Vic arrived promptly at ten only to be greeted by two relatively grumpy brats and one slowly-losing-his-patience top. They had awakened to a perfectly dreary day with a forecast promising nothing but rain.
Perfect, Vic thought. He had heard the weather report and had hoped to find the boys in better spirits. He knew what the combination of rain at the beach plus a cranky Ben and Zach could add up to. Keeping them entertained would push the limits of his skills in creativity.
"Thank God you're here," Nelson said, meeting Vic at the door. "I'm about this close to killing them," he said as he held his thumb and first finger a mere centimeters apart.
When the boys awoke earlier to rain they were not happy. Then they discovered it was to continue all day and that only served to further diminish their already rotten moods. Nelson had to threaten and fight them to get them showered, dressed and fed.
"I don't want eggs!" Zach complained as Nelson sat the plate down in front of him.
"You like eggs, now eat," Nelson said.
"I didn't say I didn't LIKE eggs, I said I don't WANT eggs," Zach said, as if talking to someone who couldnt understand.
"Then you should have made your wants known when I was ordering room service. You wouldn't tell me what you wanted so I had to pick something for you. Now, EAT. Ben, quit playing with your food and eat, too."
"I'm not hungry."
Nelson sighed deeply and looked heavenward for help. "Listen, you two. I'm not fighting you on everything this morning. Lose the attitudes or I will warm your seats for you. I didn't think you would be looking for a repeat of last night already, but I will be glad to give you an encore if that's what you want. Now, what will it be? Eggs or a spanking?"
"We're eating!" Zach said and Ben simply replied by forcing a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
It had been that way all morning. Nelson was sorry to leave Vic with the guys but glad not to be leaving them unattended in their present state of mind.
He said to Vic, "I hate to run but I have a meeting. Good luck to you. They have been nothing but charm and grace all morning. I should be back around 4:30."
"Great. Have a good time. I know we will," Vic smirked as Nelson left.
Vic studied the two moping young men on the sofa. Ben had the remote and was quickly passing through the handful of cable channels available in the hotel.
"There's nothing on and we'll be stuck in here all day!" Ben pouted.
"How do you know nothing's on? You speed-surfed through the channels, you dope. Give me the remote," Zach said as he tried to snatch the remote from Ben's fingers and the two started fighting for control of the TV.
"Hey! Hey! Cut it out!" Vic interjected. "I'LL take the remote," he said as he grabbed the remote then used it to point at the two angry faces. They slumped against the sofa melting under Vics glare. "There's no reason you two can't find something to do where it's dry. There's more to do than swim in the ocean. There's the indoor pool, the Jacuzzi, the sauna...."
"Yeah, but they'll be crowded today since no one can go on the beach," Ben whined.
"I'll tell you what. You go down and swim in the pool for a while then I'll take you out somewhere. There's an outlet mall not far from here. We can do some shopping."
Zach rolled his eyes, "Shopping?! Why don't you just pull my nails out one at a time?"
Knowing Ben wasn't the best shopper either, Vic suggested, "Well, how about a movie? I hear you didn't get to go last night as planned - which we still need to discuss, Ben. Don't think I've forgotten."
Ben's eyes quickly hit the floor. He knew Vic hadn't forgotten. He never forgot. Had the _d_a_m_n_ mind of an elephant. He had been hoping that vacation would at least distract him enough to put off another discussion about last night. The day was young but wasn't starting out very promising.
"Yeah, that might work," Zach said.
"Or, they have the Ripley's Aquarium we could check out," Vic offered.
"I don't want to go on a school field trip," Ben griped.
"I think it would be neat," Zach countered.
God, the two of them could be like children sometimes. "We don't have to decide right now. Unfortunately, I have a meeting I couldn't get out of at the last minute that I will be attending through teleconference at 11:30. In the mood you two are in, I'd prefer you not be in the room while I'm in the meeting. Now get suited up and downstairs to the pool. You'll need to do lunch on your own since my meeting won't be over until one or so. Unless, you want to wait...."
"No, no. We'll get lunch on our own." Ben knew lunch with Vic would be chock full of vitamins and minerals and other such disgusting things. He and Zach could get something good if not being attended by Vic the Almighty.
"Okay. I don't want you leaving the hotel so just grab something in the restaurant here. I'll get room service. And do NOT fill up on junk."
"Vic, there's a little shop right across the street where we could eat. I'm sick of hotel food. Can we go there?"
"You've only been here one day and you ate out last night. Just get something downstairs and we'll go out tonight, OK?"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Can we at LEAST go to the beach shop across the street?"
Vic hesitated, afraid the guys would get caught up in wandering the street and not get back at a decent hour.
