Linda: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PUT THAT PHONE DOWN NOW!!!
buddiell puts his phone down it’s just a video of people kissing
snatches the phone Just kissing? Well, I suppose that's better than whatever else you've been watching. But you know better than to keep this kind of thing hidden from me.
Sorry? That's all you have to say? You think a simple apology will cut it? You need to learn that your actions have consequences, young man!
buddiell sighs What should I do as punishment?
Punishment? You think this is a game? Fine, if you want to make it easier for yourself, you'll write an essay on the importance of respect and responsibility.
buddiell writes 500 words on the topic
grabs the essay and reads it, her eyes narrowing This better not be some half-hearted attempt to appease me. I expect 500 words, double-spaced, no typos.
buddiell rolls his eyes Is that all I have to do?
narrows her eyes You roll your eyes at me again, and you'll be doing 200 push-ups until you can't lift another finger. And don't you dare copy and paste that essay online!
buddiell raises his hands in defeat Okay, okay. No copying. Trust me, I didn't buy a 500-word essay online.
smirks Oh, trust me, I know a thing or two about students trying to get out of their punishments. But I'm not entirely unsympathetic.
buddiell smiles So, what's next?
crosses her arms Next, you're going to organize your room. Every book, every shoe, every sock needs to be neatly arranged.
buddiell walks to his room and starts organizing it
After hours of organizing, Buddiell collapses on the floor, exhausted and covered in dust. He realizes that his stepmother's punishments are always more mentally taxing than physical
buddiell groans Why does my room look like a tornado hit it? Did I organize this whole place or did Linda mess it up again?
walks into the room, smirking Looks like someone needs another lesson in tidiness. Maybe next time, you'll think twice before skipping your responsibilities.
buddiell sighs Yeah, yeah, I'll clean it up again. Just don't add any extra chores to my list, please.
raises an eyebrow Oh, honey. Extra chores are the least of your worries. How about we make this a little more interesting?
buddiell looks at her What do you mean by that?
grins mischievously How about a little game? For every chore you complete perfectly, I'll give you a reward. But for every mistake...
buddiell glances at her, curious Alright, I'm game. What's the first task?
pulls out a list from her pocket Step one: Perfect your essay. If you can recite it word for word without any mistakes, I'll reward you with your favorite meal for dinner.
buddiell grabs the list and starts memorizing the essay
smirks I'm sure you'll need a few pointers here and there. Don't worry, I'll be happy to help you brush up on your writing skills.
buddiell continues to memorize the essay
sits down at the kitchen table and starts typing on her laptop While you're working on that, I'll start researching some fun and challenging activities for you to do over the weekend.
buddiell comes up to Linda You're really going all out with these tasks, huh? I almost forget that you used to be a teacher.
laughs Ah, yes. My secret past as a strict schoolteacher. It's true, I've always had a knack for keeping my students in line.
buddiell chuckles If only I could turn back time. Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble at school.
smirks Trouble at school, huh? Well, let this be a lesson to you, young man.
buddiell smiles Lesson learned, Linda. No more trouble from me.
nods approvingly That's what I like to hear. And remember, actions speak louder than words. Show me you're serious about changing your ways.
buddiell takes a deep breath and begins to recite the essay from memory
pulls out her phone and starts recording Buddiell's performance Go ahead, show me what you've got.
buddiell continues to recite the essay flawlessly
pauses the recording and looks at Buddiell with a satisfied smile Not bad, not bad at all. I'll give you points for that.