Mike's pov

Teaching the girls to drive has been an experience to say the least. Thank the Lord for driver's ed. teachers for assuming a lot of the responsibility, definitely unsung heroes in my book. No one can claim more bravery than driving instructors who ride in a car all day beside twitchy, emotional teenagers. God bless 'em.

Lisa was the last of our four girls to get her license, despite Carrie being the youngest. It took Lisa three tries to pass her road test. She hit the curb on her first attempt, which is an automatic fail. The second time she failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.

And now, here she was standing before me asking for my keys so she could take my baby.

Lisa's pov

"Can we please just dispense with the customary prelims where you tell me the fifty ways I can die while driving thirty miles an hour through town on my way to the library and instead you could just hand me the keys." I rolled my eyes before checking my streaks.

I was in no mood to hear Mike's safe driving speech for the millionth time. Just because I was the last to get my license, I always get the most flack before being given the keys. I knew Mike wouldn't be able to deny my request to take his car though since I told him I needed to meet my friends at the library so we could work on our group project for world history. I just didn't have the patience right now to deal with the b.s. that comes before the inevitable allowance to take his baby for a spin.

"There's actually fifty-four ways you could die and no, we cannot just dispense with the prelims and I won't just hand over my keys, Lisa." Mike looked pissed as he stood glaring at me, hands on hips, eyes narrowed.

Foolishly, I ignored all the warning signs.

"Keys please," I stated, holding my hand out, motioning for Mike to fork them over while my eyes remained glued to my phone screen. I made sure to sigh loudly first, just for good measure.

"I'm pretty sure, no I'm positive, you've forgotten whom you're speaking to with that tone of voice and attitude, young lady."

Mike jerked the waistband of my jeans up forcefully with his right hand as he proceeded to deliver five very painful slaps to my behind with his left hand.

"Ow!" I vigorously rubbed the sting from my bottom and my crotch when Mike wasn't looking, after readjusting myself from the wedgie he just gave me with my tight jeans.

Unconcerned with my current state of discomfort, Mike continued to lecture, "You go straight to the library to work on that project and come straight home when you're done. No detours. Understood?" Mike's rigid posture indicated clearly the lack of wiggle room in his edict. "And not a minute later than 9pm," he added, before placing the keys in my hand.

"Yeah yeah, no detours, 9pm, got it," I said, completely disinterested in his mandates while I continued to text one-handed, not an easy feat I might add.

Mike yanked my phone out of my hand mid text. God I hope he doesn't look at the screen cuz then he'll know where I'm actually going tonight. Thankfully, he just held my phone in his hand as he continued to preach the rules of the road.

"You do remember you're not allowed to use your phone at any time while behind the wheel, correct? Do I have to keep your phone here with me so you're not tempted to use it while driving, young lady?"

"Ugghh, for the love of God, I know I can't use my damn phone while driving, not even hands free. I get it. I'm not an idiot." I shook my head and rolled my eyes again in disbelief that Mike really thinks I'm that stupid.

"Apparently my earlier warning wasn't sufficient to curb your mouth or your attitude, Lisa Michelle." Mike was really pissed now and I started to panic as he began unbuckling his belt.

Time for damage control.

"No, no, it was sufficient. I'm sorry I swore and disrespected you, Mike. I promise I'll drive carefully, sir." I tried to appease my very angry guardian but apparently it was too little too late.

Mike put my phone down, grabbed my arm and forcefully bent me over his desk, holding me down as he pressed his right hand into the small of my back. With tremendous ease, he unleashed his belt from his pant loops with one hand.

"I think this reminder to follow the rules will come in quite handy as you sit on a sore backside while driving tonight," Mike warned, as he doubled his belt over and struck it fiercely across my backside.

Thankfully, my jeans helped cushion some of the blow but I could still feel the sting on my behind. Mike always struck much harder when we weren't pantless or bared at the waist.

"Driving is a privilege not a rite, Lisa. I don't know why Shane and I have to reiterate this to you time and time again." Mike spanked me with his belt two more times to drive the lesson home, no pun intended.

"Have I made myself clear now, Lisa Michelle, as to how serious I am about the responsibility that goes along with operating a motor vehicle?"

Even though Mike looked at me so sternly, I had to suppress a laugh at his remarks that sounded like a bad after school special.

Stifling a giggle and turning to avoid his gaze, I answered, "Yes sir."

"Do you think this is a joke, Lisa? Do you think I'm kidding with all this?" The levity with which I responded to this situation certainly and unfortunately didn't go unnoticed by my guardian. Without waiting for me to answer, Mike bent me back over his desk and slapped his belt across my thighs ten times in rapid succession, causing me to yelp as tears formed in my eyes from the pain.

"I'm sorry, Mike. I really am," I managed to spit out a sincere apology.

Mike buckled his belt before he stood me up to face him.

Gripping my chin tightly, he growled, "If you needed my car for anything other than schoolwork, I most certainly would not be allowing you this privilege right now. Do not make me regret my decision. Understood?" Mike handed me my phone.

Swallowing my pride and realizing how close I am to actually being denied the use of Mike's car, I answer quite respectfully, "Yes sir."

Mike was right, sitting in the car on my sore butt almost made me reconsider my true purpose for borrowing his car. I was picking up some of my friends so we could cruise the riverwalk before attending the festival there to hangout and listen to some of the bands. Teenagers and college kids cruising in this area had become so common that the police had started to patrol on weekends and they even put up signs banning the activity. It was still a great place to hook up however.

