Mike's pov

After a couple of pints at Sheffield Pub, a lengthy phone conversation with Dr. Evans, and approximately four hours of sleep (not necessarily in that order), I'm ready to revisit my conversation with Stacey about last night. I knock on the girls' door and enter upon hearing Carrie say, "Come in."

"Good morning, girls," I smile warmly. I can't believe how much they've grown since first arriving here at the Center. Before I know it, they'll be teenagers. God help Shane and I then I think, chuckling to myself.

"Mornin,' Mike." Julie stands up, stretches, and yawns before coming to give me a hug, circling her arms around my waist. "I'm gonna get in the shower."

"Ok, darlin,' but I want us all to have breakfast together today at 9am so don't be late."

"Got it," Julie replies, waving before walking into the bathroom.

"Did somebody say breakfast?" Lisa pulls her blankets off and sits up on the side of her bed.

"9am, Lisa," I reply.

She looks at the clock next to her bed, which reads 7:30am.

"Sweet! More sleep," she says, before climbing back into bed and covering herself with blankets.

I walk over to Carrie's bed and sit beside her.

"Watcha working on sweetheart?" She has her sketchpad out.

"Nothin' really," she responds, turning the pad toward me so I can see her drawing. It's a beautiful scene of a park in winter.

"I love it. You're so talented, sweetie. You definitely don't get that from me." She smiles at my lame joke. God bless her.

I walk over to where Stacey is standing nervously by her bed. I put my arm around her shoulder, then give her a reassuring pat on the back before moving my hand up to squeeze the back of her neck.

"I think you know what we need to do, darlin.' Don't ya?"

She nods sadly and follows me out of the room.

Mike's room

Mike's pov

"I've had sufficient time to calm down, Stacey, so now we need to talk." I take a seat behind my desk and motion for her to sit across from me. "Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out." I'm doing my best to remain calm like Dr. Evans suggested. The girls aren't going to hear you if you're yelling, she always tells me.

"Well, I asked you if I could spend the night at Kristen's because I knew you would probably say yes."

"Uh huh, uh huh." That's the first lie I think to myself. I take a pencil out of the holder and start absentmindedly twirling it between my fingers as a distraction.

"I knew if I asked to stay at Suzanne's, you would want to talk to her parents first and then you would find out that they weren't going to be home, so of course you would say no and be angry with me for even asking."

"Okayyyyyy." My voice is strained as I feel myself starting to get angry all over again. I'm trying to quell my temper. I do want her to continue, afterall.

"Suzanne's older sister was in charge so we knew she would probably have a party with her highschool friends and there'd be alcohol and lots of hot guys there so we figured that'd be lit 'cause we'd invite ourselves to attend."

Upon hearing this, I snap the pencil in half while passing it between the fingers of my left hand. I pound my fist on the desk and the pencil shards fly off in different directions.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?"

Seeing Stacey jump startled by the noise of my fist and possibly the tone of my voice, I immediately take a few calming breaths and say, "I apologize, continue please."

I tell myself, it's okay, the party didn't happen. It's okay, the party didn't happen. It's okay... I keep repeating it to myself as reassurance.

"But then Colin called Suzanne and she really likes him so when he asked if she wanted to hang out with him and his brother and his brother's friends, she begged us to say yes and go along with them, even though we knew they would probably be vandalizing stuff 'cause his brother's been picked up by the cops for that before. So we get in his brother's car and...."

I swear my head is going to explode soon. Dr. Evans would tell me to count to fifteen and continue the calming breaths, so I'll try that. One, two...

Stacey continues her recount of last night's events, "....we go pick up some of his friends and they have baseball bats so I know they're gonna play mailbox baseball but then we stop at the grocery store and they buy tomatoes and eggs, so I know they're gonna throw those at houses and stuff, which I think isn't good and we shouldn't be involved in this but I didn't know they were gonna whip 'em at cars too, which is what I think got us caught by the police because they set off someone's car alarm when a tomato broke some guy's passenger side mirror..."

Oh my god there's more, I think, pinching the bridge of my nose before I start rubbing my forehead.

"...so the police show up in more than one cruiser and start questioning us and saying they're gonna take us to the station and charge us with destruction of property and vandalism and stuff so Suzanne gives Colin this pleading look and since I think he likes her too, he tells the cops that none of the girls did anything, even though we did, and his brother agrees 'cause I'm pretty sure he thinks Suzanne's sister is hot so he wants to be on her good side so he can try to get in her pan ..."

"Whoa! Hold up," I interrupt Stacey. "Did YOU vandalize anyone's property?"

Stacey immediately averts her eyes and absentmindedly rubs her chin before responding. I've learned that's one of her tells. When she lies, she rubs her chin or covers her mouth with her left hand.

"Nooo," she says hesitantly. She's not even trying very hard to cover up her dishonesty at this point.

"Stacey!" She knows this stern tone, accompanied by my crossed arms and a raised eyebrow, means business. "Are you lying?"