He finally relented, "Fine, but that's the only place I want you to go and you need to be back here by 1:00, no later. It will be easier if you just eat lunch here and charge it to the room. I would appreciate it if you would at least get a salad to go with whatever else you buy. No caffeine drinks, no candy. I don't want to fight the two of you in a theatre, or wherever we go, loaded up on sugar and caffeine. Understood?"
"Okay, okay," Ben responded.
The boys' moods seemed to lift having a plan for the day. It wouldn't be so bad after all. They quickly changed and took off for the pool. Vic busied himself unpacking and preparing for his meeting once the guys left. After the meeting, he could concentrate on relaxing and enjoying himself.
"Good move on ditching Vic for lunch. We can eat at that restaurant and he won't know the difference," Zach complimented Ben.
"Zach, you read my mind. You owe me. We can get some REAL food there. I haven't had a good hotdog in a long time."
The boys had passed the restaurant across the street the day before and smelled the fries, hamburgers and other greasy fares cooking. They had tried to get Nelson to let them go there but he would have none of it. He had responded with a resounding "no" when they tried to get him to go there last night instead of the pizza parlor. He had commented that the place looked like it should be condemned. It looked like fine dining to Benji and Zach.
As they expected, the pool was pretty crowded. Not content to lie beside the pool, the boys gave up after about a half an hour and decided to dress. It was still a little early for lunch so they decided to go to the beach store then off to the restaurant.
They managed to kill another half an hour looking at mostly clothes, but also some of the tackiest souvenirs they had ever encountered. There were shot glasses, spoons, lighters, cheap t-shirts and just about anything else you could think of with the beach name emblazoned on it.
Zach was busy peering at the hermit crab cage. He contemplated buying one but didn't think Nelson would appreciate it. He thought it best to ask first, but then Ben had to open his big mouth.
"You don't really want one of those things, do you? What the hell would you do with it?" Ben asked. Ben thought Zach's taste in pets was a strange one already. Zach's only pet was a _c_o_c_k_atiel named Rudy.
"Nothing. Just watch it, I guess."
"Watch it do what?! Lay there? They don't DO anything. It's not like you can cuddle it, ya dope. You have some weird tastes. Nelson probably wouldn't let you have it anyway."
"Shut up, asshole. I can get it if I want."
"You can get it if Nelson lets you."
"I don't need Nelson to LET me," Zach said, although he wasn't so sure. "I can spend my money the way I want."
"Sure you can. Then buy it, hotshot. Let's take it back and show Nelson when he comes in. Hey, maybe you can name it 'Nelson' and he won't be too mad."
"Why do you think he would be mad? It's not like it's a dog or something. It won't pee or _s_h_i_t_ on the carpet."
"No, but it needs feeding and its cage cleaned regularly. Nelson may not think you'll take care of it. He stays on your back now about Rudys cage. I just know I would ask before bringing home anything that breathes."
"Yeah, well Nelson is not Vic. Vic barely lets YOU breathe."
"That's not true, asswipe. I breathe as much as you do."
"Well, I'm getting a hermit crab."
"Okay, dude. Go ahead."
"Great," Zach thought. Now he had let his temper and his mouth get him stuck with a stupid hermit crab. He really didn't want one that badly but after hearing Ben's mouth, he felt like he had to buy it, simply to prove he could. While he wrapped up the sale of the hermit crab, food and cage, Ben was admiring some woodwork for sale.
There were jewelry boxes, napkin holders, key holders, jokes burnt into wood and - WOE. A paddle. Embossed across the front was a cartoon child screaming and bare-bottomed over the knee of an obviously unhappy parent and the words "Board of Education" scribbled across the top. Tears were flying from the punished child in the picture and his buns were red.
Ben was sure it was supposed to be "cute" but having been on the receiving end one time too many, he didn't find it the least bit funny. Definitely need to keep Vic out of here, Ben thought. He picked up the paddle, not liking the feel of it even in this non-threatening way. But he wanted to jibe Zach a little more.
As the clerk was ringing up the crab and supplies, Ben handed the paddle to Zach and said quietly for Zach's ears only, "You may as well get this, too. Nelson may be needing it later after you introduce him to your new friend."
Zach reached for the paddle before realizing what it was. Then he jerked back from the offending piece of wood and its crude attempt at humor. "_f_u_c_k_ off, Ben!"
Ben could barely contain his laughter as he went to put the paddle back where he found it. He could imagine the sting the _d_a_m_n_ thing would produce. It was about four inches wide and a good foot long not counting the carved out handle. It was less than a quarter inch thick so it would generate a mighty sting covering both cheeks at the same time. "Note to self: REALLY need to keep Vic out of this store," Ben muttered.
With crab in tow, the boys had now killed sufficient time for lunch and made their way next door to the greasy spoon restaurant that was calling to them.
