The Plan

by Trish

“Come on Jodi, it’ll be fun,” Brenda said enthusiastically.

“I can’t, I’m not sure what my folks might do now that they actually told me to not play with slingshots. I really don’t want to take the chance of getting caught,” replied an angry Jodi.

Jodi, who just recently came to live with her new adoptive family, wanted so badly to shoot the slingshots with her friends. But just a half an hour before, her mom and dad saw one in her back pocket and had confiscated it. She was told that the neighborhood where they lived is not the place to play with a sling shot and that she was not to do it at all.

She was bummed. Here was something fun that her friends had invited her to come do with them and now she couldn’t. “There is nothing wrong with a slingshot if you play carefully with it. I just won’t shoot at people or things that can break, that’s all,” Jodi pleaded. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

“The answer is ‘no.’ A slingshot does not belong in a neighborhood filled with people and windows. Accidents can happen. Perhaps you should go on out and find something else to do” responded Jodi’s father as he threw an empty coke can into the recycling bin.

Jodi was frustrated and it showed when she said, “Man, my friends get to play with slingshots. They can too be safe; you just gotta know whatchur doin’! There’s nothing wrong with them, and I can play with them, Ok!”

Jodi’s mother was beginning to think that she was about to see the sneaky side of her new daughter and felt it only fair to warn her. “What did your father just tell you, young lady?! No slingshot! And I hope we don’t find out that you disobey us and do it anyway. Do you understand?”

“No, I don’t because it’s not fair.” Jodi knew now that she was testing the disciplinary waters in her new home. She wondered what her parent’s response would be as she hadn’t used this tone of voice with them before.

This tone of voice had always been her way of life with any adult when living with her real mom and dad. But somehow her instincts told her that this family was more consistent and loving with their rules and she had conscientiously decided to go slow breaking them in! “It’s stupid.” She looked up to her parents and saw that they both had an expression on their face she had not yet seen before.

OK, test over for now, better comply, she thought. Her father then pulled out the kitchen chair. Jodi went wide eyed.

Dad said, “Sit down here, Jodi.” She did. Dad bent close to her and quietly spoke, “We don’t want you playing with a slingshot. There will be no more discussion about it. If Mom or I find out that you played with one, you will get spanked! Do you hear what I’m saying?”

Jodi glared at her father. She thought, Yeah right! But intelligently replied, “Yeah.”

Sue, who was a year older than her friends, was always the leader of the group. She always came up with mischievous things to do and clever ways to get away with them. “Hey, Jodi, you need the ‘plan.'”

“What’s that?” asked Jodi.

Sue went on to explain how the “plan” is simply bubble packing sheets with real small bubbles, cut down to the size of your britches and how it serves as great protection against a belt, paddle or whatever it is you get spanked with. Even a hand spanking doesn’t detect it because the bubbles are so small.

“You can take some pretty good licks, and it doesn’t even hurt. Of course you whimper a little so they think you feel something, and eventually, they think that the lickin’ don’t do no good because you’re bigger now and it doesn’t really affect you anymore and they eventually stop letting you have it. It worked for me!”

“I have one too, but I don’t get in as much trouble as Sue, so I’ve really only had to use mine once. But, no doubt about it, you know I got my plan right here with me now,” added Brenda as she pats her bottom.

“You mean you’re not suppose to play with slingshots either?” asked Jodi.

“None of us are since Lame Linda over there cracked the vase on Mrs. Winslow’s flower shelf. We all got blamed for it.”

“I am not lame!” defended Linda. “How was I suppose to know that berry would break the damn thing! It was supposed to be soft! Remember, Brenda, isn’t that what you guys told us?”

Sue broke in with,”Whatever. Anyhow, I have some extra bubble pieces at my house, if you want some. Then you have like, like, like an insurance policy against lickins! And you can still have fun even though you could get caught. But I wouldn’t worry because we hide in the bushes now when we play with the slingshots. That way no one knows that we’re doing it!!!”

