From the Top Shelf - In the Locker Room

It's back to gym class for Lucy and Juliette, where some more retributive justice is in store for the unpopular Juliette.

There was something about Juliette's bearing which really got to Lucy. She did not dislike the girl - far from it - although she could not get close to her. Several attempts at conversation had stalled embarrassingly and they did not seem to have much in common. It was just that the image of Juliette's sweet curves, taut and waiting for the strap to fall, never failed to make Lucy damp between her legs with excitement. She had such grace, and it had never been better displayed than when Wendy Williams had slippered her in the gymnasium.

Lucy recalled the way in which the gym teacher had spanked Juliette and felt a pang of jealousy. Oh, how she wished she could see Juliette getting another spanking! Well, so she would. Juliette had engineered Lucy's tanning at the hands of Miss Edwardes, and what was sauce for the goose...

Encouraged by Lucy's surreptitious hints, Karen, Joanna, Emma and Samantha began a campaign to ensure that Juliette should have the most uncomfortable stay possible at Carstairs. They were persuaded partly by the thought that they were continuing to exact retribution for the trick she had played on Lucy on their first day. To make matters worse, somehow Samantha had discovered that Juliette was related to the owner and Principal of Carstairs. Lucy was never quite sure where that information came from. The girls all regarded Elspeth as the symbol of repression at the establishment. The old lady was rarely seen and so acquired an almost mythical status. Once the relationship became public, Juliette's fate was sealed.

Such was their enthusiasm for their self-appointed task, it was inevitable that, sooner or later, one of the quartet would overstep the mark. When, much later, Lucy wrote her thesis and incorporated the incident which finally brought matters to a head, she derived a certain ironic pleasure from noting that the end result of their efforts was quite the opposite of what Karen and the others had intended.

The incident occurred in the changing room as the girls were getting ready for another session in the gym. Juliette had come to anticipate the gym classes with a considerable degree of dread. She took off her skirt and folded it carefully before placing it in the locker beside her. Across the gangway, Joanna was also changing, but typically was not bothering to fold her clothes, merely depositing everything in a heap in her locker. Picking up the brief shorts which formed part of the standard gym uniform worn by all the girls, Juliette slid her panties down, aware that Joanna was as bare as a baby and scrabbling in her own locker to find her gym kit.

As Juliette stooped to ease the brief slip of cotton over her ankles she unwittingly presented Joanna with a perfectly positioned target. The irrepressible youngster nudged Karen, who was using the changing locker next to her. Karen grinned and pointed to a gym shoe lying on the floor. Joanna did not hesitate for an instant. She grabbed the shoe and dealt a stinging swipe across the proffered white globes. Juliette straightened up with a startled "Ow!" and looked around, to see the rest of the class all watching to see how she would react. It was obvious that Joanna had been the attacker, the little minx still held the gym slipper in her hand and the expression on her face confirmed her guilt.

"Gosh, Juliette, you just looked so inviting, bent over and sticking your naughty little bum up like that. I thought you wouldn't mind if I smacked your bottom - after all everyone else has just lately." She grinned. "So I thought you were getting to like it. Can I rub it better?"

The insinuation was obvious, but the youngster made the mistake of stepping towards Juliette, as if to massage the assaulted area. This was one provocation too far for Juliette, who grabbed the girl's wrist and yanked her forward, snatching the gym show with her free hand. "I'll show you what I like!" The words tumbled out unthinkingly. "By the time I've finished with you, you'll know just how nice it feels to have your bottom smacked!"

The other girls quickly formed a ring around the wrestling duo. Lucy, standing at the back of the throng, noticed that Karen did nothing to help her junior partner in crime. Could it be that the threat of the birch was sufficient to subdue even her rebellious spirit? Or perhaps it was the fact that Wendy Williams was bound to respond to the noise that was being kicked up. Lucy said nothing, made mental notes which she would transcribe later, and watched with bated breath.

Juliette's greater strength soon prevailed and she dragged the protesting youngster close to her and sat down. She was just beginning to force the squealing girl over her knee when Wendy Williams's sharp tones cut through the hubbub of excited voices.

"OK, you two, that's it! Enough!" The excited group which had gathered around Juliette and Joanna parted respectfully as the irate instructor elbowed her way through. "What is it about this time?" She glared at the two protagonists.

