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"How long are you going to keep that pouty look on your
face Alison?", Joyce Barton asked her daughter. "Maybe for as long as you keep treating me like a child", the younger Barton snapped back, although the response was very childish itself, it was true. "Alison, stop being so melodramatic. You are 23 years old for heaven's sake." "I know that Mother, I just wish you did", Alison replied. "Dear, you are blowing this way out of |
| proportion. All I did is take you to the doctor. That's what
a mother does", Joyce reasoned. Alison raised her finger angrily at her mother, "You know what I mean! You came into town just to have a sit down with me and Chancellor Kaminski about my grades, then -" "It's Chancellor Kaminski and I dear, there is no need for poor grammar, even if you are upset", Joyce interrupted. "Mother!", Alison snapped. |
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"Sorry dear, please continue" "Then, as if embarrassing me in front of the Chancellor was not enough, you immediately take me to get drugged up as if that is going to solve everything.", Alison ranted. "Now Alison hold on. I believe that seeing Dr. Berry was your idea, do you remember saying that in the office?" "Yes, but I wanted to schedule the appointment on my own time, and I could have gotten there with out your help", the |
| young woman fumed. That of course wasn't the real reason she
was mad. She had never planned to actually go and see Dr. Berry, it was
just an excuse to get out of the awful meeting with her mother and Kaminski.
Joyce stayed silent for a minute, just staring at her daughter with sort of an inquisitive look. Alison was starting to wonder when she would speak again. "Ok", Joyce said, "If you are so adult, why don't you have the maturity to tell |
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me what happened during that SLC thing you and Chancellor
Kaminski were talking about yesterday?" Alison's jaw dropped. Could this week get any worse? She should have known her mother would never let something like that go. Alison's heart raced, "Mother, look I just don't want to get into it. It was really embarrassing and I am just trying to forget it ever happened." "Alison Barton, don't forget who you are |
| talking to. I'm the woman whose blouse you threw up
on three times on National TV during the 1984 Senate race. I know about
embarrassment.", Joyce said. It wasn't the first time she had reminded
Alison of that incident. "Fine Mother. At the SLC fund raiser last year, Chancellor Kaminski suggested we hire a stage hypnotist. The only people that came were Harvard boys. I was sitting watching the show, and I accidentally got, well you know...", Alison said. |
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"No, I don't know. You got what?", Joyce asked. "Hypnotized Mother, I got hypnotized", Alison blurted out. "Oh dear. What happened, what did you do?" "I did a strip tease for the Harvard guys. OK?! There, my most embarrassing moment ever relived for you. Are you happy now?", Alison said. "I certainly am not! Whose is this man that did this to you. We'll have his |
| license taken away!", Joyce yelled. "Mother calm down, you know that isn't going to happen. The publicity would be ten times worse than any vengeance we could inflict. It's best to just let it go. Which, by the way you should do with me... let me go so I can go hit the books and get back on the Chancellor's good side.", Alison said. Joyce squinted at her for a moment, then let the issue pass. "Well fine. I'll be flying out tonight. |
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I suppose you'll be needing some money?", Joyce asked
with a hint of condescension. "I'll be fine mother", Alison said, even though it wasn't the case. She was a full time student, with a fairly high priced lifestyle. "Really, what are you going to do rob a bank?", Joyce quipped as she counted off a few thousand dollars. "That's not funny Mother" "I hope not. With the way you've been |
| acting lately, with all the grades slumping .... not to mention
your stripping parties -", Joyce started. "Mother!", Alison interrupted. "Fine. Here, this should get you through the next few weeks.", Joyce said, handing her daughter over $10,000 dollars in cash. "Now do you have the prescription Dr. Berry gave you?", Joyce asked. Alison just glanced at her. They said their good-byes, both glad the icy visit was finally over. |
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Alison was tired. She had been studying for the last six hours
since her mother dropped her off back at her apartment. She was tired, but
not sleepy. She was still wired. Partially from the coffee she had, partially
from trying to cram a semester's worth of information into her head, but
mostly from the uncomfortable discussions she had been having with her mother
for the last two days. She decided to take one of the sleeping |
| pills that Dr. Berry prescribed. She actually had swallowed
it a few minutes earlier, she could feel it starting to work now. She looked
over at the moonlit night, realizing how beautiful it was. Alison had been through a tough couple of days. Her mother's visits were always a challenge, but this time it was especially rough. She desperately looked forward to a refreshing good night's sleep. Dr. Berry told her that is exactly what |
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she would get with the pills he prescribed. He told her to be careful though, they were so powerful that she would fall asleep pretty much anywhere, even standing up. Which is exactly what happened to her. She rested against the window frame as she stared out into the moonlight. A few seconds later, her head tipped to the side and she was out like a light. Her unconscious mind started to drift to another delicious erotic fantasy... |