Ars Puniendi

Ars Puniendi Part 1

By Terosk

* * * * *
This work is intended for ADULTS ONLY. It may contain depictions of sexual activity involving minors. If you are not of a legal age in your locality to view such material or if such material does not appeal to you, do not read further, and do not save this story.
* * * * *

Short synopsis
An innovative disciplinarian struggles to find the perfect punishment for three boys who haven’t responded to the more conventional disciplinary measures as outlined in the school handbook. He therefore custom designs a punishment, with full parental consent, to compel the boys to undergo the same embarrassment that they had forced upon one of their classmates. His sincere goal is to have the three boys better understand the nature of empathy, a core value of the school. Things seem to go well …at first.

PROLOGUE - MR. INNOVATA

PART I - THEO
Chapter 1 The Prank
Chapter 2 The Parental “Chat”
Chapter 3 The Reveal
Chapter 4 Thane’s Turn
Chapter 5 Art Class
Chapter 6 Apology

PART II - THANE
Chapter 7 Gym Class
Chapter 8 Arthur
Chapter 9 Unexpected Irony

PART III - TYLER
Chapter 10 Defiance [Mr. Innovata]
Chapter 11 A Victory [Tyler]
Chapter 12 At Home
Chapter 13 Day of Reckoning
Chapter 14 The Choice
Chapter 15 Adelaide & Angelina
Chapter 16 Creative Writing
Chapter 17 Math
Chapter 18 History Class [Thane]
Chapter 19 Embracing Fully [Tyler]
Chapter 20 Unexpected Offer [Mr. Innovata]
Chapter 21 A Hurried Lunch [Tyler]
Chapter 22 Excursion to Lower School
Chapter 23 Ms. Stewart’s Health Class
Chapter 24 Awkward Q&A
Chapter 25 A Battle of Wits
Chapter 26 Administrative Censure [Mr. Innovata]
Chapter 27 Letter of Apology
Chapter 28 Coaches Wisdom
Chapter 29 Target Practice
Chapter 30 Naked Contagion
Chapter 31 Reconciling with Father
Chapter 32 Sleepover

PROLOGUE

Mr. James Innovata – School psychologist & Head of discipline

It was a difficult conversation – she was right of course; those three boys were genuine trouble and I had to figure out some way to set them straight. Her anger was justified; her kid had been humiliated, and her family inconvenienced in a big way. I let her rant a bit more before I gently interrupted and assured her that while the school had made efforts in the past months to discipline these boys, I was fully aware that more had to be done. I begged her to be patient as I sorted through the details and decide on an appropriately serious and yet educationally sound punishment.

I knew these three boys all too well. They had each been summoned to my office before for a litany of minor breaches of school policy (dress code, cell phone use during school hours, gum, being late to class etc.) and a few more serious offenses like disrupting class, bullying other students, and disobeying teachers. They even once managed to throw one science class into disarray by uploading a sexually explicit video to start playing halfway through class – that was primarily Tyler’s doing, but the other two clearly were more than willing accomplices. They all spent a Saturday in detention for that, and Tyler was suspended for a day, but somehow these boys weren’t getting the message.

So it was that I had a full day in front of me. My first call was to Theo’s parents. When his mother picked up, she was immediately apprehensive that I was on the other end. “Oh dear, what has Theo done this time?” I explained, “Well, Mrs. Anderson, it seems that your son was, as usual, with his buddies Thane and Tyler, and at the end of gym class last period, they decided to play a prank on another boy who happened to be taking a shower. They hid his clothes, absconded with his towel, and taunted him briefly before racing off. The boy was in a total panic and totally humiliated. His mother, by the way, is really angry – she had planned to pick him up immediately after that class for an important appointment downtown. The poor kid ended up wandering naked down the hallway looking for anyone who might rescue him.

Thankfully Miss Hardon was in her room preparing for the following morning – she was a bit shocked when this boy, wholly unclothed, entered in tears begging for help. She told me the child was beside himself not just because he was naked, but terrified that his mother was going to kill him for being late. Miss Hardon called the mother explaining her son’s predicament, somehow managed to find some clothes for the boy, and escorted him out to his mother who was livid at the school for allowing this sort of thing to happen.”

“Oh dear, oh dear – I’m so sorry. That’s awful. Please punish him however you see fit and know that his father and I will have a very serious talking to Theo tonight. …though to be honest, we’ve had some serious talks with him in the recent weeks and he doesn’t seem to respond. Cliff and I are not sure how best to proceed. Do you have any ideas? …And perhaps if you give me the name of the poor boy, I can call to apologize.”