"I already know what I'm getting," Ben said. "A ¼ lb. hotdog with onions, sauerkraut, chili and mustard. A side of onion rings. A Dr. Pepper. And an ice cream sundae for dessert."
"Is that all?" Zach asked with a grin.
"I have to save room for the salad," Ben smiled, patting his stomach. "We'll get one at the hotel restaurant and eat a bite or two. That way, we haven't technically disobeyed and won't be lying when we say we ate there. What are you having?"
"I apparently don't have a stomach of steel such as your own, so I think I'll have to be more of a lightweight. I was thinking about a western and cheesy fries."
"LIGHTWEIGHT? _f_u_c_k_! Why don't you add cheese to the western and make it really count? Do you think our veins will close before we get back to the room?"
"I'm willing to risk it if you are."
"Not a problem. We canNOT let Vic know we ate here. Or, Nelson either for that matter." Ben reckoned he wasn't totally disobeying Vic so long as he didn't FILL UP on junk. Plus, he would buy a salad and eat a bite or two, but no more than that. And the Dr. Pepper, well, that was only a minor infraction and certainly not worth a mention, right? Besides, what Vic didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
The boys chowed down on the grease-laden meal before them on disposable dishes and a cafeteria tray - the standard china and flatware of any junk food joint. They decided to share the onion rings and cheesy fries - supersized of course - rather than each having one or the other. Checking their watches, they decided they had better head back and get the retched salads and meet Vic in the room.
After a couple of bites of lettuce - and ONLY a couple of bites - Zach said, "This salad is making me sick."
"You really think it's the salad?"
"Well, I was fine before I ate it."
"You only ate two bites. How could that make you sick?"
"I don't know but I feel like I could use a Rolaid."
"You'd better find one then and DO NOT let on that you feel sick. Vic will start asking about our lunches if you do."
"Maybe some more Coke would settle my stomach."
"We don't have time. We can't be late. Let's check the gift shop for Rolaids and see if that helps," Ben suggested, now beginning to feel the need for one himself.
"Maybe that _d_a_m_n_ed restaurant poisoned me," Zach offered.
"It did not."
"Botulism, you ever hear of it?"
"I doubt you'd be feeling it this quickly, Zach."
Finding the Rolaids, Ben decided to buy two rolls given the way his stomach was starting to protest.
They found their way back to the room and Zach managed to sneak the hermit crab into the closet in his and Nelson's room without Vic seeing it.
"So, what's the verdict, guys? Movie or field trip?" Vic asked.
They hadn't even talked about it. Not feeling much like walking around, Zach conceded that the movie seemed like a better idea. They didn't want to see The Matrix Reloaded without Nelson so they picked the X-Men sequel, which Nelson wasn't interested in seeing. The boys' stomachs were churning pretty good by the time they got to the movie theatre.
Vic asked, "Did you eat a salad like I asked at lunch?"
The boys nodded their heads. "Good, then I'm going to treat you with popcorn and Coke."
OH, NO! No more grease. Ben felt like throwing up at the mention of popcorn and even more so when they stepped inside the theatre and he smelled it. He slipped another Rolaid in his mouth and uttered a relief-giving belch while they were in line. Vic glared at him disapprovingly as the lady in front of them turned around, looking equally disgusted. "Benjamin, manners," Vic admonished.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Vic shook his head and raised his eyebrows in a "what will I ever do with you?" look.
Zach laughed but not too heartily as he himself could use a good burp. Ben's jaw dropped as Vic stepped up to the counter and ordered popcorn WITH butter for both boys. As much as Ben always insisted on getting popcorn, Vic would surely notice if he wasn't eating. Vomit simmered threateningly close to the back of his throat at the thought of one buttered nugget passing by his lips and into his already not too happy stomach. He glanced over at Zach who had gone white.
Vic paid the cashier and handed the boys their seemingly enormous bags of popcorn. It was then he noticed neither boy looked too good. "What's the matter? Are you guys feeling okay?"
"We're fine, maybe we're just tired from the pool," Ben said.
"Are you sure? Zach? Do you need to go back to the room?" his hand automatically moving to Zach's forehead.
"No, but I will go to the restroom before the movie," Zach responded. He felt like he could throw up. Ben said he needed to go as well.
"Help me get all this food to our seats first. You don't want to take it in the bathroom with you anyway."
The boys quickly exited the theatre after getting Vic settled and headed to the bathroom. "I feel like crap," Zach said. "How long does it take food to digest and get out of your system?"
"I don't know but right now it couldn't be soon enough. It must have been the onion rings or cheesy fries we shared since we both feel sick."
"Maybe it was the combination." The boys wet napkins and wiped their necks and faces to calm the nausea.
"How are we going to eat all that popcorn?" Zach said with a worried look on his face.
"I think I may have to tell him I don't feel good. That's the only way out I can think of."
