Story: The F-Word

My first story in the Jessica/Katelyn series.  Jessica always makes sure that she gets her point of view across, even if that means punching someone in the face.  Her vice principal, whom she has come to know fairly well over the last couple of months, has finally decided to take action and get Robert involved.  Poor Jessica.

The F-Word
by Breanna Carter

“Landon is a fag-got!!!” Patrick chanted in the lunch room, milk carton in hand, doubling over with laughter. “I bet even your mom takes it up the ass!”

Now I'm not Landon, nor is Landon a friend of mine, but when someone says the f-word, it pisses me off. So I shushed my friend, Camilla. “Just a sec,” I said, marching up to Patrick. “Hey! Don't call him that!”

Patrick seemed taken aback that I, an unpopular kid and a measly seventh grader, would try to challenge him. “Oh yeah? And why not?”

“Because there's nothing wrong with being gay. And I don't like the way you're talking to him.”

Patrick and his friends chuckled, looking at each other, then back at me. “There's nothing wrong with being gay, huh? Is that 'cause you're a dyke?”

My eyes narrowed. I knew these kinds of people – they were the jocks. Football players who got some kind of pleasure out of insulting anyone who didn't live up to their standards. Guys who thought everyone had to be a carbon copy of them and their sleezy girlfriends. These were the types of people who used to taunt my older brothers, shoving them into lockers, making them feel inadequate and scared. These were the types of people who would throw their own children out on the street if they found out they were attracted to someone of the same sex.

“Is it because you're scared that you may be gay? Is that why you're always in the gym, beefing yourself up, trying to make yourself look more masculine? Is that why you make fun of people who are less steroid-looking? So others won't realize that you're really homosexual?” I shook my head. “That's sad. You should just embrace your inner gay-ness.”

He got mad now, inching towards me. “Who the hell do you think you're talking to?” he asked. He was trying to intimidate me, but it wasn't working. Even if he did stand three inches taller than me, and weighed about thirty pounds more, I didn't care. Being a softball player had given me all the muscle and endurance I needed to take on a big guy like him... and the anger that boiled inside of me would make up for what muscle lacked.

“I think I'm talking to some prick-headed fourteen year old dumbass football player who likes to pick on kids who aren't like him. Give it a rest and get over yourself.”

“Jess...” I heard Camilla plead, but I waved her off.

“So I suggest you apologize to our friend Landon over here and stop using derogatory language against non-heterosexuals.”

Patrick and the jocks thought this was the most hilarious thing they had ever heard. I thought the dummy on the right was going to keel over from laughing so hard. “Or else what?” Patrick spat, still in my face.

I smirked slightly. He had no idea who he was messing with. In a flash, I made a fist and wound up, punching him in the bridge of his nose. Nobody had expected it. And they certainly didn't expect it when I kneed him in the balls. So now not only was he holding his bleeding face, but he was also bent over, clutching his nut sac. Victory.

“Any of the rest of you douchebags wanna mess with me?” I asked, glaring at the guys surrounding.

Patrick was trying to say something to me, but couldn't get the words out.

“Glad I got my point across,” I said to him as the security guard escorted me away.

That's how I ended up in the vice principal, Mr. Shevins', office. I sat with my backpack next to me, holding a pen between my fingers, tapping it on the palm of my other hand. I wasn't exactly nervous – I'd done this for a good cause and Mr. Shevins and I had become acquainted a lot in my two years at Lincoln Middle School – I was just fidgety. I blame it on ADD.

“Jessica Parker,” the man said, straightening his tie and folding his hands on his desk in front of him. “Long time no see. How are you?”

“I'm great, Mr. Shevins. How are you? How's the wife and new baby?”

“They're great, thanks for asking,” he paused, smiling. “How is it living with your brother? And how are you holding out since the death of your parents?”

I shrugged. “It's okay, I guess.”

He nodded.

I looked down at the pen, now twirling it. “It's hard, ya know? Robert and I never really got along that great. I mean, I love him and all, but it's hard living with him. Really hard.”

Mr. Shevins knew my whole life story. After my parents died I saw him on almost a weekly basis for one reason or another, you know, for fighting or attitude with teachers, and he had really become the only person I could open up to. I preferred talking to him even over the counselor my brother and his husband were paying hundreds of dollars a month for me to see.

