Jaylee had always been a straight-A honor student, and had just gotten her schedule for her senior year. It was okay, except for having to take a class with all freshmen, and a remedial course at that. It was just a function of moving at least once a year, and transferring into a school that required World History for graduation. It wasn't her fault the tiny Texas town had voted that a freshman class. So while all the other seniors were taking American History (the class *she* had had as a freshman) she would be stuck in a dummy class.
Moving so many times had also ruined her eligibility to play basketball, but she still went to the court to burn off steam. The sun gleaming off her blonde hair, she hit free throws with gunshot accuracy. Her steady rhythm was broken by a man joining on the court. Wordlessly, they began to play one on one, and seemed to match each other shot for shot.
An hour later, they introduced themselves.
"I'm Pat Miller, and you play good for a girl," he teased. "I'm Jaylee, and you're not bad for a guy," she teased back.
With a few more pleasantries exchanged, they agreed to another game the following day. Jaylee was glad. She didn't know many people yet, and he had said he was new in town as well. She guessed him to be about 25, and compared to her knees, which already had scars from one reconstruction, he had the cutest knees she had seen.
"Guess this is my last one for awhile Pat. School starts next week."
"For me too. What grade are you in?"
"I'm a senior this year. I'm so ready to be out of high school, so I can go to college."
"You're kinda young aren't you?"
"I'm almost 16," Jaylee stammered. "I kinda skipped two grades."
Pat laughed, "Well, for an egghead you sure can play ball. Are you on the team?"
"Nooooo...I'm not eligible. We just moved here and nobody knows me, besides, I have to sit out part of the season 'cause I'm a transfer."
It was Pat's turn to buy Pepsis, and as he walked off he said, "Oh and Jaylee, I'm new to the school too. Maybe we'll run into each other."
A few days later, Jaylee went through the traditional first day of school. English would be okay. Mrs. Jones might be a hundred years old, but she seemed to be a good teacher. Besides, Jaylee really liked literature. Second period, she had Advanced Physics, third was Speech and Drama, followed by Physics 4th period. Fifth period was the late lunch, and she didn't mind so much. Sixth was going to be World History, and 7th Yearbook. If it weren't for that dumb history class, it would be a decent schedule.
Jaylee went in and found a seat in the middle. She didn't want to be on the back row, but didn't want on the front. Basically she just wanted to blend in. Obviously that was going to be hard, since 80% of the class was male, and virtually all of them were running late. Her eyes nearly popped when she saw him walk in.
"Hi, I'm Coach Miller, and this is World History. A few of you I've already met on the football field, and one young lady on the basketball court...."
He did the usual introductions, distributed books, and the bell rang. As Jaylee walked out, he caught her, "Wanna play ball after school? Some of the coaches are playing pickup, and I could use a ringer on my team."
"Um...I'd like to, but I don't have a ride except for my mom. She'll be here after school."
"We live in the same neighborhood. If it's okay with your mom, I'll drop you off. We will probably play every day."
Jaylee didn't stay that day, but found herself playing with the coaches and a few other guys most afternoons. It was strange, nobody ever questioned her being the only girl on the court, and the physical activity felt good.
"So how'd you end up in my class Jaylee? You're obviously wayyyyy too smart for that group. Even if you need the class I figured you'd be in my Honors Class in the morning."
Jaylee explained her situation to him, and there seemed to be an easy routine beginning. It was strange. He never really flirted with her, but there always seemed to be gentle teasing back and forth. It was clear she was a teacher's pet in World History, but most of the people in the class either didn't notice or didn't care.
They had a game. He would write lecture notes on the board, and she would come in and edit...correcting his spelling and punctuation. Sometimes it was like he made intentional mistakes. In the spring, the basketball games shifted to lunchtime, and the best part about spring was Jaylee's getting a driver's license and a car. She'd actually gotten the license October, but it wasn't until March that she got the car.
