Holiday Intervention

By Claire Britain

Helen Klein sat at the oak desk in her study on the third floor of the old Sorority house pondering the task in front of her. The early morning sun had started to peek through the old lead veined widows and a couple of the sixteen girls that inhabited the building were already up and sauntering about the house.

The last couple of weeks had been particularly busy and half way through her first year of grad school Helen was looking forward to the Christmas break. Had she known what president of the local Sorority Chapter entailed she may not have taken on the job but she felt a sense of responsibility to her girls and she embraced the position with an unwavering commitment. Helen frowned as she stared at the disciplinary report in front of her filed by Claudia Weston, the chair of the philanthropy committee. She wasn’t at all happy seeing the names of her own girlfriend, Karen Dixon and best friend Joanna Armstrong on the report. She knew Karen had come in a little tipsy the night before but what she didn’t know was the pair had shown up to the Friday night fundraiser inebriated when they were supposed to be working it. They had both disrespected Claudia with some distasteful comments after she had questioned them about their drinking and then they bailed to the local watering hole for the rest of the evening before coming home rather sloshed.

It wasn’t unusual for the girls to blow off a little steam on the weekends especially this close to the Christmas break when finals were over. Most of the minor alcohol infractions were overlooked but this was the second time in less than a month the girls had gotten drunk and disregarded their responsibilities.

As the president of the Sorority it was Helen’s job to review any misconduct or wrongdoing by any of her girls and take disciplinary action when necessary. The Sorority took pride in the fact their chapter had never been on disciplinary probation since its inception and Helen intended to keep it that way. The girls looked up to Helen, she ran the sorority seamlessly, she empowered both the older and younger students alike and meted out discipline fairly and consistently. Even the older, second year, grad student respected her.

Helen knew exactly how she was going to deal with her girlfriend of three years who she had left sleeping in the adjoining bedroom. Karen was no stranger to getting her bottom warmed by her dominant girlfriend. The subject of spanking was brought up about six months into their relationship when Karen was struggling to maintain her grades during her undergrad years. They had mutually agreed upon some rules and responsibilities and the dynamic came naturally to both of them. Helen, being the level headed, no nonsense, dominant one of the two and Karen, the free spirited headstrong one with the wild streak. When Karen’s grades improved significantly they never looked back.

Everyone in the Sorority house knew about Helen and Karen’s arrangement. Some of the other girls in the house had even looked to Helen for help so it wasn’t unusual to hear the sound of a hairbrush meeting an upturned behind and the shrieks of a penitent Sorority sister coming from Helens study.

Helen wasn’t particularly worried about Karen, she knew she had just finished some major exams and her little escapades were nothing a weeks’ worth of KP duty along with a sore backside couldn’t fix.

It was her best friend, Joanna, she was concerned about. Recently Helen had been seeing a change in her childhood friend. She had been out partying way more than she used to and she had started to hang with a few ladies from another Sorority house that was notorious for their partying. Campus police had to make regular stops there and rumor had it the university was getting ready to shut them down because of the out of control conduct of many of its members.

Joanna was in her first year of med school and Helen had received an email from one of Joanna’s professors concerned about her grades and final paper. Jo had always been a straight A student and although her recent grades would not put Joanna in a failing status, internally the Sorority was held to a higher standard and anything less than a B grade would result in the student being placed on academic probation. It was customary for the professors to contact the Sorority presidents when academic situations like this arose for one of their girls. Helen just never expected it from her best friend who was following her father’s footsteps through medical school.

“Really Peggy, Titanic again, what’s that, eight times now?” Helen asked the preppy, energetic freshman who was singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at the top of her lungs as she passed her on the stairs on the way to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee.

“I can’t help it Helen, Leo is so dreamy!” She replied dancing with her imaginary partner.

Helen chuckled, “I want to see Joanna Armstrong and Karen Dixon in my study in five minutes, can you let them know please.”

“Yikes, okay, no problem Helen I’ll round them up for you.” She replied enthusiastically, scooting off to do Helen’s bidding.

***

“Go away Peggy, do you know what time it is?” Joanna moaned as the freshman shook her awake.

“Get up, Helen wants to see you and she didn’t look very happy. You and Karen ended up on the disciplinary report yesterday, you have five minutes!”

“Shit!” Joanna muttered as she kicked the covers off the bed and attempted to get vertical.

“Damn my head,” she winced as she pulled her robe on and headed up the stairs to the third story.

When she got to the top of the stairs Karen was standing outside the open door of Helen’s study in her Greenday T-shirt and flannel pajamas bottoms. Her dark brown hair was sticking out everywhere and her bloodshot eyes were a testament to her drunken evening the night before.

“You look about as good as I feel,” Joanna said as she leaned against the door next to her friend, her green eyes equally as bloodshot and her light brown hair just as messy.

“Shit, I can’t believe frigging Claudia put us on report, what a douche!” Joanna grumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

“Well it may have had something to do with you telling her she’s an uptight old hag! Just guessing, ring any bells?  Anyway, you don’t have to worry about Helen busting your tail do you, so I don’t want to hear it.”

