Now, Mel's impertinence would have caused an altogether different reaction last evening: it would have made Rita realise that imminent action was needed to remind (well, to let her know, anyway) the little sister what's what. That it was this excessive right now only contributed to Rita's reaction: quiet laughter. Disregarding the cigarette and the childish tone which appeared an inevitable symptom of this early phase of adjustment, she sat down on the sofa and tapped her knees, saying gently: "Come, come, young lady, we had an agreement last night. Let's dispense with it: the sooner, the better. Don't make a scene, darling, please." A smiling Rita Van Doren was genuinely pleading, but not in a remotely similar way that she was used to.

Mel looked at her big sister tapping her knees in expectation and the butterflies began fluttering in her stomach in dread. "Oh, come on Rita .. I was going to be good anyway!" Her tone was as whining as she feared as her little protest continued. "You spanked me really hard not 12 hours ago .. I can still feel it now!" This last was a bit of an exaggeration. Mel had checked the marks on her butt in the mirror that morning but the sting had very largely receded. It has been exacerbated briefly when she pulled up her very tight jeans but otherwise she probably wouldn't have felt it all day!
"Oh Ritaaaa .. please don't .. please!" Mel was edging closer to the expectant Rita, albeit ever so slowly. She was just about reaching arms length when she stopped her approach. Even after last night's occurrence Mel still expected her sister to show signs of backing down but no matter how big and wide she made her pleading eyes there was no softening to be seen in return. She huffed and stomped a booted foot. "It's so not fair!"

"Melanie," Rita went on in a somewhat more admonishing tone, "we are here because you were behaving in exactly this manner last night." This was annoying her but only in the sense that she sensed a more thorough approach was obviously needed - and this had never, ever, in any situation, represented a problem for Rita Van Doren. Quite the contrary, she was going to apply herself fully to get the job done correctly, as it ought to be. She was helpless no longer, she knew exactly what had to be done.

It became obvious to Mel that she was not going to be able to escape form the situation unscathed. With a final loud harrumph and a decent stamp of a booted foot she sidled closer to her seated sister staring daggers at her the whole way. "This is so unfair .. and you're being really mean punishing me twice for the same offence!" She flopped herself down across the waiting knees as she continued her protest. "In courts of law it's called 'double jeopardy' and is illegal!" Nonetheless she wriggled and adjusted her position until her pert little bottom was turned up into just the right position for Rita to deal with.

It was from the bottom of her heart that Rita laughed at this juvenile erudition; nonetheless, darling Mel was getting used to the way things are going to be done henceforth. "Dear, this is a new situation for both of us," she told her soothingly as she commenced spanking, with a sharp slap across little sister's posterior, "but I need you to understand in no uncertain terms that it is here to stay and can and will be applied whenever you choose to disobey me. We wouldn't be in this particular position had you not lied, resisted and been disrespectful to me continuously, and most especially last evening..."

Rita being Rita, for all the extraordinary (in every sense - most unusual, to be sure!) calm and peace this 'new situation' had given to her, couldn't help but notice the clock on her handwatch (first thought: Melanie's school! second thought: Lord! the hospital!), and dispensed altogether with switching to the hairbrush. After all, without excessive pity for the little wrongdoer she could see the logic behind the 'double jeopardy' argument. What would normally be a 'warm-up' may readily serve as a reminder, instead of a regular dose, 'a good, sound spanking.' Mel was on probation. 'Right, off you go!'

Surprised as she was to be allowed up so quickly Mel nevertheless leaped at the chance to avoid another stinging hairbrushing so regained her feet with alacrity and and danced away. Her bottom still stung uncomfortably as the firm spanking had also reawakened her bruises from the previous night. She made a show of pouting and rubbing the backs of her skin tight jeans as she made for the door. She looked every inch the poor hard done by victim of a grave injustice as she made her way out into the street in case Rita was still watching but once she was round the corner her shoulders went back and her head was held high as usual. There was no way she'd be letting on to anyone that things had taken a painful and embarrassing turn for the worse at home!
Once at school she managed not to wince noticeably on the hard wooden seats and sat at the back with her lackadaisical friends who of course had not done their own homework. She for once had completed all her assignments and handed them in with a shrug hoping not to come in for any stick for having done so. She made a point of being more belligerent in class and not answering questions even when she knew the answers.