Georgiana Montgomery stood on the steps of Greenwood Academy and tried to talk her guardian out of depositing her there one last time.
"Uncle Max, it's just NOT FAIR!" she whined, pouting in the manner that had always gotten her own way in the past. This time, however, it didn't look as if it were working.
"I don't care what's fair and what's not fair anymore, Georgie, your behavior has become absolutely unmanageable, and you know I'm not around enough to monitor you anymore. You're eighteen, and the amount of trouble you get into is enough for ten girls your age. I'm done. Let the administrators and staff here at Greenwood try to knock some sense into you." He gave her a swift hug, jumped into his sports car and left her, standing next to her luggage at the gates.
"Fuck." She sighed, shouldering her handbag, and mounted the steps. At the door there was a brass knocker, but no doorbell. "Weird English school." She muttered, giving the knocker a brisk rap. As she waited, she looked around her. It certainly seemed posh, with well manicured lawns bordered with neatly trimmed hedges. There was the main building, an imposing edifice built with the mellow, honey-hued stone that was common in the area. Georgie could also see a number of outbuildings, one was a stable, and she remembered reading in the literature that her uncle had shoved at her that riding lessons were part of the Greenwood curriculum. There were other buildings, ones that she couldn't immediately identify their purpose. She shrugged and rapped the knocker again, impatiently
"Keeping me waiting forever..." she muttered, giving the knocker several vicious taps. She leaned forward, pressing her ear to the thick wood in the hopes of hearing somebody coming to open the door, and she was surprised by the door swinging open suddenly, sending her sprawling into a heap at the feet of...
"Mr. Jordan, Headmaster." The tall, handsome man looked at the girl sprawled ignominiously at his feet, a small smirk forming at the corners of his well-formed mouth, "And you are...?"
Georgie scrambled to her feet, dusting herself off, her face flaming. What an entrance to make, and at the feet of this dreamboat..." Georgie...Georgiana. Montgomery." And, as his presence seemed to demand it, she added, "...Sir."
"Well, Georgiana Montgomery, we have been expecting you. Follow me." And with those curt words, Mr. Jordan turned on his heel, leaving the bemused girl to scamper after him down the wide hallway. As they made their way through the corridors, Mr. Jordan kept up a running commentary, comprised of the history of Greenwood, the various functions of the rooms they passed, and the general layout of the campus. Georgie was paying scant attention to his words, focusing more on trying to keep her bearings as they wound deeper into the bowels of the building.
"And here are the girls' dormitories. Let's see..." He scanned the hall, looking at each neatly numbered door. "yes. 14 B. I think that's your room assignment. You'll be roommates with another girl, of course, Lucy Mellor. I'm sure you'll settle in nicely. My office is upstairs one floor, if you have any questions. Lunch is in half an hour. Prompt. We don't tolerate tardiness here at Greenwood." He looked down at the girl, a small smile playing at his lips. "I'm sure you'll find out quickly how we run things here."
"Y..yes Sir. Mr. Jordan. Thank you." Georgie murmured, eyes on her feet. Mr. Jordan turned and strode down the hallway, leaving the girl standing outside the door of 14B. With a sigh, she turned the knob and went in.
"Hullo." A pretty girl, around the same age as Georgie, sat on one of the twin beds reading. "I'm Lucy. Lucy Brown. You must be Georgiana." She stood gracefully and extended one hand in a friendly gesture. Georgie shook it, studying the other girl. She looked nice, at least.
"You can call me Georgie. My mother was obsessed with Regency Literature, so I got stuck with this stupid name." Georgie said.
"Oh, I think it's a lovely name, so different. 'Lucy' is so drab..." Lucy giggled, and Georgie felt better immediately
"They'll bring up your stuff soon, and you can unpack and get settled. Lunch is soon..." Lucy glanced down at her wristwatch, "About twenty minutes. And you don't want to be late...that's a lesson that you learn pretty sharpish here at Greenwood." Lucy grimaced, and Georgie wondered what she meant. "You probably want to get a watch, too, if you don't have one." Lucy offered, taking in the other girl's appearance.
"Can't I just use my phone? That's how I always tell the time..." Georgie said.
"Oh, things run like clockwork here. A watch is much more reliable, I find."
"Okay..." Georgie shrugged. Weird...
"Did Mr. Jordan give you the list of rules and regulations?" Lucy asked.
"No...he didn't give me anything."
Lucy walked to her desk and took out a sheaf of papers. "Here. You'd better start reading them, as they don't give you any sort of 'adjustment period' here, they don't believe in that sort of softness here at Greenwood."
Georgie took the papers and started leafing through them. It was a list, a really LONG list, of rules. She sat on the bed next to Lucy and began reading aloud.
"1. Promptness is highly valued at Greenwood Academy. All class, duty and daily events will be attended exactly at the time stated. Tardiness will be punished immediately and severely." Georgie laughed, but she felt a creeping unease as she read the ominous words. "2. Proper uniform will be maintained at all times. Failure to present a neat, tidy appearance will result in punishment. 3. Students' dorm rooms are subject to random inspection. Any deviation from the allowed items, or disorder or untidiness, will be punished." Georgie looked at Lucy and grimaced. "There seem to be a lot of things you can get punished for..." she noted.
Lucy nodded slowly. "Yes. Greenwood is all about making us into polite, neat, organized young women. And if that means punishment...well, 'spare the rod and spoil the girl' is their unofficial motto."
"The...rod??" Georgie repeated, not quite believing what her new friend had just said.
"Ummm...yeah...how do you think we get punished here, Georgie? Scoldings??" Lucy absently rubbed the seat of her pleated skirt, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"They...hit us??" Georgie gasped. What sort of a place had her uncle sent her to?? She had never been struck in her life! This was outrageous!
"Well...'hit' is a pretty general term..." Lucy explained, "they birch, and flog, and paddle, and sometimes CANE us. On the bare. Amongst other punishments."
Georgie's mind was reeling. She was in a school, in the countryside, in a strange country, totally unable to escape. And apparently, this school was going to turn her into a 'young lady'. And they were going to do so by stripping and spanking her. She shuddered.
What the hell had she gotten herself into??
***
After being shown to her room by Lucy, and having been given the thick "Rules and Regulations of Greenwood Academy" tome issued to all the girls of the Academy, it was time for lunch. Georgie and Lucy hurried through the picture strewn and plushly carpeted hallways to the dining hall while Lucy explained the ways of the school in a hushed tone.
"Being late, for classes, meals, extracurriculars...anything...is a punishable offense. Being untidy, either in your uniform or your grooming..." here Lucy grimaced and held out her immaculate hands, "is a punishable offense. Oh, also if your room is untidy. Talking out loud in class without being asked to..." Lucy ticked the offenses off on her fingers as she spoke, "Using any sort of foul language, chewing gum, bad manners...the list is endless."
Lucy stared at her new friend, aghast. "There's no possibility that I can remember, let alone follow all those rules!"
Lucy giggled. "Well, then, be prepared to be introduced to Mr. Jordan's office very soon!"
A gong sounded and the two girls flew down the hallway, heedless of the "No Running" rule. They arrived, breathless and straightening their uniforms, just as the girls were sitting down.
"Miss Mellor...Miss Montgomery...so glad you managed to grace us with your presence this noon." The sarcastic voice belonged to Mrs. Donohoe, the assistant Headmistress. The girls sat as quietly as they could, deep blushes staining their cheeks. "I do hope that there will be no more infractions today, hmmmmm, girls?"
