Inferno Part 3

~157~ Devastation and Realization

Gabby's POV

When we get in the car on the way home from school, I'm nervous. Nolan won't look at me, and I'm feeling bad. I don't get why he's in trouble, but I can tell that he is.

"Give me your phone," Ellie says as she turns out of the school.

Nolan gets in his pocket and hands it to her.

"Two weeks," she says as she throws it in her purse.

"I know. You told me when you made me skip gym," he snaps as he looks out the window.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," he says, changing his attitude immediately.

When we get to Ellie and Taylor's, dad and Taylor are in the living room, watching TV. Dad's still in his uniform.

"Are you still working?" I ask him as I set my book bag on the table.

"For a few more hours."

"Then why are you here?"

"Excuse me?"

"This couldn't wait until you got home? You had to leave work as soon as I got home from school?"

Dad stands up and puts his hands on his hips. "For a little girl who's in a lot of trouble, you sure don't seem worried about it."

"Can we just get this over with?" I snap. I'm tired of the theatrics.

Dad looks at me for a moment, and I can tell that he's thinking about something.

"On second thought, I'll take care of this tonight. Sit at that table and get your homework done, and then go to your room until dinner. Hear me?"

I ignore him as I go and grab my book bag, going into the kitchen and sitting down.

Dad leaves without looking at me again, and I open my math book and pretend to be working on homework—When in reality I'm spying on what Taylor is saying to Nolan.

"Have a good day?"

"Fine"

"Homework?"

"Yeah"

"K. Let's go upstairs for a bit, and then you can sit at the table with Gabby and do it."

"Yes sir," Nolan says as he follows Ellie and Taylor upstairs. It's really weird that Ellie went up there—Mom never goes in when I'm getting in trouble.

They're up there for quite a while, and I hear nothing. Maybe he's not getting spanked after all.

Suddenly I hear a door open, and I hear footsteps. I'm expecting them to come downstairs, but no one does. They go into another room and shut the door.

What in the world?

After a few more minutes, I totally hear him getting spanked. It sounds like the belt. I've never heard the belt before—dad always uses his hand.

It's also weird, because I've only ever heard Colton get spanked—I've never heard anyone else. I feel kinda bad that he's getting it, but he's been so cranky with me all day, I really don't feel THAT bad.

What's weirdest is that I don't hear him crying. Colton was usually sobbing by now, and that was with dad's hand. I don't hear Nolan crying at all with the belt.

The spanking lasts for quite a while—I don't know how long, but definitely long enough for a regular person to cry. Finally Taylor stops, and they come down about ten minutes later.