“Jemma, can I have a word?”
“God, Ginnie! You made me jump!”
“Sorry Jemma. Only I saw you were deep in your studies and I didn’t want to disturb you in the middle of a sentence or something.”
Resisting the urge to tell her best friend she hadn’t succeeded, Jemma Wharton closed the exercise book she had been copying notes into and sat back in her chair as Virginia Griffiths, her best friend and head girl of St. Mary’s Boarding and Day School, sat down beside her. It was gone five o’clock and the school library was otherwise deserted.
“I need you to be very honest with me, Jemma.”
“Right.” A combination of Virginia’s words and the anxious expression on the tall dark-haired girl’s face meant Jemma was pretty certain she knew what this was all about.
“Why is everyone being so ‘off’ with me?”
“Everyone?”
“Yes, everyone. Even the prefects. You’re a prefect, Jemma, surely they’ve been saying something?”
“Really, Ginnie? You really don’t know?”
“Last Wednesday evening?”
“Exactly. You’re a boarder like most of us, and you’re not allowed to be off the school premises without permission. You didn’t have permission, did you Ginnie?”
“Well, no.”
“And you came back smelling of alcohol. Another no-no for all girls, including you, Ginnie.”
“I was scared my boyfriend was on the point of splitting with me, Jemma. I know I broke the rules, but I was desperate to see him. Anyway, I didn’t get away with it. I was spotted by Miss Frobisher and reported to the headmistress.”
“And what happened, Ginnie?”
“I got a really firm telling-off. Miss Clark even went so far as to warn me that if I did anything like that in the future then I’d lose my head girl’s position, maybe even lose my prefect status. She really did lay down the law, you know.”
“And therein lies the problem, Ginnie.”
Virginia frowned as she tried to understand her friend. “I’m sorry, I don’t get what you’re driving at.”
Jemma sighed. “Ginnie, what would have happened if one of the other girls had bunked off like you? You know, someone who isn’t head girl or even a prefect.”
“I don’t know. Probably a few whacks with the cane and confined to the school premises for a couple of weeks. Something like that. Why?”
“Exactly! A very painful few minutes bent over Miss Clark’s desk and not being allowed off the school premises to buy an ice cream, post a letter, or whatever.”
“You’re saying an extremely severe reprimand isn’t enough? Seriously?”
“It’s not just me, though, is it? It’s pretty much the whole school saying it.”
“But we’re sixth form! We’re prefects. And I’m head girl. We don’t get the cane. We get reprimands, like the adults we nearly are.”
“Which means standing in front of Miss Clark’s desk and getting a good telling-off. Nothing more. Hardly the most onerous experience, is it? Nothing to make your eyes water.”
“It’s not very nice, I can assure you of that!”
“It still makes it one rule for you and another rule for everyone else, Ginnie. You must admit, they do have a point.”
“And that’s really what this is all about, is it?”
“That is what I’m led to believe, Ginnie. Yes.”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sakes! How small-minded can people get?” Virginia Griffiths got up and stormed out of the library.
“Bye Ginnie.” Jemma Wharton called, after the door had slammed shut.
The following day, towards the end of the lunch break, Virginia called a meeting of the prefects in their small common room. All eight of the school’s prefects turned up. Jemma Wharton stood in the middle, leaving Virginia standing on her own.
“Girls, ladies, I’ve called you here for this meeting because there appears to be some discord amongst some or even most of our girls regarding my unauthorised absence from the school premises last Wednesday evening. As I think you all know, I was called before Miss Clark and given a severe reprimand and cautioned about the consequences should I ever do such a thing again. Is that correct?”
Several murmurs amongst the group of prefects confirmed Virginia’s explanation was so far in line with their understanding. She continued.
“Now that is in line with Miss Clark’s policy when dealing with senior sixth form girls, prefects, and even me as head girl. I did not get special treatment!”
More murmurs came from the prefects, now with a more critical tone.
“Apparently, there are those in the school, perhaps even amongst some of you, who believe the consequences of my actions should have resulted in a firmer remedy such as more junior girls might receive. Am I right?”
The mutterings confirmed the head girl was correct.
“Well, what’s done is done. However, having given the matter some thought, I’m willing to submit to any extra punishment you feel appropriate. Therefore, any time after eight o’clock this evening I shall be waiting in my room for anyone who cares to find me there and I shall be quite willing to submit to any humiliation you and the girls care to submit me to. You all know the form; cold bath, public stripping, whatever you want.
“You have my full permission to broadcast this to the entire school and to allow any of the girls from the most junior first formers upwards to witness my humiliation. Any questions?”
Virginia looked around. Still she was faced with apparent disinterest.
