Summary: Shelby finds Rachel in the auditorium when she should be in class and takes her back to her office for a little heart-to-heart. (AU Shelby takes Rachel up on her offer to come teach at McKinley. Set early on in Rachel's Junior year).
Shelby Corcoran's heels clacked loudly against the halls of William McKinley High School, an ominous noise to all who came across her. Students and fellow teachers alike parted before her like the Red Sea. Shelby Corcoran was on a mission. Her target: one Rachel Barbra Berry.
From the moment Shelby stepped foot into her new teaching role at McKinley, she knew it would be nothing like her time at Carmel. Students ran rampant, competent teachers were in short supply, and the principal was as useful as a pet rock. It came as no surprise, then, that her fifteen-year-old daughter consistently got away with storming out of her classes whenever the fancy struck her.
Shelby hadn't been in the girl's life long—only months, in fact—but Rachel had taken to Shelby's role as mom like a fish to water. The mother hadn't had any behavioral issues from her child in their home life, but she was seeing a different side of the girl at school. And Shelby didn't like it.
She'd been in the teacher's lounge when she had heard of Rachel's most recent escapade and she'd been up in a flash. Now her feet carried her to the auditorium where she knew her child would be.
Sure enough, Rachel was up on the stage with Brad, the always-present piano player, going over her song choice. Brad was nodding and had taken position to begin playing while Rachel took her place at center stage. It was then that the girl noticed her audience.
"Mom! W-What are you doing here?" the girl asked, feigning innocence.
Shelby raised a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow and stared her child down. Rachel shifted uncomfortably. "We're good here, Brad," Shelby said to the piano player as she made her way on stage. Brad gave her a curt nod and then collected his music sheets. His departure was silent.
Rachel's teeth caught at her bottom lip, worrying the flesh as she watched her mother close the distance between them. Shelby stopped mere inches from her and towered over her. Rachel gulped.
"You're supposed to be in your math class, aren't you?" Shelby asked.
Rachel squirmed and wrung her hands together. "I, umm—"
"Don't even think of lying to me, Rachel Barbra. You are in enough trouble as it is," Shelby told her. Her tone was like ice.
"T-Trouble?" Rachel squeaked, her heart beginning to beat even faster. She'd never gotten into any serious trouble at school and wasn't looking to change that now. Unless Shelby meant trouble with her…but that didn't make her feel any better. In fact, Rachel had a sinking suspicion she'd actually prefer the school trouble.
"We'll continue this in my office. Come on," Shelby said, snaking a hand around Rachel's upper arm and leading her toward the stage stairs.
The walk to Shelby's office was a quiet one. Rachel's mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for her being in the auditorium that her mother would accept. She began to panic as they drew closer to their destination. Shelby ignored her child's nerves, too focused on her own. She'd had a recent conversation with Rachel about not storming out of her classes; she thought she'd gotten the message across loud and clear. Today's jaunt to the auditorium said otherwise.
Unlike the majority of the offices in the school, the English department's were located in a sleepy little corner of the campus. They also lacked the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors of the more centrally-located offices. Both of these distinctions worked wonderfully for Shelby's purposes, especially with the current course of action she had planned.
Unlocking the door, Shelby ushered her mini-me into the room and turned on the light. The click of the latch and turning of the lock sounded ominous in the otherwise-silent space. A shiver went down Rachel's spine.
That shiver turned into a full-blown shudder as her mother took a seat in the sole chair in front of her desk, tugging on Rachel's wrist to have her stand between her knees. Rachel met hazel eyes with confusion and more than a little trepidation. She'd expected Shelby to give her one hell of a lecture for being out of bounds, maybe a detention. Rachel wouldn't even have been surprised if the woman told her she was grounded (a foreign concept for the self-proclaimed golden child of two doting fathers). But none of those outcomes explained her mother's current position—nor her own precarious one held hostage by a scarily-scowling woman.
"Where are you supposed to be right now, Rachel?" Shelby broke the silence, startling her child and bringing the girl's attention back in focus.
Rachel didn't like the look her mother was giving her and tried to pull away from Shelby's grip. Her mom only drew her closer; Rachel's stomach dropped. Nothing good could come from this, she feared.
Shelby raised her brow expectantly and waited for her daughter's answer. Rachel's nervousness was tangible. Good, the mother thought. Rachel should be nervous.
"Well?" she prodded. They only had so much time to take care of this, after all.
"C-Calculus," Rachel choked. "I'll go back to class right now, Mom, honest."
"You will go back to class," Shelby confirmed, easily maneuvering Rachel to stand at her left side. "But first, we're going to get something straight."
"Wh—Mom—"
One minute Rachel was standing; the next, she was falling forward. She landed with a muffled "Oof!" over her mother's lap. Her heart leapt into her throat while her stomach took the elevator down.