“Yeah, sorry, there’s that.” Joanna replied trying to sympathize, knowing her friend’s ability to sit comfortably would shortly be coming to an end.

Joanna often wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of Helen’s discipline. Many of the girls had talked about how it made them feel safe and cared for and Helen had suggested more than once that Joanna would benefit from her more traditional motivational methods. But then the were the squeals and the sound of that brush cracking down on a bare bottom that made her shiver. Not to mention the sight of one of her sisters applying soothing ointment to the freshly spanked red behind of another, oh no, this wasn’t for her.

“In!” Helen directed bringing Joanna out of her hungover trance. She walked past the two girls into her study and took a seat behind the oak desk.

She put her coffee down before making eye contact with the two miscreants who had followed her in and now stood before her.

“Who wants to start?”

The two, young woman stole a quick glance at each other before Joanna started to explain what had happened.

“Sorry Helen, we were preparing for the fundraiser and when we got there Claudia started in like she does….”

“Enough Joanna, were you or were you not drunk when you showed up there last night?  I even saw you spill a whole tray of appetizers over the Alumni presidents table for goodness sake. What in the hell possessed you two to start drinking before the event?”

Joanna smirked as she recalled the tray slipping from her hands and the look on the former President’s face as she attempted to clean the shrimp cocktail from the front of her suit jacket. She never did like Helen’s predecessor, serve the stuck up bitc…

“Joanna!” Helen roared, making her jump.

“We were inventorying the wine before the fundraiser, and the supplier had given us a case too many, so well, we kinda did a taste test on a few of the bottles.” Karen said sullenly.

Helen sat back in her chair, folding her arms glaring at the two women.

“Here’s what going to happen, first of all you two are both grounded from any Sorority activities until the Christmas break….”

“But Helen, please, the end of semester Holiday party is Wednesday we can’t miss that!” Karen pleaded.

“Young lady it would be best for you if didn’t argue with me! Second you are not to leave this house except for classes which shouldn’t be too hard since you will both be on kitchen duty until the break and it would seem one of you needs some extra study time.” Helen barked, shifting her attention from Karen to Joanna.

Joanna was about to complain until Helen made the last comment and the determined look her best friend was giving her convinced her to stay quiet.

“Karen, you can go to the bedroom and get your nose in the corner. I’ll be in to deal with you shortly, Joanna take a seat we have another issue to discuss.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Karen responded compliantly before slumping off miserably to the bedroom.

Joanna sat down meekly on the chair in front of Helen desk, she knew what this was about and it was part of the reason she had let loose and blown off steam yesterday. She knew she was already in trouble, why not get a little crazy, after all it was the last week of the semester.

“Oh, lighten up, Helen, we were just blowing off some steam, it is the Holidays you know?”

“Lighten up? The only thing I should be lighting up is your backside young lady! I got an email from professor Meyers, what the hell is going on Jo? A ‘C’ on your final paper? You know how competitive med school is and you can’t afford to have a blemish on your record the first year. I’m not going to tell you how to choose your friends, but ever since you’ve been hanging with that crew, especially Tonya Clemence, you’ve changed. I can’t go into details because of privacy policies, but as our Sorority President I’m privy to certain information and I can tell you for a fact, she will not be a member of her chapter after this week even if the Sorority makes it through the probation period. You know I should put you on academic probation, don’t you?”

Joanna blushed and looked down at her feet, ashamed. “I know, I don’t know how it got away from me Helen, I was on track and then finals came so quickly.”

“Jo, I want to help you, I’ve spoken with professor Meyers and she’s agree to let you write the final paper again if you come back the Friday before term starts.”

“Oh god thank you Jo, it would totally screw up my GPA if my grade stuck and I can’t afford to have that happen this early.”

“Well you still need to do the work and put in the time. Joanna, let me help you, I think you need to focus and get grounded again, you know I can do that for you.”

Joanna thought for a minute, maybe she should ask Helen for her help, after all it seems to work for all the other girls and she trusted her best friend implicitly. But ask her for a spanking? It was out of the question.

“Helen, I know you want to help but I’m not sure that’s for me, just give me a chance, I won’t let you down. In fact, I’ve decided to stay through the break and study. That way with everyone gone I can really focus and with mom and dad in Costa Rica there won’t be much going on at home anyway.”

Joanna regarded her friend as she waited for an answer. She wondered if Helen was going to push the issue. After all, if there was anyone that needed a session over Helen’s knee Joanna knew it was probably her.

“Okay Joanna but you better be prepared, if you don’t get your grades up to an A, there will be consequences, do you understand?”

“Yes Helen, thank you.”

“Well I suggest you make your way down to the kitchen, there’s going to be a dozen or more, hungry ladies expecting their breakfast any minute now!”

After changing into a pair of sweats,  Joanna made her way to the kitchen where Peggy and a few of the other undergraduate residents were preparing breakfast. It was a rite of passage for the undergrad students of the house to prepare and serve meals to the older students until they reached their senior years. Graduate students would not normally have kitchen duty unless they were on a disciplinary detail so it was obvious to everyone why Joanna was there.

“What do you want me to do, Peggy?” Joanna asked yawning.

