firmhand

Chapter Twenty-Five
A Firm Hand In Love

   The wind whistled through the courtyard like a howling ghost as it clattered under the eaves of the school. The rain slammed against the panes of glass like a rampant wave on a stormy beach on a cold winter�s day. The clouds grew dark and heavy as they moved in the sky over the archaic looking school. The storm started just after midnight and continued throughout the night and into the early morning hours. From a distance you could see the outside lights flicker on and off as night turned into day. Wendy slowly awoke to the sounds of the rain as it continued to pound against the panes of glass.

   "Oh. Is it ever gonna stop doing that?" she asked, as she glanced over to Jessica, who was stirring even less than Wendy.

   "I think it's just beginning," Jessica replied, as she covered her head and snuggled way down deep into her bed.

   Alex lay in the darkness of her room and listened to the rain as it spattered on the window and ran down. Suddenly, her door opened and Lizzie stumbled in quickly, with a look of fear on her face as she made her way to Alex's bed.

   "What�s the matter, Lizzie," Alex asked.

   "Don't you hear it?" Lizzie asked, as she crawled onto Alex's bed.

   "The wind and rain?" Missy asked.

   "Nooooo. The thunder," Lizzie replied.

   "I don't hear any thunder," said Alex.

   "It's coming," Lizzie stated, as she scrunched herself between the wall and Alex.

   "It's ok. You can stay here. It's only 6 a.m. and too early to get up," Alex declared, as she covered Lizzie with her blankets.

   Every couple of minutes, Alex would feel Lizzie shake and then relax. "Do you hear it yet?" Lizzie asked again.

   "No, Lizzie, but if you say it's coming I believe you. It's only thunder and you�re safe here,� Alex responded"

   �It sounds so loud and scary sometimes. What does it look like?" Lizzie asked, as she took hold of Alex's hand.

   Missy sat up in her bed. "You can't see thunder, you can only hear it. It sounds scary, but the lightning is much scarier."

   "Lightning?" Lizzie asked.

   "Yea. Big bright flashes of light. It lights up the whole sky sometimes just before you hear the thunder," Missy stated.

   "That's it, Missy. Scare her even more," Alex scolded, as she snuggled next to Lizzie.

   Alex, Missy and Lizzie weren�t the only ones wakened by the storm. Sam had crawled into bed with Ricky. Wendy and Jessica were awake too.

   �I love it when it's nasty like this," Wendy said as she crawled into her window seat and peered out into the darkness of the early morning sky.

   �You like this?� Jessica asked.

   �What�s not to like about a good storm?�

   �It�s scary, and it makes for a boring day. That�s what�s not to like about it.� Jessica said. "It means being stuck inside all day, maybe even without electricity.�

   "We'll play with Sarah and Nadia today. You know they are going to need lots of entertainment on a day like this. Or I can read a book, maybe even sleep. That�s what you do on Christmas vacation. Rest.�

   �Who could sleep in a storm like this?� Jessica asked.

   Just then the girls saw a flash of light, and then heard a rumbling sound in the distance.

   Wendy pressed her face against the cold glass and smiled. "Ohhh here comes the thunder and lightning."

   �We should go and get the girls and bring them back here before they get too scared,� Jessica suggested.

   Wendy turned and looked at Jessica. �Yeah, your probably right. They are probably pretty scared.�

   As the thunder grew closer, it wasn't long before Wendy and Jessica took Sarah and Nadia back to their room. After a few more enormously loud thunderous crashes, the girls scurried across the hall to join Alex, Missy and Lizzie. The girls sat around and watched the lightning flash in amazement and listened as the thunder moved overhead. The girls let out screeches, and would jump every time the thunder rolled across the sky above the school.

   Wendy smiled with joy. �This is sooooo cool,� she said.

   Before Jessica could comment, they heard a familiar voice.

   "Come, girls," Patricia called as she entered the room. The thunder had been so loud that the girls had not heard her enter. "Get dressed quickly, and come to the cafeteria. Lizzie, come, and I will take you back to your room."

