Kelly stomach churned and her heart fluttered around her chest. Skipping class, failing another class, and then lying about it. Her parents were called in and told about this trio of stupidity. Tears had stung her eyes as she was told to tell her parents what she had done. Her father's jaw tightening and relaxing rhythmically showed the anger trapped behind his eyes that he fixed at a spot slightly away from Kelly. While her father stayed still during the meeting her mother shifted in her chair, in a silent agitated dance. When the meeting had ended her parents quickly made their apologies for her behaviour and marched her from the room.
They were out of the building and into the sun soaked parking lot and not a word has been said. Kelly felt the heat of the sun and her shame warm her face. They were in the car and on the highway before her father spoke,
"You know what this means Kelly?"
"Daddy, please!"
"No me and your mother have had it with you and you need to be taught a lesson."
"Exactly," her mother said "We're going to drop you home and we will deal with all this tonight when we get home. Get ready for bed and wait in your room until then."
"Yes mom."
Kelly was ordered out the car and let herself into the house while her parents drove off. It was silent. She went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. It was going to be a long wait.
She went to her room and slid off her jean shorts. She folded them neatly on the back of her chair and did put her shirt in the laundry; today was not the day to leave clothes lying about. She found some pyjamas and put them on. She had learnt to keep her underwear on because if her parents felt charitable she might get some protection.
Then time passed and Kelly crumpled on her bed. The kids at school had thought skipping would be so easy. She had loved the feeling of excitement as they had snuck off the grounds and how Zack had held her hand as they ducked behind cars in the lot. Now she was here it didn't seem worth it at all. She knew it would be a long time before she got to spend time alone with Zack again.
Kelly heard the faint roar of the car. She heard the sound of the key and the door. She heard the shuffling and banging in the kitchen. The waiting was unbearable. Then she heard her parent's feet on the stairs and she wished the waiting could go on a little longer.
She pushed herself up in bed and pulled herself to the end to sit facing the door. It swung open and her parents stood there. Her mother was holding a large wooden hairbrush. The sight of it made her want to vomit. Kelly stared at the carpet and realised how bad she had messed up.
Her father spoke, "I think we need to have a talk"
He set off on an explanation of why he was so angry and what Kelly had done. Kelly stared at the floor unable to focus fully on the lecture. She said, "Yes" and "I'm sorry" and "Of course not" in all the right places. She could feel her mother's eyes boring into the side of her head.
"Well then, let's start." mom said,
Kelly stood and her mother passed her and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Well then," mom said, tapping her lap "over you go."
Kelly's dad took a seat in the chair by Kelly's desk.
Slowly legs shaking Kelly made her way to her mom's side and stooped over her mothers lap. She shot her hands forward and her legs backwards to maintain balance.
"I thought you would be too big to be in a position like this, Kelly," mom said "but your behaviour says otherwise."
From her view of the world she could she her dad's shoes as he sat in her desk chair. Kelly bit into her lip and shut her eyes tight humiliated by it all. Then the first swat hit her, her mother's hand full force. The girl shot her eyes wide in shock and let out a faint grunt. Then the next swat hit her.
For the next while the room was full with the sounds of her mom's hand hitting her bottom and her faint animal like grunts. Some swats stung a little others a lot and it was impossible to tell which the next one would be. She started to roll a little from side to side on her mom's knee in an attempt to shelter the extra tender bits. Her mother's firm hands grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer onto the lap.
Kelly let her head sink low and felt tears burn in the corner of her eyes. But every shocking slap seemed to reset her, she couldn't cry not with pain shooting through her cheeks every few seconds. The little grunts turned to tiny shrieks as her mom delivered a set of very hard and fast swats. Then it stopped and Kelly jumped up in front of her mother grabbing her bottom as if trying to rip it from her body.
"We're not done yet, Kelly." Her mom said
"Please…" Tears now sprung unabated into her eyes
"Your father and I have been talking and decided you need something a bit more."
Kelly was confused this had never happened before.
Her dad stood up and what he did next shocked her. He unbuckled his belt and folded it in half.
"Bend over the edge of the bed" He said.
She froze in place. This couldn't be happening. She knew kids that got the belt but she was a delicate women, she couldn't take this. Her mother took her shoulders and guided her into position. Kelly was too shocked to resist. She knelt on the floor next the bed and lay over a pillow on the edge that stuck her butt up in the air.
Kelly thought she had got all the shocks until she felt her mother's fingers in the waistband of her pyjamas and panties. With a firm but halting movement her mother made sure her ass was bare. Kelly buried her face into the made as uncontrollable sobbing took over. She begged and pleaded to no effect. She heard her dad move behind and to the side of her then there was a pause.
"You are way to old for this." Her father said
"I know" Kelly sputtered almost inaudibly
"How old are you now? Young lady. 18, seems unlikely."
"I am 18, I'm sorry."
"You will be in 18 strokes."
A crack echoed through the house and a split second later a searing pain burst into life on Kelly's backside. It was already a bright red but a dark red stripe had appeared on it now. Her body tensed and she waited.
The crack sounded again, a second stripe sprung into life. The third crack sounded and the pain became unbearable Kelly slipped sideways out of position. In silence her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and once again guided her back into position. Once there her mother slapped her bottom.
"Don't move, Kelly"
The girl sobbed harder and then the forth stroke hit her bottom. The next few minutes were full of the telltale crack of the belt and slow sobbing that got louder and louder. Kelly had no idea how many strokes she had gotten and therefore no idea when this would end.
She thought about how silly she had been, about how her parents had probably had to loose money to come to school today. Money her family did not have. She thought about how she should be a better example to her brothers who looked up to her. She thought about the fact that she had promised to do better this year in school and how her mom had stayed up with her when she needed to study math. She realised she had messed up and that she couldn't blame anyone but herself.
She knew she would be sore tomorrow during cheerleading practice, knew the other girls would see her butt when she changes and how they would stare but not say anything. She didn't worry too much; Jessie alone had come into school with her share of bad decisions displayed across her backside.
Then it stopped, her mother pulled up her pyjamas and stood Kelly upright. She wiped tears from her eyes and composed herself. They all hugged and then her parents left her. Kelly had learnt her lesson.