Spanking of minors. Don't like. Don't read.
Season 1 Episode 1 Part 2
Just because it's laying the groundwork chapter, it is a bit long. Sorry for that. The next ones will be shorter.
Auggie came into the girls room and jumped on their bed, waking them both up. He hesitated for a moment, but both Riley and Maya sleepily smiled at him. "Mommy said to wake you up for dinner!"
Riley sat up in bed, and pulled off her sweater, "What's for dinner Auggie?"
"Pacos Tacos!" He cried out.
"You guys almost never eat fast food," Maya said confused. She lived on whatever she ate here and whatever her mom brought home from the diner.
"Sometimes if you've been in a lot of trouble, they try and give a peace offering, like your favorite dinner." Riley said.
Maya sat up in bed too and winced, "How long does it hurt for?"
"Did she just use her hand?" Auggie asked.
"No, she used the brush too." Maya said.
"Ouch. Mom's spankings are the worst." Auggie sympathized.
Riley nodded in agreement with her brothers statement. "It will probably be a little sore until tomorrow afternoon." She stood up and stretched. Maya stood up too, eager to be off of her bottom and the Lion fell to the floor. Auggie jumped into Rileys arms as Maya stooped down to pick it up. "Where did that come from?"
"Daddy said she was sad, so I got it for her with my allowance." Auggie told her.
Riley smiled and kissed her brother's face, "That was sweet!"
"I know!" Auggie declared, squirming to get down before running into the kitchen to wash his hands.
"Riles?" Maya asked, picking at the lion.
"Yes peaches?"
"What if I can't go out there?"
Riley sat back down on her bed, "What do you mean?"
"I was so bad for your dad today, what if when we were sleeping they decided I really was too bad of an influence?" Maya asked.
"I don't think they would have got you your favorite tacos then." Riley told her.
"I can't go out there Riles." Maya said.
"Going out for dinner is expected, Maya so it falls under the responsibility rule, and Mommy sent Auggie to get us, so you are disobeying her if you don't go." Riley said, cocking her head to the side, trying to understand her friend.
"Just tell them I'm not hungry." Maya told her.
Riley sighed, but didn't want to be caught not listening, so she left to go to the table. Maya stuffed her jacket and the lion into her backpack, she could get her boots from Riley later, and was walking towards the window when Topanga walked in. She leaned on the doorway and locked eyes with Maya, "I heard you weren't hungry." Maya wondered if she was going to say something about her obviously trying to leave. Topanga cautiously walked over to Rileys bad and sat down on the edge closest to the window. "What are you thinking about?" Maya frowned at the woman, it felt like she was just trying to trap her into breaking more rules. She didn't want to say what she was thinking about. "Are you upset that I spanked you?"
"No." Maya said, not turning to fully face her.
"Okay, are you upset because of all the new rules?" Topanga asked.
"Look, I know that after some time to think about it, you and Mr. Matthews want me to leave Riley alone." Maya said softly. "So let's not make this harder, and I can just go, while you have your nice family dinner."
"Our family isn't complete without you, Maya." Cory said from the doorway.
Maya looked over at him, "Even though I'm a bad influence?"
Topanga opened her arms to the girl, and hoped Maya would come, "You've had some bad influences, but we are moving forward." Maya walked over and sat in Topangas lap. She kissed the girls temple.
"But I was so bad today." Maya said.
"Your actions did error on the extreme side today Maya, but your actions did, not you. You are still learning who you are." Cory said walking over to the girls.
"I know one thing though," Riley said, walking into the room and pulling her friend out of her moms lap to hug her, "who you are and who you will become isn't bad."
"Agreed." Cory said, smiling down at the girls. "Now can we go get some tacos?"
"Yes!" Riley called.
