Growing Pains-chapter 3 (M/fx4)
Copyright © 2000 by Sampast and Huggedlots

And a special thank you to Don A. Landhill for helping out with this chapter. He's the best!
~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer reached for the phone on the second ring. She picked it up, said hello, and listened. "HI, MAGGIE!" she said enthusiastically.

"Hey, Jenn, what's up?" Maggie asked.

"Nothing, I'm bored out of my mind."

"Are you grounded?" Maggie asked.

"No, why? Are you?" Jenn responded.

Maggie giggled. "No, it's amazing, right? Neither of us is grounded. Where's Robin?"

Jenn sighed. "She's getting ready to go to a friend's house. I have nothing to do; none of my friends were free today."

Maggie was silent for a minute. Then she said, "You wanna come over and hang out with me? I actually wanted to go to the mall today, and I would love some company."

Jenn's eyes lit up. "You do? Yeah, that would be great. Hold on, I'll ask my parents."

"Wait. Jenn?"

"Yeah? What?"

"Don't tell your parents we're going to the mall. Just ask if you could come over. Hey, wait, maybe you could sleep over. My parents are going out tonight and I have to watch Josh. You could babysit with me," Maggie suggested.

"That would be great. But why don't you want me to tell them we're going to the mall?" Jennifer asked.

"I just don't. Go ask; I'll hold on."

"Okay." Jennifer put the phone down on the counter and went to seek out her parents. She found them sitting at the dining room table, finishing up their coffee.

"Daddy?"

Charlie looked up from his paper. "Yes, baby?"

"Maggie's on the phone. She has nothing to do today, either. She asked if maybe I could come over and hang out."

Charlie looked at Jenn and then at Lisa. "That sounds okay with me. How 'bout you, hon?"

Lisa nodded. "Sure, if that's what you want, sweetie. You sure you want to hang out with Maggie all day?"

Jennifer nodded. "And tonight, too. She asked if I could sleep over. She has to watch Josh tonight."

Lisa looked at Charlie. "Oh, I don't know about that, baby. I don't know if I like the idea of you staying home without Bob and Heather there."

"But Mommy, I'm 12, and Maggie's 13. If Aunt Heather and Uncle Bob let her stay home alone with Joshua, then wouldn't it be better if I was with her?"

Lisa sighed. "I'll tell you what, Jennifer. I'll talk to Aunt Heather and see what she says."

Jenn rolled her eyes. "But, that's not fair!"

"Jennifer!" Charlie hissed.

"What?" Jenn asked, trying not to whine. "Maggie's waiting on the phone for an answer."

Charlie sighed. "Tell her that you can come over to hang out, then ask her to put her mom on the phone and Mommy will talk to her. Okay?"

"Oh, all right," Jenn said, walking away.

She went back to the phone and relayed the message.

Half an hour later, Jenn was putting stuff into a bag to spend the night at her cousin's. She was so excited. Robin came up then to see what she was doing. She saw Jenn's overnight bag and raised her eyebrows.

"Where are you going, Jenn?"

"I'm sleeping over at Maggie's," Jenn said, smiling.

"Really? That's not fair!" Robin said.

"Why not? You're going to your friend's house!"

"But this is my cousin, too," Robin insisted.

Jenn shrugged her shoulders. "If you didn't already have plans, I'm sure Maggie would have invited you, too."

"Yeah, well, whatever!" Robin said, storming out.

Jenn just smiled. She and Maggie didn't like hanging out with Robin sometimes anyway. She and Maggie had much more in common. Jenn couldn't wait to hang out with Maggie all day and night. And she couldn't wait to find out why going to the mall was a big secret.

Charlie dropped Jennifer off at Heather and Bob's around noon. Heather had picked up a pizza for the girls. Charlie stayed to chat with his brother and grab a slice of pizza before deciding he'd better get back. He and Lisa had a million errands to run and were glad that the twins had plans. It was bad enough having to cart three and a half-year-old Stephen around.

Lisa was several months pregnant, and they had a lot to do to get ready for the baby. From the sonogram they had found out that this time they were having a girl, and they wanted to buy her all new things.

Charlie called Jennifer over to him and said he was leaving. "Okay, bye, Daddy!" Jenn said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Jennifer, I know I don't have to warn you to behave yourself here," Charlie said, sternly.

"No, sir, you don't," Jenn said.

"Because you know that if you misbehave, that Uncle Bob or Aunt Heather will punish you. And if they do, I might punish you again when you get home. So be good!"

"I will, DADDDDDDY!" Jenn whined.

Charlie just stared at Jenn, then. "Jennifer, watch your tone, young lady. I haven't even walked out the door yet."

"Yes, sir," Jenn said. "Bye!"

She watched her dad leave and then she rolled her eyes. Geez, did he realize she was twelve now? He still treated her like she was seven.

As soon as they finished their lunch and the dishes were sitting in the sink, Jennifer and Maggie ran up to her room. Jenn threw her overnight bag into a corner and flopped down on Maggie's bed. Maggie went over and closed her door, and then sat down next to Jenn.

"Okay, here's the plan," Maggie started.

Jenn leaned over and listened. She couldn't wait to hear it.

"My friends are going to see that new R-rated movie, you know the one?" she asked Jenn, continuing to discuss the movie in detail.

Jenn nodded. "Yeah, I know it. I wanted to see it so bad, but my parents said no, of course."

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, I know. I didn't even ask my parents. I figured what's the point, they're not gonna let me anyway. This way, I figure you and I could just go there, and do it, and they won't even know the difference."

Jennifer smiled. "But why the secrecy of going to the mall? How are we going to get there?"

Maggie grinned. "We'll take the bus. I don't want my parents to even know we're at the mall. That way they'll have no clue to suspect anything. Don't worry, cuz, I've got a plan."

"I figured you did," Jenn said, smiling. She loved hanging out with Maggie. Something exciting always happened. Of course, they usually ended up in trouble, too, but Jenn didn't think about that right then.

A bit later, after Maggie had spoken with her other friends, she and Jenn went to work on their own plan. They went downstairs and looked around. Maggie didn't see Bob anywhere.

She went into the kitchen where Heather was alternating between feeding Josh some leftover pizza and baking brownies. "Hi girls," she said.

"Hi, Mom. Where's Dad?" Maggie asked.

"He's out back, working on the hedges."

"Oh, okay," Maggie said. "Come on, Jenn."

The girls went out back. They saw Bob working in the yard and walked over. "Dad?" Maggie asked.

