| Fall Lessons Chapter One |
| What is fall exactly? When the leaves change color and the air once again turns cold. When darkness comes sooner than we all would like and when all children once again return to school. Fall was Wendy's favorite time of year. Along with her boredom, She could put the events of the summer behind her. So far she and Ricky had not broken their contract and their parents had eased up a bit on the supervision. School had been back in session just three weeks, and though the month of October was still a week away, all of the leaves on the trees had decided to change color and bring fall to everyone in this tiny town. Mid November would mark the one year anniversary of her arrival to this hidden place. This place to her was frightening then. Now it was home. She had become familiar with the sounds of the school. Every creak, every clattering window and every whisper of the wind through the trees were now all sounds she truly deeply loved. Not only had she come to finally accept this as home, but she had grown some as well. Though she had been at the school close to a year, Wendy hadn�t mentioned her birthday being the 10th day of October. As she sat in the window of her dorm room she watched as the wind blew the leaves around the courtyard, she couldn�t help but wonder if anyone knew she would soon be twelve. With school books resting on her knees she continued to watch out the window as little Nadia and Sarah chased after the leaves. There had been a lot of changes at Barrington in the past months. Nadia's illness had leveled and Sarah had become a big sister to her. Although Sarah still had her defiant times and mischievous desires, a few more trips across Marks knee had taught her to control her temper a bit more. Wendy didn�t interfere. Nadia, as always was a joy to have around. She made them all forget that they were orphans. Wendy still shared a room with Jessica and they had become like sisters. Her best friend however was still Alexandra. Alex felt thankful to Wendy for standing up to Mr. Callahan and for bringing her a new mother. Alex Adored Patricia, and tried her best to not disappoint her in any way. Mark spent all his waking hours with his children and as much individual time with them as he could. Twice weekly sessions of family discussions helped to bring them closer. David however had become a real challenge for Mark. He had become rebellious and disobedient over the summer and although Mark had administered a few spanking to David, he knew it would only be a matter of time before real trouble came around. Wendy was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as the door opened. Jessica entered the room carrying all kinds of books in her hands. Wendy crawled from the window and placed her books in the spot where she had been sitting. "What are all of the books for?" "I�ve been to the library," Jessica replied. "Well I can see that, but why?" she asked Jessica sat the books down on the work table and started to spread them out. "If you ever get Mr. Graves for a teacher, don't ever get caught passing notes." "What do you have to do,? Wendy asked. "He assigned me five different passages to look up and copy. Then I have to tell what I think they mean," Jessica replied. "Oh that sounds hard. Does Dad know yet?" "No I haven't exactly told him yet," she replied. Wendy headed back to the window and her own studies. "Well let me know when you're gonna tell him so I can be in another country." Jessica grabbed Wendy by the arm and pulled her back to the table. "Wendy, you have to go with me. Please. He has to sign my note before I can get back into class." Jessica flipped through the pages of her book looking for the note. "Well lets get the passages done first before you tell dad. That way you can at least tell him you did the assignment already," Wendy replied. Jessica smiled and pulled out some paper. The girls worked for the next hour on Jessica's assignment. They finished by five-thirty. The whole time Wendy could tell by Jessica's face that she was worried about what their father would say. "You know Jess, you shouldn't be so worried. You never get in trouble, so Dad is gonna go easy on you I'm sure.� "It's not so much that. I just don't want Dad to be disappointed in me.� �Jessica. I could sign the note for you.� Jessica slammed her book shut. "Oh no you don't! Get that thought right out of your head. I will give Dad the note and take my chances." Jessica stacked her books up. �I�m gonna go to the bathroom and when I come back we will go find Daddy together. I want to give him the note before we go to supper.