The next morning

Shane's pov

I didn't get much sleep last night. I kept replaying my encounter with Julie over and over in my head. A few things about that afternoon were bothering me. There was something about the notes that wasn't quite right. I pulled them out of her backpack and reread each of them. Hmmm, I'm still not sure. What am I missing? I fan the notes out on my desk and then it hits me. It's so obvious, literally right under my nose. I can't believe I didn't see this sooner. One of these things is not like the others. Three of the signatures are the same, one is different. Julie wasn't the only one who forged my signature and if I were a betting man my money would be on her cousin Stacey.

Julie's pov

I hear my alarm buzzing at me, by far the most awful sound in the universe. Much worse than knuckle cracking or nails on a chalkboard in my opinion. I roll over to shut it off and wince at the pain from the friction my bed sheets create with my sore bottom. It could have been worse though. My plan might not have worked, but it did. I just wish I had thought of it sooner. I could have saved myself some pain. Although, if I had begged him to stop and went limp sooner it may have looked suspicious. Overall, I'm pretty proud of myself for coming up with my plan mid-punishment. I believe that's what's known as thinking on your feet, or in this case off your feet and over a lap.

There's something about intense pain that makes your survival instincts kick in. Don't misunderstand me, the man has mad skills. I have to give him credit for being a worthy adversary. I have no doubt someday he will best me, but today's not that day. I knew his ego would be his downfall. I mean did Shane seriously think he could break me that easily when Mike never has? Please! He really has no idea whom he's dealing with. You have finally met your match Admiral Donovan.

Shane's pov

There's something else about yesterday still gnawing at me. I just can't place my finger on it. Maybe it'll come to me when I speak to Julie about the identity of the mystery forger. No time like the present. I pick up Julie's backpack and head to her room.

I knock twice.

Carrie shouts, "Just a minute."

Shortly afterward she opens the door.

"Good morning, ladies. Is everyone ready for breakfast?"

Lisa replies, "Yeah."

Stacey says, "Almost."

"Why don't the three of you head to breakfast now. I need a minute alone with Julie."

After they leave, I ask Julie to have a seat so we may talk.

"Fine," she says, wincing when her bottom makes contact with her bed.

"I'm going to get straight to the reason I'm here."

"Good," Julie says, under her breath but loud enough for me to hear.

"Excuse me!" I glare at her, unamused by her snarky remark.

"Nothing," she says, rolling her eyes.

I let it slide, knowing we don't have much time before the bus arrives. I open her backpack and take out the notes, handing them to her.

"I want to know who signed my name here." I point to the only unique signature.

Without skipping a beat, she says, "I did. Why?"

"It's a different signature than the one on the other three notes."

"That was the first one I did for practice. That's why it looks different."

I'm taken aback by how she lies so effortlessly and without hesitation. Disconcerting, to say the least.

"Are we done? Can I go to breakfast now?" she asks, clearly annoyed with this conversation.

"Yeah, I guess," I say, completely taken off guard and shocked by her response. "I mean yes, you may go to breakfast. We'll continue this conversation later."

After Julie leaves, I stare at the empty doorway and shake my head. She totally threw me off my game. What the hell just happened here? Have I just been bested by a seven year old? I'm honestly surprised and confused by the entire exchange. That did not go at all how I expected it would. I really didn't anticipate her having such a flippant attitude. She was awfully smug for someone who just yesterday was brought to tears over my knee while begging for mercy. Too smug.

The lightbulb suddenly appears over my head. I just put my finger on what's been bothering me about her punishment yesterday. As stubborn as Julie is, she would never have admitted how much the spanking hurt or begged me to stop. I'd never seen her do that with Mike.

Well I'll be damned. That little shit played me!

I didn't break her, she surrendered. I'll never admit it but I'm actually a tad impressed. Well played little girl. She may have won the battle (and no the irony isn't lost on me that she "won" by surrendering) but we'll see who wins the war. I have one more extremely powerful weapon in my arsenal- MIKE.

The girls at breakfast

Julie's pov

I fill Lisa, Carrie and Stacey in on the conversation I just had with Shane.

Carrie's shocked.

"You did not say that to him! What do you have a death wish or something?"

I shrug and shove a forkful of pancakes in my mouth.

"I cannot believe he let you get away with that." Carrie shakes her head in disbelief.

Stacey says, "Thanks for not ratting me out, by the way, with the whole forgery thing and all."

"You're welcome, cuz." I take a swig of o.j.

Lisa asks, "Am I seriously the only one who sees the giant gaping hole in your plan?"

We all turn and look at her.

Stacey says, "Well you now clearly have our attention. Please enlighten us, oh wise one."

God love her. My cousin is such a smart ass.

Unaffected by Stacey's sarcasm, Lisa continues, "Come on, you guys, think hard."

I can hear the sincerity in Lisa's voice. Now I'm getting worried.

"What, Lisa? Just tell us," I demand impatiently.

"The one thing you forgot? Really? Nothing?"

Stacey shouts, "Oh my god, Lisa, just spill already would you!"

Still not giving up, hoping we'll get it, Lisa says, "The one PERSON you're forgetting." She looks expectantly at our three blank faces. "Oh my gosh. Julie! How are you not getting this? Your Achilles heel. Your Trojan horse. Imagine you're Superman. WHO would be your kryptonite?" Lisa says exasperated.

Oh crap. I finally see what she's getting at. Well, who she's getting at.

"Mike."

"Yes!" Lisa shouts, excited that I finally figured it out. "Don't you remember what he said before he left for his trip?"

"Ohhhhh!" Stacey and Carrie remember.

Flashback (before Mike left for his trip)

Mike sternly warns, "I want the four of you to be on your best behavior while I'm gone. Shane is in charge and what he says goes. When I get back, I expect to hear nothing but good reports from him. If I hear anything to the contrary, you will have to answer to me and you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

He's gonna be home any day now and when he finds out what I did while he was away, he's gonna go all kryptonite on my ass.