“Honey! If you don’t get your butt down here fast you are going to be so late for school.” Patsy Driscoll fussed over her daughter’s breakfast, trying to keep it hot but without scorching it to a cinder. With a husband and three daughters to care for, she had plenty of experience.

“Coming mom.”

In contrast to the urgency encouraged by her mother, Ann-Marie peered carefully into the kitchen before entering and sitting at the breakfast table. She was wearing her customary faded blue jeans, this time with a plain white T-shirt.

“Thanks mom.” The blonde haired girl picked up her fork and began stabbing at the hot breakfast. “The others gone already?”

“They certainly have. Your father was out of here before seven, and your sisters picked up the school bus a full ten minutes ago.”

“I guess I’ll take my car this morning.”

“Well mind you drive carefully and don’t get a speeding ticket.”

“I won’t.” Ann-Marie continued with her breakfast while her mother leaned on the counter watching her. “Mom, I’ve got a bit of a problem.”

“Uh-huh. Of course, that wouldn’t be why you just happened to arrive down here when the others were gone, now would it?”

Ann-Marie smiled wryly. She always found it hard to fool her mother. “It could just be.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Oh, it’s just that I picked up a dress code violation yesterday for wearing that short dress. It wouldn’t ordinarily matter, but I also happened to get a referral for being late to a Math class on Monday.”

“Two referrals in the same week? What’s the school going to do about that?”

Ann-Marie coughed, her throat apparently dry. “That’s the problem, mom. It’s an automatic paddling from Mr Hooper unless you refuse permission. So, I need you to write him a note saying you won’t allow it. Just a short note will do.”

“And if I write this note, what happens about the two referrals?”

“I’ll get detention for a full day on Saturday. It’s boring but I can handle it.”

“And how does that fit in with your new Saturday job down at the mall? You only started there last weekend, for heavens’ sakes.”

“Ah. Well, I guess I’ll need you to write a note for them

too. Say I’m sick or something?”

“I seem to be writing a lot of notes all of a sudden. And this is because you were late to class and you wore a dress that was too short?”

“What else can I do, mom? Heck, I’m eighteen. I’m too old to let Mr Hooper spank me.”

“Since when did they ban paddling for eighteen-year-olds?”

Ann-Marie sighed. “Don’t be tedious, mom! They haven’t banned paddling for eighteen-year-olds, but it’s undignified for someone my age to be spanked. Okay?”

“Okay, I think I’m getting it. It’s undignified for you to get spanked, but not for me to write the store and tell them you’re sick when you’re not. Me telling lies on your behalf isn’t my idea of dignified either, actually darlin’. And I’m certainly not against paddling at school when it’s justified.”

“Oh right! So you think it's perfectly okay for me to get my butt blistered by Mr Hooper and his paddle?”

“I can think of worse things, honey. In the same way, I’ve not been averse to taking your panties down and spanking your bottom when you were younger. Neither has your father.”

“Yes, but you haven’t done it in years.”

“Maybe a couple of years, honey. I seem to recall a little incident when you had a fight with your sister Melody when you were sixteen.”

Ann-Marie blushed.

“So, what about the note to Mr Hooper?” Ann-Marie finished her breakfast and pushed the plate away. She stood up, coffee in hand.

“Not a chance, honey. As you said, you’re eighteen now and quite capable of making your own decisions. You either take the paddling or lose your job at the mall. It’s up to you.”

“Oh, mom!” Ann-Marie looked at the clock. “Hey, I’ve got to go!”

Forty minutes later, Ann-Marie joined a short line of two boys and one girl sitting on a low bench waiting to see the Vice-Principal, Mr Hooper. Almost as soon as she got there, Mr Hooper, a tall thin man with a bald head and square jaw, opened the door to his office and called one of the two boys in. The three left outside didn’t speak or even really acknowledge each other’s presence as they listened to some stifled conversation and then three sharp bangs. Moments later, the door opened and the boy exited the office with a face that looked close to tears.

“Mr Lawrence?” The gruff voice came from within the office and the other boy went in and closed the door behind him.

Ann-Marie glanced sideways at the other girl, a pretty dark-haired girl who kept staring straight at the wall opposite. They listened nervously together as yet more stifled conversation was soon followed by three sharp bangs.

It seemed longer before the door sprang open and Ann-Marie could see the other girl getting very anxious, puffing her cheeks out and breathing heavily as the tension mounted. When the door was pulled open, both girls jumped visibly.

“Miss Peterson?” No sooner was the second boy out the door and heading off down the corridor before the next summons came.

Ann-Marie watched intently as the girl got up from the bench and launched herself forward towards the open doorway. Kelly Peterson was wearing a pale blue cotton dress with no sleeves that ran straight down from a simple round neck opening. It looked smart and dignified, which somehow didn’t sit well with the undignified experience the wearer was about to undergo.

