NAOMI'S POV:
There was a hidden window nook in the far end of the east corridor that provided a chiefly view of the long driveway that led to the entrance gate in front of the building. In fact, the driveway was so flexibly bent and extended that it was almost symbolic of every students journey out of here. But today was a victorious day for one of the students as I watched him walk out of the building, folder in hand and greeted by a warming hug from an older woman.
When I first heard the news that my parents would not be returning, I would sometimes sneak out of my room and sit here throughout the night since the Administrators do not patrol the east corridor. Just dreaming of getting in my parents old Ford fusion and leaving this place.
"You really want out of here, don't you?" Mackenzie asked as she leaned against the corner behind me.
"Huh? Do you not want out of here?" I asked snidely.
"Um, I don't really care...it's not like home is much better, at least at the Academy you have supervisors who somewhat care." She shrugged her shoulders and sat across from me.
"You don't think your parents care?" I pried.
"I know they don't," She hugged her thighs to place her chin on her knees. "do you know how I got sent here?"
"How?"
"My parents were given the pamphlet after meeting with my principal, then they found out that they could renew my stay so long as they paid for tuition." Mackenzie's face softened, reminiscing in painful thoughts. "They'd rather pay then keep me at home."
"I'm sorry to hear that." I patted her shoulder, not really sure what to say in this moment.
I know I'm not the only one in the Academy who has family troubles and I know that this is the primary reason why half of the students at Braxton are in attendance but I can't help but believe that being forced to leave behind a warming family is worse than escaping a painful one. Like I said before, my family was well-knit and very close, we seldom had troubles or arguments. And even though I feel for Mackenzie's situation, if what she says is true then I think ultimately she will find more solace in her being here.
"So, if I do get out, then it would be a nice surprise...but if I don't then it doesn't matter."
We made eye contact, both emphasizing our conflicting view points of leaving the Academy but understanding our incompatible situations.
"Wait! Wait, Mr. Davis!"
We heard a shrill voice holler from down the hall. Simultaneously turning our heads, we saw the youngest student Katie being forcibly taken down the hall by Mr. Davis. By the perturbed look on her face, she in for a horrifying punishment.
"Come on, we better make ourselves scant." Mackenzie motioned me down the stairs. ____________________________________________________________________
MR. DAVIS'S POV:
I gripped Katie's hand tightly to prevent her from wandering off or escaping. For as young as she is, it's not surprising that she often refuses being punished but she is definitely not the worst I've encountered in all my time here. I was once punched in the face by a male student who proceeded to run after the assault.
"Please! I didn't mean to...!"
"Katie," I took her other hand and knelt down to her height. "enough. Calm down or otherwise you will make this much worse."
"But..."
"No, don't object." I waited until she seemed to have processed the message, which she conveyed through closing her eyes and slightly nodding. "Now stand here while I unlock my office, if you try to run you'll feel my belt."
She wiped her face, "Yes sir."
I let her go and reached inside my slack pocket for my ring of keys. Keeping my eyes on her, I turned the key consequently resulting in my door opening instantly. The fear in her eyes was much more noticeable as I nudged her inside, she gave me the same pleading look that I've seen on so many students in the past.
"It's not appropriate for someone of your age to use crass language," I took one of my center chairs and turned it to face her. "language such as that has never been, nor will it ever be condoned at Braxton."
"I didn't mean to say it! It just slipped out because I was..."
"Angry?" I reached inside my desk drawer and grabbed my wooden ruler. "Annoyed? Frustrated? Upset?"
She focused her attention on the ruler but displayed a small nod.
"It does not matter how you felt, inappropriate language should never be used no matter what the circumstance. Especially not by someone as young as you are. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir." She wiped her face again, though her efforts were futile.
Walking to the other cabinet adjacent to the restroom, I reached inside and grabbed a blue bar of soap specifically placed for chastisement. I turned back to her only to see her crying as if she were about to fall apart. I wanted to make this as quick as possible so she could have time to return to her room before dinner so I assumed my seat and patted my knee after separating them some so I could keep her in a tight position.
"C-can I keep my pants on?" She slipped her fingers through the loops of her pants in hope.
"You already know my answer Katie."
She looked down and hesitated, just forcing me to want to get this over with even quicker. this is the third punishment I've administered today and I still have a definite one to get to. Naomi is in for a surprise after this. Hopefully she will be the last one for today, allowing me some time to contemplate all the pain I've inflicted.
"Are you going to remove them or shall I?" I asked impatiently.