   Lizzie walked toward the sound of Patricia's voice, and they walked back to her room. All of the girls scattered back to their rooms to quickly dress.

   "Do you need me to stay with you?" Patricia asked.

   "I will be ok. I will come with my friends," she replied as she entered her room.

   Lynda was sitting in the window seat when they entered.

   "Lynda, I told you to get dressed and come downstairs. Now hurry up, and help your sister," Pat stated, as she collected Lizzie�s clothes and handed them to her before leaving the room.

   Lynda crawled from the window seat and dressed quickly. She watched as her little sister struggled with her buttons on her blouse. Lynda reached down, and quietly snatched Lizzie�s dress from her bed and threw it into the corner. She watched as Lizzie felt all around but couldn't find her dress.

   "Give me back my dress, right now!" Lizzie shouted.

   "I didn't take your dress, you stupid little brat. It�s not my fault you can't remember where you put your stuff."

   "You did too take it. Now give it back," Lizzie yelled, as she held out her hand and walked toward Lynda.

   "Ha haha ha haha, like I'm gonna help you after what you did yesterday. You embarrassed me, and I'm gonna get even with you. Looks like you will just have to stay in here all by yourself since you can't find your dress. Besides, no one wants to look at you anyway," Lynda yelled as she walked from the room, and closed the door behind her.

   Lizzie felt around quickly for her dress as the thunder continued its wrath up in the heavens.

   "Ohh dress where are you," she cried. "Alex will help me find it," she said, as she put her pajama bottoms back on and reached for the door. Lizzie turned the knob and pulled but the door wouldn't open. "Ohhhhh," she cried as she tugged some more, but still the door wouldn't open.

   After Alex and Missy finished getting dressed they quickly made their beds before entering the hall. As they entered, they saw Lynda standing at her bedroom door holding onto the knob. As they approached they could hear Lizzie�s cries through the door.

   "SOMEONE LET ME OUT PLEASEEEEEEEE,"

   "You let her out!" Alex shouted as she ran to the door and started to struggle with Lynda.

   Lynda quickly let go of the knob, pushed Alex, and then started down the hall. "I was just playing with the brat. Don't have a cow," she shouted, as she descended the stairs.

   Alex and Missy opened the door to find Lizzie scrunched on the floor, crying.

   "It's ok, Lizzie. Don't cry," Alex murmured as she sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around Lizzie. As they sat there, Lizzie told the girls what had happened. Wendy, Jessica, Sarah and Nadia appeared at the door fully dressed and ready to go downstairs.

   "Why don't you guys go, and I will help Lizzie find the rest of her things," Alex said.

   "I don't know why Lynda�s so mad at me. Usually she gets over it before the next day,� Lizzie stated as she got to her feet.

   "Well, I think she is mad because of the spanking Momma gave her yesterday," Alex answered. �I heard her crying all the way in our room.�

   "Ohhhh Patricia spanked my sister?� Lizzie asked.

   "Ohh you bet. She got it real good too," Missy replied.

   "Maybe you should stay away from her today till she calms down," Alex suggested.

   The girls left, and Alex found Lizzie's dress in the corner. While Lizzie changed, Alex made her bed. She watched as Lizzie walked over to Lynda�s bed and started to pull on the covers.

   "You're gonna make her bed for her?" she asked.

   "Not exactly," Lizzie replied, as she stripped her sister�s bed and set the blankets in the window seat. She opened the window and started to push them out into the rain.

   "Ohhh Lizzie! What are you doing?" Alex shouted.

   "Getting even is what it's called, so don't try to stop me," she replied.

   Alex stood and stared as Lizzie stuffed each of her sister�s blankets out the window, and watched them drop onto the cobblestone courtyard below. By the time the sheet was thrown from the window, the blankets below were soaked by rain, dirt and old leaves.

   "Lets get out of here," Lizzie screeched, as she quickly closed the window and headed for the door.

   The girls hurried from the room and headed downstairs to join the others.

