“What did Sparkle Pony do, Daddy?”
“He was up half the night partying,” Duke told her.
“Some unicorns just have no respect,” she replied with a sigh.
“No, they don’t. Wait there.” He switched the television on to her normal channel and she soon lost herself in one of her favorite shows.
When he returned, he had a bottle of Gatorade as well as some painkillers.
“No way, Daddy. I’m not drinking that yucky stuff. You know I don’t like it.”
“You need to get some electrolytes back into you. You’re dehydrated and I can tell it’s giving you a headache. Now, either you drink it like this or I can put it in your sippy cup, those are your choices.”
“Some choices. Doesn’t matter what you put it in, Daddy. It’s still going to taste icky.”
“Little Rebel, do you need to spend some time in the corner?” he warned.
Her mouth dropped open. “But you said you wouldn’t punish me today.”
“I said I wouldn’t spank you while you were feeling so miserable. That would just be cruel. But that doesn’t mean you’ve got a ‘get out of punishment free’ card.”
Sugar. She really wanted one of those cards.
“Corner time is mean. I don’t like corner time.”
“That’s why it’s a punishment.”
She grumbled, but she really didn’t want to spend time in the corner, so she took the bottle of Gatorade from him. At least it was the berry flavor. That was her least-hated flavor.
She swallowed down the painkillers he also handed her.
“I’m going to take Hatter out and start some breakfast. I want half of that gone by the time I get back, understand me?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Once he was gone, she looked to Moody. “You want to drink this for me, Moody?”
The monkey just gave her a look like he thought she’d gone bananas.
That’s what she’d thought. She toyed with the idea of tipping some of it out in the bathroom, but she wasn’t that much of a brat. And she’d feel too guilty and probably tell Duke as soon as he returned.
So best just to suck it up and drink the stuff. She took a few sips, then set the bottle down with a grimace.
Ick. It didn’t taste any better than she remembered.
The last time Duke made her drink this stuff was because she’d sat too long in a hot car and had gotten dehydrated.
Hugging Moody tight, she snuggled in under the blanket. Her stomach was still rolling, but at least she’d stopped vomiting.
This was it.
She was never drinking again.
Duke just knewshe was going to disobey him.
Sighing, he walked back into the living room and took in the bottle of Gatorade. It looked like she’d had around three sips.
“Little Rebel, what were you supposed to do while I was gone?” he asked, stepping in front of the television.