Subject: Dog sitting -- A Twin Story (M/ff)
From: SamPast@aol.com
Date: 99-05-15 14:39:17 EDT
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 products 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
Robin and Jennifer squealed with delight when they saw their neighbor outside her house holding a cute, little puppy. They ran up to the neighbor, and Robin said, "Oh, he's so cute." Jennifer added, "Oh, Mrs. Schotz, what's his name?" Mrs. Schotz replied, "His name is Curly. He's a Yorkshire Terrier. He won't grow too much more than this. Isn't he cute?" Both Robin and Jennifer agreed that he was the cutest puppy they had ever seen.
Just then, Lisa called them in to help her with the babies. Steven was almost three and Melissa had just turned one. Robin said, "Okay, Mommy, we're coming." Jennifer gave Curly one last pet and turned to go into the house. Mrs. Schotz called after them, "Come on over and visit us any time. Okay?" Both girls yelled back, "Okay, great!" The girls rushed in to help their mom. All they could talk about was the puppy. Robin told Lisa, "Mommy, he's so cute. He's light brown, and his fur is really straight." Jenn added, "And to be silly, they named him Curly." All afternoon, they couldn't stop talking and thinking about the puppy. Jennifer said to Robin, "I wish we had a puppy. Do you think Mommy and Daddy would let us get one?" Robin said, "Yeah, right! Like that's gonna happen anytime soon." Jennifer said, "Well, it can't hurt to ask." She looked at Robin, and saw her face. Jenn said, "Of course, it would have to be at exactly the right time. We'll have to play it by ear."
At dinner that night, the girls were trying to feel their dad out on the subject of getting a dog. They told him about Mrs. Schotz's puppy, and tried to gage his reaction. All he said was, "That's nice." They tried not to overdue it talking about dogs. They knew they had bugged their mother about the puppy next door a little too much that afternoon. Suddenly, Charlie said to the girls, "How was school today?" Jenn answered, "Fine, the usual." Robin didn't answer. He turned to her, "And you, honey? How was school?" Robin was unusually quiet. Charlie sensed something was wrong. He asked, "Well?" Robin said, "I need you to sign this quiz that I took." She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Robin had gotten so caught up in the puppy, and Jenn's discussion of getting a pet, that she had forgotten all about the failed social studies quiz.
She handed it over to her father. He looked at it, and then looked at her. Robin looked down at the table. Charlie then turned to Jennifer, "If you're done, you can take your plate in. You're excused." Jennifer looked at Robin and mouthed, "Good luck." Then she got up, carrying her plate and glass to the kitchen. Then she hightailed it up to her room. She didn't want to stay around and wait for her father to lose his temper. Charlie said to Robin, "Did you study for this test?" Robin answered, "No, I didn't know about it, I mean nobody did. It was a surprise quiz." Charlie chuckled, "Yeah, I remember those. Remember pop quizzes, Lisa?" Lisa nodded. Charlie turned back to Robin. She had been holding her breath. She hoped her dad was going to drop the subject of her failing the quiz as he reminisced about his own schooling days. No such luck!
Instead, he said, "When did you take this test?" Robin answered, "It wasn't a test, it was a quiz, it doesn't really count for much, but my teacher is making everyone who failed it get it signed." Charlie repeated, "When did you take this tes--, I mean, quiz?" Robin replied, "Tuesday, why?" Charlie said, "Are you sure your teacher didn't give any indication on Monday that there would be a quiz on Tuesday?" Robin said, "No, Daddy." Charlie was giving Robin a chance to come clean, but she said nothing. Then he said, "May I see your assignment book from Monday?" Robin was shocked. "Don't you believe me, Daddy? I told you she didn't tell us about the quiz." Charlie said, "Robin, let me see your assignment pad. Now!" Robin got up and opened her knapsack. She took the small assignment pad out, turned a few pages, until she came to the past Monday, and handed it to her father.
Charlie looked at his daughter's neat handwriting. He read off all the assignments to himself. Then he said, "It says here to read Chapter 12 for social studies. Did you read Chapter 12, Robin?" Robin looked at the floor again. "No, Daddy." Charlie said, "And why not?" Robin said, "I hate the social studies book, it's so boring. No one reads it; we never needed to read it before. Mrs. Caggiano always just gives us notes from it the next day, anyway." Charlie said, "Well, obviously, she wanted you to learn something from that chapter, and you didn't even bother to read it. She probably realized that no one ever did her homework and wanted to catch you. And she did! Along with the rest of the class." Charlie was now shouting. Robin started to get scared. "Am I in trouble, Daddy?" Charlie said, "Yes, you will be punished, but not for failing the test. I'm sure you did the best you could considering you did not do the required reading. I wouldn't punish you for that. But you will get a spanking for lying to us."
Robin looked surprised. "I didn't lie to you, Daddy." Charlie said, "Yes, you did, twice even. First you lied Monday night when we tucked you in. We asked you if all your homework was completed and you said 'yes'. That's lie number one. Then just now I asked you if your teacher gave you any indication that you were going to have a test the next day, and you said 'no'. You neglected to tell me that you didn't do the reading assignment." Robin said, "But I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you." Lisa said, "Robin, when you purposely leave out information, that is considered lying. Your father's right, you did lie to us more than once. Now clear off your dishes and then go into our bedroom and wait for Daddy." Robin whined, "But that's not fair! I didn't lie to you." Charlie looked sharply at Robin. "Young lady, you are much too old to whine like that. You sound like a 5 year-old instead of an almost 13 year-old. Do as your mother says, right now, or you'll be sorrier."
