I hadda do everything.  I went over and helped her roll them up.

 

“Purple!” she said.  I put the purple right in front of her.  I put the red in front of me.  I gave us each a piece of manilla drawing paper.  I stuck my finger in the red and made an arch on the paper.

 

Debbie put her whole hand in the purple and giggled.  “Debbie!” I shouted.  “What are you doing?”

 

“Look, Missy!” she exclaimed as she stamped her hand on the paper.

 

I nodded.  “That’s cool,” I said, as I wiped the red off and stuck my finger in the orange.  I made an orange arch right next to the red.  If you didn’t already know, I was making a rainbow...my absolute favoritest thing in the world.

 

While I was reaching for the yellow, Debbie took the blue paint and stuck her other hand all the way in.  I cringed.  I was probably going to have to clean her up later.  She stamped that hand on her paper, too.  I looked at it.  It actually looked kind of neat.

 

I wiped off the yellow and stuck my finger in the green.  I looked at my paper.  My rainbow was coming out pretty nice so far.  I didn’t notice at first when Debbie stuck her hands in all the colors and smeared them on her paper and the other papers that were on the side.

 

“Debbie!  What are you doing?” I yelled.  “You’re making a mess!”

 

“So? Dat’s what finger paints are for,” she stated simply.

 

I shrugged my shoulders.  I guessed she was right.  So I finished my rainbow.  I looked over at Debbie to see what she was doing.  Oh man; I tried to pretend I didn’t notice as she wiped her hands on her sweatsuit.  It had been light pink, but not anymore.

 

“Look Missy, I gots rainbows!” she said.

 

I tried not to laugh as Debbie pointed to her sweatsuit, which was now covered in fingerpaint.  Before I could stop her, she bent down and rubbed her hair in it, too.  Oh man!

 

I took my picture and hung it up on the clothesline.  Only my aunt would have put that up for Jessica’s art.  I said, “Debbie, are you done with your painting?” I thought she was done, but with her, you never knew.  When she nodded, I hung hers up too...all four of them.

 

When I was trying to clean up the paints the best I could, my aunt and Jessica appeared in the doorway.  Aunt Jackie screamed.  We jumped.

 

“Deborah Nicole, what have you done?” she asked, becoming hysterical.

 

I looked back over at Debbie; she was covered from head to foot in paint.  I tried not to laugh, but a little giggle slipped out.

 

“Melissa, I asked you to watch your sister,” she scolded.

 

“Yes, ma’am, but...”

 

“No buts.  Is this how you watch her?” Aunt Jackie asked, with her hands on her hips.

 

“I put newspaper down, Auntie,” I said.

 

“It didn’t seem to help keep the paint off your sister’s clothing.  And look at her hair!” my aunt stated.

 

I looked over at Debbie and just burst out laughing.  She looked like a clown.  But that laughing was not a good idea; it just made Aunt Jackie more upset.

 

“Missy, it’s going to take me forever to clean up this mess.  Please go upstairs and give your sister a bath.”

 

I just looked at my aunt.  Was she kidding?

 

“Oh, and put her clothes in a plastic bag,” Aunt Jackie continued.

 

I looked at her again, then back at Debbie and over at Jessica.  My cousin had just stood in the doorway this whole time, not saying a word.  Her eyes were red-rimmed and her nose was running.  My guess was the talk she and my aunt had had was one of those grownup type of talks, that involved not talking.

 

“Do I gotta?” I asked my aunt.

 

“It would be a big help.  I can’t do both,” she said.

 

I sighed.  “Okay, come on, Debbie, let’s get you cleaned up,” I said.  See? I knew I would end up having to clean her.  It wasn’t fair; I was only seven, for crying out loud.

 

But Debbie shook her head.  “Noooo, I don’t wanna!  I wanna keep my ouffit like dis.  I wanna look like a butterfly.”

