“So tell me again,” Evan said, shifting Charity a little higher in her hand as she leaned against the lockers beside Brooklyn. “How did you run into the Shark of all people? Madison, be so for real right now. She already hates us because of Charity.”
“She does not hate us,” Brooklyn said.
Evan gave her a look.
Brooklyn shrugged. “Okay, she hates you. I’m just near you sometimes.”
“Fake friend behavior,” Evan said.
“Accurate friend behavior.”
Charity sat quietly in Evan’s palm, one hand braced against Evan’s thumb. She looked up at Madison for half a second, then lowered her eyes again like she had decided this was not a conversation she wanted any part of.
Madison leaned back against her locker, still gripping her phone from the call with McKenzie. “I was thinking about Dad and McKenzie.”
Brooklyn immediately softened a little. “Okay, yeah. That tracks.”
“She sprung the whole Dad sleeping in her room thing on me when she dropped me off,” Madison said. “So I’m walking down the hall, fully spiraling, and Dayton is turned around talking to someone. She doesn’t even see me coming. Then I slam into her and Ezra.”
Brooklyn’s eyes widened. “She had Mr. Rhys?”
“He was fine.”
“Mads.”
“He was fine,” Madison repeated. “Dayton was just being Dayton.”
Brooklyn lowered her voice dramatically. “Don’t say her name. She’s like Voldemort. She’ll appear.”
Evan blinked. “That reference is ancient.”
Brooklyn pointed at her. “And yet you understood it.”
“Unfortunately.”
Madison crossed her arms. “She is not Voldemort.”
“No,” Evan said. “Voldemort had less social power.”
Brooklyn lost it, covering her mouth as she laughed.
Madison glared at both of them, but there was less heat in it now. “I came here for support.”
“And you got us,” Brooklyn said. “That was your first mistake.”
Evan nodded. “Huge error.”
“You both are actually the worst.”
“Your worst,” Brooklyn said, bumping her shoulder lightly against Madison’s. “There’s a difference.”
Madison tried not to smile and failed a little.
Evan noticed immediately. “See? Healing.”
“Shut up.”
“There she is.”
Madison looked back down at her phone, and the smile faded. “McKenzie is being so annoying.”
Brooklyn leaned closer. “What did she say after I stopped hearing your side of the call? Because all I got was ‘Dad needs work clothes’ and then your scary whisper voice.”
“It was not my scary whisper voice.”
“It was absolutely your scary whisper voice,” Evan said.
Charity shifted slightly in Evan’s hand.
Without looking down, Evan murmured, “You’re okay, Char.”
“Yes, Ms. Evan,” Charity said softly.
Madison watched the tiny exchange, then looked away before anyone could catch the look on her face.
Too late.
Brooklyn caught it.
She always caught it.
“Oh,” Brooklyn said.
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “Oh what?”
“You’re doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you look at Evan and Charity and get all quiet-jealous.”
“I am not jealous of Evan.”
Evan gasped. “Rude. I am very jealousy-worthy.”
Brooklyn nodded. “She has layers.”
“I hate both of you,” Madison said.
“No, you don’t,” Brooklyn said easily. “You’re mad because Evan can just hold Charity in the hall and everybody knows Charity is hers.”
Evan’s smile faded a little, not fully, but enough that she knew Brooklyn had hit something real.
Madison looked away. “That’s not what this is.”
“It kind of is,” Evan said, softer now.
Madison’s jaw tightened.
Evan adjusted her hand so Charity could sit more securely. “Mads, I’m not judging. I get it. If someone started acting like Charity was more theirs than mine, I’d be fully feral.”
Charity’s eyes flicked up.
Evan looked down at her. “Not in a bad way.”
Charity lowered her eyes again. “Yes, Ms. Evan.”
Brooklyn snorted. “Very reassuring.”
“I am reassuring,” Evan said.
“You are many things.”
Madison exhaled, some of the fight leaving her. “It’s not even that McKenzie has him at night. I mean, it is. But it’s more than that.”
Brooklyn nodded like she already knew. “It’s the way she does it.”
“Yes,” Madison said quickly. “Exactly. She acts like she’s being so much better than me because the habitat is cute and Dad has little outfits now.”
“The habitat is cute,” Evan said.
Madison pointed at her. “Do not.”
“I’m just saying.”