Peggy shoved two cartons of eggs and a large mixing bowl in front of the hungover twenty-two-year-old. “Crack ‘em and whisk ‘em. So, what happened last night? How did you end up on report?”

“None of your business little fish, you don’t get to ask questions!” Joanna replied curtly as she started cracking the eggs on the side on the bowl with a vengeance.

Peggy frowned in annoyance and her lip stuck out in a pout, “Well maybe you could stand by your friend and take a paddling for a change, Karen looks up to you, ya know?”

Another grad student, Melody Blackwood, arrived in the kitchen in time to hear the exchange between the two girls. She folded her arms and smiled in amusement.

Joanna gave her a glare before turning back to Peggy, “Well maybe you should mind your own business little fish, just where the hell do you get off talking to me like that? I’ve half a mind to take a paddle to your rear!”

Melody looked over at the young Freshman and winked, “Well she’d probably bend over and take it like a woman, wouldn’t you Pegs? Unlike some people I know!” she finished, turning back to Joanna.

“Christ, don’t you start!”

Joanna felt even more wretched as a loud crack followed by a muffled cry resonated from upstairs.

***

“What’s the matter honey, on your tummy I see?” Helen grinned and she pulled down the covers and slid into the bed next to her girlfriend who had her nose buried in a book.

“You got me good this morning my backside is still on fire!” Karen pouted, rubbing her bottom underneath the covers for emphasis,

“You’re lucky I didn’t take the paddle to your backside young lady, I only gave you some slack because you did great on your finals. I am proud of you Karen, you keep your grades up and you’ll be Magna Cum Laude next year darling. A great foundation for Klein, Dixon and Associates, wouldn’t you say?”

“Thank you honey.” Karen beamed at her lover’s compliment. “I wish Jo was in though, I know she wants to be a Doctor and all, but it would be unbelievable with the three of us opening the firm together.”

“Well that’s still a few years down the road and Jo’s not going to finish med school at this rate unless she does something about her grades. Karen, you would tell me if there was something going on with Jo, right? I don’t know what she is thinking with all this partying of late and not putting her studies first. It’s just not like her.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed it too and I sure don’t like some of the girls she’s been hanging with either. I wish she would get her head out of her butt! She told me she is staying here through the break. Do you think that’s a good idea? I hate for her to be on her own over Christmas.”

“Well frankly, I do too, but she promised me it would give her time to focus on her studies and Professor Meyers is going to give her another chance with her final, so all in all I think this it is for the best. She’ll be on academic probation if she doesn’t straighten out and I’m not going to give her any special treatment.”

“I don’t think she would expect any Helen but I’m glad you laid down the law. Now, how about you come here and show me just how proud you are of me honey!” Karen said with a cheeky grin before leaning over and taking her lover’s mouth with hers.

***

It was the last day of the semester and Joanna clumsily fumbled for her keys outside the front door of the big house. The colorful Greek letters emblazoned on the front were lit up by the fullness of the moon. If she could slide in now no one would be any wiser to her whereabouts that evening.

“Shit,” she cursed again as she drunkenly chased several objects around in her purse where her keys continued to evade her.

Joanna looked down at her watch as winced as she saw 04:45 lit up on the face. She was freezing in the early morning hour and she didn’t want to wake anyone up but with the absence of her keys she had little choice. She took a deep breath and tried to send Karen a message on her mobile.

Don stair, n key.  Let in me don’t wake Helen

Joanna held her breath as she stared at her phone silently begging for Karen to get the SMS message and Helen not to wake up. What she saw on the screen was not exactly what she meant to send but it was the best she could do with the little keyboard in her drunken state.

She sighed in relief as the letters BRT came across the screen of her phone. The front door opened and Joanna tripped across the threshold dropping her purse as she practically fell into the house, the contents of her purse including her house keys spilling onto the floor.

“Jesus Joanna, what the hell are you doing, it’s nearly five in the morning have you been out all night? Please don’t tell me you’ve been with that Tonya girl?”

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman! Shhhhh!” Joanna giggled attempting to stifle her laughter.

“Yeah, you and our President! Jesus Joanna, you’re drunk! What were you even doing out, you know what Helen told you?” Karen admonished bending down and gathering up the items from Joanna’s purse.

Karen stopped in her tracks as she picked up a small baggy from the floor and held it up to moonlight coming in through the entryway, transom window.

“Jo what the fuck is this?” Karen asked as she held up the baggy containing various assortment of pills.

“Hey give me that!” Joanna replied snatching the bag from Karen’s hands.

“Jo what is in that bag? I wanna know now!” Karen demanded angrily.

“C’mon, relax Karen, it’s just a little E, and a few uppers, no big deal. If it makes you feel any better. I haven’t taken any of them, I swear. Please don’t say anything to Helen okay?”

“Are you fucking crazy, that shit could get you expelled?” What the hell is wrong with you Jo?”

“Just what in the hell is going on down here?’ Helen’s voice hissed through the darkness.

Helen’s face looked like thunder as she looked at Joanna and then back at her girlfriend who still wore an angry scowl on her face. Joanna knew she was dead if Karen spilled to Helen. She gave her small shake of her head in encouragement.