"Out of eating popcorn but into trouble for eating all the junk. No way. He specifically told us not to eat in that restaurant OR to eat a lot of junk. Plus, Nelson told us not to eat there last night. I'M not telling unless I'm made to."
They went back to the theatre just as the previews were starting. They each took their bags of popcorn but neither started eating any. Vic finally noticed and said to Ben, "Aren't you eating your popcorn?"
"I'm not really hungry. We just ate before we left for the movies."
"That's never stopped you before. You always insist on popcorn even if we've just left dinner."
Ben braced himself and picked up a handful of the butter-like-substance covered popcorn and put it to his lips. His stomach did the riverdance as he chewed and his brain informed it of what was on the way. Little bites, he told himself, just little, bitty bites. Look out teeth, look out tongue, look out stomach, here it comes.
He swallowed and his stomach lurched disapprovingly. He ate some more, each mouthful being more difficult to swallow. He felt like he had eaten half a bag yet it looked untouched. Zach was trying the "eat slowly" methodology. Just keep chewing and Vic wouldn't notice how much or little he actually ate.
About a half an hour into the movie, a thin layer of sweat broke out over Ben's forehead. His hands began to sweat and his mouth began to water. Sure signs that his stomach had put its proverbial foot down and was about to revolt. He jumped from his seat spilling a mostly full bag of popcorn, and then nearly fell trying to get across Vic and Zach. He was trying desperately to make it to the bathroom before it was too late.
Vic's mouth fell open and a frown crossed his brow at Ben's antics as he tried to figure out what had gotten into the boy. He jumped up to follow Ben and caught up with him just in time to see him hurl the day's lunch and popcorn into the garbage bin at the back of the theatre. Vic placed a hand on Ben's back and stroked him reassuringly. As soon as his stomach was finished with him, the tears started coming and he began to shake.
"It's okay, Benji. Come on. Let's get you to the bathroom and wash your face." Ben felt awful.
"Are you okay? Do you think you're going to throw up some more?" Vic asked concerned, as they walked up to the counter in the bathroom.
Ben couldn't say anything as he was fighting the tears and shakes. He bobbled his head back and forth thinking what he left in the trash was all of it. It had to be since it felt like his actual stomach was pitched from his body into the trash. Vic wet a paper towel and washed Ben's face. "Rinse your mouth."
Ben did as he was told, glad to have Vic there to take care of him. "Let's go back and collect your drink and Zach. The Coke should help you feel better and get rid of the taste in your mouth."
Zach almost wished he could throw up as he felt it would set him right by getting the offending food out of his unhappy stomach. He almost did throw up as he passed the trashcan where Ben met his Waterloo. He tried not to breathe. If he smelled it, he wouldn't be responsible for what happened next.
On the way back to the hotel, Vic stopped at a local drugstore to pick up some Pepto-Bismol or anything else that seemed to fit the need. "I don't know if Pepto is what the doctor would prescribe, but it won't hurt. At least we have a doctor with us, huh?" he said as he hopped out of the car.
Zach looked at his lily-white friend. "How are you?"
"Other than feeling like _s_h_i_t_, I'm fine."
"You'd better start feeling better or look like you do. Nelson will be jamming a thermometer up your ass."
"WHAT?! NO way, man. No way! Does he do that to you?"
"Sometimes," Zach answered, embarrassed and wishing he hadn't brought it up.
"Why? Doesn't he know you're over the age of two?"
"He knows how old I am. Says it's more accurate. Frankly, I think he learned it in some secret top handbook. I just thought it was more a top thing than a doctor thing. Vic doesn't do it to you?"
"No! I wouldn't let him either."
"Sure you wouldn't, Mr. 'I would ask him before I bought anything that breathes.'"
"I WOULDN'T! Nelson had better not come near me with a thermometer. Hed better not be giving Vic any bright ideas either."
Moments later, Vic emerged with a small bag filled with tummy pleasing medicines. They arrived back at their room and Vic sent Ben to bed. Looking at Zach, he thought he could use some rest as well. Zach didn't put up a fight because he continued to feel like hell. The boys were still asleep when Nelson came home.
"So, how bad was it? Where are they?" Nelson asked with a sideways glance at Vic.
"Why don't you sit down?" Vic said as he patted the seat of the chair next to him. He proceeded to fill Nelson in on the day's happenings and then the grand finale of vomit in the movie theatre.
"Do you think we have two sick brats on our hands?" Nelson asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"You're the doctor, but my guess is they ate enough junk to make them sick when I wasn't around. Have you ever seen them turn down popcorn? They ate it like it came off the floor. Neither of them felt hot to me and they were fine when they left this morning."
"Hmm. What did they have for lunch?"
"I don't know other than a salad. They wanted to eat at some restaurant across the street from the hotel. I told them to eat here and add a salad. They said they ate the salad but I didn't ask for more details than that."