Bob looked up from his work and smiled when he saw Maggie and Jenn. "Hi, sweetie, hi baby," he said.

Jenn smiled. Her uncle still used her childhood nickname, "Baby" and she liked it.

"What are you girls up to?" he asked.

"Wellllll," Maggie said.

Bob stood up then and looked at his daughter.

"Funny you should ask, Daddy," Maggie began, smiling and looking at Jennifer. "We were going to walk into town and go to that new ceramics place. You know the one that just opened up?"

"Yes, you said that Robin would love that place," Bob said.

"Yeah, but she was busy today. So Jenn and I figured we'd go check it out. If it's really good, then Robin can come with me another time. Also, we can walk around downtown and I can show Jenn the stores."

Bob thought about it. "Well, it is a nice day out." He looked at his watch. "How long were you planning to spend downtown, Maggs? You know that Mommy and I have to leave here no later than 7:30. I want you home way before then."

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, Dad, we'll be home by like 6. Is it okay?"

"6? It's 1:00 now. You're going to spend 5 hours downtown, Maggie?" Bob asked, incredulously.

"Well, not necessarily. But just to give you a time frame, what do you think?"

Bob sighed. "Okay, I guess. And I suppose you'll need money, too?" he asked.

Maggie smiled and nodded. "Why do you think we came to ask you instead of Mommy?"

Bob shook his head. "Okay, I'll give you money for the ceramics place. But anything else you buy, you have to use your own. Is that fair?"

"Yes, that's fair. Thank you, Daddy!" Maggie said, about to hug him.

"Don't hug me, sweetie. I'm all grimy and sweaty. Come on into the house. I left my wallet in there, where I thought it would be safe."

Jennifer laughed at her uncle's joke. She winked at Maggie as they walked into the house. The plan was working.

Not half an hour later, Maggie and Jenn were sitting on the bus heading towards the mall. They had walked downtown as they told Bob they were. They even stopped at one of the stores to pick up some candy for the bus ride. Then they waited at the bus stop for the bus. It came within fifteen minutes. Luck was on their side.

Jennifer was so excited. She had never gone to the mall without her parents or another adult before. She felt so grown up, going with just Maggie. And she knew that Maggie's friends would be cool.

She turned to her cousin then. "Hey, Maggs?"

"Yeah, Jenn?"

"You think your friends will like me? I mean, I am younger than you are."

"Are you kidding? They're gonna love you. Besides, I told them you were the same age as me," she said, smiling.

"Really? Cooooool!" Jenn said.

The ride to the mall went so fast because the girls chatted the whole way. They got out and headed inside the mall. Maggie and Jenn walked to the ticket booth to meet Maggie's friends.

"How're we going to get tickets for this movie, Maggie? Your friends aren't old enough to buy tickets for an R-rated movie!" Jenn said, just realizing a flaw in their plan.

Maggie laughed. "Hey, you think I dragged you all this way and I didn't have that covered, Jenn. Come on, cut me some slack."

Jenn just looked at her cousin and smiled. She knew then that Maggie had some other plan. She was having so much fun. She didn't even care at that point if they saw the movie.

A few minutes later, a group of kids met Maggie in front of the theatre. "We got 'em, Maggie!" one girl shrieked.

Maggie ran over to the girl holding the tickets. "You did? That's amazing! Your brother is soooo great, Elisa."

Elisa smiled. Maggie pulled Jenn over and introduced her. "Elisa, this is my cousin, Jennifer, the one I told you about. Jenn, this is Elisa. She's my best friend from school."

Maggie continued to make introductions all around. After that, they looked at the time. They had a half an hour to kill before the movie started. They went to a discount store and bought some more candy, and some soda. It was cheaper than buying it in the theater.

Next they went to the public restrooms. Elisa and another girl, Sandy, dumped out the contents of their pocketbooks on the counter. Maggie and Jenn watched in amazement. There was every kind of make-up known to man, err, woman.

"Okay, who's first?" Sandy asked.

Jenn said, "What's all the make-up for?"

Sandy smiled. "Well, Elisa's brother got us the tickets but now we have to actually look like we're old enough to go see this movie."

"OH, I see," Jenn said, smiling. "I'll be first."

A bit later, all the girls looked into the mirror. They had on tons of makeup but it didn't look cheap. Sandy's older sister had shown her tips on how to apply make-up, probably never realizing how Sandy would use them. Jenn was amazed at how much older she looked.

She nudged Maggie and whispered, "Gee, if Robin could see me now!" Maggie just laughed.

It was almost time for the movie to begin. They all walked into the theater casually as if they didn't have a care in the world. They showed their tickets. No one stopped them. The ushers barely noticed them. Victory!

Jenn was so excited knowing she was sitting inside an R-rated movie. She tried to get into the picture but it was way above her head. Instead, she focused on the actors' and actresses' clothes and on how little or too much make-up they were wearing.

The movie was something about a man and woman dating. But she wasn't sure exactly. There was one point though, that scared her half to death. She looked over at Maggie. Maggie didn't seem affected by it at all, but Jenn was afraid. She reached for Maggie's arm and squeezed it tight.

Maggie looked over at her cousin. "You okay?" she whispered.

Jenn nodded, but she wasn't really. The man in the movie had attacked the woman, pushed her down and was trying to force her to have sex with him, although Jenn didn't really know what he was doing. She had never seen a movie like this in her life. She started thinking maybe this was why her parents didn't want her seeing R-rated movies.

When the movie was over, Jennifer had calmed down, but Maggie knew she had been pretty shaken up by it. Jenn's face was white. Maggie looked her cousin over. "Are you sure you're all right, Jenn?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Jenn said, looking around. She hoped she didn't see any man that looked like the man from the movie. "You know how after you see a movie, you feel like it's real, for a little while?"

Maggie nodded. "Oh, yeah, I feel that way all the time. It takes a while to shake off. Come on, we'd better find out bus schedules." She looked at her watch. "Wow, that was a long movie. It's 5:00 already."

Jenn couldn't believe how fast the time had gone by. She didn't want to go home. But then again, she didn't want to be late. Uncle Bob was as strict as her daddy.

Maggie pulled Jenn and together they started walking out of the theater. Unbeknownst to Maggie, one of Bob's friends saw her there. He couldn't believe how old she looked with all that make-up on. He also noted which movie she came out of, and was sure his friend, Bob, would be interested in hearing about it. He didn't let Maggie see him. She seemed oblivious anyhow.

Maggie met her friends outside the theater. "What are your plans now, Maggie?" Elisa asked.

