I woke up in tears this morning. It finally struck me that I would not be allowed to play football with the team the next day. I had trained hard for years to try to get into the team, and had finally got my chance six months ago, and it had been going so well. I was the second top scorer, but now I was going to miss the next two matches and would likely be dumped out of the team.

It was a stupid prank that went wrong and ended up with five of us being suspended from school. If it hadn’t been for my dad and the other parents going to see the headmistress and persuading her to let them punish us rather than have a suspension go on our record for university applications, then it would have been a lot more serious. Debbie was caned, Becka got the slipper, but Allison, Cath and I, all three of us in the team, got grounded for three weeks. Mum would have spanked me but we lost her five years ago and dad does grounding. A complete disaster.

A knock on my door, and Sally brought me a cup of tea. Sally is dad’s new wife, an American from somewhere in the South, a teacher who has done a conversion course and is now teaching in the local school. We’re both trying really hard but we haven’t quite got things together yet. I suppose I am a bit resentful and she is a bit nervous of me. We are courteous but not really friendly as yet. It would be nice to find a breakthrough as we are in such close proximity.

“What’s up, Sarah, you’ve been crying?”

I attempted to brush away a tear but it was too late.

“Oh, nothing.”

“No, Sarah, I know we are a bit at arms’ length and I can understand that. This is your home and you miss your mother so much. I’m trying to fit in without shaking too many timbers and I guess I’m not quite making it. I want to help, please let me.”

“I’m going to get kicked out of the football team if I miss two matches, and because of this grounding I will. I’ve worked so hard to get recognised and now it’s all over.”

“I’ve watched you, you’re real good.”

Sally paused.

“When I was sent to the principal in high school, she gave me and all the other students a choice; a suspension same as you with it affecting my suitability for college, or a paddling. I took the paddling, it hurt like hell and for a couple of hours I could hardly sit down.”

“What sort of paddle?”

“A thick wooden paddle with holes drilled in it so it would hit your butt harder and faster. You had to bend over the desk and just take it. It made you holler, I can tell you. But then it was over, and your parents did not even find out, let alone college.”

“God, that sounds bad. Not sure I would have liked your school.”

“OK, so a question for you? If you had the choice, like I did, between a really sore and bruised butt and a suspension, what would you go for?”

I thought for a moment. The thought of being denied the university of my choice because of a stupid bit of behaviour just seemed so unfair.

“I would take the paddle I think.”

“OK, Sarah, next question. Forgetting where we are at for a moment, with no playing, and not seeing your boyfriend and all that; straight choice, the three week grounding your dad’s given you, or a good hard spanking which I would give you?”

“Is this hypothetical or a real choice? I mean dad would go mad if you undermined him.”

“I would take the inevitable row with your father. I know what he’s like. I love him but he is so stubborn, and it would not be our first fight.”

“And how would you spank me?”

“You’d go over my knee and I would blister your butt with a hairbrush. I would not go easy on you. Whose idea was it, what you did?”

“Well, it was sort of mine but I didn’t think we would go through with it.”

“So, you deserve to be punished?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

Sally collected her thoughts, then made an offer I could probably not refuse.

“I will clear it with your dad when he gets home next week, you will probably hear the fireworks. You will go over my knee tonight after school, and you will get another spanking, the same, on Sunday morning. Two because it was your idea. Then the grounding will be lifted, you will be free to play football, go out when you want to, depending on school work, go enjoy your boyfriend and so on. What do you say?”

I didn’t like the idea my ‘butt’ was going to be blistered; I was more than a bit scared. I hadn’t been spanked since I was 12, but it was an offer I could not refuse if I wanted to carry on playing football.

“Good, now give me the phone numbers for the other two girls; I will talk to their parents, tell them what we’re doing. And you can tell your team captain that you will be playing tomorrow.”

That was a wonderful thought, to know I would be playing, but I feared for the price. It worried me all day, which was extra punishment in itself. I got home early and Sally was waiting for me. I think she was a bit nervous herself. Our relationship had progressed in the morning because I was grateful to her for giving me the choice and a chance to play, but now the downside beckoned. I was waiting in my room when she arrived with her hairbrush. I had felt mum’s on a few occasions but I had a feeling this was going to be more painful; Sally believed in corporal punishment, mum did it because she thought she had to.

“Let’s sit on the bed, Sarah, and we’ll go through it all again. In return for two spankings, one now and one on Sunday, you will be excused the rest of your grounding. I am going to take responsibility for discipline in this household from now on. You don’t have to worry about that because you are basically a good girl, whereas I was a nightmare for my stepmother whom I hated, especially as she would use the slightest excuse to whip my ass almost on a weekly basis. I’m not going to do that but I will bring one other element in just now. You have a habit of missing curfews all the time and I will put a stop to that with my old class paddle from when I was teaching high school; you will be bending over for four or five good hard licks if you keep coming home late. That’s what I did with my own girls when they were late home. I gave them the choice and they chose a sore butt every time, and if you agree then we can do away with groundings and all the bad feelings they cause for good. And your dad will agree as well I can assure you. I can be very persuasive. So, do you understand what is going to happen?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And do you agree to our future arrangement?”

