Subject: The City... a twin story (M/f, hairbrush, soap)
From: sampast@aol.com
Date: 1999/07/13

The City... a twin

This story contains spanking of a (fictional) child. If this is not your thing, then don't read it. It also contains lots of love and emotional interaction, written as well as the author could manage. If all you want is a spanking scene, with no emotions, this story may not be for you, because you won't find that here.

This story is a work of fiction. The author does not endorse or encourage the actual spanking of real children in any way. All characters are the produts of the author's imagination.

Do not copy or distribute this story without written permission from the author. Permission to keep one personal archive copy is hereby granted. Do not write other stories using these characters without permission from the author.

Send any comments to SamPast@aol.com

The City... a twin story (M/f, hairbrush, soap) Copyright (c) 1999 Sampast ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 1

"Hey, Jenn!" a boy called.

Jennifer looked up when she heard her name. When she saw who it was, she smiled. It was Keith, a boy from her science class who she liked. She walked over to him.

"Hey, what's up?" she said.

They were standing outside the junior high school, near the tall oak tree. It was morning and the first bell hadn't rung yet.

"Not much. Did you understand the homework?" Keith asked nervously. He wasn't used to talking to girls. Well none as pretty as he thought Jennifer was.

"No-ooo! But I never do. It's a good thing Mr. Zimmerman doesn't know what's going on!" Jennifer chuckled.

"Yea, that's true. Remember the last test? How everyone just whispered the answers back and forth, and he didn't even notice?"

"Yeah, that was pretty funny. He's probably really old," Jennifer said.

Then there was silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Finally, Keith broke the silence. "Uh, listen, a couple of the guys and some girls are gonna take a trip a week from Saturday, into Manhattan. You wanna go?"

"Oh, really? Who's going?" Jenn asked.

Keith reeled off a whole bunch of names. They were all kids that he hung around with. Jennifer only knew them by sight; she had never really talked to any of them before. But she wanted to. They were all really cool.

"Are any adults going?" she asked nervously.

Keith smiled and said, "No, that's why it will be so much fun. We're gonna go into the village and go to Tower Records and walk around Washington Square Park and watch the rollerbladers and stuff. It should be really cool."

Jenn didn't know how to answer. She knew her father would never let her go in, especially if there weren't any adults going. "I'll have to ask and let you know, okay?"

"Okay, sure!" Keith said. Just then, the bell rang. They both ran off to class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer sat on her bed. She tried to think of a way she could go into the city with Keith and his friends. She could try just asking her mom and dad. Yeah, right! Like they're gonna let a fourteen year old go into the city by herself! You mean, 13, a voice said. Yeah, 13. She wasn't quite 14 yet... but she would be soon.

Jenn was startled from her daydream by Robin, her twin sister. "Hey, Jenn, guess what?"

"What?" Jenn asked, annoyed that Robin had burst into the room, even though they shared it.

"What's wrong with you? Bad day?" Robin asked cheerily.

Jennifer was tired of Robin's always cheery self. "No! I'm fine. What's so great?"

Robin shrugged off Jenn's bad mood and said, "The Art Club is going into the city, and I got permission to go, too. And we're going on a Saturday, not during school."

Jennifer's ears perked up with the words "city" and "Saturday". "Why are you going into the city with Art Club?"

"Oh, well, we're gonna bring sketch pads and sit in the park and sketch people. We might go to a museum, too. I can't remember which one. I'm so excited."

"That's really cool, Robin," Jenn said, and she meant it. "When are you going?"

"A week from Saturday. I'm so excited. Daddy's even gonna get me a new sketch pad."

Jenn said, "That sounds like so much fun. I wish I could go."

"You do? Why?"

"I don't know. It just sounds really cool, that's all. Maybe I'll join Art Club after all."

"You can, you know. If you're serious, Jenn," Robin said.

"Hmmm, maybe I will," Jenn thought, "maybe I will."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer did decide to join Art Club. She figured she'd go to a few meetings, and go on the trip. After that, she could quit. At the second meeting, the teacher, Mr. Brown, handed Jennifer a permission slip.

