Chapter 3
It wasn't long after that HM pulled up into the compound and parked. "Come on Facey, you might as well get it over with so life can continue." He got out expecting Face to follow him and when he didn't, he hurried back and pulled the boy from the truck and towards his house.
Face walked in as if he was walking to his doom. "Where is everyone, HM?" Face had been sure that everyone would have been in the office to dish out his punishment.
"They're in the kitchen…come on."
Face dropped his school bag on the couch as he passed through the family room on his way to the kitchen. As he walked in everyone looked up. There was a plate of cookies in the middle of the kitchen table, and Hannibal, HM, and Mrs. B were enjoying a cup of coffee with BA with his customary glass of milk.
Hannibal was the first to welcome Face home. "Hi kid, have a sit. Do you want a snack with us?"
Face eased into the vacant chair next to Hannibal and nodded numbly. Soon Mrs. B placed a glass of milk in front of him. "Help yourself to some cookies, dear and tell us how school was today."
"Everything was great until I got caught…"
"Smoking?" Hannibal finished the sentence.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry Hannibal."
"How many licks did he give you?"
"Twelve and they really hurt, too. I won't ever do it again, I promise." Face pleaded as he looked around the table before his gaze stopped on Mrs. B's face.
'What did I tell you I would do if you got into trouble at school?"
"That you would paddle me," mumbled Face.
"Then go to your room and wait for me. I'll only be a moment."
"Yes, ma'am," Face replied dejectedly as he slowly left the table to go to his room to await his mama's punishment.
Mrs. B waited until Face was out of earshot before speaking. "I only plan on giving him a few licks, but is he sorry for getting into trouble or for getting caught?"
"I don't know, only time will tell on that subject, probably a bit of both knowing our kid." Hannibal said with a smile.
Mrs. B nodded and grabbing a wooden spoon went off the punish their kid. It wasn't long before the sounds of a paddling could be heard and Face's cries but merciful for the kid the spanking didn't last that long.
Face dreaded going back…for one thing the added paddling awakened the pain in his butt, and he didn't think he could sit. The other one was seeing the disappointment in his family's eyes. "Can't I just stay here Mama?"
"Why don't you want to join us, son?"
"They will be disappointed in me for getting into trouble after I said that I wouldn't Mama. I can't stand to see that disappointment."
"Oh, baby, they understand that growing up isn't easy and that sometimes kids get into trouble. They love you son, and love covers a multitude of disappointments. You will learn from this and become the better person."
"Okay, if you are sure."
"I'm sure. I made you the chocolate pudding you love so much and if you don't get in there soon Scooter would have eaten it all."
Face smiled and headed back to the kitchen deciding that standing while eating wouldn't be so bad but had to laugh when he found the fluffiest pillow he had ever seen in his chair. "Thanks, guys." He sat gingerly waiting for Mrs. B to serve him his pudding.
Hannibal waited until Mrs. B had served the pudding before approaching Face about his smoking. "Face we need to discuss you continuing to smoke. Don't look so surprised; I know you have been taking cigars from my stash."
"I thought if I take only a few you wouldn't notice, Hannibal."
"I know, and normally I wouldn't have noticed but knowing you, I figure that you would have trouble stopping 'cold turkey', so I've been counting them."
"I'm sorry Hannibal, I really did try to stop as soon as BA told me I had too, but it's hard, and sometimes I just need a cigar to relax."
"I can't punish you for smoking since I smoke and do not want to be considered a hypocrite for telling to do something you can't do when I do. However, if I knew how old you actually were when you started, I would have busted your butt until you stop. But you conned me into believing you were old enough and only looked younger. Mrs. B, BA and HM will handle the smoking part of this discussion."
Face looked anxious as he turned his attention to the other members of his family. He could just feel his butt start to throb in anticipation of another paddling.
"Little brother, we all agreed that it is hard to go cold turkey in quitting smoking and have decided to give you some leeway. So we have decided to let you stop gradually. We want you to try and stop on your own but when you feel the need to smoke one just let us know. You won't be punished this time or the next, but if you are still smoking six months from now, I will heat up your backside to boiling point. Do you understand?"
Face nodded, glad that he was safe for at least six months.
It was during lunch on the second Thursday that Face told Timmy it was time to handle Jake for the last time. They were going to use a Spanish assignment to get Jake expelled and for his father to make good his promise to enrolled him into a Military school. "The Spanish assignment for tomorrow is that each student writes a paragraph or two about themselves. I know that Jake told you to write about him being such a great football player. You are going to change that to a confession of his bullying activities since the sixth grade. Be sure to make it clear and with his signature at the bottom it will be considered a confession."
Timmy began to smile at the thought of what he was going to write and the knowledge that if this goes according to Face's plan he and Neal wouldn't have to deal with Jake ever again.
It was the last day of the school for the week and Hannibal's day to pick Face up from school. Before leaving campus, Face asked. "Hannibal I have a favor I would like to ask you?"
"Sure kid, what do you want?"
"I know that being a freshman prevents me from taking my car to school, but what if I found a place to park it off campus but within walking distance of the school. Would you approve of me doing this?"
"Do you have a place in mind? It would certainly save us some time."
"Yes, at Parker's Bakery. It is owned by my friend Timmy's folks. They have to get there early to fix donuts, and other pastries for the breakfast crowd and they stay late to clean up so the car would be safe in their parking lot close to where they park their personal cars and trucks."
"It seems that you have worked all of the details out already. Have you already talked to Mr. and Mrs. Parker?"
"Yes, sir and they have agreed, I just need your permission."
"I see no problem with it. Let me meet the Parkers and while we are there, we can bring a cake for Mrs. B."
"It will have to be a large one to fill us all up."
"And a box of pastries."
Soon they were at the bakery talking to Mr. Parker about Face parking his Corvette with the family's vehicles, and it was agreed. Timmy and Face could walk to school and back together.
AN: The idea for using a Spanish assignment to take down Jake came from the book 'Tom Brown Schooldays' by Thomas Hughes only in the book it was a Latin assignment.