“Are you trying to talk to him a little more? Using calm words instead of yelling or fighting?”

“I'm trying,” I lied. “But whatever. It's all good.”

He nodded, knowing that I was lying. “Okay, I get it. So what happened today?” he asked, putting on his glasses and glancing down at the paper in front of him.

“I decked this kid in the nose, but he deserved it.”

He peered at me over his glasses. “Jessica...”

“I know, I need to try to resolve conflict with words instead of fists. But he provoked me. He was practically begging me to beat him up.”

Mr. Shevins sighed and finished reading the referral slip, then dropped the paper back on his desk. He took his glasses back off, staring at me hard. “What are we going to do with you?” he asked exasperatedly.

“I really think that Patrick is the problem and not me... So if you want an honest answer I think...”

“Patrick didn't even hit you...”

“... that someone should have a good-talking to with him. He called this boy the f-word! And he totally shouldn't do that. And I think that I should be let off with a warning.”

“The f-word?”

I nodded, but he just looked at me like he was confused. “You know,” I said. “F-a-g...?”

“Oh. Right.” He shook his head again, rolling his chair back and digging my file out of his filing cabinet. “Jessica, you do realize that this is the third time you've been sent to me for fighting this month?”

“I know, but I'm trying to do better. I really am... It's just with my parents...”

He held up his hand to silence me. “I know that it's been a difficult time for you, which is why I haven't done anything the last...” he paused, flipping through some pages and undoubtably counting to himself “... eight times you've gotten in a fight. Not to mention the other referrals I have here...”

I didn't like the sound of this. “Please just give me one more chance?” I pleaded.

He sighed. “I think it's time we have a conference with Robert.”

“What? No... Mr. Shevins... please. Patrick provoked me. And...”

“I know the excuses, Jess. And I know they're valid. But you've also been getting away with way too much.” He paused. “You do realize that, right?”

I began chewing on my lower lip, glancing at the clock, then the bookshelf, trying not to cry. I had always been able to talk my way out of trouble. Why was it not working this time? Did Mr. Shevins honestly think that I'd gotten that out of control?

“I have a soft spot for you, kid. You've been through a lot, especially since the beginning of this school year. But I'm afraid that if I keep letting you talk your way out of trouble, you're going to end up in a big mess.”

“Are...” I began, pausing to swallow the lump in my throat that was now forming. “Are you going to tell Robert about... everything?”

“I will not tell him the details. I will tell him about the fight today, and how you've already received a warning for fighting.”

I didn't say anything.

“And you will have a Saturday detention.”

I slumped down in my chair, leaning my head back and letting a tear fall down my cheek. “What about Patrick?” I asked in a near whisper.

He chuckled. “I think you took care of that.”

I glanced up at my vice principal, wiping the tear. Big girls don't cry. And I would not be caught dead crying anywhere other than this office. “That's not fair,” I said.

“I'm not entirely sure that it's fair you've already gotten away with eight fights previous to this one, but we will pretend like it is. You know that Patrick's family is quite economically sound, right?” I nodded. “So let's say for a second that I let you get away with this little fight. His parents would probably be infuriated and seek legal action against not only the school, but against you as well. And if that happens, your brother will find out anyway, and the outcome will be much worse than a Saturday detention. Because what you did could probably be considered assault.”

“Point taken,” I said. “But for the record, all eight of those 'fights' weren't really fights. You can't count shoving someone or arguing as an actual fight.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Point taken.”

I smiled. “Fine. I guess go ahead and call Robert. Just be ready for the explosion. But let me tell you one thing, if I ever hear Patrick calling anyone the f-word again, I will...”

He held up a hand to stop me again, just like he was a crossing guard or something. “I don't want to hear it! You will always be you, Jess, and I can imagine what you will do. But the second it comes out of your mouth it becomes a threat and unless you want me filing a report saying that you're threatening to harm someone, I suggest you keep it to yourself.”

“What? I was going to say that I will... hug... him.” I tried not to giggle at that statement.

“Is Robert at work?”

“That's a pretty dumb question. Of course he's at work. He works everyday.”