Brooklyn lifted a hand. “It is cute, but that is not the point.”
“Thank you.”
“See?” Brooklyn said. “Support.”
Madison rolled her eyes, but she leaned into Brooklyn’s shoulder for half a second before straightening again. “McKenzie is acting like because Dad sleeps there, she gets to call me during school and tell me how to handle him.”
Evan made a face. “Yeah, no. That part is cringe.”
“Right?”
“Like, I love Kenzie,” Evan said. “But calling you in the middle of the hallway to do the responsible older sister voice is nasty work.”
Brooklyn nodded. “It was very ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.’”
Madison groaned. “That is exactly her.”
“And you hate that because it works on you,” Brooklyn said.
“It does not work on me.”
Evan and Brooklyn both looked at her.
Madison looked between them. “It works a little.”
“There we go,” Evan said.
Brooklyn smiled. “Growth.”
Madison sighed. “She keeps acting like Dad is just Dad.”
Brooklyn’s expression softened again. “He is Dad.”
Madison looked at her.
Brooklyn held her gaze. “But I know what you mean.”
That helped more than Madison wanted to admit.
Evan nodded. “You mean McKenzie treats the Little part like it’s optional.”
“Yes,” Madison said. “That’s it. She wants the cozy version. Cute habitat, soft clothes, Dad getting to feel like himself. But then when he comes back to me and Mom, I have to deal with the actual Little stuff. Rules. Food. Chores. Listening. Adjusting.”
Brooklyn leaned back against the lockers. “Okay. That makes sense.”
Madison looked suspicious. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I’m not always bullying you.”
“You are usually bullying me.”
“Lovingly.”
Evan nodded. “Bestie service.”
Madison laughed despite herself, then quickly tried to hide it.
Brooklyn grinned. “Caught.”
“Whatever.”
Evan shifted Charity from one hand to the other. Charity moved with her, careful and quiet, settling into Evan’s other palm like she knew exactly where she was supposed to be.
Madison watched again.
This time Evan did not tease her for it.
“You want Dad to be that easy with you,” Evan said.
Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.”
Brooklyn’s teasing expression dropped.
Evan went quiet too.
For a moment, the hallway noise seemed louder around them.
Then Brooklyn reached over and squeezed Madison’s arm. “Hey.”
Madison looked down.
Brooklyn’s voice was gentler now. “You’re not wrong for wanting him to adjust.”
Madison swallowed. “McKenzie thinks I am.”
“McKenzie thinks everything has to be soft,” Evan said. “You think everything has to be rules.”
Brooklyn nodded. “And both of you are annoying about it.”
Madison huffed. “Wow. Beautiful support.”
“I’m not done,” Brooklyn said. “The point is, you need to stop letting McKenzie make you look like the unstable one.”
Madison looked back at her.
Brooklyn smiled slightly. “Because you are giving her free material.”
Evan nodded hard. “So much free material.”
“I hate when you’re both right.”
“We know,” Brooklyn said.
Evan leaned in. “Use her words.”
Madison frowned. “What?”
“McKenzie words,” Evan said. “Comfort. Stability. Consistency. Clear expectations.”
Brooklyn snapped her fingers. “Yes. Make it sound like you’re helping Dad, not fighting over him.”
“I am helping Dad.”
“I know,” Brooklyn said. “But say it in a way Kenzie can’t turn into a whole lecture.”
Madison considered that.
Evan continued, “Tell her if Dad is sleeping in her habitat, fine. If she wants him wearing clothes, fine. But after school is your time, and he needs consistency when he’s with you and your Mom.”
Brooklyn pointed at Evan. “That. Exactly that.”
Madison slowly nodded. “And if she wants him dressed, then she needs to send chore clothes.”
Brooklyn immediately pointed at her. “Chore clothes. Not work clothes.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say it.”
Madison sighed. “Chore clothes.”
Brooklyn smiled. “Proud of you.”
“You’re so annoying.”
“You love me.”
“Barely.”
“Enough.”
Evan looked down at Charity. “Charity, does Madison love us?”
Charity froze.
Madison pointed at Evan. “Do not drag her into this.”
Evan grinned. “Fine. I’ll spare her.”
Charity looked deeply relieved.
Brooklyn laughed. “Even Charity knows this friend group is a hazard.”
Evan looked offended. “Charity loves being included.”
Charity hesitated for a dangerous half second.
