Inferno Part 4

~30~ You Don't Get To Pick

Raya's POV

I hear the tone in his voice and it immediately makes me nervous. When I look up and see his face, I get even more so.

"Yeah?"

He sits down and takes the pencil out of my hand, staring hard into my eyes. "When I told you no, what part of that was confusing? Justin was under the impression that I had told you yes. So I know for next time, how should I have worded it differently?"

I bite my lip and look down at the paper. He quietly puts his finger under my chin and lifts it until I look at him.

"I just really want to see him," I say as tears prick my eyes.

"Again, what part of what I said was confusing? I gave you two different options to see him and you turned me down."

"Why would he even call you?"

"He needed to decide which tickets to buy. What was the plan, Raya? How were you gonna sneak outta here in the middle of the damn day with luggage?"

"I don't know," I mutter as I jerk my chin out of his grasp.

"Were you really going to try and sneak off to Justin? Was that really your plan?"

A single nod is my only response.

"I have to punish you for this, kid."

When I look at him, he's a mixture between sad and mad.

I silently hand him my phone, and he nods. "Taking the phone isn't a big enough punishment. You're grounded for a month."

"Fine," I say as I roll my eyes. It's not like I go anywhere anyways.

Dad looks at me, and it's like he's waiting for me to realize something.

"Your concert is in three weeks....."

"Ok?" I ask, still not grasping what he's saying.

"You're not going, Raya. You're losing the concert."

My mouth drops open, and suddenly I start to cry. I've finally got friends, and I've been looking forward to this concert for two months.

"What?!?!"

Dad nods sadly. "You were attempting to do something really, really bad. He was going to email you the tickets tonight, to have you leave tomorrow. He decided to check something with me first....You would have left tomorrow without telling me. This punishment has to hurt kid, I'm sorry."

"Dad, come on! I finally made friends! Come on!!!!!"

Dad simply shakes his head. "Tell Paisley that she will have to give your ticket to someone else."

"No! Dad, I'm begging you!!!! What would you do if I was Zoe?!?"

"You're not Zoe," he says sharply.

"But if I was. Would I be grounded for a month?"

A simple shake of the head is my only answer.

"Then just spank me. Please? I'll take a spanking."

Astonishment washes over him and his jaw drops open for a moment. Then he clears his throat and shakes his head. "Nope. I'm the parent, and you're the kid. You don't get to decide which punishment you want, whenever you want it. You are NOT in charge. I gave you your punishment, the end. You don't like it? Then don't do things to earn yourself one. If you ever decide that you can handle a spanking, then talk to me about it when you're not in trouble. Go on upstairs right now...I'm too heated."

I slam my hands on the table, and my tears leak out and run down my cheeks. "I finally made friends," I cry, and his face flashes pain.

When I get to my room I fall on my bed and sob.