Mike's pov

After getting the necessary intel from Mindy, I went over to Shane's room to discuss the situation.

Shane admitted letting the girls check out an 'Elm Street' movie, which I supposedly forgot to check out for them before leaving for Africa. He also informed me that the girls told him it was a fourth grade version of Sesame Street. God bless him. Sometimes I forget he's a foreigner. Did he really think ten- year-olds would watch anything remotely related to Sesame Street?

When I told Shane the girls watched this R rated movie which I forbade them from seeing before I left, he was beyond livid. The fact that they watched it at 1am with Rick's girls, just added fuel to the fire.

"I'm going to kill them! No, first, I'm going to whip them mercilessly, then I'm going to kill them," Shane rants, as he paces restlessly. "I can't believe they played us against each other. You say no, so they come to me to get a yes."

"One of the oldest tricks in the book," I say. "Pitting parents against each other. It was bound to happen at some point. I agree this punishment needs to set a precedent but let's call killing them our plan b. Alright?"

"I notice you didn't dismiss the whipping them mercilessly idea. Should I assume I have your approval to mete out that portion of their punishment?" Shane gives me a sly smile as he pats me on the back. "Seriously though, Mike, what are we going to do with these girls?"

"We are going to set a precedent, that much I know. I think we need to start with the ringleader."

"Lisa, right, since she's the one who asked you to check it out from the library in the first place?" Shane asks.

Chuckling and shaking my head, I respond, "No, my money's on Julie. I can almost guarantee it."

Julie's pov

We're chillin' in our room. Carrie answers our phone before turning to me and saying, "Julie, it's Mike. He wants you to come to Shane's room right away."

"Fuck! What did they find out I did?" I ask, panicking. I'm trying to run through my mind all the possibilities. "It can't be the movie thing cuz they would've summoned the three of us." I gesture toward Stacey and Lisa. "Maybe they found out I faked sick to get out of gym Monday." We're doing tumbling in gym now. God I hate gymnastics. It's the one sport I absolutely suck at. "No, it can't be that. I don't think the nurse or Mr. Shim even knew I was faking and if they did, they wouldn't have waited this long to call Mike."

Think Julie think, I admonish myself.

"You don't think they know I broke curfew Tuesday, do you? Or maybe it's because I took $5 out of Shane's wallet so I could get hot lunch on Friday. Maybe Mrs. Harris told them I swore in class Wednesday. No wait, it can't be that cuz she promised she wouldn't say anything if I didn't tell them she twisted my injured wrist when she got mad at me. Hmmm, what could it be? Oh, I know. Maybe Jody tattled that I shoved her off the swings at recess Thursday."

"Good lord, is there a day of the week you haven't been in trouble?" Lisa asks, laughing at my laundry list of misdeeds. "Maybe you should start with the list of things you haven't done wrong. God knows it would be shorter."

"Shut up, Lisa. If you're not part of the solution, then you're just part of the problem." I stick my tongue out at her and laugh so she knows I'm joking.

"Okay, now we can add being rude to your sister to the list," Lisa says, grinning while pretending to write on an imaginary piece of paper.

The phone rings, interrupting my brainstorming session.

"Awww! That's all the time we have today folks, on this edition of 'WTF did Julie do'. Please tune in next week for an all new episode." Stacey's holding an imaginary microphone in her hand, doing her best game show host impression.

Lisa answers the phone and says, "Yeah, she's on her way, Mike." She mouths, 'GO', as she points urgently at the door. "She was, uh, in the bathroom when you called the first time." Lisa's trying to stall Mike and buy me some time.

I hustle out the door knowing the longer I keep them waiting, the angrier they'll get. I just wish I knew what this was about so I could confess ahead of time and lessen my sentence. With Mike, the severity of the punishment increases exponentially if you don't come clean in advance. Oh well, here goes nothin'.

I knock on Shane's door and wait, nervously tapping my foot.

"Come in, Julie." Shane sounds a little annoyed.

I walk in and see Mike and Shane leaning against the desk. Mike's hands are in his pockets, pushing his suit coat back, his right ankle crossed over his left as he narrows his eyes, giving me a very cold look as I enter. Shane has his arms crossed and a very serious looking scowl on his face.

This cannot be good, I think, exhaling slowly.