Robin picked up her plates and stormed off into the kitchen. She didn't stamp her feet like she wanted to, because she knew that would only get her into more trouble. After rinsing off her plate, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and went to wait in her parents' bedroom. Back in the dining room, Lisa and Charlie were still talking about Robin's test. They both signed the bottom. Charlie said, "Well, I guess I'd better go take care of this." He started to get up but Lisa pulled him back down. "You know, honey, when I was 12, my father stopped pulling my pants down for a spanking. He started hitting me over my clothes with either a slipper or his belt. In fact, I was usually given a choice." Charlie said, "Are you telling me you think the girls are too old for bare bottom spankings?" Lisa nodded. She said, "Well, I wouldn't do away with spankings all together. They still need correction." Charlie thought this over. "Okay, maybe from now on, I'll give them a choice, either a hand spanking on the bare bottom, or being strapped with the belt, like my father used to do with me." Finally, Charlie got up to go.
Robin looked up when she saw her dad enter his bedroom. "I'm really sorry, Daddy, I promise I'll do my reading from now on. I didn't mean to lie to you, either. Please don't spank me." Charlie said, "Robin, I don't like to spank you, but you need to learn lessons. Now, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either get a hand spanking on the bare bottom, or 10 swats with my belt over your pants." Robin couldn't believe she had a choice on her spanking. She thought about it for a few minutes. Spankings always hurt, but they didn't last very long. She couldn't imagine being hit with a belt. She chose the hand spanking.
Charlie sat down on the big red chair that Lisa couldn't part with. He pulled Robin to his side. He put his hand into the waistband of her pants-she still wore the old polyester plaid pants that were popular in the seventies-and pulled them down. Next, he pulled down her panties and guided her across his lap. He then proceeded to spank her over and over again. He alternated between cheeks, smacking at least 50 times, until her bottom was bright red. Robin was now sobbing. Charlie helped her stand up. She stepped out of her panties and pants which had been at her ankles, and laid down on her parents' bed. Charlie kissed her cheek and said, "I love you, sweetie. You just cry it out. I'll be back in half an hour." As Charlie was leaving the room, he looked back at his daughter as she curled herself up into the fetal position, and closed her eyes. She dreamed about getting a dog.
When a half an hour had passed, Charlie went to check on Robin. She had fallen asleep, so he woke her up. "Honey, go upstairs and start getting ready for bed. I'll come up in a little while to tuck you in. I want you in bed by 8:30." Robin felt too groggy to argue with her dad. She got up and pulled on her panties and her pants. It really hurt, but she didn't want to walk upstairs without them on. When she got up to their bedroom, Jennifer was sitting on her bed reading a book. Jennifer jumped up when Robin walked in. "Are you okay, Robin, what happened?" Robin explained the whole story to Jennifer about her social studies quiz. Jennifer said, "Oh, man! That sucks! Wow, I can't believe Daddy flipped out like that! So you got a spanking?" Robin nodded. "But you know the weird thing, Jenn? Daddy gave me a choice about my spanking!" Jennifer said incredulously, "You mean, he gave you a choice whether you should get one or not?" Robin said, "No, I mean, he gave me a choice whether I wanted a hand spanking on my bare bottom, or to be spanked with a belt over my clothes." Jennifer waited. Robin said, "So, I chose the hand spanking. The belt sounded horrible. I figured I should stick with what I know. The hurt is starting to fade already. Well, I'm going to go take a bath. Daddy said I have to be in bed by 8:30. That doesn't give me much time." With that said, Robin went into the bathroom to run her bath.
The next day, after school, the girls went next door to see the puppy. After all their neighbor, Mrs. Schotz, had said they could come visit it anytime. When Lisa called them again to help with the babies, they tried not to talk about the puppy too much. They were talking about it later, though, trying to think of a way to ask their parents if they could have a pet. Jennifer said, "Maybe we could show how responsible we can be." Robin agreed, "Yea, like with taking care of Melissa and Steven, and doing extra chores." Jenn added, "That's a good idea, Robin. We'll start showing Mommy and Daddy how well we can take care of them and ourselves. They'll be sure to let us get a dog." Robin said, "Let's hope!"
They put their plan into action that afternoon. They did everything their mom asked, and even more. They did every chore they could think of around the house. Lisa noticed. She said, "Well, you girls sure are helpful today." Jennifer said, "Sure, Mommy, we like to help out. Anything else we can do?" Lisa looked around, "No, I don't think so, why don't you go do your homework?" Jennifer said, "But it's Friday, we have all weekend." Robin said, "Yea, but Jenn, if we get it all done today, we can do other things all weekend." Robin looked sternly at Jennifer. Then she got it. She said, "Oh, yeah, right! Let's go do it all now." They grabbed their knapsacks and ran up the stairs. Lisa said to herself, "Well, that's strange, I wonder what's up!"
The rest of the night the girls did everything. They set and cleared the table, washed all the pots and pans, and loaded the dishwasher. Robin offered to give Steven his bath, and Jennifer said she would change Melissa and put her into her pajamas. After both girls had left the room with their charges, Charlie turned to Lisa and said, "All right, what's up?" Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine. They've been very helpful all afternoon." Charlie said, "Hmmmmmmm!"
