Principal's Office
by
T.H. Brigsby
Britney slouched in the blue leather chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest, face scrunched into a scowl. She was eighteen. An adult, sitting in the principal's office like a goddamned kid because that hag, Anderson, had it out for her. Britney wasn't the only one to have drawn on that desk. But she was the only one sent to the office for it. She huffed.
Principal Porter sat in his chair on the other side of his massive desk, his blue eyes scanning a sheet of paper that he was holding in his hand. He ignored Britney, and that ticked her off. She huffed again, louder this time.
"Miss Ashford, I will deal with you in one moment. Until then, please, sit there--" He paused, looked over his paper, and made eye contact with her. "Quietly."
He returned to his paper, ignoring Britney. Again. Gray-haired, old bastard. She shifted in her seat, making as much noise as she could, crossing her legs and tapping her foot against the air. Her knee poked out from beneath the ugly blue tartan skirt of her school uniform, the skin tan against the drab fabric. A single blonde hair stuck to her black knee-high sock. Great. Now she was going bald. She plucked the hair from her sock and let it drop onto the gray carpet.
She fidgeted around in her seat; the leather creaked and groaned beneath her as she fixed her ponytail, glaring at Porter the whole time. On the white wall behind him, under the clock, hung several framed academic awards. An American flag stood in one corner, filing cabinets in the other.
Principal Porter set the paper down. "Miss Ashford. You have been sent to my office for defacing school property. Is that correct?"
Britney scoffed. "That desk was already covered in crappy drawings! Mrs. Anderson just hates me."
"Miss Ashford, this year alone you have been in my office on six separate occasions. It appears you have an acute disciplinary issue. An issue that will need to be addressed. I'm afraid I will have to call your parents." His tone was serious.
Britney snorted. "Bethany and Rogah?" She mocked Roger's name with an exaggerated mid-Atlantic accent, dropping the -er for a drawn-out 'ah' sound. Britney looked at the clock. "It's eleven o'clock. Bethany is two bottles deep into a Chardonnay, and Rogah is probably balls deep in some skank from the country club."
Principal Porter's hand struck his desk with a boom loud enough to make Britney flinch. "Language, Miss Ashford," he bellowed.
Britney pursed her lips as Principal Porter rose from his chair. He seemed larger now that he loomed before her.
"It seems a more personalized form of punishment will be required," Principal Porter said as he unbuttoned his gray blazer.
Britney swallowed; something about his tone made her feel uneasy. Porter draped his blazer over the back of his chair. His white cotton dress shirt stretched across broad shoulders. He undid the cuffs of his shirt and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. Britney gripped the wooden arms of the chair, her tanned knuckles turning white.
He glowered at Britney; his eyes were piercing. "Stand up, Miss Ashford."
She hesitated before rising from the chair; an uneasiness washed over her. Britney's knees felt weak, her palms sweating as her mind raced.
"Over the desk," he commanded.
Britney's jaw dropped. "What?"
Principal Porter did not reply. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her face down onto the massive desk. His grip was firm and unwavering. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath quickened. She gasped as he lifted her skirt; she tried to rise from the desk, but he held her down. Before she could scream out in protest, Porter struck her backside with the palm of his hand. Hard. The slap seemed to echo off the walls, the skin beneath her pink Calvin's stung. He slapped her again. She was being spanked? She was a fucking adult, and he was spanking her? Britney's mind raced as tears welled in her eyes. She clenched her fists, red-painted nails digging into her palms. Principal Porter struck her behind twice more before releasing his grip.
Britney straightened, yanking her skirt back into place, her hands trembling as she smoothed the fabric. She spun to face Principal Porter, her breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts.
"You spanked me," she spat out between sobs.
Principal Porter opened his office door. "You may return to class now, Miss Ashford."
"But--" Britney sputtered, her voice cracking. "You--" She searched for the words, but none came. Her frustration boiled over. Britney balled her fists, stomped her foot, and let out a sharp, exasperated yell before storming out of the office.
* * *
Britney paused at the office door; her hand hovered over the polished knob. It had been days since she was last sent to Principal Porter's office--days since he had spanked her. She'd kept her behavior in check since then, the sting of humiliation still fresh. Yet there was something else, something she couldn't quite name. Something that made her call Mrs. Tomlinson an 'old hag'. She knew it would result in a trip to the principal's office. Maybe she hoped it would?
Britney took a deep breath; she opened the door and stepped inside. Principal Porter sat at his desk intently studying some papers. Quietly, she took a seat in the blue leather chair.
"Verbal abuse, Miss Ashford?" Principal Porter continued to study the papers in front of him. Britney sat in silence. He collected the papers on his desk into a neat pile. "Are you prepared for your punishment?"