Carey Martin was down stairs in the middle of her show that night, and her son Zack Martin was in the game room with a couple of friends. Cody Martin, Zacks' younger twin brother was in the Martin suite, continuously debating with himself over something that his entire life he had been told not to do. He was debating about whether or not he should take a puff of this cigarette that he had found in an ash tray down in the Tipton lobby. He saw an older man smoking it, and put it down into the tray not even half finished. After the man had left, Cody had ran up to it, sneakily taking it and running back up to his suite, which was where he was now, examining it. Cody didn't know what had gotten into him. Should I take a puff?He thought to himself. I know mom will kill me, if she finds out. I'd be in so much trouble.. but it would only be one puff. I just want to know what it tastes like. It can't be bad, right? Lots of people smoke.. He looked down into his hand at the cigarette, practicing holding it, like he had seen so many others hold it. Should I do it? Well, why not? Mom won't be here for at least a half an hour, and Zack is with Max and Tapeworm. If I do it, I better just do it now, get it over with. Now, how to light it... He began searching the drawers in the kitchen for a match, or lighter. He had never used either one before, so he was kind of nervous. After about five minutes, he finally found what he was looking for. A lighter. Okay, step one completed. He walked over by the couch, standing in front of it. He tried to flick the lighter on, but nothing happened. Man, this is harder than it looks.. He tried again, and got a spark. Almost.. He tried again.. and again. Still unsuccessful, he kept at it. He was so caught up in trying to light the cigarette, he hadn't heard his brother walk in through the door.
Zack stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his brother and the cigarette and lighter that he held in his hands. He never would have thought that his brother would attempt to do something so dumb. Not even he would do something like this. He walked up to his brother and snatched the cigarette out of his hands, causing Cody to drop the lighter, and stare wide-eyed at his brother. Dang it! I thought I was alone! When did Zack come in? "Cody! What are you thinking?" Zack shouted. "Mom'll kill you if she finds out!". Cody stared at his brother ashamed. "I..I.. ju-just want.. wanted to uh.. taste.. taste it", he stammered. "What, are you stupid? Why would you want to taste it for?" Zack returned. "Because.. so many others smoke! It can't be that bad right?" Cody asked, hopeful that his brother would understand. "I was only going to take one puff, honest!". Zack gave his brother a look, which caused Cody to shrink back a little. It was then, that the silence was broken.
Carey had returned from her show, only to find that her oldest son Zack was holding a cigarette. She marched up to him, red in the face, and smacked his hand that was holding the cigarette. "What is going on here? Zackary Martin, why are you holding a cigarette?" Zack looked up at her, speechless. Right when he opened his mouth to speak, he caught eye contact with his brother. The look that Cody gave him was fear. Please please PLEASE don't tell on me Zack. I'll do anything, just don't tell on me. Cody stared at his brother, pleading with his eyes that Zack understand and make up some convincing excuse of as to why he was holding that darned cigarette. That shouldn't be to hard, right? Zack was good at making up excuses. Surely he could come up with something convincing. Carey coughed out an "Ah HEM", regaining Zack's attention. "Well?", she demanded. Zack, not being able to come up with anything, just looked up at her and mumbled, "Uhhhhhh...you see...". Carey raised her eyebrows at him, and gave him a stern look which obviously read 'You had better get to the point if you know whats good for you'. "You see..", he continued, "I um. Was curious about.. about what a cigarette tasted like and..". Cody stared in shock at his brother, his mouth practically dropping to the ground. What? How can he just blame himself like that? Now he's going to get in trouble because I messed up! Cody was about to speak, and tell his mom that he was the culprit, and that he was the one that she needed to punish, when Carey shocked them both by ripping the cigarette out of Zacks hands. "Zackary, I am very disappointed in you. Normally I wouldn't do this, but since I know that you know better, and this is a very bad choice that you made, I am going to spank you. Eleven spanks with my hairbrush, one spank for every year I've told you that smoking is bad. Now go get my hairbrush".
Zack just stood there, rooted to the ground. Did he hear his mom right? She was actually going to spank him? With her hairbrush? But he hadn't done anything! It was okay, Cody was going to jump to his defense any moment now. He glanced over at his brother. As soon as Cody noticed his brother looking at him, he shot his glance towards the ground. Zack's heart dropped. Cody didn't care that he was about to be spanked for something he didn't even do. Something that he had tried to prevent Cody from doing. Zack felt his eyes begin to tear up. Some brother he had. He snapped his head back up to his moms direction, hearing her ask him if he had heard her. "Yes, but mom.." he tried, but was interrupted. "Zack, you have 5 seconds to get that brush and then get back here!" his mom yelled, clearly getting angrier and angrier as time went by. However, that didn't stop Zack from trying again. "But.." Zack heard himself say. "No buts! Zack, you made your choice, and now your getting a consequence! This is what happens when you disobey me! And if you continue to disobey me, your punishment will only get worse!", she threatened. Zack reluctantly dragged his feet to the bathroom, where he not so quickly searched for his moms hairbrush.