"Jennifer, the Art Club is taking a trip next Saturday into Manhattan. We'll be going to the Guggenheim, which is a museum, and also to Central Park, where we'll be sketching. I hope you can join us," Mr. Brown stated.

Jenn took the trip slip from Mr. Brown and smiled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

That afternoon, Jenn went to science class all excited. "Hey, Keith, I think I'm going to be able to go with you guys next Saturday. That is, if I'm still invited. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you about it." Jenn knew she was rambling; she was just so excited.

Keith smiled and said, "Calm down. Of course, you're still invited. We're gonna meet at the Merrick Train station at 9 am next Saturday. Be there or be square!"

"Sounds great!" Jenn said.

When she went home, Jennifer made sure to get Lisa's signature on the permission slip. "I'm so glad to see you taking an interest in art, honey."

"Oh, yeah, well, I've been interested in it for awhile, Mom," Jenn said absently. She was too busy thinking about being alone in Manhattan, with Keith and the others. She still had a few details to work out, but she was pretty sure her plan would work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day after school, Jenn handed in her permission slip to Mr. Brown. "Great, Jennifer. I'm so glad you'll be joining us."

"Yeah, me too," Jennifer replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally the day of the trip arrived. Jennifer woke up with butterflies in her stomach. She was very nervous about what she planned to do that day, and almost backed out. But then she thought about Keith and his cool friends, and decided she couldn't miss it.

"Come on, Jenn, you ready? We're supposed to meet Mr. Brown and the others at 8:45 at the train station," Robin said.

"Yeah, I'm coming, Robin. Don't have a cow!" Jenn said, and clutched her stomach. "OW!"

"Jennifer? What's the matter?" Robin asked, concerned.

"Oh, nothing, just my stomach hurts a little," Jenn said, convincingly.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Then Jenn sat down. "Well, maybe not. Maybe I shouldn't go on the trip."

"You want me to get Mommy or Daddy?" Robin asked.

"No, no, that's okay. I'll be all right. Let's go!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie dropped the girls at the train station. He smiled as they got out of the truck. "You sure you girls have enough money?"

"Yes, Daddy, we're fine," Jenn replied.

"Jennifer, where's your sketchpad?"

"I got it. It's in my backpack. Bye, Daddy!" Jenn said.

"Bye, Daddy, see you later," Robin said, waving.

Charlie stated, "You give me a call later if you need a ride, okay?"

The girls nodded and walked away. They bought their tickets and began walking toward the escalator. Just then, Jennifer clutched her stomach again, and eased onto a bench.

"Hey, are you okay, Jenn?" Robin asked.

"No. You know what? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, Robin. I don't think I should go on this trip. I really don't feel well."

Robin looked around. She knew their dad had already left. "Well, what're you going to do, Jenn?" She looked at her watch... it was twenty to nine. "We're supposed to meet them in five minutes."

Jenn looked up at Robin and tried not to smile. It was so easy to deceive Robin. It always had been, ever since they were little girls. "I know, Robin, and I don't want to make you late. You go ahead. I'll just call Daddy and have him pick me up."

Robin stood there staring at Jennifer. She didn't know what to do. She looked at her watch again.

"Really, Robin, it's okay. Go meet them. I'll be fine. I'll see you at home later. Have a good time!" Jenn spoke.

When Robin didn't move, Jennifer said, "Robin, go! Really, it's okay. I'll be fine!"

Finally, Robin walked toward the escalator, looking back every few steps at her sister lying on the bench. She wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing or not, but she also knew she didn't want to miss the train.

Jennifer sat on the bench and waited until she saw Keith and the others. "Hey, Jenn! There you are!" Keith said, rushing over. "You okay?"

Jennifer jumped up. "Yeah, I'm great!"

"You got your ticket already?" Keith asked.