Topanga smiled at her husband and daughter, "you two go, we will be there in a second." When they were alone Topanga looked into Mayas face, and as much as she didn't want to, Maya stared back unflinching. She stood up and reached out to take the girls backpack off and set it beside her daughters bed and then she wrapped her arms tightly around the thirteen year old. "You are safe here. You are a part of his family, and you are so loved." She whispered into the girls hair. Maya started crying softly, but nodded. Topanga kept one arm wrapped around the girl tightly, and reached down with the other to give the girl 5 hard swats. "We do not run away from our problems, and like Cory and I said before, we need to know where you are at all times. I don't ever want to catch you trying to sneak out again, or my brush will have more to say about it, am I understood?" She gave the girl 5 more hard swats.
"Yes ma'am! I'm sorry." Maya cried.
Topanga reached out and wipped her tears with her thumbs, "Alright, are you hungry now?"
"Yes!" Maya cheered. Topanga laughed as she lead the girl to her normal spot at the dinning room table next to Riley.
Maya looked down at the wooden bench then up at Topanga who had just relit the fire in her behind. Topanga shook her head no, "Sit Maya, its part of the lesson."
Maya made a face but sat down. The family had a relaxed and enjoyable dinner, and the girls cleared the table, which only consisted of throwing away the trash, and wipping it down. Cory let her know that if she came home and did her chores like the other two, they would give her 13 dollars a week. Topanga told her, there was always more to be done too if she wanted to earn more money. All three kids went to get their homework and sat down at the kitchen table. Cory helped Auggie with his sight words and Topanga went through Maya's agenda to help her make a list of all the assignments she was missing. It was a lot.
Cory knew that Maya was going to be upset with him, but he also knew that education was non-negotiable to them. "Maya. You have 57 missing assignments, how is that even possible?"
Maya looked down at the table and shrugged. "Try again," Topanga said firmly.
"It just happened." Maya told him.
"Well until they are done, after your homework for the night is complete, you will sit here and work on 3 missing assignments, every week night. Is that understood?"
"I'm gonna be at this table every night until my mom picks me up." Maya whined. Throwing herself down onto her books.
Topanga knocked on the table so that Maya looked up at her. "It should take you about 4 weeks." Maya opened her mouth to object. "Or we could ground you, and instead of going out with your friends after school you could stay after school with Cory and get them done, and also spend your weekends working on them until they are done."
Maya looked at Topanga's dangerously raised eyebrow, but decided to push her luck a little more, "I don't even know if I will still get credit for most of them."
"Tomorrow you will ask all of your teachers for a print out progress report to make sure we didn't miss anything, and ask if you can recieve credit for them, or if there is any extra credit you can do for them." Topanga told her.
"What if I forget?" Maya challenged. Auggie, who had just finished his homework, quickly exited to put his backpack away, before bringing a tote with blocks back out to the living room. Riley, about halfway done with hers, kept her eyes trained on her science book. Both kids knowing to keep their heads down.
"Then it's good that you have detention with me tomorrow after school for todays stunt. If you forget, then I will personally walk you to each class and ask with you, that won't be embarrassing for you at all." Cory told her.
Maya blushed at the mere thought of that. "Is that what you want to happen?" Topanga asked.
"No ma'am." Maya said, relaxing her shoulders in defeat.
"Even if you aren't going to get credit for them, I still want you to complete the assignment." Topanga told her. "It was your responsibility to do in the first place, and we need to honor our responsibilities. I am going to work from home the rest of the week, while things settle here. I want you to come straight home from detention and we will look at those reports together and make a firm plan."
Not having anymore fight in her Maya just nodded. Even with the nap it had been a long day. Cory and Topanga shared a look over the girls heads. "Since we probably don't have a complete picture today, and a lot of these things are worksheets that I'm sure you will need to collect as well, let's just do the homework for tonight, and we can start on that project tomorrow." Cory said.
"Really?"
Riley looked up for the first time, "They aren't unreasonable, Maya. At least not mostly."
Cory and Topanga smiled at the pre-teens compliment. "Alright, you and I will start with Math and science, and then Cory will take over for History and English."
"We have some art homework too." Riley supplied.
Maya glared at her, "I think I will be fine on my own for that one."