Karen just glared back at her friend, “Joanna locked herself out, I came down to let her in, she’s been out all night and she’s drunk! I’m going back to bed.” Karen fumed as she began to stomp back up the stairs.

Helen squinted her eyes and shook her head as she took in the sight of Joanna. Jo could only look at the floor knowing not only had she violated the direction given to her by the Sorority President but she had also let down her best friend. The next thing she felt was a searing sting as Helens palm descended on her jean clad behind.

“Get…Your…Ass…To…Bed!” Helen barked, punctuating every syllable with a hard slap to Joanna’s backside until she was at the door of her bedroom. “We’ll talk in the morning; do you need any help?”

“Ow, no, I’ve got it, I’m sorry Helen.” Joanna said wincing from the sobering swats and backing away into her bedroom. Joanna watched her friend leave, Helen was shaking her head as she headed for the stairs and Jo knew she had crossed the line. She rubbed her behind ruefully where Helen had imparted the sting and she just hoped and prayed Karen wouldn’t say anything about the pills.

***

“Wake up sleepy head, it’s after nine and you haven’t even packed, the airport is a two-hour drive remember?” Helen said kissing Karen on the forehead and pulling down the covers. “C’mon up you get.”

“No, I wanna sleep, frigging Jo got me up and I only went back to sleep a couple of hours ago!” Karen said with her eyes still closed, pulling the covers back up over her.

“Karen, I’ll be back up in five minutes and your backside better be out of that bed!”

Karen just made an unintelligible groan in response.

“Five minutes I mean it!” Helen said before heading out the door and descending the stairs towards the kitchen.

“What’s this about?” Helen said as she entered the kitchen seeing the sad face on Peggy, the usually, happy go lucky, cheerful Freshman sitting at the table.

Helen sat down next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

“Why aren’t you getting ready Peggy, what time is your plane?” Helen asked searching for answers in the nineteen-year old’s blue eyes that were beginning to glass over.

“I’m not going home mom and dad are getting a divorce and mom told me to stay here, that things are not good at home.” Peggy managed to blurt out before burying herself into Helen chest and bursting into tears.

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry when did you find this out?” Helen asked holding the small girl.

“Last night, mom said it was ugly back home and to go stay with a friend for Christmas but I’m just going to stay here.”

“Well Joanna’s staying too, so you won’t be alone, but Peggy, how about you come stay with Karen and I? We have plenty of room at my house and my parents are out of the country so it will just be us girls?”

“Jo’s staying really? Why?” Peggy asked with a slight smile, “I don’t think she likes me though.”

“Always the curious one aren’t you, Helen replied with a smile as she tousled the younger girls’ hair, “Of course she likes you! I’m going to see about getting you a ticket, we’re leaving in about an hour okay?”

“Gosh if you’re sure, thank you Helen, I’ll go pack!” Peggy said with a grin.

 

“Karen Lorrain Dixon, if you are not out of that bed you’re going to have an uncomfortable ride to the Airport Miss!” Helen said trying to keep a stoic tone to her voice and she burst through the door of the third floor bedroom.

She stood back and laughed as her lover flew out of bed into the bathroom.

“I’m up, I’m up!” Karen replied scurrying to get ready.

“That’s what I thought,”

“Helen did you talk to Jo?” Karen asked before squeezing the toothpaste on her toothbrush and brushing her teeth.

“Yes of course I did, I told her her backside was mine when I get back from the break, I asked her to come with us but she insists on staying here. Peggy is coming with us though apparently her mom and dad are having issues so I asked her to come home with us.”

Helen saw the frown on Karen’s face. “You’re not upset about Peggy I hope?”

“Mnnn nah, hold on.” Karen mumbled with a mouthful of toothpaste before rinsing her mouth, “No of course not I was just wondering how Jo was, maybe it is a good idea that she come home with us too.”

“Karen, she’s a grown woman the offer stands, I kissed her and wished her a merry Christmas but she wants to stay here and study.”

“Oh yeah, just like she was studying last night, I just don’t like her here by herself.”

“Karen what’s going on? Is there something I need to know?”

“No, I guess I need to get busy if we’re going to be on the road in an hour.”

Less than an hour later and the three girls were packed into Helens Cabriolet heading to the airport. Helen had noticed Karen’s’ mood but she insisted nothing was wrong even though Helen knew something was amiss. She became more and more restless the further they got down the highway until finally she turned to Helen to speak.

“Helen, something’s happened we can’t leave Jo can you please pull over for a minute.”

Helen did her girlfriend bidding and took the next exit off the highway and pulled into a fast food parking lot. Karen looked at Helen then into the rearview mirror at Peggy.

“Hey I can step out and give you some privacy.” Peggy chimed from the back seat.

“No, it’s okay, whatever you have to say you can say in front of Peggy, I know it won’t go any further.”

Okay Karen sighed as she began to tell Helen about the drugs she had found on the Joanna the night before.

Helen just closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief when Karen had finished her account. “I’m not sure whether to be upset at you for not telling me sooner or relieved you told me at all.”

She looked over at Karen then in the back seat at Peggy, “Ladies I think, unfortunately a little Holiday intervention is necessary. I know it’s the Christmas break but would you be okay if we headed back to school?”

