I wasn’t scared of the older kids anymore. But I was well and truly close to wetting my pants in fear at the idea that this man might phone the school and of what my form master would have done to me in that situation. I started crying and begging – embarassing in retrospect, but I really was so terrified of what would happen to me. Anyone who thinks fear of corporal punishment isn’t a deterrant – I wish I could convey to them the way I was feeling at that moment. Fortunately for me, the guy must have been softhearted – he gave me a chance and let me go with a warning that next time I wouldn’t be so lucky.
Anyway – the kids didn’t beat me up that day. They knew I’d tried. But a couple of days later they put the pressure on me again.