Lowered Expectations

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

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Chapter Description: Molly Walton is sick of responsibilities. She wishes things were simple for her, like they are for her 9 year old sister Madison.

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Molly Walton was a rather average girl.

She had friends, a mom and a sister, a couple of boyfriends in the past.

A-B student.

Easy going as she could be.

Which, as an average highschool senior, she really couldn’t ever afford to be.

Between studying for finals, volleyball practice, track practice, Student Council meetings, Model UN, honor society meetings, her volunteering at the animal shelter, her part-time job at a restaurant, her chores at home, and taking care of her younger sister, Molly didn’t really have a second to spare for herself these days. She didn’t enjoy this growing up thing; there was TOO much responsibility.

On this particular night, Molly was cleaning the dishes, going over all of the things she still had to get done.

English paper, math test, biology project, finances for student council, straighten up closet, laundry, she thought to herself, scrubbing away, OH. And “hate my life.” Can’t forget to do that.

She looked up and saw Madison curled up on the couch, watching tv in the living room. Molly flared her nostrils in annoyance; it was obnoxious how little it seemed Madison did around her. Molly couldn’t remember ever being able to do as much as Madison did at 9 years old. Their mother, who was cleaning the dinner table since supper was over, called out to Madison.

“Maddy, have you done your homework? You know the rules, no TV till homework is all done!”

“It’s done, Mom.” Madison said, not looking away from the TV.

“Maddyyyyyyyy...” their mother called in the typical singsong voice she used when she didn’t believe her daughters.

“It’s on the counter, you can look at it! It’s just math!”

Molly looked over at it: it was 9 questions. Multiplication. The biggest numbers used were 9x9. Molly scrubbed the last dish, and shoved it into the dishwasher next to her. She began to storm off to her room.

“Molly, aren’t you gonna watch some TV with me and your sister?” her mother called.

“Too much to do, I don’t have time for TV tonight,” Molly replied, not looking back at them.

“Stinks for you, Molly,” Madison said snidely.

“Maddy, hush!” said their mother as Molly shut her door. She went to her desk and began pulling all of her school supplies out to get her papers done. As she worked she thought about Madison and how good she’s got it.

She doesn’t even realize.... She doesn’t have extracurriculars and advanced classes with mounds of homework. She isn’t busting her ass to get into a good college. She doesn’t have all these chores around this place, she doesn’t get sent to the store for every little thing their mother forgets, she doesn’t have to work to pay for all her toys while I’m putting in 30 hour weeks to pay for insurance, she didn’t even have to get out of bed to go pee in the middle of the night until last week!

Molly dwelled on these thoughts and stewed in her hostility, half-fuming, half-studying. She just couldn’t her mind off of this situation.

Look at me, Molly thought with smirk, jealous of my 9 year old sister...

She looked at her clock and saw that it had already been about 3 hours, and she figured she should be getting to bed about now. She slid out of her jeans, then next the shirt, and finally the bra; she opened a drawer on her dresser and pulled out a large gray t-shirt and slid it on, then crawled into bed.

She kept thinking about it.

She just couldn’t stop it.

She was so jealous of how few responsibilities Madison had, it was ridiculous. She did 9 math problems and ate her vegetables, then got to have a life.

Molly began to drift off.

“I’ve eaten my veggies since I was 6...” she yawned to herself, “It’s not fair... Stupid Madison...”

And then everything went black.

Molly woke up to her mother talking softly to her the next morning.

“Molly, baby, time to wake up and have breakfast! You have a big day today...”

“Huh?” Molly slurred.

“C’mon baby, let’s go eat.”

Her mom left and Molly got to her feet and stretched, yawning. She stumbled into the hall and walked into the kitchen, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light in the room.

“Mowwy’s heoh!”

Molly froze, and the thought “What the hell?” shot through her mind. She opened her eyes and stared in disbelief.

In the kitchen, at the table was Madison: sitting in a booster chair, and dressed up in...

“Mom, Madison’s in Pull-ups!”

Molly’s mom turned around from the stove to look at her, “Of course she is! Cuz she’s our big girl! Right Maddy-bear?”

“Wight Mommy!” Madison said triumphantly, smiling widely at their mother.

Molly uneasily made her way over to the table and sat down, completely and wholly confused. She looked at herself, feeling concerned about the pink shirt she was in for some reason. Then she lifted her shirt a little bit to peak at herself.

“Powerpuff Girls? Weren’t these WHITE yesterday?” she mumbled. Her mom spun around again.

“You say something, Molly?” she asked.

As Molly opened her mouth to answer, she was cut off by Madison.

“Mama! Mama! Potty! Me gotta potty!” she was screaming with a big smile. Their mother ran over and pulled her out of the seat, and put her on her feet; she then put her hand on Madison’s back and pushed her out of the kitchen towards the bathroom.

“C’mon, Maddy-bear! Big girl time!” she was cheering.

Molly was just dumbstruck. She sat for a second, then got up to go change.

Just what the hell is going on? she thought, Why is Maddy in those? And why am I in these? What is happening, and why doesn’t Mommy care?

She stopped in the hallway.

“Mom. Not mommy.” she said aloud, then continued walking.

She got into her room and took her shirt off, looking in the mirror.

“What is happeing? Since when do I own Powerpuff Girl panties? They aren’t even bikinis... These can’t be mine....” She shambled over to her bra drawer and opened it.

It was empty.

“What in the...?”

She began pulling open drawers, finding jammies and more cartoony underwear (some princesses DID catch her eye though), but no brassieres! She went to the pile of clothes from last night, and dug through it, but that bra was gone as well.

“This is just getting bizarre!” she said to nobody in particular. She walked to her closet to grab her clothes for the day, which she hung on a hook on the inside.

As the door swung open, she was greeted by her wardrobe for the day: blue jeans, and a purple shirt with Hannah Montana smiling back at her like a “rock star.”

Molly stood for a second, then dug through the closet as well. Hannah Montana was probably the most MATURE thing in there.

This had to be a prank or something. It HAD to be!

“Mommy!” she cried pathetically.

 

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