Punishing the Brats

g out on a chance for a better life, a great life. Letting great chances just go by. I will never be able to make a good living and be independent from a man. Or so my mother says. And she is one to talk!

So what if I don't want to go to college? At least not right away. There is a real world out there that has nothing to do with book learning. I know I'm a smart girl, smart enough anyways. I've been poring over books for the past 12 years. I know nothing but school and studying. Why is it so hard to believe that now, at eighteen I finally want to see something else? Make some money on my own. Gather life experience and figure out what I truly want to do with my life instead of picking a random major at college just to make my mom happy.

And Mike, my hunk of a stepdad. Of course he would agree - he teaches at a college himself and takes pride in it, even though he mainly teaches summer classes. The college is a three hour drive away and mom doesn't like for him to be away too much. He usually stays for the entire week when he is teaching and only comes home for the weekends.

The thought of his stepdaughter not going to college is unbearable for him. It is shameful. I would not be living up to his standards - and those are set pretty high in many regards.

I have no idea how my mom could land a man like him. When they got married two years ago it was like a giant elephant in the room - I even heard a few drunken voices at the tables commenting on the unlikely match. He's a bit younger than her, super buff, works out in the gym all the time, lifting heavy ass weights. And he's smart and successful, leading his own business next to teaching Economics at college. His dark hair is slightly graying at his temples, giving him that sexy sophisticated look. I have no idea what he sees in my mom, who's nothing but average.

I admit, I have had a crush on him since the day my mom introduced us, even though his arrogance drives me mad sometimes. I don't like the definitive way he talks to me, the way he thinks he has any say in what I do or don't do. He has criticized me for the way I dress, for the way I do my hair and make-up, for the way I spend my free time and for the people I am seeing. He even pointed it out to my mom - who cares very little and is absolutely cool in that regard, I give her that - saying that my clothing is too revealing and that I dress like a slut sometimes. Geez, I'm a virgin for god's sake. The way I dress says nothing about what I actually do. I'm a smart girl, like I said.

It is pretty obvious that we don't get along well, Mike and me, crush or not. And apparently, my mom intends to change that by sending me to go with him when he's heading up there for a teacher's conference. Killing two birds with one stone – awaken my appetite for college and improve the relationship between me and my stepdad.

I just got finished with finals and finally have a little time to breathe before graduation - visiting Mike's stupid work place is the last thing I want to do with that recently won free time.

"I am not spending my first free week in months at college with Mike!" I protest when my mom comes up with the suggestion.

"Honey, it's only for one night," she replies. "He only has to be there for the conference one morning. You guys could drive up there a day early and he could show you around, maybe introduce you to the dean?"

"I don't want that," I insist. "It's too late for registration anyways!"

"Mike could pull some strings for you," she says, looking over to him sitting at the table across from her. "Couldn't you?"

Mike looks up from his newspaper, raising his eyebrows. He is already tanned, even though summer is just beginning. My mom and I look like milky cheesecakes next to him. But I intend to change that, soon. Or I would like to - get some sun on my young and fit body instead of lurking around some dark and chilly college hallways.

"Sure," he mumbles, now looking over at me. "I'm not going to pull any strings for an ungrateful little brat, though."

I frown at him. "You won't have to. I'm not going, and that's that."

"Let me phrase it this way," my mom says in her scary, overly sweet but daunting voice. "You either go, spent a mere 24 hours over there and at least have a little look - or there's not going to be any allowance for the entire summer. None."

"You can't be serious?!" I yell at her. What kind of post graduation summer would that be, after all? Me having to work part time to be able to have even the slightest amount of fun? I mean, I want to work and all - but not right away. And not in some stupid part time job, just because my mom is punishing me.

"Dead serious," she says, raising her chin in a defiant way.

"So, it's only important to you that I go up there with Mike and look at it?" I ask. "Even if I don't end up enrolling?"

My mom nods. "You know how I think about you not going to college straight away, but yes, that's the deal that's on the table."

"You'd have to at least consider it, though," Mike adds, looking at me with a stern expression. "Prepare some questions for the dean and don't embarrass yourself and us when I introduce you."

"Fine, whatever," I give in.

I get up from the table, just to receive another snippy remark from Mike.

"And I'd really appreciate it if you could wear something appropriate”, he mumbles, scanning me from head to toe in my short denim skirt and revealing tank top. “I wouldn’t want to introduce you when you’re looking like a cheap bimbo.”

“Mike”, my mom scolds him. “Was that really necessary?”

He shrugs. “I sure as hell wouldn’t let her walk around like that if it was my daughter.”

“Well, thank god I’m not," I hiss, sticking out my tongue to him as I leave the room.

He just can’t handle me, that little perv. I bet his smart ass brain has come up with more than one scenario in which he takes my tight little body any way he wants it. Oh, I kind of wish he would.

And I bet he hates himself for it. Craving his teenage stepdaughter’s body. I should give him something to struggle with. And I will.

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