Juliette released her intended victim, who lost no time in grabbing a towel from Karen and recovering what modesty she could. Suddenly realising that she was also bare from the waist down, Juliette looked around frantically for something to cover her loins. A sympathetic hand from the back of the crowd tossed her a towel. Gratefully she realised that Lucy had taken pity on her.

"She started it!" Juliette pointed accusingly at Joanna, simultaneously wrapping the towel more tightly around her.

"You terrible liar!" Joanna was outraged. "I most certainly did not!"

"Enough! I have had it up to here with both of you." Wendy's voice was sharp. "Don't think I am totally unaware of the little feud that you two have been running. It's time to call a halt. I think a very sharp lesson for both of you, equally, is overdue."

Juliette felt a familiar tingle travel down her spine and shivered. It looked as if she was going to feel her rear end getting uncomfortably warm again. It was a pity it was Whacky Wendy who was going to be the bringer of retribution.

"You two there - yes, you two." Wendy pointed at Samantha and Karen at the back of the class. "I want you to go out to the playing field and fetch one of the hurdles from the running track. Bring it into the gym, where we will be waiting."

Juliette's spirits sank. It was fair enough - she had been caught red-handed, so to speak - but she did not like the sound of this. She already had a practical reason for fearing the strength of Wendy's arm.

Under instructions from Wendy, the class filed silently into the main gymnasium and arranged itself sitting cross-legged, in a wide semi-circle. Joanna and Juliette, each girl pathetically clutching at her towel, stood at the front of the group and waited to be told what to do next. After a moment or two, the two girls returned, carrying the hurdle between them.

"Very good. Set it up there." An imperious finger pointed to the space in the centre of the semi-circle. "Now sit with the rest of the class."

She turned and stared hard at Juliette, whose blood ran cold as the order was delivered. "Now I want you to go to my office and open the cupboard at the back of the room. There you will find a selection of canes. Bring me one which you feel is most suitable for the task!"

Juliette wished the floor would open up and swallow her. She was glowing with shame, knowing that the whole class was watching her as she walked the length of the gymnasium. The knowledge that she was to be caned also terrified her. It would have been bad enough just to have been bent over the hurdle and spanked with everyone watching again. It wasn't just the pain that frightened her; it was the humiliation of all those eyes watching, staring at her bare bottom turning red. That was the worst of all because Juliette had so much pride and she just knew she would react visibly and involuntarily to the warmth which her chastisement would generate in her most intimate place. Everyone would see.

She arrived at the door of Wendy's office, at the far end of the gymnasium from where the little group was assembled. Entering, she immediately saw the cupboard which Wendy had referred to. Hesitantly she went to it and opened the door. Inside, as she had been told, stood five canes.

She looked blankly at the wicked array. A cascade of thoughts tumbled across her mind. Which one should she choose? The selection covered a range of thicknesses and lengths. What a fiendish idea to force her to pick the very cane which would shortly decorate her own bottom? What if she chose the wrong one for Whacky Wendy's taste? Would she send her back for a different one, or perhaps increase her punishment? How would she take her punishment, anyway? Was it all right to yell out? Did she have any choice? Please, God, let it be Joanna first, she thought desperately.

She must choose; they were all waiting expectantly, like vultures. Which one? Not that shorter, thick one which looked too strong and hard; nor the very thin one, which looked as if it would slice her bottom in two. Diffidently she chose a rod which seemed to be about the middle thickness of the selection. It tapered from the thickness of a woman's index finger to the width of a little finger, over a length of about three and a half feet. There was another implement which was a bit shorter, but that looked wickedly knotty, which she felt must hurt more. Picking up her original selection, she closed the cupboard and left the office.

As Juliette began her walk down the length of the gym, she could see the rest of the class watching her, fascinated and clearly tense. She could see from their astonished looks that they were surprised at the apparent size of the weapon she had selected. She held out the cane to Miss Williams and waited for instructions. Had she made an acceptable choice? The butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she visualised what the fearsome weapon she had chosen would do to her poor bottom.

Sorry, but this post is quite long enough, so you will have to wait until next week for the canings. For those of you who would like to re-read the entire story, go to this post - From the Top Shelf - scroll down to A Degree of Discipline, and you will see all the posts from the story, in order.