Madison actually smiled. “That pause was crazy.”
Evan looked down at Charity. “Charizard.”
Charity quickly said, “Yes, Ms. Evan. I like being included.”
Brooklyn covered her mouth. “Best save ever.”
Evan looked pleased. “See? She’s learning.”
The warning bell rang overhead, and the hallway started moving all at once.
Brooklyn grabbed her books from her locker. “Lunch. We are continuing this because I need the full Dayton version and the full McKenzie version.”
Madison groaned. “There is no full Dayton version.”
“You ran into the Shark while she had Mr. Rhys,” Evan said. “There is absolutely a full version.”
“And until lunch,” Brooklyn added, pointing at Madison, “no more fighting Dayton.”
“I didn’t fight Dayton.”
“You told the Shark she doesn’t own the hallway.”
“She doesn’t.”
Evan lifted Charity carefully to her shoulder. Charity settled beside Evan’s neck, gripping a strand of hair with both hands.
Evan smiled. “Spiritually, she kind of does.”
Brooklyn nodded. “Historically, socially, spiritually.”
“You both are useless,” Madison said, but this time she was smiling.
“Your useless,” Brooklyn said.
Madison shook her head and started toward class with them.
For the first time since McKenzie’s call, the tightness in her chest loosened a little. Not completely. Not enough to make the problem go away.
But enough.
McKenzie could have the fancy habitat at night.
Dayton could have the hallway.
For now.
Madison still had Dad after school. She still had Mom. She still had Brooklyn and Evan.
And now she had the right words.
Consistency.
Stability.
Clear expectations.
If McKenzie wanted Madison to act mature, Madison could do that.
Probably.
Long enough to get what she wanted.
~~~~~~
So just a note. as discovered by dledge. I had pasted chapter 35 into thursdays adn fridays. So here is what is supposed to be 34. I dont think mixing them creates a huge issue but ican’t really look through this in depth at work.
Think you copied yesterdays story by mistake
you are correct. i posted 35 on boht days. Here is what is supposed to be 34 now availbale for you to read.
Let’s be honest, if any of her family had caught Smallara. Cindy wouldn’t have hesitated in either leaving them to the system or doing exactly what Madison is doing to her right now.
She brought this upon herself, and karma is collecting a debt that Cindy owes and it is glorious to read her suffering.
I agree but I also wouldn’t stoop to Cindy’s level, I’d never let her forget what she is but for Cindy to turn the corner she needs to realise she is a little and she needs to apologise to McKenzie and madsion with no motive Behind it other than she was wrong and she’ll spend the rest of her life making it right
I agree. Two wrongs don’t make something right.
I’d love to see a story set in an alternate universe where McKenzie was the only one in the family to catch the Smallara.
Would Cindy be such a terrible and cruel person that her twisted beliefs would outweigh a mother’s love? I remember that when someone questioned the fact that Mrs. Harris seemed to be being nice to Ezra, Asuka replied that she loved her daughter more than she hated the littles.
What about Madison? Would she continue to idolize her sister? Would she treat her the same way she treated Greg?
And what about Greg? Would he be complicit? Would he pretend not to see these absurdities, or would he try to protect his beloved daughter from this psychological torture?
These are things to think about.
It would be an interesting idea; you should give it a try at writing it.
I think Greg would protect Kenz from any harm. He would do the same for Madison because a father’s job is to protect his daughters. Coming from a girl dad & knowing others I know this to be true.
I think, due to making a living off of her shitty, ignorant beliefs, she would act way more strict in public and convince her shitty fans that she didn’t treat her any different, but would be less of a bullying monsterous bigot in the privacy of their home.
Madison would probably end up being just the same as she is now, but would probably still take her day out on Kenzie.
Greg would secretly be nice to her and tell her he feels terrible, and maybe lightly suggest that maybe Cindy treat her a little better, but would ultimately cave to his monster wife like the placating wet noodle he is.
I have a real hard time watching anyone be enslaved, especially by their young daughters. Her beliefs were disgusting and harmful, but I think her shrinking could be a good tool to show her that it doesn’t need to be this way and that she was a monster for believing them. Treat her like a person. Treat Greg like a person. Make them experience you treating other littles like people. Prove that you were right, but don’t stoop to their level by being literal slave owners.