"We have to go. My parents are going out tonight and we're babysitting," Maggie said, snidely. She didn't really mind but she didn't want her friends to think she liked it. It was all a game in the teenagers' world.

"OH, that's too bad, cuz we're all gonna hang out here some more, and maybe see another movie later," Elisa said.

Maggie nodded. "You're lucky. But we really have to go!"

"Ben! What are you doing here?" Elisa shrieked and ran over to talk to an older teenager. Jenn watched. "Oooh, he was cute!" she thought to herself.

Maggie pulled Jenn over and Elisa made introductions. "Maggie, you know my brother, Ben. Jennifer, this is Ben. And this is Scott, Ben's best friend."

Everyone said hello. With the makeup on, Maggie looked much older than her thirteen years. Even without the makeup, Maggie looked a few years older. So right then, she probably looked about seventeen or so. Scott started to flirt with her.

Ben just laughed. He knew how old Elisa and her friends were, but he didn't say anything. The siblings chatted and Elisa told Ben how great the movie was. Jennifer thanked Ben for getting them the tickets.

"Oh, it was nothing. I'd do anything for my little sis, and she knows it," he said, smiling.

Jenn really liked Elisa's brother. He was so nice. She looked over at Maggie. She was deep in conversation with Scott. Jenn didn't mind but after a bit, she started to get worried. She knew it was getting late, and that they would be in trouble if they didn't get home soon.

Jennifer whispered to Elisa, "Do you know what time it is?"

Elisa looked at her watch. "Yeah, it's 5:35."

"It is?" Jenn asked, bewildered. She had no idea it had gotten so late. She ran over to Maggie and interrupted her. "Maggs, Maggs!" she said.

Maggie looked at Jenn. "What?" she asked, "You're interrupting a very private conversation, Jennifer."

Jenn looked at Scott and smiled. "Excuse us for a minute," Jenn said, pulling Maggie to the side. "I'm sorry, Maggs, but it's 5:35 already. We told your dad we'd be back by 6. The bus ride is more than half an hour. What're we gonna do?"

Maggie looked at Jenn. She could tell her cousin was scared of the idea of being even a little bit late. She thought maybe Jenn was smart to be worried. Her dad really would be angry if they got home late. And how would they explain why?

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, you're right, cuz. Okay, let me just say goodbye and then we'll go."

"All right," Jenn said. But she stood right next to Maggie, for fear she'd slide right back into a long conversation.

Elisa came up to Maggie next and gave her a big hug. "Me and Sandy are gonna go. We're meeting Anne and Erin down by Tower Records. I wish you and Jenn could stay."

Maggie hugged Elisa back. "I wish so too, but we really can't. In fact, if we don't leave this second, we're gonna be in big trouble."

Scott overheard what Maggie said and put his hand on her arm. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

Maggie looked at Jenn and then at Scott. She didn't know how to answer. She didn't want him to think she was a baby. But before she could think up a good answer, Jennifer blurted out the truth.

"We told my uncle we'd be home by six," Jenn said. "And it's almost six now, and we have to take the bus back."

Scott said, "Ohhhhhh!"

Maggie looked at Jenn. Jenn said, "What?" "Nothing," said Maggie.

"So you see, we really have to go. It was nice meeting you, Scott," she said, pulling Jenn away. "I can't believe you just did that," Maggie whispered.

Jenn was confused. "What? What'd I do?"

The girls started to walk away. "We have to make one more stop before we head for the bus."

Jenn was annoyed. "Now where? Maggie, it's late."

Maggie said, "Jenn, we have to wash off all this makeup. If my dad sees it on us, we're dead, anyway."

"Oh yeah," Jenn said, "True."

But as they approached the girls' bathroom, Maggie felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and was staring up into Scott's face. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Scott said. "I talked to Ben and he didn't want you to get into trouble any more than I did. So we'll take you home."

Maggie was shocked. "You will?" she asked.

"Yeah, come on, let's go!" Scott said, smiling.

Maggie looked at Jennifer and smiled. "See, we won't be late after all. By car, it's only fifteen minutes."

Jenn was unsure. She didn't think her dad would like it if she drove in the car with two teenagers. Even if they were late, she thought maybe the bus was the better route to take.

But Maggie wouldn't let Jenn argue. So Jenn went with them. The only bad thing was that they didn't get to wash off the make-up. Maggie didn't want Scott to see how young she really looked. Jenn was upset, but she didn't know how to change Maggie's mind.

She looked at the clock in the car. The clock said 5:55. And they were just leaving the mall parking lot. How could things get any worse?
~
She shouldn't have wondered. Ben's car got a flat tire about a mile from Maggie's house. Jenn stared at the clock. It was 6:15. Luckily, they weren't too far from a gas station and were able to push the car there. While waiting for the tire to be changed, Jennifer went in to use the bathroom. It was pretty gross, but she wanted to wash the make-up off her face.

Jenn knew they were already going to be in trouble for being late. She didn't want to add super model make-up to the list. She scrubbed it all off and then went back out. Maggie refused to wash hers off, saying something about Scott. Jenn shrugged. It was her butt, after all.

They fixed the tire and continued to drive toward Maggie's house. Ben said, "You live in the brown one, don't you?"

Maggie nodded. "Um, yeah, but do me a favor, and drop us off here. I, um, have to pick up my neighbor's mail. They're on vacation."

"Oh, sure," Ben said. Jenn just looked at Maggie. She couldn't believe how well Maggie lied. She would have to start taking lessons.

Ben and Scott said their good-byes and Maggie and Jenn hopped out. They waved to the boys as they drove away. Maggie looked at her watch. It was almost seven. They weren't too late.

Jenn handed Maggie something and smiled. "Here, use this."

Maggie took the handi-wipe and smiled. "Where'd you get this?"

"Ben had them on the floor in the back seat. I figured you could wipe off at least a little of the make-up," Jenn said.

"Thanks," Maggie answered. And she did just that. And Jenn said she looked like herself.

The girls started walking up the street. Jenn was really nervous. Maggie was a little, too, but she assured Jennifer that all would be fine.

"Just let me do all the talking, and agree with everything I say, all right?" Maggie explained.

"Okay," Jenn said, preferring it this way anyway.

They got to Maggie's driveway. They both took deep breaths. "Okay, here goes," Maggie said.

They walked up the driveway and up to the door. Maggie was about to take out her key when Bob swung the door open. If looks could kill....

"Margaret Anne, where on earth have you two been?" Bob screamed.