“Pretty cool, huh? It’s a game we call ‘Ambush.’ Wuttaya say, come on, let’s go play!” added Brenda.

“Sounds as though it would be OK. Man, before I came to live here, I could do anything I wanted. I’m glad that now maybe there will still be a way I can. But …” Jodi paused wondering how she would confess that the slingshot that Brenda had given her earlier had been taken away.

Linda figured this much and offered “Don’t worry, you can use one of the extra ones we made yesterday with a hanger….. here, take this one.” Jodi took the toy from Linda and thanked her.

Off the kids went to get Jodi fitted for her “plan” and then to collect the berryies needed for each girl to use in Ambush.

“So tell me, how do we play Ambush anyway?” inquired Jodi as she plopped little red berries into her own baggy.

The girls explained that they used the little red berries to shoot target practice with. They explained further that the cars driving past on the street were their targets.

“Cool! Moving targets! I like that kind of challenge!” Jodi said competitively. A moment passed and she thought about her shot possibly breaking a car window or denting the car and she hesitated. “Wait, I don’t know about this, what if someone’s car gets damaged, they’ll certainly catch us!”

Brenda handed Jodi a berry. “Here, squeeze this.”

Jodi took the berry and squeezed it in between her thumb and index finger. The berry felt hard and firm and was no bigger than an eraser head but it squished open easily. “Wow, that’s great” Jodi was impressed by the other girls ingenuity.

Linda added “What’s really neat is that when it hits a car, it breaks open and leaves a little red blotch. You can actually see when you make a hit!”

The girls giggled and joked as they hurriedly ran to the area that would become their bunker. They stopped when they were next to Linda’s house.

Sue once again took charge. “Shhhhhhh, we go over there, to those bushes under the windows. You see how there is just a little space between the bushes where they haven’t yet grown together all the way?”

Jodi nodded yes.

“Well” she continued, “you crawl in through there and sit down. There’s enough open space for you to shoot your berries but still stay camouflaged! Just figure it out on your own.”

“And I suppose make sure that I don’t stick the slingshot out too far to be seen huh?” Jodi jokingly asked.

Sue warned, “I tell you to figure it out on your own because once you’re there, you can’t talk unless it is an absolute quiet whisper. You definitely don’t want to draw attention to yourself. OR US!”

“Yeah, Linda’s butthead brother Johnny sometimes walks past the bushes to get to his friend’s house. If he sees us, he’ll figure it out and blow our cover. And this is about the only real bunker site that’s effective enough for our purpose,” Brenda added, noting the other houses on the block did not have quite the same shrubbery as Linda’s house did.

Linda’s face tightened as she reflected, “Man, you don’t know how many times I aimed that slingshot at his skinny little ass. I would love to shoot him just once! He is such a little brat.”

Sue grinned her devilish best. “I think we all take aim when he walks by. Hey! Do you suppose if we all shot at once he would thing he got stung by something?”

“Better not. You guys would be laughing too hard and give it away,” Brenda wisely suggested. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Sue wasn’t used to someone turning down her ideas, but she knew Brenda was right and agreed. She made a mental to note to give that boy a sting though at some point if he ever did snitch them off.

Just ten minutes went by and already the girls had “ambushed” several cars. They quietly squealed with delight each time they thought that their own shot made the direct hit. Jodi was easily excitable anyhow, and the girls had to hush her several times. The count was at six direct hits, when, number seven was hit by three berries. Two hit the rear fender and the third entered the open front passenger window! This was an occurrence the girls hadn’t thought about.

The car screeched to an immediate halt. Panicky screams could be heard from the front seat where a lady with a red splat mark on her cheek was sitting. Her husband ran around to her side of the car to check out the injury. The girls’ eyes went as wide as saucers. They sat frozen, not breathing. Jodi was sure the world could hear her heart pounding and give away their position.

It wasn’t long before the couple determined that the mark on the woman’s swollen cheek was not from a bullet but a berry! The girls, still frozen, watched as the man stood and looked around. He saw the bushes and knew this is where the berries had to have come from. As he slowly approached the girls’ bunker, Sue’s panicked voice screamed, “Split!” as she bolted from the bushes.

