Summary: Tex jumps the creek on Johnny's cycle and his big brother, Mason, is not happy about it. Later, Tex and Johnny pull a prank which lands them in hot water.
Warning: This story contains the disciplinary spanking of teenagers. Don't read it if the idea offends you.
Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns Tex.
Important Lessons
The kitchen door burst open and Tex bounded inside. "Ain't you growing fast enough to suit you?" he asked, as he watched me measure my height against the hall doorframe. "Shoot, you're over six feet tall now. You don't want to turn into a freak."
"I'd turn into the bearded lady if it'd get me into college," I muttered. "You think I've stopped growing? ...Shut the kitchen door, Texas! No wonder I can't pay the heating bill."
Tex kicked the door closed with his boot and grinned at me. I could feel my fifteen-year-old brother looking me up and down, just the way he would a horse. "Naw. You got a few inches to go."
He walked into the bathroom. "Okay, I've told you something, now you tell me something. How do I look?" Tex stood staring at himself in the mirror with an intensity I'd never seen from him before.
I choked my laughter down and regarded him more closely. His shirt was scuffed and torn. There was a scrape running down his arm that was fresh and raw. I glanced over at the chair where he'd thrown his jacket and saw that it, too, was ripped.
"Well, you look pretty messed up right now. What happened?"
Either he ignored the question or was too preoccupied to hear me.
"What the hell happened, Texas?" I repeated, more sternly.
"I jumped the creek on Johnny's cycle and didn't land right. I mean, do think I am good-looking?"
"The creek? You jumped the creek?" I growled. "The same one Joe Taylor smashed himself on?"
"Yeah, but I made it okay."
"You hare-brained idiot, you're not going to make it to sixteen if you keep doing dumb-"
"Okay, okay. But, Mace, just imagine, man, how it's going to freak everybody out at school, that I jumped the creek and made it. They are going to go nuts."
"I am the one who is going to go nuts. Goddammit, Texas, you could have ended up in the hospital for the rest of your life!" I stormed away, trying to think of what to do next. This boy had no sense, no understanding of consequences.
"Hey, look," he said, finally concerned, as he followed me to the den, "I won't do it again, okay?"
"No, but you'll do something else just as stupid. Sometimes I don't even know why I try." Tex looked hurt and turned to leave.
"No! Don't walk away from me when I am talking to you!" I shouted. He stopped and turned back.
"You can't keep doing these foolish stunts, Texas! I gotta do something to make this important to you." I scanned the room looking for inspiration, feeling kind of desperate.
He stood there silently watching me.
"No State Fair this year!"
Immediately Tex's face fell. "No, Mason! Please! Anything but that!"
"I don't want to hear another word. You're not going, and that is final."
"Please, Mason, anything else," Tex begged. "I can't miss the Fair. ...I'm supposed to take Jaime."
He moved closer to me and grabbed my forearm, shaking it, "You can give me a whipping. Just don't take away the Fair."
I stared out the window to the field where we'd kept the horses. Tex had had a rough year, and I was beginning to think I'd overreacted. I didn't want to take the Fair from him. He looked forward to it every year.
"Ok," I said finally. "Come here."
He followed me back into the kitchen.
"Bend over the table," I commanded. He glanced uncertainly up at me, but then slowly complied.
As I unbuckled my belt, my hands started to shake slightly. I tried to steady my breathing. I have to do this, I told myself.
"Mason, are you really going to whip me?" Tex murmured.
"What other choice have you left me, Texas!" I bellowed. "I tell you, 'Be careful.' and 'Use your head.' But it doesn't matter what I say. You do dangerous things like this all the time."
I took a deep breath. No more yelling, I told myself. Be calm. "Well, no more talking from me. A whipping is what you deserve and what you're gonna get. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mason."
With that, I swung the belt over my shoulder and brought it down quickly across his behind. By the fifth lick, I could hear Tex sniffling. At ten, he was grasping the sides of the table and squirming with each smack.
"Five more, Tex," I said firmly.
"Please, Mason, no more. I'll be good. I won't do dumb stuff!" he begged.
"If you do, you can expect more of the same," I replied, as the belt fell again.
"Ow!" he cried. "Please… I'm sorry!"
"Four." The belt continued to fall in a steady rhythm. I did not want to drag this punishment out. "Three."
"Sorry! No more!"
Over my shoulder and back down to Tex's behind, the belt made contact with its only target. "Two." The one time Pop whipped me, he swung the belt wildly, hitting my butt, legs, and back. That whipping felt dangerous and out of control.
"Last one." After the final lick, I set the belt on the table and put my hand on Tex's back, feeling his ragged breaths. He stood up and grabbed his rear end, unembarrassed.
"Dang, Mace! You tore me up!" he yelped. His tone surprised me. There was no anger in his voice. He sounded almost impressed.
"I don't want to have to whip you ever again, so please do better. Okay?"
"Okay," he said. He stood rubbing himself for a minute, as I fed the belt back through my jeans. Then he walked to the fridge and took out the milk. After a deep swig, Tex said, "Hey, can we go to the city on Saturday? I wanna buy some fishing lures."
Dear God, I thought, he's already moved on. I hope this lesson will stick.