Mr. Terry Klausner pulled off the interstate and as they approached the school the conversation in the car grew quiet. Cliff hadn't said a word since they had left home anyway, and it was obvious that the fifteen year old didn't want to have anything to do with the place. Still, his options were limited and his parent's minds sure seemed to be made up. As the family car pulled up to the school gate, the high ivy covered brick outer wall caught his attention. Beyond it, behind the gate, the massive buildings of the old school could be seen. A large, and very high, chain link fence ran around the place, inside the brick wall, the second fence giving the entire place creepiness not unlike a prison.
At the gate, a young man of seventeen or eighteen leaned out and greeted the Klausners. He had a short, sharp looking haircut, and a collared shirt with the school logo on his pocket. On his right wrist was a blue metallic band, about an inch thick. On his left wrist was another band, identical to the blue one only the color was green. Except for the two bands, he was sharp and solid and seemed to radiate politeness.
"Hello Sir. Good afternoon Ma'm. Glad to see you. All new arrivals should report to the admin building for inprocessing....it's the big green building about a quarter mile down Inspiration Drive. The boy leaned out and looked in the back seat, where Cliff was sitting. Eyeing him, he waved, and then said "Welcome to Brentwood."
Mrs. Cynthia Klausner couldn't help but smile. The young man at the gate wasn't much older than Cliff, but he sure was a lot better behaved and he looked a lot sharper. The brochure had been right, the school was built right on the shore of a big lake, and things sure seemed to be busy...several nice looking teenagers could be seen wakeboarding behind a fast boat, and the water was dotted with other boys leaping into the air from a rope swing. As they passed through the gate and down the main drive, another group of young teenage males wearing cowboy shirts and blue jeans were horseback riding off to the left, heading onto a trail that seemed to disappear into the woods. One boy waved as they passed, a big grin on his face, and she waved back before she even knew she had. She couldn't help but notice that he too was wearing a set of metallic bracelets that matched the ones the nice lad at the gate had worn. She had a warm feeling about this place, and as they drove to the admin building she glanced around the campus and knew their decision had been right. This place offered hope, and right now they needed some.
Clifford was a boy out of control...making straight F's, staying out all night, and doing what he wanted when he wanted. His favorite answer to his parents was "_f_u_c_k_ You"....and they were all at their wits ends. She and her husband had all but given up too, and even their pastor had said that the "devil had him." Hope. After the last shoplifting incident the judge had recommended it, and the brochure had called it a place of hope. Well, hope was just what they needed. If it was anywhere, it was here, here at Brentwood.
Ten minutes later the car was parked and the three of them were sitting in the office of the Dean of Student Affairs. Dr. Benjamin Martin had been the dean for more than fourteen years, and he loved to council the new arrivals. Sitting at his big oak desk, he looked over the Klausner family before his eyes finally rested on the teenager. Behind him were hundred of pictures of boys, all dressed neatly with sharp, good looking haircuts. Cliff looked up, his long unkept hair and wisp of mustache looking out of place and in stark contrast to the youths' faces framed on the wall. His long bangs were partially covering his eyes, and behind his hair his eyes burned with an anger that was unmistakable. Then the teen said "Don't _f_u_c_k_ing stare at me pop."
Mrs. Klausner blushed, and then said "Stop that Cliff...try and act civil here....."
Dr Martin's eyes never left the teen. Instead, he narrowed his gaze, his eyes partially squinting, and then he very calmly said: "Mr. Klausner, for a fifteen year old you give me the impression that you are one young man who likes to be defiant, and apparently lacks manners and has lost his self control. Well, I'm looking forward to getting to know you. I'm sure we can help you.
"_f_u_c_k_ you pop" the teenager snarled.
Dr Martin never flinched. Instead, he kept talking, his words coming very slowly and very succinctly: "Mr. Klausner, I never lie. Never. You need to know that. For now, I will give you a single, formal warning. If you speak to me that way again, then you will receive seven swats from that paddle over there directly on your bottom. If that doesn't get the message across to you, then you will receive fifteen additional swats and I'll repeat the lesson until you understand it. If you don't get the message the first time, we will try it again without your pants."
The boys lip quivered.....and he glanced to where the dean had looked, and he saw a paddle sitting on top of some kind of table. _f_u_c_k_! Was this some kind of perverse joke? He looked to his parents; they certainly wouldn't allow this creep to hit him! Would they? He had never been spanked by anyone, not ever!
Dr Martin continued: "You have two choices right now. You can sit still and politely listen while I talk to your mom and dad, or you can cause problems here. If you choose the latter, then I am going to call in two of the school security staff and I will have you strapped down to that punishment table in the corner of the room so fast you won't know what has happened. If that's your choice, then that's where you will receive your first well deserved spanking. So, I would suggest you not test me further. Do we understand each other here?"