Senioritis struck not long after Easter, and she worked hard only in the challenging classes. She had acceptances at a dozen or more colleges with full scholarships, and so she was ready to move on. It was about then she started getting a little more defiant. She'd argue test questions with Coach Miller, even in front of other students, started coming in late to class, and never brought her books. In spite of that she had a 107 average thanks to extra credit questions on the exams.
Coach started cracking down on tardies and not coming to class prepared, and several students ended up with detention.
On a given Wednesday, Jaylee came in late for the third time that week. He calmly handed her a detention slip. "See you after school Jaylee. Don't be late."
Jaylee stared at the blue slip, and decided to go on home after 7th period. After all, they were friends, and he wouldn't really do anything. He knew she was just bored.
The following day, Jaylee saw him on the basketball court at lunch time. "Missed you yesterday Jaylee. I'll see you after class today." And with that he beat her on a jump shot.
Class seemed to drag, but finally the bell rang, and it was only the two of them.
"Jaylee...you didn't come to detention yesterday."
"No...Pat...I mean Coach...it wasn't that big a deal. My grades are fine, so what difference should it make when I come to class. I could skip the rest of the term and still have an A."
"Grades aren't the only issue here. You're going to college next year, and you won't be able to blow off classes. I'm sure you put lots of effort into your others...why not mine?"
Jaylee sighed, "It's not you, it's just that it's almost so easy I don't need to study. I listen in class, and can remember enough from what I read that I don't have to do anything else."
"You know that you're getting more smart-mouthed and defiant, and you're not setting a very good example..."
Looking down, Jaylee said, "I know. I'm sorry."
"Now young lady, you've put me in an awkward position. Copies of detention slips go to the office, and I have to report when students don't show up. I'll bet your grades are good enough that you are exempt from finals, but if you have a detention no-show, you'll lose that status. I somehow don't think you want to be explaining why the valedictorian is having to take finals..."
"No...please don't make me have to do that."
"I've been thinking. Here's the deal. You know you can trade three licks for detention, either with me or the principal. I vote you do three for the detention you missed, and another three instead of the additional detention I could give you for skipping out yesterday. What do you say?"
Jaylee was quiet for a long time. Kids got licks all the time, and it wasn't *that* big a deal, but she hadn't had any since she was a freshman and Mr. Holland popped her for throwing that eraser at him.
"Okay. Deal."
"Here's a pass to 7th period. Come by here after school when everyone has cleared out."
Jaylee watched the clock in the darkroom, and heard everyone else leaving when the bell rang. She hung up her prints to dry, and remixed the chemicals. Finally there was nothing else to do, and she locked up. There were a few people lingering in the hall as she walked to his room.
"Hi..." she said, seeing him writing the next day's lesson on the board. He finished the work, and sat on his desk facing her.
"You ready Jaylee?", and he saw her nod.
"Bend over the desk, and reach toward the other side. Three licks. Don't move until I tell you to."
Jaylee slowly walked up to the desk and bent over, her Levi's stretching taut across her bottom. He watched how nervously she was fidgeting, and decided she had waited long enough.
She felt the wooden paddle brush her backside, as if her were lining up a shot, and she mentally and physically tensed.
CRACK! And even though she had been warned, she jumped, but quickly bent over again. The other two licks followed quickly, almost without giving her chance to breathe and recover.
"All done missy. You can get up now. Did you feel that?"
"Yes sir...."
"Ooohhhh sir? I must have made an impression." he laughed. "Here, you can sign the paddle. You've earned it."
Jaylee smiled back, and took a marker from him.
"I gotta go. Some unreasonable Coach gave a lot of History homework."
"See you tomorrow in class Jaylee...and after school too."
"Okay."
Jaylee waited until she got in the hall, and rubbed her bottom. Those licks hurt, but she hated to let him know. She didn't know it, but he saw from inside the classroom.
The next day, Jaylee was preoccupied all day. She had been doing some thinking, and she really hadn't been very fair to him. He was a teacher after all, and also her friend. She had decided that maybe she did really deserve the three extra licks.
Thursdays were lunchtime basketball, and Jaylee joined the group in the gym. She was definitely distracted and off her game, but was doing okay. At a break in the action, she was getting a drink, when he asked if she were okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about a lot of stuff. I think I'm going to head on over to the main building. See you in class."