"The restaurant across from the hotel?! That place doesn't sell anything BUT junk and definitely no salads! They wanted to eat there last night and I told them no. I'll bet you they ate there and got something that didn't agree with them. That's why they feel the way they do. That place was a pit."
Just then the door to the master bedroom opened and a sleepy Zach stumbled out. He crawled into Nelson's lap and put his arms around his neck. Nelson rubbed his back and asked, "Feeling better, sweetheart?"
Zach didn't answer, just nodded his head against Nelson's neck, not catching the fact he hadnt mentioned feeling badly. "Do you see why I don't like you eating all that junk food now?" Nelson prodded to see if their theory was right.
Zach's head snapped up and he looked at Nelson questioningly.
"I know you ate junk for lunch I just don't know what or where exactly you ate."
Ben was coming out of his room on that sentence and quickly wished he had stayed in bed. How did they know? Were they psychic or what? His mother used to say she had eyes in the back of her head. He thought Nelson and Vic had that plus extrasensory perception. How else could they know the things they knew? He started to back up into his room when Vic called to him, "No, Ben. Come here. You're just in time."
The only good thing about the conversation was that it would point the finger at junk food and not anything catching as to the cause of his stomach upset. He didn't want to fall victim to Nelson's prodding glass rod if at all possible. He slinked over to the sofa and curled up beside Vic.
"Feeling better?"
"Yes, sir." He really did feel like a new man. His stomach's expulsion of the food plus the nap left him feeling pretty okay.
"Where did you eat lunch today, Benjamin?" Vic asked.
Oh, no. The moment of truth, or maybe just a little white lie. "At the hotel restaurant."
Vic's eyes narrowed and he continued the questioning. "Did you eat anywhere else?"
_s_h_i_t_! How could he know? "Maybe."
"Benjamin, either you did or you didn't. Maybe is not an answer."
"Yes, sir."
"Where did you two eat?" Nelson asked, getting in on the routine.
Neither guy answered.
"Zachary, where did you eat besides the hotel restaurant? Answer me, young man."
"Across the street?" Zach said quietly.
"That's what I thought," Nelson said. "I guess you ate lunch there and then got just enough at the hotel restaurant to say you ate there?"
Zach curled up tighter against him, his body language answering the question.
"What did you eat for lunch?" Vic asked, piercing Ben with his brown eyes.
Ben hesitated. Good news first. "A salad from the hotel restaurant."
"Uh huh. I figured that much. What did you eat across the street?"
Ben swallowed and gave the list slowly, "A hotdog. Onion rings. And a sundae."
Vic managed to hold his temper in check, "Is that your idea of NOT filling up on junk food? I distinctly remember telling you NOT to do that."
"I DIDN'T fill up on it! You just said don't FILL UP on junk food and we weren't full, so technically we didn't disobey you."
"I also told you to eat lunch here, so how did you NOT disobey me?"
"We wanted to eat there! And, we DID eat the salad here. As a matter of fact," he continued hotly, "we felt fine until we ate that crap so we thought something in the salad made us sick. I only ate ONE hotdog and there weren't that many onion rings and cheesy fries."
"Cheesy fries!" Nelson exclaimed at the first mention of probably the greasiest fare of the day. "Do you know how much grease those things have? Its no wonder you dont feel well." Zach curled up closer to Nelson for comfort although he wanted to get away from him all at the same time.
"I highly doubt the salad made you sick, young man," Vic said.
Nelson turned his attention to Zach, "And what was on your menu, mister?" he asked as he sat Zach up so he could see his face.
"A....a....just a western and we SHARED the cheesy fries and onion rings so neither of us ate them all!" Zach said indignantly.
"Did you have an ice cream sundae, too?" Zach nodded his head. "It's a wonder the two of you didn't have a stroke walking back to the hotel. Do you still feel sick?"
Zach responded, "A little, but much better. I'm not burping as much."
"Do either of you have fever? Do I need to take your temperature?" he asked, hand pressed to Zach's head.
Ben couldn't speak. With recent visions of rectal temperature-taking dancing in his head, he had no trouble thinking Nelson would follow through, nor would he have trouble convincing Vic it was the right thing to do. He was a doctor after all. Ben's hole was reflexively squeezing shut at the prospect of the possible invasion on its little person.
Vic finally saved the day as he said to Nelson, "I don't think they're sick. I really think it was just the junk," he said putting his lips to Ben's forehead. "He's not hot, but Im a lawyer, not a doctor." My hero, Ben thought with relief just before Vic said, "But, if you think we need to take their temperatures...."
Both boys yelped out simultaneously in a resounding "NO!"
Vic looked quizzically at Ben, confused at the outburst. He let it go, and then he said, "We still need to deal with the fact that you flatly disobeyed me today, young man."