“Girl, you have a mouth on you that you're going to use on the wrong person one day.”

I glanced at the clock. “He might be on his lunch break though. I'd try calling his cell phone first, and if he doesn't answer that then call his office.”

Mr. Shevins picked up his phone and punched some numbers on the keypad, hanging up shortly after. “Guess he's finished with lunch.” He put the receiver to his ear again and dialed a new number, what I was assuming to be the number to his office. From my seat I could hear the receptionist's cacophonous (hah! See? I did listen during my vocabulary lessons!) voice telling the caller that he had reached Dr. Richardson/Cruz/Parker/Benedetto's office and to please hold. I loved when they did that.

“She's a bitch,” I mouthed to my vice principal who turned away to pretend like he didn't just hear me say a bad word.

It took her seventy seconds to get back on the phone (yes, I was counting). He explained that he was calling for Robert Parker on behalf of Lincoln Middle School in reference to Dr. Parker's little sister, Jessica. Yes, he would hold for just a minute.

I pulled my feet into the chair, knees up to my chest. I clicked my pen on and off now, probably something that would irritate anyone in the room with me except for Mr. Shevins. He was used to my ADD-ness.

I shivered slightly when I heard the male voice answer the phone. There was no getting out of this now.

“Hi, Mr. Parker, how are you?” He paused to wait for my brother's answer, which I could only hear as a muffled voice. “Doing well, thank you. I was calling to see if you can come in today for a conference about Jessica's behavior.” He paused again and I looked up at him, tears in my eyes again. “Yes, everything is fine. We are just having some issues that I would like to discuss with you.” Another pause. “No, don't do that, we can meet after three thirty. Why don't you come about four? Jessica can go ahead and get an after school detention out of the way if you do that.” He looked at me and smiled. After school detention? Really? Why was he smiling at me? Was this supposed to be a good thing? “Great. See you then, Mr. Parker. Buh-bye.” He clicked the phone down.

I perked up, putting my feet back down on the ground, still clicking my pen. “Well?”

“Your brother has appointments until three-thirty and he will be here about four. I decided to give you two after school detentions instead of a Saturday detention. I assumed you'd prefer that since you'll have to stay here after school anyway... Unless you want to come up here on a Saturday...”

“No no... after school is fine.”

He wrote down a couple of notes on the referral sheet, then stuffed it in my file with the other papers.

“Will I ever get to look at my file and see what you all say about me?”

“Go to class, Jessica.” He signed a pass and held it out to me. “And don't get into any more fights, okay?”

“You didn't answer my question,” I huffed, but stood up and snatched the pass from him.

“Goodbye.”

“Bye Mr. Shevins. And thanks for not being too hard on me.”

“Yeah, well, don't push your luck. My nice-ness is starting to fade away.”

“I noticed,” I answered as I approached the doorway. I waved goodbye and stalked out, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. It hadn't been an ideal meeting with my vice principal, but I guess it could've always been worse. I uber wasn't looking forward to what Robert was going to have to say, though. Or do, for that matter.

The rest of my day was quite uneventful. Camilla found me between classes and almost made us both late because she wanted to know the details of my chat with Mr. Shevins. She was sort of surprised that I got off so easily. Oh, then I had my last class with my twin sister, Katelyn, who had gotten word of what I'd done at lunch (shit spreads too quickly through my school, I swear) and was freaking out because she just knew I'd get suspended. I told her to chill out. Mr. Shevins and I were cool with each other. There was no way he'd suspend me. She then wanted to know what he'd said/done so I told her. Then she freaked out some more saying that Robert was going to kill me. Whatever. I'm not scared of him. Much.

Detention came all too quickly, and I swear, that was probably the worst hour ever. Aside from the fact that I was bored out of my mind, I was anxious as hell. I was ready to get this conference with my older brother over with, yet wanted to prolong it as long as possible. But the anticipation was eating me alive. I wondered what Robert would say and do. I wondered what all Mr. Shevins would even tell him. And mostly, I wondered if what Katelyn said was true – that I would probably get spanked. I had so far avoided that punishment (don't ask me how), but according to my sis, this would probably do it. I was definitely worried about that.