Both girls nodded and smiled.

“I don’t mind a bit, I’d rather not be stuck with Dad and the Step Monster anyway and Miles will be back tomorrow so I won’t be missing anything. Besides Jo needs us.”

“Yes, Jo needs you, I’m good too, besides you three are going to need someone to cook for you!” Peggy grinned from the back seat.

Helen knew Karen would be okay not going back home for Christmas. Karen and her step mother did not see eye to eye and she had a love, hate relationship with her brother Miles, at best. She still harbored a sense of betrayal with her father when he had married so quickly after her mother’s death from breast cancer.

Helen thought of Joanna as she drove back to the near empty campus. She couldn’t figure out what going on with Joanna and why she was going down this path but she sure as hell was going to find out.

It was dark the when the three woman arrived back at the campus house. The entryway light was on but the rest of the house was dark.

“I checked her room she’s not there and I called her phone, it’s on her damn nightstand.” Helen said coming back down the stairs to join the other two girls who had hung back in the living room.

“She could be over at Finns, that’s where that Clemence chic hangs out sometimes, most everyone left would probably be there tonight?” Karen said thoughtfully.

“I’ll head over there, if she comes home in the mean time give me a call. How about you and Peggy find something for dinner. You may have to order out since the refrigerator is nearly empty.” Helen said handing her girlfriend a twenty-dollar bill.

“Okay, she’s probably going to be mad at me for telling you.” Karen winced.

“Karen, if I had found out and you didn’t tell me, Joanna being mad at you would have been the least of your worries. You were right to tell me, for Joanna’s sake. Now call if you hear from her.”

***

Joanna leant across the bar and strained to order another round of drinks over the din of the busy bar. Just about everyone left on campus seemed to have packed into the popular hangout. Joanna handed the bartender the cash and as she went to reach for her drinks she felt someone behind her and two hands appeared on the bar on either side of her.

She felt hot breath on her ear before hearing the familiar voice of her best friend in an angry whisper.

“Young Lady you don’t know half the trouble you are in!”

Joanna froze and her stomach leapt to her throat. All the noise in the bar seemed to disappear except for the gritty growl of her friend’s voice in her ear.

“Helen I….”

“Not a word.” Joanna heard as her friend’s ominous frame engulfed her.

“If you don’t want me to drag you out of here by your ear you’ll take the drinks over to your friends and tell them something came up and you have to leave. Then you’re going to come home with me and we’re going to have a conversation. Do you understand me?”

Joanna’s heart was racing as Helen gave her the instructions. For a flitting moment she felt like telling Helen to take a flying leap but then the enormity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Yes I understand,” she said compliantly taking the drinks over to the table where her friends were observing her inquisitively.

Jo shrugged off the protests of her friends to stay and glanced over to where Helen was waiting for her, with folded arms, by the door. She swallowed hard and proceeded towards the door after saying her last good bye’s to her friends.

Helen’s glare was piercing as she opened the door of the bar letting Joanna out before her. Joanna followed her in silence as Helen marched to her car and opened the passenger door for Joanna.

Joanna slid in the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. She jumped as the door slammed and Helen made her way around to the driver’s side.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call your father Jo?” Helen said buckling her own seatbelt.

“Please Helen, I…it was just once…”

Joanna looked down at the floor board as Helen drove back to the house.

“Wait!” Helen barked when Joanna got out of the car, “Karen and Peggy are here too, let’s go to your room first.”

Joanna complied and walked into the house ahead of Helen and headed for her bedroom.

Helen closed Joanna’s bedroom door. “You have some choices Joanna but first I want the drugs, all of them. Where are they?”

Joanna reached inside her leather jacket and produced a small bag of pills which she handed to Helen.

“And just what the hell is this Jo?”

“Helen it’s only uppers and Ecstasy.”

“ONLY, ONLY? This could ruin your career before it even starts do you understand that?” Helen bellowed. “I don’t think you understand how serious this is Joanna.”

“I didn’t mean only, I just meant, shit I’m sorry Helen, I wasn’t thinking. How can I make this right?”

Helen reached up and grasped Joanna’s hands, “You have a decision Jo, I will help you but you know what that entails and its not going to be pleasant. I want you upstairs in ten minutes. I suggest you get comfortable, it’s going to be a long conversation.”

“Fuck.” Joanna whispered under her breath as she watched Helen leave the bedroom.

What the hell had she been thinking? She knew she had let down her best friends down, not to mention ruined their Christmas break. She changed into her sweats and looked at her watch. She wasn’t sure what Helen had in store for her but it couldn’t be that bad as long as she didn’t report her or tell her father she was resigned to any other form of punishment, besides if Karen could take a licking from Helen then she sure could.

Joanna climbed the stairs and knocked on the open door of Helen’s study.

***

Helen looked up from her desk and motioned Joanna to come and sit in the chair in front of her.

“Look Helen,” Joann began as she sat down. “I only did the E once and the uppers were just to get me through finals I wasn’t planning to take anymore.”

“Don’t you dare be flippant with me Joanna! Then explain to me why you have them on you tonight? Were you going to party tonight with your friends?”

