The Caged Student Ch. 01

My hopes suddenly balloon. "What would that be, sir?"

"The city has recently allowed certain individuals to be trained and licensed to mete out appropriate punishments to adults in lieu of incarceration."

It was all I could do to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. "When did that happen?!"

"The city council voted on it just this past year. A small addition to the local judicial code." The Headmaster smiles to himself. "They forsaw a need, and since the schools were permitted, why not have licensed professionals as well?" 

"This former teacher's one of them?"

"Yes, but he's more than that. He has created a program to instill discipline in educational matters as well. This person is, in effect, someone who can turn even the most contrarian of students into role models for others to follow."

"How, may I ask, does he do that?"

The Headmaster is silent, looking very cautious all of a sudden. "I would rather you speak directly with him. I try not to get personally involved in these matters. I can say his methods are effective. Extremely effective."

I ponder that for a moment. "And this is legal?"

"Completely. The Disciplinarian, that is his title, knows exactly what the law allows and not to step over that."

So this is what it seems to be. A chance for Sally to receive punishment, but in a formal way outside of school. It's time to stop the tap-dancing. "I could be interested in your proposal if you say this is the only option for her to stay here."

"It is," The Headmaster says steadfastly. "Then, if you agree to listen to what my former colleague has to suggest, I will await his confirmation and fill him in on what is required from my standpoint."

"And after that?"

"He will then arrange a meeting with you." The Head then pushes a card across the desk to me. Thaddeus Cox. The name rings a bell.

"A former teacher at this very school. A few wayward pupils have benefited from his special brand of education."

I sit there for a moment thinking about all that had happened this last summer. "I don't think she'll voluntarily accept this."

"She will. All we have to do is show her some examples of a few military academies that are not too far away, and she will see the sense of it. That should alleviate some of the cost you may be worried about as well."

I can't help but smirk. "It's almost like you read my mind, Headmaster!"

"Hardly," he says as the corners of his lips curl up. "So shall I call Miss Yeager here then?"

I wasn't looking forward to this. The girl is likely to blow up on me. "Go ahead," I say, preparing myself. It turns out it didn't take long. The Deputy Headmistress leads Sally straight to the office while still in her gym clothes. She takes one look at us, and her face grows wary.

"Sir?" That's directed at the Headmaster. Not me, of course.

The man behind the desk rises, bringing himself to his full height. "Miss Yeager. It has been brought to our attention that you have been truant for three of the first four days of this term. With that, as well as the submitting of the counterfeited forms, I can only recommend suspension."

Sally doesn't react much. Just a sigh. Did she expect this? Just some more time away from school?

"However, if a suitable punishment cannot be agreed upon, expulsion will be the obvious consequence. Where you go from there will then be between you and your guardian."

Sally's mouth finally drops open at that. "Sir?"

"You heard me, Miss Yeager. I've made my recommendations to Mr. Montgomery and he will explain them to you. Hopefully it won't come to a military academy or, dare I say, a religious one."

Sally is obviously sweating now. It might have been due to the workout she was participating in earlier, but I didn't think so. Her breathing has become more rapid, and the slightly damp shirt appears to be straining to contain her breasts. "Sir. I'm sorry for everything I did. Don't I deserve some leniency?"

I notice both of them are staring at each other quite intently. What's going on here? The Headmaster slowly shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Yeager. This is my final word." He turns to me. "You shall be receiving the call in the next few hours. The Disciplinarian will explain what will be required of both of you."

I stand slowly. "Thank you, sir. You've been more than fair." I reach out to shake his hand. Strangely, he doesn't return the gesture. Pulling my arm back, I start for the door.

"Sir! Please." Sally takes a step toward the very tall man. "If I could just speak with you..."

"No, Miss Yeager. You have been dismissed."

She pulls back, blinking at his sharp command. I open the door behind her, and the subdued teen slowly exits with me. After we enter the corridor, she's escorted by the headmistress to her locker, and soon we leave campus. The drive home is very uncomfortable, to say the least. I glance over and see she's just staring out the window. How do I start...?

"You're sending me off?"

"Probably. Especially with how you've been acting lately."