Jenn just looked at Maggie and visibly shuddered. She didn't know if she had ever seen her uncle look this angry. Bob held the door open and the girls followed him into the house.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, young lady?" Bob asked.

Maggie nodded. "Yes, sir, it's just seven o'clock," she said, referring to her watch.

"Yes, it is, and I believe you told me you would be home way before six, six at the latest."

Bob pointed to the couch in the living room and the two girls sat. Bob paced. "I don't really have time for this, girls. Maggie, your mother is finishing getting dressed, and then we have to leave. But I want to know where you have been, why you're late, and I want to know right now. So start talking!"

Jenn was glad that Maggie had agreed to do all the talking. She was afraid to even open up her mouth. She looked at her cousin and waited to hear what she was going to say.

Maggie took a deep breath. "Well, Daddy, the project at the ceramics place took a little longer than we thought, and..."

"Stop right there," Bob said. "I went looking for you. Even brought your photographs with me. No one at the ceramics place saw you today. Now how about telling the truth, Margaret Anne?"

Jennifer gulped. He had gone looking for them? Ugh. And the use of two names was not a good sign. She looked over at Maggie. Maggie looked back at Jenn.

"Well, I guess we should tell him, huh, Jennifer?" Maggie said.

Jenn nodded.

Maggie said, "Well, Daddy, we kinda walked a little further than town."

"You what?" he asked. Jenn looked at Maggie. Maggie gave her the "remember to let me talk and just agree look."

"Yeah, we, uh, we kinda walked to the movie theater. You know the one by the shopping strip, just outside of town?" she continued.

Bob nodded. "That's a very far walk, Maggie. Why'd you go there?"

Maggie said, "Well, there's that new Disney film there. And Jenn and I really wanted to see it."

"What happened to going to the ceramics place?"

"Well, we stopped there, but then decided we weren't really in the mood for it after all, and then I remembered that the theater was playing that movie. So I didn't think it would be too much further to just walk there."

Jenn was amazed. Even she believed Maggie's story, and she knew the truth. She watched her uncle's face to see what his reaction would be.

Just then, Heather came down the stairs, holding Joshua. "Girls, you're home! Thank goodness! Where have you been, Maggie? Your father took the car and went out looking for you," she explained.

Maggie and Jenn got the standard lecture, about not being where they told them they would be, and about being on time. The two girls thought they got off pretty easy. Bob just grounded Maggie for the rest of the weekend. He couldn't do much about Jenn being there, as Charlie and Lisa had made other plans, what with both girls being out for the night. He warned them to behave when he and Heather left the house ten minutes later.

"We won't be home 'til after midnight," Heather told Maggie. "I don't want you staying up that late." She turned to Jennifer. "I told your mom you would be in bed by ten."

Maggie opened her mouth wide. "Ten? But Mommm, that's so early!"

"Maggie!" Bob warned. "In bed by ten. You don't have to be asleep, but we want you in bed then. When we get home, you had better not be awake. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Maggie said. Jenn just nodded. She was still in shock that they hadn't been found out.

Maggie locked the door after her parents went out, and set about finding something for them for dinner. Josh was set up in front of the TV with a video. Maggie knew they had at least half an hour to themselves before she had to put him to bed.

The night went fine. Josh was a little angel and went right down when the girls put him to sleep. At least that was one thing they didn't have to worry about. They found some frozen hors d'oeuvres and had them for dinner. It wasn't the most nutritious meal but it was tasty.

Around 9:00, they went upstairs and put their pajamas on. Maggie helped Jennifer set up her bed. She was sleeping on a mattress on the floor in Maggie's room. Then they went into Bob and Heather's room to watch TV. They began to talk about their day.

"So, we had quite an adventure today, huh, Jenn?" Maggie asked.

Jennifer nodded. "You bet. It was the best day I've had in a long time. Thanks for inviting me, Maggs." Jenn reached over and hugged her cousin.

"It was good, except the part about getting into trouble, right?"

"Well, yeah, but we did get off pretty lightly. I wonder if my daddy is going to punish me when he finds out," Jenn thought aloud.

Maggs thought about it. "I dunno, but probably. He'll probably ground you tomorrow like my dad did. Thank god they don't know the real truth, huh?"

Jenn nodded and the two girls giggled. They watched TV until 11 and then they thought they had better go back to Maggie's room. They didn't want to get caught out of bed, in case Bob and Heather came home early. Maggie wondered if her parents really thought they'd be in bed by ten. Geez!

By 1:00, the girls got tired of talking, and within minutes, Jennifer was asleep. Maggie lay there for a while. She got up and checked on Josh. She went down and checked to make sure the doors were locked. She was feeling a little spooked and she wasn't sure why. She had stayed home alone before. But tonight felt different. And she wondered why her parents weren't home yet.

She got back into bed and lay there, thinking of the day, and about the movie they had seen. She realized that was what was bothering her. She must have fallen asleep because when Bob and Heather came home at 2:30 am, both girls were out cold.

Bob closed the door to Maggie's room and joined Heather in the baby's room. He was sound asleep as well. They went to their own room to get out of their clothes and ready for bed.

About thirty minutes later, when Bob was finished in the bathroom, and Heather was already asleep, he heard a soft knock at his bedroom door. He got up and opened it, only to find a teary-eyed Jennifer standing there.

He leaned down and looked at her. "What's the matter, baby? You have a bad dream?"

Jenn nodded and started to cry. "And I wet the bed, Uncle Bob. I'm sorry!"

Bob said, "Oh, baby, it's okay. Come on, I'll help you get changed." He took Jenn by the hand and went to the hall closet and took out clean sheets. "You can borrow a pair of Maggie's pajamas."

He looked at his niece, who all of a sudden, looked younger than her twelve years. She was crying softly. He picked her up and held her. "Jenn, it's okay, sweetie."

"No, it's not," Jenn said. "I'm twelve years old. I haven't wet my bed in a long time, Uncle."

"It's okay, it was probably the bad dream you had. Come, we'll get you changed, and the bed changed, and then you can tell me about it."

Jennifer followed her uncle back to Maggie's room. He went to her drawer and pulled out a pair of pajamas. Jenn reached into her overnight bag and pulled out a fresh pair of panties. She ran into the bathroom to change. She was too embarrassed to ask for help from her uncle.

When she got back, she watched him finish making up her bed. "Did you put your wet things in the tub, baby?" he asked her.

Jenn just nodded. She was so embarrassed. "Okay," Bob said.