Joanna looked down at her hands avoiding eye contact with Helen

“WERE YOU?” Helen roared after getting no response.

“Yes,”

“Yes what?” Helen bellowed back not at all liking the flippant attitude not to mention the lack of candor from her friend.

“Yes, I guess I was.” Joanna responded a little more timidly.

“You apparently have a lot to learn about how this works. When I’m speaking to you I expect a little courtesy and respect so it’s yes Helen, or yes ma’am when you answer me and I suggest you start thinking of a safe word!”

“Oh Come on Helen, I’m not one of your undergrads you know and I’m pretty sure I can take a licking from you and I sure as hell don’t need a safe word so let’s just get this over with can we?”

Helen didn’t miss the eye roll Joanna gave her either, it was clear she wasn’t grasping the seriousness of the situation. She got up and descended on her friend, grabbing her by the ear and escorted her towards the empty corner of the study.

“Oh my friend you’ve obviously forgotten what a good spanking feels like, I think you need a little time to think about this, maybe a little taste of what’s to come and then you can decide if you want to walk out that door or ask me politely for the spanking you desperately deserve!”

“Ow shit c’mon Helen,!” Joanna protested, leaning with a grimace where Helen had her by the ear.

Helen was determined she was going to teach Joanna a little lesson in humility. She had just about had enough of the entitled attitude from her friend.

“Hands on the wall, feet where they are,” She barked when they were about a yard from the corner.

When Joanna didn’t comply immediately Helen reached down and grasped both of Joanna’s wrists pushing her hands to the two walls in front of her making Joanna bend a little to reach the wall.

“Now then,” Helen began as she hooked her finger in the waistband of Joanna sweats and pulled them down to her knees, “You move your hands or your feet from that spot and I’ll have Peggy fetch the paddle from the wall in the living room.”

Helen grinned when her friend looked back at her after her panties joined her sweats at her knees.

“Don’t you move!” Helen ordered as she started to pepper Joanna’s bare backside with crisp spanks on alternating cheeks. Helen increased the intensity of the spanks as she began to bring her arm back in wide arks, connecting her hand smartly to the underside of Joanna’s bottom over and over again.

“Shit,” Joanna grimaced after a particularly hard spank connected with Joanna’s behind making her stamp her foot trying to shake of the sting.

“What did I tell you about moving young lady, we haven’t even started yet, and you’re sure you can take a spanking from me remember?”

“Oh, bite me Helen!” Joanna replied obstinately.

“Oh with pleasure,” Helen said with a smile moving to her desk to retrieve a thick wooden ruler. “Better hold on to that wall because this is going to sting!” Helen announced before the ruler cracked down hard on Joanna’s backside leaving a red stripe in its wake. Helen snapped the ruler down over and over again until the whole of Joanna’s bottom and tops of her legs were bright pink and Joanna was reeling trying to stay still.

“Ow shit, that stings Helen!” Joanna wailed as a particularly hard crack of the ruler landed on the top of one of her thighs.

“Good!” Helen smirked as she landed a good dozen or so more to the top of Joanna’s legs and thighs.

“Fuck!” Joanna shot up rubbing the underside of her bottom where Helen had just imparted a flurry of stinging whaps with the ruler.

“Oh dear, it seems you can’t even follow simple instructions Jo.”

Joanna turned around and glared at Helen as she continued to rub. Helen could see Joanna’s lip starting to tremble but she wasn’t having any of it. She spun Joanna back around and again, grasped both wrists and planted her hands back on the walls. Helen put her own hands on the wall next to Joanna’s and bet down to her ear.

“Jo, I suggest you start to cooperate so we can begin or you can walk out the door, it’s up to you. What’s it going to be?”

“Fine,’ Joanna said in huff. Looking down at the floor between her arms.

Helen narrowed her eyes not liking the obstinate attitude of her friend.  She stepped back and brought the ruler back for a repeat performance with a dozen or so more swats to the tops of Joanna thighs making her writhe in place and emit little grunts but this time she kept her hands on the wall.

“Good, well that is a start.” Helen praised giving a little rub and a pat to Joanna’s scorched behind before she returned the ruler to the desk.

Helen walked over and opened the study door and proceeded to the top of the landing where she leant over and looked at the floor three stories below.

“Peggy, Karen, you down there?” Helen hollered down to the grounds floor.

A few seconds later and Peggy’s blond curls appeared and she looked back up at Helen. “Hi, What’s up Helen?”

“Ah Peggy, can you do me a favor and bring me up the paddle form the living room wall please.” Helen asked nonchalantly.

Helen saw the whites of the young girl’s wide eyes as she stared back at her for a moment from the ground floor. “Umm… yes of course, I’ll… I’ll bring it right up.”

“Thank you.” Helen said before returning to the study, leaving the door open. She was happy to see Joanna was still in place with her hands on the wall and she took a seat behind her desk while she waited for Peggy.

“Jo I need you to take this seriously, okay? When you’re ready I want you to tell me why you think you need to ask me for this spanking.”

Jo looked back at Helen with a flushed face, still with her hands on the wall. “Yes Ma’am.”