"I-I will sir." She answered anxiously as she started to pull them down, allowing them to drop her to her ankles before climbing over my knee.
Without hesitation, I began. SMACK! SMACK! I tried to pace them out so she would have time to catch her breath, but I had to make sure my firmness would come across clear to improve the chances of her learning her lesson. _______________________________________________________________
NAOMI'S POV:
I've never been one to be nervous around other people. I usually have consistent success in making friends, I would like to think I'm a very easy-going person who's easy to talk to, and I know I'm great at public speaking. It's a gift I acquired from both my parents. At least that's what my mom has always told me. But yet, for some reason, the idea of transferring to school in this area is leaving me feeling apprehensive. I think it may have something to do with the fact that the Academy is generally empty during the winter and spring seasons, which leaves me and a few others more vulnerable to the Administrators. All eyes will be on the select few now.
For the last two days, since I've cleared the air since my last punishment from Mr. Davis, I've been in and out of my room trying to find activities or outlets for my nervousness. The days haven't been too hot so I've went for a few run around the track but that has ineffective. I swear my heart rate is always beating like a hummingbird and butterflies crowd inside the bottom of my stomach. Last night was so nerve-racking I actually spent a full hour in the shower before dinner. To be honest, I would have been in there longer had the hot water sustained overlong.
I've also considered doing something that will reinvent myself. A fresh start to give me a boost of excitement or confidence but all that seems to do is add to the vent-up frustration. Maybe a new haircut, or I could join an extracurricular activity or even one of the school's sports teams.
"Naomi." Mr. Davis said from my doorway, breaking my train of thoughts as he often did.
"Oh, Mr. Davis. Can I ask you something about the new school? I was thinking that maybe I could..."
"Maybe later tonight, first you have a punishment that we need to set clear." He turned to the left to glance down the hallway.
A punishment? Excuse me?
"W-what are you talking about?"
Turning his attention back to me, he stood straight and motioned to every corner of my room with his right hand. "You neglected to attend your inspection appointment before dinner yesterday."
Oh you've got to be kidding me. As if I wasn't already preoccupied with several other high-stressed options from the rollercoaster ride of emotions this past week.
"And if this room looked as it does now," He eye-balled every out-of-place item in plain sight. "you would not have passed anyhow."
What's wrong with me? How could I forget something so important at the Academy? Of all the things to get me into trouble, this was never something that I had to worry about.
"Mr. Davis, please try to understand...I wasn't feeling like myself, so I went and took a longer than usual shower to make me feel better. I completely forgot and I'm so sorry." I took a few steps back until I reached the radiator underneath my window.
"No, no special treatment will be given here. This is too important of a rule for Braxton to ignore. If I were to overlook this, it would send a bad message, thus encouraging bad habits for you and for your fellow students."
He closed the door behind him and began to unbuckle his belt. Keeping his eyes on me, although I did not return the same action, he pulled out my chair from my desk and faced it towards him.
"You cannot allow your feelings or state of mind to divert you from your responsibilities, otherwise there will always be consequences that you will be held accountable for." he wrapped the belt around his fist.
I nodded my head to show that I was listening to him. Finally gaining the courage to look at his disappointed face, I noticed that he did not look as angry as he usually does. He looked exhausted, as if he were up all night.
"Come here, face the window, and put your hands flat on the seat of the chair after removing your pants." He moved aside, giving me ample space to carry out his demand.
"Yes sir." I said as I slowly did so.
I barely had time to relax in the position before he landed the first piercing slash on my rear-end. Caught off guard, I flinched and tightly grasped the sides of the chair as I tried to keep my arms straight so he would not have to correct my position. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Unstoppable tears started flowing down my face. SMACK! After a few minutes of consistent licks, I began wincing due to my mind processing the pain from a few days ago. SMACK! SMACK!
"Mr. Davis...please stop..."
"Look at this room Naomi." I could hear him turn around to emphasize the convention of a mess. "Clothes scattered, laundry left unattended to, bookshelf a mess," SMACK! SMACK! "your bed is not even made." SMACK!
"I-I know."
"Is that a granola bar?" I looked up instantly at my bed, I had left it there after opening it for a post-chore snack. "And you have spilled chips along the side of your desk." SMACK!
"I'm so sorry." I managed to say, though I seriously doubt he could hear me through the scratchiness of my voice.
*Knock, knock* Without hesitation, the door opened and I heard Mr. Patry say,
"Naomi you need..." He stopped instantly when he saw Mr. Davis standing over me.
I turned my head to look back at his expression, he just looked shocked.