The detention teacher dismissed us five minutes before four. I wondered where Robert was and if he'd stopped by the house before coming to the school. And if Daniel was going to come with him. And if Katelyn was going to be there. And if he was going to yell at me when he saw me. I wasn't too into the idea of a shouting match in the middle of the hallway at school. Well, at least most of the student body had already left. The only people around were the members of the dance team who were tumbling around outside and the dance committee members who were painting signs about the spring bash.

I shuffled slowly to the office, running my fingers against the wall on the way. I stopped about halfway there to read the announcements on the bulletin board. Nothing interesting there. Most of them were old flyers from student council elections or club meetings. I continued on my way arriving at the office much sooner than I'd have liked... which wasn't hard, seeing as I would have liked to never arrive there.

No one was really around, so I tapped on Mr. Shevins' door.

“Come in,” he said, so I pushed the door open.

“Hey. Robert's still not here?”

Mr. S looked up at his clock. “Nope. He's still got a couple of minutes. Take a seat.”

I plopped down watching him finish some paperwork. “Whatcha doin'?”

“Just finishing some work.” Vague enough. “How was your afternoon?”

“Better than my morning.”

“That's good to hear. No more fights then, I assume?”

“Nope.”

He was about to say something else, but was distracted by two figures barging through the office door. I looked back to see Robert and Daniel, neither looking too thrilled about being at my school.

Mr. Shevins stood, smoothing out his tie and walking towards the two men. He introduced himself and snagged a chair from the waiting area, ushering my brothers to his office. He placed the chair between the one I was sitting in and the other and asked them to please sit. I was not ready for this at all. My throat was dry now and my palms sweaty, shaking slightly. I had to be tough, though. I had to let them know that I hadn't done anything wrong. That I was just defending this kid. Surely they would understand. Right?

The conference started out with small talk and uncomfortable laughs between Robert and Mr. Shevins, with Daniel looking in my direction, a not-so-happy expression on his face. Then they got down to the nitty gritty.

“Jessica was in a fight today.”

There. He said it. I sort of winced at the words, and kept my gaze averted towards the cobweb in the corner of his office.

“It's not the first time this has happened – she received a warning in the past.”

I felt three pairs of eyes staring at me.

“Jessica, do you want to tell them what happened?”

No, I really did not. But I think it was more of a request than a question, and I didn't want to make this situation any worse. Besides, this was my chance to use my gift for words.

I looked up at Mr. Shevins, glancing over at my brothers, then back to Mr. Shevins. I could look in his eyes as I told my story, explaining what was going through my head and why I'd decided to beat the crap out of an eighth grader twice my size. I told every detail, probably exaggerating some parts for my own benefit. Then I went back to staring at my cobweb, letting Mr. S go on with what he had to say. It was actually nothing really that interesting. He just let them know what my punishment was and that he was worried that I was veering off to the wrong path and he didn't want to see that happen to me since I was mostly a good kid. He also told them that he knew my circumstances and had let me off fairly lightly, but would likely not continue to do so in the future if this happens again. Robert assured him that I would be dealt with adequately at home. I said nothing.

The meeting was over at 4:22. The hallways were empty of the dance committee and our steps echoed as we trudged towards the car. “What's for dinner?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation on lighter topics and not the fact that we'd just had a conference about my behavior.

Neither of my brothers answered me, just continued walking ahead.

“Did you guys have a good day?” I asked after a few seconds of silence. I couldn't deal with the silent treatment. Quiet drove me crazy.

“Was okay until I got a phone call from Mr. Shevins,” Robert said.

And then silence again.

I busied myself with running my fingers against the wall until we got outside. Then I concentrated on trying not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. It was what I had to do to keep from being worried about being in trouble.

When we got in the car, Robert blew up. “What were you thinking, Jessica Lynne?”

“I already told you what I was thinking. The douchebag called someone...”

“A faggot, yeah, I know...”

“Don't say it out loud!”

“... but why do you think that gives you the right to pound on him like that?”

“I get my temper from you,” I sneered, folding my arms and staring out the window.

Robert looked at Daniel who shrugged.

“The guy deserved it. He was a prick and needed to be put in his place.” No one could disagree with that statement.