Jennifer held up her ticket. Keith and the others went to buy theirs and they all headed upstairs to wait for the train.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin had a great day with the Art Club. They walked around Central Park, sketching people, and they went to the Guggenheim. They had lunch at Burger King, and played a game called Domino on the subway. The kids had to stand without holding on while the subway was in motion. The idea was to balance and not fall over when the subway stopped. Robin didn't last too long in the game, but got a kick out of watching the other kids balance and then fall over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Jennifer was having a blast with Keith and his friends. They walked around Washington Square Park and watched people rollerblading. Then they went to the Village and saw all the weirdos. They even went into this beauty parlor and saw all these people with purple and green hair and people with mohawks. They went to Tower Records and were amazed by all the levels of records and cassettes there. Jennifer bought several cassettes to add to her collection.

They had lunch in a little coffee shop in the village. Jenn couldn't believe how expensive it was. After lunch, they walked in and out of the stores in the village. They were having so much fun, that everyone lost track of time.

They were in a bookstore, sitting on the floor, leafing through all kinds of books, when Jenn asked, "Hey, anyone know what time it is?"

Sandra, a girlfriend of Keith's friend, Darren, looked at her watch and said, "3:30."

Jennifer turned around. "3:30? Are you serious? Oh my god, it's so late!"

Keith jumped up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Jennifer, what is it? What's wrong?"

Jenn didn't want her new friends to see her cry, but she couldn't stop the tears from starting to fall down her cheeks. "I, I'm gonna be in so much trouble," she said.

"Why? What happened?" Darren asked, as he closed a book.

"Well, I, uh, I didn't really get permission to be here with you. My parents think I'm on a trip with the Art Club."

"The Art Club?" Sandra asked, laughing. "Why would they think that?"

"Because that's what I told them. My sister's in the Art Club. I think they were supposed to get back about 5:00. Oh, I'm never gonna make it," Jennifer wailed.

Keith jumped up and said, "Yes, we will, if we hurry. Come on guys. We can make a 4:00 train, but we'd better move fast."

Everyone grabbed their things and they ran out into the street. Darren flagged down a cab and they all jammed inside. "Penn Station. And please hurry," he said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, after a great day, Mr. Brown announced it was time to go back home.

"Awwwww, do we have to?" Danny asked.

"Yea, this was so much fun, Mr. Brown," Suzanne stated.

"I really don't want to leave either," Mr. Brown uttered, "But I told your parents we'd be back around 5. Come on, gang, let's go."

The kids very reluctantly followed Mr. Brown onto the subway back to Penn Station.

They got there early, and several kids called their parents and told them what time to pick them up, including Robin.

Charlie answered the phone. "Hi, Daddy. We're taking the 4:12 train. We'll be there at 5:03. Oh, gotta go!" Robin hung up the phone before Charlie could even ask how her day was.

Once settled on the Long Island Rail Road, Robin perused her sketch book and examined all the drawings she had done that day. She had found the trip to be very successful and looked forward to the next one they would plan.

Mr. Brown was sitting next to Robin. "Well, Robin, it's too bad your sister got sick and couldn't make the trip. I know she was looking forward to it."

"Yeah, I know. Oh, man, I didn't even ask my dad how Jenn was feeling," Robin said, wishfully.

"Oh, well, I'm sure she's okay. Besides, you'll see her soon," Mr. Brown stated.

"True," Robin said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Jennifer, Keith, Sandra, and Darren ran into Penn Station and to the boards that showed the departure times for the trains. Sandra looked at her watch. It read 4:15.

"Oh, darn, we just missed the 4:12 train to Babylon," Darren said.

"Oh, no!" Jenn cried. "I'm going to be in so much trouble!"

They looked to see when the next train would be. Over the loudspeaker they heard, "Last call for the 4:12 train to Babylon, making stops in Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, and Babylon. Last call. Track 18."

"Oh my god, it didn't leave yet. Come on!" Keith yelled.

They all followed Keith as he ran down the steps. They looked both ways and didn't see the train. "Oh wait, this must be the wrong track. Over there!" he pointed.

They all ran to where they saw a train with lots of people boarding and a big crowd, waiting. They jumped on, and quickly found seats. They sat down huffing and puffing.

After the train pulled away, Jennifer put her hand to her chest and said, "Oh, thank god we made it."

Keith put his hand on Jenn's arm. "That's right, don't worry, things'll be okay, with your folks."