“Hold on just a second, Mrs. Anderson; it isn’t you who needs to apologize, but Theo. And I do have an idea that may begin to get across to young Theo just how out of line and inappropriate his behavior is, but in order to give it a try, I’ll need your direct support and approval.”

“What’s your idea? for we’re a bit desperate on this end and would love some help to straighten him out.”

“Here’s my idea: Please know it is a bit out of the ordinary. Usually making a child sit in total silence for two hours on a Saturday morning like Theo endured last weekend sends an adequate message, but to your point, it hasn’t seemed to work. It is my philosophy that the most effective punishments are those that teach lessons - we are an educational institution after all. So, what I’d like is to devise some punishment for Theo that forces him out of his own shoes and into the shoes of the boy who was victim of this cruel prank. Perhaps then he can better understand how his actions affect others. I’m looking for a punishment that compels him to endure the ignominy and embarrassment that he and his buddies forced on someone else.” I paused a second to listen for some reaction but there was only silence. I now got to the specifics of my idea.

“So, this is what I need you to approve: At lunchtime tomorrow, I’ll summon your son to my office and carefully review once again the specifics of the unfortunate affair and focus his mind on the golden rule, that we ought to do unto others what we want done to ourselves. I’ll remind him that empathy is a core value of this school and that his punishment is designed to help him learn this critical lesson. There will be a box on the table with his name on it. I’ll ask him to remove his clothes, place them in the box and then I’ll usher him to a seat in the hall outside my office where, after a bit, the art teacher, Mr. Kirby, will take him to an upper school drawing class. He’ll spend the period modeling for 10 upper school students. At the conclusion of that he’ll be escorted back to a desk outside my office where he’ll write an essay on the nature of empathy, as well as a note of apology to the young man who was victimized by all this. Once he’s done that, he’ll return to my office, get dressed and head out to soccer practice. …so, I need to know if you’ll support this unusual disciplinary approach.”

“Well, I must admit that it is an unusual punishment, especially in this day and age, but I admit also that it seems well thought out and fitting for what Theo was involved in. I do hope it does the trick. You have my full blessing.”

“Thank you – Please know that I think Theo is at heart a great kid and will become a great adult as well if we can get him off the negative path he’s now traveling. Rest assured that I will do all I can to frame the punishment in such a way that the message gets through to him. However, I’d like your help on the home front. Would you be willing to set the stage for tomorrow by sitting Theo down tonight and letting him know that you and I have had this lengthy discussion and that together we’ve agreed to employ the “creative punishment” option of the disciplinary code in the student handbook. It is important that he understand that we’re both on the same page with this. But please don’t give any specifics as to what the punishment will be. Just let him know that you love him unconditionally and that you expect him to cooperate fully with everything I ask him to do so that he learns the lesson that has been tailor made for him.”

“I most certainly will …and I thank you once again for your time on this. I’m so sorry that our son was a part of such thoughtless and cruel prank.”

***

My first call had gone well. I knew Mrs. Anderson quite well and had anticipated her cooperation. I next called Thane’s mom and expected and thankfully received much the same response. We had talked a lot in the past few weeks, and I knew she was as frustrated with her son as we were. She said she’d call her husband and that the two of them would sit down with Thane that evening to discuss his poor behavior and insist that he cooperate fully with whatever was asked of him tomorrow.

My plan for Thane was much the same as with Theo except I was thinking that he might profit more from a gym class that would force him to be more out in the open and active. I had called Mr. Brigham to alert him to Thane’s proposed “creative punishment” and he agreed to take on the challenge, hoping that the rest of the class wouldn’t be too distracted by one of their classmates doing calisthenics in the nude.

Next on my list was Tyler’s mother – she and I also had spoken frequently in the past months and while she had a habit of making excuses for her son, she was beginning to realize the severity of the Tyler’s transgressions and that if things didn’t change, there could be some very serious consequences indeed. In our last conversation (prompted by that sexually explicit video disruption in science class,) I made clear that one more transgression would lead to a likely suspension. So, it is not a surprise that when her secretary informed her that I was on the line, she was apprehensive to say the least.

“Hello, Mr. Innovata,” she spoke flatly, “I know that you wouldn’t be calling me unless Tyler has transgressed again.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“OK – I’m incredibly busy right now so cut to the chase; what did he do?”