“Why didn't you just tell a teacher?”

“Tell a teacher? Hah!” I laughed. “The teachers don't care. They probably call people the f-word in their sleep.”

He sighed. “What bothers me the most is that you resorted to violence in a situation where it wasn't warranted. Oh, and that this isn't the first time that you've fought at school. How come I didn't know about previous altercations?”

“Ugh! Who cares about what happened in the past? It's done and over with. And who cares that I punched him? He deserved it. He was a douche. End of story.”

“Do not use that tone with me, Young Lady.”

“Then don't use YOUR tone with me! This is stupid and unfair! I don't deserve to get in trouble for this. I was just standing up for what I believe in!” I was pretty livid by this time, and on the verge of punching something else.

I think that Robert was about to go into cardiac arrest at my outburst. “Are you really talking to me like that, Jessica?”

“Yeah.”

Daniel spoke softly to Robert now, probably telling him to calm down, then turned around. “You need to cool it with the attitude, girl.”

“Tell him to cool it with the attitude! He's getting all up in my business for nothing!”

“For nothing?” Robert said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “You got in a fight at school! Do you even realize how serious this is? You could've gotten suspended! The only reason you didn't is because Mr. Shevins feels sorry for you!”

“Whatever,” I said, and pulled my ipod out of my backpack, plugging my ears with more poetic screaming (with some whining added in). I turned the volume up loud enough to where I couldn't hear Robert's rant, putting the hood on my jacket up so that he couldn't see that I wasn't listening to him. He's not an idiot, though, and within seconds Daniel was turned around tugging my earphones out.

“You do NOT ignore me when I'm talking to you!”

“Shut UP!” I shouted back. “You're not my fucking dad! You're just my brother, you're just Robert, okay? So leave me alone and stop trying to be my dad, 'cause you're not him!!!” I almost started crying but instead punched the door and swallowed the lump, breathing in.

Robert gave up on talking for the rest of the ride. Not that it mattered. I wasn't going to listen to him anyway. Oh, and the rest of the ride only lasted about two minutes.

We pulled into the driveway and I instantly opened my door, then slammed it behind me, storming into the house. I stomped up the stairs.

“Jessica Lynne Parker! Get down here!” Robert yelled.

“NO!” I yelled back.

I made it to my room and slammed the door shut, rattling the walls a little. Katelyn was lying on her bed with her math book open and glanced up upon my arrival.

“Bad conference?”


“I don't wanna talk about it,” I muttered, slumping down to the floor and sitting against the door. I felt rotten inside, not only because I was pissed off, but also because I knew I was in deep trouble. I shouldn't have talked to my brother like that, and I knew it, but I just couldn't help it. I hated him so much sometimes.

Katelyn shrugged and went back to doing her homework. I knew the curiosity had to be eating her alive. I was about to give her the gruesome details, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Go away,” I said.

He didn't listen to me, but tried to open the door, only to find that I was leaning against it.

“Jessica, it's me. Stop acting immature and let me in,” Daniel said.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, opening the door. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk.” He barged in without my permission, not allowing me the chance to protest. Instead, he glanced at my sister. “Can you give us a few minutes, Kate, please?”

Katelyn nodded and closed her book, tucking it under her arm and stalking away silently.

I opened my mouth to say something again, but Daniel beat me to it. “I don't know where you get this idea that you can speak to your brother like that, but I will assure you right now that it is going to stop, Young Lady, do you understand me?”

“But...”

“I didn't ask for an explanation. I asked if you understood me. That is a yes or no question.”

I folded my arms.

“I am speaking to you respectfully and like an adult, and I expect you to do the same with me.”

I didn't say anything.

“Sit down. Let's talk.”

He didn't give me much of a choice, but instead grabbed my wrist and walked with me to my bed, sitting me down and easing himself down next to me.

“I am very disappointed in you, Jessica,” he said calmly, moving my chin so that I was looking into his eyes instead of the carpet. “I cannot believe that you would act the way you just did. I expected more out of you.” Ouch. “It was almost like there was a different person in the car with me a few minutes ago. Aren't you embarrassed at the immaturity that you just displayed?”

