BEXHILL SCHOOL

At last it was over. Jesse, her bottom scalding from eight fierce strokes of Sister Mercy's cane, was allowed to get up. She ran her fingers tenderly over the ridges she could feel standing proud from the smooth skin of her cheeks.

Tears poured down the sides of her nose and her shoulders heaved with sobs. Despite all the school legends surrounding 'Merciless's' punishments, Jesse could never have believed how much a caning would hurt. It was sheer agony.

She realised the Headmistress was saying something: "....and I hope you've learned your lesson...now go to your room..." Jesse needed no second bidding. She fled from the study with just a muttered "Thank you, Sister", the form of words she'd been urged to use in case Sister Mercy felt that ingratitude merited another bout of chastisement.

The secretary glanced up, frowning, as Jesse passed her office door. What a stupid fuss that silly girl had made: most undignified. She returned to typing up the time-table.

Jesse climbed the stairs to the bedroom floors, each step marked by the painful rubbing of her knickers against the broken skin of her behind. She went straight to Angelica's room and tapped on the door.

As soon as Angelica saw Jesse, she leaped up from her desk and ran to her, clasping her in her arms.

"Oh Jesse, Jesse! Was it awful? Oh poor, poor you. It's over now, so stop crying. Tell me all about it while I find that lotion."

Jesse told her how she'd managed quite well until she was told she was going to get two extra for reading Girl magazine, rather than some uplifting chapters from the bible.

"You got two extra?" asked Angelica incredulously, turning round from the drawer in which she was rummaging. "You mean you got more than six?"

"She gave me eight. It was the last two which finished me."

"Oh my God. No-one's ever had eight before. That must be a record. Quick, let me see. Ah, here's the arnica: I'll put some on..."

She got no further: Jesse had slipped her panties down and raised her skirt. The sight that met Angelica's eyes produced a loud gasp. She raised her hand to her mouth and bit on her knuckles. Poor, poor Jesse.