"You know I don't want that," the senior finally replies. "The Headmaster said there was something I can do?"

"A Mr. Cox will be calling. He's apparently an expert at dealing with poorly behaved school pupils."

Sally turns her head quickly. "Mr. Cox?!"

"You seem to know him. I can only hope that he agrees to help us." I'm trying to lay the foundation for persuading the shocked eighteen-year-old to accept what I'm assuming to be a deserved punishment.

"Why him? He retired from school," she says guardedly. "What kind of punishment was the Headmaster talking about?"

Still in her gym clothes, the eighteen-year-old had folded her arms under her tight-fitting shirt, which clearly enhances her bustline. Why does she always do that? I force my eyes to the road. "Do you know... Are you aware of what's shortly going to happen to your friends? Your male friends?"

Now I can tell she's getting very nervous. "They'll probably get cuts. That's what normally happens for serious things. Why?" 

We've reached the house and I press the button of the remote door opener. "They're both going to be severely dealt with. Your buddies are on the verge of receiving eight, yes, eight strokes with the cane. The school has special permission from their parents for the maximum punishment. Oh yes, and don't forget," I pause, hoping to add to the load of nervousness to my ward, "their butts won't be afforded the protection of pants or underwear."

Sally's eyes are as round as saucers, and she makes no move to get out of the car. It's almost as if she wants to keep her backside firmly planted to ward off any hidden paddles or canes that might suddenly appear. I've already unlocked the front door by the time Sally gathers her composure sufficiently to get out of the car. Once we're both inside my house, I tell her to go to her room and wait.

"Sir." She finally looks contrite. "You don't need to do this. I've already said I'm sorry, and I truly am."

I almost laugh in her face. "After all the lies? After last night? I'm sorry, but you'll have to do better than that. Go to your room. When I get a call from Mr. Cox, I'll let you know."

Sally frowns. "What's he going to do?"

"I don't know. He'll tell us and then we can decide. Bedroom. Now!"

I don't know where I suddenly got my backbone. Maybe it's the promise of support from The Headmaster and this Mr. Cox. All I know is that Sally finally backs down. The teen storms back to her room, where I hear a slamming of the door. It's not quite noon. I'll have to call in for the rest of the day and hope Will can handle everything. The phone rings. Already? Walking into the kitchen, I pick it up. "Montgomery residence."

Hello, Mr. Montgomery. I'm Thaddeus Cox. I've just got off the phone with the Headmaster of Warrington. He says you have a situation and that I might be of service."

He sounds very formal with a British accent similar to The Headmaster's. "Yes, Mr. Cox. I, uhh, do have a problem. My stepdaughter has gotten herself thrown out of school. The Headmaster specifically recommended you to, umm, 'educate' her."

"Of course, Mr. Montgomery. Shall I come over immediately, or would later in the day be more convenient?"

Obviously, the man's docket is open if he's this flexible. Either that or he had cleared it for me and Sally. I ask for him to come as soon as possible, to which he promises to be here within the hour.

I go to Sally's room and knock. It takes a moment, but she finally opens the door. I can see the girl has changed into some unflattering sweats that cover her nearly head to toe. She must think a caning is imminent. "Mr. Cox is on his way."

"Why? This is illegal, you know."

"What is?"

She folds her arms. "You striking me in any way."

"That's why Mr. Cox is coming." I turn away.

"He can't touch me either!" She yells at my back.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," I reply as calmly as I can. The door slams once again. There goes my blood pressure. Between her yelling and what I think might happen, I realize my heart is really pounding. I sit in the living room drumming my fingers on the armrest. Luckily, only a short time passes before I hear a car drive up.

Walking to the entry, I open the door for the older gentleman. Thaddeus Cox isn't the most attractive man I've ever seen. Well past his prime, certainly. His balding head, blotchy skin, and hanging jowls all contribute to making Thaddeus Cox a visually unattractive specimen of the human race. Yet his eyes are alert and piercing. They seem to be evaluating me closely. "Mr. Cox?" I reach out and the man shakes my hand formally.

"Mr. Montgomery, I presume?"