He took her hand and led her into Heather's sewing room. Bob wasn't sure why Heather called it her sewing room; she didn't sew. But never the less, that's what they called it. He sat down in a comfy chair and pulled Jennifer into his lap.

He snuggled her tight. Jenn felt so safe in her uncle's arms. "You wanna tell me what your dream was about, baby?"

Jenn wasn't sure she should. After all, it was a direct result from watching that movie that afternoon, and she couldn't tell him that. She tried to think of what to say, when Bob interrupted her thoughts.

He looked down at her and said, "You and Maggie didn't watch a scary movie on TV tonight, did you?"

Jenn thought fast. If she said yes, she'd have a good excuse. She'd just have to remember to tell Maggie that in the morning. She nodded. "Yeah, we did."

Bob thought about it. "Hmmmm," he said. "Then I guess you weren't in bed at ten, huh?"

Jenn just looked up at her uncle then. What could she say? They didn't show scary movies before nine pm.

"It's okay, sweetie. Tell me about your dream."

So Jenn told him. She had dreamt that a scary man was chasing her down a dark alley. When he got to her, he pulled out a knife and held it against her. Then the scary man had threatened to hurt her. He tore her clothes and threw her down.

Jennifer was crying then. Bob held her close and patted her back. "There, there, it's okay. It was only a dream. Gee, I can't imagine what movie you two were watching. But I'd suggest no more scary movies for you, Jennifer."

"Nuh uh," she said. She cried into her uncle's arms and he held her. When Jennifer felt better and Bob noticed she was starting to fall asleep again, he walked her back to Maggie's room. He tucked her in with a kiss and told her he'd see her in the morning. Jenn fell right back to sleep.

The next morning, everyone slept in. Even Joshua. Heather and Bob couldn't imagine a better baby. When Bob finally woke up, he went in and got Josh up and brought him downstairs. Maggie came down a little bit later.

She went up to him where he was sitting, trying to keep Josh's food on the table. "Morning, Dad," she said, giving Bob a peck on the cheek.

"Morning, Magpie," Bob said. Maggie smiled whenever her dad used the nickname he had given her so long ago.

"Jennifer's still sleeping," Maggie informed him.

"Yes, I would imagine she would be," Bob said. "You really shouldn't have let her watch such a frightening movie, Maggs."

Maggie looked at her father in alarm. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying not to look guilty. "Jenn told you?"

Bob nodded. "She woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. She was pretty shaken up. I got her to admit that you two hadn't gone right to bed at 10 pm. But Maggs, those late night movies really aren't for girls your age."

Maggie sighed in relief. Jenn had told him that they had stayed up late watching scary movies on TV. Thank god! She thought Jennifer was pretty smooth for a twelve-year-old.

"Yeah, Daddy, I guess you're right. Are you mad we stayed up?" Maggie asked.

"No, sweetie, not really. But Aunt Lisa might be upset if Jennifer's a grouch all day," Bob said, smiling.

Maggie smiled, too, and remembered to breathe. That was a close one, she thought to herself. She had thought for a minute that maybe her dad knew the truth.

By eleven, everyone was up and showered and dressed. Heather told the girls about the magnificent night they had had the night before. They had gone to a party at another professor's house and it was very fancy. Heather had never been to a party quite like that.

Jennifer liked to listen to the tales of what people were wearing. She was very in tune to those things. Maggie listened, too, while they waited for Charlie to come pick Jennifer up. Bob had called his brother to let him know that Maggie was grounded and why. Charlie hadn't sounded too thrilled and said he'd be there by noon to get Jennifer. Luckily he had the day off.

Just at noon, when Heather was letting Charlie in, the telephone rang. Bob actually got to it before Maggie. It was his friend, Vic. They made small talk for a few minutes and then Bob's face turned red.

"She was WHERE?" he asked.

The girls were in the den with Heather, but Charlie had appeared in the kitchen doorway and heard Bob. He was interested in what was wrong with his brother.

Charlie watched Bob and listened. "I see. No, I didn't know. Yes, uh huh. Right, well, thank you, Vic, for letting me know," Bob said. Sighing, he put down the phone.

"Everything okay?" Charlie asked, concerned.

Bob turned and stared at his older brother. "Good timing, bro. You are not going to believe what I just learned."

"What?" Charlie asked.

Bob told Charlie what Vic had told him. That he had seen Maggie and another girl coming out of an R-rated movie at the mall the day before. He also explained to Bob that they both had on a lot of make-up and looked to be at least sixteen. Vic had thought Bob should know.

Charlie pulled a stool away from the counter in the kitchen and sat down. He sighed. He looked back over at Bob and said, "How do you want to handle this?"

"What I want to do is grab Maggie and throw her over my knee and spank the daylights out of her. I cannot believe the trouble she went to, to lie to me. She is in BIG trouble," Bob said.

Charlie just nodded. He had no idea how to handle Jennifer either. The two men discussed the matter for a few minutes and then decided on a plan of action. They went into the den and asked the girls to join them in the living room. Bob whispered briefly to Heather. She turned white. Then she grabbed Joshua and went outside with him.

Jennifer just looked up at her father. "Hi, Daddy," she said. Maggie said, "Hi, Uncle Charlie. Daddy? Is something wrong?"

Bob waited until the girls were seated on the couch. Then he turned to his daughter and said, "Maggie, you told me you walked all the way to the shopping center and saw a Disney movie, is that right? That's why you were so late?"

"Yes, Daddy," Maggie answered.

He turned to Jennifer next. "And Jenn, you said that your bad dream came from a scary movie on TV, which you stayed up late to watch, right?"

Jenn just nodded.

Bob continued, "What movie was it, by the way?"

Jennifer looked at Maggie, then up at her dad and then at Bob. "I don't remember the name, sir."

The two girls were getting nervous. They felt like they were getting the third degree. Maggie started to wonder if her dad knew the truth.

Bob seemed to take awhile to think about Jennifer's answer. "I see. It wouldn't have been "Date Rape", would it? The new R-rated movie that's in theaters now?"

Jennifer and Maggie looked at each other in shock and horror. Maggie looked at Bob and said, "Daddy? How did you know?"

At this point there was no denying it. Maggie knew for a fact that her father knew the truth. She wasn't sure how, but she knew there was no point in lying anymore.

"Okay, so it is true. You two went to the mall, didn't you?"

Before they could answer Bob, Charlie said, "And you saw an R-rated movie?"

The two girls were about to nod when Bob said, "And put on far too much make up. Isn't that the truth, girls?"