 

“Deborah, go upstairs with your sister right now.  You need a bath.  We will decide about the clothes later.  Right now I’m a little upset at this mess.”

 

Debbie nodded.  “Yes, Auntie,” she said.

 

I looked at Jessica.  “You wanna come up too, Jessica?”

 

“Okay,” she said, sniffling.

 

I went upstairs and ran a bath.  I knew how to do it, cuz sometimes I did it myself at home.  But Mommy and Daddy never made me or even let me give Katie or Debbie a bath by myself before.  I did feel kinda important.

 

I put bubbles in while Debbie stripped.  Jessica brought up the plastic bag for me to put the clothes into.  The bath looked so inviting, I had an idea. 

 

“Hey, Jessica!  You wanna get in with Debbie?”

 

She smiled and nodded.  “Yeah, les all get in.”

 

I smiled and got undressed.  So did Jessica.  Soon, all three of us were splashing around the bath, which was now green and purple.

 

“Ooh, pretty,” Jessica said.

 

Aunt Jackie came up soon after to check on us.  She was surprised to see all of us in the tub.  I think she was about to scold me, but then she didn’t.  She tried to get the paint off Debbie, but only managed to get all of us full of paint.  She had to dump the water, and refill the tub.  It was fun, though.

 

After Aunt Jackie helped us all to wash, we got out and got dressed again.  We went downstairs to play while Aunt Jackie cleaned up the bathroom.  It must be hard being a grownup: all day long cleaning up after kids.

 

We were in the den watching TV, when I decided I was thirsty.  I went to the kitchen to get us all some juice boxes and when I got back, Debbie had a container of hairspray in her hands.  I have no idea where she got it from.  She was about to spray it, when I said, “No, Debbie, don’t!”

 

“Why not?” she asked.  “It’s pink an’ purple.  I wanna make my hair look pwetty again.”

 

I tried to grab it out of her hand, but when I touched the nozzle it ended up spraying out.  I watched as Debbie’s hair turned pink and so did the wall behind her.  Uh oh.

 

Just as I was trying to figure out how to clean it up, the baby cried.  Aunt Jackie shouted from upstairs, “Missy!  Can you see what she needs, please?”

 

Man, I had to do everything!  I put the hairspray down.  “Don’t touch it again, Debbie.”  I looked at Jessica.  “You either.  I’ll be right back.”

 

I ran into the living room where baby Nikki was.  “What’s a matta?” I asked her.  Of course, since she was only a few months old, she didn’t answer.

 

I tried the pacifier, but that didn’t work.  She was screaming her head off.  I couldn’t pick her up cuz I didn’t know how to get her out of the swing.  I stood there, not knowing what to do, when Aunt Jackie came downstairs.

 

“Missy, what are you doing?” she asked me, as I just stood there.

 

I started to cry.  Aunt Jackie went to the baby and picked her up.  I watched my aunt soothe Nikki until she calmed down. 

 

“Missy, what’s wrong?” she asked, all concerned.

 

“I’m sorry!  I couldn’t do it!” I cried.

 

“Couldn’t do what?”

 

“I couldn’t make her stop.  She just kept crying!” I stated.

 

Aunt Jackie looked at me and then at the baby and then back at me again.  I just knew she was going to scold me.  She was about to say something, when Debbie and Jessica came into the room.  My mouth dropped to the floor when I saw them.  Their hair was entirely pink and purple and you could see from a distance how sticky it was.

 

“Debbie!  Jessica!  I told you not to play with that!” I yelled.

 

Aunt Jackie looked at me.  “You knew they had that, and you let them hold onto it?” she accused.

 

That was it; it was more than I could take.  I turned and just ran.  I ran through the living room, to the kitchen and just out the back door.

 

“Melissa!  Melissa Erin, you come back here right now!” Aunt Jackie yelled.

 

But I didn’t stop.  I didn’t stop until I was in Jessica’s toy clubhouse in the backyard.  I went in and shut the door and just sat at her little table and cried.

