Ritsu froze. Glaring daggers at her was Mio, trembling with unspoken fury. "I agree to help you with your homework, and what do you do?" she asked, voice dripping with venom. Now you might be asking, "What's going on? What has Ritsu done this time?" Well, it started like this.

Earlier that day...

"Please Mio?" the drummer asked over the phone.

"Why don't you ask Mugi or Azusa to help for a change?" Mio replied, annoyed.

"Azusa is studying with Yui right now. And I get too nervous to call Mugi because I keep thinking her butler or one of her maids will pick up."

Mio groaned loudly.

"Please! I've tried doing it myself! I've tried! I don't get most of it." Ritsu pleaded.

"Well, maybe if you actually paid attention in class, you would get it." This conversation continued back and forth until Mio eventually caved. Later on, Ritsu arrived, and their study session began. Initially, things seemed to go well, and progress was actually made. "Well this is unusual, Ritsu." Mio said sarcastically.

"Come on Mio, even I can do this once I get it."

"Yeah. Too bad you can't ever get it by yourself."

"That's mean, Mio." Ritsu pouted. Mio then lay her workbook on the table and stood up. "What's up?"

"Bathroom." Leaving the room, she called back, "We'll continue when I get back."

Left alone, Ritsu sat back. I know she likes helping me. She just won't admit it. Taking a swig of juice, she leant back, waiting for Mio. Slightly bored, she stretched her legs back and forth. What is taking her so long?

The door opened. "I'm back."

"Welcome ba-" Ritsu's foot then hit Mio's glass of juice. The glass tipped over, and the contents poured over her notes. Silence filled the room for several seconds. Then...

"RITSU TAINAKAAAAAA!" The whole house reverberated with that scream. And that's where we began.

"Um... sorry?" With a heavy footfall, Mio marched over to the table and picked up her sodden workbook. Her hands trembled as she checked the damage. Ritsu slowly got to her feet. "Um, it's okay Mio. We can just... go over them again. Right?" Clenching the book, the bassist breathed deeply.

"Do you... have any idea... how long... it took me... TO DO THESE?!" She threw the now-useless workbook to the ground. "I SPENT HOURS ON THOSE NOTES! NOW THAT YOU'VE TRASHED THEM, THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY I'LL BE UP LATE REDOING THEM!"

Ritsu merely shrank back in fear. She had never seen Mio this mad before. Clearly, she had screwed up beyond measure. "Come on Mio. It was an accident, right? You saw it wasn't intentional..."

"SHUT UP!" Mio screamed. Taking deep breaths, she struggled to calm herself.

"It seems to me that those punches to your head have clearly not knocked sense into you." Trembling, Ritsu looked on. "Now, if this had only been 1 or 2 pages, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but no. You had to go and destroy THE WHOLE BOOK!"

Taking a step forward, Ritsu tried to find words. "Mio, please try to calm down. I'm sorry about what I did, I really am."

Swiveling around, Mio clenched her fists. "Oh, you'll be sorry alright. You're gonna be very sorry once I'm done with you." Looking back at her friend, she merely said, "Come with me", before walking off.

Hesitating for just a second, Ritsu followed. Her heart pounded loudly, and her hands trembled fiercely. I've done it this time, I've really done it this time. Within a minute, they arrived at Mio's bedroom.

"Come inside", she said before heading in. Gulping, the drummer followed. Mio then closed the door and headed over to her dresser. Opening a drawer, she reached in and pulled out a roughly square wooden hairbrush, then turned to face the trembling Ritsu.

"M-Mio? What's that for? W-what are you gonna do?" she asked.

"Something that your parents should have done a long time ago." Ritsu's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. She immediately stepped back, her hands covering her bottom.

"M-Mio, you wouldn't. I-I mean, I know I messed up, I really do, but isn't this going a bit far?"

"Oh I think this is perfectly acceptable. I don't know whether you've been spanked before, but I think it's high time you had one."

