Chapter Two.
At the sound of the lunch bell I was able to leave my punishment position and cross the small town square to my own School House. By the time I arrived our small dining room was already full and all eyes turned in my direction, but they looked disappointed when they could detect no visable evidence of a punishment. I collected my lunch tray and hesitated, glancing towards my empty seat on the prefects table. Mr. Nott, our Housemaster, was obviously aware of my fate and pointed me in the direction of the junior form table. This did cause a stir and, as I sat down all the junior boys eyed me suspiciosly. Relucantly I took my seat, but kept my head down, not wishing to have eye contact with anyone, but, I was then confronted with the sight of bare knees under the table on either side of me. My legs were the only one's trousered, but I also knew that by the next meal I would be as bare legged as my new companions. Almost everyone had vacated the dining room by the time Matron arrived to collect me and she was obviously enjoying my demise.
"Well Grey, a fine mess I must say," she said smiling. "I have telphoned your parents about the Headmaster' plans for you and, you can imagine their disappointment. However, they fully support the schools actions and have authorised me to purchase complete junior uniform for you." With that she marched me off through the town to the gent's outfitters that supplied our school uniforms. I was given into the care of a junior assistant, a boy hardly older than myself, who set about placing my new clothes on the shop counter. A maroon blazer, grey shirts and, a grey and maroon striped school tie.
"Will the young man require long trousers," inquired the youth serving me.
"No he will not," intervened Matron. "Short trousers, three pairs of school grey and one pair grey corduroy. And long stockings, with the maroon turn over tops, five pairs."
"Of course," replied the assistant, almost unable to conceal his smirk. Kitted out I was taken to the changeing room to try on my new garments. My heart missed a beat when I inserted my leg into my pants and it reappeared at the other end. Dressed, I emerged for Matron to inspect me.
"I think my short are too small Matron," I complained, looking down at my trousers, ending half way down my thighs and so tight you could observe an embarrassing bulge behind the fly's.
"Nonsence. You look very smart. Get those white legs aired again and some colour in them. Young man," she said addressing the asistant,"you appear to have forgotten a school cap." My final indignation was to have him actually pull the cap over my head for me. Matron ordered my old clothes to be wrapped with the remainder of my new uniform. Not wanting to delay my ridicule a minute longer than necessary, she then marched me back through town to School House. The cool breeze wafted around the unaccustomed bareness of my legs, as I was sure everyone observed my passing. Although all the towns folk were well used to St. Bart's boys in short pants I doubt if they often saw one as big as me!!
Arriving back at school I was taken to the Junior Dormitory and allocated to the only spare bed in a room I would now share with fourteen others. My private belongings, taken from my private prefects room, were laid out on the bed ready for me.
"Put your things away into your locker Grey and then come and stand in front of me." Matron waited in the middle of the dorm, impatiently tapping her foot. I quickly did as I was told and took up my position standing in front of her.
"What is the rule about stockings Grey?" she inquired. I looked down at my legs and, to my horror, realised mine had slipped down my legs and were now an unsightly bundle round my ankles.
"To be kept pulled fully up Matron. Sorry Matron." I quickly pulled up my stockings.
"And can you remember how I treat untidy little boys Grey?." Could I have ever forgotten. Matron took full advantage of junior boys with bare legs, but she could not possibly intend subjecting me to such a juvenile punishment.
"Oh no, please Matron," I pleaded.
"Turn around Grey and pull up." I was made to turn with my back to her and pull up the legs of my short pants. "Come on Grey, higher than that." With my pants pulled right up to my bottom she proceeded to slap the backs of my thighs with her bare hand. I could not believe the sting she could impart, but far worse was to the total humiliation she was subjecting me to. With one leg well tanned she commenced on the other. "And if you don't smarten up Grey I'll us my strap next time." By the time she had finished my face was as red as my legs.
"Thank you for my punishment Matron," I offered in the traditional St. Bart's manner.
"Very well Grey. Afternoon classes should be over shortly, you may remain here till the other boys arrive."