The boy's eyes opened wide....and he started to talk but checked himself. They wouldn't dare! Would they? He looked over in the corner again, and sure-as-_s_h_i_t_ there was a type of table....it had leather straps on its legs and the top surface was padded with something that looked like big pillow covered in black leather. When he saw it his mind began to race. _f_u_c_k_ THIS _s_h_i_t_ he thought! He studied the paddle. It was about two feet long and about five inches wide. It looked worn....very worn and it was about three quarters of an inch thick. _s_h_i_t_! The teenager glared....but he decided to stop talking for now.
Dr Martin then said "I asked you a question young man. If you fail to answer me a second time then you will be paddled. So, I'll ask it just one more time. Do we understand each other here?"
The boys face flushed red. _s_h_i_t_. God....this guy was serious. He looked over again at the paddle....and then he turned and looked at the door. There was a moment of decision, and then the boy seemed to have second thoughts. Then he said "Yeah.....I understand."
Dr Martin said "Good. I'm glad we have an understanding then. In the future, you will refer to me, and all other adult members of the faculty, with the use of the term 'Sir.' If you fail to remember that, there will be consequences for your bottom."
The boy's parents seemed shocked....but they were also surprised at how their son was listening. They could hardly believe how their son's behavior had immediately changed, right in front of them as they sat and watched. Amazing! This place did have possibilities, and if this man could get control of Cliff in less than a minute, there was real hope. They had never believed in the use of corporal punishment, but the threat of that paddle had sure seemed to impress their son. Perhaps it might work where everything else had failed.
Ignoring the glaring youth, Dr Martin then turned to the two parents, and began to speak.
"I'd like to welcome you to the Brentwood Academy for Boys. From our telephone conversations, I understand your concerns. I think our statistics speak for themselves. We had new enrollments of 694 young men last year, all of them in trouble or out of control with their families. There are currently more than 2600 students here at this school. More than 75 percent of them had been in trouble with the law for at least one infraction and half of them were here as part of their sentencing options. We have been in the business of helping problem teenagers for more than 35 years, and in all that time we have maintained the highest standards for academics and behavioral modification. We will change your son. We will shape him. And he will be a better man for it."
Terrry Klausner was in his forties, and as he listened to the dean he wondered if there really might be hope here. He swallowed and then he said "Well, I want to be hopeful doctor...but it seems there is a lot of entertainment going on....boating on your lake, horseback riding, etc. If I'm going to lay out twenty thousand dollars for the first year, I don't want it just to be a vacation for him."
Dr Martin smiled. Then, he said "I certainly understand your concerns. We modify a wayward teenagers behavior by a system of rewards and punishments. If a boy chooses to behave himself, then when he's not in class he will have the run of almost 500 acres. There is a lot to do here, and we try to keep the teenagers busy and in turn they can have fun. We have a climbing gym, jet skis, water-ski program, and a wakeboard school. We offer SCUBA certification. We also have an archery range, tennis courts and horseback riding. We reward good behavior, and we have a lot here that guys your son's age can enjoy."
Terry Klausner asked "Well, for twenty grand I imagine you do. But I don't think it will work for Cliff. You just don't know him and he's pretty stubborn. I'd like to think you could get through to him....to get rid of his defiant behavior. That's all I really want. Still, he's a very stubborn boy, and he won't listen to my wife, me, or anyone in authority. He never does his schoolwork and he skips when he feels like it and he feels like skipping a lot. When he does go to school, he loves to disrupt the classes he does attend. The public school finally threw him out and after his latest brush with the law that's when we found you. I just want you to know what your getting here."
"Don't worry about that Sir. We have a very good reputation, and its well deserved. Besides the reward system, we run an excellent high school here. It's a very strict school, and we demand a lot from our students. We are proud of the school. Academically, our graduating seniors test in the top ten percent of the state public schools on all standardized tests. Your son WILL study here. He will have homework, and he will do it. Skipping classes isn't an option. He won't be allowed to disrupt his classes, and he will learn to take them seriously. Very seriously. He will be watched seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and he won't so much as go to the bathroom without me knowing about it. We don't play around with discipline, and we aren't ashamed of it."
Mrs Klausner smiled. She looked to her son, and his frown was deep and she could see him thinking it through. If only he would study! She knew her boy was smart, and he had a lot of potential. Still, he hated school, and he wouldn't study. She just didn't see how that was going to change. She nodded, and then said "I don't know....Clifford has his own agenda and he likes to push peoples buttons.