“Come on, girls. I’m giving you the opportunity to really humiliate me. I’ll take whatever punishment you choose to do to me.”
“Ginnie, this isn’t about you letting us down on the hockey field or anything like that,” Jemma told the head girl. “This is about you not getting the punishment most of the girls would have received in similar circumstances.”
“You all feel I should have been caned. Is that it? Seriously?”
None of the prefects came right out and confirmed that was what they believed, but no one denied it either.”
“Do you really think that if I ask Miss Clark to cane me, that will put an end to the disquiet amongst the girls? Really? Perhaps you should bear in mind too, if I get caned for this then it will open up the possibility for any of you getting the cane if you seriously misbehave in the future.”
“We all know the rules, Ginnie,” a small dark-haired girl, Abigail Evans, responded. “We’d have no one to blame other than ourselves if we did get the cane.”
“Very true,” A tall blond girl, Amy Richardson, agreed.
“Really? Is that what you want? You really think I should be caned for what I did?” Virginia looked stunned.
“The point is, Ginnie,” Amy looked serious. “Whenever any of us have to reprimand any of the girls, we’re met with the ‘one rule for them and a completely different rule for us’ argument. It doesn’t help.”
“And my getting a few whacks on my backside will stop all that, will it?”
“I don’t know, but it can only help.”
“And do you all feel the same? That I should be caned?”
No one appeared to relish the idea, but every prefect nodded.
“Very well,” Virginia concluded. “I clearly need to have a discussion with Miss Clark. I will, of course, keep you all informed. For now, the meeting is closed.”
The girls parted company, needing to get to their afternoon classes. Virginia and Jemma walked together.
“Don’t you think it would be better to sort this out amongst ourselves, Jemma?” Virginia suggested. “I don’t mind what the girls do to me. They can even strip me naked and tie me to the school gates if they want. I think that was one sanction that happened to a head girl a few years back.”
“Like I said, Ginnie, this isn’t about you letting the side down. You broke the rules and you should have to pay the price, the same as any girl at this school.”
“The price being the cane?”
“I’m afraid so, Ginnie.”
“Okay, but you might want to circulate my thoughts about the girls punishing me of their own accord. See what they say.”
Victoria’s afternoon lessons ended at three-thirty that day, and she immediately headed for the headmistress’s study. After knocking on the door, she heard Miss Clark telling her to enter.
“Oh, Ginnie! Come in and take a seat.”
“Thank you, headmistress.”
Virginia sat down on one of the two chairs usually placed in front of the large walnut desk.
“So, what can I do for you, Ginnie?”
“It’s about the other day when you had to reprimand me about being absent from the school premises without permission.”
“I thought we settled that.”
“Yes, so did I. However, it has come to my notice that some girls feel I was let off too lightly. I called a meeting of the prefects after lunch, and it seems they’re finding it harder to maintain discipline as a result.”
“Really?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“So, what do they think should have happened? I treated you the same as I would any sixth form girl; a severe reprimand and a warning as to your future conduct.”
“Yes, but the general consensus is that was overly lenient. They cite what they think would have happened if a girl who wasn’t in the sixth form and wasn’t a prefect had been in my shoes.”
“Meaning what, exactly?”
“That I should have been caned.”
“Really?” Miss Clark sat back in her chair, clearly surprised. The silver-haired headmistress took several moments to collect her thoughts. “I presume you’ve been giving the matter some consideration, Ginnie. Is this a big enough problem that we need to take some form of action? If so, what?”
“I have offered to let them have some fun at my expense, which usually does sort things out when it’s felt a girl needs a little, shall we say, unofficial retribution, but that idea seems to have been rejected.”
“The cold bath ordeal?”
“That or something similar.”
“But no takers?”
“Apparently not. I even suggested they could strip me and tie me to the school gates.”
“I’m not sure that’s a very good idea, Ginnie. But, no support for that either?”
“Not so far, headmistress.”
“Then, what should we do?”
The following day, all the prefects were summoned to another meeting in the prefects’ common room at 4.00 pm, after school had ended. No explanation was given as to the purpose of the meeting, so speculation was rife throughout the day. Several prefects asked Virginia about the meeting, but she remained tight-lipped. All she would say was that attendance was compulsory.
The school’s eight prefects all dutifully arrived in the common room at four o’clock, and Virginia joined them moments later, wearing a light grey tracksuit.
“What’s this all about, Ginnie?” Jemma asked her friend, noting the head girl’s chosen attire.
“You’ll soon find out,” was the terse reply. “Girls! Could you gather round, please?”
“You’re not resigning as head girl, are you?” one of the prefects asked.
