Seth heard the knock too late to pull himself out of the compromising position he found himself in, so instead, he pasted on his best parent-soothing grin as his father walked into his room.

He could immediately tell it was a no-go. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" his father barked, marching into his room and sending the door slamming into the frame. Seth opened his mouth, starting to make excuses.

"Well, it's just a nice night and I was going to check out the view from the roof--"

"Stop," Dad warned. "Get in here, now!"

Seth climbed back into his bedroom, watching his father's face as he did so. He didn't like what he saw. Brow furrowed, eyebrows nearly touching, teeth gritted and lips turned down, he was the epitome of fury. His stomach lurched as he saw his father's clenched hands, shaking. Oh man. He was so very screwed.

He'd already started the lie; might as well really commit to it. "My teacher said there was supposed to be some sort of cosmic thing going on tonight," Seth continued, watching Dad's face. "Shooting stars maybe, or--"

"Don't," Dad said. His hand closing around Seth's bicep shocked Seth. His hand really was shaking, so hard Seth could feel the vibrations of angry adrenaline moving through veins. His voice was an angry growl as the lecture continued. "I have had more than enough of this. I don't understand what has gotten into you lately, both of you, but I've had enough of it! Lying, ignoring the rules, deliberately flaunting them, in fact--"

"I wasn't!" Seth said. Oh sure, he knew he had been doing something that would get him in major trouble if he got caught...but it had seemed like there was no way he could get caught. Right up until his dad had walked in to see him halfway out the window, the plan had seemed foolproof. "I was just, um, well, it was more like..." He drifted off, watching his father's face contort.

"Do you know what this weekend is?" Dad asked him.

"Uh...your guys' anniversary," Seth said.

"So if you know that, then why are you doing your level best to ruin our plans?" Dad asked.

"I wasn't trying to ruin anything!" Seth said. His father didn't look convinced. He felt Dad's grip on his arm tighten. Uh oh. And the eyebrows said nothing good would come of it either.

Seth watched his father's face, wishing he could hear what he was thinking. "Haven't you ever heard that if you make a face like that, it'll stick?" Seth asked, trying for some levity. Dad did not look amused.

An unexpected yank sent Seth towards the bed. Dad released Seth's arm, walked over to the window, and shut it. Seth stood at the end of the bed, watching. There was a loud click as Dad pushed the lock into place.

Then Dad turned and faced Seth, head on. Seth swallowed convulsively. He never really thought of his dad as a scary guy, but right now...well, Seth was scared.

"I am not going to stand for this anymore," Dad said, his voice harsh. "You've been warned, we've grounded you...we tried to treat you like an adult, Seth. And you repaid us by acting like a child. If you act like a child, don't be surprised if I treat you like a child."

Seth wasn't sure where Dad was going with this, but it couldn't be anywhere good. He tried to think of the worst that could happen. Nothing immediately popped into his head. He was already grounded—what else could Dad do? It wasn't like he'd broken any laws or anything.

Dad took the few steps between them and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sit down, Seth," he told his son, gesturing to the bed next to him. Cautiously, Seth perched on the edge of the bed, feeling both anxious and confused.

"Listen, Dad, I'm sorry," Seth said, trying to head off his father's lecture. "I know I screwed up, okay? It won't happen again."

That hadn't been the right thing to say, apparently, because Dad's temper flared. "It's not okay, Seth, and it better not happen again, do you understand me?"

"Okay! I get it, alright?" Seth was getting frustrated too. What else was he supposed to say? He couldn't undo what had already been done. "I said it wouldn't happen again. What else do you want?"

"What else do I want?" Dad said, sounding incredulous. "I want you to listen to your mother and me. I want you to obey our rules. I want you to act your age, instead of forcing me to treat you like a little boy and put you over my knees." He was practically yelling by the time he finished his tirade.

"What? What are you talking about?" Seth couldn't believe his ears. Surely he'd mis-heard. "Put me over your knees? What, are you going to spank me?" He laughed, as if to show how ridiculous that idea was.

But Dad didn't even crack a smile. "That's exactly what I'm going to do," he said in his sternest voice. He grabbed Seth's arm. Seth didn't even have a chance to pull away before he found himself tumbling ungracefully over his father's lap.