"Yes," she says meekly, hanging her head.

I slowly stand and exhale loudly, capturing her undivided attention with my rigid angry look.

"I just threw a couple eggs since Colin's friends were razzing me for being too chicken to do it."

Unbelievable, she's actually trying to justify her actions. I start pacing behind my desk.

"Is that all?" I ask, massaging the back of my neck and praying there isn't anything else, while I turn my back to her. I can't even look at her right now. I'm furious all over again.

"Yeah, that's all. You know the rest," Stacey mumbles, clearly ashamed.

I sigh audibly and turn around to face her.

"This is bad, Stacey, really bad."

She doesn't want to look at me.

"Stacey! Look at me when I'm speaking to you."

She reluctantly complies and I see the tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm extremely disappointed in your dishonest behavior. You broke my trust by lying repeatedly and for that reason, you're grounded indefinitely."

Her eyes get really wide upon hearing the word indefinitely.

"If I don't know where you are, how am I supposed to know you're safe? Since I can't trust you to be honest about where you're going or what you're doing, you will leave this building only to go to school or church. You will remain inside with no tv, no phone, no music, no computer or tablet, and no electronics of any kind, until I say otherwise. Do I make myself clear?"

"For how long, though?" she asks.

"I'm going to give you ten seconds to respond properly to my question." I hiss angrily, leaning over my desk so I'm right in her face. "And let me give you a hint, yes sir are the only two words I want to hear coming out of your mouth right now. DO. I. MAKE. MYSELF. CLEAR?" So help me God if she says anything other than yes sir.

Stacey swallows hard.

"Yes sir."

"I don't think you truly comprehend just how much trouble you are in right now, young lady..." I take a slow deep breath and rake my fingers through my hair before continuing, "...but you're about to." I reach down and unbuckle my belt.

Stacey gets a panicked look on her face, finally starting to understand the gravity of the situation.

"No, please don't, Mike, I'm sorry. I won't ever do it again. I'll never lie to you again. I promise."

I pull my belt through my pant loops with lightning speed. Stacey flinches at the sound it makes.

Her desperate attempt to avoid getting spanked with the belt is futile but understandable. I've never spanked any of the girls with my belt before so she has no idea what she's in for. It's the fear of the unknown that's gripping her right now.

"You're old enough now to understand the consequences for lying are severe." I double the belt over, holding it tightly in my left hand.

The tears are streaming down her face now that she's come to the realization that this is going to happen. It's not an idle threat this time.

"Stacey, stand and look at me." When she stands up, I gently lift her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "You're going to be spanked with my belt for repeatedly lying."

She's crying harder now.

I look her directly in the eyes and ask, "You do know there's a difference between a spanking and abuse. Don't you, Stacey?"

She nods her head.

"Answer me properly, please."

"Yes sir."

"Know that I will never abuse you, Stacey."

Seeing the frightened look on her face has me momentarily second guessing this punishment. If I don't do this now, I'll lose my nerve. She has to learn this lesson though.

"I want you to bend over the bed, Stacey."

She looks at me with pleading eyes but doesn't move.

"Now, Stacey," I say firmly.

She does as she's told so I'm ready to begin.

"Dishonesty will not be tolerated, Stacey, and that's why you're receiving this spanking. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

I exhale slowly and deliberately before landing the first stroke across her bottom.

SMACK

Stacey yelps and jerks up from the bed due to the severity of the pain from this harsh strip of leather. She reaches back to rub her bottom.

"It's important you don't reach back, Stacey. I don't want to hit your hand with the belt. Am I clear?" When she doesn't answer, I spank her bottom hard twice with my hand. "This is the last warning you're going to get to answer me properly, Stacey. The next time you fail to do so, I will spank your thighs with the belt. Am I clear?"

She immediately responds, "Yes sir," this time.

"Alright, fourteen more strokes. Let's continue."

I land the next three hard and fast on her left buttcheek, hitting precisely the same spot each time.

SMACK SMACK SMACK

Stacey clutches my comforter tightly to avoid reaching back.

I land the next three strokes hard and fast on her rightbutt cheek, hitting precisely the same spot each time.

SMACK SMACK SMACK

The next five are laced harshly across the middle of her bottom.

Stacey is now sobbing into my comforter.

These last three are really going to drive the message home.

SMACK

Right on her sit spots.

I deliberately wait a minute before continuing, in order to allow the sting of the leather striping her bottom to take hold.

SMACK

Another on her sit spots.

This last one I put more force behind and land it right above her thighs, on the underside of her buttocks.

Stacey cries out loud and stands up, trying to vigorously rub the sting out of her throbbing, punished bottom.

I toss my belt on the bed and pull Stacey into my chest. I rub her back trying to stop her sobbing. After a minute, I step back and look at Stacey expectantly. She knows what comes next and I'm hoping she'll do it of her own volition.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Mike," Stacey says, making me proud.

I wipe the tears from her cheeks and hold her close, comforting her as she cries into my shoulder.