The second time the board met my pants seat did even hurt worse than the first--the first lick had bitten the upper part of the buttocks while the second burned the lower part--I again yelped in pain--twitching slightly, but luckily the wallet remained on my back.
"Jonathan, you may now rise and arrange your clothing and return to your seat--and also, you had best remember to bring that deficiency signed tomorrow."
"Yes, Sir." I slowly went back to my desk and most definitely slowly lowered myself into the seat. The sensation was much the same as lowering my bottom into a steaming hot bath--I was really burning--but school still was not over.
An hour later, Earth Science was beginning--and Mr. Little wanted the three deficiencies that he had passed out the previous Friday. Only one kid didn't have his--and guess who that was.
"Jonathan, Stand up!" Mr. Little was angry.
I stood up by my lab table. "Yes, Sir?"
"Why didn't you bring your deficiency back today?"
"Um, I, uh ggguueesss I uh just forgot."
"Class, I think that I have just the medicine to make Jonathan remember to bring back that slip tomorrow! And from what I understand, I am not the only teacher that Jonathan forgot to bring back a deficiency to, so I guess we will have to do this the hard way." At that point, Mr. Little came to where I was standing, and he also had a paddle--a fifteen inch one by four.
"Jonathan, take hold of the other side of your table."
"Please, Mr. Little, my bottom already hurts enough. I promise to bring that slip tomorrow. I've already been paddled for not bringing one back today--Please." Embarrassingly enough, I was now crying--dreading the thought of more paddle strokes.
"Yes, and now you are going to be paddled for not bringing this slip back today. Now, Do as you are told and position yourself for punishment!"
"Oh GOD, Please help me!" I took hold of the other side of the table, bending my bottom for the second time that day while Mr. Little rapidly pulled my blazer and shirttail off of the target area--I just cried. "I don't want another paddling." Sadly, with my uncooperative attitude, I made Mr. Little even more angry--so by the time that he positioned himself to beat my bottom, a friend told me that he was so furious that his face was red.
And beat my bottom he did. In rapid succession he laid that paddle across my backside five times--not even giving me time to prepare for the next lick.
When I went home that night, still sore from my introduction to two new paddles, I nervously realized that I had better get those deficiencies signed or else not go back to school--I knew I couldn't take another day like today! Then my heart dropped as I looked at the slips of paper in my room--each one had a date! and it wasn't a date they were written but "Date Distributed"--That was last FRIDAY! If my parents caught that, then I would be dead--but then, it came to me! Change the "5" to an "8"--just make a line! Then it looks like I got the deficiency today and not Friday! So that is what I did.
Now, you remember how I told you at the top of the story that I always compounded my misbehavior--Well here it is--I compounded it BIG TIME!
I showed the slips to my parents that night, and got them signed as well as a good talking to about my responsibilities and how I had better bring my grades up if I didn't want to go to summer school--it went on for about an hour and I promised that I would do better--and now it was all over, or so I thought.
The next morning, I turned in the slips, (as did Brad in English) and happily, there were no paddlings before class began--and the day rolled along smoothly until last period--Geography when the day's student office assistant, a senior came into class. Mr. Shields took a look at the summons that the assistant brought and looked up at me. "Jonathan, The Dean of Discipline would like to see you."
What did he want, I slowly picked up my books, not wanting to go to see the Dean of Discipline--my last summons there had been six weeks ago when he had carried out the sentence from that red slip I had gotten. I still hated to think about that. I tried to get some information out of my escort, but all he said was that I was probably in trouble. Stupid--I know THAT! Why am I in trouble is what I want to know. You talk about butterflys swarming around your stomach....
Finally, I got to the dreaded door. "Woe to those who must enter!"--and I nervously knocked.
"Enter."
I walked in on rubbery knees, "I am reporting as requested, Sir."