Dr Martin continued: "It is normal for a teenager to test the limits, and when he does that here he will find out that type of behavior has consequences. We do that through the use of embarrassment, corporal punishment, and the loss of privileges. The combination of the three will force him to change his behavior. It works. He will earn the right to graduate from this campus...and he will eventually come home to you a changed teenager. If he acts up again, then he comes back here, and while that does happen occasionally it never has happened a third time. Boys want to get out of here, and stay out of here, and they change themselves to make it happen."
Suddenly, Cliff Klausner had heard enough. There was just NO WAY he was gonna stay here and let this crazy bastard and his cronies get near him. The youth stood up, and then said "_f_u_c_k_ YOU...._f_u_c_k_ THIS SCHOOL TOO. I'm OUTTA HERE!!!!" and then he turned and headed for the door. His mom's mouth was wide open, and his dad turned and his face flushed red with embarrassment. The boy was moving, fast, and he just jerked open the office door, in a rush to leave. He never made it through the opening. As he jerked open the door two big men were there, almost as if they were waiting for him. Before the boy even realized what was happening, they grabbed the youth, and jerked him back into the room. The teenager was struggling then...trying to lash out...to swing his arms and strike them. The men were big, and they were holding his arms tightly, lifting the youth clear of the floor. He wasn't getting anywhere. They just picked up the youth and dragged him across the room, to where the table was, and as his parents watched the two men forced the teenager to bend over the top of the table, the big pillow under his hips. The boy struggled and yelled out a string of obscenities. The two men just ignored him, and worked carefully and with precision, almost as if they had done this a thousand times before. They pulled the struggling youth forward and slipped his wrists into the two leather restraints attached to the legs of the table. Next, they strapped down his ankles....so that the youth was literally tied over the table, the pillow under his hips and his legs spread, strapped to the opposite side of the little table, his bottom jutting up and into the air, the tight fabric of his jeans stretched over his bubble butt.
His parents watched....almost in shock....it had happened so fast and as they watched their boy he continued to yell and to scream.
"_f_u_c_k_ YOU! _f_u_c_k_! UNTIE ME NOW!!! YOU CANT _f_u_c_k_ING DO THIS...MOM....DAD....GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!"
Dr Martin then said "Excuse me. Your son tested the limits here, and I need to keep my promises and he needs to know that in this school faculty members mean what they say. He will receive seven smacks from the paddle, and then he will be released. This will only take a few minutes. Please, bare with me."
The boy's mom's mouth was open, surprised at how calmly the dean was addressing them, literally ignoring the shouts of protest from her son. Things happened fast then. As the two parents watched, Dr Martin gave a nod. One of the big men who was holding the paddle, just hauled back and brought it down, hard, directly into the boy's upturned buttocks, the wooden paddle burning into the boy's jean covered rear and the CRACKKKKK reverberating across the room. The boy's yells were cut off with the impact of the paddle, and then the youth bucked his hips and jerked against his bonds, the shock and the burn far more than anything he had ever experienced. He bucked his hips again, and then, getting his voice back, he yelled "_s_h_i_t_TTTTT" as the paddle smacked his upturned and eager bottom a second time.
"YEOWWWWWW!!!!!!!"
The seven swats came one after the other...the boy yelling the entire time. The teenager bucked his hips up and down with every one.....desperate to escape the onslaught and surprised at how fast and how hard it was delivered. As he bucked up and down it gave the impression he was humping the table, and the obscene nature of his thrusting was not lost on anyone in the room. Within minutes the boy was crying...the tears real, pouring down his face as he sobbed out his frustration and jerked his ass trying to avoid the wooden onslaught that was consuming him.
When it was finished, Dr Martin then spoke to him: "Mr. Klausner, you have just received your first paddling at this institution. I hope you learned something from it. If you didn't, then it will just be the first of many. I will reiterate to you once again the need to sit here quietly and listen to the conversation as I talk to your parents. If you have another outburst, you will receive another paddling. The next time, we will not be paddling your pants. Do we understand each other, or do you need to lose your pants now and feel the paddle again on your naked buttocks?"
The sobbing teenager sucked in his snot....and his lip quivered. He looked up, craning his neck so he could see the dean. He twisted around and stared back at the man that had just paddled him, and he was just standing behind him still holding the paddle, waiting there, almost eager even, as if he was just waiting for the nod to bring it home again.
Cliff didn't hesitate: "OK.....I....I....understand...yeah...I got it. No more man..OK."
Dr Martin was very calm, and then he just quietly said "You say you understand....well I told you that I need a 'sir' when you talk to me. Why don't you try saying that again."