� After Jessica left, Wendy quickly finished her last two math problems then put her books away. Wendy stacked the books that she and Jessica were going to take back to the library on their way down to dinner. Lying on the table next to the books was the note that Jessica had been given by her teacher. Wendy read it over. She then tossed it aside and continued to thumb through the books on the table. She noticed that one of the very books she had in her possession had been checked out by her very own father. There staring her in the face was his signature. Wendy quickly ran to the door to see if Jessica was on her way back from the bathroom. The hall was still empty so Wendy hurried back into the room, picked up and pen and paper and started practicing her dad�s signature. She signed it over and over until she thought it was perfect. Wendy again, returned to the door to look for Jessica. With still no sign, she went back to the table, picked up the note and stared at it. Wendy placed the note on the table. This is going to be a piece of cake. Wendy picked up the pen and signed her father�s name. As she finished, Jessica entered the room. "What are you doing!" Jessica asked as she pulled the paper from Wendy's hand. "Wendy, how could you do this to me?" she asked. I can't give this note to Dad now and Mr. Graves is going to know he didn't sign this.� Wendy picked up the book that held their fathers signature. �Look in the very top and tell me what you see.� Jessica flipped open the first book. On the inside cover she saw her fathers signature. She then looked at the one that Wendy had put on the page. �See. He won�t be able to tell the difference.� Jessica couldn�t believe it. She couldn't tell the difference and she knew the signature was fake Jessica looked at Wendy. "Well maybe it will pass. But if it doesn't then you better tell, cause this has disaster written all over it.� "I'm sorry Jess. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea. I was only trying to help.� "I know. Let�s just cross our fingers and hope he accepts it," Jessica said. "Well you did do the paper, so why would he question the signature?� Wendy asked. "Well you got a point there," Jessica replied. By the time the girls had returned the books to the library they were running late. They hurried into the dining room. Good evening girls" Mark said as the girls entered the cafeteria. "Hi Daddy," Wendy replied. Hi Dad.� The girls continued on their way and quickly got in line. After retrieving their dinner they took their place at their regular table. David, Matthew, Emily and Alexandra were already there. It wasn't long before their table was full. As they sat around the table talking, Mark approached and took a seat. "Hey Dad, what�s up?" Jacob asked. Just came to see how everyone�s day went," he replied. Everyone except Jessica, responded to their father�s question. "Daddy, where is Nadia?� little Sarah asked. "Nadia had her shot and I put her to bed early. She seemed really tired. Wendy, after dinner I want you to check on her and maybe read to her if she is still awake.� Wendy looked at Jessica, then back to Mark. "Sure Dad.� Nathan, I want you to help Sarah with her math tonight and then listen to her read a little. If the rest of you are done with homework then you may have the rest of the night free. If not I want you in your rooms studying. Mark quickly scanned the faces of his children as they listened intently. "If you�re done you can go." Everyone stood, picked up their trays and headed away from the table. "Jessica, would you stay and talk to me please," Mark pointed to the chair. Wendy and Jess looked at each other. Jessica took a seat. Wendy stood and watched. "Sure Dad, what�s up?� �Wendy, go look in on Nadia like I asked you to do.� Wendy looked at Jessica, then went and dump her tray. �Jessica. How was school today?" he asked. Many thoughts flowed through her mind as she looked up at her father�s face. He knows. What do I say now. Jessica wondered if she looked guilty. "Oh, it was ok Dad," "Just ok?" he asked again. "It was long and I had lots of homework, but it was ok.� "Jessi," he replied as he shook his head. It's not like you to be so dishonest. Jessica couldn't say a word. She just hung her head and looked at the floor. Mark reached over and placed his hand under her chin and lifted it so they could see eye to eye. "Suppose you fill me in on what happened in your Literature class today.� "Oh Daddy, Mr. Graves is so strict and it was just a simple note. It wasn't even a bad note, or notes with answers on it. It was just a stupid note and he scolded me in front of the entire class. It was awful." "You have had Mr. Graves before and you know the rules in his class. Passing a note in his class was very poor judgment on your part." he scolded. "I know Daddy. I'm really sorry." Jessica cried. "I ran into Mr. Graves in the hall just after school. He told me of the situation and the assignment he gave you. Have you started it yet?" he asked as he reached over and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes Daddy," she replied with several sniffles. �It's done.