 

I don’t know how long I sat there crying.  It was a while before I heard a noise and looked out the little window.  Uncle Mike was there.  I tried to smile at him.  He knocked on the little door and I opened it up.

 

“I’d ask if I could come in, but I don’t think I would fit in there, Missy.  Do you mind coming out?” he asked patiently.

 

I came out and looked up at him.  “Am I in trouble?” I asked.

 

Uncle Mike didn’t answer me; he just put out his hand and I took it.  I trusted him.  He led me over to the picnic table, and the two of us sat down.

 

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?  Your aunt said you ran out here crying.  She said you didn’t listen when she told you to stop,” he said gently.

 

I nodded and the tears came again.  “I’m sorry, Uncle Mike.  I didn’t mean to disobey, but I just couldn’t take it another minute,” I sobbed.

 

“Couldn’t take what, Missy?” he asked.

 

Just then, Aunt Jackie came outside.  She held the hairspray bottle in one hand and a cloth in the other.  “Melissa, did you spray this on the den wall?” she asked in an alarmed voice.

 

I looked over at her and then at Uncle Mike.  I was still crying.  Slowly I nodded.  Aunt Jackie frowned.  “Come clean it up then,” she said, holding out the cloth for me to take.

 

“But I...”

 

“No buts, come do it right now!” she said sternly.

 

“Noooooo!” I screamed, and ran from the table.  Uncle Mike just looked at Aunt Jackie.  I ran inside and they followed, calling after me.  I ran up to the room I was staying in, and slammed the door.

 

I lay on the bed, and cried my eyes out.  It wasn’t fair; I hadn’t meant to spray the wall.  No one was even listening.  A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. 

 

“Go away!” I shouted.  I really didn’t feel like talking to anyone right then.  Especially since they weren’t going to hear my side.

 

Uncle Mike opened the door and walked into the room.  He pulled the desk chair over to the bed and sat down in it.  He looked at me.  “What was all that about, young lady?” he asked.

 

I pouted and looked up.  “All what?” I tried.

 

“No, no, don’t try that with me, Melissa Erin.  You know better than to run off from a grownup, and then slam doors.  I know you are not allowed to do that at your house.  And you’re certainly not to do that here.  Now tell me what’s wrong,” Uncle Mike said, a little more firmly than before.

 

“I was mad,” I said.

 

“Mad? Mad at what?” he asked.  “Your Aunt Jackie asked you to clean up a mess you made and you ran.  I don’t see anything for you to be mad about, young lady.”

 

“Then you don’t know nothing!” I sneered.

 

Uncle Mike stood up.  “Excuse me, young lady?”

 

I folded my arms and pouted.  I wasn’t budging.  I knew I was in a little deep but I was feeling so mad, I didn’t know how to get out of the slump I was in.  So I just kept digging myself in deeper and deeper.  I think I knew I was in big trouble though.

 

Uncle Mike stood over me.  He looked down and said, “Is that the way you speak to me, Melissa?”

 

Instead of shaking my head no, which is what I should have done; I nodded.  I guess that was the wrong thing.  Uncle Mike took me by the hand, and pulled me off the bed.  He turned me around and gave me half a dozen smacks on the seat of my jeans.

 

“Owwww!” I said, reaching back to rub my bottom.

 

“Would you like to change your answer, Melissa Erin?  Is that the way you are supposed to talk to me?”

 

This time I shook my head.  “No, sir,” I said, sadly.

 

He sat me back down.  “Now let’s try this again.  What are you mad about?”

 

I looked up at Uncle Mike and then down at the floor.  I started to cry again.  “I’m only seven, Uncle,” I cried.

 

He was clearly confused by my statement.  “Yes, and?”

 

“I can’t do everything!” I shouted.

 

Uncle Mike stood up then.  “I can see you are not ready to speak to me properly.  I want you in the corner.  I’m going downstairs.  When you are ready to talk nicely to me, then come and get me.  That’s the only reason you are to leave this room, is that understood?”