   Daylight was only a memory on a day like this as dark clouds hovered over the school. Slowly, children gathered in the cafeteria. When Lizzie and Alex walked past Lynda, Lizzie was smiling, but Alex was a little worried about what she had gotten herself into. She liked Lizzie a lot, but the war between Lizzie and Lynda could only have disastrous results in the end. Alex knew Lizzie�s bad behavior was going to get her a spanking when her mother found out.

   "Ok boys and girls! Boys and girls!" Mr. Parker shouted, as he stood in the center of the cafeteria.

   Soon, only the thunder, lightning and the sound of the rain beating against the large cafeteria windows could be heard.

   "Much better. As you know there is quite a storm going on outside. I don't want anyone outside. Everyone is to stay in the building. Flashlights will be given to each room and you are to keep them with you at all times. If you lose the flashlight you are given, you won't be given another one, so keep it close to you. The lights have been flickering, and I am sure before the day is over, we will lose power. We will eat now and after you eat you need to meet in groups with your parent on what it is they want from you today. If we lose power and haven't gained it back by bedtime, you will be given extra blankets, and I would appreciate if you older children would snatch up a younger sibling and let them sleep with you so they can stay warm if need be." When he finished his speech, he turned and walked out of the room.

   Lizzie giggled every time the thought of her sister�s blankets lying out in the rain entered her mind. Alex looked nervously around the room at Mark and her mother. They were sitting at a table full of other adults, while the children finished their breakfasts. Soon, all the children were done and had once again taken their seats at the table, and were waiting patiently for their parents to finish.

   "Shhh Lizzie, don't giggle. Momma and your sister are both coming this way," Alex stated as she watched them approach.

   Lizzie quickly wiped the grin from her face, and Alex tried not to look so nervous. She slightly wiggled in her seat as her bottom began to tingle just a little.

   "I got a bad feeling about this whole thing," she whispered to Lizzie.

   All of Pat�s kids gathered around the table and sat quietly as she spoke. Lynda made sure she sat as far away from Lizzie as she could.

   �There are some activities planned for this afternoon, and if you would like to participate just let me know. You can stay in here and play games or you may watch television. You may even hang out in your room if you like, but what ever you do I expect it to be constructive, and I expect you to be well-behaved children,� Patricia said.

   At the same time, Mark and the other adults were giving their children similar speeches. When they were dismissed, children scampered every direction. Jessica headed to her room to finish a report and to read a book. David decided to get a group of younger kids together, and read them stories. Wendy, Alex, Missy and Lizzie found a quiet corner of the cafeteria where they could do some chatting and not be bothered. Sarah and Nadia decided to listen to David read. Suddenly Wendy caught sight of Ricky from the corner of her eye. She quickly jumped up, and started to walk toward him when she remembered what she had been told. Sadly she turned back around and took a seat among her friends.

   �What�s the matter, Wendy?� Alex asked.

   "I wish I could just talk to Ricky today," she replied.

   "Well you know what your dad and my mom said, so I don't think talking to him would be such a great idea," Alex replied.

   "Who is it that you want to talk to?" Lizzie asked.

   Wendy explained everything to Lizzie since she had just been there only a couple of days.

   "Wow I sure missed a lot," Lizzie replied. "You know since you aren't allowed to talk to each other, why don't you write him notes or something." She suggested.

   �I already did that, but I promised my father I wouldn�t do that again. We�re grounded from all forms of communication, so notes wouldn�t be a good thing right now,� Wendy replied.

   �Ohhh, well just one note couldn�t hurt, could it?� Lizzie asked.

   Wendy looked at Alex. �What do you think?�

   �Ohh no you don�t. I think it stinks, and it will only get you into more trouble.�

   �Just one note, please?� Wendy begged. �Please?�

   Alex looked around the room. Everyone did seem quite busy, and would probably not notice. �Ohh ok, But only one note. That�s all!�

   Wendy smiled.