Helen was pleased with the response from her friend and she smiled as she heard the knock on the door.

“Hey Peggy, come on in.” Helen greeted cheerfully.

“Oh shit sorry, I’ll just give you this and leave, I didn’t know…. I mean….I wouldn’t have come in if…” Peggy stammered, placing the paddle on the desk after seeing Joanna in the corner with her hands on the wall with her very red bare bottom on display.

“It’s okay Peggy, I wanted to talk to you about something anyway. I don’t want you alone on the first floor by yourself so I want you to bunk in with Jo for the next two weeks okay?”

Peggy looked at Joanna in the corner hesitantly, “I’m not sure, there’s something to be said about being down in 3^rd class steerage with the rats and peasants! Sure as heck looks a lot safer!” Peggy said fixated on Joanna’s bare neither regions.

“More Titanic dramatics?” Helen smiled, “Well too bad, you probably forgot but the painters are coming tomorrow. All the bedrooms on the first floor are being painted during the break so get Karen to help you move some stuff to Jo’s bedroom, you two will get long famously won’t you Jo?”

“Famously, sure.” Came the voice dripping with sarcasm from the corner.

Helen smiled and winked at Peggy, motioning with her head silently for Peggy to leave the study.

Helen got up and shut the door behind Peggy, “Whenever you’re ready Jo.”

***

Joanna didn’t know whether to feel angry or just plain embarrassed but what she did know was, that Helen was giving her a second chance. By rights she should be banished from the Sorority and if the school found out about the drugs she would probably be expelled.

She wasn’t as smart as Peggy or Helen and she thought the drugs would get her through finals, when in actuality, all they did was create a fake sense of security which lead to her poor grades. And the ecstasy she was starting to enjoy a little too much, she knew she had to do something. Despite her stinging behind she would take Helen’s punishment.

“I’m ready Helen.” She said turning around to Helen at the desk behind her.

“Okay my friend lets you and I talk a little okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Helen motioned to the couch up against the far wall of the study.

“Go ahead pull them up.” Helen conceded as Joanna struggled to move with her clothing at half-mast.

Joanna pulled up her pants wincing a little as the fabric made contact where the ruler had imparted its sting.

 

“You and I have been friends a long time Jo,” Helen started as Joanna joined her gingerly on the couch. “I’m not going to just sit back and watch you go down this path, you know that but how we deal with it is up to you. You can ask me for my help but once you do then you’ll be accountable to me and you know how that works?”

“Helen, I do want your help, I don’t know how this happened really it all sort of crept up.” Joanna replied.

“Let’s start with the drugs, how long have you been doing them, where did you get them and what else have you been taking? And I want the truth Joanna, I know what you told Karen and I but somehow I don’t think thats entirely the truth is it?”

“I guess not. The uppers I just took to help me with exams, that much is true but the ecstasy I’ve taken a few times. Mostly when I was partying with Tonya, she gave them to me.”

“How many is a few Joanna? And I needn’t remind you’re on dangerous ground here, so I want the truth!”

Joanna blushed and played with her hands,”Maybe five or six times.”

“I see and you told me just one time and you told Karen never!”

“I’m sorry Helen.”

“I think you’re going to be young lady, but I want it from you, tell me what you want me to do and why and I suggest you think hard about the reasons.”

“C’mon Helen, can’t we just get this over with?”

“No we can’t, what and why or there’s the door.” Helen replied without blinking.

Joanna could feel the heat in both sets of cheeks, this by far was one of the hardest thinks she had had to do, tell her best friend she had screwed up royally and ask her for a spanking.

“I want you to spank me.” she whispered with trembling lips.

“Why Jo, tell me why,” Helen encouraged.

Joanna felt the tears threatening as she made eye contact with her best friend. “Because of the drugs and because I lied to you and Karen, I screwed up my grades with professor Meyers and you put me on restriction after the disciplinary report and I ignored it and went out anyway, oh Helen I’m sorry, this isn’t me.”

Helen pulled her tearful friend into a hug and held her as she blurted out her tearful confessions. “Thank you Jo, now I think we’re ready.” She smiled at her best friend holding her at arm’s length.

“What do I need to do?”

“In the top, left hand drawer of the desk you’ll find a wooden hairbrush, go and get it for me, I think it’s high time you and it got acquainted!”

Joanna smiled weakly as she went to retrieve the brush, she studied the smooth surface of the back of the wood which was bigger that her hand and wondered how many unfortunate bottoms it had addressed. She was still considering it when Helen brought her out of her trance.

“Joanna this isn’t going to be pleasant but I want you to know you will always be safe here, we can always stop if its gets too much or something feels wrong you can say the word red or another word if you prefer but if you say it I will stop, do you understand that?”

“Yes, Red is fine,” She replied handing the brush to Helen’s outstretched hand.

“Okay young lady, the couch will be perfect for what I have in mind, pants down please.”

Joanna gave another little eye roll but hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her sweats and pulled them down to her knees.

“Good girl now over you go.” she said motioning to her lap.

Joanna crawled awkwardly up on the couch and draped herself across her friend’s lap. Helen didn’t waste any time adjusting her charge until she was in a suitable position.