They both nodded. "Yes, sir," they both said in unison. Then Maggie added in a whine, "But Daddy, how did you know?"

"Never you mind how we know. And whining is not a good idea right now, Margaret Anne."

"The question is," Charlie said, "how did you dare to be so disobedient, and tell so many lies?"

This was too much for Jennifer. She had had a great day the day before, but she never thought they would be found out. She looked up at her father then and started to cry. "I, uh, we, I don't know, Daddy."

Maggie looked up at Bob and Charlie. "It's all my fault. Don't punish Jenn. She came with me, but it was all my idea."

Charlie looked at his niece. "Maybe it was your idea, but Jennifer didn't have to go along." He looked at Jenn then. "You know the rules, don't you, Jennifer Lynn?"

Jenn nodded, trying to calm down her crying.

Bob looked sternly at Maggie. "And so do you, young lady."

"Now, is there anything else you want to tell us about your day yesterday?" Charlie asked.

The two girls looked at each other again. Jennifer wondered if Maggie would say anything about the boys driving them home. She searched her cousin's face, but came up blank. She shook her head no. Maggie did the same.

Charlie said, "Well that is quite enough. You have each earned a good sound paddling."

Bob nodded his head in agreement. "And since you got into this together, you will be punished together. Maggie, since it was your idea, you can watch Jennifer go first."

The girls were surprised. "But Daddy, don't you want to take me to my room?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, Daddy, can't we go home?" Jenn asked, the tears already falling down her face.

Charlie shook his head. "No, this time you will be punished together."

"Maybe this will help you remember to behave when you are together," Bob added.

The girls were too stunned to speak. Bob said, "Jennifer, you are first. Come here. Since you misbehaved here and lied to me, I am going to spank you here."

As Jennifer stood, she looked at her dad uncertainly. Charlie nodded. "And then you and I will have a further talk at home, young lady."

Quietly, Jenn said, "Yes, Daddy." She walked over to her uncle and stared at the carpet. Again very quietly she murmured, "I'm sorry, Uncle Bob."

"You certainly should be, Jennifer. You know better than to go to the mall without permission and on your own. And you lied to cover it up. You know very well how your father and I feel about lies."

At this point, Bob pulled Jenn's pants and panties down and laid her over his lap. He picked up a hairbrush that one of the men had brought in earlier and began to spank her bottom with it.

{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}

Jenn had not anticipated how hard her uncle would start her paddling, and cried from the first spank. "Owwwwwwwww! Owwwww, I'm sorry, sir! WAAAAAAAH!"

Meanwhile, Maggie turned her head so she didn't have to see, but hearing the brush and Jenn crying was too much for her. She stood up and ran to Bob. "Daddy! Stop! It's my fault!" she pleaded.

Charlie stood up and grabbed Maggie and held her back. "Maggie, don't! Jennifer earned her punishment when she went along with your plan. Now sit down and watch what your idea got your cousin, and remember you are next."

While all that was going on, Bob was still spanking Jennifer.
{Crack!}{Crack!} "You will {Crack!} follow the rules {Crack!} when you visit here, {Crack!} Jennifer Lynn." {Crack!}

"Owwww, yes, sir. I will, I will. I promise, please stop!" she cried.

"I'll stop {Crack!} when I think you've learned your lesson very well. {Crack!} You will not {Crack!} go to the mall {Crack!} without permission, {Crack!} {Crack!} young lady. {Crack!} {Crack!} You will not ever {Crack!} lie to me {Crack!} or help someone else do so." {Crack!}

Maggie turned her head into Charlie's shirt, but he turned her around and made her watch. "Maggie, we want you to watch Jennifer's spanking, since it was your idea which got you both into trouble."

Maggie nodded and watched, so upset about what Jennifer was going through. Jenn was crying hysterically. "I'm so sorrrrry! I won't do it again. Waaaaaaah!"

{Crack!} {Crack!} {Crack!} "You had better not, {Crack!} young lady, {Crack!}{Crack!} or you will get it {Crack!} even worse." {Crack!}

Suddenly Bob stopped. Jennifer thought this was the worst paddling she had ever received. She forgot how strong her uncle was.

"All right, Jennifer, you may stand up and go to the corner. Your spanking is over."

Charlie gently pushed Maggie up from where she was sitting and said, "And it is your turn, Maggie." He watched his niece approach her father. He turned to look at his daughter in the corner. "Jennifer, I want you to be ready to explain to me how you will behave another time when you come out of that corner."

Maggie walked over to Bob and said, "I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't cut it, but I really am."

"I'm glad to hear that, Margaret Anne, but you know it doesn't get you out of your punishment." He pulled down her pants and panties and pulled her over his lap. He started her spanking right away.

{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!} "Margaret Anne, {Crack!} what in heaven's name {Crack!} were you thinking of?" {Crack!}{Crack!}

Maggie said the first answer that came to her mind. "I don't know, Daddy." Then realizing how lame that sounded, and knowing her father wouldn't accept it anyway, she said, "I mean, I, uh, it was really bad what we did, I know that. I'm sorrry! Owwwwwww!"

{Crack!} {Crack!} "Well, {Crack!} you will not {Crack!} ever {Crack!} pull this stunt or {Crack!} anything like it {Crack!} again. {Crack!}{Crack!} You know better {Crack!} than to go to the mall {Crack!} on your own {Crack!} without permission {Crack!} and you know much {Crack!}{Crack!} better than to lie to me {Crack!} over and over. {Crack!} There is also the little matter {Crack!} of not coming home {Crack!} when you said {Crack!} you would, {Crack!} young lady." {Crack!}{Crack!}

"Owwwww, yes, DADDDDY! I'm sorry, that wasn't our fault. Wwwwwaaaaaaahhhh!"

{Crack!}{Crack!}{Crack!} "Lying in particular {Crack!} is simply not acceptable, {Crack!} Margaret Anne. {Crack!} But visiting the mall on your own {Crack!} {Crack!} was very naughty, too. {Crack!}{Crack!} All right, your spanking is over. Corner for you, too," Bob said.

He helped Maggie stand up. She wanted her forgiveness hug so bad, but knew her punishment wasn't over yet. Besides, she knew she had to spend some time in the corner. She walked over to a different corner than the one Jenn was in, but the two girls were able to exchange sympathy looks.

Charlie and Bob conferred while the two girls stood in their separate corners. Maggie wanted to rub but hadn't been given permission to do so, and was afraid of what would happen if she dared to do it. Charlie had never told Jennifer she couldn't rub, so while she waited, she rubbed her bottom furiously.