   Wendy left to work on the note, while Lizzie and Alex continued to chat. When Wendy returned, she handed Alex the note. Alex took the note, and looked around for her mother and Mark. She then walked to Ricky and they talked for a couple of minutes after she had handed him the note. Wendy watched as Alex returned, and Ricky took a seat at a far table to read the note.

   Wendy watched as Ricky sat down and began to answer her letter with his own, just below what she had written. While he was busy at his task, Mr. Parker came in and talked to a couple of adults, and they quickly left the room.

   "Uhhh ohhh, I think the blankets have been discovered, Lizzie," Alex stated, as she stood up and looked out of the window from the other side of the room. She watched as Mr. Parker walked out into the rain with a basket to pick up the soaked bedding.

   The girls quickly sat down again. "Just don't look like you know anything," Lizzie said.

   When Ricky finished, he looked at Wendy to let her know. He stood up, looked around the room and started walking toward the girls. As he walked past their table, and with out even looking at her, he dropped the note into Wendy's lap. She watched as he walked back to the table, then she quickly reached for the note.

   Wendy read the note and smiled at the girls. �That was a great idea you had about the note. I feel so much better," Wendy stated.

   "Girls!" A voice called from behind them.

   As the girls turned around, Patricia was loking down at them. Wendy slowly put the folded note under her leg, in hopes that she had not been overheard.

   Alex quickly stood. "Yes Mother?"

   "Have any of you seen Lynda?" she asked, in a stern voice.

   "Yes ma'am," Alex answered. "She is over there." Alex pointed to a table on the far side of the room.

   Alex and Wendy watched as Patricia walked to Lynda and spoke to her.

   "What�s going on?" Lizzie asked.

   "They are talking,' Wendy replied.

   "Oh boy, Lynda doesn�t look happy," Alex muttered, as she continued to watch.

   "Well I think they know about the bedding now, cause Mother has her by the arm, and they are going out of the room.�

   Lizzie smiled, covered her mouth and began to laugh. "That will teach her to be mean to me," she stated.

   Patricia continued to hold onto Lynda�s arm as they left the cafeteria. "Young lady, I would like to know just how all of your bedding wound up in the courtyard down below your bedroom window?" Pat asked as they headed down the hall toward the stairs.

   "I don't know," she whined, as they climbed the stairs and headed toward Lynda�s bedroom.

   "Are you angry because I punished you yesterday?" Patricia asked.

   "If I was, I certainly wouldn't get even by tossing my bedding out in the rain," Lynda replied as she stood looking at Pat. Just then it hit her. "Lizzie!" she shouted. "She must have done it. She was still here when I went down this morning."

   "But why would she do... Ohhh I think I understand exactly why she did it. Why don't you go get some fresh bedding and fix up your bed while I go talk to her."

   Lynda and Pat left the room together. Lynda stopped at the linen closet, and Pat headed back downstairs. On the way back with her fresh bedding it suddenly hit her why Lizzie might have thrown her bedding out. She threw the things on her bed and quickly headed downstairs.

   Patricia entered the cafeteria and headed toward the girl. "Elizabeth Louise, would you come with me please?" she called, as she spoke in a stern voice.

   Lizzie gulped when she heard her full name spoken in that tone. She quickly stood and took hold of Patricia�s elbow. As they started to leave the room, Lynda came running up to them.

   "Please, I'm sorry. It's my fault. Can I talk to her first?" Lynda screeched, as she looked at Patricia and then at Lizzie.

   Pat eyed Lynda, then Lizzie. She then looked at Alex who was carrying a face of a child that knew more than she was telling.

   "Lynda, I doubt that the task I assigned you is finished. I want you to go upstairs right now and do as I asked you. You may talk to Elizabeth after you have done so."

   Patricia brushed past Lynda with Lizzie in tow, and they headed toward a small room just off of the hall.

   Lynda watched as Lizzie and Pat entered the room and closed the door behind them.

   "I am so dead," she quietly said to herself, as she climbed the stairs.

   Patricia turned Lizzie around to face her.