It was only after the train pulled out of the station that they heard, "This train is an express train to Port Jefferson, which stops at Hicksville, Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington and Port Jefferson."

"Port Jefferson? Oh no!" Jenn squealed.

"It's okay, Jennifer. We can change trains at Jamaica. This happened to me once before," Sandra explained.

Since Jenn was freaking out, Sandra called over the conductor and asked him to verify that they could switch at Jamaica.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

They explained to him that they somehow had gotten on the wrong train; they were supposed to be going to Merrick.

"Well, that is unfortunate," the conductor said, "since this is an express train. We won't be stopping at Jamaica."

"We're not?" Sandra asked, surprised.

"Yes," the conductor said, looking at their tickets, "and I'm afraid you'll have to get off at Hicksville, our first stop, unless you have money to pay for the remainder of the trip."

Darren spoke up then. "We don't. Besides, Hicksville would be closer to Merrick, than if we went further."

"What am I gonna do? How will I ever explain this?" Jenn asked.

Darren said, "No offense, Jenn, but how were you going to explain it anyway? Wouldn't your sister tell your folks you weren't on the trip?"

"Well, I, uh, I, I was gonna get there before Robin, and convince her to lie for me," Jenn said.

The three of them looked at her. They weren't convinced. And if they weren't convinced, then Charlie and Lisa never would have been either.

"Oh, I don't know what I was going to do. It seemed so simple at the time," Jenn stated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean she didn't go with you?" Charlie asked Robin for the third time.

"Daddy, I'm telling you. She told me she had an upset stomach and she was gonna call you to pick her up. Didn't she call you?" Robin asked.

Something was fishy and Robin felt scared.

Charlie and Robin were standing by the ticket booth at the Merrick Train Station.

"No, Robin, Jennifer did not call me. The last time I saw her was when I dropped the two of you off this morning. Now start over and tell me everything," Charlie said, trying not to scream.

So Robin did. What little she knew, anyway. Charlie was furious, and frightened. Where could that girl be? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The train pulled up to Hicksville and the foursome got out. They pooled all their leftover money together, but it wasn't nearly enough for cab fare to Merrick.

"Guess we'll have to call our parents," Sandra said.

"Yeah," the rest of them agreed. Except Jennifer. She was too scared to even think what her father would say if she called to say she was stuck at the Hicksville Train Station with no money.

"Uh, you guys can call your parents. I can't," she said.

Sandra suggested, "How 'bout I call my mom and she can take you all home?"

"Yeah, and Jenn, you can come back to my house, with me, okay?" Keith proposed.

Jenn nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Sandra's mother dropped Keith and Jennifer off at Keith's house. He put his hand on her arm and said, "Hey, c'mon, don't worry, it'll be okay."

Jenn shook her head. "You don't know my father. He's going to be furious. I'm afraid to call him."

Keith said, "C'mon inside. Talk to my mom. She's a social worker. She's a great person to talk to. She'll know what to do."

Jenn went in reluctantly. Mrs. Andrews said, "Oh, hon, you're home. How was the city? What'd you do? Oh, who's this?"

"Mom, this is Jennifer Clemente. She's my friend, from science class," Keith began. "Um, Mom, Jenn has a problem."

The three of them sat down at the kitchen table and Jennifer explained the whole situation to Keith's mother. She listened intently and didn't once interrupt. Jennifer put her head down on the table, crying, when she had finished.

Mrs. Andrews got up and retrieved the cordless phone from the wall. She held it out to Jenn and said, "Sweetie, you need to call your folks and let them know where you are and that you're all right."

Jennifer looked at the phone. "Oh, no, please, I can't. You don't understand. My father's gonna kill me!" Jenn exclaimed.

Mrs. Andrews smiled. "No, he won't, I promise. I'll be here for you, all right?"

Jennifer hesitantly reached for the proffered telephone. She dialed her number and waited two rings. Her mom picked up and Jenn actually sighed in relief.

"Hello, Mommy?"

"Jennifer, is that you? Oh my god, where are you?" Lisa screeched.

"Mommy, I'm all right. I'm at a friend's house. Everything's fine."

"Jennifer, tell me where you are right now!" Lisa uttered.