"Mom! What are you…What are you doing?!" the teen squeaked urgently as adrenaline coursed through her tiny body. She tried to push herself back to her feet, but only managed to get herself tipped further over her mother's lap. Her hands flew out in front of her to stabilize herself.
"My words clearly didn't get through to you when we talked about your needing to stop all the childish storm outs of your classes," Shelby said as she readjusted Rachel over her thighs. The girl was sure to be a wiggler if her reactions now were any indication, and Shelby wanted to avoid any unwanted injuries—to either of them. "I have no problem teaching you in a more direct way."
"You can't do this! I'm not—I'm too old!" she attempted to reason with her mother now. Her heartbeat pulsed inside of her ears and her breath grew shallow and erratic. She felt a flutter of cold air pass over her legs as Shelby lifted her skirt and smoothed it over her back. The woman's right arm then came to wrap around Rachel's waist, pulling her close. "Mom—"
"I love you, Rachel," Shelby said, resting her left hand atop Rachel's quivering bottom. She rubbed it briefly. "You are a smart, kind, talented girl. I know you are going to go far in life, but not if you can't learn some self-discipline and how to curb those impulsive tendencies you have. You are fifteen years old—far too old to be throwing a tantrum and storming out of somewhere whenever something doesn't go your way. Especially when that somewhere is your classes, Rachel Barbra Berry. Up until now, all the adults in your life have let you get away with that behavior. Well, not me, kid."
Shelby had timed it so that as soon as the last word left her lips, her hand was connecting with Rachel's bottom with a loud crack that echoed inside of her small office. More followed, her palm nearly a blur as she set to work warming her daughter's backside for her.
Rachel was in shock at first. Her mother's words were still searing her ears when, out of nowhere, Shelby's hand joined the fray, bringing with it its own blistering heat. Rachel couldn't even react right away—her brain had needed time to process. But when it did, Rachel was vocal.
"AH! Mom, no–oohoo, OW! Ow, ow—Ouch! Ouch, Mommy! Please!"
Her cries fell on deaf ears as Shelby continued her task. By now, the mother could feel the heat trapped beneath her daughter's panties and see the faint color peeking through the material. She was able to catch a glimpse of the teenager's face, all scrunched up in pain. There were no visible tears, though the girl sounded as if they weren't far off. Shelby decided that was enough.
Rachel was righted just as quickly as she'd been upended, and again, it took her brain several seconds to process. Then her hands flew behind her in a futile attempt to extinguish the literal fire her mother had set.
"No rubbing, Rachel," Shelby scolded as she too got to her feet. She tugged her daughter's hands to her sides and wasn't surprised by the flinty glare she received in return.
"But it hurts!" Rachel whined, stomping her foot.
"Yes—that's the whole point," Shelby returned evenly. "You deserve every bit of that stinging bottom you have right now, young lady. I hope it got my message across to you."
Rachel's cheeks flushed scarlet at her mother's words, one hand snaking behind her of its own accord. "Some message," the girl grumbled as she rubbed.
Shelby shook her head at her child's gall, then reached out to remove the girl's hand. She turned Rachel to the side and took aim.
"Ow! Mom, stop!" Rachel cried as a hard spank met her bottom.
"No rubbing," Shelby growled, turning her daughter back around. She was met with reproachful brown eyes that were swimming with unshed tears. "And I can do without the backtalk."
"Okay, jeez," her child whined, trying to wriggle her way out of Shelby's grasp.
"Enough, Rachel," Shelby bit. "I'm happy to leave your spanking where it is, considering it was a first for both of us, but you're really pushing it, kid."
"Mom—"
"No," Shelby cut her off at the quick. "You went and did something you know you're not supposed to do and got caught. I gave you that spanking as a consequence. Now, it can be over, or you can keep up the attitude and we can have a repeat of this as soon as we get home this afternoon. It's entirely up to you, Rachel, so choose wisely."
Rachel relented.
"Good choice," Shelby praised. She then pulled her daughter into a much-needed hug. Rachel latched on greedily as Shelby rubbed her back.
Rachel pulled away after a moment, and when she met her mother's eyes this time, it was with guilt-filled ones of her own. "I'm sorry, Mom," the girl whispered, looking down.
Shelby hooked a finger under her daughter's chin, tilting her head up. "You're forgiven, Rach. Let's not have this happen again, okay?"
"It won't," the teenager promised.
"Good," Shelby answered. Then, more stern, she cautioned, "But if it does, you and I will be right back here…Only next time, you'll be spanked in my office at school and at home. Is that clear?"
Rachel gulped. "Crystal, Mom."
"Good," Shelby repeated. "Now…let's get you back to class."