by Frank Martinet
My first thought upon entering the room was: Wow! They didn't make principals like this when I was a kid.
Back then my principals looked more like strict grandmas or fat old men with bellies that hung over the front of their belts. This principal was young - maybe 30 - and looked more like a model.
She was slender and petite, but with great curve appeal. Her face was too mature to be mistaken for a student, but with her long blond hair and dressed in those tight designer jeans, I could have been fooled if I didn't know who she was.
"You've come a long way since I last saw you, Jenna," I said. "Or should I call Principal Jones?"
The pretty girl grinned at me. "Uncle Marty!" She laughed. "I know you're not really my uncle, but I've called you that since I was ten, so it's a hard habit to break."
"I haven't seen you since you were what, 15? You moved away with your dad and I lost touch. Your mom has kept me updated on your comings and goings, though. Congratulations on your new job."
"I was 16 when I decided to go live with Dad. I was small, though."
"You're certainly grownup now."
"Thanks. To be honest, I'm a little terrified of this job. It's my first time being principal, though I was interim at Valley Middle for almost a year while my boss was battling cancer. He made a full recovery, by the way. Thankfully he got treatment in time."
"Your mom mentioned something about that. You did so well there they made you principal here. It's a great achievement and you'll do fine."
"I hope so. It's a lot of work, but I'm excited by the challenge." She offered me a seat and slipped behind her desk. "So what I can do you for? Did you just come by to say hi?"
"Actually, no." I put on my serious face. "There's a little problem. You see, my daughter attends here."
"No way! Little Tina?"
"Not so little now. She's 18 and a senior."
"Wow. She was just a toddler when I left! Sorry I didn't notice she was a student here. I would have introduced myself. Not that she would remember me."
"I think you babysat her once."
"I did. My first gig. I was so nervous. But my mom was right next door, so I figured I'd be okay if I needed anything."
Marty nodded. "As I recall, it went fine."
"Uh, yeah," said Jenna evasively. "Actually, it wasn't all as smooth as I made out. I mean, nothing really bad happened, but I didn't tell you everything."
"Really?"
"I had to spank her. Nothing much - just a couple of swats on her little rear. She found the switch to the gas fireplace and was playing with it. I told her no, but she went and did it again. I figured it was a safety hazard."
"That sounds like a spanking deserved."
"I should have told you, though. I was just worried you'd think I messed up. I was distracted fixing dinner and not watching her properly. At least I thought so at the time. Now that I have a kid, I realize I shouldn't have felt guilty about looking away for two minutes. Kids are impossible to watch 24/7."
"That's right! You have a little boy?"
"Jackson. He's four."
"Yikes."
"Tell me about it!" she laughed. "Young enough to be wild, but old enough to get in real trouble."
"I remember. Sorry about your husband. Your mother told me things didn't work out."
"True, but I got Jackson out of it, so it wasn't all bad. Sorry, I keep memory walking. You said you came here about Tina? What's the problem?"
"She's received a Saturday detention. One of her teachers caught her and a friend going off campus during lunch."
"Sorry to hear that. But those are the rules." Jenna frowned. "You aren't asking me to interfere, are you? Because I can't do that."
"Of course not. I'm ashamed of you for even thinking I'd do that," I said reproachfully, and she blushed.
"Sorry. You're right. I should have known. I'm just on edge because so many parents come in here with sob stories trying to get their kids out of punishments."
"Well, I'm not here to do that. I'm actually here to ask that you paddle Tina."
"Excuse me?" Jenna's eyebrows rose. "Marty, we don't do that any more."
"Well, you should. And I don't see why not. It's not illegal and the school board hasn't forbidden it. I can see the paddle right up there." I pointed to the wooden board hanging prominently on the wall. "If I give permission, I don't see the problem."
"It's... complicated," sighed the young woman. "Listen, I actually agree with you. I have no issues regarding spanking and unlike many administrators and school teachers indoctrinated by liberal schools, I'm in favor of corporal punishment. But it's a touchy subject. The Board would rather we don't open up that can of worms."
"Even if I authorize it?"
"I suppose that makes a difference, but I still don't understand. If you want Tina paddled, can't you do it yourself?"
"Oh, I will and I have. But here's the thing: Tina knows all about home spankings. That's normal for her. She's been getting them for more than a decade. But because they're so familiar, they're missing that edge, that degree of the unknown that makes a punishment something to be nervous about."
"Ah, so you're thinking that school punishment would shake her up a bit."
"Exactly. She's a good kid, but impulsive, easily swayed by her friends and peers. I'm sure that's why she broke the rule and went off campus. Her friend Shelby no doubt convinced her it was a good idea. I think a steaming hot bottom will remind her in the future to listen to her gut and not just go along with the popular opinion."