"You wanted to speak to me?" I ask hesitantly.

"I think you know what this is about, Julie," Mike states ominously, as he stands and confronts me.

Crap! I'm screwed.

"Well...?" Mike prompts me to respond.

"Um, gym class?" I guess.

"No." He furrows his brow.

"The $5?" I try.

"No." Now he's curious.

"Recess and the swings?"

Mike repeats, "No." He's clearly getting more agitated with each guess.

Shit, that's three strikes already.

"Mrs Harris called?" I keep trying.

Shane says, "You better put that shovel down, luv, cuz that hole you're digging yourself in is bloody deep enough already."

"Actually, I'd prefer if you continue, Julie, as I'm finding this conversation quite informative." Mike gives me a sinister smile.

"Well, then it's got to be Tuesday," I say, since I've run out of ideas.

"No," Mike says, exasperated. "Wait, what happened on Tuesday? What did you do?"

"Nothing," I say quickly. "Why?"

Mike frowns at me.

"Well? Is there more, Julie?"

"No, there isn't any more. There wasn't anything to begin with. I mean, I don't know what this is about. I didn't do anything." I'm flustered so I attempt some damage control by backpedaling and denying everything.

"Good God, Julie, he's talking about the bloody movie! We know you watched Nightmare on Elm Street, even though Mike forbade it." Shane's had enough of this guessing game.

Mike gives Shane a WTF look for spoiling his fun of putting me on the hot seat.

"Seriously! The one thing..." I stop myself, realizing I'm speaking out loud, when I see the icy looks Shane and Mike are giving me.

"Whose idea was it to ask Shane if you could check out that movie after I told Lisa no? Think hard before you answer, Julie. You know, as if your butt was on the line..." Mike grabs his belt buckle with his left hand, "...because it is darlin.' It truly is."

I'm momentarily transfixed by Mike's hand on his belt buckle but I quickly pull myself together and confess, "It was my idea." I don't want to get Stacey and Lisa in trouble and I guess it was technically my idea.

"Well, then I guess I need to make an example of YOU!"

Hmmm, I do not like the sound of that.

"So when Lisa told you I said no, your first thought was how can I deliberately disobey Mike and get Shane to say yes?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it like that exactly." I need to find a way to put a good spin on this.

"Pray tell, Julie, how would you say it? Please enlighten us." Mike gestures to Shane.

I can tell Mike is getting agitated.

"I wasn't trying to go behind your back, Mike, or play you against each other. We just wanted to watch the movie."

"Who's we?"

"I misspoke. I meant to say, I just wanted to watch the movie."

"So you watched the movie by yourself?"

He knows I didn't, yet he didn't call Stacey or Lisa in here, so he must know because of Rick or Mindy.

"No, I watched with Mindy, Jenny, and Cathie."

Mike's demeanor instantly darkens. Shit! He knows everything, including the fact I just lied to him.

"You're in this much trouble and you dare to stand here and lie to me, Julie!" Mike hisses angrily.

"If you ALREADY KNOW Stacey and Lisa were there, why am I THE ONLY ONE STANDING HERE NOW?" I shout at Mike.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me," Mike warns coldly, before grabbing my arm and forcibly bending me over Shane's bed. He proceeds to rain down smack after smack on my bottom while holding me down with his right hand.

"You're in no position to mouth off to me now. Are you, Julie?"

I just bite my lip and remain silent.

"Stacey and Lisa will be punished as well but that is not your concern."

After another ten or so hard swats, Mike steps back and says, "I want you to go to my room and wait for me to administer the rest of your punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fine." I don't try to hide my anger as I stand up and make my way to the door.

Shane stops me as I try to walk past him.

"I strongly suggest you check your attitude and rephrase your answer to Mike's question."

"Whatever." I roll my eyes and try to push past Shane. Operative word being 'try'.

Shane grabs the back of my shirt, pulling me close as he wraps one arm around my waist and spanks my butt hard.

"Try again," he growls, spanking me harder.

"Ugghh. Sir yes sir. Is that what you want to hear?" I sneer, pulling away from Shane's grasp.

Mike interjects seeing Shane's face turn red as my response enrages him, "Don't worry, Shane, I'll be sure to adjust that attitude in my room."