by Mike London
Diane Jones and Claire Templar, two sixth-form girls at Bidwell Hill Grammar school were walking home from school together. The two girls were best friends despite - perhaps because of - their very different personalities. Diane was a rule-breaker who had often been in trouble, though her intelligence and ability had enabled her to reach the Sixth Form. Claire, on the other hand, had hardly ever been in trouble and, at a school where corporal punishment was quite frequently used on both boys and girls, had only ever received fifty lines and been in detention once.
All of Diane's three encounters with the cane had come about because she had been caught smoking. Some girls smoked out of defiance for authority or as a show of bravado, but Diane smoked because she enjoyed smoking. Perhaps, even at seventeen, she was something of an addict. Her last caning had been two years before, in her fourth year, when she had received four hard strokes of the cane from Miss Martin, the senior mistress who was responsible for the corporal punishment of girls at the school. That had really hurt, and Diane had actually stopped smoking for a while but then she gradually resumed her habit, with more craftiness and stealth.
She was smoking now, as she walked homeward with Claire at her side. They were in school uniform, so there was an outside chance that she might be seen and reported to the school. She knew that smoking in school uniform would be deemed a serous offence even outside school hours as it would be regarded as damaging to the school's reputation. But she had done it many times before without any repercussions and she really wanted a smoke. It seemed unlikely that any member of the public who saw her smoking would recognise the uniform and even less likely that they would go to the trouble of reporting the matter. In any case, how would they know her name? So, Diane puffed happily away.
Claire had followed a similar line of reasoning. It seemed really unlikely that Diane might be caught. In any case, she was just innocently accompanying her friend and wasn't smoking at all. Nevertheless, at the back of Claire's mind she knew that if two girls were seen together and one was smoking, it was likely that both might be said to have brought the school into disrepute. But she and Diane had walked back together like this for ages and nothing had ever happened. So that thought remained parked at the back of her mind and she continued to chat animatedly to her friend.
Just then a car, driven slowly, came around a bend in the road towards them. They looked up and both instantly recognised the driver. It was Mr Davis, a teacher at their school. By the time they realised who it was, the car was gone.
"Do you think he saw us?" asked Claire worriedly. Her use of the word "us" showed that she knew that she would be considered blameworthy if they had, indeed, been seen.
"I don't think so. It looked like he was concentrating on the road. He always drives carefully, and he was going slowly for the bend. He could only have seen us out of the corner of his eye and probably never noticed that I was smoking and wouldn't have been able to recognise us."
Nevertheless, Diane did have a sinking feeling in her stomach. She really didn't want to get the cane again. Miss Martin only rarely caned sixth-formers but, when she did, she caned them hard.
They found out the next morning. At the end of assembly, the headmaster read out the names of four boys who were to report to him after the assembly, and also the names of four girls who were to report to Miss Martin. Those names were Anne Dickson and Mary Parkes of 3B and Diane Jones and Claire Templar of the Lower Sixth.
As the other pupils made their way to their respective classes the four named girls made their slow way to the office of Miss Martin. All of them knew that they were likely to end up with sore bottoms, though Claire still hoped that she might, perhaps, be let off with a telling off and lines and an injunction not to be so friendly with Diane in future. Anne and Mary were regretting their stupidity. They had been given lines by a substitute teacher and hadn't done them. They had done the same thing a fortnight before with no consequences and had thought that they were safe. But, instead, they found themselves reported to Miss Martin.
The four lined up outside the office in the order that their names had been called out. No one spoke. They knew that Miss Martin might appear at any time and they were all very aware that they were already in a great deal of trouble and had no wish to add to it by being caught talking when she arrived. They waited in silence for several minutes. The others had all been there before, but this was a new experience for Claire and she was very scared. She still hoped that she might just get a telling off or lines but, realistically, she was starting to think the slipper - or even the cane - more likely. She was sure the other three girls would be getting the slipper or the cane, and why should she be different?
Finally, they heard the approaching tread of Miss Martin's steps. The teacher swept past the four girls and, holding the door open, called Anne and Mary in together. This took both Diane and Claire by surprise as they had expected to be dealt with one at a time, but they said nothing and tried to listen to what was happening inside the room.
They heard the senior mistress angrily berating the two third years. It certainly didn't sound as though Miss Martin was in a good mood. They couldn't hear what was being said, but it was clear that Anne and Mary were being lectured in no uncertain manner.
