Inferno Part 3

~50~ Taking The Lazy Way Out

Liam's POV

We're hanging out in the living room, watching a movie, when there's a knock on the door.

"These door-to-door salesmen are really starting to bug me," I grumble as I get off the couch to answer it.

When I answer it, it's even worse than a door-to-door salesman...It's my BFF.

I groan and roll my eyes. "What are you selling me now? I'm already trying to pay off the knives you talked me into."

Mason grins and rolls his eyes. I can immediately tell that this isn't a social visit.

"Dang, you've got that look. Either you and I are about to be in our very first fight, it's bad news regarding the family, or my daughter is in trouble. Which is it?"

"Holy Crap you're good!" He says with wide eyes.

I nod and smack my lips together. "We're in our very first fight, huh?"

Mason smirks. "If you keep making me stand outside in the arctic air, we will be."

"Oops" I cackle as I let him in.

"Family or Savvy?" I ask, crossing my arms.

Mason sighs and looks over at the couch. "Sorry Savvy," he says sadly.

I look over and see my daughter slumping back on the couch and full-on pouting.

"What did you do?" I ask darkly.

"Ask Mr. Big Mouth."

"Savannah Lucille, I won't ask again."

She sighs and looks at the ground.

"Come here." I say darkly. I HATE when my kids are in trouble. I have literally not even needed to ground this girl since the time she hit me. Our road trip did wonders.

She walks over and brushes her dark brown hair out of her eyes. Then she glares at Mason.

"He's accusing me of doing something I didn't do."

"Which is?"

"Cheating"

I sigh and look at Mason.

"Her paper is identical to another girl's paper in a different class. They're friends...One of them cheated off the other one."

I look back at Savannah and she shakes her head. "We didn't. We worked on it together. We spent hours on it."

Mason rolls his eyes. "Savannah, it wasn't a group assignment. You're not allowed to turn in an assignment that's word-for-word to another student's paper. I'm still sticking with what I told you in class. You have until Monday to write a new paper, or I'll have to fail you."

"And I told you that I will NOT be writing another paper, so go ahead and just fail me now."

"If I do that, it will drop your grade to a D. You're going to have a hard time raising it."

"D still isn't failing. I'm good with it."

"I'm not," I say, speaking for the first time.

"Dad, I have spent hours and hours researching and writing this paper. He never said we couldn't work with someone."

Mason is officially mad. "When have I EVER allowed you to turn in an identical piece when it wasn't a group project?"

"We do homework together all the time. We turned in the same assignment three days ago and you didn't say anything."

"Savannah, it's because there's only one correct answer to those questions. You cited the same sources. You quoted the exact same things. It was literally the same paper, with two students names on it. That isn't allowed in my class."

"So maybe you should be more specific next time."

Mason sighs loudly and shakes his head. I know it's time to intervene.

"Young lady, you will get your butt at that table and start working. You will NOT keep talking to him like that. You knew exactly what you were doing."

"Dad, there's no time. We have the volleyball tournament this weekend."

Dang I forgot about that.

I close my eyes and sigh. "Then it looks like you will get the paper done before the tournament, or you won't be going."

"That's not fair," she says, fighting her tears hard.

"It's not fair you tried to take a shortcut. Don't blame him for this. I silently listened to each of you. He's right on this one, kid."

She rolls her eyes. "Figured you would take his side over mine," she says as she goes up the stairs and slams the door.

I look at Mason and he is obviously upset. "I'm sorry. I just can't allow this. Even if it was a group project I wouldn't, because they're not in the same class."

"Don't apologize. This is on her."

Mason leaves, and I go upstairs and open her door. She's sitting on her bed, crying.

I sit next to her and lay down, putting my legs over her thighs.

"You slammed the door," I say, resting my head on the pillow.

"Sorry," she sniffs.

"You going to honestly tell me you really thought he would accept that?"

"I knew he wouldn't."

"So why in the world wouldn't you just write your own stupid paper?"

She just shrugs. "I promise I did half the work. I really worked hard on it."

I nod, closing my eyes for a minute.

We're silent for a long time, the only sounds are her occasional sniffles.

"Am I going to be spanked?" She finally asks.

I open my eyes and look at her. "Why?"

She raises her eyebrows, trying to read me.

"Are you drunk?" She finally asks.

I laugh as I close my eyes again. "I wish"

I open my eyes and sit up, taking my legs off of her. "Take the same research you have and write your own paper. You're amazing at words; You can knock it out in a day or two."

"I shouldn't have to do that," she argues.

"Yeah, you should. You knew what was expected and you were testing boundaries. Get it done before this weekend, and turn it in."

"I'm really not in trouble?"

"Do you want to be?" I grin.

The look she gives me makes me laugh.

"No. You didn't cheat, you were just being lazy. Get it done and I won't say another word about it. It just better not happen again."

"Yes sir," she mumbles, her face sullen.

"No more slamming doors," I say, pointing my finger at her sternly.

She nods

I kiss her head and leave, shutting the door the way it should have been shut the first time.

When I get back down the stairs, I pick up Charlotte and cuddle her close. She grins at me and kicks her legs, making soft grunts.

We still haven't heard a word about a new heart. Hoping another baby dies so yours can be saved is the cruelest, most sickening thing I can think of. So, I don't wish for a heart. I wish for my babies heart to be healed.

I sit back down and continue watching TV with my family, minus poor Savvy who is slaving away on her
paper for my strict BFF.