Fiona dragged her younger brother away from the booth by his collar. Fucking gobshire. Lip's teacher wouldn't let the boy into his history. Said he'd been getting shirty. If they had to have a home visit they were totally fucked. Well, she was going to put paid to it this minute. She released his shirt and pushed him in front of her by the shoulder.

"Go on then. You've been taking the piss in his class have you?"

"No. I swear. I haven't said a word to him!" Lip's eyebrows furrowed in the way they did when he was lying.

"Stuff it, Philip. What's he calling you a smart arse for if you never opened your mouth? What'd you say", she gave him a hard smack to the head.

"Nothing", she smacked him again, "Alright! Alright. I may have taken the piss once or twice, but it were nothing bad"

"Oh, alright. Then tell me what it was you said", Fiona put her hands on her hips and waited. Lip started to speak, but closed his mouth and looked down instead, "Right. Nothing bad, but you can't say it in front of my face. What a load!"

"Fiona, I can explain"

"I don't need your explanations, thank you. Just tell me where the handicap toilets are."

"What for?" Lip whined.

"You know well what for. Where are they? Come on, move your arse"

Lip huffed and knitted his brow, heading down the hallway to the handicap toilet on the left. Fiona pulled him inside and locked the door behind them.

"Fiona, please. 'S no need for a smacking."

"I'd say there is, and I'll tell you what's more. If that fucking professor of yours makes a home visit, you'll be getting it double. It's your mouth got us into this mess. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, but-"

"What?"

"Can't you at least beat me at home? I'll look like a puff crying at school. The other kids'll eat me for lunch."

"Trust me. You won't think of them when I'm through with you. Hand me your belt. And if you're so worried about the others, I'd suggest you were extra quiet, yeah?"

Lip undid the belt from his pants and handed it over to his big sister slowly. Most kids thought he was lucky with his parents gone and able to do as he pleased, but he still had a line to tow. Fiona didn't care what they did, as long as it didn't draw attention to the family. Nicking, smoking, drinking, she only had three rules, be respectful, no fighting each other and the biggest one, don't get caught.

Whap!

Lip struggled to take Fiona's advice and stay quiet when the belt landed. Fuck all it hurt. He wished he had on his jeans instead of his school trousers. The fabric was shit thin.

Whap! Whap! Whap!

Fuck! Why had he ever mouthed off in that fucking class. He knew the teacher was a total tight arse. He shouldn't have made the comment about his mother.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

Oh fuck all. He hoped Steve would

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

Bugger! He hoped Steve would solve things. After the comment he'd made about the man's hairy bullocks, he wasn't sure even Steve's charm would help.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. He couldn't handle a double dose of this for sure, and Fiona never promised a beating she didn't deliver.

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Please, Fiona", Lip managed to squeeze out between his tears. Whispering was getting harder with every swing of the belt, "I'm sorry"

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"I don't want to hear another word of you giving lip to teachers. Understand?"

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Alright! I do. I swear it!"

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"You learned your lesson?"

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Yes, Fiona! I have! Please!"

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Alright then. Put your belt back on", Fiona released her brother's arm and handed him back the belt. He put it on, trying to pull himself together.

"Now listen to me, Philip. I don't like smacking you. It's no fun for me either. I love you like crazy, all of you. That's why I can't let you run around doing as you like. A home visit puts out whole family in danger. What if they call the social worker?"

"I know. I know"

"I know you know. You know better, that's why you got belted", she looked at his face, struggling to look at the ground so that he wouldn't cry again. Sighing, she pulled him to her, "Come here, you daft thing. Wouldn't know your mouth from your ass for the shit that comes out of it. What did you tell him, anyway?"

"I said I fucked his wife", Lip said, smiling in spite of the pain in his arse. Fiona laughed and grabbed a tuft of his hair gently, pulling him towards the door. They opened it to find a wide eyed woman standing behind her son's wheelchair. The woman looked at Fiona and shook her head, narrowing her eyes. Fiona pushed Lip out in front of her and flipped the woman a finger.

"You could have knocked, you stupid cow."