At 10:00, Charlie and Lisa went to tuck the girls into bed. Even though they were almost 13, they liked their parents to kiss them goodnight. It was nice. It just felt right. Jennifer said, "Oh, Mommy, I cleaned up all the toys in Steven's room while Robin gave him his bath." Lisa said, "Yes, I noticed how clean his room was, thank you." And Robin said, "And we straightened our closets. All our laundry is folded and put away." Charlie had had enough. "Okay, what's up? Why are you two doing all this work?" Robin said, "What do you mean, Daddy?" Charlie said, "Let's see, you set the table without being asked, cleared it off, and washed everything, helped with the babies, folded and put away your laundry without ten reminders? Something's up!" Jennifer looked at Robin. Then she said, "No, nothing's up!" Charlie looked at them. "You're sure? Nothing happened at school today that you didn't want us to know?" Robin said, "No, Daddy, really, nothing's up! We just wanted to show you how responsible we can be." Jenn added, "Yeah, you know, we're almost 13 and we can do more around the house. We know you're busy with work, and Mommy, we know you're busy with the little ones. We just want you to know you can count on us to help out."
Charlie looked at Lisa. Lisa looked at Charlie. Neither knew what to think. They both looked at the girls. Despite what the twins said, they both knew something was going on. Lisa broke the silence. "Well, we're glad we can count on you. It will help us out a lot. Thank you." She leaned down and kissed Jennifer, then Robin. Charlie also kissed both girls. They all said, "Goodnight!" until it sounded like an episode of The Waltons. Charlie and Lisa went downstairs to relax in the living room. Charlie said, "Well, what are you thinking?" Lisa said, "Well, they obviously want something. This 'responsibility thing' is definitely leading up to something, but I don't know what." Charlie agreed, "Hmmm, neither do I, but I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough!"
The next day was Saturday, and Charlie had to work. Usually he worked late on Friday and went in late on Saturday, but he had switched with another manager. He had to work at the supermarket from 7 am to 10 pm. It would be a long day. Lisa and the girls were going to just hang out at home. Melissa was coming down with something, so Lisa did not want to bring her out. After several hours, Steven was going stir crazy. Robin suggested she take him to the park. Lisa thought that was a good idea. "You can both take him." Jennifer said, "I really don't want to go. I'll stay home and help you take care of Melissa." So Robin and Steven left for the park. Melissa woke up from her nap and was crying very loudly. Jennifer went to change Melissa. She had made a b.m. that was yellow. She also felt very hot. Jennifer ran to tell Lisa. Lisa took Melissa's temperature, and realized she had 104 degree temperature. Lisa started to panic. She called the pediatrician and told him Melissa's symptoms. He told her to bring Melissa to the Emergency Room. Lisa called Charlie and told him what was happening. He told her he would meet them at the hospital. Jennifer started to cry with worry.
Lisa turned to her and said, "Jenn, I need you to calm down. Pull yourself together. If you really want to help, you'll stay here and wait for Robin to come home with Steven. Then you two can call Aunt Joan to come and pick the three of you up. In the meantime, dump the diaper pail into another bag and put the garbage out back. Okay?" Jennifer sniffled and nodded. Then Lisa put on her coat, bundled Melissa into her coat, grabbed her keys, and started for the door. She called back over her shoulder to Jennifer, "It'll be okay, honey, we'll call you as soon as we know anything, I love you, see you later!"
As soon as Jennifer was alone, she started to panic. "Okay," she said to herself, "I just need to keep busy until Robin gets back." She looked around the house, "Okay, um, let's see. I know, I can unload the dishwasher." She went to do that. Then she dusted the living room and the den. Then she went upstairs and made her bed and then Robin's bed. She tidied up the playroom. "Boy, they have been gone so long. Where are they?" She looked at the clock. Her mom had only left 20 minutes before. "Oh, god, now what? I'm going crazy!" She spied the phone. "Okay, I'll just make a few phone calls while I wait." Jennifer called several of her friends. She told them about Melissa, they talked about boys, and homework, and makeup. Finally, Robin and Steven came back.
Jennifer ran up to Robin the second she walked into the door. "Oh, thank god you're home, where have you been? You've been gone so long!" Robin looked at Jennifer like she was crazy. She took off Steven's coat and he ran into the den to watch tv. Robin said, "What are you talking about? We weren't gone that long! Where's Mommy?" Jennifer said, "It seemed like you were gone forever. Melissa got sick. Mommy had to take her to the hospital. Daddy's meeting her there. I was supposed to wait for you guys and then call Aunt Joan to pick us up." Robin said, "Oh, I hope the baby will be all right. Okay, I'll call Aunt Joan. I think you had better sit down, sis."
Ten minutes later, Robin was putting Steven's coat back on. Aunt Joan picked them up and brought them to her house. They played with their cousins, Joseph, Jody, and Patrick. Joseph was 10, Jody 5, and Patrick was just a baby. Aunt Joan had heard from Lisa that they were still waiting at the E.R. Both twins were worried sick about their little sister. Minutes turned into hours and soon it was time to think about dinner. Uncle Jack said, "How would you guys like hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill? It's cold out there, but I think I can do it. What do you think?" Joseph, Jody, and Steven said, "Yay!" But all Robin and Jennifer could do was worry about their sister. Uncle Jack said, "I know you girls are worried, but you have to eat. What would you like, hot dog or hamburger?" Robin said, "hamburger", while Jennifer said, "hot dog".
After dinner, the Levines got a phone call. Melissa was fine. While at the hospital, her fever had broke. She was going to be okay. Charlie said they would pick up Steven and the girls on their way home. Uncle Jack said, "Don't be silly. You just get that baby home safe. You must be exhausted. The girls are in the middle of a game. I'll bring them home in a little while." Charlie said, "Okay, thanks, Jack, that might be better."