Brenda, Linda and Jodi reacted immediately, scrambling out of the bushes and running off different directions. Soon they were all gathered near Brenda’s house around the corner. They climbed up into the backyard tree house where they could clearly see the ambushed car on the next block, and the man — who was now talking to Johnny!

“I’ll kill him if he snitches!” gasped Linda. She was worried. “He knows we’re the fearsome foursome. What other four girls would’ve ran from the bushes. He’s gonna tell, I know it, he’s gonna, he’s gonna. Damn, he’s taking that guy to our house! We’re dead!!!”

Sue was more reassuring. “Don’t worry, ladies. We have the backup “plan.” Let’s wait till the guy leaves with his wimpy wife, and then we can head home. No big deal, we can handle it.”

Jodi was silent. She never had to worry about facing up to an adult who might actually make her be responsible for the consequences of her misbehavior. She had the sickest feeling in her tummy. Her thoughts became consumed with planning her defense. She knew she had the “plan” in case she couldn’t talk her way out of this one and if her parents really would spank her.

But wouldn’t that be nice if what Sue said earlier was true about not getting spanked any more? Jodi’s defensive strategy started to take form in her own mind. She would act like she didn’t care. She would try to emulate Sue. “So what …”spank if you want” … “I don’t care” …

Those phrases she must remember to use. She could act tough quite nicely to adults and after all, it had worked in the past. She even considered telling them that she wasn’t about to cry. Well maybe not — she’d have to think about that one. Wow, this “plan” deal could turn out to be a pretty cool thing. What possibilities!

The man and his wife had driven off. The four girls all headed home with promises to meet later to compare notes. Jodi confidently walked home. Fearless, she entered the house where her parents were waiting for her. For a moment, she felt a little bad about what she was doing. After all, these people were so loving and affectionate to her. They really did love her. And that is all she ever really wanted. But Jodi figured she was invested at this point though, AND she had the “plan,” so why not go through with it anyhow and see what happens? At least she’ll get out of a spanking, and she could always say sorry later.

“Linda’s mom called. Do you realize that that berry just missed the lady’s eye?” Dad was calm, but very serious. He had the same look that he had earlier. “Do you?!?” he echoed.

Jodi felt oddly afraid. But she remembered the “plan.”

“It wasn’t even my berry! My rubber band broke and I was fixin’ it, so I wasn’t even shootin’ then!” Jodi lied. She was feeling very confident now. Jodi turned to look at her mom. The same serious look as her dad.

As she turned to look back at her dad, she noticed the ping pong paddle lying near the phone by the straight back chair. Her hands instinctively moved to cover her rear end. She clasped together her fingers while her weight shifted to her left leg as her right foot slid back and rested behind her right.

Dad walked to the chair and sat down. “You know what’s going to happen and you know why. We have talked about this before, and you chose not to follow our instructions. Now, come here and get over my knee.”

Jodi briefly thought about her next move. She wanted to run back out the front door, but Mom was standing near there now. She thought of the paddle; man, that meant a pretty painful lesson ahead. She was still mad that they had said no in the first place, and now she was afraid on top of that. But wait, her mind cleared once more when she remembered the “plan.” She put her defense into action. “So what, I don’t care. It was a stupid rule anyway!” she responded defiantly.

The room went quiet. She didn’t plan for that. Usually the adults argue back with her. Another look back at Mom and then back at Dad. “Jodi, come here NOW!” Dad was using a firmer and deeper voice now.

“What if I don’t?!” Jodi herself was now into full defiance mode. Just like old times. Boy, having this “plan” thing is going to be fun to have! she celebrated.

“DON’T make me come and get you” Dad was using a louder voice now.