“Took a classmate’s clothes while he was in the shower along with the towel. When the boy objected, Tyler mocked him with some choice words denigrating his manhood, and then ran out of the building leaving the kid to wander the hallways in his birthday suit until he could find a teacher to rescue him.” ...then I added, “he ended up missing an appointment he had downtown, and the kid’s mother is livid and demanding justice.”

“Boys will be boys, …but I admit that this is over the line. Tyler will have to be punished.”

“For sure,” I said, “but, as you are no doubt aware, we’ve been down that road now for a while. The demerits have piled up, he’s spent many afternoons in the penalty box, served a rare Saturday detention last weekend and even suffered an ‘in-school’ suspension for a day.” The next step according to our student handbook will have him suspended for at least two days and placed on disciplinary probation for the rest of the month, which will mean he will no longer eligible to represent the school in any extracurricular activity including the varsity tennis matches scheduled for April. Furthermore, all suspensions represent “serious breaches of school norms” and as such, a note to that effect will become a permanent part of a Tyler’s record which may hurt him down the road as he begins applying for colleges.”

I let the litany of negative consequences sink in for a few moments before adding, “What a shame – I know that Tyler was genuinely excited to have made the varsity team as an 8^th grader. Not many students have the talent to do that. But I am afraid that that’s the next official step on the disciplinary ladder, and any infraction whatsoever after that, the consequence would be even worse, possibly expulsion. Please understand, Mrs. Formale, I’m so very sorry to have to call you today with this unhappy news, and interrupt your busy day, but let’s keep in mind that it is your son Tyler’s poor choices that have put us in this position and unless we can find some alternative punishment, I will have to follow school protocol.”

There was a lengthy pause before she found her voice, “what do you mean by ‘unless we can find some alternative punishment?”

“Well, there is an asterisk. It looks like there’s a footnote in the handbook that suggests that in extreme or unusual circumstances, the disciplinarian will be permitted to devise a punishment more fitting to the infraction that has occurred, but that any such punishment before being implemented must receive full parental approval.

“Ok – what do you have in mind?”

I noted with some amusement that she ‘cut to the chase’ herself and pleased that she had taken the bait. So, I went on to explain exactly what I had said to Theo and Thane’s mothers, only Tyler was going to spend his adventure in a science class focused on human anatomy.”

“That may be a fitting punishment, I suppose, but I fear he won’t go along with it. He’s a bit shy when it comes to his body, and he can be very stubborn. I’ve been struggling at home trying to get him to do anything I ask, and I just don’t see him willing to go along with your plan.”

“I am inclined to agree – in my all too frequent interactions with your son over the last few months, Tyler proves himself as stubborn as they come, and unresponsive to suggestion which is exactly why he’s put himself, and us, in this untenable position. We certainly don’t have to go this alternative route; we can stick with suspension and probation if you prefer, but I did want at least for you to know about the other option.”

“Ok – let me call my husband. Alfred is better at getting through to Tyler, but he’s out of town on business at the moment. I hope he answers. I’ll get back to you within the hour. …and I am very sorry about all this.”

OK, I thought to myself, this might actually happen. I was nervous; following protocol is safe and easy, but not necessarily effective. My creative approach, I am convinced, had a chance to work better but only if it is done with great care to ensure the right lessons is learned. My goal was to awaken them to one of the school’s core values, empathy. It was okay to embarrass them, but only if that served the larger educational goal. So now I had to figure out the specifics on how best to orchestrate the events for tomorrow. And as I began to formulate in my mind the most advantageous chronology, the phone rang.

Mrs. Formale cut to the chase, “Alfred is on board with your plan …and wants me to say “thanks” for all the time and effort you are investing in helping set Tyler on a better path. We both very much hope it works.”

“I do too, and you can rest assured that I’ll do all I can to make sure the appropriate lesson is learned from this punishment. I do hope however that you or perhaps your husband can sit down with him tonight to reinforce the message that what he did was way out of line and that when he meets with me tomorrow, he’ll be ready to cooperate fully.”

“Alfred won’t be available, but I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Formale. I will touch base with you at the end of the day tomorrow to let you know how things went.”

