This is my first fic so apologies in advance for any newbie mistakes. Reviews would be very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. This fic is about characters from the TV show The Lying Game, not the books, and features spanking, including parental spanking of a teenager. If that's not your thing, please move right along.
Chapter 5
"What do you mean, he tried to spank you?"
Sutton sighed. "Ethan, do you really want to hear the gory details? Does that excite you or something?"
Ethan decided to ignore the wisecrack. "Only if you want to tell me," he said, sitting down next to Sutton on the sofa and putting his hand on her arm. "Look, Sutton, I know you put on this hard act, but I'm pretty sure there's a real person with feelings in there – somewhere.
Or at least I hope there is, he thought.
"It was Alec's idea," Sutton told him.
Now Ethan was really intrigued. He said nothing, but motioned for Sutton to keep talking.
"I overheard them talking," she explained. "At the country club, about three years ago. They didn't know I was listening. Alec was telling Dad that he shouldn't put up with it – with me. That he should really think about taking me down a peg or two."
Ethan couldn't help thinking that Alec had a point.
"He was asking my dad if he'd ever thought about spanking me. He told him: 'You know I've dished out a few good hidings in my time. They're not too old for it now, if the situation warrants it.' Although he forgot to mention the fact that he's totally abusive. Mads is terrified of him. A lot of the time, he's just mean."
"And what did your dad say to that?"
"He said: 'Ted, the way you run your family is your own business. You know I've always said that. But I don't think that approach would be right for us with Sutton.' And you know what Alec did? He laughed at him. Told him the approach he was taking didn't exactly seem to be working, so maybe he should think about trying a new one."
"To be honest, Sutton, I have to say I agree with him."
"Mm, yeah. He's just a model of perfect parenting, isn't he?"
Ah, there was that mouth again. Ethan had almost missed it during the few minutes Sutton had spent being practically civil.
"So, what happened after that?" Ethan was wildly curious, but he needed to stay cool. If Sutton realised he was dying to know what had happened, she would probably stop talking purely to piss him off.
"I heard him discussing it with my mom," Sutton said. "Of course, she hit the roof at the mere idea of it. She was all: 'Even if I believed in corporal punishment, which I absolutely don't, Sutton is 14! You can't hit a 14-year-old. That's absurd.' Then she started going on about how spanking is lazy parenting, which is kind of ironic really."
"You do a lot of eavesdropping, don't you, Sutton?" Ethan remarked.
"Do you want to hear the rest of this or not?" Sutton didn't wait for an answer before she continued. "My dad listened to all of that. And then he said: 'I hear what you're saying, really I do. But I'm tired of being an emotional punchbag. I'm tired of having our daughter treat us like crap – because she doesn't respect us.'"
"'And you think you can just beat some respect into her, do you?' Kristen asked. 'You think that's going to fix everything? Even if I actually thought beating our daughter was the answer, I'm pretty sure Sutton would phone CPS the second you tried.'"
"And did you?" Ethan asked.
"Did I what?"
"You said your dad tried to spank you. Did he stop because you called CPS?"
Ethan figured she must have threatened to call them. Her dad would have backed off and never tried again. So he got the shock of his life when he heard Sutton's answer.
"No, that's not why. I wanted him to do it. It was Laurel who made him stop."