Jodi considered her options again. Maybe now was the time to take the spanking. Heck, she wasn’t going to feel it anyhow. She could inform them both right then and there that she takes licks pretty well, and she figured that they would probably believe it because they know she is one tough tomboy anyway. “Fine, who cares,” said Jodi as she began to stroll over to him. “My birth parents gave up on that long ago because I can take whatever it is that’s given to me so you’re jes’ wastin’ your time,” she taunted.

Jodi’s chin was high and her arms crossed in front of her chest now. This defiant stance of hers was a well-practiced one. Dad remained calm as he directed her with a slight grip on her upper arm, to a position herself over his lap. He looked at his wife and saw she was now standing with her arms crossed, waiting for her daughter to be spanked. Momma was not happy with the back talking she just witnessed. Dad began spanking Jodi with his hand. After about 20 spanks, Jodi was squirming a little, but he certainly was not getting the desired effect. He figured it must be the jeans. He picked up the paddle, raised it and brought it down hard on the seat of her pants.

But part of the paddle caught where the “plan” had slipped out of its position on her bottom. She felt a sting on that one little spot which was no more than an inch or so. She said OW simply as a response to the one-inch sting piercing her left cheek. This is good, she thought, he’ll think I’m just tough but getting something.

WHACK. Another swat landed hard. Jodi felt nothing more than a thud. Her pride was getting in the way of even faking a simple whimper. Bad move. Three more hard swats, and only one more simple OW from Jodi when the paddle caught the unprotected one-inch spot again! Dad stood Jodi up and sent her to the corner.

“Face to the corner and don’t move!!!” He was angry. Dad knew something was up. Mom did too. The toughest child couldn’t take swats like that and not even show some verbal signs of a stinging burn. They moved to one another and spoke in hushed voices. Jodi turned to see what was going on. “TURN AROUND, NOW!” Dad’s voice was much stronger now.

Jodi was suddenly overwhelmed with regret. That spanking on her jeans with hands would’ve hurt, but not that bad. The paddle was probably only there as some kind of fear factor. She realized she blew it. She sensed that Mom and Dad were now discussing the spanking that wasn’t. She felt that funny stomach feeling again and her legs began to feel week. She contemplated throwing herself at their knees, pulling out the “plan” and begging for mercy. Maybe she would only get just a regular spanking all over again. After all, her friends were the ones who talked her into it and, besides, she didn’t think she’d get caught anyway. She wasn’t even sure if her parents would follow through with the punishment, and so this wasn’t even all her fault. Maybe she should.

“Come with me, Jodi” her mom’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Jodi turned to see her father and mother by the front hall. Mom’s serious face was still on as she began to move to the stairs.

Jodi moved to follow her mother and inquired cautiously. “Where are we going?” She carefully moved past Dad so that her bottom would be out of spanks reach.

“Up the stairs to your room,” Momma answered. Mom was following her now.

“Wh..wh..what are w..we going to do up there?” she stuttered.

“Keep moving, young lady!” Momma was in no mood for conversation.

They had reached the top of the stairs. In a desperate attempt to again avoid what she thought was about to happen, Jodi announced, “I have to go to the bathroom,” and started to head the opposite direction toward the bathroom.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Momma grabbed Jodi’s arm and continued to walk to the bedroom. Jodi felt scared. She felt a tear well up in her eyes. This was a mission to get to the bottom <s> of this situation and Jodi realized it.

“Momma, please, I’m sorry, I..I.. I was just trying to be brave down there. See, it really hurt, and I’m crying now. I..I..I just didn’t want you guys to see me cry. That’s all, okay? Please don’t be mad at me! Please!” Jodi hoped to salvage whatever chance she had to rectify her earlier mistake and have it all end.

No such luck. The continued serious look on Momma’s face eluded to Jodi that much. Momma told Jodi to undo her snap and lower her zipper. Jodi anticipated the worse; that Momma would seize the “plan” and then have at it on her bare bottom since her pants might be down anyhow. Something in Jodi told her to completely abandon her previous strategy. It was an obvious failure. She momentarily contemplated a new plan of action, but Momma again interrupted her thoughts. “I won’t tell you again, young lady! Don’t make me do it for you.”