Charlie and Lisa brought Melissa into the house. They laid her on the couch and pulled off her coat. They took her into the kitchen and gave her some of the medicine the doctor had prescribed. Then they took her into her room to get her changed into pajamas. As soon as they walked to her room, they smelled a very foul odor. Charlie said, "Oh, man, what is that?" Lisa said, "Oh, shoot! I told Jennifer to dump the diaper pail into a bag and take out the garbage! Hours ago! How could she?" Charlie put the baby down on her changing table. He said, "Okay, you change her, I'll take care of this." He brought the whole diaper pail with him into the bathroom. He got a garbage bag and dumped the contents of the diaper pail in. Then he filled the pail with soap and hot water and left it in the bathtub. He took the garbage bag out back and put it in the trash can.
Lisa and Charlie sprayed Lysol in Melissa's room. The smell was so bad that they didn't want her sleeping in there. They brought her portable crib into their bedroom and put her to sleep there. Charlie called work, but was told his shift was covered and to just stay home, take care of the baby, and take it easy. Charlie thanked god he had a boss who understood about family matters. He had just sat down in his chair in the living room to relax, when Jack walked in with a sleepy Steven, and the twins. They all took off their coats, and Robin hung them in the front hall closet.
Lisa took Steven to his room to get him ready for bed. The girls started to follow. Charlie said, "Um, just a minute, Jennifer, I need to speak to you." Charlie and Jack shook hands and talked for a few minutes. Charlie thanked Jack for all his help, and then Jack turned to go. "I'm glad she's all right. Take it easy, we'll talk soon. G'nite Jennifer." "G'nite Uncle Jack, thanks for the hot dog." She turned to her father, "What's the matter, Daddy? Is something wrong?"
Charlie said, "Yes, there is. Was there something your mother asked you to do today that you did not do?" Jennifer started to get scared. She thought hard. Boy, she had done so many things today, what didn't she do? She said, "I can't think of anything, Daddy." He said, "Well, then, come with me." He ushered her into Melissa's room and said, "Take a deep breath. Tell me what you smell." Jennifer started to sniff. "Oh, yuck!" she said. Then she realized. "Oh, no, I forgot to empty the diaper pail. Oh, it totally slipped my mind. I'm really sorry, Daddy." Charlie said, "Not as sorry as you're going to be in one minute. Get over here." He sat down on the only chair in the room. Jennifer walked over to him. She knew what was going to happen. "I'm sorry, Daddy, it was a mistake!"
Charlie was too angry to listen to excuses. He even forgot about giving Jennifer a choice. He pulled down her pants and panties and laid her over his lap. He started to spank her bottom. First one cheek, then the other, alternating with each spank. And while he spanked, he lectured her. "You've been trying to show us responsibility, and the one time we really need you, you totally blow it! Do you know how bad it smelled when we walked in here half an hour ago?! I am very disappointed in you, young lady!" Jennifer heard her father, but was crying too hard to respond. Of course, she felt bad. It's not like she did it on purpose, she thought. By the time the spanking ended, Jennifer was sobbing, and her bottom was bright red. Charlie stood her up. "Now I want you to stand in the corner in here for half an hour! I want you to remember the pain of your bottom and the smell of this room, so next time when you're asked to do something, it won't just slip your mind!" He walked out.
Jennifer leaned against the wall and cried and cried. She could not believe this was happening. She had not seen her dad this mad in a very long time. She cried for a long time. Finally, she stopped. She rubbed her bottom. It was warm to the touch. Then she started talking to herself out loud. She said the things she wanted to say to her dad, but didn't know how. "I didn't mean to do it, I mean, not do it. I meant to dump it as soon as Mommy left. I just forgot. I was so worried about Melissa, maybe I wasn't thinking clearly. Then I did other things. I emptied the dishwasher, dusted the living room and den, tidied up the playroom, and made mine and Robin's bed. I just forgot about the diaper pail. Now we'll never get a dog. All we wanted to do was show Mommy and Daddy that we could be responsible; that we could take care of a pet. And I totally blew it! Daddy was right." Then she started to cry again.
Charlie was standing outside the door. He had heard every word. He started to silently yell at himself. Of course, she was upset. Her baby sister was sick and had to be rushed to the emergency room. He cursed at himself for losing his temper and spanking in anger. He didn't usually do it that way. He liked to lecture and get at the truth before he spanked. This time, he didn't do that. He had just jumped on her without letting her tell her side. He knew he had to make things right with her.
Charlie walked into Melissa's room. He said to Jennifer, "C'mere, baby!" How easily, he slipped back to her childhood nickname. Jennifer looked up at the familiar name. She saw her dad had his arms opened wide. She knew she had been forgiven. She ran into his arms, not even caring that her pants and panties were at her ankles. She stepped out of them. Charlie half-walked/half-carried her into the living room and sat her on the couch. She put her head on his shoulder and cried into his chest, "I'm so sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean it!" Charlie said, "Shh, there, there, it's okay, I'm here. Shh!" He shushed and soothed her for a little while. Then he said, "Okay, go find your panties and pants, and we'll talk."
Jennifer returned fully dressed not a minute later. Then she told her father everything that she had just said out loud to herself. Charlie didn't tell her he had overheard. Her father said, "I'm sorry I got so angry, Jennifer. It was probably just the stress and worry I felt over Melissa, and then to come home and that bad smell, and Mommy told me she had asked you to dump it. I didn't think of your feelings, and that you were very worried about your sister. So I apologize, too." Jennifer was shocked. She had never heard her father apologize after he had administered a punishment. Charlie saw her amazement and said, "Yes, honey, parents make mistakes, too. That's why we punish children, so they learn from their mistakes. I think you and I both learned an important lesson today. Now it's getting late. We'll talk tomorrow about this pet business. I want you to go get ready for bed."