Coach Miller watched her leaving, and as a result of not paying full attention, was undercut by another player. Seconds later, he was on the court with a swelling ankle.
The sixth period bell rang, and Jaylee was already in her seat with book open, taking down some notes from the board. She looked up in surprise when Coach Elliott walked in. He was Jaylee's Physics teacher, and History was clearly out of his area.
"Jaylee, come here."
Oh great, now what, she thought as she went to the front of the room. "Miller can't play worth anything when you aren't on his team. Looks like he broke an ankle, and he's gone to the hospital. He wants you to lead the discussion for class today."
Jaylee did, and after class walked up to Coach Elliott. "Umm Coach? Miller's not mad at me is he?"
"No, don't be silly. Why would you think that?"
"No reason. See you tomorrow."
Friday morning, Jaylee got to school early and went straight to his room. There he was, trying to write on the board and balance on crutches.
"Hey Coach...looks like you could use a few lessons on those things. I have a lot of experience."
"Jaylee! What are you doing here so early? You're not that interested in History. Talk to me while you write the rest of this on the board."
"Well...this is kinda hard for me. I came by because I wanted to apologize for being such a pain the last few weeks. I realized the other night that I'd been taking advantage of our friendship outside the classroom, and I wasn't being a very good student in any way other than grades. I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted."
"Coach? I still have those three licks coming...."
"Yes, you do. But until I get off crutches, they'll have to wait, unless you want one of the other coaches or the principal to do it."
"Nooooooo! It's between us and it isn't right for someone else to punish me."
"Well, think of this as three licks and a promise. I promise I'll give them to you, with interest if you aren't a good girl the rest of the year."
"Deal."
Even though she couldn't quite put her finger on it, something had changed between them. The rest of the year was a whirlwind, with senior activities and graduation. After ceremonies, he slipped a card in her hand, and later that night when all the relatives had finally gone to bed and the house was quiet, she slipped it out.
It was a very simple card of congratulations, and on the inside, he had written, "I still owe you three..."
A year and a half later, on her 18th birthday, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to the dorms. She was a college sophomore who had a reputation as being a serious student with no time for a social life. Her only extra-curricular activity was playing intramural basketball, and even that was limited at times. Flowers delivered to *her* created quite a stir in her suite. She slipped out the card, and recognized the writing. "I always keep my promises....will you have dinner with me?" and it was signed "Coach".
The weekend came, and she greeted him in the lobby when he came to pick her up. When she got in his car, she saw the old paddle in the back seat, and wasn't surprised when they stopped in at a classroom building.
"Let's go. We still have some unfinished business."
They went into the deserted building, and found the first available classroom. He took a position behind the lectern.
"Young lady, get yourself bent over that desk. You have three licks coming that are long overdue."
Jaylee nodded, "Yes, we do."
She bent over the desk, Levis taught across her cheeks as they had been before. In the intervening time, the womanly curves had become more pronounced. He turned to the board and began a standard lecture, of how she'd been irresponsible and how he was going to give her the three licks she'd tried to get out of in the past.
Jaylee didn't say a word, but when he turned back around, he saw the Levis around her knees, and a backside covered only in very skimpy red bikini panties facing him.
He wasted no time, popping her hard three times, and then running his hand across her upturned cheeks. He turned her around and took her in his arms, kissing her softly.
"Oh and Jaylee...I intend to give you a birthday spanking bare later tonight."
They lay together in the nicest hotel room in town after her birthday spanking and some nice other presents. They'd talked late into the night, and he was taking a job at semester at a college in a neighboring town.
"I've been waiting on you to turn 18, and now that you have, I think it's going to take a LONG time to pay back the interest on those three licks -- and THAT'S a PROMISE."
Postscript
This story is based on a r/l incident. Everything up to graduation is a mostly
accurate reporting, and the rest is retroactive fantasy. Oh, and Coach Miller...you
know where to find me if you ever decide to keep that promise.