"Got it. Well, I can accommodate you, I suppose. I could spank her off the record. But it won't change her Saturday detention. She'll still have to do that."
"Not a problem. Though she'll probably be having trouble sitting as I plan to give her a spanking just before and another one when she gets home afterward."
"Wow. You're sure strict, Uncle Marty!" Jenna Jones laughed, but there was some nervousness in her voice and she had her eyes down, as though a child ashamed of her behavior.
"Gotta be. Tina learns best through her backside, I'm afraid. Now, about her paddling. Can we go over the details?"
"I could do it today, after school."
"I was thinking lunchtime. After all, that's when she skipped out. Also, I like the idea of her having to face her friends while her bottom is stinging and sore, and having all afternoon to feel the effects and know that she's got another spanking coming at home."
"You'll spank her at home?"
"Of course. She knows getting paddled at school means getting double at home. We've told her that all her life."
Jenna smiled. "You can't back down on a promise."
"Exactly."
"So how many swats should I give her?"
"Since this is an unofficial punishment - not that Tina will know that - I assume we aren't limited by school rules?"
"I suppose not. The school charter says I can't give more than 12 swats in one day."
I had to laugh at that. Twelve was a warm-up for Tina. "She's a good-sized girl," I said. "Her butt is big and can take a lot. She's used to it, too. I'd say two dozen is the minimum. More if she gives you any hassle."
"All full force?"
"As hard as you can make them. Oh, and it should be on the bare butt."
Principal Jenna's eyes rose at this. "You're definitely into unofficial territory now."
"Let's keep that between us," I said. "I want Tina to think this is a real school punishment."
"But she'll know we never paddle here."
"She'll know it's rare. Make her think her punishment is so egregious that the paddle is required. I know, you can tell her I signed a paper authorizing extra-strict treatment, including baring her bottom."
"Okay. I think that works. But you'd better really sign something."
She turned and brought up a keyboard from under her desk and typed rapidly. There was a flat screen monitor to her left and she quickly hammered out a brief document with just a few lines of text saying that the undersigned authorized "severe" corporal punishment on the bare bottom. There was a blank where the student's name would be and on the bottom of the letter where I'd sign. It wasn't fancy, but I doubted Tina would do more than glance at it.
Jenna hit print and the page popped out of a laser printer in the corner. I retrieved it, read it one more time, and signed it. Just for fun, I dated it four years earlier, so it would seem like this had been authorized when she was a freshman. The principal grinned at me.
"I'll put this in Tina's file. It'll give it a sense of authenticity when I pull it out."
"Perfect. You're the best, Jenna. I mean, Principal Jones!"
We shook hands and I got up to go. I as turned, she said something I didn't catch. "Excuse me?" I said.
She looked embarrassed. Her face was all red. "Uh, never mind," she said. "It's ridiculous."
"Let me be the judge of that. What is it?"
Jenna blushed even more. "It's crazy."
"What's crazy?"
"I..." she paused. I didn't say anything. I just waited. "When you were talking about spanking Tina it made me think."
"About what?"
"Do you remember that incident with the baseball?"
"The one you threw through my upstairs window?"
"Yes, that's the one." She bowed her head. "You spanked me for that."
"You begged me to do it myself and not tell your mother," I said defensively, assuming she was upset at this memory.
"I did."
"I wasn't in favor of keeping secrets. I didn't like lying to your mother."
"We didn't lie, exactly. We just never told her."
I stared hard at her and she crumbled, collapsing back into her chair. "You're right. I shouldn't qualify it. We lied. But you did spank me really hard. Harder than I would have gotten from Mom."
"That was the price for secrecy."
"I know and I'm grateful. I didn't resent you then and I don't now. In fact, I appreciate that you cared enough to discipline me."
"So what's the problem?"
"No problem," the young principal said. "I was just hoping you'd do it again."
There was silence in the room and I felt dizzy. I had to sit back in the guest chair. I held onto the sides for a moment. "I must have misunderstood you," I said softly. "It sounded like you're asking me to spank me."
"I am." She looked up, her blue eyes focused on mine.
"You're really serious."
"Yes. Listen, I understand the value of discipline. I was spanked growing up, at least while I lived with Mom, and while I hated it back then and it was a factor in me choosing to live with my Dad at 16, growing up with him I had a lack of discipline that made my life more complicated than it needed to be.
"I doubt Mom has told you everything - she'd doesn't even know half of it - but my life wasn't all smooth. I got in lots of trouble and some bad situations, I was even arrested once, and it took me years and lots of hard work to get out of the pit I'd dug.
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