***

PART I

THEO

Chapter 1 - The Prank

I was hanging out as always with my two buddies, Tyler & Thane. I am a bit on the shy side by nature but being a part of this trio gives me a sense that I belong, and the rest of my 8^th grade class seems to give a begrudging respect to the three of us. …not because of me of course, though I wish it were; it is because of Tyler - he’s really cool and confident, super smart and above all funny. Everybody thinks so, even the teachers laugh, …well, most of the time at least. He’s also one of the best athletes in the grade and is so good at tennis that he’s earned a spot on the upper school varsity – way cool!

So it was that I met up with Thane and Tyler on Monday afternoon at the end of their gym class. Then, as we were about to leave the locker room, we heard the unusual sound of some kid taking a shower. No middle school kid, as far as any of us knew, had ever taken a shower at school! None of us certainly had; we’d never risk letting anyone see us naked. So, of course, we had to check out who it was, but we didn’t really need to go into the shower to figure it out since the kid’s clothes were still in a pile by his open locker; it was Arthur Little, a perfectly nice quiet kid in our class. Tyler, always keen on playing a prank when the opportunity presented itself, suggested we hide the kid’s clothes, so he grabbed the pile of gym clothes on the bench and tossed them up on top of the corner lockers. He then reached into the locker and grabbed Arthur’s school clothes and threw them into another corner of the room – they were entirely out of sight unless you stood on top of the bench on tiptoes. He then turned to us and said, “Hey, maybe we should sneak into the shower and grab the kid’s towel as well – that’ll be so funny.” Thane didn’t hesitate and quickly ran into the showers and returned towel in hand handing it to Tyler. We all laughed and headed for the exit. Arthur suddenly appeared stark naked and shouted at us – it was really awesome funny.

Tyler smirked as he twirled the towel in his hand and said with a laugh, “So Arthur Little, it looks like your anatomy matches your last name. I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your towel for a bit.” Then he signaled to us that it was time to go, and he added as we left, “I suggest you air dry or maybe just use your clothes… if you can find them.”

I love how Tyler is so cool and confident and daring. How we laughed seeing Arthur so helplessly naked looking at us in disbelief and thinking of how he was going to have to wander around in that state. He chased us to the locker room exit and poked his head out the door pleading with us, but we were by then well on our way across the crowded campus green. We looked back briefly at him and waved as if being friendly. It was a great afternoon – we laughed so hard. And we were still laughing about it the next day too, at least until Ms. Hardon cornered us after first period math class and marched us down to the main office. We were forced to sit in the hallway for a while before Mr. Innovata appeared out of nowhere and ushered us into his office.

We all sat down on the bench opposite his desk; we’d all been there before. He called it the ‘penalty box.’ He just looked at us for a long time with a sad, slightly puzzled expression. “So, what exactly happened yesterday, my friends?” he asked and left the question hanging in the air unanswered as he looked at us each intently. He locked eyes with mine and I could feel my stomach doing flips. With one eyebrow raised, he gently called me out, “Theo, can you tell me what happened from the beginning.” I immediately turned to look at Tyler; he normally does the talking in these moments. “Please, Theo, keep your focus on me and answer the question.”

“I, …I guess you mean at the gym yesterday?” I stammered.

“Go on” he said again gently.

“Well, …the three of us, ...we were all together and decided to sort of play a prank I guess you’d call it.” my voice cracked and my stomach was doing full somersaults, but I continued and told him the rest of the story pretty much as it happened. Tyler did try to jump in at one point, but Mr. Innovata quieted him down with nothing more than a gesture. When I was done, he slowly turned his gaze onto Thane and asked if there was anything to add. Thane just shook his head. Tyler for once had little to say, adding only, “It was just a harmless prank was all.”

“Harmless? …well maybe … we may have to think on that a bit more.” Then after a thoughtful pause, “So, can you tell me what the word ‘empathy’ means?” None of us offered an answer and he continued, “Have you ever heard of ‘The golden rule’?” he waited this time for some response, and again looked us each in the eye. I stole a glance at the others, Thane was stone faced and Tyler just looked right back at him showing no emotion. He turned his gaze back on me, “Theo? You’re a very bright young man, at least according to your teachers, can you recite the golden rule for me, please.”

“Something about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I muttered.

He turned his gaze now on Thane, “Is that right?” and Thane, eyes averted, nodded a yes.” And you Tyler, Is Theo right?”

Tyler responded coolly, keeping his own eyes locked on Mr. Innovata’s, “Yes sir, Theo’s right.”