� "Completely done?" he asked again. "Yes sir.� Jessica, You know better than to pass notes and act up in Mr. Graves class. If you promise not to do this again, I will sign your note and let the assignment be your punishment this time.� "The note!" she gasp. She had completely forgotten about the note. "Did you forget about having me sign the note Jessica?" Jessica sat there staring at her dad. Every time something naughty happened, it always had Wendy's name written on it. �Jessica, the note?� he again asked. This time in a very suspicious and firm voice. �I'm sorry Daddy, but I can't give you the note." "Did you throw the note away?" he asked as he lifted her chin once again. �No, but I can't give it to you," Jessica burst into tears. "Ok Jessica, we are going to your room and you're going to give me that note. Let�s go," Mark took hold of her arm and headed out the door of the cafeteria. "Daddyyyy please, I can't give it to you," she continued to cry as they approached her bedroom door. Mark turned Jessica around to face him. Jessica! That is enough young lady! I want to know why you are acting like this and I want to know right now!" Mark demanded as they stood outside her door. Jessica didn't say a word; She continued to look at the floor. Mark opened the door and led Jessica into her room. Once inside he released her and looked around on the table. He eyed the room but nothing was out of place. "Jessica. This discussion was over and I was all but willing to sign the note for you. I don't understand why you would hide something like this from me. If you threw the note away then you will have to deal with Mr. Graves alone.� Jessica listened to her fathers scolding words, still Jessica couldn�t think of a way out. She so wished she could get her hands on Wendy. "I want your pajamas on and I want you in bed now." Tomorrow you can explain to your teacher why you don�t have the note.� Mark turned to leave the room. Jessica thought of the humiliation she would have to endure in trying to explain to Mr. Graves how she had lost the note. Dealing with Daddy might be easier. "Daddy," Jessica called. Mark stopped just inside the bedroom door. "What is it Jessica?� Jessica reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper. She held it out for her father. Her stomach tossed and turned as she felt the note slip from her fingers. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the paper as her father unfolded it. It had been a long time since she had endured her fathers scolding voice and even longer since she had taken a trip across his knee. Jessica wished she could get her hands on Wendy. Mark read the note and when he got to the bottom understood why Jessica had been reluctant to hand it over. "Oh Jessi, how could you do this?� His voice held shock and disappointment. Jessica bowed her head in shame. "I�m sorry Daddy.� �The assignment that Mr. Graves gave you. I want to see it Jessica Lynn.� Daddy rarely ever used middle names and when he did, it usually meant he�d had enough. Jessica went to her folder, retrieved the paper and handed it to Mark. He looked through the paper and then at Jessica. "I really don't understand your behavior in this matter. This assignment is complete and looks very good." He sat the paper down on the table. Did you sign this note so you wouldn�t have to show it to me?� "Jessica remained silent. Mark glanced again at the note. If he hadn�t known for sure, he would have sworn it was his signature at the bottom. Mark pulled a blank piece of paper from her tablet and handed Jessica a pen. "Jessica, I want you to write my name on this piece of paper.� Jessica took the pen and leaned over the piece of paper. As she scribbled her father�s name, she hoped Wendy was having fun and she wondered if children could get the death penalty for murder. Jessica laid the pen beside the paper and took a step away from the table. Mark picked up the paper and compared the signatures. They didn�t even come close to matching. Mark felt his blood pressure rise. He knew it wasn�t like Jessica to be so dishonest and disobedient. Jessica, who signed this paper?" Jessica couldn�t speak the words. Mark sat the paper down and reached for his belt. "Young lady, do I need to spank it out of you?" "Wendy did it!" she cried, then took a step away from Mark. "And you went along with it I see.� "No. I told her not to but when I was in the bathroom she did it anyway. I couldn't give it to you then without getting into trouble.� "Well you are definitely in trouble young lady. I'm surprised and ashamed at your behavior. Get your pajamas on and get that naughty bottom of yours into bed.