"Alright to the books ladies." Topanga said, pulling out Mayas math book from the stack on the table. Cory went and got his students worksheets from last week and started grading as Topanga helped the girls.
After about twenty minutes, Riley got up to go do her reading on the couch. And Cory and Topanga switched so that she could start looking through documents for a current case, trying to find a way around going to court. As they switched places, Topanga told Auggie to put his blocks away and do a quick bedroom clean up. Twenty minutes later, Maya joined Riley on the couch, and instead of declaring her reading time up, Riley stayed on the couch and read with her best friend. Cory left to go give Auggie a bath, and read to him. When Maya closed her book, Topanga closed her laptop and went and sat on the couch with the girls. She looked at the clock, 8:20. "Your homework with reading, takes about an hour a night, some nights less. Making up 3 assignments will probably take you another half hour. So without delays to dinner, you are right, much like tonight, you won't have a ton of time before your mom picks you up. But when that's done Maya, you and Riley will have 45 minutes to do whatever you want each night together, and on Monday, when you don't have the drive you will have like an hour and a half to unwind before bed. I know it always looks bleak at the start, but we will get through this. I promise."
"Mom, can we watch TV for our last twenty minutes?" Riley asked.
"Of course." Topanga said. "I'm going to go kiss Auggie goodnight, but your dad and I will be back out soon." Topanga left and the girls put on a rerun of red planet diaries. At 830 both parents came out from tucking in Auggie and and sat down on the couch. Topanga sat in the middle of the girls, and Cory sat on Mayas other side knowing the girl needed all the assurance she could get. When the episode ended, they all looked up surprised, that meant it was nine o clock. "Girls give each other a hug, and Riley, go shower and brush your teeth. Maya do you have all your stuff?" Topanga asked.
Maya pointed to her jacket, boots and backpack by the door, "yes." They stood and hugged each other before Riley went down the hall to grab her PJs for her shower. Cory called after her, reminding her to do a quick bedroom clean up.
"I'm going to call Katy and see what's up." Cory said, standing up and walking into his bedroom to call in private.
"She forgot me." Maya whispered. "Day one and she forgot me."
"I'm sure that's not true, honey. She probably just had to close out her drawer or something." Topanga said, pulling the little girl in closer to her. She had to try and keep the tensions out of her body, so that Maya didn't think it was directed at her, but Topanga was seething. Maya wasn't surprised, but still a little heart broken that once again her mom left her, especially when she knew Maya's day had been so stressful.
"Katy, why are you still at the restaurant?!" Cory exclaimed.
"Is Maya okay, why are you calling?" Katy asked, frazzled.
"You were supposed to leave work at 830 and come get Maya, Katy. She needs to be in bed by 930, remember?" He was pacing his room, completely upset with the lady, how could you just forget your kid?
"Oh, just put her on the subway, she will be fine to get home." Katy said, absent-mindedly.
"Absolutley not!" Cory said.
"Then I can pick her up, at midnight maybe..." Katy trailed off thinking.
"She can sleep here tonight, but we need to have a conversation about this Katy, what is your new start time?"
"Noon, all five days." Katy told him, "Look Cory, I appreciate you, but I need to get back to work, are you keeping her tonight or am I grabbing her at midnight?"
"We will be keeping her, and we will reach out with a time to talk." Cory told her.
"Looking forward to it." Katy said flipantlty before hanging up.
He took a deep breath, Maya was going to be heart broken and Topanga was going to be pissed.
He walked back into the living room, and watched as Maya's eyes drooped, while she leaned against Topanga. The TV was off and Topanga was humming to her and running her fingers through her hair. Cory went and squatted in front of the girl for the second time that night. "Someone called out, and your mom got stuck at the diner, Maya. I want you to go grab some of your jamies from Rileys room and go shower in our bathroom, okay?"
"She forgot about me." Maya said again.
"We are asking you for complete honesty, so I'm gonna repay you with the same." Maya looked at him in surprise at that. It was the first time she felt like an adult was treating her like a grown up. "I don't totally know what happened tonight, Maya, but if you trust us and you give us some time, I promise you that Topanga and I will fix this."
