Lessons Learned

Prologue

Simon Cowell's POV:

     I stood infront of my office window, watching the neighborhood kids play in the street below.  Damn kids are going to get by a car one of these days, then they're gonna realize how silly it was to play in the street to begin with!

There was a gentle knock on my office door followed by  George, my assistant, opening it.

"Mr. Cowell," he spoke softly. "She just got home,"

"Send her in," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest and not looking away from the window.

A few minutes later, I could hear shuffling behind me and the door close.  I turned around to find my niece sitting down in the chair across from my desk. 

Her long, curly, blonde hair looked like a rat's nest.  Her makeup from the night before was smudged down her cheeks.  I sighed, not liking having these little confrontations with her, I always avoided them.   But, maybe that's what her problem was?  Maybe I was too leinient!  Well, not anymore.

"You went out wearing that?" I asked, referring to the hot pink tube top and faded jean mini skirt.

"You look half naked,"

"Eh, I was cold so I kept the jacket on most of the time," she said, pointing to the black leather jacket she had thrown off on the couch by the door. 

"Spit it out," I pulled a tissue from the box on my desk and handed it to her.  She rolled her eyes and spit her gum out into it.  She knew that I hated to hear her smack her gum, although I knew that she only did it so loudly and obnoxiously, just to annoy me.

I sat at my desk, leaning back in my chair.  I picked up the pencil close to my hand and thumped in on the calender infront of me. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I'll pay you back for bail,"

"That's not the point," I replied.  "I'm sick of this.  It seems like every weekend it's something.  I'm constantly having to dig you out of trouble,"

"No you're not!"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "You want me to list all the times that I've had to? Shall we talk about how you were almost expelled from your school, a week before graduation, because you got into that fight?  How about a few weeks ago when I had to send George to bail you out of jail, because you and your idiot friends decided to smoke pot at the park?"

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes once more.  "Are you done with the song and dance?  I need a shower,"

"This isn't the same song and dance,"

"Whatever.  I'll go take some money out of my savings for the damn bail money," she stood from the chair and started to walk away. 

"SIT DOWN!" I snapped.  She turned around to look at me, surprised.  Even I was surprised, I had never spoken to her like that.  She was always such a big part of my life...more like my own child. 

I sighed and looked at her, pointing at the chair.  "Sit down,"

"Why?" she snapped back, sitting down.  "So, this isn't the usual song and dance, that's great! What, instead you're gonna yell at me?"

"No," I sighed, disappointed in myself for raising my voice.  "Sierra, there's consquences this time,"

"Consequences?" she asked with a laugh.  "What are you gonna do, lay me over your knee and spank me?  Aren't I a little old for that?"

"Would you stop being such a smart mouthed little shit?" I asked, trying not to shout, but damnit she was pissing me off!

"Fine," she rolled her eyes once more.  "Let's hear it,"