 

I knew better than to argue at this point.  And besides, I could use a little time to myself.  I needed to think.  I stood up slowly and walked to the corner.  Uncle Mike waited until I was facing the wall before he left the room.  I heard the door close and his footsteps recede.  I sighed.  I sure wasn’t handling this very well.

 

After a while, I started to get tired.  Uncle Mike was downstairs.  He wasn’t going to come check on me.  I walked over to the bed, and lay down.  I closed my eyes.  I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Uncle Mike was shaking me awake.

 

I looked up and tried to orient myself.  I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be in the corner, and I looked down.  I was probably in even more trouble now.

 

“Come on, it’s dinnertime.  We’ll talk later,” Uncle Mike said, taking my hand and helping me to my feet.

 

Dinnertime? Wow, I must have slept for a long time.  I went downstairs with my uncle.  We were having meatloaf and rice and string beans.  I loved string beans.

 

But Debbie? She hated them.  I watched as she ate everything on her plate but the beans.  I also noticed that Debbie and Jessica’s hair wasn’t pink anymore.  I hadn’t seen them since much earlier.

 

When Debbie refused to eat her string beans, Uncle Mike turned to me and said, “Melissa, tell your sister how delicious they are.  Tell her how they’re good for you.”

 

I didn’t say anything.  Sure, I liked them, but I wasn’t going to get on Debbie’s bad side.  That was for a grownup to say.

 

“Missy? Tell your sister,” Uncle Mike encouraged.

 

I just shrugged.  Debbie watched me.  I continued eating my dinner.  Aunt Jackie tried to feed Debbie the string beans, but she pushed her away.  Uncle Mike looked at Debbie.

 

“Deborah? Eat your beans.  They’re good for you.  Melissa can tell you how tasty they are.”

 

“No, I can’t!” I uttered, throwing down my fork.  I hated that he was doing that to me.

 

“That’s it!” Uncle Mike said, standing up.  “Go up to your room right now, Melissa.”

 

I looked at him and he stared at me.  “I have had it with your attitude today, Missy.  Now go!” he said, pointing to the stairs.

 

I got up from my chair slowly and walked toward the stairs.  I turned to look back and both Jessica and Debbie were staring at me.  Oh, why couldn’t I have just told Debbie that string beans were good for you?

 

Uncle Mike met me in my room a few minutes later.  He sat down on the bed and pulled me to stand in front of him.  “You have earned yourself a spanking, young lady, for disobedience and sassiness.  Is there anything you’d like to say first?”

 

I thought of a million things to say but I didn’t say anything.  Sure, I could have told him that I didn’t mean to spray the wall.  I could have told him how miserable I’d been taking care of everyone.  I could have told him how jealous I’d been of Katie cuz she was home with Mommy and Daddy getting all their attention, and how I wanted to be home.  But I didn’t.  I just stood there.

 

“Very well, then,” Uncle Mike said.  He reached down and undid my jeans and let them drop to the floor.  Then he put his hand in the elastic of my panties and slid them down to my ankles.  He pulled me up and over his lap.  He raised his hand and brought it down on my backside several times.

 

{Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!} {Smack!}

 

Then the lecture began.  “You will not speak {Smack!} {Smack!} to your aunt or me in that tone of voice, young lady.  {Smack!} {Smack!} In fact, {Smack!} {Smack!} you will not speak to anyone, {Smack!} {Smack!} especially an adult like you did to me earlier.  {Smack!} {Smack!} Is that understood?” {Smack!} {Smack!}

 

I was crying already.  “Yes, sir,” I sobbed.

 

“And furthermore, {Smack!} {Smack!} if your aunt or any adult {Smack!} {Smack!} asks you to do something, {Smack!} {Smack!} you will do it right away.  {Smack!} {Smack!} I will not tolerate disobedience from you, Melissa Erin.” {Smack!} {Smack!}

 

He hadn’t asked a question but I nodded, nonetheless.  I was starting to feel really bad about my attitude.  I could have made things much easier if I had just told them how I was feeling.  Maybe.