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After breakfast the next morning, Charlie and Lisa sat the twins on the living room couch. Lisa started, "So, that's what all that was about? You wanted a dog, so you showed us how responsible you could be?" Both girls nodded. Charlie said, "Well, having a pet is a big responsibility, you're right. Doing your chores and helping with the little ones did show us that you can handle more now that you're 12, but I'm not sure if adding a pet right now is a good thing." Jennifer said, "Please, Daddy, we'd do everything. We'd take care of it, feed it, walk it, everything." Robin said, "Really, Daddy, Mommy, you wouldn't have to do anything." Lisa said, "Well, that's not true. A dog has to be walked several times a day. You girls are in school, and you have extra-curricular activities. Robin, you have art club." Jennifer said, "Then I'll walk the dog on Thursdays. Please!" Lisa said, "It's not just art club, Jenn. You were thinking of trying out for cheerleading, and then there'll be other school activities. I just know I'll end up doing the most for this dog." Robin said, "No, Mommy, we promise, you won't. Really!" Lisa and Charlie looked at each other, and then at each girl. Charlie said, "Girls, I know you want a dog, and that you've shown us some responsibility, but with the kids so little, I don't think now is a good time to get a pet." Robin said, "Please, Daddy, dogs are good with babies. And we'd keep it away from them if they didn't like it. We'd take care of the dog. Please!" Charlie knew that he was breaking their hearts, but he said it anyway, "I'm sorry, girls, now is just not a good time to get a pet."
Robin and Jennifer got up and ran up to their room. Lisa put her arm on Charlie's shoulder. "I know that was hard, honey, but you did the right thing." Charlie said, "Yeah, I know." Then he just sighed. Robin and Jennifer moped around the whole afternoon. They were so bummed. Jenn said, "It's just not fair. We would take care of it." Robin said, "I know. They didn't even listen."
The next day was Monday. After school, the girls went next door to visit Curly. At least if they couldn't get their own dog, they could visit their neighbor's dog as much as possible. The girls knocked on the door. Mrs. Schotz was on the phone but waved them in. The girls knelt down to pet the dog. They couldn't help but overhear what their neighbor was saying on the phone. "Well, are you sure, Kevin? It would just be for a few days. I need someone to at least come in and walk him and put the food down. All right, if you think of another way, please give me a call back." Mrs. Schotz hung up the phone and sighed. She said out loud, "Oh, what am I going to do?" Robin asked, "What's the matter, Mrs. Schotz?" Mrs. Schotz answered, "I have to go out of town for a few days, and I have no one to stay here and take care of Curly. I really don't want to kennel him; he's so young!"
Robin and Jennifer just looked at each other and nodded. Jennifer said, "We can do it, Mrs. Schotz. We can come in and take care of Curly." Mrs. Schotz looked at the twins. "Oh, I don't know, girls." Robin said, "Really, we could. We could do it!" Mrs. Schotz said, "Well, I really don't know. What would your parents think?" Robin pulled Jennifer aside and said to her, "Maybe this is what proof Mommy and Daddy need to see how responsible we can be. If we take good care of Curly for a few days, maybe we can get our own dog." Jenn said, "Yeah, so we have to convince Mrs. Schotz and Mommy and Daddy that this is a good idea." They walked back over to where their neighbor was standing. Jenn said, "Please Mrs. Schotz, give us a chance. If our parents say yes, then can we?" She thinks it over. "I'll tell you what girls. I will continue to try to get a friend. In the meantime, you can ask your parents. If they agree, then we'll work something out. Okay?" The girls agree. "Okay, we'll call you later, Mrs. Schotz!"
The girls run to the house. They ask Lisa the second they are inside the door. Lisa says, "What!?" They repeat their request. Their mother says, "Well, l don't know about that. Let's wait until your father comes home and see what he has to say about this." The girls are so excited they can barely sit still to do their homework. But their mother said they had to have it finished before their father got home. About 6:00, the girls heard their dad's truck pull into the driveway. They ran down the stairs and practically fell over each other on the way to the front door. Lisa heard them and said, "Girls, now you wait until we're at the table. Your father wants to change and wash up and stuff. He's not going to want to deal with this as he walks in the door. Now, how about coming and setting the table?" The girls turn around and go to do what their mother asked.
About a half hour later, the family is at the table. After everyone has food on their plate, the girls look at their mother. She gives them the go-ahead. Jenn starts, "Daddy, you know what? Mrs. Schotz has to go away on business for a few days." Robin picks up and says, "Yeah, and she's looking for someone to take care of Curly while she's gone." Jenn says, "Yeah, and we thought maybe we could do it." Charlie looks at Lisa questioningly. She just shrugs her shoulders. Charlie said, "Well, I don't know, girls, that sounds like a lot of work for two young girls." Robin said, "Oh, no, Daddy, it wouldn't be. All we'd have to do is walk him a couple times a day and put his food out." Jenn said, "Yeah, it wouldn't be hard." Charlie says, "Hmm, I'm not sure this is a good idea." Robin and Jennifer say in unison, "Please, Daddy, Please!" Then Robin said, "If we can't have our own dog, can't we just take care of Mrs. Schotz's dog? It would only be for a few days!" Jenn said, "Yeah, and when you see how good we are with Curly, maybe you'll let us get our own dog." Lisa looked disapprovingly at Jennifer. "Don't push it, Jenn." Jenn said, "Sorry."