   "Lizzie, I am going to ask you some questions, and I want you to think about them before you answer. I expect nothing but the truth from my children, and you are not an exception to that rule."

   Lizzie�s stomach began to churn. "Yes, Ma'am," How am I going to get myself out of this one, she thought to herself.

   "Did you take your sister�s bedding and throw it out of the window this morning?" Patricia asked as she held Lizzie�s face by the chin.

   "My sister�s bedding?" Lizzie repeated in surprise.

   "I can see you don't take me seriously. If I don't get the truth from you, your bottom will suffer the consequences. Is that clear enough for you?" Patricia asked as she brushed Lizzie�s hair away from her face.

   A rush of adrenaline hit Lizzie as she heard the words come out of her new mother�s mouth.

   "I'm so sorry, but she is so mean to me," Lizzie screeched as she began to cry.

   Patricia pulled Lizzie close to her and held her tight. "I know you�re upset about how she treated you yesterday, and I should have told you that I had punished her, so you didn't need to do what you did, sweetie," she continued.

   "I'm sorry,� Lizzie sniffled as she continued to let Patricia comfort her.

   "I want the fighting between the two of you to stop. Your sister is upstairs making her bed. Why don't we go up and the three of us can talk a little, ok?" she asked in a much nicer motherly voice. "I suggest you start with an apology to Lynda. Understand?"

   Lizzie nodded and smiled.... I did it, she thought as they walked from the room and started down the hall. Alex was standing in the doorway of the cafeteria and saw Lizzie crying. Her heart went out to her.

   �Patricia, could I speak with you for just a minute?" Mr. Parker asked, as he approached.

   "Certainly. Lizzie, go on up and wait for me. I will only be a minute."

   "When you get this situation straightened, I want the child who did it to be responsible for washing the bedding that was thrown," he stated.

   "I think that is a splendid idea, Mr. Parker. As soon as I get done with our little talk, the child at fault will do just that.�

   As Lizzie entered the room, she was immediately questioned by her sister.

   "What did you tell her?" Lynda yelled.

   "Calm down, big sister. I told her I did it cause of what you did yesterday. She is coming to talk to us is all. I didn't tell her about this morning."

   Alex desperately wanted to talk to Patricia. She knew she needed to wait until Mr. Parker was finished talking, so finally, when he walked the other way, Alex ran as quickly as she could to catch up with Patricia.

   "Mother!! Mother!! Please don't spank Lizzie.�

   "Alex, I'm not going...

   Patricia decided that since she wasn�t at all sure what had happened, and that she might not get the truth from either Lynda or Lizzie, that it was best to let Alex continue.

   "I have something I need to tell you about the blankets," Alex stated, as if it were a relief to get it off her chest.

   "Go on Alexandra, I'm listening.�

   "Lizzie threw them out because Lynda hid her dress, and then locked her in the room," she said.

   "What??" Patricia said as she placed her hands on her hips.

   " I know Lizzie didn't tell you, but Lynda took her dress and tossed it in the corner so she couldn't find it. Then she said mean things to her and held the door closed so Lizzie couldn't get out of the room. She was so scared by the time we chased Lynda from the door," Alex continued.

   Who is we?" Patricia asked.

   �Me, Wendy, Missy, Sarah and Nadia all saw her holding the door closed. She is so mean to Lizzie. So please don't spank her, Mother," Alex begged as she reached for her mother�s hand.

   "Alexandra, I'm not going to spank Lizzie. I never intended to. We were simply going to talk. Lizzie gave me the impression that she did what she did because of how mean Lynda was to her yesterday. I am glad you enlightened me on the truth of the matter. I want you to come with me, and then I want you to take Lizzie downstairs with you, ok?" she stated, as she and Alex climbed the stairs together.

   Alex walked with Patricia to the linen closet, and watched as she reached for the small paddle that hung on the wall just inside the closet door. Shivers ran down Alex�s spine as she realized by telling, just who she had gotten into trouble. She now knew she was about to be on Lynda�s enemy list if she ever found out who told.