Diane took the opportunity to whisper to Claire: "I'll make sure she knows it was just me smoking and not you, I'll say you hadn't been walking with me but had just come up to me. You've never been in trouble before and I'll do my best to convince her to let you off."
Before Claire could even work out if this approach was likely to work a sudden loud noise rang out sounding thunderous even through the tightly closed office door. Claire gasped at the intensity of the sound; obviously the talking was over now and one of the third years was getting either the slipper or the cane.
Diane, who had experienced both, knew better. That was the slipper. Even though the cane caused a good deal more pain, the slipper made more noise when it smacked down on a girl's knickered bottom.
Almost immediately, without the slightest pause, another smack was heard. Then whack relentlessly succeeded whack with no intervals. After three or four whacks the loud explosive wallops were interspersed with squeals and yelps and distressed cries. But what surprised the waiting girls was that the whacking just went on and on, long past the usual six.
Diane worked out what was going on when she managed to discern that there were two girls yelping and not just one. Miss Martin must have positioned the two third years side by side over her desk and was walloping her plimsoll down on each girl's bottom alternately. Finally, after a full twelve slipper smacks the infliction ceased and for a while all that could be heard from inside the office was the wailing of two well-punished teenagers. Claire's hands went involuntarily to the seat of her tight blue skirt. If this was what two third year girls got, what could she - a sixth form girl - expect. She wondered if she and Diane would be called in together, like the younger girls, or if Diane would be summoned by herself.
They heard what had to be another lecture being given and then, suddenly, the office door opened, and the two girls tumbled out. They looked a mess. They avoided looking the older girls in the face, though Claire could see that they'd been crying, and scuttled off down the corridor leaving the door open.
The two sixth formers stood there uncertain if they should go in or wait to be called. Then, surprising both of them, Miss Martin called out "Claire Templar!" loudly. Claire looked at her friend in shock and walked past her into the office, closing the door.
"You know why you are here, girl?" asked the mistress as Claire stood in front of her desk.
"Yes, Miss, I think so. I was seen with Diane Jones yesterday when she was walking home, and she was smoking. But I wasn't smoking. I never have smoked. I've not done anything wrong."
"You and I have different opinions about that, Claire, and, as I am senior mistress it is my opinion that counts! Two girls in Bidwell Hill uniform were together in public and at least one of them was smoking. Anyone who saw the two of you must have concluded that you were in a joint enterprise - even if only one was smoking the other was clearly happy to accompany her. This is a serious matter.
"I do not often find it necessary to cane sixth form girls and when I do, I normally give no fewer than six strokes. However, in view of your previous good conduct and because I do not believe that you were actually smoking yourself, I have decided that four strokes of the cane will suffice on this occasion.
"This is a lenient punishment but do not make the mistake of thinking that it will be inconsequential. I shall do my best to make sure that you feel each and every stroke. By the time I have finished with you I hope that you will have learned an important lesson. You cannot touch pitch and not be defiled."
Claire feared that any further argument might make her case even worse but, with a last throw of the dice she said, "I've never ever been sent here before. Can't I have the slipper instead of the cane?"
Miss Martin would have none of that.
"No, Claire. You deserve to be caned and you will be caned. If you continue to bandy words with me, you will just increase the number of strokes. Now, take your blazer off and hang it up. Then roll your skirt up and bend yourself across my desk."
Claire had no choice and reluctantly obeyed. When she had slowly rolled her skirt up over her white knickers, she looked up to see that the headmistress was now holding a rattan cane, about two feet six inches in length and as thick as a crayon. She gulped at the thought of the damage that vicious implement would do to her tender backside.
"Stand in front of my desk now, Claire, and bend down right across it holding onto the opposite edge. I shall expect you to remain in that position until I say that you may stand. Is that clear?"
Claire moved closer to the desk, mumbled "Yes, Miss," and bent across it. At five foot seven it was easy enough for Claire to grip the other side. As soon as she was in position, she felt the cane tap across her knickers.
Then, a moment later, came the first stroke. It lashed down with tremendous force, denting Claire's white knickers deep into her sensitive flesh and leaving marks on the pale bare flesh on either side of her underwear. Claire had known that it was going to hurt, but the reality was a lot worse than she had feared.
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