“Yes,” Madison said. “That’s it. She wants the cozy version. Cute habitat, soft clothes, Dad getting to feel like himself. But then when he comes back to me and Mom, I have to deal with the actual Little stuff. Rules. Food. Chores. Listening. Adjusting.”
Rules: loosen them for both parents
Food: get them a variety of pellets at least (i’m assuming she has and the main complaint is just normal food that’ll make Greg sick, but still)
Chores: cut back
Listening: be a person worth listening to instead of a slave driver
adjusting: you can’t force that, and since the thing they aren’t adjusting to is how you treat them, change how you treat them. cindy has to force it, Greg knows theres a better version of it.
Maybe they can realize that her mom held dumbass beliefs, as does the majority of society, and start treating them like what they are: Small, vulnerable people. They can still guide them into adulthood without having to physically threaten them.
Or how about we just start by not treating them like slaves, and let them see each other, alone whenever they want.
I believe somewhere in the story it is mentioned that Madison procured various flavors of pellets.
This story just has a way of making feeling like going mentally insane like the family is so conflicting
The friend group seems fine so far
Good god this story has me so emotionally hurt and sad that I just want to get to the happiest part for all sides already
Because not only yesterday chapter got me fearing for Cindy’s mental state but also this chapter feeling like the two girls will fight over their relationship with their father
And Greg just trying to help his three girls as best as he can
And for any anime watchers Cindy for real reminds me of endeavor from mha a horrible parent who in some ways from redemption and did some good things so far it’s kinda been like that for Cindy having hard time accepting facts but eventually finds herself
Idk, Greg seems like he is only willing to help if it won’t negatively affect him. He is more than happy staying with Kenzie, even though by doing so he is further isolating his wife and probably leading her to a dark place. He should be there for her, even if that means dealing with his bratty youngest daughter. He raised her too. Dude just has a history of being fine with horrible shit as long as it doesn’t affect him personally.
He can’t help Cindy until she helps herself with her anti little beliefs even as a little herself.
Greg hasn’t ever given a damn about her views though. He doesn’t even try because it benefits him personally, at her expense. Dude is a terrible husband.
This is a bit of projecting as both Cindy and Greg work. It was never said Cindy did her political stuff for money. She just as easily could have done it for free or volunteering for a cause she believed in.
Greg could also make more money than Cindy. They may not even need Cindy’s income.
Just saying it benefits Greg does make some assumptions even if it is true he didn’t speak up as strongly as he could have.
She had a podcast that is relatively well known right? Like, she is somewhat famous for advocating for little slavery? Also, you said earlier that Charity’s rich ass family would be donors for her, so she had rich donors. ANY money she made off of this benefitted her family by definition. Therefore, it benefitted Greg, even if he made more money.
You are assuming that a happy ending is definite. This could end a whole host of ways, some of them not so happy.
Asuka, has the other story lines that may have happier endings. This one may the one he decides ends just as Cindy envisioned thing should be.
Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.” Then maybe talk to him instead of exploding and punishing him… he can mess up too just like you mads
1) “I am not jealous of Evan.” – She is. She didn’t get the Little she wanted, she got Cindy. She has said so before.
2) “Yes,” Madison said quickly. “Exactly. She acts like she’s being so much better than me because the habitat is cute and Dad has little outfits now.” – No, she just treats he father with true affection and does not insist he bow down to her.
3) Madison sighed. “She keeps acting like Dad is just Dad.”
Brooklyn’s expression softened again. “He is Dad.”
Madison looked at her.
Brooklyn held her gaze. “But I know what you mean.”
That helped more than Madison wanted to admit.
Evan nodded. “You mean McKenzie treats the Little part like it’s optional.” – This group is just to brainwashed by Cindy’s teachings to even consider that McKenzie might have a point.
4) Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.” – I guess she will never consider that perhaps she is doing wrong.
5) Brooklyn is making me upset again. Giving Madison ideas on how to turn McKenzie words on herself.
6) I just want to point out a comment yesterday by gui58. He came up with an excellent reason to invalidate Cindy’s belief system. Here is what he said:
Madison is going through all this nonsense to honor the legacy of the “human Cindy,” right?
But according to the belief held by the vast majority of people in this world—including Cindy herself—there never was a “human Cindy.” She had always been a little who hadn’t taken on her true form. That being the case, there’s no reason to honor the legacy of this so-called “human Cindy.”