There it is again: “Young lady.” Jodi absolutely hated to hear that. It sounds so, so powerful. The tears welled up once more. Jodi almost responded by challenging Momma with a reply, but with no backup plan and the initial plan having failed miserably, she wisely conceded. Jodi’s face showed signs of fear now. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She unsnapped her pants and lowered her zipper. Jodi looked up at her disappointed mother.

As Momma walked toward Jodi, Jodi’s hands once again found their way to her rear end. Momma took Jodi by the arm and escorted her to the edge of the bed where Momma sat. “Jodi, is there something you would like to tell me?” Mom and Dad felt it would be good to give Jodi the chance to snitch herself off.

Jodi immediately thought back to her short stay in the corner downstairs. She had thought about confessing then. Maybe she should. She realized her jeans were one pull from coming down and exposing the “plan” anyway. Jodi’s lower lip began to tremble.

What would it feel like to get the kind of spanking they may give me now?she wondered. She decided to tell. She began to cry and explained the “plan” along with the incidents of the day, to her attentive mother who now had Jodi sitting next to her with her arm around Jodi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I disobeyed you guys.” She stopped to sniff and wipe the tears from her now swelling eyes. “It’s just that I never thought about someone’s window being down and the berry getting a face; I would never had done it if knew that could happen.”

Mom quietly interrupted. “The question is, why are you in this situation in the first place? What did you do to begin with for Dad to spank you?”

“I knowwwwww.” Jodi was now quite timid and remorseful. “I wasn’t gonna, really, I just let them talk me into it. And I guess I let them convince me I wouldn’t get caught. I promise I learned my lesson and that I won’t ever, never play with the slingshot again. And I won’t talk to you that way anymore neither.” Jodi stopped to take the”‘plan” out of the seat of her pants. She looked up to Mom. “Can I snap my pants back up? ”

“No.”

The room was silent. Jodi became vaguely aware of her heart pounding for the second time today. She wondered if her mom could hear it. She also felt a new fear overwhelm her. Why did Mom want her pants undone? God, this is torture. What’s she gonna do? Jodi wondered if she dared to ask.

Momma’s voice broke the silence. She no longer sounded angry as she had downstairs. “I am very proud of how you have now decided to be honest. You have been very disobedient, and you need to take care of that now. I will be spanking you for having used that bubble sheet to get out of your dad’s spanking. Then you’ll go downstairs where Daddy is going to give you the spanking you should have felt for disobeying us about the slingshot.”

Jodi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her mouth was hanging open and she couldn’t talk back if she wanted. Besides, she didn’t dare at this point anyhow. Kind words worked in the past to get her out of hot water, maybe if she sweet talks, it won’t be so bad, and maybe they’ll change their minds.

Momma noticed Jodi was surprised by what she had just said. She continued, “And when you finish your spanking from Dad for the slingshot, you will go sit in the corner for 30 minutes.” This last comment elicited an immediate response from Jodi as she spun her head quickly and looked up at her mother.

“But why?” Jodi pleaded carefully. “Okay, I deserve a spanking, I agree. But I did feel some of the one earlier. And to sit in the corner? For 30 minutes? Please…No…”

The tears start to flow again as Jodi realizes that Momma probably will make things worse by making her drop her pants. Why else would she want the pants to stay unsnapped. “I really won’t behave anything like this again…Please.”

Jodi looked through her tears at Momma. Her expression had not changed, soJodi resigned herself to the fact that she was not going to weasel her way out of anything she had gotten herself into today.

“Do you understand what is going to happen? Your Dad or I don’t want any more difficulties regarding this. You will get your spankings and sit in the corner. Agreed?”

Agreed?!!? Agreed????? Was she kidding? Of course she didn’t agree, but it was clear there would be nothing she could do about it. Jodi was totally helpless; her parents were in full control. She wasn’t about to argue knowing that her pants may go down and that her father was still downstairs with the (gulp) paddle. Another round of tears appeared. “JODI?!”