� Mark picked up the note and left the room. Jessica hands shook as she fumbled with the buttons on her dress. She slipped out of her school uniform, threw her pajamas on and jumped into her bed. When her head hit the pillow she burst into tears. As Mark rounded the corner and started down the long hall toward Nadia's room, Wendy entered the hall. Mark stopped and waited for her to catch up. "Hi Daddy. I read her a story and tucked her in for the night just like you asked me to. "Would you come with me please.� "Sure Daddy. What's wrong?" she asked as they walked together. "Well it seems that Jessica had a problem in school today.� Wendy swallowed hard but kept walking. "Did she?� "Seems she got punished in class for passing notes. I talked to her and considered the matter dropped. However she couldn't seem to produce the note that I was to sign so she could enter class again tomorrow. I have decided to let her face the consequences with her teacher. I have sent her to bed early so you need to be quiet and not talk to her when you go up.� "Ok Daddy, May I go now?" she asked. "Did you know anything about this?" Mark asked. Wendy thought for a second. Jessica hadn�t produced the note on purpose so Wendy quickly shook her head no. "You can go then," he replied. Wendy took the stairs quickly, only glancing down a couple times to see if her father was still watching her. He was and this made her uneasy. When she entered the room, Jessica looked up to see who it was. "Oh it's you,� she stated as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "How did Daddy find out?" she asked as she began to change into her pajamas. "Mr. Graves talked to him after school today. I told you not to mess with the note. I wasn't even gonna be in trouble for this, but you had to go and sign the note.� Jessica tossed her head back onto her pillow. Just then there was a light knock and the door opened. As Mark entered the room, Wendy quickly pulled up her pajama bottoms and headed toward the door. "Do you need to talk to Jess some more Daddy?" Mark grabbed Wendy�s arm as she walked by. "Yes I do, but right this minute you're my main concern," he replied. �You stand right here! Wendy quickly glanced over to Jessica and then back to Mark. By this time he had pulled the note from his pocket and began to unfold it. Wendy felt her face grow warm. "You seem to have many talents Wendy. I thought we had dealt with the lying, but I guess not. Now we can add forging signatures to your deceitful behavior "But Daddy I can explain.� "You signed this paper! Is that what you are going to say now, because that is the only thing you can say at this point young lady." he continued to scold as he shook the paper in her face. "Nothing else should come from your mouth now except a confession.� "I'm sorry Daddy. I wanted to help Jessica. I wasn't thinking,� she replied. "That may be true and though your intentions were good, you still knew it was wrong. You took something that didn't belong to you and signed it. You have to stop putting your nose where it doesn�t belong. Do you understand?� "Yes sir.� "Now about your lying. I asked you if you knew about what Jessica had done. You said no. You were absolutely thinking. Thinking about playing innocent to save your bottom from punishment. Did Jessica tell you to leave the note alone?� "Yes sir," she replied. Yet you did it anyway when she left the room?" "Yes, but Daddy, I was trying to help her." "To learn to be dishonest? Well what you actually did was help to earn her a spanking." Mark turned and walked toward Jessica�s bed. Having heard the words and hearing Marks footsteps on the hardwood floor, Jessica threw the covers over her head and scrunched down as far as she could get. Mark reached for the covers and pulled them to the end of the bed, grabbed Jessica by the arm and pulled her out of her bed. "No Daddy no,� Jessica cried. Mark seated himself on her bed and quickly pulled her over his lap. "Daddy, no you can't spank her when she didn't know," Wendy cried. Wendy ran and threw her hands onto Jessica's pajama covered bottom. "It's all my fault. All mine," she cried. Jessica was crying and begging her father not to spank her. Wendy kept her hands in place and tried to protect her innocent friend from their father�s stern unforgiving hand. "You don't think she deserves to have her naughty bottom spanked? he asked as he pushed Wendy�s hands away. Wendy quickly put them back over Jessica�s bottom. "But she wasn't naughty Daddy. I was the one that was naughty. She was saving my butt from punishment and that�s not naughty," Wendy wanted to wipe the tears from her eyes, but she couldn�t move her hands away. �Wendy! Go sit on your bed young lady," Mark scolded. Wendy slid her hands from Jessica's bottom and seated herself on her bed. She covered her eyes and cried. "I'm so sorry Jessica, I'm sorry." Mark pulled Jessica from his lap and seated her on the bed next to him. He put his finger up to his mouth and gestured her to be silent. She threw her arms around him and continued to cry. Wendy stayed seated waiting to hear Jessica's spanking begin. When she didn't hear anything she took her hands away from her eyes to look. It made her feel good when she saw Jessica was no longer across Marks knee. "Wendy, that was the kind of confession I was looking for. I knew you could do it.