Virginia ignored her, and stood slightly apart until someone knocked on the door. As everyone looked round, the door was pushed open and Miss Clark entered, bringing the room to sudden silence. The headmistress stood next to Virginia.
“Ladies, I was astonished to receive Virginia in my study yesterday and to be told my dealing with her unauthorised absence from school was deemed somewhat lacking by a large number of girls, including you prefects. I do not take kindly to my decisions being questioned!”
The headmistress paused and watched the looks of contrition appear.
“That said, I do understand that some of you have been experiencing difficulties with the attitude of some girls in the school. Virginia tells me she made you what I would say was a courageous offer to allow you to mete out a further punishment of your choosing. Has there not been any support for that?”
A few shakes of the head and several murmurings confirmed the lack of appetite for such a measure.
“I’m surprised, ladies. Most surprised. Very well, Virginia and I have discussed the matter at some length, following which Virginia offered to accept eight strokes of the cane in the hopes that will settle matters finally and allow the school to move on from this.”
Virginia stood tight-lipped next to the headmistress. She glanced at several of the prefects and saw flickers of interest in their faces.
“Will that satisfy you?” The headmistress continued. “Perhaps someone would like to speak?”
Jemma coughed.
“I think that might go some way to improve the situation, headmistress.”
“Some way! I should hope that would settle things for everyone. Taking eight strokes of the cane across your backside is no laughing matter, let me assure you!”
As the headmistress and Virginia looked around the room, they could see expressions of anticipation written on all the girl’s faces.
“Virginia?” the headmistress said quietly to her head girl.
Virginia nodded.
“Very well,” Miss Clark continued more loudly. “Eight strokes of the cane it is. Virginia, would you come with me, please?”
“One moment, headmistress,” Virginia said softly, then she whispered in Miss Clark’s ear.
“Are you sure, Ginnie?”
“I think it would be best, headmistress.”
“This is most unusual, but then I suppose this whole episode is extraordinary.” The headmistress turned to the other prefects.
“Jemma, would you please go along to the secretary’s office and ask Mrs Patrick for the cane and the punishment book?”
Jemma frowned, yet the instruction had been quite clear. She left the room. Meanwhile the other prefects stood around, silent but with puzzled looks on their faces. Several minutes later, Jemma returned carrying a two-and-a-half foot long cane and a blue exercise book which she offered to the headmistress.
“Thank you, Jemma,” Miss Clark said. Taking the cane from the prefect. Hang on to the punishment book, please. Virginia?”
“Um, wh-where shall I go?” Virginia looked around, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. She noticed all the other prefects were watching on, mesmerised.
“Perhaps we could use that small side-table. You might need to pull it away from the wall.”
The table, measuring perhaps eighteen inches by two feet, was occasionally used as a desk. It was a simple matter for Virginia to pull it away from the wall.
“Will that do, headmistress?”
“I’m sure it will be fine, Ginnie,” Miss Clark smiled, sensing the girl’s anxiety.
Suddenly, Virginia felt very alone. She stood close to the small table and began fingering the elastic waistband of her light-grey tracksuit trousers. Then, abruptly, she pushed the trousers down, right down to her ankles. A few gasps were heard as everyone took in the sight of Virginia’s neat round bottom encased in a small pair of quite brief white panties that appeared to be a couple of sizes too small, leaving most of the lower portions of Virginia’s bottom completely naked. She’d obviously chosen her underwear carefully, and not to offer her any protection from the cane.
The room went very quiet as Miss Clark lined the cane up across the centre of Virginia’s backside. A split-second later, the cane whipped across Virginia’s white panties, catching her in the centre where at least half her bottom cheeks were bare. She ouched and her body jerked as she clearly felt the pain. A red weal became evident across the uncovered portions of her bottom.
All the watching prefects were enthralled as the headmistress applied a second stroke, this time an inch lower, and Virginia’s reaction was repeated. For nearly all of them, it was the first time they had actually witnessed a caning and the sight was both exciting and a little scary.
Second and third strokes followed, and Jemma watched as the red horizontal weals lined the exposed parts of Virginia’s backside. She could hear her friend grunting at each stroke, and she saw the snatched body movements. Virginia was certainly feeling the punishment. Jemma had mixed feelings; this was being done for the good of the school and the prefect system, yet she did not enjoy seeing her friend suffer.
Miss Clark was oblivious to the watching prefects. Her entire concentration was focused on applying strokes of the cane accurately across Virginia’s bottom, trying and only just succeeding in landing each stroke on a fresh spot at roughly five second intervals.
There were mixed feelings amongst the prefects. A couple thought Virginia was too full of herself and her own self-importance, and relished seeing the girl suffer. Most were convinced this was being done for the good of the school and Virginia was getting the punishment she deserved, the punishment any girl would expect if she absconded without permission. Justice was being served.