"Yes," I say, waving him in. Carrying a satchel, he appears every part the typical private school professor, including a tweed jacket to top it all off. "I'm sorry to need you on such short notice, Mr. Cox. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all," Cox says, coming in. He seems to be a man who doesn't smile very often. His eyes quickly take in the living area. "A very nice place you have here, Mr. Montgomery."

I smile wanly. "Thanks. I managed to hang on to it in the agreement. It was a long and complex divorce which put Sally between..."

Mr. Cox raises his hand. "No need to explain, Mr. Montgomery. I can tell that you provide well for Miss Yeager. She never seemed to want for anything while in my classes."

"Call me Collin, please. Have a seat. You were her teacher?"

The old but hale man sits across from me. "Yes. Sally was in my math class last year. She was a particular distraction to many of the other students, but there was little I could do but assign extra work and detentions. If I had my way, I would have done more. Far more."

Uh, oh. We're starting to get closer to what I'm wondering about. "I see. Umm, did you use the cane at school?"

"Yes. On the boys, of course. I can tell you that Sally deserved far more than many of them. I assume the subject of why I'm here is nearby."

"Yes. She's in her room now. Do I need to get her?

"No. No. Let me hear about what happened first."

I spend the next few minutes explaining my situation. The skipping school. The lying. The backtalk. Then I describe what happened last night. "...I know she left that door open on purpose. She accused me of, well, like I was a letch or something."

Mr. Cox's eyes narrow. "This is serious. It's very well you called the school when you did. This could have spiraled out of control very quickly."

I sit back in my chair. "Now that you say it, I guess you're right. What am I to do then?"

"Well, I'm here now, Mr. Montgomery, and that's good news for you. In cases where there is a complete breakdown of authority, which we seem to have here, I recommend a separation period between the parties."

"Really? I would appreciate that, but where would she go?"

"To my place, of course. I've set up a small learning facility at my home to handle a few select hard cases, such as your stepdaughter. She would be fully cared for, of course."

"Alone with you?"

"I have a female assistant that would handle any direct supervision that is necessary. My time will be focused on classroom instruction and any correction that will be; required."

"Correction?"

"Mostly what the students would encounter at a strict reform school in Britain. Would you have any objection to the imposition of corporal punishment in this case?"

So this is it. I knew all along that this is what we were coming to, but now that this was out in the open, I become reticent. "I guess there are none," I reply, feeling a bit guilty. Should I? With Sally's actions of the last few days fresh on my mind, I don't see why. "When would you take her?"

"If you consent to utilizing my services, and given that the girl herself understands the implications and agrees to them, then Sally will be permitted to return to school upon completion of the prescribed corrective measures. In the case at hand, Mr. Montgomery, I will require that she stay on my premises for three days."

"Three days? Can you make any change in that time?"

"With my methods, absolutely. Most of that will be spent teaching and lecturing her on how to be a more responsible and polite young lady. Don't worry, Collin; I'll not be whacking away at your ward. She will be learning many lessons about what her behavior should be like while at school as well as with you."

"I see I've met someone who's serious about his work."

"Indeed." Again, that smile. "Unfortunately, my services do come at a cost. Although I do feel rewarded by my work, I just can't do it pro-bono. You understand, of course."

Here it comes. "How much are we talking about here, Mr. Cox?"

"Not as much as you would fear, Collin. I charge on a sliding scale depending on results. And I do get them. In most cases, it would be a fraction of what you'd pay for a year of tuition. Should we now have Miss Yeager join us and see if she is agreeable?"

This man wastes no time. I guess I have no objections up to this point, so I call out to her. There's that long wait again. Finally, she enters the room slowly. Maybe cautiously is closer to what she's doing. Her eyes sweep back and forth at the both of us distrustfully. "What do you want?"

"Please come here," I say as sternly as I can manage. "We have something to discuss."

Sally pauses at the far end of the couch but comes no closer.

"Yeager!" The teen jumps at Mr. Cox's commanding tone. He didn't shout, but there's a force behind it. "Do as your guardian says and stand before us!"

Sally actually looks shocked for a moment, but then immediately scoots over to a central spot in the room. I observe all of this and lean back in my seat. Thinking that the former professor might actually make a difference, I watch as he stands and addresses my charge.

