Author's note: I know it has been a real long time since I updated this story. Sorry I got caught up in my Bonanza stories. Anyway I hope I am still writing in line with the tone of the story, its hard to keep in the moment when its been such a long time between chapters. I am almost there with the next chapter for this story too so if you are reading keep an eye out for that soon.
After a while of feeling very sorry for himself a contrite Freddie got himself together and he went to wash his face in the on suite bathroom to his room. Looking in the mirror he saw the red rimmed eyes looking back at him.
Yeah way to go there bigshot, you got yourself in a whole world of trouble because you listened to those bozo's your father warned you about hanging around with and look where is got you, almost thrown in jail for dealing, some friends, hey?
Freddie groaned and he went to sit down on the side of the bath but the intense sting in his backside at even bending to sit, nixed that. Ow man, I forgot what it feels like to be on the end of dad's belt. One hand went back to gently rub at the sting but finding it not helping at all, Freddie wondered if he could sneak any ice back to his room on his way back from the study.
Aw man and I gotta hand over my car keys, Sarah's gonna kill me, she wanted to go to that dance next week and the concert the week after!
The young man washed his face and dried it with a towel. It's your own fault, his internal shoulder angel said. You could have been involved in killing someone. It lectured.
Yeah, Yeah I know, alright stop it with the lecture, mused Freddie's conscious and folding up the towel properly, the boy put it back on the towel rail and he left the bathroom to put on some soft cotton sleep pants and gather his stuff up to take it to his father then he would call have to call Sarah.
Knock knock…..
"Come," ordered the deep voice.
Freddie entered the study when given permission to, "Uh excuse me, dad. I've brought my keys and stuff."
Mr Philips rose from his desk and he beckoned his son in with his hand.
Freddie laid his now banned items on the cleared space on the desk.
"Thank you, son. Have you called Sarah yet?"
Freddie shook his head, "May I call her now, please?"
Mr Phillips nodded, "Yes, go on, you can use my desk phone then you're back in your room and I want an apology letter hand written for Mr. Banks by the morning."
"Yes dad."
Mr Philips smiled at his boy and he walked around the desk to ruffle his head, "I'll be back in 10 minutes." He said before walking from the room closing the door behind him.
"Sarah? Oh I'm so glad it was you that answered… what?….uh my voice?...Uhm…."
"Freddie. What's wrong, oh god you're calling to dump me aren't you?"
"What? No! No, baby I'm not, I….uh... really look I've gotten into some trouble and I'm grounded….for….a... month."
"FREDDIE!"
"I know, baby, I know. And I promise I'll make it up to you."
"Freddie, that's practically the whole summer break! What the hell did you do?"
The young boy winced at the yelling from his girlfriend, well she was his sweetheart really as they had been going steady for two years almost and he was really getting serious about her now.
"Uh… uhm, babe you remember the prom when Carton Banks was acting real weird."
"Yes, he ended up in the ER and got admitted and there is a rumour going round that he took drugs….as if! Carlton Banks is a straight A student with a stick up his butt, he's so straight laced."
Freddie laughter lightly at the description but quickly sobered when he thought about it.
"Sarah, ... if I tell you something you got to promise me not to say anything to anyone, right? Not Cindy, Not Louise, no one."
"Alright, but Freddie you're scaring me, what is it?"
"Carlton did take some drugs at the Prom."
"What? No way, who'd have thought it. Where did he get the drugs?"
Freddie swallowed it was now or never, could he tell her and still have her as his girl? Honesty amongst you is the true meaning of a good relationship, echoed in his head from a previous lecture from his father.
"The drugs were speed and they were mine, well Will's actually, seeing as he got them from me," Freddie blurted out and he waiting for the blowout at the end of the phone but instead there was silence. "Sarah? Babe? Talk to me please?"
"I…I don't know what to say, Freddie. I….I….. Freddie I gotta go think about this…"
"Sarah, please, I love you and if you are mad at me it's OK," the young man's eyes started to glass over. "You can yell at me if you want and tell me I'm an idiot and a jerk but please don't dump me over this."
"I just…..Freddie I never thought you would be involved with drugs…"
"I'm sorry. Sar….I'm done with them I promise, it was ….well it started as a study aid….you know to keep you awake? Sarah….I promise you I never dealt drugs, uhm well I mean I never sold 'em to anyone, just... just shared a few with people, you know like Will."
"Will Smith takes drugs as well?" Sarah asked incredulously
"No. I'm mean Yeah. I mean I gave him some as he was struggling but I've no idea if he ever used them, but it was his pills that Carlton took. Sarah I promise you I never knew what Carlton was taking. Apparently he thought they were vitamins so he took more than one that's why he was so ill."
The line went silent again.
"Sarah?...Sarah say something, please?" Freddie begged into the handset.
"You promise me you've done with drugs forever?" she eventually answered
Freddie nodded even though she couldn't possibly see him. "Yes, babe I promise never and my dad kinda knows the whole story so that's why I'm grounded."
"Well I can't say I'm happy about it, baby but if you are sure you aren't going to do it again I guess I can forgive you."