The two men waited a good eight to ten minutes. Then Charlie called Jenn out of the corner. She ran over to Bob first and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry, Uncle Bob. I won't lie to you anymore." Bob hugged her back and said, "I hope not, Jennifer. I don't enjoy spanking you." Jennifer went to Charlie next and just sobbed into his chest. Charlie fixed her panties and pants and held Jenn tight.

Bob waited a few more minutes and then called Maggie out of her corner. She went right to her daddy and hugged him hard. Bob sat down and pulled Maggie into his lap, after adjusting her bottoms. "I'm so sorry, Daddy," Maggie cried. "I won't do anything like this again. I promise."

Bob just nodded and held onto Maggie for a good while. Then the two girls stood and hugged each other. The two men joined in and there was a four way hug.
~~
"Daddy?" Jenn asked.

"Yes, baby?"

Biting her lip, Jenn asked, "Are you very mad at me and Maggie?"

Charlie sighed, "Well we are not happy about what you did, either of you -- we didn't know where you were, or if something had happened to you. But we both love you and we always will."

Both girls just nodded. Bob looked at them then, and said, "Yes, that's true, and girls? I want to be sure that you know that we love you, even when we have to punish you."

Maggie and Jenn felt relieved, until Bob said, "I'm afraid, though, that your punishments are not over yet, girls."

Both Maggie and Jenn just looked up at Bob and waited.

He stood up then, and indicated that they should follow him. Charlie decided to take this opportunity to call Lisa and let her know why it was taking him so long to get Jennifer.

Maggie and Jenn followed Bob into the bathroom. He told them to both sit on the edge of the tub. They did so, without a word. "I don't think I have to tell you what's going to happen now, do I?" he asked.

"No, sir," Maggie said. "No, Uncle Bob."

"Okay." Bob took out two matching bars of soap and wet each one. He told the girls to open their mouths. When they did, he inserted a bar of soap into each one. "You girls are getting older. We expect you to be honest with us. I cannot believe how many lies you told me this weekend. I was very surprised at the lengths you two went to, to keep your adventure a secret."

The girls just nodded. They both knew he was right. They had hatched up quite the plan. Maggie should have known that her father would find out. She just wondered how he had. Jenn thought back now to thinking that Maggie was so clever. Apparently, she wasn't too clever.

After several minutes, Bob told them they could open up. They took turns rinsing their mouths. But unfortunately the taste of soap seemed to linger.

Bob hugged each girl. "I really hope I don't have to repeat this lesson anytime soon."

"Yes, sir," Jenn said. "Yes, Daddy," Maggie said.

"Okay, Maggs, say good-bye to your cousin, and then I want you up in your room. I will be up a bit later, and then you and I are going to discuss things again."

Maggie gulped. She had an idea that her idea of "discuss" and her dad's idea were two different things. She hugged Jennifer goodbye and wished her good luck. She had heard Uncle Charlie say that he and Jennifer would be having a talk at home, too. She figured his "talk" and her Daddy's "discussion" were probably the same thing.

Maggie walked Jennifer to the front door. Bob went to get his brother. "Jenn, the boys driving us home will be our secret, okay?" Maggie whispered. Jennifer nodded. "Sure, I can't imagine how they could find out about that. I really did have fun, Maggie, until this morning," Jenn said.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I thought my plan was foolproof. I'll have to find out how my daddy found out. I'll let you know."

"Okay," Jenn said, giving her cousin one last hug.

Charlie and Bob arrived at the door then. Bob looked at Maggie and pointed to the stairs. "Go," he said simply. "Yes, sir," Maggie answered, waving to Jenn. "Good-bye, Uncle Charlie." Then she ran up the stairs.

"All right, Jennifer, it is time to go home. We will talk about this a little more later. You have your stuff?" Charlie asked, looking around for her bag.

Jenn retrieved it from the corner and showed Charlie. Then she ran to her uncle and gave him one last hug. "I'm sorry I was so much trouble, Uncle Bob."

Bob just smiled and hugged Jennifer back. "Go on, now," he said.

When they got to the front door of their own house, Charlie turned to Jenn and said, "Jennifer, I would like you to go to your room and think about this for a little while; then we will talk."

"Talk, Daddy?" Jenn asked.

"Well, some real talking, yes. But you remember I warned you that if you misbehaved at Uncle Bob and Aunt Heather's house, you could expect a spanking from me, too? Well I would say you surely did misbehave."

"Yes, Daddy," Jenn said, rubbing her bottom as she ran up to her room. She was glad to see that Robin wasn't home from her friend's house yet. She unpacked her bag and laid down on her bed, on her stomach.

Charlie went in search of Lisa. He found her on the phone in the kitchen. The two of them talked. Lisa decided she would pick Robin up from her friend's house and take her and Stephen to the playground. That way he would have the house to himself, to deal with Jennifer. Charlie thought that was a good idea.

He waited a good hour and then went up to the twins' bedroom. He knocked softly and heard Jennifer say, "Come in." He went in and moved her desk chair next to her bed, and sat down in it. "Well, what have you thought about, Jennifer Lynn?"

Jenn looked at Charlie then and said, "I shouldn't have gone ahead with Maggie's plan, Daddy. I'm sorry. It just sounded so fun, and I felt so grown up. But the movie really scared me. I understand why you and Mommy don't want me watching those kinds of movies."

Charlie thought that sounded very grown-up of Jennifer, and he felt proud. Bob, of course, had told him that Jenn had wet the bed, but he decided not to even mention it. He knew she might have questions later on about what she had seen in the movie. He hoped he and Lisa could discuss things first, though.

"I'm glad you understand that, Jennifer. We will let you go to more scary movies, if you want, when you get a bit older. The one you saw was a very intense movie indeed. I don't think *I* would have wanted to see it. Now do you understand why I am going to spank you, even after your spanking by Uncle Bob?"

"Yes, Daddy, 'cuz I lied a lot, and 'cuz you warned me if I got in trouble, you would spank me."

"Yes, that's right. But because you seem to have understood what you did, and because Uncle Bob gave you a very sound paddling, I am only going to use my hand. Now come here."

Jenn stood up and went right over to Charlie. But because she was a little girl, and she started to think about how much it was going to hurt, she began to plead. "Daddy, please, I'm sore. I'm sorry. Please don't spank me again," she cried.

Charlie raised his eyebrows and looked down at her. "Jennifer, considering what you did, you are getting off lightly. Now don't argue unless you want me to reconsider using the hairbrush."