Cliff looked at him.....and he glared....and then he started to use another obscenity, but he never got that far. As his lips started to form the word, he was suddenly cut off, as the big paddle was swished through the air and then it just took his breath away. With a resounding "CRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK" it slammed once again into his jean covered bubble butt and he screamed as it happened.
"YEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" yelled the teenager. "OK..OH GOD...OK OK OK!"
Dr Martin, calmly said "I will ask you once again young man. Do you understand or not? And this time, I expect to be addressed with respect."
The fifteen year old looked up, and nodded. Then, defeated, his ass literally on fire, he said "OK....I....I understand....Sir."
Dr. Martin smiled, and then said, "Good Cliff. It would have been so much easier for you to have just said that the first time. Please have a seat, and listen politely so I can continue to talk to your parents." As he said that, one of the big men unstrapped the teenager....and then they jerked him up and off the punishment table and returned him to the chair he had been seated in just a few minutes earlier. This time, the boy's face was flushed red, and the seat felt warm and his ass burned within his jeans as he squirmed to shift the pain.
His mom was grinning from ear to ear. Wow! Her boy had certainly been brought down a peg or two! As she watched him she saw him biting his lip and she realized that he was trying hard not to cry. While she felt for him she also was happy to see him listening...it amazed her to no end to see her son sitting politely and under control, doing what he was being told. It had been so long since she had seen him listen to anyone that she was absolutely amazed.
The boy's father seemed amazed too, but he was concerned with what had just happened. "Dr Martin....ah...um...how many times do you paddle the students here? It seems to me that it could get out of control. It that absolutely necessary?
Dr Martin looked back at the youth, and then back to his dad: "Well, how necessary it is depends on the behavior of the boy. He controls his behavior, and in turn, he controls the soreness in his bottom. We always give a warning. No youth is ever punished here without receiving a warning first. And it will never get out of control. The way he is paddled and the number of times he is paddled is set out in the school rules under "consequences." Its something every boy knows here and there aren't any surprises. If a misbehaving boy ignores the formal warning he receives, then he will immediately receive a paddling. That first paddling is always done with his pants on, and he will be paddled so that the number of strokes is half his age. In fact, that's just what your son received. That's why he got the seven swats on his pants after he ignored my formal warning to change his behavior. We don't believe in arbitrary punishment. Your son will learn that if he misbehaves he will be warned, which gives him an opportunity to correct his errant behavior. If he ignores the warning then he will be paddled."
The boy's father then said "I see. What happens if he still refuses to do what he is told after you have ah...have well, paddled him?"
Dr Martin looked at the boy. He had stopped whimpering, and he wiped his nose and sucked in his snot. He was listening....100% of him and it was obvious the dad's question was a question the youth wanted answered. Dr Martin looked back to the father, and gave it: "Well, if he fails to learn from his initial spanking, then he will be spanked again...harder. In that case his pants will be lowered, and he will receive his second series of smacks on his bare buttocks. That we have found is very effective, and I've never seen a youth yet that can ignore a second thrashing. The paddle speaks to a naked rear better than any words I could give. For all bare bottom spankings at this school the boys receive one stroke of the paddle for each year of their age. For example, if Cliff here disrupts this meeting again he will receive fifteen strokes of the paddle on his bear bottom. I am 100% positive if he makes the choices that cause that to happen that it will make a point he won't soon forget. I'm also fairly certain afterwards he would not require another session to drive home the lesson in the near future.
The boy's eyes grew wide, and he swallowed. He didn't move.....just sat there frozen in fear, not wanting to do anything that might end up getting him paddled again. God---on his bare ass even! This was a nightmare! Hell, it had to be! How the hell could they get away with this? _s_h_i_t_! And worst of all, his dad was buying into it and his mom was smiling! Oh GOD! He held his breath, and he suddenly realized he was actually shaking. He wanted out of here!
Terry Klausner cracked a smile. Perhaps it might work. He knew he could never do it himself. His son would never submit at home to a paddling like he had just witnessed him get and here the choice factor wasn't something the boy had control off. Here, the school's reputation was sanctioned, and the discipline was meted out fairly, firmly, and apparently, quickly. Still, he had some nagging concerns. He looked to his son, and then back to the dean, and then he ask: "You said a few minutes ago that Cliff will be watched 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and you even said he won't go to the bathroom without you knowing about it. Can you elaborate please?"
Dr Martin looked back at the youth, and then to his dad. "Certainly Sir. At Brentwood your son will be fitted with two bracelets, one on each wrist. They are used to track him, and we have electronic sensors throughout the school that can monitor literally what his hands are doing. I can go to the computer at anytime and find the location of any student on this campus. One of the things that has made your son so defiant is his control. Like a lot of wayward teens, he likes to be in control, doing what he wants, when he wants."