� Mark looked down at Jessica and smiled. "Jessica, I hope you learned a lesson from this. I hope we won't have to discuss this kind of a situation again. "No Daddy, we won't," she replied wiping the tears from her face. "Tomorrow and Friday you are grounded to your room. Understand? You are to come straight up after school and you will eat supper here.� "Yes I understand," she replied. "I want you to go to the bathroom. Wash your face and brush your teeth. When you come back just wait out in the hall and I will let you back in. Wendy and I have something to discuss. "Ok Dad." Jessica wiped her tears. As she stood, she caught Wendy�s eye. She understood Wendy�s good intentions, but she also understood why obedience was important to her father. She only wished Wendy could understand it too. Wendy closed her eyes and listened for the door as it opened and closed. She hoped when she opened her eyes, that her father would be gone as well. Today that wasn�t to be. When she opened her eyes, her fathers stern glare greeted her. "Wendy? he called in a quiet calm voice. Wendy�s lips quivered. "Yes Daddy.� Mark reached across the small space and took hold of Wendy�s arm. Wendy showed little resistance as her father pulled her from the bed and guided her to stand before him. I hope someday you will see that it's not always your behavior that gets you spanked, but more so the lies and deceit," he scolded. Wendy nodded, then looked away. Mark pulled Wendy over his lap. The hardwood floor blurred as tears welled in her eyes and ran down each cheek. Wendy felt her fathers hand pull her to the center of his lap, then felt her pajamas slide off her bottom and down the back of her legs. Wendy swallowed back the lumps in her throat. She wanted to be brave. Wendy bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed. She jumped forward and yelped as the first biting spank landed. Mark covered one cheek and then the other quickly. Wendy wiggled and cried as her father�s unforgiving hand landed again and again. �Ohh oww Daddy.� Mark made sure to get her sit spot the most. Wendy yelped and wailed as Mark continued to spank her thoroughly all up and down her bottom and thighs. Wendy�s cries changed to painful yelps when Mark spanked her legs just below her cheeks. "Daddyyyy, I'm sorrrryyyy," she cried, but Mark continued with the punishment. Twenty, thirty and finally forty spanks later, Mark felt she had learned her lesson. He pulled her up and she quickly replaced her pajamas. Mark stood and put his arms around his well spanked child to comfort her. Wendy leaned on her father, rubbing vigorously with both hands while sobbing into his chest. Mark turned down her covers and Wendy crawled into bed. �Tomorrow you will go with Jessica and explain to her teacher about the note. You will tell him that you were spanked and that you won�t ever sign another note again. Wendy shook her head and turned onto her side. �After school is over, you will sit on the bench outside Mr. Parkers office for an hour. You will do so for the next two afternoons. Let it be a reminder, that if anymore of your signatures find their way on anymore notes, that is where you will be and that is who you will wait for. You will wait there until I come for you, then you will do your homework in the library. You will go to the cafeteria at suppertime and collect your food along with Jessica�s, then you will return to your room. Do you understand?� Wendy wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her father. �Yes sir.� When the light went out and she heard the door close, she crawled from her bed and stood by the window. As darkness filled the sky she could see lights on across the courtyard. She opened her window and felt the breeze of fall air as it blew by her window. She wanted to get word to Ricky about her spanking, but there wasn�t a way to do so. She wished for the comfort of his arms but she knew it wasn�t allowed. Wendy turned from the window when she heard to door open. Jessica had returned from the bathroom. Jessica walked as fast as she could to Wendy and opened her arms. Wendy placed her head on Jessica�s shoulder and cried. |
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