"I'm okay, Mommy. I gotta go!" Jenn said, and turned the phone off.

Mrs. Andrews said, "There, now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No, but I'm gonna have to go home eventually," Jenn commented.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie walked into the house fifteen minutes after Lisa hung up the phone with Jennifer. "No luck," he said. "I looked everywhere and I couldn't find her."

"Charlie, she called," Lisa stated simply.

"She called? From where? Where is she? She is in so much trouble!" Charlie's fear suddenly turned to anger.

Lisa said, "She said she was okay and that she was at a friend's house. When I asked her where, she hung up. Charlie, I'm worried. I called all her friends and no one knew where Jenn was. Who could this friend be?"

Suddenly the phone rang. Lisa stared at Charlie. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Clemente? This is Kate Andrews. Your daughter, Jennifer, is here at my house. She and my son, Keith are in science class together."

"Oh, Mrs. Andrews, thank goodness. We've been so worried about Jennifer. I'm glad she's all right. Why don't you tell me your address and I'll come pick her up?" Charlie said sweetly.

"Well, Mr. Clemente, I'll tell you the address, but I was hoping your wife could come too, so we can all talk," Mrs. Andrews said. "Oh, and call me Kate."

"Well, Kate, I don't really understand why my wife needs to come there. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Mr. Clemente---"

"Please, call me Charlie."

"Charlie, it seems that Jennifer is very scared to tell you the events of today. I'm a social worker. I don't mean to butt in, but Jennifer appears to be quite frightened, and I only thought I could help. Our address is...."

Charlie hung up the phone and explained the situation to Lisa. They both called Robin downstairs and asked her to keep an eye on the little ones.

"Sure, Mommy, Daddy. What's going on?" Robin asked.

"We're not sure. But we're going to pick up your sister. We'll be home as soon as we can. Melissa will be asleep the whole time we're gone. If Stephen wakes up, you can read to him, or play with him until we get back. All right?"

"Okay. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Robin said. She wasn't so sure about her sister, though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer was pacing the living room while she waited for her parents to get there. Keith got up and went over to his friend. He wasn't sure what to say to her. "Don't worry, Jenn. My mom's great. She'll help you make it work out."

Jenn looked at Keith and smiled. She really liked him. "Thanks," she said.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Keith went to open it. He introduced himself to Jennifer's parents. They walked into the living room and Keith introduced them to his mother. Jennifer looked at her parents and froze.

Charlie saw Jenn and motioned for her to come to him. He opened his arms wide. Jenn ran into them. Charlie closed his arms around Jennifer and squeezed tight. "Oh, Baby, I'm so glad you're all right. We were so worried about you."

Lisa got in on the hug, too. The three of them stood there for several moments, just holding each other. Jennifer was crying, as she let go, and stood back. She looked at Keith's mom and then sat down next to her on the sofa.

Kate nodded at the love seat and said, "Please, sit down."

Lisa and Charlie looked at her and then at Jennifer, and sat on the love seat. Keith didn't know what to do, so he left the room. He knew this would be hard for Jennifer, and he wanted to give her some privacy.

Kate turned her attention to the Clementes. "Now, I know you are wondering why I've asked you to sit and talk with me. Jennifer explained the situation to me and I wanted to help. She's very scared to tell you what she did today."

Charlie looked at Jennifer and said, "Why, Baby? You know you can tell Mommy or me anything."

"You'll be mad," Jenn said.

"I'll be more angry if you don't tell me. Come on, Jennifer," Charlie said sternly.

"Charlie, don't!" Lisa said, putting her hand on his arm. "She'll tell us when she's ready."

While Jennifer got herself composed, Kate spoke to Charlie and Lisa about the problems raising children today. She admitted that she, too, often punished before getting the whole story. She also admitted that she spanked her children.

"There's nothing wrong with it, Mr., I mean, Charlie, but your daughter was so afraid of your reaction, that she felt that she couldn't even go home."

"That's preposterous," Charlie stated. "Jennifer knows she can tell us anything. We always give our girls the chance to explain themselves, before any punishment is given." He then turned to Jennifer. "I'm waiting, young lady."