Mrs Klausner spoked up then: "That's Clifford. He goes to bed when he wants to, and he stays out as late as he wants. We can't control him, and we have certainly tried!"
Dr Martin: "Well, yes, we see that in a lot of kids that come here. It's not totally his fault. Boys that haven't been disciplined at home figure out how to take control. Don't be too hard on yourselves though. You aren't the only parents that have a teen that is doing what he wants. At Brentwood we take that control away from them. When they need to go to the bathroom, they learn they have to ask. If they want privacy, they have to ask for it and we may or may not grant it depending on their behavior. We control every aspect of their lives here, and it's that loss of control that opens the door so the learning process can take place."
The doctor then looked right into the youth, right into his eyes and when the youth looked back, staring at him, eyeball to eyeball, he continued: "Your son won't even masturbate unless we let him."
The boy's face flushed bright red, and he turned away. God! Was this guy serious?
The boy's mom went red in the face too. The dad's reaction was a smile..almost a laugh even, as if he contemplated his son unable to do what all boys do. It was a funny thought, and when he glanced at Cliff he could see the worried look on the teenagers face. This place definitely had possibilities.
Dr Martin concluded the interview: "Well, if you don't have any further questions I have a few papers for you both to sign, and then we can get Clifford assigned to his dorm and introduced to his mentor. He will spend the next two days in indoctrination, or "INDOC" as we call it, and after that he will begin a full academic schedule where he will be begin to get his education back on track. In INDOC he will have his hair cut, and be taught the rules of this institution. He will also be fitted with his wrist monitors. Tomorrow, he will undergo academic testing which will allow us to place him in the proper classes and catch him up to speed in the shortest time possible. I'm glad you brought him to us. I'm sure he will be better for it."
Terry Klausner: "Well, I hope you are right. I guess I have only one question. When will we see him again?"
Dr Martin: "Christmas break is in four months. Most of the boys go home for the holiday, and I expect your son will have reached a point where he too will have earned the right to see you. Every boy is different, and I will keep you informed of his progress and you will have copies of his grades. Assuming he goes home in December, you will be asked to monitor his behavior. If he causes any problems, it is imperative that the school be notified and he be returned here at once. Knowing that you will no longer tolerate his misbehavior is the key to making a permanent change."
He continued: "Your son is a sophomore, although where he is academically we won't know until after testing. We run a full, accredited high school here, and once I know what grade he will be placed in I will have a better idea on how long he will need to stay. Some boys do well with only a year at Brentwood; while others need more time before they can return home and keep their modified behavior permanent and hold the grades that will get them into college. Every kid is different, so it's hard to say. We will take away part of his identity, and then give it back to him. It takes time, and it's expensive. Your willingness to support him and spend the money to save him is indicative of your love for him. In time, he will learn to appreciate it, I assure you."
The boy's two parents looked at each other, and they suddenly felt safe and reassured that they were doing the right thing. Terry Klausner said "Thank you...I think this is going to help Cliff, and that's all we really want. We just want to help him."
Dr Martin answered: "Well, good. I'll leave you three alone for a few minutes to say your goodbyes, and then we will escort the boy to the INDOC center." With that, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
As soon as it shut, the boy almost screamed: "DAD...GET ME OUT OF HERE! I mean it...I'm not doing this...I'M NOT. No _f_u_c_k_ING WAY!. MOM, BE SERIOUS.......this place is the _s_h_i_t_s and you better not leave me here!"
With a stern look, Terry Klausner spoke to his son: "Clifford, this is it, your last chance. I hope you work hard and do what they tell you. If you do, we will see you in a few months. It's a good school, and there is a lot of fun stuff here for you to do. If you don't listen to them, then I guess you will end up with a bright red bottom. Who knows, perhaps if I had paddled you myself when you were younger we wouldn't be here today. We love you son. And this place is for your own good. YOU'RE STAYING!"
With that, Mrs Klausner reached out and embraced her boy. The tears came then, the boy hugging his mom and whimpering.... "Please mom....take me home. Please....don't leave me here."
She released him then, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then, as the boy stood, his eyes watered and his bottom still stinging, his parents turned and opened the door and left him. He wanted to follow, but the two burly men that had previously paddled his butt hovered outside the door, and it was obvious that his options were limited. He swallowed, and his mind raced, searching for something....trying to think of something to say or someway to end the nightmare that he sensed was only just beginning.
[Authors note: © Copyright July, 2002. All rights reserved. Not to be copied without the consent of the author. All comments are appreciated, more than you can know. Nathan9001@yahoo. com]