As soon as she had gone I tried to rub the soreness from my legs, only pleased my junior punishment had been administered before the return of my new dorm companions. But well before the red blemishes on my legs had subsided I heard the sound of approaching voices and foot steps; I was about to confront my former victims, now reduced to their rank. Fourteen boys filed into the dorm, everyone falling into silence as they surveyed me. Junior dorm was allowed to elect their own Dormitory Monitor and in School House this was a formality, a boy called Danvers being so good an athlete and academically outstanding to boot, had won unopposed. It was Danvers who boldly approached me first. "Well Grey!" he proclaimed for all the others,"we heard you were joining us, demoted and all, but I must say, we never expected...well short trousers!" It was a signal to start taughting me. Laughter broke out as I was pushed and jostled.
"Nice legs Grey!"
"What happened Grey, trousers shrink did they!"
One boy, Elvington, only in his second term, had the cheek to pat my bottom, "Been a naughty boy Grey. Looks like Matron has that in hand." No one else had yet noticed my tanned legs. More shrieks of laughter. I smiled trying to give the impression I was accepting their taunts with good humour, but my face got redder and redder betraying my true shame. Danvers, because of his popularity, had been one of my prime victims in former days, so it came as some surprise when he came to my rescue.
"Come on chaps, he must be feeling very foolish right now, leave him alone...for now." His final two words were enough to send a chill down my back, as it sent a clear message, he had other torments plannned for me. The sound of the tea bell from the hall below signalled temporary respite, but, it also summonded me to appear before the remaining boys in school house. I was going to have to face my previous equals in my new junior status and, because my unpopularity spread to most senior boys also, they would spare me no ridicule. A huge cheer went up as I entered the dining room and I just had to stand there suffering their mockery. Together with two other juniors I was selected to fag for the prefects table, having the indignity thrust on me of having to serve my former companions with their meal, before I could sit and have my own. Eventually sat down my eyes fatefully looked down and, as anticipated, the bare knees under the table now included my own. Teas was the only meal at which we were allowed to leave the dining room as soon as we had finished, so I quickly ate my own food in order to make a rapid exit. I also wished to visit the house notice board in the hall to see which prefect had been allocated my services as a personal fag. As I left, I was aware of another, senior boy, following me out of the room and, as he came along side me I saw the fearful expression on the face of a boy called Billings. This guy was even more unpopular than me, a real sneak and a toady, if ever there was one, but he was also my main henchman when I was in a more powerful position than I currently occupied. He would gladly do any of my biddings and would look, gleefully on, as I administered sound whacks to junior bums.
"What the hells going on?" he asked, obviously very concerned.
"Whats it look like Billings. The games up, thats what wrong. And it's me on the receiving end." I knew he was not concerned about my welfare, but what might befall him without my protection. "I'd watch my back if I were you." I wanted him to worry, since it grieved me being the only one getting punished. Not too worried about Billings, I continued to the notices, only to confront further misery, when I saw I was to fag Moulder-Brown. He had only been a prefect for one term and up till today had been my sub-ordinate. Now he was my Fagmaster, and if he so wished, could beat me for lax behaviour. Gregory, our Captain of House, called for evening prep to start so everyone quickly made their way back to dorms. I felt totally belittled, sat at the long table in junior dorm, under the supervision of Danvers, our Dorm Monitor, and forbidden to even speak until the end of prep. Study was beyond me, as lingering in my thoughts was the Head's final pronouncement from that morning; after prep I was to receive twelve strokes of the junior cane. The hour given over to prep usually dragged by, but this night, the arrival of the Housemaster was all too quick for me. In his hand he carried the junior cane. Seniors, and even more rarely prefects, if ever caned, were allowed the dignity of strokes on the hand and in private. My disgrace was to be public but, I desperately hoped I would be spared having the strokes on my bottom. We were told to stand at the foot of our beds and, as I took up my place I glanced round the other faces. Almost all, had suffered this very same fate at my hands, and now their smiles indicated their pleasure anticipating my ridicule and humiliation.
(To be continued......)