"It's just that, well, Daddy," Jenn cried, "you're going to be so disappointed in me."

Charlie's face softened. He put his arm out and said, "C'mere, baby."

Jenn walked slowly over to him. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she was almost sure he wouldn't spank her in front of Keith's mother.

Charlie said, "Jennifer, you know you can tell me anything and I will always love you. I may be disappointed in you, but that does not mean I don't love you. Please tell me about today."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I lied to you."

Jennifer broke down crying. Charlie pulled her into his lap and held her. "Shh, sh, it's okay. It's all right. Just tell me the truth now."

It was almost like Lisa and Keith and Kate disappeared. Jennifer and Charlie were alone in the world; he rocking her, she holding on to him and crying. When she had calmed down some, Charlie stood her up and said, "C'mon now, Baby, tell us."

Jennifer looked back at Kate. She nodded that it was all right. Jennifer looked around for Keith but didn't see him. She realized that he had left them alone to discuss things. Jennifer liked Keith all the more for giving her some privacy. She turned back to her parents and said, "Mommy, Daddy, I went into the city with some friends today."

Charlie sighed. He was angry, but tried not to show it. Besides, he hadn't heard the whole story yet. "Okay, and?" he prompted.

"I told you I was going on the trip with Robin and the Art Club, because I didn't think you would let me go, if you knew no parents were going."

"I see," Charlie said, his teeth clenched. "Anything else?"

Jennifer sobbed. "I lied to Robin. I told her my stomach hurt so she would think I was sick and had to go home. But I really waited for my friends and took the next train into the city."

With Kate's encouragement, Jennifer went on to explain the mix-up on the way home and how they had come to arrive in Hicksville.

"Well, Jennifer, you know how we feel about lying. You know that you will be punished, don't you?" Charlie asked.

Jennifer nodded. "Yes, Daddy."

"But I'm glad you told us the truth. It would have been worse if you had continued to lie," Charlie said.

Kate interrupted then and said to Jennifer, "Are you okay now, sweetheart? It sounds like your parents were very worried about you."

"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for being here when I told them," Jenn said, putting her arms around Kate.

"No problem. If you ever need anyone to talk to, you can call me. Okay?" Kate asked.

Jenn nodded. Charlie rose. "Well, I think it's time we took Jennifer home. We have a lot of things to discuss. Thank you, Kate."

"Yes, thank you. It was very sweet of you to intervene," Lisa said.

"I'm just sorry if you thought I was butting into your personal business. But things seem to be working out all right," Kate said.

"Yes, things will be fine," Lisa said, smiling.

Jennifer went to get her things and say goodbye to Keith. He jumped up when she came into the kitchen.

"Hey, is everything all right?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think so. The hard part is over. I told them what I did. Now we're going home to talk," Jennifer said, wincing.

Keith smiled. "Oh, is your kind of talk what I'm thinking it is?"

Jennifer rubbed her bottom and said, "Yeah."

Keith grinned again. "I guess I'll see you at school on Monday."

"Yeah, guess so," Jenn said, awkwardly. She started to walk out of the kitchen, thought better of it, turned around and gave Keith a hug. "Thanks for everything today. And despite all the trouble I'm in now, I had a great time."

"I did too, Jenn. Take it easy. Call me if you're allowed, okay?" Keith asked.

"Okay, but I probably won't be able to. I'll see you Monday," she called, as she walked away with her backpack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing was said on the short ride home, or during dinner. After the meal, Charlie told Jennifer to take a shower and get ready for bed. "Your mother and I will be upstairs to talk to you at 8:00."

"Yes, Daddy," Jenn said, putting her plates into the sink.

Robin followed her sister upstairs. "Hey, Jenn?"

"What, Robin? You're not going to lecture me, too, are you? Because I'm not in the mood."

Lisa had briefly explained to Robin the events of Jenn's day. "I was just going to ask you why you lied to me. I mean, I would have covered for you, if you had just told me the truth," Robin said.