 

“Are you ready {Smack!} {Smack!} to be the good girl {Smack!} {Smack!} I know that you are?” Uncle Mike asked. {Smack!} {Smack!}

 

“Yes, sir!” I said, crying hard.  He was only using his hand but he was a lot bigger than Daddy, and it really hurt.

 

“Okay, then, your spanking is over!” Uncle Mike said, helping me up.  He reached down and pulled my panties up, but had me step out of the jeans.  He gave me a quick hug.  “Now go get your pajamas and we will talk calmly.”

 

“Yes, Uncle Mike,” I said, wiping at my tears.

 

Uncle Mike had me wash up and get all ready for bed.  Then he sat on my bed, and pulled me into his lap.  I hugged him tight and played with the buttons on his shirt as I waited for him to start talking first.

 

“Well, Melissa, now that you are calm, would you like to tell me what happened today?” he asked.

 

I looked at him.  “Uncle Mike, I’m only 7 and Aunt Jackie was making me do all this stuff.  I couldn’t handle it,” I admitted.

 

“What kind of stuff?” he asked.

 

I told him about watching Debbie, and about the paints, and the bath, and the baby crying and the hairspray, and then topped it off by being overwhelmed when I was expected to tell Debbie that string beans were nutritious.

 

“It was just too much, Uncle Mike.  At home, I don’t gotta do any of that,” I said.

 

“Hmmm, I see,” he said.  “But Missy, I’m sure your parents ask you to keep an eye on Katie and Debbie sometimes, don’t they?”

 

I nodded.  “But this was different.  I was expected to be the boss and I can’t be.  I’m too little,” I whined.

 

Uncle Mike looked at me.  “No whining, Missy.  I will get Aunt Jackie up here and you will tell her how you’re feeling.”

 

Soon after, I was repeating the story to Aunt Jackie.  She got a tear in her eye.  I reached up to wipe it away.  “Why you crying, Auntie?” I asked.

 

“Because, Melissa, I love you so much my heart hurts sometimes.”

 

I looked at her.  “You do?”

 

She nodded.  I looked over at Uncle Mike.  He nodded, too.

 

Aunt Jackie took a deep breath.  “I’m sorry if I put so much pressure on you, sweetie.  I knew you were a big girl and I guess I thought you could handle it.  But it wasn’t fair of me, and I apologize.  Will you forgive me?”

 

I looked at my aunt.  She was asking for my forgiveness?  I nodded and said, “Of course I do, Auntie.  I’m just sorry I’m such a bad girl.”

 

“Melissa, don’t you ever say that.  You are a good girl.  You may act naughty sometimes but you are a good girl.  Do you hear me?”

 

“Yes, Auntie,” I said.  I reached up to hug her.  Then we heard the baby crying.  I knew my aunt would have to go to Nikki so I started to let go.

 

“You stay, hon, I’ll get her,” Uncle Mike said to Aunt Jackie.

 

“Thanks, babe,” Aunt Jackie said.  She continued to hold me.

 

“Auntie?” I said after a while.  “It was an accident with the hairspray.”  I explained how it had come out while I was trying to take it away from my sister. 

 

She said, “Missy, why didn’t you just tell me that’s what happened?”

 

“You didn’t give me a chance, Auntie.  And then I got in trouble with Uncle Mike,” I explained.

 

Aunt Jackie just nodded and held me for a long time that night.

 

Katie got better, thank goodness, and soon Debbie and I were home in time for the holidays.  Things there were always busy, but at least I was home.  I would miss my aunt and uncle, Jessica, and even the baby.

 

I had learned something very important: I can’t do everything.  And I didn’t wanna.  I liked having my family to take care of me.

 

The end.