Freddie sighed and he sank back into his father's chair, "Ouch, ah shit!" and he jumped back to his feet and reached back with his free hand to rub furiously
"Freddie, what happened?" asked an alarmed Sarah.
"Uh no…. nothing, baby I just sat on something that hurts that's all," he replied after gathering in a deep breath.
"Are you OK now?"
"Yeah, yeah," he grunted as he rubbed, nothing an ice pack won't make better.
"Frederick, times up, say your goodbyes to Sarah," said Mr. Philips walking into the study.
"Yes, sir." Freddie replied respectfully and he returned back to the handset. "I gotta go now, baby, I love you and I promise when I'm free again we'll do a concert and anything else you want, okay?"
"Yes, I'll look forward to it. You owe me big time Mister," Sarah chuckled into the phone.
"I know I do. Love you."
"And I love you too. Now don't do anything else to get grounded for the rest of the summer, because the last two weeks are mine."
"I hear you, baby, bye."
"Bye."
Freddie returned the handset to the cradle. "Man that sucks, she was well pi…...uh very unhappy with me," he said catching himself from cursing in front of his father just in time.
"Yet another reason to keep you head about you then son, isn't it?"
Freddie nodded and sighed heavily, "Yes sir. Thanks for letting me use the phone in here."
"You're welcome. Now why don't you go and lay down for a bit? Your mother will be home soon and she'll want to see that you aren't too worse for wear when she sees you."
"You've told her?"
Mr Philips nodded, "I have, she as you can imagine was not best pleased to hear it, but she agreed with my decisions on your punishment and that will be the end of it."
Freddie carded his hand through his hair, "Yes sir, I understand."
"Good, now come here."
Freddie made his way round the desk and he was immediately pulled into an affectionate hug by the older man. "I'm proud of you, boy?"
Freddie looked up at him, "You are? Why?"
"You were honest with your girl. Son, that took guts and you've accepted that you were wrong and are willingly accepting the consequences given to you with much more good grace than many of your compatriots would, I don't doubt and that is why I am proud of the man you are becoming."
Freddie smiled, "Uh thanks dad." And he soaked up the affection being offered by the normally much more stoic older man that was his father.
Mr Philips returned the smile and he hugged his boy hard for a good few minutes before both of them started to become a little uncomfortable.
"Uh I'd better get to that letter for, Judge Banks."
"Yes and I have some papers to read," replied Mr. Philips and releasing each other the two men broke apart to go their separate ways. Mr Philips back to his desk and Freddie back to his room hopefully via one of the staff who he could persuade to bring him some ice cubes in a bag.
After a very uncomfortable night on his stomach, Will rolled over and got up and left his room to go to the bathroom down the hall. He did his ablutions, stripped, and showered, washing his body carefully to save the soreness in his nether regions getting worse. When he was done he dried off and with a towel wrapped around his waist he shaved his light covering of morning beard and brushed his teeth. Ready to get dressed he went to sit on the side of the bath to put on the clean boxers and undershirt he had brought in with him.
He yelped as soon as his backside touched the cold enamel of the bath. Geez, Uncle Phil you really know how to do a number on a guy! And he cursed a storm under his breath.
"Are you alright in there?" asked Vivian with concern. She was walking past having already gotten dressed herself earlier and had only come back up to done the necklace she had forgotten to put on for the meeting she was going to attend that morning.
"Ah yeah, yeah, Aunt Viv, I'm fine," Will quickly assured her and deciding to stay away from anything that might touch his sore skin, he stepped into his boxers and shrugged on the undershirt before collecting up his dirty ones and his pyjama pants.
Vivian was still out in the hall when Will emerged. "How are you feeling, today, Will?" she asked kindly
"Ah, I'm ok, Aunt Viv, really." he replied with his head down, as he couldn't bear to face her yet as he was still too ashamed. "I'm really sorry about what I did, Aunt Viv, you know that, right?"
Vivian nodded and she pulled the young man into a strong hold, "Will, you have been punished and forgiven by everyone not just your uncle and I, so I don't want you beating yourself up about this anymore." She leaned back and lifted his chin. "Do you hear me, young man?" she asked patting at his behind gently with the other hand.
"Ah, yes...yes ma'am, no need of a reminder here." he quipped and he went to pull out of range.
Vivian chuckled and she brought up her right hand to run her fingers through his short hair, "See that you remember because Uncle Phil isn't the only one who believes in corporal discipline for naughty young men."
"Aunt Viv!" the younger man whined and Viv just laughed. "Go finished getting dressed, baby. Geoffrey has breakfast ready and I believe that you uncle has a list of chores for you and your cousin to complete today."
Will groaned at the thought of his uncle's further methods to torture him but he nodded obediently, "Yes, ma'am be right down."
Vivian smiled and him and she walked away and Will made quick tracks back to him room to dump the dirty laundry in his basket and put on some light sweat pants knowing that anything heavier would increase the soreness, then slowly as he was able Will made his way downstairs to face everyone for breakfast.
Please Review. I'd appreciate any comments you have about this story, I know my writing style has improved or changed a lot since I first started this story.