Explorers...a twin story-part 4 (M/f, M/f paddle)
Copyright © 1999 by Sampast and D. A. Landhill

"Jennifer Clemente! *What* are you doing in my desk?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uhm, Uncle Jack, I was just…" Oh my god, Jennifer thought. How could I be caught *returning* the keys? She slipped the keys back into her pocket, hoping her uncle wouldn't notice.

"You were what, young lady?"

"I, uh, um, I was just looking for a piece of paper, you know, to leave Joseph a note," Jennifer tried.

"I don't think so. Try again," Uncle Jack said, more sternly. "Let's start with what you just slipped into your pocket!"

So he had seen, Jennifer thought. She didn't know what to do. Her lower lip started to tremble. Jennifer knew she was in very big trouble.

"Well, I'm waiting. And I don't have much time. Your aunt and I have a benefit to go to tonight, that I can't miss. So, spill it," her uncle growled.

Jennifer knew what she had to do. Even though she would be punished, she knew there was no way out of this. She had been backed into a corner, and if she tried to lie her way out, she knew it would backfire on her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys. She held them out to her uncle and said, "I, kind of, swiped these the other day."

Jack looked confused. He took the proffered keys from his niece and looked at them. When he realized what they were to, his face turned from confusion to surprise.

"These are my spare set of keys to the school. What do you mean you swiped them the other day? Jennifer, you *stole* these keys from me? What on earth for?"

Jennifer realized her uncle was more angry now than surprised. He was beginning to understand that his niece had done something very wrong.

"I can't believe this!" he shouted. "You'd better start talking, young lady, and don't leave anything out, if you know what's good for you. Because I don't really have time for this. I might just start spanking and ask questions later."

Jennifer was thinking; actually what she was doing was stalling for time. She didn't know where to begin. What should she tell her uncle? She knew that lying now would not be a good thing; that it would come back to haunt her later on. She also knew if she left anything out, and word got back, she would be in even more trouble later.

"I don't know where to start, Uncle Jack," she began.

"I'd say from the beginning. And then lead up to why you stole these keys."

"Well, you see, it was a dare. We were talking about the teacher's lounge, and we all wondered what was inside. Everyone was talking about how we could find out. And I," Jennifer stopped. She was afraid to continue.

"And you what? Go on, please," Uncle Jack said, impatiently.

Jennifer sobbed. "I, I said, I could get the keys." Then Jennifer burst into sobs.

"I see. So, basically, you used our relationship to get something to show off to your friends?"

Jennifer hadn't thought about it that way, but when her Uncle Jack said it, she knew he was right. It was all she could do to nod her head. She continued to cry.

"So, now that you had these keys, then what?" he asked.

"I, I, this is hard for me, Uncle Jack. I want to tell you the truth, but I know I'm gonna be in big trouble. My daddy always says to tell everything up front."

"That's very good advice, Jennifer. I suggest you follow your daddy's advice. Now tell me what you did with these keys."

"I used them, to open the teacher's lounge. After school today. It was a dare," Jennifer began, but was cut off when the phone rang. Jack ignored the phone, and looked to Jennifer to continue, but then he heard Joan call for him to pick it up.

He put his hand up to Jennifer to hold on while he answered the phone. "Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Yes? Steve? Yeah, what's the matter? WHAT?"

Although Jennifer did not know it, Steve was the head custodian at the school. He was calling to report to Jack about the vandalism in the teacher's lounge.

"Hmm, I see," Jack said. "Okay, do me a favor, Steve. Don't touch anything. No, no, don't clean it up. Not yet. Give me twenty minutes. I'll meet you out front. Okay, yeah, see you in a few."

Jack hung up the phone and turned to Jennifer. "Go on, Jennifer."

Jennifer knew by his end of the conversation that her uncle knew about what was in the teacher's lounge. She knew that lying now would not be a good thing. She told him all the things that "she" did. She didn't tell him about Libby or the others.