Charlie says, "Well, why don't we go next door and talk with Mrs. Schotz? Let me find out exactly what you'd have to do, and then I'll make my decision." Both girls look optimistically. "Okay" they both say. Lisa calls up her neighbor on the phone and tells her that Charlie and the girls are on their way over. She is there to meet them at the door. "C'mon in, Charlie, girls," she says. Charlie says, "Hi, Connie. How's it going?" The two adults exchange small talk for a few minutes. Then Charlie asks, "I understand you're going away for a few days, Connie?" Mrs. Schotz answers, "Yes, my company needs me to trouble-shoot something, in Ohio, of all places. It couldn't come at a worse time. After all, I just got Curly, and I feel he's too young to board at the kennel." Charlie says, "Well, I'm not sure if two 12 year old girls can handle being the sole care giver of a puppy for 4 days." Connie says, "Well, actually, Charlie, I got my friend Nancy to come and dog-sit while I'm away." The girls are surprised to hear this and are crestfallen. "But," Mrs. Schotz continues, "Nancy works all day. Maybe the girls could come in and walk Curly when they get home from school and play with him for a little while." The girls get excited. Jennifer says, "Oh, we can do that." Robin says, "Yeah, can we, Daddy? Please?" Jennifer says, "Please?" Charlie looks at Connie who is smiling and mouthing 'please'. Charlie relents, "Okay, I guess you two can do that!" The girls hug each other and jump up and down. "YES!" "Oh, thank you, Daddy!" "Thank you, Mrs. Schotz! We'll do a good job!"
The first few days go by without incident. The girls come home every day after school, drop off their things, and go next door. They put Curly on his leash, grab the pooper-scooper, and head out. They walk all around the block. They come back to the house and take Curly into the backyard. They let him run around. Curly is so good; he doesn't even run off and the yard is not fenced in. They throw his bone and he picks it up and chews on it. They throw his ball, and he runs and gets it. He hasn't mastered bringing it back yet. They are having a good time. Jenn says, "I wish we had our own dog to do this with." Robin says, "Me, too, but we'll just have to be happy with Curly for now."
On the last day, Friday, the girls rush right to Mrs. Schotz's house. There is a special tv program that they just have to see. It starts at 3:30. There's a nationwide search for a new "Barbie". Robin is so excited. She still loves Barbie dolls. Jennifer, of course, doesn't still play with Barbies, but she is fascinated by the hair, clothing, and makeup aspect involved. They get inside their neighbor's house, and quickly run into the den, and put on the tv. Curly is so excited to see them and rushes up to them, jumping up and licking them. They basically ignore him. They are so centered around the tv. Robin picks up the phone and calls her best friend, Debbie. Debbie goes to private school and gets home way before them. "Debbie! OH, my god! Are you watching? Isn't that so cool?"
Jennifer says to Robin, "You know, we had better take Curly out." Robin says, "Not yet, I want to see this, oh, no, Deb, I was talking to my sister." Jennifer says, "Well, maybe we should just let him go out into the backyard." Robin looks up from the tv for a minute and says, "Yeah, that's a good idea, Jenn, then we won't have to miss the show. Debbie, hold on a sec, okay?" Robin puts the phone down, goes to the back door, and calls for Curly to come. As she opens the back door, Curly goes running out. Robin picks up the phone and resumes talking to Debbie. "What? Oh, my god, no, I didn't see it, where?" She takes the phone into the den and watches the tv. Jenn says, "Yeah, you just missed it, Robin, they're down to the last three finalists." Robin says, "Oh, are they going to show them again?" Jenn says, "Yeah, in a second, oh, darn, there's a commercial." Robin is still holding the phone. "What? Oh, she does? Okay, I'll call you later." Robin turns to Jennifer, "Debbie's mom had to use the phone." Jennifer says to Robin, "Hey, where's Curly?" Robin puts down the phone. "What? Oh, yeah, I forgot about Curly." Both girls go to the back door. They look out. They do not see Curly.
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Both Robin and Jennifer go out into the backyard. They look all over; the yard is not that big. "Uh-oh!" Robin says. They start to call his name, "Curly! Curly? Here, boy! Here, Curly! Where are you, boy? CURLY!?" Jennifer says, "Ohmygod, Robin, he's gone! What're we gonna do?" Robin says, "He's not gone; he's probably here somewhere, let's look out front." The tv show is all but forgotten, as two girls search and search for a little puppy.
As they get into the front yard, they see their mom with the double stroller. Steven is sitting up front and Melissa is laying in the back. Lisa says, "Oh, girls, there you are! I was on my way to the park with the kids. I didn't know where you were. You didn't come right home. I was starting to get wor..." She stops. She sees the look of fear on both their faces. "Girls, what's wrong?" Robin starts to cry. "Oh, Mommy, Curly's missing!" Lisa pushes the stroller over to them. "What? Robin, what happened? Jennifer?" Robin starts to answer, "Mommy, we let..." Jennifer cuts her sister off. She answers, "We went straight to Mrs. Schotz's after school and took Curly for his walk. Then we were out back playing with him like we always do. I threw the ball and it went into the next yard. Then Curly went to get it and didn't come back. We've been calling and calling for him, but he ran away!"
Robin just stands there and stares at her sister. She cannot believe how the lies just tumbled out of Jennifer's mouth. She says, "What are you talking about?" Jennifer pulls Robin to the side and says, "Look, Robin, we're already in a lot of trouble, you want to get into more by admitting the truth? Just play along!" They walk back over to their mother, who thankfully is fussing over the little ones. Lisa says, "Well, I'm going to get them over to the park, now. You two keep searching. I'm sure that by the time I get back, Curly will have shown up." Robin has tears coming down her face. Lisa says, "Really, Robin, don't worry, you'll find him. I'll be back in 45 minutes."