   Downstairs, unaware of occurring events, Wendy was deep into answering Ricky�s note, and wondering where Alex had gone off to. Wendy quickly responded to the note, signed it, then stuck it back into her pocket. She knew she would have to wait for Alex to return from wherever she had gone.

   Patricia approached the bedroom door and opened it just enough to see into the room. "Elizabeth, would you come here please?" she asked as she held the door open for her.

   Once through the door, Patricia closed it. "Lizzie, I'm sorry you have had to go through the torment that your sister has put upon you. You don't need to worry about it anymore. I don't want you to be afraid to tell me the truth. All I ask from my kids, is the truth. Alex is here, and I want you to go downstairs with her. I know about the dress and holding the door closed so you couldn't get out. She won't do it to you again.�

   "You told her?" Lizzie cried.

   Patricia took hold of Lizzie by the shoulders. Lizzie could feel something hard in Pat�s hand on her shoulder. She knew it couldn't be her hand because it wasn't soft.

   "It's ok. I want you to go downstairs and when I'm done.....��

   "What�s that in your hand?" Lizzie asked with concern.

   Patricia took her hands off of Lizzie�s shoulders. "Give me your hand," she continued.

   Patricia placed Lizzie�s hand on the flat surface of the paddle. She let her hold and feel it.

   "This is a paddle? Does it hurt a lot?� she asked in curiosity.

   "Lynda won't ever be mean to you again," Alex stated.

   Lizzie held the paddle out for Patricia to take back.
   "Please don't spank her," she begged.

   "I'm sorry, Lizzie, but your sister has been very naughty, and this needs to be done," Patricia replied.

   "I want to go downstairs now," Lizzie said as she began to sniffle.

   Patricia placed Lizzie�s hand in Alex�s arm. �Take her downstairs.� Patricia watched as the girls walked down the hall toward the stairs. Just as they reached the stairs, Lizzie heard her bedroom open and then close. She stopped and looked back down the hall.

   �I'm so sorry I told, but Lizzie, I thought Momma was gonna tan your hide for the blankets. Can you forgive me?" Alex said, as she looked at Lizzie.

   "Forgive you? I thank you, I just wish I could see Lynda get her snotty stuck up bottom beat with that thing," Lizzie replied, as she sat on the top step.

   "Alex looked at her in amazement. Alex suddenly realized that there wasn't a helpless bone in little Lizzie�s body anywhere.

   Lynda looked up from the window seat when she heard the door of her room close again. She saw Patricia lay the small round paddle on the table, and Lynda quickly stood to her feet.

   "What do you think you�re going to do with that?" she asked in a bit of a shaky voice.

   "Well, Lynda, we are going to talk about what you have been doing that you were told not to do, and then I'm going to teach you what happens to children who lie, deceive and disobey me," Patricia stated.

   "But I didn't," Lynda cried.

   "Oh but you did just that when you threw your sister�s dress where she couldn't find it, and then held the door closed so she couldn't get out," Patricia scolded.

   Lynda threw her hands on her hips "But the little brat didn't get anything that she didn't deserve.�

   "And neither shall you," Patricia scolded.

   Lynda wondered how she could have gotten herself into a situation like this. She was now wishing she would have just been nicer to Lizzie.

   Patricia turned, walked to the table, picked up the paddle and continued back toward Lynda. Patricia reached for Lynda, but Lynda immediately took a step back and threw her hands around to cover the seat of her skirt.

   "You're not spanking me again!" she screeched.

   Patricia laid the paddle down on the bed, and once again turned to Lynda. "Now you listen to me, young lady," Patricia scolded as she lifted Lynda�s chin. "I am in charge here, not you, and if you think for one minute that you�re not getting your bottom paddled, you are sadly mistaken. Now give me your hand!" she ordered, as she held out her own hand.

   Lynda stared at her with a very determined and defiant look, and Patricia could no longer restrain herself. She reached out, yanked Lynda from the window seat and proceeded to pull her toward the bed.