I shrugged. “I was mad. Robert was being mean.”

“That's where you're wrong, Young Lady. Robert wasn't being mean. He was trying to understand what happened today.”

“He was yelling at me.”

“He was not yelling...”

“Yes he was!” I said, a little too loudly.

Daniel paused a second. “Are you getting sharp with me?”

Oops. “Sorry.”

“Your brother cares deeply for you, Jessica. He took you in when you had no one. He is trying to do the right thing here. For one, you have to give him a break – he doesn't know how to raise a teenage girl. And I assure you that he is doing his damnedest to do the best job he can. And secondly, you need to look at the situation from his point of view. He received a call this afternoon from his little sister's school talking about a conference. He gets there to find out that she's been in a fight, and while she had been provoked – I'll give you that – it had clearly not been out of self-defense... don't talk, just listen,” he ordered when he saw me open my mouth. “The fight was clearly not out of self-defense as she had not been pushed, hit, slapped, or punched. And to top it off, she has been in fights before this one, so this fighting thing seems to be a reoccurring pattern. When he asks her what she was thinking, she not only gets defensive, but also starts yelling and getting very disrespectful with him. Come on, Jess, I know that you can see it from his point of view.”

“Well, I don't.”

“Don't you want to be an attorney? You know you have to be able to look at both points of view if you're going to do that type of work.”

I folded my arms and poked out my lower lip in a pout. He was right, though. I took a second to think about how Robert had felt about the whole situation, and kind of understood. Kind of.

“I still don't think I should be in trouble,” I said.

“Okay. Now, why couldn't you have spoken that calmly to Robert earlier?”

“I dunno. He made me mad. He was getting all mad, too.”

“Let me tell you something,” Daniel began, finally letting go of my chin and scooting back a little, turning towards me. “There are going to be a lot of people in this world who make you mad...” I was about to say something again, but he gave me a look that quickly shut me up. Geeze, why did he have to do all the talking! “And there are pricks EVERYWHERE. You will have bosses who are jerkoffs, who tell you to do stuff that you don't want to do, and who insult not only gay people, but women, people with disabilities, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and I could go on forever. You will have friends who piss you off. People in the grocery store. Doctors. Teachers. Senators. Police officers. In fact, I'm not sure that there could ever be someone who wouldn't make you mad about something. But you know what? You can't just go around hitting them all. If you did, you could kiss that dream of law school goodbye because you'll be paying off settlements and court fines for the rest of your life. And furthermore, you will never be respected. No one wants to listen to someone who goes around getting angry and cursing at and hitting everyone to get their point across. Right?”

Ugh, I hated admitting that someone else was right. So I just chose to avoid the question. “I'm sorry for fighting and being mean to Robert,” I said instead.

He nodded. “Now after saying all of that, I feel like an ass for telling you that you're going to be spanked.”

“Wait... didn't you just say that you can't go around hitting everyone to get your point across?”

“I already got my point across, didn't I? You're going to be spanked because what you did today has to have consequences. And then after your spanking, you will go downstairs and apologize to your brother, do you understand?”

“But Danielllll!” I whined. “You're being hypocritical. Saying that I can't hit someone, but you can hit me.”

“Well, let's put it this way – you thought it'd be a good idea to go around punching everyone who upset you, so now you have to pay the consequences, and you get to see what it's like to be hit when you do something wrong.”

“Still hypocritical...” I said.

“You know that you deserve it,” he said. He stood up, walking towards my desk and pulling my chair out from under it. He pulled me up, then brought me towards him, sitting himself down on the chair. He then unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans.

“Wait! Daniel... please... can't we just talk about this?”

“When you resolve your next argument with talking, then you and I will be able to talk about it. But today you decided to resolve an argument physically, and therefore, you and I will resolve our problem physically. Sounds like a fair deal to me.” He tugged my jeans down to my knees.

“But...” I was cut off because he placed me over his lap. Staring at the carpet made me lose my train of thought and my ability to talk my way out of trouble. It was awful.

He began the spanking, popping me on my panty-clad bottom with a stronger hand than I'd imagined him having. In fact, it was so hard that I couldn't help but squirm and cry out after each one. Which was strange, considering that I've been pelted with softballs and broken bones without shedding a tear. But this was different. Mostly because I knew how upset Daniel and Robert were with me.