Just at that moment, another girl and boy, both twelfth grade students, joined Ann-Marie on the bench. They seemed to know each other pretty well, while Ann-Marie only knew them by sight. They both looked uncertainly at Ann-Marie, but she ignored them.

Soon a bang was heard from inside the office, followed almost immediately by a little squeal. The second bang got a louder cry followed by a voice that was clearly Mr Hooper’s.

“I am so not looking forward to this.” The girl outside with the boy spoke just as Ann-Marie was trying to hear what was being said.

Almost immediately, a third bang sounded, accompanied by a wail from the girl inside. Silence then prevailed until the door burst open and the girl, in tears, emerged. Ann-Marie just had time to see her start off down the corridor before she heard a voice.

“Miss Driscoll?”

Aware the boy and girl were now staring straight at her, Ann-Marie went inside. She found one of her teachers, Mrs Rodriguez, sitting on the edge of Mr Hooper’s desk while the Vice Principal himself was waiting at the back end of his office near some metal lockers and waving his towards another low wooden bench. He held a wooden paddle in his right hand.

“Was it a dress code violation, Mrs Rodriguez?”

The teacher took a yellow referral slip off the desk and studied it. “That’s correct.”

“Okay, that’s three swats, Miss Driscoll. Bend over the bench, please.”

Ann-Marie thought quickly, weighing up the chances of getting away with the second violation not being discovered before she was out of the office. That could mean another three swats later though.

“Er, sir? I think there should be two violations there.”

The Vice-Principal looked across to the female teacher.

“Yes, that’s correct, Mr Hooper,” Mrs Rodriguez confirmed after looking at the next referral slip of the small pile she held in her left hand There’s a tardy too.”

Mr Hooper smiled at the girl standing nervously in front of him. “Thank you for your honesty, Miss Driscoll. That’ll be five swats. Please check your back pockets are empty before you bend over.”

Ann-Marie scowled to herself before inserting her hands into her back pockets. They were both empty. Subconsciously she began running her hands over the outsides of the pockets around the contours of her bottom until she realised what she was doing, blushed and started leaning forward over the wooden bench.

“Keep your butt out, Miss Driscoll.” Ann-Marie felt the wooden paddle patting the seat of her jeans.

Too nervous to reply, Ann-Marie did as she was told and pushed her bottom out to offer a good target for the paddle.

“Uun!” Almost instantly a sharp hot pain struck right across her bottom.

“Aah!” A second loud bang filled her ears.

“Aaah!” After the third swat Ann-Marie couldn’t help swaying from side to side as the pain from the hard wooden paddle affected her entire bottom.

“Keep it still, Miss Driscoll.”

“Yes, sir.” Ann-Marie murmured and managed to push her bottom back despite the soreness.

“Aaargh!” The blonde girl arched her back as the paddle banged loudly across the seat of her jeans, then set about swaying her hips to dissipate the pain.

“Ready when you are, Miss Driscoll.”

Ann-Marie decided she wasn’t going to be rushed by the Vice Principal’s urging and allowed herself several more sways before finally thrusting her bottom back and holding still.

“Yeeeoooww!!”

Mr Hooper must have been poised, for the paddle crashed across Ann-Marie’s bottom with a resounding bang the moment she resumed her position. The pain was unbelievable and the blonde girl leapt up and clutched both hands to the seat of her jeans.

“Smarts, don’t it?” Mr Hooper grinned as he watched the eighteen-year-old struggling with the fire in her backside. “You are free to leave, Miss Driscoll.”

Ann-Marie was still not about to be hurried. She took a few moments to apply soothing rubs to her bottom before turning for the door.

“Thank you, sir,” she replied finally, leaving Mr Hooper doubting the sincerity of the girl’s appreciation.

Outside the office, Ann-Marie ignored the boy and girl waiting on the bench, who both looked up anxiously into her face for signs of distress caused by the paddling. They may have noticed the tears formed at the corners of the girl’s eyes and poised to fall down the pretty cheeks, but then Ann-Marie was away down the corridor with just a faint rub of her bottom.

Sitting for classes was sore and painful, but she coped. Several of her friends were aware of her ordeal and gently questioned her about the well-being of her backside. They were soon told to mind their own business. The drive home was almost as uncomfortable as the classes.

“Ann-Marie?” Patsy Driscoll’s voice came from the direction of the kitchen. “There’s coffee in the pot.”

“Hi mom.” Ann-Marie entered the kitchen area and helped herself to hot coffee.

“Do you still have a job down at the mall on Saturday?”

“Oh mother! So discreet! Not like you.”

“Careful honey. You wouldn’t want me to take your panties down for another spanking now, would you?”

The End

© Kenny Walters 2010