Jennifer stared at Robin, as if she had just dropped a bomb. "You would not have. You would have cried that I put you into a strange position. You would have tried to talk me out of it, and you wouldn't have let up on me about it for days. Just drop it, Robin. It doesn't concern you," Jenn spat out.

She then went into the bathroom to run a bath. She was in the mood to soak. And sulk. She knew she was facing a major punishment that night. "Let's see," she thought, "I lied to Mr. Brown, to my mother, my father, and to Robin. I purposely went out of my way to misbehave, and wouldn't own up to it. I would say I'm in very, very, BIG trouble." Jennifer reasoned with herself that she should expect a big spanking and a mouth soaping.

She wasn't too far off the mark. Charlie and Lisa came up exactly at 8:00. Melissa and Stephen were already in bed. They asked Robin if she could go watch t.v. downstairs while they talked to Jennifer.

Charlie and Lisa sat on Jenn's bed, and Jenn sat on Robin's bed, facing them.

"Jennifer, we are very disappointed in you. You went to a lot of trouble to go into the city with your friends, without us knowing. What we want to know is why didn't you just ask for permission to go in the first place?"

Jennifer looked down. She began, "Because I..."

"Jennifer, look at us, please," Lisa said.

"Yes, Mommy." Jennifer lifted her head and looked at her parents. "Because I didn't think you would let me. I figured you wouldn't think it was safe for a thirteen year old girl to go into the city without an adult."

Charlie said, "Well, you're probably right. So, you purposely did something that you knew we wouldn't approve of?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, that's the real reason you were afraid to tell us what you did, isn't it?" Charlie asked, gently.

Jennifer hadn't realized it until her father said it, but yes, that was it! She knew that what she was doing was wrong, and that her parents would disapprove. That was why she didn't want to go home.

She realized her parents were waiting for an answer. "Yes, Daddy."

"Jennifer, you know better than this. Whatever possessed you to deliberately do something you knew we wouldn't approve of, and then lie about it?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know," Jennifer started.

Charlie cut her off. "Jennifer, you know that is not an acceptable answer!"

"Yes, Daddy. It's just that, well, I wanted to go so bad. I knew if I asked, you would say no, and then I would still want to go, and..."

"So, you'd rather do it without asking us, than do it after we told you not to?" Lisa asked.

Jennifer knew it sounded terrible, but she also knew it was the truth. And since there had been more than enough lies to go around already today, she just nodded. "Yes, Mommy. I know that was wrong. And I'm sorry."

"Unfortunately, Jennifer, you know that an 'I'm sorry' after you misbehaved, is not enough. You are going to be punished," Charlie said.

"I know," admitted Jenn.

"Jennifer, what I still don't understand is how you thought you could get away with this in the first place! You must have known that Robin would tell us what you told her about your stomach, and that you weren't on the trip. And what about knowing which train to get on so that you'd be home the same time as Robin. You could not possibly have thought this through," Lisa remarked.

"No, Mommy, I guess I didn't think very well at all," Jenn conceded.

"Well, young lady, we won't even talk about why you didn't call from Hicksville. We understand that you were afraid to face us. But baby, I want you to know that you don't have to feel that way. Even though Mommy and I are disappointed in you right now, this will pass. We still love you, and always will. All right?" Charlie asked.

Jenn nodded. She went over and hugged her daddy.

"And Jennifer, please, don't be afraid to tell us anything. Like Daddy said, we might be disappointed at first, but we will always love you, and accept anything you might have done," Lisa added.

"That's right," Charlie said, his arms still around his daughter, "but right now, you and I have a little date with a hairbrush. And you will also have your mouth washed out with soap. Do you understand why, young lady?" Charlie asked, sternly.

Jennifer stepped out of the hug and nodded. "Yes, sir. Because I lied to a lot of people, and I did something wrong, that I knew was wrong."

"That's right," Charlie said. "Now let's go. Lisa?"

Lisa stood up and retrieved the hairbrush from on top of Jennifer's bureau. She handed it to Charlie, gave Jenn one quick hug, and left the room. Charlie positioned Jennifer in front of him, pulled down her pajama pants and panties, and laid her across his knee.