   "No," Lynda cried, as she struggled against Patricia�s tight grip.

   "I told you yesterday what I expected of you, but first thing this morning you terrorize your little sister to death. I am a reasonable and fair woman, but I can't allow such disobedience.�

   Pat quickly took a seat on the bed and gave Lynda a little tug. "Let�s get this over with."

   Lynda continued to struggle against Patricia's attempt to pull her over her knees.

   Pat opened her eyes wide in disbelief of Lynda�s defiance.

   Lynda sucked in her breath in shock at her automatic attempt to avoid being punished, but before she could stammer out an apology, Patricia yanked her over her knee.

   "I'm sorryyyyyyy," Lynda cried, with renewed and much louder sobs, as she abandoned her bottom and threw her hands to the floor.

   Patricia quickly secured her around the waist and immediately set the paddle to work, Scolding and swatting over her skirt-covered bottom. As the stinging began to increase, Lynda�s cries became much louder. Patricia administered fifteen swats to Lynda�s bottom before setting the paddle on the bed next to her. Pat continued to hold her firmly until Lynda�s cries diminished. When Lynda became calm, Patricia once again spoke.

   "I know what you�re thinking, but don't even let a thought enter your mind that you�re paddling is over," she scolded as she removed his right leg from under Lynda, scooted her bottom over her left leg and secured her legs firmly.

   "Nooohoooohooo," Lynda wailed, as she felt her new mother clutch her even more tightly around the waist.

   �Those swats I just gave you were because you resisted me," she scolded, as she lifted Lynda�s dress onto her back and started to remove her panties.

   "Pleaseeeee don't," Lynda begged.

   "When you have earned a spanking, it is best not to put up such a fuss. I intend to set your naughty defiant bottom on fire." Patricia replied.

   Lynda suddenly heard the most awful slapping sound that she had ever heard, and felt the most painful sting that she had ever felt. The pain began to register immediately, and Lynda knew that she was truly getting the paddling of her life. Lynda screeched and wailed in pain, as the swats continued to rain down on her unprotected bottom. Words could not even form on her lips or in her mind, as the paddle echoed through the room and mixed in with her yelps, screeches and long drawn out wails of pain. Her head and arms flailed with every descending swat, but her legs and bottom couldn't escape the dreaded stinging thumping of the paddle. Finally it stopped, and she felt herself being lifted upright again. Her panties we now somewhere under the bed, but she didn't care if she ever put them on again. Patricia set the paddle down on the bed, and wrapped her arms around the wailing child. Lynda rested her head on her new mother, and continued to cry.

   "Am I going to have any more trouble from you, young lady?" Pat asked firmly, as she continued to hold Lynda.

   "Noooo, Ma'am," Lynda cried, as she reached back and tried to rub out the sting. "I'm sorryyy."

"I know you are," Patricia replied. "You are forgiven."

   Lynda wiped her eyes. "I am?" she asked in surprise, as she looked up at her new mother.

   "I know you're sorry and I know your going to try to behave yourself. I know you're going to do just fine.�

   Patricia's words made Lynda get another lump in her throat. She laid her head on pat�s shoulder again, and continued to cry. She actually did feel sorry, and for the first time, she didn�t feel the need to get even with Lizzie.

   While Pat and Lynda were upstairs, Wendy once again searched the lunchroom for Alex, but couldn't find her. Finally, she stood up and walked toward Ricky. She did a quick scan of the room but didn't see her father anywhere. Wendy reached her hand into her pocket as she inched closer to the table.

   As Mark entered the lunchroom, he saw Wendy walking right
toward Ricky but decided not to jump to conclusions. He watched as she pulled her hand from her pocket, laid something on the table, and then kept walking.

   "I can't believe it!" he said quietly, as he watched Wendy walk away.

   Ricky saw Mark; he snatched the note off of the table and quickly stuck it into his pocket. Sure that he was about to be accosted, and the note confiscated, Ricky held his breath, but when Mark continued past him, Ricky relaxed and waited to see where Mark was going before he retrieved the note.

