I only had to wait a few seconds before the sharp sting to the paddle cracking across my backside flooded into my bottom. The first stroke of the paddle took my breath away and caused the tiny hairs on my arms to stand straight up. Coughing, I crooked out.

“One Ma’am,” I said as took a deep breath and waited for the next one. I did not need to wait long for the second one either for soon the paddle cracked my bottom again. Sending another wave of sting rolling into my bottom. The second strike once again took my breath away, but I forced myself to count again. “Two ma’am.”

My ears were starting to sting with salty tears now as another powerful stroke, smacked my bottom, sending another wave of sting and burn rolling into my bottom. My legs were starting to quiver now and the strength in them was starting to fade. “Three ma’am.” I choked out again.

Then she threw me a curveball. I felt my skirt being lifted up and my panties being lowered down. Then standing there bare bottom, I knew how deep into the swamp I was. My eyes became wide as saucers as I felt the cold air of the nurse's office coming into contact with my sore bottom.

The fourth stroke landed upon my bottom. Without the padding provided by my underwear and skirt the full stroke of the paddle feel in full force down in my bottom. Sending the full brunt of the paddle into my bottom, causing my knees to buckle and my breath to once more leave my lungs. “Four ma’am!” I bellowed out!

A dozen quick beats of the heart later, the paddle came swinging in. Striking my bottom again, this time the force of the stroke made me lurch forward a little and my balance was almost lost. The loud popping sound of the paddle striking my bottom echoed in my ears as I forced myself to maintain the pose I was in. “Five Ma’am!” My eyes were starting to moist and water.

Another stroke followed, the pure fire seemed to run into my bottom and a shiver once more passed my back. Those building tears, now spilled over and started to run down my cheeks. My nose started to run and my breathing was becoming ragged. Through the snot, tears and choking I crooked out the number. “Six. Ma’am!”

“Keep it together girl,” Alice said putting her hand on my back. “You have only four more to go before we're done. Take a deep breath. Cause I’m about to rush through those two.” She said cracking my bottom again with the paddle, sending another burning wave of sting and burn into my bottom. This time the paddle struck squarely in my bottom.

“Seven Ma’am!” I was a total mess now. With tears spilling down from my eyes and my chest heaving up and down. I coughed and hacked and coughed again as my bottom seemed to be on fire.

Another stroke, quickly followed by another. With the two strokes being so close together I had little time to regain my composer between strokes. But I still had the clarity of thought to holler out the number to avoid the whole threat of having start over again. I doubted she would, but I was not willing to press my luck, an inkling I was pushing it to the breaking point.

“Eight Ma’am! Nine Ma’am!” I shouted as the tears spilled down upon the floor in front of me. And then it happens, the last strike. Alice drew back and delivered the final stroke. The final stroke was the straw that broke the horses back. As soon as the flat surface of the paddle struck my bottom, I felt something snap inside me. I broke down in tears and finally after several long seconds, I could finally crook out “Ten Ma’am.” And then I waited, I waited for what seemed like years. Till finally, an almost motherly voice said to me.

“Okay Madeline, take a deep breath. Stand up and breath.” Alice said to me as she placed her hand on my back and gently stood me up.

Once I was stood up, I felt her guiding me over to a nearby table, a pen with a stack of papers had been provided. Gently she eased me down upon the chair, a hiss escaped my lips as my bottom touched the harden wooden surface.

“Now,” Alice said taking a deep breath. “We're going to work on your penmanship.” She took a pen and with a steady hand, she wrote on the first line of the paper. ‘I will follow and obey all school rules. And respect the power of the school’s prefects.” The words were all spelled out in neat cursive handwriting and a very demure feeling about them.

“There, copy that sentence one hundred times and turn it into me and you're free to go. And remember to take your time and be very careful. If it's sloppy, into the trash it goes and you start again.” And with that, she left me. I remember peering down at that line for a good minute. Slowly I picked up the pen and with a steady hand, I started to copy the line. Each line took around one minute. So you can figure I spent a good two hours writing those damn one hundred lines. Each one I tried to make as perfect as the shining example I had been graced with from above. Once I was done, I turned the paper in, Alice seemed to approved and I was free to go.

And that the story of my Saturday Detention. The date, I’ll save that for another time. But till then guys, stay frosty.

Finished.

Prologue:

Matthew and I had a pretty good time at the movies. The movie was kind of confusing, see I’ve never really been a big ‘Harry Potter’ fan. And a lot of the elements of the movie just flew over my head. At the movies, we spotted Cindy, who was showing off a boy. The boy was one of those big, built football players. I don’t think she spotted us if she did she stayed away. Oddly enough we ended up sitting beside one another.

Later, Matthew and I stopped at the local Mexican restaurant. That was also fun. And once again we spotted Cindy and her little plaything.. It's hard not to spot her across a crowded dining room. Then again, it is a Saturday night and Los Amigos Mexican Bar and Grill is the only really causal dining restaurant in Benton. So that could explain why she was there. I still think she was following us.

After dinner, Matthew followed me and walked me to the door. She said goodnight to each other.. And then he left. I guess there no kissing on the first, always the second date I guess.

As I entered the living room. I notice my sister was awake, which was strange since it was a little past eight and normally she in bed at seven thirty, she rises and sets by the sun after all.

But there she was, sitting on the sofa, her legs curled up under her, wearing a fading baby blue housecoat over her sleeping gown. And her golden, honey blonde hair tightly bound in rollers. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around a white ceramic mug that no doubt held her favorite before bed beverage, Hot chocolate.

“So, how was your date?” She said as soon as I closed the door and locked it.

“It was nice..” I said smiling a little. A little sigh escaped my lips. I had been hoping for a goodnight kiss from Matthew, after what happened this morning a nice kiss on the lips would have gone a long way to heal my bruised teenage pride.

“Hoping for a goodnight kiss?” She said raising an eyebrow. She placed the mug of cocoa to the side and patted the free space next to me.

“Kind of.,” I said walking over to the sofa. “Its been a day and a half..”

“I bet it was. Well, you can rest tomorrow. I need to catch up on my sleep, so we're both going to play hooky. Meaning lets just skip Mass and sleep in, maybe get some fried chicken and spend the afternoon watching Disney movies?” She suggested as she wrapped one arm around me and pulled me into a one arm hug.

“Sounds good,” I said smiling at the one arm hug.

“So, how was your date? Must have been pretty nice. Dinner and a movie. Did Matthew treat you right? How did it feel? Did you have a good time? Come on girl, out with the details.” Kayla said as she sat the mug of hot chocolate down on the coffee table that sat in front of the sofa.

“He treated me, okay I guess. We had dinner down at the Mexican restaurant. We split the bill between us. He then walked me home and..” I stopped there and yawned and my sister only smiled.

“Somebody a little sleepy head?” She asked.

“I nodded my head and cuddled into my sisters embrace. Kayla took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around me. We’ll she wrapped one arm around me and with the other she wrapped an extra large blanket around both of us. And with that, we fell into a nice, deep sleep.

The End.