"Well, maybe if you hadn't invited them!" Nora whined. "I don't want to date Scott, I--"
"Who said anything about dating him?!" Nora's mother snapped, trying her hardest not to yell. "All I had wanted was to reconnect with an old friend and her son, all I wanted was for you to meet that boy again, because God knows you need a better friend than that horrible Vee girl, and you never talk about anyone else at school in a friendly manner. I'd hoped that making another friend would do you some good--the fact that he's a boy has nothing to do with anything, I never intended for him to be your boyfriend, and this was supposed to be a pleasant evening. "But not only do you whine to me on the phone about spending time with Scott before his mother arrives, but during the entire dinner, you're snippy with them and whining and pouting like a six-year-old! Do you have any idea how Lynn felt about that? Do you have any idea how Scott must have felt--a boy who only wanted to be friendly?" Mrs grey recalled the look on poor Scott's face: embarrassment, discomfort, that special sadness one feels when they know they're not wanted by their company but they can't leave or say anything out of politeness, and they desperately wish they could start the night over. "Tomorrow," Mrs grey continued, trying to calm herself down. "You are going to see Scot, and you are going to apologize. And I'll be calling Lynn tomorrow night to make sure you did, because if you didn't, i'm going to drive you to their house myself, and you will apologize in front of everyone. And no half-assed ones either--you are going to mean it!"
Nora's eyes were wide; her mother saw the beginnings of crocodile-tears.
"And! You are also going to write me a two-page report on why you were wrong to act the way you did, why you shouldn't have treated our guests like that, and show it to me. And if it's not to my satisfaction, you'll do it again." Mrs Grey paused, tilting her head to one side for a moment as she thought. "And come to think of it--I want you to apologize to Lynn too. And make that report three pages."
"B-But Mom--!"
"Go to your room. Now!" Mrs grey snapped, pointing up the stairs. Nora wavered for a second before turning and running up the stairs, no doubt planning to melodramatically throw herself on the bed. "And you better not slam that door when you get up there!" Mrs grey shouted up at her. "Or that report is four pages!"
----- Phew, I needed that...Mrs Grey needed to act like a parent there. I can assure you, if I or any of my siblings had treated a guest like that, or acted the way Nora did at dinner, then as soon as we were alone, it'd be yelling-and-grounding city.
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"Who said anything about dating him?!" Nora's mother snapped, trying her hardest not to yell. "All I had wanted was to reconnect with an old friend and her son, all I wanted was for you to meet that boy again, because God knows you need a better friend than that horrible Vee girl, and you never talk about anyone else at school in a friendly manner. I'd hoped that making another friend would do you some good--the fact that he's a boy has nothing to do with anything, I never intended for him to be your boyfriend, and this was supposed to be a pleasant evening.
"But not only do you whine to me on the phone about spending time with Scott before his mother arrives, but during the entire dinner, you're snippy with them and whining and pouting like a six-year-old! Do you have any idea how Lynn felt about that? Do you have any idea how Scott must have felt--a boy who only wanted to be friendly?" Mrs grey recalled the look on poor Scott's face: embarrassment, discomfort, that special sadness one feels when they know they're not wanted by their company but they can't leave or say anything out of politeness, and they desperately wish they could start the night over. "Tomorrow," Mrs grey continued, trying to calm herself down. "You are going to see Scot, and you are going to apologize. And I'll be calling Lynn tomorrow night to make sure you did, because if you didn't, i'm going to drive you to their house myself, and you will apologize in front of everyone. And no half-assed ones either--you are going to mean it!"
Nora's eyes were wide; her mother saw the beginnings of crocodile-tears.
"And! You are also going to write me a two-page report on why you were wrong to act the way you did, why you shouldn't have treated our guests like that, and show it to me. And if it's not to my satisfaction, you'll do it again." Mrs Grey paused, tilting her head to one side for a moment as she thought. "And come to think of it--I want you to apologize to Lynn too. And make that report three pages."
"B-But Mom--!"
"Go to your room. Now!" Mrs grey snapped, pointing up the stairs. Nora wavered for a second before turning and running up the stairs, no doubt planning to melodramatically throw herself on the bed. "And you better not slam that door when you get up there!" Mrs grey shouted up at her. "Or that report is four pages!"
-----
Phew, I needed that...Mrs Grey needed to act like a parent there. I can assure you, if I or any of my siblings had treated a guest like that, or acted the way Nora did at dinner, then as soon as we were alone, it'd be yelling-and-grounding city.