“OK – good, I’m glad you all know what the golden rule, and I am going to ask that you all spend some time this evening thinking about that as well as the meaning of empathy, which happens to be one of our school’s three primary values inscribed onto the motto on the tie you all are wearing around your neck and symbolized by the third stripe on your blazer. In any event, we’ll discuss all this more fully tomorrow. In the meantime, you are dismissed. Go back to class, finish up the school day in a manner that is fitting for those wearing our school uniform.” And with that he sent us on our way.

Chapter 2 - The Parental Chat

That evening, while I was doing my homework, there was a knock at my door and both my mother and father entered asking if they could have a little chat with me. If ever there is a red flag when you are a kid, it’s when your parents ask for ‘a chat.” Worse when that chat is prefaced by “little” and even worse than that if it’s both parents at the same time. I was in big trouble I knew it. “Yeah, sure, what’s up?” I said in as innocent voice as I could muster as they sat down together at the end of my bed.

“Well,” my mother began, “we spoke for quite a while with Mr. Innovata, and it seems you got yourself into a bit of trouble on Monday. Can you tell us why you spend so much time with Tyler and Thane – they clearly aren’t a good influence on you.”

“Come on mom, just stop with all that,” I responded, “we’ve been through this before. Tyler and Thane are my friends. They’re fun and funny and I enjoy spending time with them. You and dad have your friends. And it was just a prank after all, no reason to get so worked up about it.”

“But when we spend time with our friends,” my father interjected, “we don’t break rules and make other folks suffer. Listen, son, your mom and I love you more than you can know, and we believe you to be a genuinely good kid at heart, but that “prank” as you call it wasn’t at all funny. Be honest, would you like someone to do to you what you did to that kid?”

“Probably not, but it was just a joke” I said now with less conviction.

“Would you have been laughing if it were you wandering the halls in your birthday suite? …please be honest. You wouldn’t and you know it.” Dad looked at me with an eyebrow raised awaiting my agreement. I sort of nodded yes, but he pushed me further and said softly, “Please say that out loud, Theo.”

“No,” I slowly admitted, “you’re right, I wouldn’t.”

“So then,” my father continued, “When Mr. Innovata speaks with you tomorrow about this, we, your mother and I, trust that you’ll be open and honest with him as you now have with us, and furthermore, since you are guilty of participating in this misadventure for which a punishment is owed, you’ll fully cooperate with whatever creative punitive measure he has designed for you. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Dad,” I said, “I will. …but what exactly do you mean by ‘creative’?”

“Normal school protocol, Mr. Innovata explained to us, would have you suspended and put on probation for two weeks during which time you wouldn’t be allowed to represent the school in any extracurricular activity, which would include you missing the heart of the baseball season. Not good. But the student handbook allows for alternative punishments in unusual cases which are designed to be specific to the infraction and thus more educational in nature. He asked if we’d be interested in the alternative and, after hearing his plan, we both approved. So you’ll be in for an interesting day.”

“So, you know what’s going to happen to me?” and mom and dad both nodded matter of factly. “So, …what is it?”

“That, I’m afraid, we can’t tell you. You’ll find out tomorrow when the time is right.” said my father as my mother nodded looking at me with sympathy. Then he added, “So I suggest you now finish up your homework and go to bed. A good night sleep will be helpful. And remember this above all - your mother and father love you more than you can know.” And with that he got up, gave me a pat on the shoulder and left. My mother turned to me and gave me a big hug; I think I saw a tear in her eye. “We do love you, Theo; don’t you ever forget that. …and about tomorrow, you’ll be okay. you’ll get past it, and I honestly think it’ll help you in the long run.” and then she blew me a kiss and shut the door behind her.

“Holy shit,” I was thinking to myself, “how in the world am I to get a good night’s sleep after that. What the hell is going on?” …but I did finish up the last few problems on my math assignment, got under the covers, and turned off the light. My mind was racing for quite a while, anxious about what was in store for me tomorrow. But at the same time, I was consoled that my parents clearly loved me, and I knew they wouldn’t let anything really bad happen to me. And besides, my mother had assured me that I’d be alright. I surely hoped so.

Chapter 3 - The Reveal

The next morning, my mother fed me a good breakfast, gave me another hug with some reassuring words and I hopped on the bus. My mind was racing as I tried to anticipate what was to come – I was a bundle of nerves from head to toe. When Thane got on at the next stop, he joined me, and we compared notes on our the conversations we had had with our parents. Sounds like I got off easy. Thane’s mom was angry and had told him that he deserved what was coming and simply warned him that he had better cooperate fully or there would be hell to pay back home. Listening to him my stomach churned uneasily – I tried to console him by sharing my mother’s reassurances, but I’m not sure it did much good; he was in a total panic which in turn didn’t do much for my own psyche.