She shook her head. "No, sir."

Charlie took down Jennifer's pants and panties and bent her over his lap. He raised his hand and brought it down several times on her bare bottom.

{smack} {smack} {smack} {smack} {smack} {smack}

Because of her previous spanking that morning, and because her bottom was already so sore, these light spanks hurt so bad. Jenn started to cry immediately.

{smack} "Jennifer Lynn, {smack} you will not {smack} disobey like this again. {smack} And telling lies {smack} to cover up only makes things that much {smack} worse." {smack}

Jenn cried out, "Yeeessss, Daddddy, I'm sorrrry!"

{smack}{smack} "You should be, young lady. {smack} Your mother and I have good reasons for our rules. {smack} They are not just to stop you from having fun {smack} and we expect you {smack} to obey them." {smack}

"Owwwww, okaaaaaaaay! Yes, sir!" Jenn cried. The tears were coming down almost as hard and as fast as the spanks were.

{smack}{smack} "I don't want to have to {smack} discuss anything like this with you {smack} ever again, Jennifer."

"You won't ever have to, Daddy, I'm sorry!" Jenn sobbed.

{smack}{smack}{smack}{smack}{smack} "All right, Jenn, your spanking is over."

Jenn stood up then and sobbed again against Charlie's chest. He hugged her to him real tight and soothed and comforted her. He put his arms around her to support her and said, "Baby, I'm sorry I had to be so strict with you. I forgive you, and I love you and I always will. Parents get scared for their kids, you know. I just want to make things work as well for you as possible, and help you to make good choices."

"I know, I'm sorrrrrry, Daddddy; we were so bad," Jenn wailed.

"No, Jennifer, you were not bad, and I don't want to hear you say that about yourself. However, your actions were very poorly chosen, and quite naughty. But you are not your actions, and I want you to keep the difference clear in your head."

"I know, Daddy." Jenn sobbed and then looked up at her father. "Daddy? It's gonna take you a long time to trust me again, isn't it?"

Charlie looked down at Jenn, who was trying to wipe the tears away. "Well, yes, completely. This wasn't just a spur of the moment thing, Jennifer. You and Maggie planned this, and told an elaborate story to try to cover up. But maybe by the end of your grounding, we can assume that things are back to where they should be. Okay?"

Jenn smiled for the first time in a while and said, "Okay, Daddy. Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I love you," Jenn said, giving Charlie an extra big hug.

"Oh, Jennifer, I love you too, very much." He hugged her back again just as firm and loving as he could.

Charlie reached down then and pulled up Jenn's panties. He went to get her pants, too, but she shook her head no. "I think I wanna lie down for a while, Daddy. They would hurt too much," she said, indicating the jeans.

"Okay, baby. Here, let me turn down the covers for you." Charlie did so, and tucked Jenn in. All was well at this end.

Meanwhile, back at Bob and Heather's house, Maggie was laying on her bed, on her stomach. Bob had just spanked her and they were talking. Heather had had a similar idea to Lisa's and had taken Joshua to a local playground.

"Daddy, are you going to tell me how you found out?" Maggie asked, pushing away at her tears.

"Does it really matter, Maggie? What you did was wrong, and you know it. How I found out is not an issue. If I hadn't found out, you never would have told me, and who knows what other things you might have done. I don't even want to think about it. I hope you learned some important lessons today, young lady."

"Oh, I did, Daddy, honest," Maggie said.

"Please tell me; I'd like to hear them," Bob said.

Shyly Maggie answered, "Well, for one thing, I learned not to go to outrageous lengths to do something I'm not supposed to."

Bob nodded. "You know, Maggs, if you had asked for permission to go to the mall yesterday, I would have taken you girls. I wouldn't have let you see that movie, but maybe another one."

"Yes, Daddy, I know. What we did was really stupid."

"Yes, it was. What else did you learn?"

"Not to lie to cover up one naughty thing, with another. When we were late, I should have just told you the truth. Things wouldn't have been as bad, would they have, Daddy?"

"No, not as bad, but you still would have gotten a big paddling. But lies never make things better, Maggie. Only worse."

"Yes, sir," Maggie said.

Bob stood up then and hugged his daughter. "This has been quite a day. I think you need to stay in your room the rest of the afternoon. Your mother and I will call you for dinner."

"Okay," Maggie said, giving Bob another big hug. "I love you, Daddy. I'm sorry you had to punish me."

"I'm sorry, too, Magpie. And I love you as well."

Bob got up to leave the room, but Maggie called him back. "Daddy?"

He turned at the door. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Can I ask you a question about the movie? Something's been bothering me."

Bob came back in and sat on the edge of his daughter's bed. "And what's that, Magpie?"

"Daddy? How come the boy hurt the girl like that?"

Bob sighed. "Like what, Mags?"

"Well, he pushed her down and got on top of her, and well, you know," Maggie said, shyly, looking away.

Bob started to wonder if Heather had had the big talk with Maggie yet. He hadn't realized girls at this age would start thinking or even knowing about those things yet.

Bob took a deep breath. "Maggie? Has Mommy talked to you about these things?"

Maggie giggled. "No, but I already know them, Daddy."

"I see." He paused. "Are you sure?"

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, but I thought, uh, that, uh, sex was supposed to be beautiful, Daddy, between a man and a woman, that love each other."

Bob smiled. "It is, usually, Maggie. First of all, that movie was not real. Second of all, although there are bad people who do what that man did, making love is a natural thing that two people who love each other do. What that man did is called "rape" and it is a crime. Do you understand?"

Maggie nodded. She wasn't sure if she did, but she appreciated her dad's candid talk. She'd have to talk to Elisa, Sandy, and Anne and see what they had to say about it.

Bob looked at Maggie. "Was that it, honey? Or did you have another question?"

"No, that's it, Daddy. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now lay down for a bit. I'll see you in a little while. I love you," Bob said again, kissing Maggie's forehead. She smiled up at him as he left the room.

Maggie lay back down on her bed, on her tummy. She thought she had a pretty great dad. Oh, he had been hard on her, but she knew she had deserved it. She still wondered how he knew about their adventure, but she realized she might never know how he found out. At least he didn't know about the boys driving them home.

That night, both families watched in surprise as the news told of the Mall Bus Strike. Apparently it had started at noon the previous day. The news showed thousands of people at malls all across Long Island screaming that they had no way of getting home.

Bob turned to Maggie and said, "Is there something else you need to tell me?"

to be continued...

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