“Do I have any choice?”

“A bit of attitude there which an extra six with the brush should take care of. I won’t put up with attitude either from a girl of your age. It may not be a paddling offence, but you’ll go over my knee for sure.”

“Sorry, Sally, but I am really scared.”

She put her arm around me.

“I know you are. I was always scared too. I won’t deny it’s gonna hurt but it is meant to. So, get your school trousers off if you agree to do it my way and get over my knee.”

Some sort of favour but I was desperate to play, and enjoy my boyfriend and all those other things. I kicked my shoes off and placed my trousers over the back of the chair. Sally guided me across her lap, with my top half resting on the bed. I felt her fingers in the waistband of my knickers as she pulled them down. I suppose that was not really much of a surprise. I had to keep thinking about the football and the fact that this stranger was actually helping me, but the last person to bare my bottom had been my real mother; she was not, though there was no time to dwell on that.

My stepmother began with about thirty hard slaps to alternate cheeks with her hand which stung a lot. Then there was a pause as she picked up the hairbrush. It was a large brush as was needed by a lady with lovely long hair like hers. It was heavy too and I felt that as well as the sting as it beat my poor bottom into submission, time and time again. Soon I was wriggling, and she held me tighter around the waist. Then my legs tried to bend back to protect me but to no avail. Then my hand tried to reach back to cover up but she grabbed it and held it against my waist and started to spank me harder for my insolence. Soon I was gasping for air, soon I was groaning, soon I was making grunting noises, soon I was crying out, soon there were tears on the bedclothes. But she carried on; my bottom was completely on fire and simply could not take any more. She knew that but carried on because she judged it could and I had earned the extra six, and then she stopped.

The fire was enormous, and the immediate pain was slow to subside even though she gently stroked my bottom with her soft, stepmotherly hand. She had really hurt me and by all rights, being who I am, I should have got up in a temper and never spoken to her again, but I let her stroke my bottom and I let stroke her my back as I just lay there. I had to keep thinking that she had done me a favour and she had. With the thought that I was halfway to freedom, the fire in my bottom may have melted the ice in our relationship. I had no idea how that could have happened, but I did not hold it against her.

I got up slowly, clutching my rear. She got up without saying anything, but silently put her arm around me and hugged briefly. There was no anger or animosity on either of our parts. It was just a spanking.

We did not have much to say at tea, partly because I was struggling to sit down, but what we did say was friendly. I helped her with the washing up and then took myself off early to bed. I lay on my stomach.

She drove me to meet the team bus at school. I was delighted to see that my two friends were also there. We said nothing about how it had come about but it was obvious from our still pink bottoms in the changing room that they had met a similar fate the previous evening.

When I scored the third goal, my celebration was distracted by an over-enthusiastic crowd member, jumping up and down and waving her arms. It was lovely of her to come, but she was a bit over the top.

We celebrated in a fast food restaurant when we got back. I changed into my jeans and civvies and phoned John, who came to pick me up. It was a lovely surprise for him and he showed me how so when we got back to his place. Unfortunately, we fell asleep afterwards and then disaster struck. I looked at my watch, it was five minutes to curfew and a paddling awaited me. I dressed as quickly as I could, but couldn’t find my knickers.

John drove as fast as he could but to no avail. A road closure, and every impertinent traffic light was set on red. All I could think of was the paddling that awaited me, and the missing underwear which I did not have time to search for. Surely, she wouldn’t paddle me bare? I rocked up at twenty past.

The paddle was on the hall table, a reproach; I did not need a reminder.

“I did warn you, Sarah.”

“I know.”

“So, do you want your paddling now or in the morning?”

I had agreed to the new regime of corporal punishment. I had had my game of football, I had enjoyed my time with John, so it was not all bad, but now I had to pay. My bottom went cold and broke out in goose pimples. This was going to hurt.

“Can we do it now, please? I will never sleep worrying about it.”

“Of course. Let’s go in the lounge.”

She took my hand and guided me to the middle of the room.

“So, when a student needed paddling, I would take them out into the corridor and get them to take anything out of their back pockets and then bend over and hold their knees, feet slightly apart for balance. The class paddle was a bit smaller and lighter than the principal’s paddle. It could sting a student’s butt, though, and give them something to think about as well as their bad behaviour for the rest of the day. I can vouch for it, I was no angel in my schooldays, and neither are you as we know.”

I gave her my keys and bent over as instructed.

