Chapter 13: Crime And Punishment
"How long are we grounded for?" Jake asked Tom.
"A month." Tom replied.
"That sucks." Sarah told him.
"No, what sucks is that you two stole Vinny's car keys." Tom stated.
"I didn't steal those keys. Sarah did." Jake explained.
"Thanks for ratting me out." Sarah said sarcastically.
"I'm not getting in trouble for something you did. Maybe, if it was Mrs. Shenk it would be a different story." Jake told her.
"Vinny is worse then Mrs. Shenk" Sarah explained.
"How?" Jake then asked.
"He just is. Dad, you agree with me, right?" Sarah asked Tom.
"Well, I um." Tom stammered.
"Vinny isn't as bad as Mrs. Shenk, right Dad?" Jake then said.
"Don't bring me into this." Tom told them.
"This is so unfair. You hate Vinny and you never get grounded. I hate Vinny more then you and get grounded." Sarah commented going into the girls bedroom.
Jake goes to the boys bedroom. Tom and Kate are in their room.
"You need to let this thing between you and Vinny go." Kate told him.
"What thing? There is nothing between me and Vinny." Tom explained.
"Tom, because you don't like Vinny, Sarah thinks okay to not like Vinny." Kate told him.
"That's not true." Tom laughed.
"Yes it is." Kate then told him.
"She hates Vinny for a whole different reason." Tom explained.
"Do you know what that reason is?" Kate then asked.
"No, do you?" Tom asked.
"She hasn't told me anything." Kate explained.
"What makes you think she'll tell me anything now?" Tom then asked.
"Just talk to her." Kate told him.
"I'll try." Tom said.
Kate kisses Tom and falls asleep. The next morning Jake and Sarah are at the Boulders where Vinny hands out some punishment of his own.
"You three will wash my car." Vinny told them.
"That's it?" Jake asked.
"And when you're done washing Vinny's car you can wash my car." Jimmy told them.
"That sounds reasonable." Elliot said.
It takes them four hours to wash Vinny's car because he wants it done perfectly. They finally finish and start on Jimmy's car. It takes them one and a thirty minutes. Vinny drives Jake and Sarah back to their cabin.
"I'm never washing a car ever again." Jake said as he walked in the cabin.
Lorraine is outside with Vinny.
"I think those three worked hard today. And since I'm such a nice guy I think that we should all go to that amusement park they have around here." Vinny told her.
"That sounds like a good idea." Lorraine said as she kissed him.
Vinny tells Tom about the idea.
"Jake and Sarah can't go." Tom told him.
"Come on Dad." Jake pleaded with him.
"You and sarah are grounded for a month." Tom reminded him.
"It wouldn't be fair if everyone else went." Vinny commented.
"You're not mad?" Tom then asked.
"I was mad but, that was last night. Unlike you I can let things go." Vinny told him.
"I can let things go." Tom said.
"Whatever." Vinny replied.
"Sarah and Jake can come with us. See I can let things go." Tom told Vinny.
"Thanks Dad." Jake said.
The Bakers and Murtaugh's decide to go to the amusement park. They all eat and head to the amusement park.