"You've been a very busy, little girl this afternoon, haven't you? Well, I guess I'd better call your parents to meet us at the school. We'll go take a look at your handiwork."

"Now?" Jenn asked. "Oh, Uncle Jack, please don't call my daddy. He's gonna be real angry."

"Jennifer, you are in very serious trouble, young lady. Pleading with me right now is not in your best interest. Now sit down while I call your mother and your father!"

"But Mommy can't come. She has the baby!" Jennifer whined.

Jack just shot Jennifer a menacing look. "I suggest you don't add whining to your long list of transgressions. Now sit!" Jack commanded, pointing to the black, leather couch in the corner of his study.

While he was dialing, Joan came to the study door. She was very surprised to see Jennifer sitting in there. "Hon, Jennifer's still here? What's going on?"

Jack sighed. He put the phone down for a second. "Joan, we're going to be late to the benefit, if we even go at all. We have big problems here. I can't go into it right now. I have to call your sister and Charlie."

Joan nodded. She waited to hear what Jack would say to her sister. Jack picked up the phone again and redialed the Clemente's number.

When Lisa answered, Jack said, "Hi, Lisa, it's Jack."

"Oh, Jack? I was just going to call you. Is Jennifer with you?" Lisa asked, brightly.

Jack looked over at his niece. She was sitting on the couch, looking like she wanted to disappear right into the cushions. He nodded, and then said into the phone, "Yeah, she's here. Listen, Lisa, we have big problems. I need you to meet me at the school in about ten minutes. Can you do that?"

Lisa said, "What's the matter, Jack? Is Jennifer okay? What happened?"

"I can't really get into it over the phone, but I'll tell you this. Your daughter is in very big trouble. She just got caught committing school vandalism."

"School vandalism? Jennifer? Oh, my god, okay, I'll be right there," Lisa said, hanging up the phone.

As Jack hung up the phone, he looked over at Joan. She raised her eyebrows. "One down, one to go," Jack said, picking up the phone once again. This time he called Foodtown in Merrick and asked to speak to Charlie Clemente.

When Charlie came to the phone, he said, "Charlie here, how can I help you?"

"Charlie, it's Jack."

"Oh, hi, Jack. What's up? Is everything okay?"

"Not really. Jennifer's in trouble. I need you to meet us down at the school. I just called Lisa and she's on her way over there, too."

"Uh-oh, what did Jennifer do?" Charlie asked, slightly amused. Not that it happened daily, but every now and then, Charlie got a call about Jennifer and school.

"I can't really get into it, Charlie. But let me tell you, this is not something to take lightly. She is in serious trouble. We found her vandalizing school property."

Jack took a minute to let that sink in before he continued. "Look, I really have to go. Meet us there as soon as you can, okay?"

Charlie recovered and found his voice. "Vandalism? Jennifer? I can't believe it. There must be some mistake, Jack."

"I wish there was, Charlie. I really do, but there isn't. See you in a few." He turned to Jennifer. "Come on, you, let's go."

Jennifer reluctantly followed her uncle back to his car. She felt lucky that her bottom had been spared thus far, but knew that was soon going to change. She dreaded meeting her parents' stares.

Meanwhile, Lisa had hung up the phone and then stared at it in disbelief. "I can't believe this," she whispered. "What won't that girl get into?" Then she called up the stairs, "Robin!"

"Yes, Mommy?" Robin said, running down the stairs.

"I need to go out for a bit. Can you stay here with Stephen? By yourself?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Sure, Mom, what's the matter?" Robin asked.

"It's your sister. She's gotten herself in some big trouble. I have to meet your uncle at the school," Lisa said, distractedly. Then she said, "You don't know anything about it, do you, Robin?"

"Um, what'd she do, Mommy?" Robin asked. She wouldn't outright lie to her mother, but hopefully she could avoid the subject.