   Mark glanced at Ricky as he walked past him. He decided to see just what Ricky and Wendy were up to, so he went into the kitchen and took a seat. Mark watched as Ricky scribbled something on the paper, folded it back up and stuck it in his pocket. When Alex and Lizzie entered the room Ricky quickly ran to her, handed her the piece of paper, spoke something to her and then left the room. Mark watched in total shock as Alex took the note to Wendy, waited until she responded and headed toward the door. Lizzie stayed seated with Wendy.

   "Well I have seen just about enough," he stated. As Mark started in the direction Alex was headed, Patricia walked into the room. As Mark approached, she could tell something was wrong.

   "You look very unhappy. Is something wrong?� she asked.

   "No time to explain," he replied. "Just come with me."

   Together Patricia and Mark left the cafeteria. As they walked out of the room he caught Alex rounding the corner and he picked up his pace.

   "Freeze right where you are, young lady," he scolded, as he and Patricia turned the corner.

   Alex froze in her spot, and slowly turned toward the sound of the voice that had just called to her.

   "Hi, Mark. Hi, Mom. What�s up?" she asked, as she walked toward them.

   "May I have what�s in your pocket, please?" Mark asked, in a very stern voice.

   "My pocket?" Alex asked, as she gulped down the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "I,I don't have anything in my pocket."

   "Give me the note, Alexandra," he scolded firmly, as he held out his hand.

   Alex looked at the puzzled look on her mother�s face and then the stern look on Mark�s face. She knew she had no way out. She slowly reached in and pulled the note from her pocket. She glanced at it and then handed it to Mark. Alex watched as Mark unfolded the note so that both he and Patricia could see it. Patricia took a glance at it and then quickly looked at Alex.

   "This is a note from Wendy to Ricky so why do you have it?" Patricia asked.

   "Would you enlighten your mother as to why you have this note!" he stated, as he continued to read.

   Alex dropped her eyes to the floor. Mark reached out and took hold of her chin. "Would you rather tell her while over my knee?"

   "It wasn't my idea. I didn't want to do it. They talked me into it. Everyone talks me into things. I'm not strong enough to say nooooooo," Alex shouted, as she began to stomp and cry.

   Mark and Patricia could see how upset Alex was, so they took her into a nearby room to try to calm her down. Patricia wrapped her arms around Alex to console her as Mark studied the note. As he read, his anger began to rise.

   "Alexandra, do you know what is in this note?' he asked, as he held it out to her.

   "Just mushy stuff between Wendy and Ricky, right?" she responded, as she looked at Mark.

   Why don't you sit on the sofa next to your mother, and I will enlighten you as to the contents of the note you have been passing back and forth for them," he replied.

   As he read, Alex was stunned at what her two friends had been saying in their note, and Patricia became disappointed in the disrespectful attitude of her new charge. As Mark continued Alex began to cry.

   "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were doing that," she stated, as she continued to cry. "I'm so sorry, Momma, I'm sorry for everything I've done. For helping Ricky, Lizzie and Wendy be bad," she continued, as she collapsed into her mother�s arms in a heap of tears.

   "Alex, what does Lizzie have to do with any of this?" Pat asked, as she comforted her little girl.

   "Lizzie?" Alex asked, as she looked at her mother through teary eyes.

   "Yes, sweetie. You said you helped Lizzie to be bad!" Patricia continued.

   Alex stopped crying and quickly looked at her mother. What was she going to say now? Her conscience had let her tongue slip, and now she would have to lie to her mother.

   "If a clear conscience is what you need, then I suggest you continue talking," Patricia scolded firmly, as Mark continued to examine the note.

   "Oh Mommy. I can't take it anymore. I have naughty, bad friends and I've been bad too. I've been so very bad," she cried, as she collapsed into Pat's arms once again.

   "I think it is time you tell your mother everything," Patricia replied.

   And that is exactly what she did.