The strokes of the new year

There were thirty or so of them at St. Mary’s to see in the New Year. Their families lived abroad – posted far and wide on behalf of Her Majesty or for some multinational corporation. Some of the girls had flown home for Christmas, but headed back to England early. Other parents had travelled here for the festivities with their daughters, but pressures of work had dragged them back to far-flung climes as soon as Boxing Day had passed.

The girls been allowed to stay up late. A pyjama-clad picnic in the sixth-form common room was the order of the night; after all, the catering staff weren’t going to come in to cook when they could be celebrating in the pub. Music was turned up loud; they sang, danced, hugged, counted down the minutes towards midnight.And then the Headmaster had walked in. Smiling, festive. Until he’d noticed the bottle of vodka.

She waited in the dark corridor, alone. She was cold, her dressing gown too thin to keep out the end-of-year chill in the near-empty school.

She could hear their laughter in the distance, and then the cheers. It must be midnight: the new year had come.

He’d be here in a moment, once he’d wished the others well for the coming twelve months. “You, of all people, should understand the rules about alcohol,” he’d said. Prefects should set an example, he’d added. She knew the punishment. She should go and wait outside his study.

How many would he give her? Four? Six? Would he permit her the modesty of her dressing gown, her pyjama bottoms, or punish her on the bare? Over his desk (like the only other time she’d been here to be punished, two years before), or bent over touching her toes?

She heard footsteps; stood up straight. “Ah, Emma,” he exclaimed, as he fumbled in a pocket for his keys. “Come in. Let’s get this over with quickly, shall we?”

We hope you like our little end of year story – and enjoy your new year’s celebrations this evening, wherever you may be. We wish you every happiness for 2009!

2 thoughts on “The strokes of the new year

  • 1 January, 2009 at 12:38 am
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    A very happy New Year…may your blogging hands never weaken!

    Reply

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