And then Miss Clark stopped and stood back a pace to survey the result of her efforts. She turned to face the others.
“There! Eight strokes. I hope everyone is now satisfied that Virginia has been properly punished.”
A couple of murmured replies and several nods confirmed that all were indeed now content.
“Good, I will now make the appropriate entry in the punishment book. Jemma, if you please?”
Jemma handed over the book, and Virginia stood up and started rubbing her sore bottom, leaving the headmistress sufficient room on the small table to enter the details into the punishment book.
“Right, that’s all done. I will now leave you.”
The headmistress took the cane and punishment book and left.
“Are you okay, Ginnie?” Jemma asked, looking down at Virginia’s bottom.
After wiping away a tear, Virginia said, “I’m okay. That really did sting, though.”
“Better pull your trousers up before you trip over them.”
“Has everyone seen enough?” Virginia looked around at the other prefects.
“We have,” Amy Richardson confirmed. “But what about the rest of the school? How are we going to convince them that Virginia got the whacking she deserved?”
“Amy!” Jemma snapped. “The girl is going to be most uncomfortable sitting down for the rest of the day. What more do you want?”
“I’m just saying. Taking the punishment is one thing, getting everyone to accept Virginia has been properly dealt with is another.”
“We can let everyone know,” Jemma suggested. “That surely should be enough.”
“I think Amy has a point, Jemma,” Virginia countered. “The school needs to know I’ve been caned, and maybe just telling them isn’t sufficient.”
“What, then?”
“I don’t know, maybe you should strip me and parade me through the school or something?”
“How about we take her to the library and tie her across a table?” Amy suggested. “We could tell people she’s there and then anyone who wanted to could visit the library and see for themselves.”
“Surely, that’s not necessary?” Jemma replied.
“Actually, that’s not such a bad idea,” Virginia countered. “I do think it’s important that the girls are reassured I’ve been caned as any of them would be if they committed a similar offence. Those that wanted to see the result could pop into the library, and they’d certainly talk about it. Then everyone would get to know. That’s what we all want, isn’t it?
“By the way, you don’t need to tie me down. I’ll happily remain in whatever position you want me.”
“School ends in just under half an hour,” Amy said, looking at the clock on the wall. “That’s when the library gets most visitors. But we need to be quick.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” Amy confirmed, excitedly.
Virginia finally pulled her trousers up and the group pf prefects made their way to the school library. The library, a large room with the walls lined with bookshelves, had a long table in the centre and ten chairs arranged around it. When the prefects arrived, three girls were sitting around the table writing notes.
“Where do you want me?” Virginia asked.
Amy looked around the room. “Um, maybe we could bend you over the end of the table and pull your trousers and knickers down?”
“Couldn’t she just stand facing one of the walls?” Jemma argued. “With her trousers and knickers pulled down, of course.”
“What’s happening?” One of the girls looked up from writing notes.
“I’ve just had the cane from Miss Clark,” Virginia explained. “It’s been agreed I’m going to offer my bruised bottom for girls to see so they know what’s happened.”
“Oh! Cool!”
The other two girls also looked up from their books, suddenly interested in what the prefects were doing.
“How about we strip her naked and she stands facing the wall opposite the door?” one of the prefects suggested.
The idea seemed to appeal to several of the others.
“Time is pressing, ladies,” Virginia said. “The library will soon start to get busy. Better have me where you want me before that happens.”
“Okay, let’s strip her,” Amy confirmed.
Two prefects started untying Virginia’s shoe laces, and the head girl cooperated by lifting one foot and then the other so her shoes could be removed. Meanwhile two other prefects were pulling Virginia’s tracksuit top off. Amy giggled excitedly as she pulled the head girl’s tracksuit trousers down. Again, Virginia assisted by lifting her feet off the ground, one by one, so her trousers could be removed.
Next, Virginia felt her bra suddenly loosen and her now naked breasts felt the chill air of the library.
“Sorry, pal,” Jemma said as she pulled the head girl’s knickers down. Virginia again helped with them being removed from around her feet.
“You want me over there?” Virginia pointed to a section of book-lined wall opposite the door.
“We do,” Amy confirmed, giving Virginia a slap on her naked bottom.
“Ouch! Do you mind?”
Despite her protestation, Virginia dutifully went across to the wall and stood staring at a section of the library’s books.
“Should I put my hands on my head or something?”
“No, just keep your hands away from your bottom,” Amy replied.
For the next hour and a half, Virginia remained standing, her caned backside on view to anyone who visited the library. Unsurprisingly, the library became even more popular than it usually was.
The End
© Kenny Walters 2025