Eric and Hyde wiped sweat from their brows and passed the garden hose between them. They were done mowing the yard and had almost finished raking and bagging the leaves.

"Man, we gotta slow down. I am not eager to go to the garage," Eric whispered.

Hyde took the hose and said, "I know, but Red will be pissed if he realizes that we're dragging it out. It's gonna be bad, so let's just hurry up and get it over with. Waiting is almost the worst part, man. I feel sick."

"Me too. Ok, let's get it done."

After the boys had taken the last of the bags to curb, Red stomped out of the house. The teens stood silently watching as he made his way to a young birch tree in the yard. Then he broke off a flexible limb and stripped its leaves.

"Oh shit," moaned Hyde. "A switch!"

"Is that worse than the belt?" asked Eric.

"Yeah, by like a 1000%! …You think it's too late for me to move out?"

Eric, surprised by the question, chuckled. "Man, don't wuss out on me now or try to freak me out. I might pass out…."

Red did not look at the boys as he walked to the garage. The boys exchanged death-row grimaces and followed.

Eric and Hyde stood before Red, silently awaiting his instructions.

"I don't think I have ever been more disappointed in either of you than I am right now! You know I don't want you doing drugs! There are so many reasons!" the man snarled as he began pacing. "It's illegal. It's dangerous. It damages your brain and brain cells. It harms your lungs and heart. It impairs your ability to learn and your ability to drive. And, of course, because I said not to do it. And, even if none of those reasons impress you, I promise I am about to prove to you how damaging doing drugs can be."

The boys glanced at each other and shifted their weight nervously from one foot to the other.

"Steven," Red barked. "Get over here now. Drop your pants and underwear and bend over."

Hyde moved quickly to the worktable, unfastening his belt and undoing his pants. He yanked his boxers down and quickly looked back at Eric, who was staring intently at his feet. Relieved that his friend was not watching, the boy bent over the table and tried to prepare himself for his punishment.

"Steven, you took the fall for Jackie. You let me think that you don't use pot and then I find out that you do. I am so disappointed. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"No sir. Except that I am sorry and, if you think I should move out, I will."

The switch whooshed through the air and smacked Hyde's backside sharply. The boy yelped. He looked back at Red, hurt that there had be no warning. The man was staring at him crossly.

"No more of that talk, Steven," Red yelled, pointing at the boy with the switch. "You're not getting kicked out. I'm not going to give up on you. This is your home now. Got it?"

Hyde nodded, blinking back tears of gratitude and pain.

"Ok, then. Let's finish."

With that, Red raised the switch and brought it down across the boy's backside. Hyde groaned and jumped. The sting was intense, though not as bad as when his mom used a switch on him. Swish, the third stroke fell and Hyde sucked his teeth in agony. The fourth smack left a fiery strip across the underside of the boy's behind. Tears streamed down his face. Whap, Hyde jumped, and buried his head in his arm. Goddammit, he thought. The switch landed and the teen inhaled a ragged, noisy breath. He wished he knew how many licks he could expect. Hyde continued to count in his head: seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. He cried quietly throughout the spanking.

Finally, when Red reached the twelfth blow, he cleared his throat. "Ok, Steven, we're done."

The boy took several deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down. Then he reached down and pulled his boxers and corduroys up. When he turned around, his curly hair covered his pale face.

"Sorry, Mr. Forman. I won't take the fall again, ever. And I won't smoke pot here either."

Red grabbed Steven's arm and pulled the boy to him so that they were practically touching noses. "Was that a clever way of saying that you'll do pot elsewhere? Cause I've got something to say about that! Wanna hear it?" Red raised the switch menacingly.

"No! …No sir! …Sorry, I didn't mean that," Hyde cried out, shuffling away from the weapon. "No, no, you've made yourself very clear, sir! …Please!"

"Fine. Go stand over there."

Red turned to Eric. "So. …You do it, too, do you?"

The red-headed boy squirmed. Why had he confessed? He'd thought that he'd be helping his friend, but that hadn't worked.

"Well?" said his father sharply. "That wasn't a rhetorical question."

"Could I plead the fifth?" Eric said, in an attempt at humor.

"Smartass, eh?" His father grabbed him by the back of the head, pulled him under his arm, and pressed the boy to his side. Then he smacked Eric's behind with the switch five times.

Once he released the boy, Red answered, "No. You cannot plead the fifth."

Eric sniffed loudly. "Sorry, Dad. Uh, yessir, I've smoked pot a few times." He tried to look innocent as he lied.

"Well, you know what to do: Drop your pants and underwear and bend over."

The boy nodded and obeyed. The air was cool on his bared backside, and Eric prayed for the ordeal to be over quickly. The boy hoped that counting the blows would help him endure the spanking. One. The switch seared his cheeks like a branding rod. Tears welled in his eyes and began rolling down his face. Two.

"Ah!" Eric grunted. He could tell that this punishment would be the worst of his life. Three. His shoulders were shaking and he cried quietly. Four.

"I'm sorry," the boy moaned. Five. He shifted from foot to foot, hoping to alleviate the pain. Six.

"Dad, please!" But his father continued without acknowledging his son's pleas. Seven. Eric rolled onto his toes, trying to find a way to escape the blows. Eight. The teen's breaths were rugged and pitiful. Nine

Hyde was quietly humming "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and plugging his ears. Hearing Eric's punishment was gut wrenching. Ten.

"Dad, stop. Please! I'll be good. I promise," Eric wailed. Eleven. The boy made to stand, but Red placed his hand on his son's upper back and forced him in place. Twelve.

"Done. Son, you can stand up when you're ready."

Eric stayed in place and wept. His dad patted his back and quietly said, "It's over now."

The teenager tugged his boxers and then his jeans back into place. His face was red, sweaty and tear-streaked. He looked spent.

Red leaned forward, making eye contact with Eric. "No more drugs, got it?"

"Yessir," the boy nodded. Then his father pulled him into a hug. He held him tightly, which caused Eric to start crying again. The boy could not stand the disappointment, shame, anger, and embarrassment he felt. But his father stood patiently and waited for the tears to subside. When Eric let go, Red turned to Steven. He pulled the curly-haired boy into a gentle embrace. The boy at-first felt awkward in the hug, but then relaxed and was comforted.

When he released the boy, Red said, "I talked to Edna earlier today. I sent her some paperwork to fill out awhile back. It came in the mail today. She's agreed to let Kitty and me be your legal guardians, if you want. So tomorrow we can go and make it official. What do you say?"

Hyde's emotions were intense. He smiled and laughed. "Thank you, Red. I'd like that."

Eric's demeanor instantly changed as he beamed, throwing his arms around Hyde. "Welcome to the family, brother!"

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! I appreciate feedback so much. P.S. I will add (at least) one more chapter. This story one will feature the girls being punished also.