After Lisa has left, Robin stares at Jennifer and says, "What are you crazy? You just lied right to Mommy's face!" Jennifer replies, "It's not like it's the first time, Robin. She doesn't have to know how we lost Curly. What's the difference? Come on, we've got to find him. Mrs. Schotz's friend, Nancy will be home soon." The girls search the yard a dozen more times. They search their own yard, and all the yards adjacent to it. But Curly is simply nowhere to be found. Now Jennifer is crying, too. "Oh, Robin, what are we gonna do? Mrs. Schotz is going to be so mad!" Robin says, "Yeah, and what about Daddy? He's going to be fuming mad. He didn't think we'd be able to take on this much responsibility." Jenn says, "Oh, my god, you're right! Now we'll never get a dog of our own!" The girls go back inside Mrs. Schotz's house. They turn off the t.v. Then they sit and write a note to Nancy explaining what happened. They leave their phone number on the note. Then they go back to their own house.
The girls are upstairs doing homework when the telephone rings. Lisa buzzes them on the intercom, "Girls, it's Nancy, from next door." Jennifer jumps up. "Maybe Curly's back" she says. Jennifer picks up the phone. Her smile turns to a frown. "Oh, yeah, I know. But we looked everywhere for him. We didn't know what to do. She's coming home tomorrow? Oh, god! I don't know. My dad will be home soon. Maybe he'll drive us around and we can continue looking? Yes, I'll call if we find him. Okay, thanks!" Jenn puts down the phone. Robin guesses, "She didn't call to say she found him, huh?" Jenn says, "No, she just got home and saw our note. Mrs. Schotz is coming home in the morning. Now what?"
Charlie comes home about a half hour later. He trudges through the door. He goes to his bedroom and changes his clothes. Then he goes into the living room, sits in his chair, and puts his feet up. "Oh, what a day! All I want to do for the rest of the night is sit here," he says to himself. When the twins heard him downstairs, they ran down. They started talking to him at the same time. Charlie held up his hand. "All right, slow down, one at a time!" Jenn said, "Oh, Daddy, you're going to be so mad at us! We're so sorry!" She just threw herself against Charlie's chest and cried. He pushed her away gently and said, "Okay, what am I going to be angry about? What happened?"
The girls led their father into the living room and they all sat down. Robin went first, "Daddy, we lost Curly." Charlie said, "What!?" Jennifer said, "We were playing with him in the backyard, and he ran off. We called him back, but he didn't come. We looked and looked for him, but we couldn't find him." Robin continued, "And now Mrs. Schotz is coming home tomorrow, and we lost her dog!" Both girls continued to cry. Charlie said, "Okay, I think you'd better start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened." Jenn said, "We don't have time for that, Daddy! We have to find him. We were hoping you could drive us around so we could search the neighborhood for him, before it gets too dark." Lisa interrupted, "You all have to eat dinner, first. Then you can go out and look for a little while. But girls, Curly is a little dog, and you might not find him. He's been gone for a long time now."
The girls look at the floor. Robin sobs. Then she says, "I bet you're really disappointed in us, huh, Daddy?" Charlie answers, "Well, I can't imagine there's anything you really could have done. The yard's not fenced in, Curly's a little dog, and very fast. If you didn't find him right when he ran off, he could have gotten very far by now. Come, let's eat dinner. Then we'll look for him." Robin feels terrible. She knows that they could have done more. They weren't even with him when he ran off. She looks at Jennifer. She was feeling it, too. If they had known Curly ran off, they could have looked for him right away, and probably found him. But they didn't. It was too late now. And it was too late to tell the truth. Their father would be mighty angry. He always tells them to come clean with him right away. Oh, when would they ever learn?!
After dinner, Charlie takes the girls out in the truck. They search the whole neighborhood. They knock on several neighbor's doors. They leave their phone number and Mrs. Schotz's number with each person they speak to. Oh, where is that dog! Finally, after searching for over an hour, Charlie says to the twins, "Okay, girls, it's dark, now, time to go home. I'm sure Curly will show up." Robin says, "Oh, please, Daddy, just a little more." Charlie says, "No, I'm sorry, honey, we did the best we could. Time to go home now. It's getting late. If he's still not back in the morning, you and your sister can search again." Jennifer says, "But he's just a little dog. He can't stay out all night. He'll freeze to death. Oh, Daddy, I feel so guilty!" They pull up in the driveway.
Charlie ushers the girls into the house. Lisa looks up from folding laundry, "No luck, huh?" They all shake their heads back and forth. Lisa says, "Well, I'm sure some nice family found him and he's laying on their living room rug right now. He'll be back in the morning." Robin replies, "But, Curly has a dog tag, with a phone number on it, why don't they just call?" Charlie says, "I don't know, honey." Jennifer says, "Maybe they did. Let's call Nancy, maybe Curly's back." But a few minutes later, Jennifer hangs up the phone. Nancy hasn't heard from anyone.
Charlie says to the twins, "Okay, I want both of you upstairs, finish your homework, and take your baths. You can come down and watch some t.v. after we've put Steven and Melissa to bed." Both girls drop their heads and drag their feet. They walk solemnly up to their bedroom. Robin takes a bath first, and then Jennifer. While Jennifer is in the bath, Robin pokes her head into the bathroom. "Hey, Jenn, can I come in? I've been thinking!" Jenn says, "Yeah, me too. You first, though!" Robin says, "Well, I know it won't bring Curly back, but I think we should tell Daddy the truth!" Jenn nods. "I think so, too, but I don't know why." Robin says, "Well, I just feel really guilty. We should have taken him for a walk like we were supposed to." Jennifer agrees, "Yeah, it was because we wanted to watch that stupid show! And we didn't even get to see who the winner was!"