Once we got to school, we reluctantly headed for the office to check in and learn our fate, but Mr. Innovata simply smiled at us and told us that he’d call us when the time came and that we should go about our day as normal until then. So, we turned and headed off to homeroom and then to 1^st period class, then 2^nd, then 3^rd. I’ve got to be honest, I’m not sure I remember much if anything the teachers were saying. I did my best to pay attention of course, but I was forever looking at the classroom door expecting to be summoned to the office. Between 2^nd and 3^rd period, I managed to catch up with Tyler for a second and asked him what his parent conversation was like. He rolled his eyes and said dismissively, “My mom was pissed. She yelled at me for a bit telling me that I was being a jerk and fully deserved whatever punishment that was coming my way. I simply told her she was overreacting; that it was just a stupid prank, and it wasn’t worth getting worked up about it. …eventually she gave up and let me be.”

At lunch the three of us sat down together – none of us had any clue when the shit was going to hit the proverbial fan, until one of the upper school boys approached the table and handed me a note. I don’t know too many of the upperclassmen, but I recognized him – he was a student leader on the discipline committee. “Hey Theo,” he said, Mr. Innovata just asked me to tell you that he’d like to see you in his office. You’re to come with me.”

“Just me?” I asked, “anyone else?”

“No, just you …for now. Please come along.”

I got up, my stomach turning upside down and followed the older boy. So, this is it I thought to myself; whatever happens will happen. He led me to Mr. Innovata’s office and told me go on in and then added with a glimmer of a smile, “I’ll see more of you later.” I took a deep breath to clear my mind and entered. There was a small card table in the middle of the room and on it were three boxes with names on them: mine, Thane’s and Tyler’s.

“Hi there, Theo, please have a seat.” So I sat; he continued, “I understand that you had a good conversation with your parents last night and they tell me that you are ready to own up to what you’ve done and accept the consequences. Is that right?”

“Yes, I think I am.” I replied.

“Good – that should make things go much better for you. So, you may recall we were discussing yesterday the golden rule and you even quoted it for the others. Would you be kind enough to repeat it for me again.”

“Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.” I obeyed.

“Please explain in your own words what that mean.”

“Simple enough - that you should treat others in the same way you’d like to be treated yourself.”

“Theo, I do wonder at times how it is that some of the best kids get themselves in the trouble you’ve managed to put yourself in. Listen my friend, you are a wonderful young man with a good heart. It is very hard for me to understand why you would allow yourself to be a part of any “prank” that would force some kid to wander naked in the hallways. Can I ask what you were thinking?” …and he waited for an answer, but I couldn’t give him any.

I stammered, “I wasn’t, … I was just ….just caught up in the moment I guess.”

“That’s what I figured. I know you wouldn’t intentionally be cruel; but unfortunately, you were. And so now alas comes the consequences for such thoughtlessness. As I believe your parents told you, the normal punishment for this sort of offense would be suspension for a day or so and two weeks of probation during which you’d be ineligible for representing the school. That would be a tough pill to swallow for such a gifted athlete as yourself and it would certainly undermine the success of the baseball team if you were forced to sit on the sidelines. But thankfully there is another option that is available to us in this private school setting that is both more directly applicable to the offense you’ve committed and can avoid the negative consequences of suspension and probation. Punishment is an interesting challenge for all cultures and all societies. There are norms that must be adhered to for the common good and transgressions need to be appropriately punished so that all members of a society can coexist in a mutually respectful way. That’s no different in this school than it is in our society at large. But unlike at the state or national level, we have the ability to tailor design our punishments to fit the crime, which as I believe your parents explained to you, is the “alternative punishment” referred to in the student handbook. In your case, your actions resulted in the acute embarrassment of another student, so it is only appropriate that the punishment tailor made for you is to compel you to endure the same acute embarrassment that you forced upon another. I believe you noticed the three boxes on the table when you entered. Am I right?”

“Yes sir, I saw them, but I’m not exactly sure what you want me to do with it.” I said even though I think I was beginning to catch on to what might be happening.

