Fleur-de-lis

Spare the rod

The picture above is Wiccan.

Vanitas p.o.v.

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

My mother was a firm believer in that statement. It oftentimes made her scary. She would never strike us but she knew how to give a tongue lashing that'd make Marilyn Manson cry and then punish you with what made you the most uncomfortable.

"I work hard to keep this family in line so that we can all be in heaven together! Isn't that what you want? To go to heaven with all of us?"

"Of course mom, but-"

"It doesn't seem like it!" My mother interrupted, raising her voice. Her face was turning red from frustration. "I love you but you can't keep slipping into violent rages like that. That's the devil taking your mind and I don't want him to lead you down the same path as Grace."

My heart stopped...in fact, everything went still and silent. Only picking back up again when that statement fully sunk in.

"Mom. I promise you that I'm not going to end up like Grace. I just had a momentary slip out of stress."

"I hope so." She says calmly. "But still...I can't overlook this. Both Adam, Mary and I agreed that you and John's punishment will be that the two of you will be stripped of your privileges and be forced to spend some quality time together until you rekindle your friendship."

"What?!"

I look over to my father who'd been watching helplessly from the kitchen doorway. He shrugs his shoulders. He would never be able to change my mother's mind and didn't seek to try. My father may wear the pants in this family but my mother wore the crown. Her word was law.

"Mom, you can't be serious? Me and him will never get along."

"Then I guess you'll be grounded forever." She says.

"Dad?" I look over to him for a second opinion.

"I've already tried talking her out of it but to no avail."

I look back at my mother and sigh in defeat.

"To make sure that the two of you actually have something to build upon, you were both signed up for a week of water aerobics at the community swimming pool." My mom smirks.

"What? That's like the most embarrassing thing two teenage boys can do."

"I know." My mother smiles even brighter. "Your first class starts in a two hours. You better get ready."

[thats the thing about pain. It demands to be felt -unknown]

John's p.o.v.

"You're joking?" I search my old man's eyes for any signs of lying but he was as serious as the plague. "You signed me up for old lady yoga with Van? I'm going to have an aneurism."

"If the two of you want to graduate high school, you'll work out your issues." My father advises.

"There are no issues to work out. I hate him and he hates me...simple as that."

"Nobody just hates anyone." My mother interjects. "The two of you need to spend time together and figure out what it was that caused the both of you to have such an aversion to each other."

"Ugh." I groan.

"Just give it a try, Jonny." Sarah, my little sister says.

"You know you guys don't fight fair..." "Using Sarah against me."

I loved Sarah more than anything and my parents knew that. They knew that she'd be able to get me to go along with the craziest of ideas.

"Please." Sarah bats her eyes.

"Alright!" I finally agree... not that I had much choice. "Just stop making that cute face. You're killing me."

"Well get ready because the first class starts in a few hours." My mom says.

"Fine." I sigh.

I sit up from the kitchen table and head to my room to grab something good for swimming and some clothes for a shower.

(Time skip)

"Can the two of you at least try to get along during this?" Mr. Roger's says.

"We really are trying to do what's best for the two of you after all." My father pitches in.

"We'll see." I remark as I stare out the window of Mrs. Rogers' van.

Our fathers were driving us to the community center & pool to start off in their attempt to get me and Vanitas to reconcile with each other. Vanitas sighs loudly, staring out the other window.

"If this doesn't work, your mother's are going to throw a fit." Mr. Rogers comments.

"That's an encouraging thought." Vanitas says, sarcastically.

A few minutes of silence pass by before another word was spoken.

"Here we are." Mr. Rogers says as he pulls into the parking lot.

After he finds a safe spot. Vanitas and I grab our bags and hop out of the van's sliding doors.

"Frank and I'll be back in a few hours to pick the two of you up." "Have fun until then."

With that, our fathers pull away and drive off. I sigh loudly before looking back to see Van peering through the tinted glass of the pool shelter. I follow and do the same, albeit with a significant distance between the two of us. There were several women from approximately their late thirties to middle aged along with one or two older guys enjoying the class together. It looked so boring and ridiculous though.

Vanitas and I simultaneously look at each other. "I'm not doing this with you." We declare in union.

"Great then." Van says, spitefully.

"Go to hell." I retaliate.

Our parents are crazy to think that this would ever work.

"Let's just leave and come back in time to say that we did the aerobics." Van suggests.

"Better than waiting here with you." I say as I walk off.

I reach into my pocket and grab my wallet. I had about forty dollars. Maybe I could catch a movie or something. Or at the very least I'd chill out in the arcade area.