"But I didn't REALLY disobey you, I didn't...."
"FILL UP on junk," Vic finished for him. "I know, Benjamin. That's pretty weak, don't you think? We've already covered this. I told you to eat lunch here." Ben's tucked his head, eyes dropping. "Besides, would you have ordered what you did had I been standing beside you?"
Ben didn't answer, he just found something interesting in the carpet weave and focused his attention there.
"Answer me, Benjamin."
Finally, Ben shook his head in the negative to which Vic responded, "You know you disobeyed me, don't you?"
Oh, God. Don't answer, don't answer....
"Ben!" Vic barked.
Ben jumped at the sharp retort. He couldn't say "yes" because then he knew he was in for it given an open admission of disobedience. Saying "no" was, at this point, obviously a lie. He hated Vic's trick-ass questions!! He decided ambiguity would be the best solution.
"I'm not sure if I did or didn't. I didn't think I did." There. Whew.
"Oh, really?" Vic continued to land those eyes on him. Finally, he said, "I think we need to finish this discussion in our room so I can clarify things for you."
_s_h_i_t_. _s_h_i_t_. _s_h_i_t_. There went his stomach again. "No, no! Vic! Wait. Why do we need to go in there to talk?" As if he didn't know.
"Come on, Benjamin." Using his full name again, not good.
"Why, Vic? Why can't we talk out here?" Ben asked desperately pulling away from Vic's urging. Vic didn't answer, simply tugged Ben along as he continued to protest, knowing all the while why they were going into the bedroom. Suddenly, he felt sick again.
Nelson patted Zach's shoulder as Vic and Ben's door closed. "Come on. We need to talk, too, don't we?"
"What do you want to talk about?" he ventured as he clung again desperately to Nelson's neck. Nelson feared he would not be breathing shortly if he didn't disentangle Zach's arms from around his neck.
"Zachary, get up," he ordered sharply.
"No."
Nelson landed two sharp smacks to the bare thigh hanging out below Zach's shorts clad bottom. Zach instinctively reached for the spot and began to rub it with one hand but continued to cling to Nelson with the other.
"Zachary Adam, I said get up. Now!"
"I don't want to. I don't feeellll gooood. OOWW! Nelson!" Nelson pulled Zach's hand away that was rubbing the location of the first smack and delivered three more to Zach's thigh. His eyes were starting to tear up but he didn't let go of Nelson's neck.
Nelson lowered his voice, speaking calmly, "Zach, I won't tell you again. If you aren't up by the time I count to three, I WILL be taking off my belt and you'd better believe it will be worse." He paused before beginning the count, giving Zach another chance to get up. It didn't happen.
"One."
_s_h_i_t_, _s_h_i_t_. Zach continued to cling. He could hear Ben's spanking starting in the next room making it all the more difficult to let go. Bare hand to bare backside, over and over, Ben's pleas and crying steadily increasing.
"Two."
_s_h_i_t_ on a brick! Were his hands glued to Nelson's neck? Was he paralyzed? He couldn't move. His stupid hands thought by hanging on they were protecting their neighbor, Zach's bottom. He didn't want another spanking, he just got one last night! But he REALLY didn't want to get the belt. Yet, he knew he was sunk and just putting off the inevitable.
Just as Nelson was saying "three" Zach managed to convince his hands they weren't helping and he jumped from Nelson's lap. He hoped it was in time. "By the time I get to three" and "as I'm saying the word three" are not exactly the same. He was about to find out all too soon just how Nelson interpreted things. Ben was continuing to cry out in the room next door as Vic continued to spank him. Zach knew he would soon be joining him.
Nelson made him stand in the corner to contemplate his fate and his behavior while he changed clothes. It sounded like Ben's spanking was over as Zach could no longer hear the smacks, but only Ben. Nelson continued to change clothes while Zach patiently - well somewhat patiently - waited in his corner, shifting about miserably. Nelson was taking his sweet time changing.
A few minutes later, they could hear Vic start to spank Ben again. Zach wondered what that was all about. Zach was totally caught up in Ben's spanking as his butt clenched in anticipation of his own and he had totally forgotten about the addition to their little family he had hidden in the closet.
He was quickly reminded when Nelson shouted from across the room, "What the HELL is this thing, Zachary, and what does it eat?" He must have seen the little bugger when he put his shoes away.
Crap. "Oh, you must have found Nelson, Jr.," Zach said sweetly, using Ben's suggestion given only in jest. It couldn't hurt, could it?
Nelson covered the ground between the closet and the corner quickly. Zach could feel Nelson's presence behind him, his breath at his ear. "Nelson, Jr.? Is this some sort of joke?"