"I'm not sure. Something about vandalism. Do you know what that is?" Lisa asked, as she rushed around the house, getting ready to leave.

Robin nodded. "Yes, Mommy. It's when you break stuff or touch stuff that you shouldn't?"

"Yes, that's right. Now, Robin, I'm going to stop by and tell Mrs. Rosenthal next door that you are home by yourself with the baby. If you need anything, call her. Her number's on the fridge."

"Okay, Mommy. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Robin heaved a sigh of relief. In her rush to get things ready, her mom hadn't repeated her question of what Robin knew or didn't know.

After Lisa left, Robin was thinking about Jennifer. "So, they went through with their plan, after all. She is so stupid!" Robin thought to herself. "And she lied to me!"

Charlie pulled up in front of the school. He saw his wife's car, and walked up to it. She had just arrived, as well. Charlie kissed Lisa and asked if she knew what was going on.

"No, Jack was quite cryptic," Lisa admitted.

"Yeah, with me, too. Oh, there he is!" Charlie said, pointing to the front steps of the school.

That was where Jack was speaking with Steve, the custodian. Charlie saw Jack nodding his head and speaking softly with the other man.

"Oh, good, you're here. Let's go inside together, and see what the damage is," Jack said to Charlie and Lisa as they approached.

Jennifer could not meet her parents' gazes. She knew they were probably staring at her. She walked behind all of them with her head bent down. When they got to the teacher's lounge, Steve pushed the door open. They all walked in, expectantly.

They looked around. They saw the sugar packets spilled onto the floor, some chairs overturned, and some put up on the tables. Then they noticed all the water and the broken glass. Jack had to push his sister-in-law out of the way.

"Lisa, look out, there's broken glass there," Jack stated.

Lisa moved out of the way. She looked down and saw the artificial flowers laying right where they had fallen.

As Jennifer watched from the doorway, she wanted to disappear into the woodwork. Even though it looked the same as when she had left a couple of hours earlier, she now saw the room through the adults' eyes. She wondered if they noticed the bulletin board with the flyers rearranged.

Apparently her uncle had. Because in a matter of minutes, Steve came back to the room and handed Jack a Polaroid camera. She watched in horror as he took photographs of the bulletin board, the sugar on the floor, the flowers, the broken glass, and the water. He took pictures of the chairs, as well.

When he was finished, he turned to Jennifer, and said, "You did all this, young lady?"

Jenn nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Alone?"

Again, a simple nod.

Jack shook his head. He was thinking, "How could she have done all this by herself and still been at my office asking for a ride at twenty minutes to four?"

Out loud, he said, "Are you sure?"

Then, Jennifer started to cry. She knew she was in over her head, and she didn't know what to do.

Jack sighed. "Let's go to my office and talk. Come on, let's go!" Jack led Jennifer to his office. Charlie and Lisa followed. Neither of them had said a word to their daughter yet.

When they got to Jack's office, they all took seats on the black, leather couch, identical to the one Jack had at home.

"Now, Jennifer, suppose you start from the beginning? Tell us exactly what happened," Jack remarked.

So Jennifer filled her parents in on all she had told Jack before. She got to the part about actually swiping the keys.

"Now, when did you take them, Jennifer?" Jack asked.

"Um, yesterday, sir, when I came to your house on my bicycle," she admitted.

She looked to her mother. Lisa was frowning. Jennifer knew what her mother was thinking; she had lied about where she intended to go on her bike. She knew she was facing a mouth soaping just for that.

Jennifer continued, until she had told all, up to the time when she asked for the ride home. She left out anything having to do with Libby and the other girls. She told the story as though she had acted alone.

Finally, Charlie could bear it no longer. "What were you thinking, Jennifer Lynn? How could you do such a thing? You know better!" he shouted.

"I don't know, Daddy," Jennifer said and began to cry all over again.