"No freaking way. You are not doing this to me!" He struggled to regain his footing, but Dad's grip held him firmly down.

Seth felt shock waves of disbelief flooding his body. No way. There was no way his dad would really—was there? He fought harder to stand, but his father had gained his muscles through battling waves out in the ocean as he surfed every morning; he was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Dad, there has to be some kind of mistake here. I mean, you aren't really—you wouldn't really spank me, would you? You can't be serious?" Seth asked incredulously, his voice squeaking a little. This had to be some kind of weird scare tactic or something. Had Dad been watching Dr. Phil again?

"Serious as a heart attack." His father's reply made Seth's heart drop into his stomach.

"But Dad—I'm sixteen years old! You can't just—I mean it's—you can't—" Seth couldn't even finish his sentences. His mind couldn't keep up with what was happening.

His father's hands were firm against his back as he said, "I know how old you are, Seth."

SMACK! The first swat caught him completely by surprise. That really hurt! Seth yelped.

"Hey! You—are you out of your mind?"

SMACK! SMACK! Seth twisted defensively, trying to get out of the path of fire. His disbelief at what was happening was quickly dissolving. "No, I am not not," Dad said firmly. SMACK! "I am fully aware of what I am doing."

Seth was fully aware of it too. "Ouch! Are you fully aware—ow! That it isn't—Ow! Customary to spank—OW!" Seth threw his hand back, trying to protect his rear end. "Sixteen year olds?"

He felt his father's hand close around his wrist and pull it into the small of his back. "I am," Dad replied before swatting him again. Seth felt his body jerk. His ass was on fire.

"Well, good," Seth yelped, and his voice sounded a little shaky. "As long as you—OW!"

Seth could feel his eyes getting hot and prickly, and he could also feel his face flushing. This was humiliating, and it hurt. What would Summer think if she saw this? Seth groaned.

"Now you listen to me, Seth Ezekiel," Dad lectured. "There will be no more climbing out of windows, no more sneaking around, no more nights where you never come home."

"Okay!" Seth mumbled. He was crying now; his ass really, really hurt. "I won't. OW! I promise."

Dad stopped spanking, but continued the lecture. "I don't like treating you boys like this. But the rules we have are there for a reason. How are we supposed to know if you're safe if you just blow off curfew? If we think you're in your room, and you're out doing God knows what with God knows who, God knows where?"

"I'm sorry!" Seth was sincere. He was sorry, for a lot of reasons, the least of which being that his ass was on fire.

Dad let go of Seth's wrist, and Seth scrambled to his feet. "Please, Dad," he mumbled, staring at his feet, "I won't do it again, I swear to you." His ears were flaming nearly as badly as his behind. "Can I please just be alone now?"

He felt his father's hand land lightly on his shoulder "All right," he said. "And don't even think about going out that window."

Seth shook his head and flopped face down on his bed. No way in hell would he be climbing out that window, ever again. His butt couldn't handle the consequences. He heard the click as his father shut the door after he left.

Seth reached back with one hand and gingerly rubbed his butt. It really hurt. Who would have guessed that Sandy Cohen had hands of steel? He'd have to add a character to the comic book. Seth sniffed, and wiped off his face with his sleeve.

He'd cried. Like a baby. Over being spanked. What was he, a little kid? Why couldn't he be more like Ryan? Ryan never cried.

Thinking about his blond friend, his father's words popped back into his head. "I don't like treating you boys like this." You boys. Did that mean...no way. Unfathomable. There was no way that Kid Chino could possibly have been the recipient of this kind of painful, embarrassing treatment, especially not at the hands of Sandy Cohen. Ryan brawled like a crazy cage fighter. Dad couldn't have just pulled him down like he'd done to Seth. Could he have?

Well, Dad was stronger than he looked...maybe if he'd taken Ryan by surprise. Or, well, he knew Ryan worried about getting thrown out, even though his parents would never do that. But Ryan was a parent-pleaser; he wanted to keep the 'rents happy with him. So maybe, Ryan wouldn't have fought him.

Seth didn't want to imagine it, he really didn't, but unfortunately, he could. It wasn't even that difficult.

Oh man. Seth groaned and buried his head in his pillow.