Cody stared at his mom in disbelief. I don't think mom has ever spanked us with anything but her hand. This is bad. This is really really bad, I can't believe I'm letting Zack get in trouble for me. I am such a bad brother. Carey turned to her other son. "Did you have anything to do with this, Cody?", she asked as she bore her eyes into his. Cody's mouth went dry as he felt the fear creep back into his heart. He really never was good at getting in trouble, or accepting punishment, even when he knew he deserved it. He let his fear get the better of him, and instead of standing up for his brother and setting their mom straight about who should really be receiving this punishment, which is what would have been the right thing to do, he quickly shook his head back and forth. Zack silently watched from the bathroom doorway, realizing that his brother really was going to let him take this spanking. Zack's head dropped, along with any previous hope that he was going to get out of this. He slowly made his way to his angry mother and back-stabbing brother, and handed the brush to her.
"Okay Zack, take your pants and underwear down", Carey said as she sat on the couch. "Huh? My pants? And underwear? Down?" Zack gulped. He hadn't expected this. "Yes. Down. Now." she growled at him. When Zack just stood staring dumb-founded at her, with tears threatening to pool over at any moment, Carey spoke in a calm but very stern voice. "Zackary, get your pants and underwear down right this instant. You're already getting 15 more smacks with my hand for your disobedience, and I really do not want to give you anymore. If you fail to do so, you will really regret your decision, trust me". "FIFTEEN! Mom, please don't spank me that many times..", Zack trailed off as his tears fell down his cheeks. Zack was then dragged towards his mothers lap, with his pants and underwear being torn down to the ground. "Yes, fifteen. 5 for each time you chose to ignore what I was saying to you. In addition, you're also not going to be going to that Linkin Park concert that your father was going to take you and Cody to next weekend." "Mom!", Cody suddenly cried. Zack hopefully looked at his brother. Maybe he was going to admit the truth now! "Thats not fair!", Cody continued. "And why isn't it fair, Cody?", she asked him. "Because... because you're already spanking him, isn't that enough?", Cody said in a hurry. Zack glared at his brother through teary eyes. Of course he wouldn't tell their mom the truth. He was to much of a coward. How could he have even thought such a thing? Zack glanced sadly at their mother, desperately wanting to beg to go to the concert, but he was afraid if he did so that he'd get further punishment. So instead, he just let her pull him across her lap and waited for the spanking to begin. Meanwhile, Cody tried to escape and go into their bedroom, but was unfortunately stopped. "Get back here, Cody. You're going to watch your brother get this spanking, because this is what will happen to you if you ever decide to try smoking". But mom, I really don't want to watch. Especially since its all my fault and I'm to much of a coward to tell you the truth. Cody sat down on the armchair across from his mom and brother, where he had a nice view of Zack's behind, which was soon to be bright red. He watched as his mother picked up the brush, and slammed it down onto his big brother, who was a much better brother than he deserved. Who else's brother would lie to his mom about trying to sneak a smoke and then take a spanking, which he didn't deserve, and still keep quiet when he got told that he won't be going to a concert with his father, that he'd been waiting for months to go to? Cody knew that was what was going to hurt Zack the most, the concert. He had been wanting to go to a Linkin Park concert for about a year and half now. His mom would have never taken them or allowed them to go, but since the boys would be going with their father, she felt it would be okay just this once to make an exception. The boys hardly ever even saw their father, or talked to him, and she knew it would be very special for him to take the boys to a concert. But now that dream was shattered for Zack, because he would probably never get the chance again. Cody was excited about it too, but definitely not as much as Zack was.
Cody was brought back to the present by his brothers sobbing and howls of agonizing torture that was being rained upon his behind. His mom had finished with the hairbrush, leaving an already cherry colored bottom. But that still didn't stop her from finishing up with the hand spanks that she had promised. I'm sure glad I'm not the one over mom's knee Cody thought guiltily to himself. I'm sorry Zack. I really am. I hope you can forgive me. Zack was then pulled up off of his moms lap, into a standing position, and continued crying thick tears as his mom pulled his pants & underwear back up. Carey then hugged her son, and kissed him on the cheek, while wiping the tears away from his eyes with her thumb. "Sweetie, I'm sorry I had to spank you so much, but thats what you get for not listening. You know better than to try to smoke a cigarette, and hopefully I won't have to spank you again for the same thing, understand?", she asked as she took his chin in her hand, and forced him to look her in the eyes. Zack responded with more tears, and as soon as she let go of him, he ran to his room crying.