Charlie grabbed Jennifer and turned her around. He swatted her rear end several times and said, "You know better than to answer like that, young lady. YOU DO KNOW WHY YOU DID IT AND I WANT TO KNOW RIGHT NOW!"

"Oww! Daddy! I just wanted to see what was in that room, and then… um… to sorta surprise the teachers when they saw it. The glass was an accident. I dropped it when I was trying to fill it with water. I'm sorry, really I am -- I didn't mean to make a big mess, just a surprise."

"Okay, I think we've heard enough for the moment." said Jack, "Let's start to deal with this. You know that you are in serious trouble, young lady?"

"Yes, Sir, I'm sorry, really I am. I'll never do it again, really I won't. Please don't punish me, please..."

"Stop whining and begging, Jennifer", Charlie ordered. "You *will* be punished. Now don't make it any worse for yourself than it already is."

Then Jack said, "Jennifer, you broke into part of the school where you were not supposed to be, and vandalized it -- that means you messed it up for no good reason. Those are very serious offenses against the school rules, and I am going to punish you just the same as I would punish any student. The matter of lying to me and taking advantage of our relationship is a private one, which we will deal with at a later time, at my house. Your parents will also, I imagine, want to punish you for your lies to them and your general misbehavior today. But for your school offenses, I am going to paddle you with the school paddle. After that, you will clean up the mess you made. And after *that*, you will be suspended for the rest of the week."

"Now I am going to ask you one more time, was anyone else involved? I find it hard to believe that you were able to do all that in the time you had. Well, Jennifer?" Jack demanded.

"O…Only me, there was nobody else involved, just me, I'm so SORRRRRY!" Jennifer wailed.

"Very well then, it is time for your school paddling. Charlie, would you help hold her down, please?"

Jack bent Jennifer over his desk after lowering her jeans. While at home he usually spanked bare bottom, as Charlie and Lisa did, school policy was "over underwear" and he intended to treat Jenn exactly like any other student. Charlie held her hands, so that she could not stand up or put a hand back, which might be dangerous.

Jack got the School Paddle out of his desk. It was made of oak. The blade was ten inches long by four inches wide with a double row of quarter-inch holes drilled on opposite sides of the center line, an inch and a half apart. It was a formidable spanking instrument.

Jack drew the paddle back and gave Jennifer a sharp stroke with it, right on her sit-down spot. Then he did it again, and again. After a dozen SMACKs she was crying hysterically, and was a well-spanked little girl.

While she was crying and slowly regaining her composure, Jack called Steve, the custodian on the intercom.

"Steve, would you please bring a dust ban and broom, a bucket and mop, and a set of heavy work gloves to the teachers lounge? I am going to have our little vandal clean up after herself. [Pause] Thank you very much. Her parents will lock up the room, and you can lock the doors and leave -- they can get out with the panic bars. Thanks Steve, I'll remember this. Bye."

Jack turned to Charlie and Lisa, "Would you, or one of you, please stay to supervise her at her clean up, and then take her home? Here are the spare keys she used. Please bring them back to me tomorrow. I can't leave her unsupervised, obviously, but I really do have to get back home if at all possible. As you heard, there will be proper cleaning equipment, and gloves to protect her from the glass."

"That's all right," Charlie said, "I will watch her. Lisa, you better get back home to watch Robin and the baby. I will bring Jennifer back home when she is done."

"Thank you, Charlie" Jack said, handing Charlie a key. "This is the key that locks the lounge."

They all left Jack's office and he locked it behind him. Lisa and Jack headed for the parking lot, while Charlie escorted Jennifer back down the hall to the teacher's lounge. There, Jennifer had to sweep up the broken glass and the spilled sugar packets, and mop up the spilled water. Charlie helped Jennifer put the chairs back in place, noting silently that she simply could not have put them up on the table alone. Together they restored some order to the bulletin board -- at least it didn't spell out anything now. Then they left the room. Charlie locked the door, and drove Jennifer home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to be continued...

to previous part                              to next part