Story: The New School (Part 1)

THE NEW SCHOOL
By Tcheser
Part 1

Miss Amelia Greystoke had just turned eighteen when she was told by her uncle and godfather that she would not be returning to her beloved private school that fall, but would instead be attending another school up in Scotland. Naturally she didn't want to go, but he was her uncle and until she was twenty one and inherited her father's title and estate, he was in charge.

On the train trip up to her new school, Amelia met two other girls who were also heading there. The first was a Ms. Meredith Periwinkle, a girl Amelia's age with dark brown hair nearly as long as her own vibrant blonde hair. Her family was in manufacturing down in Leeds and her father had recently married a much younger woman, so she was somewhat glad to get out of the house. The second was a fair skinned girl with curly red hair. Her name was Zoë, and although she didn't look it, she was nearly twenty and already married. Though she was well off, her lordly husband unfortunately believed she needed more education. They passed the time telling each other stories about their last school and wondering what their new school was going to be like.

When they arrived they were met by a stern faced matron who took them inside, but made them each carry their own luggage. After that they were each led into a separate room to meet with what the matron called a warden. Confused, but certain all would soon be explained, they said goodbye to one another and did as they were told.

The wardens they found were just that. They were brusque and short with the girls and immediately ordered them to take off all their clothes. Amelia made the mistake of asking her warden, a tall woman in a stiff blue uniform who looked not much older than herself , what was going on. For her insolence the warden grabbed her by her long blonde hair, threw her over her desk, and spanked her bottom with a leather strap. Only when she was in tears and promised to do as she was told did the woman stop. And when she was told again to take off her clothes she quickly did as she was told. Once naked the warden inspected her, inside and out, and then made her sit naked on a stool while she cut her hair.

When the girls saw each other again they hardly recognized one another. Gone were their fancy clothes, high heeled shoes, jewelry, long fingernails and most importantly their lovely hair. They had each been given a short rather ragged pudding basin haircut. And like Amelia both of the other girls had been strapped. Their sore red behinds made that abundantly clear. None of them understood what was happening. This wasn't what they had expected at all.

They weren't allowed to console one another for long though as their trio of wardens quickly prodded them down a long hallway, still naked, and into a large bathroom. Here they were led into a communal shower, tossed cakes of carbolic soap and told to wash. They were ordered to pay special attention to removing any and all makeup as that was not allowed at this school. Doing so led them to have burning eyes as the soap was quite powerful.

After their hellish shower they were then handed their school uniforms and ordered to dress. Not wishing to have another session with the warden's straps, they did as they were told despite the sorry state of what they were given to wear. All of it was horrid and none of it was comfortable or anywhere near to new. The stiff collared yellow blouses were faded from too many washes, the dumpy green serge gymslips moth eaten, the unflattering cotton knickers and restraining vests gray rather than white, and the itchy green knee socks and clunky brown oxfords simply dreadful. Green and yellow neckties were then distributed and they were shown the proper way to tie them which left them all gasping for air.

This left only their blazers, but these the warden's didn't pass out. Instead they waited for headmistress Raynott to arrive. When she did she passed them out taking a moment to appraise each girl like a piece of meat she disapproved of on general principal. She was herself middle aged and of about medium height, but very solidly built, like a coal miner. She told them where they were. St. Glover's school for wayward girls. Then while that was still sinking in she told them what they should expect from their stay.

"You should expect discipline, hard work and humility," she informed them in her powerful stentorian voice, "And above all you should expect to be here for some time. You are here because you have angered or disappointed someone in the outside world and you will stay here until that person desires that you should return or you are deemed no longer to pose any danger to these upstanding citizens."

"You are no longer who you were when you arrived. You are now simply wayward girls of St. Glover's. You should try to forget your past. Forget even your names. Henceforth you will go by the names that we give you." she told them and then pointing to each one of them in turn she gave them their new names. "You will be Polly, Madge and Clover. Now work hard and obey the rules and you might just leave here some day." That said the headmistress turned abruptly and left. Their classmates would have to explain anything else they needed to know.

Now known as Polly, Amelia was led out of the bathroom into the hallway followed by what had once been Meredith and Zoë, but were now Madge and Clover respectively.