Charlie started to spank with his hand; first one cheek and then the other. He alternated cheeks until Jennifer's bottom was a dark pink. When he felt that she had been warmed up enough, Charlie picked up the hairbrush and resumed her spanking.

Jennifer had started whimpering just when her daddy was using his hand. Now that he was using the hairbrush, she started all out crying. "Ow, Daddy, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please stop!"

"Jennifer, you know better than that!" Charlie warned. "What you did today {whack! whack!} was clearly defiant. {whack! whack!} You purposely didn't ask permission {whack! whack!} to do something {whack! whack!} and then you did it {whack! whack!} and you knew it was wrong. {whack! whack!} Your mother and I {whack! whack!} will not stand for that. {whack! whack!} Do you understand me, young lady?" {whack! whack!}

"Yes, Daddy, I'm sorry!" Jenn cried.

Charlie gave Jennifer a few final whacks with the hairbrush and then set it down on the floor. He began to rub her very red, very sore bottom. Then he pulled her to a standing position and gave her a big hug.

Jennifer put her arms around her daddy's neck and squeezed very hard. She was crying very hard, as well. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm so, so sorry. I'll never do anything like that again!"

"Sh, it's okay. I know you won't, Baby," Charlie said, calling Jennifer by the name he gave her when she was just a baby. He continued to hold her and soothe her until her crying had subsided a bit.

"You okay?" he asked. He knew he had just given her a very hard spanking.

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so," Jenn said, reaching back and rubbing her bottom. It was hot to the touch.

"Well, we have one more thing to do. You know, right?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, Daddy," Jenn said.

Charlie got up. He took Jennifer's hand and led her into her bathroom. Very gingerly, Jenn sat down on the edge of the toilet seat. Charlie took a bar of soap and held it in his hand.

"You know why you're getting your mouth rinsed out?" he asked.

Jenn nodded again. "Yes, because I lied to you and Mommy, and to Mr. Brown, and to Robin."

"Yes, and you went to a lot of trouble to lie, also, Jennifer. You mustn't do that. You understand?" Charlie asked, sternly.

"Yes, Daddy. I won't do it again. I promise," Jennifer vowed.

"I hope not, Baby. Okay, open up."

Jenn opened her mouth and Charlie popped the soap right in. He tapped her jaw which meant for her to close her mouth, which she did. Charlie left the bathroom but stayed in the bedroom, peeking in the door, where he could keep an eye on Jennifer. After several minutes, Charlie went back in.

Jenn was making a face, and tears were pouring out of her eyes. "Okay, open up," Charlie told her.

Charlie let Jenn spit the soap out and rinse her mouth. "That was really gross, Daddy. Yuck!"

"Well, baby, telling lies is really gross. Maybe this will help you remember not to do that next time. I know I made you keep the soap in a little longer today, but I was trying to drive that message home."

"Yes, Daddy. I'll try very hard not to lie to you anymore," Jenn said.

Charlie smiled. He led Jennifer back to her bed, where she retrieved her pajama pants and panties and put them on.

"Okay, baby, all is forgiven. We won't talk about today again. But we will be talking about this boy, Keith. But not now. Tomorrow. I want you in bed. You can read for a little while, but then lights out by 9:30. Okay?"

"Okay."

"And Jennifer, you will be grounded for the next two weeks. No t.v., no friends, no phone. You're to come home straight after school every day. We need to learn to trust you again. Do you understand?"

Jennifer nodded. She tried not to cry. She knew she had crossed the line today, and was very lucky that was all the punishment she had gotten. She thought her daddy would be extra angry for involving Keith's mother, but he hadn't said a thing. Thank goodness.

Charlie turned to leave the room. Then he stopped, came back, and gave Jennifer a big hug. "You know that Daddy loves you, Baby, don't you?"

Jennifer shook her head up and down emphatically. "Yes, Daddy, of course. I love you, too."

"Okay, then, good night!" Charlie said, and left the room, for real, this time.

Jennifer laid on her bed, on her stomach, and thought back to her day. The worst part, of course, was the spanking. But the best part, was Keith's smile and his putting his hand on her arm, and his reassurance. That's what Jennifer thought about as she drifted off to sleep.

The end.