Joanna found herself in a most vulnerable position which was not helped when Helen proceeded to take her panties down to meet her sweats.

“Are you ready my friend? Remember you can use Red if you need to.”

“Knock yourself out Helen, I won’t!” Joanna replied curtly with a little grin on her face.

Joanna could feel her friend shift as she leant down to her ear. “Oh Jo, you’ve a lot to learn here tonight.”

Joanna was about to make a sarcastic reply when she heard a loud crack echo around the room and searing pain spread through her left bottom cheek. Before she could register what had happened another crack connected with her right cheek.

“Shit!” Joanna cried

“Indeed,” was the only response she received from her friend and she continued to reign down the swats with the hairbrush to Joanna’s behind.

Joanna could feel the brush connect over every inch of her bottom, the sting more intense with every blow and she thought about the word Red as a particularly hard one connected to the underside of her bottom. After about twenty or so swats had connected with her flaming backside Helen paused.

“How are you doing Jo? That was just the warm-up okay. Now let’s talk about your grades and lying to Karen and I shall we.

Joanna blew out a couple of deep breaths as the sting spread. “Why not?” Joanna replied obstinately.

“Jo, you could make this easier for yourself you know.”

Joanna winced as she prepared for the next blow to be delivered. She didn’t have to wait long before she felt the hard, oval back of the brush crack down again. Helen continued a steady rhythm on alternating cheeks while she spoke to Joanna making the fire in her rear more intense with every swat. She hung on every word Helen was saying hoping that the last one she heard may bring and ending to the spanking.

“For the next three weeks you are going to dedicate at least five hours a day studying and rewriting your paper for Professor Meyers. She also gave me some prep material I can test you with so we’re going to work on that every day to get you where you need to be. And just as a little extra motivation if you don’t get the prep quiz scores we expect from you, you’ll find yourself back over my knee. Is that clear?”

“Ow, yes, okay, Helen please, it’s really hurting now.” Joanna pleaded as she began to squirm on Helens lap.

Helen paused to adjust her squirming friend back into position. “That’s mildly interesting Jo, but we are no where near done young lady. As the president of this Sorority, when I give directions to any of the Sisters in this house I do not expect them to be blatantly disregarded by you or anyone else!”

“No Ma’am, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again I swear!” Joanna replied hoping her remorseful tone may lend her some leniency.

“It better not or you’ll be out of this house. I want you to count these, maybe it will remind you of that in the future. You ready?” Helen asked resting the back of the brush on Joanna scorched behind.

Joanna turned her head towards Helen and looked up at her friend through tearful eyes. She nodded then turned back and buried her forehead back into the seat of the couch between her arms. The first blow connected and Joanna grimaced and let the pain sink in before she was able to focus on what she was doing.

“One,” she managed to whisper just as a second blow connected with her other cheek.

“Ahh, two!” she stammered in a barely audible squeak.

Joanna no longer thought about the word Red. She focused on the slow steady spanks that were assaulting her blazing bottom.  This was her atonement and she wasn’t about to let her best friend down again. More than wanting the punishment to stop she wanted Helens’ forgiveness and a sense of relief washed over her as the number twenty escaped her lips. She readied herself for twenty-one but it never came. Instead, the bite of the brush was replaced by Helens’ hand gently rubbing her stinging flesh.

“I’m proud of you Jo, you did well, we’re done for today okay.”

Joanna was relieved but a little confused knowing the paddle that Peggy had brought in was still resting on the desk.

“You okay Jo?” Helen asked as she started to right her underwear.

Joanna pushed herself up and grimaced as her underwear made contact with her throbbing backside. “Define, okay!”

Helen helped Joanna with her sweats and motioned to the spot next to her on the couch.

Joanna looked at the couch cushion fearfully and reached around to soothe her throbbing neither regions.

“May as well get used to it, sit.” Helen directed with a slight grin.

Joanna gently lowered herself next to Helen on the couch. “Damn that smarts!” she grimaced as she perched uncomfortably next to her friend.

“Come here,” Helen smiled as she pulled her friend into a hug, “You really did do well Jo. I need a favor from you too. I asked Peggy to move into your room because I want you to keep an eye on her. Her parents are splitting and she’s having a hard time with it. Can you do that for me Jo?”

“Yes of course, poor kid. Is that why she’s staying through the break?”

“Yes it is, and Jo, be nice to her will you, she needs a little love right now.”

Joanna rolled her eyes at her friend, “Of course I will!”

Joanna’s face got serious again as she turned to regard the paddle sitting menacingly on the desk by the side of them then turned back to face Helen curiously.

“Not today Ms. Armstrong, today we dealt with your grades and your disrespect and lying to Karen and I. On Friday we’re going to deal with the drugs, you and that paddle will become quite well acquainted I think.”

Joanna frowned as she regarded first the paddle then her friend.

“But Helen, Friday…Friday is Christmas?” Joanna protested.

“Yes, it is Jo,” Helen smiled, “And I intend to give you something that you’ll hopefully remember for many Christmases to come!”

“Merry Christmas Jo!” Helen said kissing her pouting friend on the forehead before pulling her back into a hug.