“I expect you to act your age, Jessica Lynne,” Daniel scolded. “And not like a three year old. You are a teenager now, and it is time to stop this childish behavior, especially if you want to be treated like an adult, do you understand?”

“Yesssss, owww, Daniel. Please stop!”

“You should be embarrassed at the behavior you displayed today, not only at school but also in the car towards your brother.”

“I ammmm!” I pleaded, reaching back to block him from spanking me.

He spanked around my hand, finally pushing it away, but continuing to rain down the smacks. “And I will absolutely not tolerate the disrespect you've shown. Keep it up and you will make this trip over my knee more often than you like.”

“Okayyyy! I won't be disrespectful. Just please stop!” I begged. “Please. I'll be good.”

Daniel swatted me more and more, hitting every so often on my sit spots and in areas that my panties didn't quite cover up (which made me squeal like a little girl!). And then he did something that I totally didn't expect – he pulled them down! Right to my knees! I was so embarrassed that I thought I was going to die.

“No wait! Daniel! Don't do that!” I pleaded, squirming to get off of his lap.

He held on to me tightly, though, giving me a few more swats. “You know you deserve this, Jessica. You've acted very childish today. Now, stop squirming and accept the consequences for your actions.”

I stopped fighting for a moment. “But I don't want to be spanked, Daniel. And not on the bare! It's too embarrassing!”

“Just like you embarrassed Robert and me today,” he said, repositioning me again and circling my waist with his left arm only to start the spanking again. I bucked and kicked fiercely.

“Oooowwwww!” I howled. “I'm sorry for embarrassing you guys!!!”

He didn't answer me with anything but more smacks, getting a definite rhythm and working his way from cheek to cheek, sit spot to sit spot, making sure that I would feel this for a few days. “Robert and I care about you too much for you to continue to behave so irresponsibly and immaturely. You were very lucky that your vice principal let you off with a couple of detentions and a conference. And you're equally lucky that the kid's parent didn't press charges on you.”

“Oooowwww, yessss, I knowww!” I whined. “Pleaseee Daniel!! Please stoppp!! I understand!!!”

Still, my pleas were to no avail. He kept up the punishment, causing my bottom to feel like it was on fire. I kicked and squirmed as much as my little body could, even reached back a couple of times only to have my hands restrained.

I was almost broken when he stopped. He lifted me up. “Nose in the corner,” he instructed, practically dragging me there. He returned moments later and helped me back over his lap. I hadn't seen what he'd brought back with him, only felt the damn wooden hairbrush crack against my backside seconds later. As if his hand didn't hurt enough. By the third swat, I was bawling like a baby. I was blubbering apologies and kicking and howling. I'd take a punch to the stomach any day!

When he'd given me what felt like a million swats (when in reality it was probably twenty-ish), he lifted me up. He stood me in front of him as I wiped my eyes, body shaking and breathing unsteady. He looked into my teary eyes.

“Jessica Lynne, are we going to have to have this conversation again?” he asked me seriously.

“N-no, Daniel. We won't,” I promised him.

He softened up, then brought me in for a hug. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you, too,” I sniffled.

He held me for a few seconds, then released. “Get yourself re-dressed and go apologize. Then get started on your homework, okay?”

I nodded, pulling up my panties, wincing as they touched my tender backside. My jeans were the most difficult to pull up – I certainly didn't want any tight material on my bottom right now!! But the alternative would be going downstairs with my glowing bottom on display, and that was totally not happening!

I held Daniel's hand as I wobbled down the stairs. Katelyn was sitting at the table, finishing her math homework, and Robert was planted in front of the television, watching the news.

“Robert,” I said weakly, releasing the grip I'd had on Daniel's hand. “I'm sorry for being mean to you today and for getting an attitude. And I'm sorry for fighting, too.”

He held out his arms, inviting me in for a hug. I pushed myself forward, falling into his arms. “I love you, kid sis,” he said, then gave me pretty much the same lecture I'd just gotten from my other brother. Geeze, they were too much alike. But I didn't say anything, just promised him that I'd behave.