Ritsu dropped to the floor. "I know I messed up, I know I should have been more careful. I promise I'll make it up to you Mio, I'll do whatever you want. But please Mio, please don't spank me, not with a hairbrush!" she begged in tears.

Mio looked down at her cowering friend, unflinching. "Your begging won't help you here Ritsu. I am not changing my mind." Ritsu looked up at her friend, tears falling. Mio merely turned away and sat on her bed. "And you aren't crying your way out of this."

"Mio, please..."

"Would you like me to call the others and have them come watch?"

Ritsu paled. "I'd rather crawl into a hole and die."

"Well then, get over here."

Conceding defeat, Ritsu slowly got up and walked over to accept her fate. This is it. This is really happening. Mio reached up and pulled Ritsu over her knees, then removed her skirt and panties. Ritsu's hand shot back. "Mio, you're not serious?"

"Oh yes I am. Now unless you want broken fingers as well, move that hand." The drummer reluctantly obeyed. Bunching the blanket in her hands, Ritsu braced herself for the coming assault as best she could. Resting the hairbrush against the trembling cheeks, Mio spoke up. "Now remember, Ritsu. Hands in front, understand?"

"..."

"I said, understand?!"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good. Then let us begin."

Feeling the brush leave her bottom, Ritsu squeezed her eyes shut. This is it. WHAP! The implement collided with its target. WHAP! Ritsu was barely able to keep herself from crying out. WHAP! This was like nothing she'd ever felt before. WHAP! Mio regularly punched her head, and those hurt, but this put them all to shame. WHAP! "Guh." WHAP! Mio was unrelenting. WHAP! She showered Ritsu's bottom with sharp hits. WHAP!

The drummer struggled to keep her composure. WHAP! This is unbearable. How could I be so clumsy? WHAP! "Ow." WHAP! The pain in her bottom was intense. WHAP! Mio was clearly not holding back. WHAP!

After a number of minutes, Ritsu could no longer hold herself back. WHAP! "OW!" WHAP! "PLEASE MIO, I'M SORRY!" WHAP! "OOOWWW! I PROMISE I'LL BE MORE CAREFUL FROM NOW ON!" WHAP!

"Yeah. You're gonna be super careful from now on." WHAP! "Because if you don't..." WHAP! "...you know what'll happen." WHAP!

"OOWWWW!" WHAP! "MIO, PLEASE! IT REALLY HURTS!" WHAP!

"I know it does. That's the point." WHAP! "You've needed one of these for a long time, Ritsu. I've been more than patient with you on numerous occasions." WHAP! "It's time you got a good lesson on what happens when you push me too far." WHAP!

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Ritsu cried loudly. WHAP! Her legs were kicking like they were possessed. WHAP! Tears poured down her face. WHAP! The fire in her rear was becoming unbearable. WHAP! It was a titanic struggle to keep her hands in front of her. WHAP! The drummer repeatedly clenched and clawed the blanket. WHAP! How am I gonna sit down after this?! WHAP! She poured out every apology and promise she could think of, trying to slow Mio down. WHAP! It proved futile. WHAP!

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, it finally ended. Ritsu lay over Mio's knees, crying her eyes out, her bottom bright red and on fire. Mio lay the hairbrush aside and pulled her friend up. Grasping her shoulders, she looked straight into her eyes. "Ritsu? I hope for your sake that this is the only time I have to do this. Although I do feel better now, I am a little sad that this had to happen."

Ritsu tried wiping her tears away, with little success. "*sniff* I promise this will never happen again Mio. I'll be more careful from now on. *sob*" Mio then pulled her sobbing friend into a hug. After some time, they cleaned things up as best they could and continued their study session.

That evening...

Ritsu lay on her bed, hands on her bottom. Since getting home, she had done her best to keep the damage hidden from her brother. The one thought on her mind? What am I going to tell the others?

THE END