"Oh Harold, I'm sorry for the intrusion. I was actually coming to do what you're doing now."
"No problem, I have it under control. After all, it was me that was kept waiting for someone who did not have the respect to attend an appointment." He mocked.
"Yes, I just wasn't sure if you had the time." He said almost in an unsure manner, probably trying not to disclose something in front of me.
Ignoring his mysterious code, my attention was grasped by the fact that my arms were beginning to cramp and the embarrassment kept piling on as they stood there discussing my punishment and who would be executioner. I didn't dare move though, otherwise I would find myself here longer.
"I'll leave you to it." Mr. Patry finally said before he exited the room and closed the door behind him.
SMACK! "Discipline is one of the very first lesson Braxton instills in every student and one of the forms we utilize to do so is the requirement of keeping a well organized and tidy room. SMACK! "Your room is a reflection of how you manage yourself and other sectors of your life."
Mr. Davis hardly lectures during a punishment, so this was something new for him but it definitely was not helping my mental state nor the pain radiating from my rear-end as the punishment was prolonged.
"You will not be considered responsible if you cannot even keep your room clean." SMACK! SMACK! "Therefore, you will not be granted the privileges that a responsible person is entitled to, is that clear?"
I sniffled, though it was pointless because I had to wipe my nose with my sleeve.
"Yes sir."
"Stand up." He instructed as he wrapped the belt around his fist once more.
I got up in a flash, immediately pulling up my pants and turning around to shift my bottom from being exposed to anymore potential licks. After giving me a stern look while I continued to cry, he reached behind him to take the box of tissues from my dresser and firmly wedge them on the corner of my messy desk to my left.
"What's the first thing you are about to do?" He leaned back against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest.
"Clean my room sir." I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my thighs.
"Good answer, then what will you do?"
"Then I'll...umm..." I have no idea what he expects me to do. I couldn't think of another possible thing I would have to do. "Do my laundry?" I asked in fear of the thought that a wrong answer would lead to another spanking.
"Well yes, but I want you to come to my office for our book meet. It's been some time since we met and I think it will help dissolve the tension you've so clearly been wearing on your face."
Oh no. No, no, no, no. My shoulders slumped as I silently sighed, resulting in my eyes involuntarily closing and my head shaking in disappointment.
"Is something the matter?"
Instead of answering, not being able to tell Mr. Davis what a disappointment I am, I just started to cry some more. Turning around, I tried to isolate the amount of displeasure I was feeling, that seemed to be a reasonable solution.
"Naomi Taylor don't turn your back to me," he said sternly, his Administrator voice returning. "turn around."
I did as he said but, shockingly, that didn't stop me from crying.
Taking a deep breath and halfway rolling his eyes, he said, "Okay, okay, okay. Sit down." He motioned to my bed.
I grabbed the tissues and sat down, blowing my nose in the process so I wouldn't sound as stuffy.
"First, take a deep breath and try to calm down." He walked in front of me so we could talk face-to-face.
After I managed to squeeze out a few deep breaths, he continued.
"You haven't read it, have you?"
I shook my head, "No, no I didn't sir. I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed.
He nodded his head, "I must say I am disappointed, I was really looking forward to our discussion tonight."
"A-are you going to spank me again?" I asked with agitation in my voice and a fidget in nearly every move.
He looked taken back for a moment, but he recognized my concern instantly when he saw that I glanced at the thick brown belt still wrapped around his knuckles. Looking down at it himself, he began to unravel it so it slithered down to reach a straight line. This, of course, did wonders for my nerves. And, just as I thought he was about to use it again, his expression softened as he put it back around his waist.
"No sweetheart, reading is a leisurely gift." He pulled up my chair close to where I was sitting and sat down. "I will not punish you for not having read the chapter, our book club is supposed to be a healthy exercise, but sometimes you have to prioritize more important matters as I've noticed you have been doing with school." He gifted me a small smile.
"I'm sorry that I disappointed you..." I began to apologize but I stopped when he interrupted.
"If you are able to read the chapter by tomorrow night, we can do it then."
Once again Mr. Davis has managed to leave me physical in pain but emotionally grateful for his sincerity. And, as always, there was nothing I could do or say that would show my gratitude more than giving him a big hug with my arms on his shoulders.
He chuckled, "Alright, alright." he patted me on the back and returned the amount of tightness I offered. "You wanted to ask me something earlier, what was it?" He let go after I did and leaned me back so he could look into my eyes.
"You know, I haven't the slightest idea." I laughed in embarrassment and he did the same but with a much more lighthearted intention.