Mike and Shane would never let us attend this festival without adult supervision, due to its infamous reputation. The police had shown up in riot gear on more than one occasion to disperse the crowds and put an end to the festivities. Police presence was always heavy but still never enough of a deterrent. Patrons tended to get a little loud and rowdy as the night drew on and the beer tents lowered not only their prices, but also their diligence in preventing alcohol sales to minors. Once the bands started to play, all bets were off and the police just did their best to minimize injuries as the crowds became large and out of control.

We weren't going to the festival to drink though, we just really wanted to see one of our favorite bands perform and we wanted to eat of course as this festival was known for its killer ribs.

After the festival in the parking garage

Lisa's pov

Shit! The cars parked on either side of me were so close I had to back out straight to avoid hitting them but I didn't have enough clearance behind me either. I never should have tried to squeeze Mike's car into a compact car only spot. After trying unsuccessfully to pull out of our parking space for about twenty minutes and getting honked at several times by impatient drivers, not to mention the litany of profanity from myself and the other drivers, I decided to just go for it, no turning back.

Upon noticing the time on the dashboard of 8:57pm, I knew I had to hurry if I was going to come anywhere close to making curfew and be home somewhat on time. I hit the gas pedal with a smidge too much force while in reverse and over-corrected my steering, causing me to scrape the side of the car against one of the large concrete pillars behind us. I put the car in park despite hyperventilating and quickly got out along with my friends to view the grisly sight gracing the driver's side of Mike's car.

"Fuck!" I paled instantly, closing my eyes and praying when I opened them this would be revealed as a bad dream. Instead, I was met with the cold hard truth staring me right in the face. Not only was there a nasty dent but the paint was badly scratched as well. The damage covered a decent portion of the driver's side rear door, at least six inches in length.

"Mike's gonna kill me. What the Hell am I gonna do?" I continued to stare at the point of destruction that would surely be my unraveling, with my mouth agape but utterly speechless.

My friend Nick chuckled, "Dude, you are so screwed. Your dad's gonna flip," he said, stating the obvious in his mellow surfer voice that always makes him sound stoned out of his mind, even though I'm pretty sure his privileged, white suburban church goin' ass has never even seen a joint, let alone smoked one.

"I tried to tell you there wasn't enough clearance," Mary reminded me, so not helpful per usual.

"Thanks, captains obvious, that'll keep my ass from gettin' beat." I sneered at them both. "Dumbasses!"

Nick chuckled and Mary just smirked in response.

"Hoes mad," she said, not at all upset by the fact that I was facing an incredibly severe and painful punishment from Mike.

"You guys don't understand. This car is like Mike's baby. He loves this thing more than anyone or anything. He's weirdly overprotective about his ride. Why do you think we always steal Shane's car when we need wheels? I am so dead," I lamented sadly, resigned to my fate of never driving again and having a sore ass for the foreseeable future.

"I seriously doubt he cares more about that car than you and that's what you need to capitalize on," Nick's girlfriend Ashley said quite matter of factly.

Staring at her, waiting for her to continue as I impatiently tapped my foot, Ashley finally took the hint and expounded on her previous thought.

"When my sister scratched our dad's car one night while she was out with her boyfriend, she just lied and told him it was a hit and run accident and she played up how scared she was and my dad totally fed into it and didn't even punish her cuz he was so happy she was okay."

"You really think that could work?" I asked, not just looking to Ashley for an answer but all my other friends as well. The consensus was it's worth a shot.

Back at the NJC

Twenty minutes past curfew

Lisa's pov

I turned on the waterworks as soon as I walked in, explaining to Mike that someone must have hit his car in the library parking lot and then just drove off. My performance was so convincing that Mike didn't even punish me for breaking curfew. Maybe I should consider a career in show business.

The next morning

Mike's pov

Before heading to work on Saturday, Shane followed me to the auto repair shop with a very unhappy Julie in tow so I could drop my car off. Julie would be joining us at work today as part of her punishment to pay off her unauthorized use of my credit card. After recounting to the mechanic Lisa's version of the chain of events that caused my baby's injuries, I waited patiently for his assessment of the damages.

After examining my car for a few minutes, the mechanic stated, "I hate to be the one to break it to you, man, but this scratch ain't from no hit and run. Let me guess, your daughter's a newly licensed driver. Right?"

I nodded.

"Yes, how did you know?"

He looked at me with complete confidence so I eagerly waited for him to continue.

"See, this isn't even paint," he said, rubbing the substance from the dent on his fingers and holding them up for me to touch.

I rubbed the grit between my fingers and quickly realized what he meant.

"It's definitely concrete, most likely from a pillar in a parking garage or possibly even a drive-thru, if I had to guess."

"I see," I said through my now clenched jaw, as I was quickly becoming incensed knowing Lisa lied to me. There aren't any parking garages anywhere near the public library and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere but there. I heard Shane exhale loudly as he turned his back to me, not wanting to witness my fast-growing rage.

"Yeah, kids always underestimate the berth they need to make those tight turns around pillars. Sorry, man," the mechanic said, shaking his head before returning to the job at hand.

Quietly voicing my thoughts outloud, I said, "Not half as sorry as my dishonest daughter's about to be."