"I....I....I bought him for YOU, Nelson. For bringing us to the beach." Yeah, that's the ticket. It's a gift. Surely he couldn't get mad at a guy for buying him a gift! The spanks were no longer falling next door. At the rate Nelson was moving, that meant all would be relatively calm by the time Zach's spanking started and everyone could focus on him. Double _d_a_m_n_.
Nelson wasn't buying into Zach's story. "For me, huh? I highly doubt that. Did you buy enough food for the rest of its life? It isn't like you can go to the grocery store and buy what it needs. You do not hide things from me, Zachary. We WILL be returning this thing tomorrow, IS that understood?"
Knowing he was in enough trouble already by the pitch of Nelson's voice, Zach didn't argue, "Yes, sir."
Finally, Zach heard Nelson settle on the bed and knew his time had come. No sooner had the thought formed in his brain than he heard Nelson say, "Come here, Zachary."
At first, he thought his feet, like his hands earlier, were going to betray him and refuse to move, but they began to comply. Zach took a deep breath and found himself where Nelson was sitting, standing directly in front of him. Nelson held both his hands and looked up at his lover, a strangely comforting gesture to make just before a spanking. Zach supposed it would be like an executioner giving you a bear hug before felling the axe.
"When I leave you with Vic, I expect you to obey him just as you would me. Do you understand? Even if Vic hadn't told you not to eat junk, you knew I wouldn't want you eating it either. Vic and I both told you not to eat at that restaurant. Just last night I told you I didn't want you eating in that filthy place."
"But you weren't here today and that was last night."
"What does that have to do with anything, Zach? You know what I expect whether I'm here or not, and what I EXPECT is for you to do as you're told. As a result, both you and Benji ended up sick and wasted money Vic spent on a movie and popcorn. Then to top it off, you found the time to buy that creature and tried to hide it from me. Just when did you plan on telling me about it?"
"I couldn't tell you! It was a surprise, a gift!"
"Don't even try it, Zachary. You are making it worse. Do you really expect me to believe you bought that thing for anyone other than yourself?"
Zach looked down at Nelson's knees trying not to think about being across them soon. Nelson took the move as confirmation of his assumption. "Do you have anything else to say before I spank you?"
Zach hesitated long enough to buy time, but not long enough to make Nelson any angrier, and then he shook his head no.
"Okay, then." Nelson took Zach's left arm and pulled him around to his right side.
"Pull your pants down."
Zach's stomach began to lurch again, which was dangerous given the fact he hadn't had the luxury of throwing up like Ben had. The grease and onions were fighting for dominance in his stomach and now, wouldn't ya know, his nerves decided to show up and join in the fight.
"Please, Nelson. I don't feel good. Please don't spank me, please....I don't want a spanking, please...."
Nelson just looked at him and said nothing.
"Nelsooon, I'll do what Vic says from now on, I promise! It was Ben's idea. Please, please...."
"One."
_f_u_c_k_! Zach knew things would go downhill fast from here so he started fumbling for the button on his shorts then mechanically lowered his zipper. The act of pulling his shorts down was harder; it always was when they were being lowered for a spanking.
Somehow, he managed and they fell of their own accord all the way to his ankles. _f_u_c_k_ing shorts! Why wasn't he wearing elastic? At least they stay around the knees better leaving him some semblance of dignity.
"Underwear, too," Nelson instructed. Well, there goes the dignity.
"I KNOW!" he snapped then wished he hadn't.
"You really are eager for my belt, aren't you?" Nelson asked menacingly as he moved toward his belt buckle.
"NO! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he stammered as he lowered his underwear, stopping just below his buttocks.
Nelson relented on the belt and pulled Zach over his lap. Nelson proceeded to push the underwear down properly to Zach's knees. Zach winced then squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his bottom as he waited for the first blow.
Nelson took his time getting Zach settled to his satisfaction while Zach was keenly aware of the cool air on his bottom, adding to his feeling of vulnerability. Nelson clamped his left arm around Zach's waist and began to lecture.
_s_h_i_t_! Why can't he just get on with it! Talk, talk, talk! He should be the lawyer. He could win cases by merely wearing down the jury with all his talk!
"Zach, my idea of a little vacation should not include having to spank you every day, should it?"
"No, sir."
"Maybe I should just spank you every morning and get it over with, what do you think?"
"NO, sir! I'll be good, I already said...."
WHACK. It had finally started. Didn't he have anything else to say? Now it felt like it started too soon while only moments ago, Zach had wished to get on with it. Now he desperately wanted it to end. Nelson settled into his own rhythm to which Zach's cries sang and his butt danced.
Nelson's hand fell over and over lighting a fire on Zach's backside. He kicked and squirmed as much as Nelson's grip would allow, quickly dislodging the shorts that were around his ankles. Nothing cooled the heat that was rapidly building in his bottom.
