“Sorry we’re late.” Sara announces.

“Got held up with Mrs Burrows

and you know Mrs Burrows,

we just couldn’t get away.”

It was true that Mrs Burrows could talk for England, and obviously mere girls couldn’t be rude to a teacher and cut her off in mid-flow.

“You’ve been busy.”

Anthea looks at the rearranged furniture,

then at Joanna.

“You’re the chosen one, are you Joanna?”

“Yes, hope you don’t mind.” Joanna replies.

“No, that’s fine.” Anthea says.

“Have you had much practice with the slipper, Joanna?”

“Only a little bit.” The young teacher answers.

“I was hoping for a little more before dealing with two such senior girls as yourselves.”

“Can’t be helped, Joanna.

I’m sure we’ll manage.”

This isn’t exactly how I’d envisaged this going,

with everyone chatting away like this.

Neither Sara nor Anthea appear as unhappy as I’d expected.

No matter.

“Shall we get on?” I say.

“Or shall I put the kettle on for coffee first?

” That was me being sarcastic.

“Good idea!” Sara says

“Mine’s white with one sugar.”

“White and no sugar, please.” Anthea says.

“Same for me, please.” Joanna chirps in.

“White and no sugar.”

Bloody cheek!

Here’s me supposed to be in charge of these two getting their bottoms well walloped and I end up as kitchen helper!

I put the kettle on and start arranging some mugs.

“So, when you used the slipper, Joanna, did you find it had the desired effect?” I hear Sara ask.

“Oh, I think so, Sara.

Although maybe I could have used it a bit harder.”

“It wasn’t the recipient complaining, surely?”

“Funny you should say that. It was, actually.”

Joanna looks in my direction,

and I glare back.

“How odd.” Anthea says.

“So, we’re going over the back of the chair, are we?” Sara asks,

looking at the chair I carefully positioned in the centre of the room.

“That’s right.” Joanna gets in before me.

“Is this the way you did it before, Joanna?” Sara continues.

“Yes it is, actually.

I was told it was the most effective.

Something about getting the target area at the right height for a good swing.”

“Absolutely.” Sara answers.

“I expect Clare has told you how we’re going to be, Joanna.”

Anthea speaks. “Trousers down, I mean.”

“Yes, just before you arrived, actually.”

“Is that how your previous victim was, Joanna?”

“No.” Joanna replies. “No. Well, we sort of had to do it fairly quickly so there wasn’t time.”

“Really?” Anthea smiles, and I start handing round the coffee.

“So, it’s eight whacks each for us two, isn’t it Clare?” Sara asks.

“That’s right.”

“Probably a few more than you’ve done before, eh Joanna?”

“Yes, the last one got just three.”

“Right.” Sara nods and takes a sip of her coffee.

“I do think you two are being incredibly brave.” Joanna says.

“Why’s that, Joanna.” Anthea asks.

“I hear you’d prefer to take eight really good, hard whacks rather than twelve more regular ones.”

My heart misses a beat. This is suddenly going all wrong.

Sara and Anthea are both looking rather angry, and in my direction, but then, after they exchange looks, they start smiling.

I have visions of me ending back over that chair, and it won’t be for just three whacks either!

Joanna is quite innocently continuing to drink her coffee, but the other two are still looking straight at me.

I’m waiting for them to spill the beans and deny they ever said any such thing.

This could get me into serious trouble.

In fact, I could be begging them to slipper me rather than reporting me to the headmaster.

That would be a caning for sure.

“Well.” Anthea speaks at last. I feel like closing my eyes as I wait to hear my fate.

“That’s correct.” Eh? “After all, Sara and I were very naughty staying out late like that, weren’t we Clare?”

“Um….”

“And such naughtiness does have to be properly punished, doesn’t it Clare?”

“Er….”

“And by taking a firm punishment when we’re naughty, t

hen we can feel okay about severely punishing another naughty girl when the occasion warrants it,

can’t we Clare?”

“Well….”

Oh shit!

“Have we all finished our coffee?” Anthea asks. Everyone says they have. “Then shall we begin?”

My enthusiasm has suddenly drained, but the others seem to have found theirs.

“Who would you like to go first, Clare?” Sara asks.

“Oh, I don’t mind.”

“Okay. Then Anthea can go first.”

Anthea seems a little put out at Sara selecting her to go first,

but nonetheless she goes over to the chair in the middle of the room with Joanna and the two stand behind its back,

looking at each other with faint smiles on their faces.