The Unknown

Breaking Point

Shane's pov

Mike and I decide to meet at Sheffield Pub to discuss the events of this past month, my second month of guardianship training. I arrived first, took a seat at the bar and ordered a pint. I took a moment to relish the cool suds sliding down my throat. This past month has been intense to say the least. The girls were in trouble more often than not. All of us had been riding a roller coaster of emotions.

"Hey, buddy, I've never been happier to see you," Mike says, taking a seat at the bar. "Oh, and it's good to see you too, Shane."

"Very funny," I say, slapping him jokingly on the back.

"There's my best friend," Mike says, referring to the glass of Guinness set before him by the bartender.

"I feel the love."

"It's been one helluva month hasn't it?" Mike raises his glass. "Let's toast to survival."

"I'll drink to that, my friend. I'll drink to that," I say, clinking his glass. "I have to say, Mike, I feel like I wasn't much help to you again this month. If anything, I think I just added to your burden."

"What are you talking about? You've been a great help this month. Having the girls write down what happened with the window was a stroke of genius. That way they couldn't collaborate or feed off what the first one said."

"I do feel like I'm getting to know the girls better. Their personalities, what makes them tick, their breaking points."

"What do you mean by breaking points?" Mike interrupted.

"The mea culpa point in the punishment. When you break their rebellious spirit. When you hear contrition in their voice."

"I'm listening," Mike says, as he orders us another round.

"Take last week's broken window for example. Stacey's breaking point was when you bared her bottom. As soon as you pulled her pants down she crumbled."

"Go on."

Carrie's breaking point flashback:

I brought her back to the conference room and you called her over.

She stood before you and you asked, "Did you really think drawing a picture would absolve you of your dishonesty? A lie of omission is still a lie, Carrie. You do realize if you had simply written the truth on that piece of paper, I wouldn't be punishing you right now and none of the girls would have ever known. I'm very disappointed in you, Carrie. Get over my knee."

Mike guesses, "Carrie's breaking point was when I said get over my knee?"

"No," I corrected. "It was when you said I'm very disappointed in you. The realization that she didn't live up to your expectations is what broke her."

"Of course. I should have known that one. Now what about Lisa?"

Lisa's breaking point flashback:

As we're walking back to the conference room Lisa asks me if you're really mad.

I say, "Yes Mike is angry," and leave it at that. After you spanked her and she admitted she lied, you told her the punishment would have been over if she had told the truth. It was at that moment, when you told her the punishment wasn't over. That's when she broke, because she didn't think she could tolerate another spanking.

"Alright, how about Julie?"

"Well, that's a little more complicated."

"How so?"

"She never reached her breaking point."