Nelson concentrated on Zach's entire behind leaving no spot untouched. He smacked the tender part where his cheeks met his thighs a good half dozen times on each side for good measure. Nelson landed five or six more hard licks to the middle of his blazing butt for a grand finale and it was over, after what seemed like a very long time to Zach.
Meanwhile, Ben sat with Vic out on the sofa finally having calmed down from being spanked himself, but wincing at the sounds coming from Zach's room.
Nelson sure was a talker. Ben assumed he had been lecturing this whole time, not realizing Zach's punishment included corner time. Vic pretty much got down to business letting his hand do the talking for him. Ben's spanking was over and done with before Nelson even got started.
"I don't think there's more we need to say about this is there?" Vic had asked earlier when he took Ben aside to be spanked.
"I thought you said we were going to discuss it in here, now you're saying there's nothing to say?"
Vic simply looked at him. He knew that Ben knew why they were there and he was trying to stall.
"You know why we're here, Benjamin."
"You're going to spank me, aren't you?" Ben tentatively asked, so softly it was difficult to hear him. He knew the answer but he was hopefully wishing he were wrong.
"Yes," was all Vic had said. As if he hadn't known. Vic was already unfastening Ben's shorts and quickly tugging them down.
"Vic, please. I really didn't technically disobey you. You know I didn't. You can't spank me for this!"
"Then I am spanking you for pseudo-disobeying me. How's that? You know better."
He continued to pull Ben's shorts down then reached for his underwear. Ben grabbed at his waistband trying to keep his underwear in place.
His voice began to crack with restrained tears, "Don't, Vic." He hated having his bottom bared for a spanking. It was so humiliating. "PLEASE. I'll eat salads the rest of the week, the rest of my LIFE, I SWEAR!"
Vic ignored the pleas and Ben's underwear quickly joined his shorts even as he spoke. Vic grabbed his wrist and looked directly into Ben's brimming blue eyes.
"You are not being spanked for what you ate, but for disobeying me. Do you understand that?"
A single tear found its way down Ben's cheek. He hesitated, then conceded, nodding almost imperceptively. Vic saw it, though and proceeded to pull Ben across his knees.
He added, "I may as well take care of the fact you gave Nelson trouble last night while we're here."
Panic registered in Ben's brain and he began to squirm.
"I TOLD you, Nelson already SPANKED me for last night!" Ben screeched.
"Settle down, Benjamin," Vic said as he tightened his grip on his erring lover. "He spanked you for your behavior in the restaurant. I'm spanking you for giving him trouble after I told you to behave."
With that, he began to spank Ben in earnest intent on doing the job properly. Ben began begging and pleading for it to stop with Vic totally ignoring him, the heartless beast.
He was quickly crying freely and could barely get words out around the tears, but tried in vain to utter promises of perfect behavior if Vic would just stooopppppp! Vic finally did stop the spanking and waited a few minutes for Ben to settle down enough to hear him.
"That was for today. Now I'm going to spank you for last night's little episode."
NO! Ben's mind shrieked! He tried to get it out around the tears before the hand started falling again but wasn't able to. Vic continued to spank him until his bottom was ruby red. He included Ben's upper thighs in the rampage eliciting sharp shrieks and cries from Ben upon the focus on this tender part of his body.
After some time, it was over. Vic stood and pulled him up, wiping at his tear-stained face. He pulled Ben close to him embracing him and whispering words of comfort.
"It's over now. Shhhh." He pulled up Ben's underwear and shorts bringing on a fresh onslaught of tears. Then he helped him to the bathroom where he cleaned up his face.
Now they sat on the sofa listening to Zach get his. Ben instinctively climbed into Vic's lap seeking more comfort. Vic turned the volume up on the TV but they could still hear the sounds emanating from the master bedroom.
Hearing Zach's cries was just too much right now for Ben with his own bottom and pride still freshly wounded. Vic understood and held him close, rubbing his back.
"How's your stomach feeling?"
"I....don't....know," Ben sniffed, still hiccupping from all the crying. All he could think about was his throbbing behind, his stomach a thing of the past.
"Are you at all hungry?"
"No."
"You'll have to eat. I'm sure we can find something bland on the menu downstairs."
Soon, only the sound of Zach's cries could be heard from the bedroom, his punishment now over. A little while later, Nelson and a subdued Zach emerged from the bedroom and cuddled together in the loveseat. Ben had settled down to the sniffles while Zach was still in the hiccupping stages. They silently watched television together for a while letting the boys calm down.
Finally, Vic said with his sick sense of humor, "I guess we should start thinking about dinner. Anyone up for a hotdog or a western? Maybe some cheesy fries and onion rings? I hear there's a good restaurant across the street...."
"VIC!" both boys yelled as he and Nelson started to laugh.
The end.