A little while later, Robin and Jennifer, both clad in their pajamas walk down the stairs. They go right into the living room, and stand before their parents. Charlie looks up from reading the paper. "All nice and clean?" The girls nod. Jennifer starts, "Mommy, Daddy, we want to tell you something." Robin adds, "Something we're not very proud of." Charlie says, "Uh-oh, do I want to sit down for this?" Jennifer says, "Daddy! You are sitting down. This is serious." "Okay," Charlie says, "Shoot." The girls sit on the couch opposite their parents. Robin says, "Well, here goes. Mommy, Daddy, it's our fault that Curly ran away today." Lisa and Charlie look at each other. Lisa says, "Girls, I thought we had been all through that. We told you it wasn't your fault." Charlie added, "Yes, I told you, Curly is a small but fast dog. I'm sure you did your best to try and run after him."
Jennifer blurted out, "Butwedidn'twedidn'tevenknowheranaway!" Charlie tried to sort that out, but he couldn't. So he said, "What did you just say, honey?" Jennifer was openly crying now, "Daddy, we didn't know he ran away, because we were inside while Curly was outside!" Lisa said, "What do you mean? You told me you were outside playing ball with him!" Jennifer said, "We, uh, um, well, I lied!" Lisa said, "What? You lied to me?" Jennifer shook her head as she cried. Robin said, "What happened was this: we ran straight over to Mrs. Schotz's house because we wanted to see this television program. Then I was on the phone with Debbie, and Jenn was on the couch watching tv. Curly was jumping up and down and we knew he had to go out, but we didn't want to miss the show, so I just opened up the back door and let him go out there. He must have run away while I was on the phone. As soon as there was a commercial, we looked out the window, but we didn't see Curly. When we got out there, we saw that he was gone." Robin collapsed on the couch hysterically crying.
Charlie was shocked. He knew his girls had lied to him in the past, but he could not believe this. When the shock had settled, Charlie said, "Girls, I am very disappointed in you." Both girls just continued to cry. Lisa said, "Your father and I have to talk. Go to your room and wait for us!" While they were talking, the telephone rang. It was Nancy from next door. Curly had been found by a neighbor, and he was bringing him back. All the adults were relieved. Of course, Charlie and Lisa still had to deal with two very irresponsible girls.
Charlie and Lisa climbed the stairs slowly. They knew the girls had to be punished, for lying to them, but they felt bad to have to do it. When they got to the twins' room, Charlie knocked softly. "Come in," one of the girls said. Charlie and Lisa walked into the room. Both girls were lying on their beds reading. Lisa said, "Girls, that was Nancy on the phone. Curly's been found!" Robin and Jennifer jumped up. Robin said, "He has? Oh, thank god!" Jennifer said, "Oh, I'm so relieved. I'm glad he was found before Mrs. Schotz got home." Charlie said, "Yes, well, I'm glad Curly has been found, but there's still this little matter that we need to deal with. Sit down, girls!" Robin and Jennifer sat down on the edge of Robin's bed. Their parents sat opposite them on Jennifer's bed.
"We are very disappointed that you felt the need to lie to us, girls," Charlie said. Lisa added, "Especially, after acting so irresponsibly." Jennifer said, "We know, we're sorry. We should have taken Curly out as soon as we got there. It'll never happen again." Charlie said, "No, it won't. Because you will not be dog-sitting again for a very long time. And you can forget about getting your own pet for awhile, too." Robin said, "We'd still be in trouble if we had told you the truth from the beginning, wouldn't we, Daddy?" Charlie said, "Well, you'd still be in trouble for acting irresponsibly, but now you've unneccessarily added several lies. That is very unfortunate." Jennifer asked, "Are we gonna get a spanking, Daddy?" Charlie answered, "What do you think, baby?" Jennifer said, "I thought so." Lisa added, "You'll also be grounded for what you did, and I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap for lying to us. I'll start with you, Jennifer, since you were the one that lied to me first." Jennifer follows her mom into the bathroom.
Charlie beckons Robin to join him on Jennifer's bed. When she is standing next to him, he pulls down her pajama bottoms and her panties. He leans her across his lap and starts to spank. First he spanks one cheek and then the other. He continues to alternate each cheek. Robin starts to wiggle and scream. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I'll never do it again. Daddeeee! Please! It hurts!" Charlie continues to spank Robin's bare bottom. This is the longest and hardest spanking she has ever gotten. He doesn't stop until he's hit her 100 times. Then he stops. He stands her up and leads her to her own bed. He tells her to cry it out. He leans down and kisses her cheek. "I love you, sweetie. I hope I won't have to do this again for a long time." Then Charlie pops his head into the bathroom. "Jennifer, I'll be waiting for you in my bedroom. Come down as soon as Mommy is through with you."
Fifteen minutes later, Jennifer knocks softly on her parents' bedroom door. Charlie gets up to open it. Jennifer walks in and stands by the big red chair. Charlie sits down and motions for Jennifer to stand next to him. Then he pulls down her pajama pants, and panties, which fall to her feet. He pulls her across his lap and positions her. Then he begins to spank, first one cheek, then the other, alternating between cheeks like he did with Robin. Jennifer tries not to scream, but after about 30 spanks, she does. "I'm sorreee, Dadddeee! Please, stop! I'll be good, please, Daddee!" Charlie does not stop until both cheeks are bright red. He has smacked her 100 times, same as with Robin. He pulls Jennifer to his feet and walks her over to his bed. "You can lay there for half an hour, until you calm down." Once she is settled on the bed, Charlie leans over, and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you, baby, I know you will try to behave." Jennifer nods through her sobs.
Charlie goes into the living room. He sits down and puts his feet up. "Finally," he says to himself, "I can put my feet up. Man, it's been a long day." Upstairs, Robin is uncomfortably sitting on the edge of the toilet with a bar of soap in her mouth.
(To be continued...?)