Maya stood up, and made her face blank, "It's okay, guys. Really."
Topanga stood and pulled on the girls arm so that she looked at her. "Hey, do you trust us?"
"Sure," Maya said. "I'm gonna go shower."
As she left Cory turned to his furious wife. "What did she have to say?"
"She said that she was staying at work and we could either let Maya go home on the subway, or she would pick her up maybe at midnight." Cory told her.
"She wanted us to put that little girl on the subway alone at 9 at night?!" Topanga seethed. Both paused as the realized they really didn't know how Maya got home after she left their house. That was never happening again.
"I know honey, it upset me too, but we need to be strong for Maya." Cory said. "I think it's best that she take Maya home on time tomorrow, since today went so poorly, so we may have to wait until the weekend to have a sit down with her."
"What time does her shift start?"
"Noon."
"Cory, I think that I want to meet with her alone." Topanga told him.
"I'm not sure that's the best idea. I already have to deal with Maya in kid detention, I don't want to have to spring you out of adult detention." He half joked.
Topanga rolled her eyes, "It will be fine. Is it okay with you if I ask if she can meet me Thursday morning before her shift?"
Cory hesitated, his wife's temper was a little explosive sometimes. "Topanga..."
"The kids won't be here to hear anything, and I will have the print out of Maya's grades to show her how things are going. It's always better to have evidence." Topanga told him.
Cory kissed his wife's nose gently. What people didn't know, except Shawn of course, was that Cory did spank his wife, very rarely, maybe ten times in their whole marriage, but it always had to do with her temper, usually as a result of competitveness. Most had occured within the first 5 years of their marriage. He leaned in close to her ear, in case there were any little ears around. "I have not had a reason to use that hairbrush in three years, please do not do anything to change that."
Topanga bit her lip, she of course was worried about the same thing. "I know, Cor. I will do my best."
He knew it was the best he could hope for, she had been warned. He took her hand and they went back to Rileys room to tuck the girls in.
When Maya got out of the shower both adults were in Rileys room. Maya threw her clothes into the hamper and went and crawled into bed. She quickly flipped over to her stomach. Topanga tucked the girls in and both adults kissed the girls before turning the light off and walking out.
"Maya?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, Riles?"
"You're okay, right?" Riley rolled over to her side to look at her friends face.
"Yeah, Riley. I'm okay. Now go to sleep, we have school tomorrow." Maya closed her eyes. Riley watched her friend for a few minutes and then closed her own eyes.
In the living room Topanga called Katy to set up a meeting. Reluctantly Katie agreed to go over to the Matthew's house at 1030 on Thursday, and promised that she would be there to pick Maya up at 845 sharp the next evening.
Maya woke up around 2 AM in cold sweats. She couldn't remember anything about her dream except that she had been running. She looked over at Riley peacefully sleeping and then stood up, picking up her new lion and walked over to the bay window, when she saw a sleeping form there. Maya took a small step and the form stirred. "Hey, lovely, did you have a bad dream?" Topanga asked sleepily, sitting up.
"What are you doing in here?" Maya whispered.
Topanga looked over, knowing her sleeping daughter was dead to the world. "I'm here to make sure you don't get any bright ideas in the middle of the night."
Maya blushed. "I was just going to look at the stars."
Topanga checked her watch and saw the time, "Okay, I hear ya, but its late, and you have school tomorrow. Maybe instead of watching tv after your homework tomorrow, we can go on the roof and watch the stars."
"Am I in trouble?" Maya asked uncertainly.
"No, you dont have your backpack or anything. I believe you just needed some space. Like I said though, it's late, do you want to come sleep here with me, or do you want to go back to bed with Riley?" Topanga asked.
"You can go back to your own bed." Maya told her, walking back to Rileys bed.
"I'm okay right here. I want you to know that I'm here if you need me. " Topanga said, laying back down.
Maya crawled back into bed and feel asleep quickly and with a smile on her face, safe in the knowledge that she wasnt alone.