“Feet a bit further apart please, I don’t want you falling over. Stick your bottom out.”

I felt the paddle stroking my bottom, as if that was possible. It was circling the target to get accustomed to its shape and size.

“No, I’m really worried you’re going to lose your balance. You’ve never had it before and you could fall into the TV or the fireplace. Help me pull the couch out.”

Furniture removals were not exactly what I had been planning all evening. I just wanted to get spanked and go to bed.

“OK, so bend right over the back, maybe on your toes, that will do.”

I felt the paddle circling my buttocks once again. Then it cracked down on them with an almighty thud. That hurt, my bottom was in distress after just one. The second made me inhale sharply. The third swat landed hard again on my poor bottom causing me to moan. I had been determined not to but I had no choice.

The fourth swat elicited a guttural moan and I swore under my breath. It was quickly followed by a fifth ‘lick’ which confirmed the agony. I could stand no more; in fact, I could hardly stand. The fires of hell were consuming my lower half and the ache as well brought the inevitable tears. She was a sadist. Every one of her students must have hated her.

There seemed to be a pause, and I did eventually properly find my feet.

“You did well for a first time. Now undo your jeans.”

“You’re going to paddle me bare? You’ve got to be f***ing joking.”

“Well, that’s earned you another one. Jean’s down now! I just want to make sure your butt can take three more, because I have a proposal.”

I couldn’t believe it, and it couldn’t have been worse given that I had to leave John’s in a mighty rush. Nonetheless, my jeans came down.

“So, no underwear? Or did you leave in a hurry? You better hope he finds them before his mother does. You’ll be banned from that house.”

I honestly thought she was going to paddle me bare. Was she allowed to do that with her students, in the corridor?

“Well, it was going to be two, but now your language has made it three more licks but you can buy off the second spanking if we do it now, then it will be over. No more spankings until the next time and you’re free to play football, and go find your panties. What do you say?”

Sally inspected my bottom and then slid my jeans back up for me.

I did my jeans up and bent back over the settee. I was in agony but what difference would three more make? Quite a lot as it happened. I avoided crying out on the first two, but the tears were rolling down my cheeks when I picked up my shoes and attempted to climb the stairs, without a word of thank you. My entire lower half seemed paralysed in pain.

I spent the night, sleeping fitfully on my stomach. At 8 o’clock, a knock at the door and the evil stepmother brought me a cup of tea. I had woken up a few minutes before, strangely happy but really sore. No sooner had she put the cup down, but my bedclothes were pulled back and she was applying some lovely cool cream to my still throbbing backside. Her hands were gentle and kind. I found it quite soothing and almost nice, given it was her. I actually put my head back down on the pillow and thought she could take her time. She did take her time; she was meticulous and soothing, it was lovely. I didn’t want her to stop.

“So, no more grounding. Your debt is paid. You are released. I will take the flak from your dad, but from now on its my rules, and I’m gonna keep paddling your ass until you learn to get home on time. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Don’t be sarcastic, or I’ll fetch the hairbrush.”

“Sorry.”

“I’ll put some more cream on after breakfast. It will keep the bruising down. You might be able to sit down in a couple of days.”

“Thanks a lot.”

She landed two soft smacks on the top of my thighs in return for the sarcasm, rubbed my back by way of affection, and got up to go. I do not know what made me do it, but, “Thank you, Sally, for getting me out of the grounding. The two spankings really hurt so I don’t really owe you anything, but I do anyway.”

“That’s alright, my dear. And you know how to stay out of trouble. I really hope you do.”

“What do I call you?”

Sally paused.

“You can’t call me ‘mum’ because I will never live up to it after the wonderful mother you had, so ‘Sally’ will have to do, unless I am spanking you, when you call me ‘ma’am’.

She smiled.

“I hope we can become friends, Sarah. I would love to but that’s when you’re ready. By the way, I didn’t have a chance to say it last night but you’re a brilliant player; I was so proud of you, my stepdaughter. I’ve watched all your matches, you just didn’t know I was there.”

“Thanks, mom.”

The American spelling, it seemed appropriate. Sally put her hand to her mouth in an attempt to hold back the tears. It was a wonderful moment for her; actually, for both of us.

“Oh, and when you got that yellow card a couple of weeks back, I should have put you over my knee when you got home. A foul like that deserved a sore bottom. It should have been a red and you know that, same colour as your butt would have been.”

We both laughed, sort of. I just hoped she didn’t mean it. From that point, we moved on from courteous interaction to a relationship with something more. We even hugged sometimes. It was strange that her spanking me brought us together because it should have done the opposite, but in breaking me out of the grounding which she didn’t have to do, it showed that she actually cared about me. It seemed she had my back; well, my bottom at least. Eventually, my timekeeping did improve, and I was voted player of the year. Thanks mom!

The End

© Jenny Tomlinson 2026