The Pacifier

Land! And the Pacifier!

The next day, as we were loading into the car I stopped Alex. "Today, you drive."

"But I can't even pass Driver's Ed." She responded.

"I know, but your siblings will be in the car. You won't let anything happen to them." I told her.

"We're all going to die." Dimitri said.

When I got in the car I glared at him, and looked back at Alex. "Have you ever given a driving lesson before?" She asked.

"Not in a minivan, no. But think of it as a Bradley Assault Vehicle." I told her.

"Yea, especially with Alex driving." Dimitri spoke up.

She put it in gear, and pressed on the gas. Sending us backwards. She then slammed on the brakes, put it in drive, and drove off. "Alex Barton!" Lulu yelled.

As we were pulling up to the school, it was the only time I really had to correct her. "Slow down, just a bit, and pull up next to the curb."

Instead, she pulled up on the curb, and parked. Lulu jumped out of the car, "Land! Solid, land!"

"I think it went well." I told her as she and Dimitri got out of the car. He leaned up against the back end, and she walked around the front.

"Oh, it's so dramatic, ugh." She responded, and walked into the building.

At lunch, while watching Peter on the play set I heard a commotion and look over to see Murney dragging Dimitri to me by his shirt. "Ok, I've had it. I've caught the kid dancing under the bleachers, to no music. I want him out of my class. Someone needs to give this punk a talking to."

Dimitri looked at me. "Dim." I said, and smiled.

"You got something to say, Twinkle Toes." Murney spoke up.

My jaw tensed, and my body stiffened. "Yea, yea, I do, Murney. I quit." He spoke up.

I was so proud of him, it took all I had to not grin. "You quit? You know why you quit? Because you're a quitter, and everyone knows that quitters, quit." Murney responds.

Dimitri looks at me, and I shake my head slightly. "What are you scared of, huh, Prancer?" Murney says again.

I'm getting really tired of this guy picking on my kids. "I'm not scared. I want to act."

I smirk hearing Dim stand up to him again. "And I want to take up origami."

"I'm in the Sound of Music."

"Oh, a musical. Your giving up wrestling to be in a musical. You see that's what happens when women take over the house hold." Murney said.

I stand up, "His mother, one of my best friends, ran her house just like it should. Loving, caring, telling her kids to always be a better them, not be better than someone else, to always laugh and hug, that family comes before all, and that it's ok to express yourself. She ran her house, better then what yours has. And I didn't take over, I brought back, what she taught. So, you better watch your mouth. Because your just an overgrown bully, and you don't scare me."

He rolled his eyes at me, and turned back to Dimitri. Someone he could pick on that wouldn't talk back. "You think you're a tough guy, huh? Want to shave the tiger? Huh? You want it tough?" He asked.

I stepped in between them. "Where do you want to do this?" I asked crossing my arms.

"What are you talking about, babysitter?" He asked.

"You said you wanted to wrestle. Where? When?"

"After school."

"Okay, today?" I confirmed.