Jodi managed a simple “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

Mom directed Jodi to a position next to her lap. “Drop your jeans and lie across my lap.”

Jodi knew better now. She gave in completely now. She gave her mom one last pleading look (it may help, you never know) and then she lowered her pants. As Jodi lay across Momma’s lap, her hands out front to stop her momentum, she became cognizant of the fact that she was completely vulnerable now. She was at the mercy of her mom and dad. She sniffed but didn’t cry. She waited and wondered how much it could hurt and just how much she was going to get. A new wave of panic overwhelmed her when she felt her underwear slip past her bottom.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Jodi heard the first three slaps before she felt the stings. To Jodi’s surprise, she began to cry involuntarily.

“Smack, Smack, Smack, Smack……” the slaps continued fast and deliberate. The stinging intensified and the burning became immense. Jodi’s crying became louder.

Between sobs, she begged her mom to stop. “No, more, pleassssse…..stop…I won’t….anymore!” Jodi’s hand moved to shield the slaps, but Mom was too quick and snared Jodi’s wrist to hold it back — without missing a slap.

“Smack, smack…..’ The onslaught continued as Jodi now pleaded “I will never……I’ll obey you……owwwwwww I learned….ow , ow….I learned …..ow…..my lesson…Wahhhhhhhhhhh….”

As quickly as she started, Momma stopped. Jodi bawled. She was defeated. “And now when we’re finished, what will you do after you pull your jeans back up?”

‘When we’re finished?!’ Jodi mentally repeated. She wondered about how much she took already. She lost count after only the fifth spank! All she knew was that she wanted no more of it. “I…I…I… will go ….to…” she stammered as she tried to talk through the sobs “..Da….deeeeeeeee” her voice trailed off with her cries as she tried not to squirm. It was hard not to, her bottom stung so badly.

“Do you understand why I am spanking you like this?” Momma asked.

Jodi answered with a little more control. “I tried to get outta …the spanking with that…. “plan” thing.”

“Anything else?” continued Momma.

Jodi knew she meant the back talking. She obliged and quickly answered “T..talking back and s..stuff.”

“I want you to remember this and not let it happen again, so five more spanks to drive the point home and we’re through.”

“Yessss, mammm…” replied Jodi who immediately felt stunned by her compliant answer. That certainly never happened before! Her sobbing was now just steady crying.

“Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack.” The five slaps descended on Jodi’s very red and well-spanked bottom.

Jodi was again sobbing but did not plead. She got up and was surprised that she automatically danced around as she gratefully pulled her pants back up and secured them once more. She looked up at her mom who was now standing beside her. Through her tears, she could see the usual, kind look had returned to her momma’s face. Jodi could not understand this but figured it had to mean that Mom was no longer mad at her and still loved her. Somehow, the two wound up in an embrace.

Oddly, Jodi felt safe and secure. Her sobs subsided and she began crying a whole different set of tears. She wished she could stay like this forever, but she knew the time would come that she would have to face her father.

Jodi had now quieted considerably, and she knew the time had come to descend down the stairs where her father awaited her. Jodi once again looked up to her mother.

“I know…” Jodi bravely volunteered. “Dad’s waiting.”

The corner of mom’s mouth turned up a little into a reassuring smile. Jodi left her mom’s now loosening embrace and headed downstairs.

She found herself praying every step of the way “Please God, I will be sooo good. Please let him go easy on me, please tell him to not kill me. Please, Dear God, please. Nothing like what Mom gave me, please….” She now could see her dad sitting on the couch. “Please God, tell him I’m sorry, Please God…”

Jodi hit the bottom of the stairs as her father got up from the arm chair to walk back to the high back chair by the desk. She watched him sit down as she entered the room. She noted that he too had lost his previously “angry face.” Although looked serious, he didn’t look mad. She hoped this was God letting her know that it would be Okay, just do what is asked!

