Who the fuck cares?

A young girl was ushered into my office by her still flushed father and I couldn't help but smirk at her defiant scowl. We'd fix that, without question.

"Julie, say hello to your new counselor." The girl frowned deeper and didn't respond.

"It's alright. I will take things from here and let you know how we progress." The father frowned darkly at his recalcitrant child, turned, and left my office without even a backward glance.

"You don't have much respect for anything, do you, girl?"

"My name is Julie..." She snarled.

With a shake of my head, I step over to where she is sitting. "What did you say, girl?"

"I SAID my name is JULIE! You deaf or something?"

SMACK! My hand shot out and slapped her hard across the face, causing a look of shock to appear. "You have no name here, girl. Not until you earn it back from me..." I stare down at her darkly as she raises a hand to her stinging cheek. "And you're not doing a very good job to begin.

I return to my desk and sit down slowly, maintaining eye contact on this wounded animal who thinks she's a predator. I'll show her how wrong she is.

"Fuck you, you bitch! You HIT me! I'm gonna have my parents sue your ass!"

I can only laugh and hold up the contract that her parents have signed. "They can't. And they wouldn't anyway, girl. Your behavior has been completely deplorable and your parents have graciously signed your care and keeping to me for as long as I deem you unworthy for public consumption..." A thought slithers through my mind about how publicly she could be consumed under the right circumstances, but that's neither here nor there. "First things first." I reach into my desk and pull out a narrow leather collar with an O-ring and chain. "You have a choice; You can either put this on yourself, of your own volition, or I put it on you. You won't enjoy that, I promise."