WARNING...WARNING...This is really long, but I'm really pissed, so here it goes:

Recently SD has been ejected from school for smoking pot. She spent her two weeks off sitting on her big can watching TV, being surly and horrid to everyone who dares venture near her. Then, we have the prom dress drama. After many lies and semi-truths, I finally get BM on the phone and find out that the dress SD wants is $450. I told SD I'd give her $150 toward any dress, and that if it cost more than $150 I wouldn't hand over the money until we stopped at a MAC machine and SD showed me she had $155 plus the balance of the cost of the dress in her bank account. The $155 is for next month's car insurance - the deal around our house is we buy the car but they must pay insurance.

After many, many tries to spin this some other way, SD gives up and asks if I would make her prom dress. I'm an accomplished seamstress, but making a gown like this is a ton of time and I'm busy enough as it is. And, then, there's the really important bit about how SD is such a horrible little shit that I really don't want to do anything this personal for her. However, I did make a lovely Christmas dress for DD and an evening gown for myself lately and I felt like it would be a whole mess of pain trying to avoid making this dress. So I agreed provided SD would help me out around the house - run the vacuume, whatever. She agreed. I spent freaking HOURS with her picking a pattern and fabrics (gah! gah!), paying for them, spent more time making a muslin version because I knew I'd have to make alterations, spent hours cutting out this thing, more hours sewing the stinking thing (it has 4, FOUR, layers of skirt - one skirt, one swagged overskirt, a net skirt and a lining - with a 25" net ruffle sewn on - plus boning! and fabric rosettes), and hours upon hours pricking my fingers to bloody pulps and going blind doing all the hand sewing on this thing - only to have her scream at me, call me filthy names and stomp out of here, off to her beloved mother's den. I know this happens every few months or so, and I know it is easier to heap abuse on the stepparent but I am so tired of this.

I know. I know. I'm an idiot.

That aside, now I've got this beautifully sewn, but truly ugly dress (her choices, not mine) here. DD and DH (who is completely disgusted with SD) wanted to know why I finished the thing after she'd been so ugly to me. It's the principle of the thing. I said I'd make it, so I did. Besides, it was a sunk cost - the fabric was cut and paid for.

She doesn't know it is done - she's never seen any of it but the fabric (she picked) and the muslin. The prom is in three weekends. Right now, I would refuse to let her have it because she is a bitch and mean and I don't want her to have something I made. I am small and petty but at least I recognize it. On the other hand, this too shall pass and she will swan back in here, all sugar and love (until after the prom) and I will look mean and petty if I don't let her have the dress. Once again, suck it up Stepmom!

DD, ever practical, asked me what I will do with the dress if SD doesn't wear it. I said maybe we'd burn it. After a moment DD says, very carefully, "Burn it. (pause) That might be pretty fun." I can see she's hopeful that dress will burn. I, of course, will be burning SD in effigy - burn, witch, burn!

Ah! Late-breaking development. Have just learned from SS that SD came back to the house today while I was out (made sure) to get her mail and pick up things. SS showed SD dress, which I have hanging in my office. HMMMMM...on a hunch, I check my email - sure enough a cozy little message from SD with links to a British TV show I especially love. All love and kisses and no mention of - what did she call me again? - what a f*ing c*nt I am and how I'm not her mother and she hates me. Interesting. I can't believe she forgot since it only happened two evenings ago. Interesting.

OK. I'm going to probably fry in hell for this assumption, but I think the little shit likes her dress. What do you think?