Dad had heard the entire events from Jodi’s room. He saw her standing there, spirits broken, tame, the fear on her face, her eyes red and swollen. He could only imagine how red her bottom must be. He actually felt bad about having to spank her again but knew — especially with such a strong willed child as Jodi was — that he must follow through with it. He knew it would pay off in the long run.

“Jodi, I will give you 5 swats with the paddle and you will then do 30 minutes corner time.” Dad spoke matter-of-factly. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Jodi was whimpering slightly now. It had been near 15 minutes since the last slap had struck her bare bottom. She was grateful — only five. She could do that. She figured by now, she would be able to keep her pants up and that would afford her some protection.

“You know why you’re here, so like before, I want you to come over and bend across my knees.” Dad patted his knee.

Jodi obeyed and did as she was told. As she once again laid across his lap, she remembered the sting the paddle left earlier on her left cheek where the “plan” did not cover. That sting was more intense than those first hand slaps were! Wow, maybe she was a goner after all.

“Whack!” The first swat landed accurately. Jodi’s eyes widened, her mouth flew open, but no sound came out. Just a gasp. She couldn’t believe how that stung! Four more swats came at five-second intervals. She was wailing by the third. Her bottom was on fire!

Without realizing it, she was standing and being escorted to the corner where she would sit for the next thirty minutes. She was rubbing her thoroughly spanked bottom with both hands to put the fire out. It didn’t work. And now she was sitting on it! She tried not to squirm, but could not help it. She just knew that the whole city or at least the whole block could hear her screams and crying.

She began to ponder how to make it stop hurting so bad. Bring in the hose! Hell — call in the whole stinking fire department! she mused to herself. She continued to try to rub her rear end as she sat there.

Before leaving, Dad warned: “You are not to turn around or leave that chair. Do you hear me?”

She looked back at him as he spoke. She saw that Mom was also in the room. “Yessssss..” she managed.

Jodi’s corner time had ended. Her eyes were still watery. Her rear still stung. But she was no longer crying. Her inquisitive nature wondered if it was possible to cry out all the tears and then not a have any left. Mom and Dad entered the room. She decided she rather not know about the tear thing. She wasn’t that interested in doing any experimenting on the subject at least.

Dad sat on the armchair and Mom on the couch. “Come here and sit down on the footstool, Jodi” Dad patted the cloth material that covered the top of it. Jodi got up very aware that she just experienced a major attitude adjustment. She sat so she could see both her parents. Dad continued by asking “What exactly were you spanked with the paddle for?”

She was tempted to say ‘Yeah, right, like you don’t know…’ (She hates those “after the fact” kind of questions.) “I played with the slingshot when you told me not to.”

“Why do you think we didn’t want you to play with it here in the neighborhood?”

Arrrgh, I hate these stupid questions! Jodi angrily thought. She could feel her facial expression change to reflect her thoughts. She looked down at her shoes and kept thinking, This may not be a smart thing to fall back into. Man, what I would give to just be able to say WHO GIVES A SHIT?

Dad interrupted her thoughts “Jodi, answer me. Perhaps you need some more time to think about this?”

Jodi looked right up “No!. …Sir… Dad. I just was trying to figure out what to say first,” she lied.

Dad looked at Mom and Mom looked at Dad. They looked back at Jodi when she humbly continued, “You didn’t want me breaking anything or hurting anyone.” She figured short and sweet would work. She was careful to use the right words. “I am sorry. I won’t do it again.”

The room was silent. Jodi figured she better come up with at least one more “And, I will think before I do what you tell me not to do and then try not do it.” (She was really hoping that she could follow through with that one). More silence. “Ok??”

She felt weak. Like she just ran 10 miles at top speed. Jodi was exhausted. Her parent’s trusted the point(s) had been made and the lesson(s) learned.

Dad took Jodi in his arms and sat back in the oversized armchair. Mom was smiling that warm smile of hers. He held Jodi close and told her he loved her. She knew he meant it. She really would try not to be so defiant anymore. But, she was only 12 years old, and had a lot of playing and of experiencing childhood left to do though. And, after all … it did take 12 years to develop this defiance. Well, time will tell….

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