BEXHILL SCHOOL

Jenny had been due for the cane anyway: she had been late for the first class of the day twice running. Bexhill School regulations mandated six of the best for a second offence, so Jenny knew what she was in for when the History teacher looked at his watch as Jenny tried to slip unobtrusively into the classroom almost fifteen minutes after the start of the lesson.

"Dont bother sit down, Jenny. Come up here please."

Her heart sank as she saw him reach for the book of pink Report Forms; pink forms always led inexorably to one's backside taking on a rosy hue. There was some hushed tittering as the teacher filled out the slip, tore it off, and handed it to Jenny.

"Take that to the Headmistress."

"Yes, sir." Her knees felt like jelly.

Her one tiny hope - that that the Headmistress might be out - was dashed when her knock on the heavy oak door was answered with a curt "Enter!"

The Headmistress briefly perused the note as Jenny stood forlornly in front of the desk, her fingers discretely massaging her backside. It was then that it hit her. 'Oh my God,' she thought. 'My knickers! I didn't have any clean school ones to put on this morning, and - oh golly! - I think I chose that flashy red number. The HM will go ballistic if she sees them."

Jenny was right.

"Very well, Jenny. You know the penalty for a repeat offence. Come here to the end of the desk." She lifted a senior cane out of the basket beside her chair and swished it through the air. "Now take your panties down, lift up your skirt and bend over."

No sooner had Jenny begun to comply when there was a gasp from the Headmistress.

"What are THOSE?" she demanded, incredulously.

"Sorry, ma'am, they were the only clean ones I had."

"How DARE you wear such...such...frivolous underwear in my school.? You'll pay for this, young ldy!"

And Jenny did. A few minutes later her bottom almost exactly matched the colour of her knickers. She sobbed as she grasped the edge of the desk, hoping against hope that the Headmistress would tell her that she could now get up. Or was the old dragon going to start all over again?