"You have been given a last chance by your Headmaster, Yeager. One last chance to mend your ways. Listening to the account given by your guardian, I can say that I'm not surprised it has come to this. And don't think I have forgotten your antics in my class as well. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Yeager?"

Her eyes dart back and forth at us but then grow sullen. She shrugs in a shocking display of disregard for her situation. "You can't do anything to me."

Mr. Cox watches her a moment more and then turns to me. "It's just as I thought. No respect for authority. No respect, even with the threat of expulsion looming. You would agree with my assessment?"

I nod. Now I'm becoming convinced that Sally really needs to learn her place. Could this man do it?

"Yeager, do you wish to return to your school?"

"Yes," she responds simply.

"Are you sure? I didn't hear much conviction in your answer." There's now an edge in his voice.

Sighing, Sally looks at the old man more directly. "Yes, sir. I wish to go back to my school. Please," she adds almost as an afterthought.

"Not much better, Yeager. Now, if you agree to my terms as well as the Headmaster's, then you will be staying with me for a short while."

I can tell it took a moment for that to sink into her brain. "What?" she finally asks, clearly shocked. "With you?!"

"Yes, Yeager. Because that's what it's going to take to keep you from being expelled from Warrington," the man replies harshly. "Unless, of course, you want to be sent to a boarding school?"

"Will I be punished?" she asks fairly stupidly, I think. "How will I be punished?" she corrects herself.

"In a similar way to your school-skipping classmates," Cox says sternly. "With additional lessons spread over three days to give you time to ponder the consequences of your behavior."

Sally didn't immediately reply. What's going through her head? Probably trying to think of a way out of this. It's time for me to enter the fray. "You do realize, Sally, that this is the only way we can salvage something from this mess you've gotten both of us into. We have to be thankful to Mr. Cox for being prepared to be part of the solution." I know I'm being a bit cynical; but so what?

The girl frowns. "You want me to go alone with this man?"

"Again, no respect. I have a female assistant that will make sure everything is perfectly legal, Yeager, so you won't need to worry about that." Mr. Cox rises and stands in front of the obstinate young lady. "Think hard about your activities these last few months. I'll give you a moment."

Sally purses her lips and looks to me. "Is there no other way?"

"No. Not with how things are at home and school," I reply as steadfastly as I can.

The frown grows on her face, but she finally shrugs, signaling her willingness to subject herself to three days of discipline at the hands of Thaddeus Cox.

"Tell me something, Yeager. Have you ever received corporal punishment before?" I actually take a bit of offense at the suggestion.

"No, sir," she replies, becoming very subdued. "Not like...like in school," she qualifies.

"What you mean is that you have never received a formal caning, with a rod, by a person in authority over you," the sharp-tongued disciplinarian prompts her.

"No, never," she murmurs faintly.

I can tell that the former professor is slowly putting my well-built charge in her place. Psychologically at this stage, with the promise of a more physical imposition of authority looming. I never saw the girl acting this way before. At least not unless she was trying to get something out of me. The guilt I felt earlier is slowly being replaced with admiration now that I've seen a bit of Mr. Cox's technique.

"Have you ever witnessed anyone else receive a caning?" The old man seems to ask knowingly. I see a look of incredulity on her face, and the former teacher feigns sudden realization. "Oh yes. How could I ever forget? You were probably my most frequent female detention occupant. So you would have heard a certain male peer receiving a taste of what you are going to experience."

"Yes, sir," was all that the teenager could offer as a response.

"Yes, sir, indeed," he mimics. "We will have to see what kind of lesson I can impress on you, Yeager. We wouldn't want you to revert to your current habits, would we?"

The schoolgirl says nothing for a few tangible seconds. "I'm going to try to be a better person." It would be more convincing if she wasn't mumbling. Mr. Cox's work is going to be cut out for him. Undeterred, the old man continues.

"Are you going to improve your behavior in the home, especially as regards your hard-working and providing stepfather?" he asks, gesturing towards me.

"Yes. I will." At least I could clearly hear that.

"I'm told that you have made very serious insinuations about your guardian. I think you know what I'm talking about."

I feel a bit uneasy that this subject has been raised. I've no idea how she might react.