“Good, then we can begin. Would you be so kind as to grab that box with your name on it and bring it here and put it on my desk.” He spoke in this easy going, almost kind manner though the pit in my stomach had grown to the size of the Grand Canyon. I could barely breath, though I noticed that I had managed to stand up and fetch the box from the table as he asked and placed it on his desk.

“Theo – I really am proud of you. It takes real courage to accept responsibility for one’s actions. The irony is that once you do, the pain of the punishment is dramatically lessened. So now I believe you know what must happen next.” and he looked at me long and hard and when I remained frozen in place, he nodded to the box and gently said, “Theo, please remove your shoes and socks and place them neatly in bottom of the box.” …and he waited as I slowly removed my socks and shoes and put them in the box. “And now kindly remove your blazer that has the school emblem embroidered on it symbolizing the values of the school which you violated.” …and while every instinct in my body recoiled from the request, I did so. I could feel tears beginning to well up in my eyes. “And now your shirt please.” he continued and I obeyed. The horror of where this was going was all too clear. I could feel the cool air on my bare chest. This was beyond anything I imagined. “Good, I thank you again for being so cooperative. I assure you that while this may be a difficult and awkward two hours, you’ll walk away from this experience a much better person. Now please remove your slacks.” I closed my eyes as I unbuckled my belt and slid my pants down to my ankles and stepped out of them. “Please fold them up and place them in the box.” I did. And as I stood there with nothing more than my undershorts on, I noticed that tears were flowing now down my face. I was beyond horrified and at the same time I knew I was far from done. I stood up straight and faced his desk. He didn’t say a word, only looked at me and gestured for me to complete the task. I was frozen in place for a bit – he didn’t move or say a word. He only waited.

“OK then,” I heard myself mutter through my tears, “I guess you need these too.” and with that I slowly pushed down my underwear, stepped out of them, and placed them too in the box. I now stood before him totally beaten and defenseless. My tears were flowing for real even as I stood up straight in my full nakedness and faced his desk. Never in my life have I felt so totally unbearably vulnerable. And at the same time, I knew in my heart that I deserved this. I thought of poor Arthur in equal distress - helpless to avoid total embarrassment.

“Thank you again Theo for your cooperation. I know this isn’t easy. Please have a seat.” I sat hands folded over my privates. “So please tell me what empathy means.” and he again waited patiently for me to compose some sort of response. It wasn’t easy since I was still choked up and teary, “to put yourself into the shoes of somebody else.” I finally said.
“Yes, that’s the heart of it – well done. So, this afternoon you are going to have the privilege firsthand to experience something similar to what you put Arthur through. You will have to endure the gaze of other students looking and studying your unclothed body. I ask that you now take a seat on one of the chairs I’ve put in the hallway outside this door. When the time is right, that boy who brought you here, Eric - he’s the student representative on the disciplinary committee - will escort you to your next class. Please stay put until then.” and with that he took the box with my clothes in it and reached up to put it on the top of the shelf behind him. Then he turned back to lead me out the door and showed me where to sit. I sat down; what else was I to do?

Chapter 4 - Thane’s Turn

Thankfully his office was in the administrative wing of the building and not too many students wander that way if they can help it. But it wasn’t long at all before I heard a voice I recognized. It was Eric escorting Thane this way and from around the corner I could hear him saying, “Mr. Innovata has already met with Theo and is now ready to see you.”

I braced myself, knowing that as soon as Thane turned the corner and saw me, he’d immediately know the fate that awaited him. My heart was pounding hard as Eric first, then Thane right behind turned the corner. Thane froze, his eyes wider than seemed possible. He just stared in absolute horror. Eric gently took him by the arm and kept him moving forward. Our eyes met as we past; all color had left Thane’s face and there was real fear in his eyes as Eric said with a hint of amusement, “so now it’s your turn Thane. Go on in.”

I remained quiet as he went past, nothing I could say would make him feel any better; he didn’t seem to notice my effort at an empathetic smile. Eric then turned to me and said, “The period will end in another 6-7 minutes, and I’ll come back for you then and we’ll head off together to my art class – I hope you like art.” He then turned and left.

Again, alone in the hall, I could just make out the dialogue going on inside. “Hi Thane,” I heard Mr. Innovata’s voice, “no doubt you saw Theo outside the door and having put two and two together, are now aware of what you’ll be asked to do. There is a box on the table over there with your name on it. Would you kindly bring it over here and put it on my desk.” I could hear footsteps and I think I maybe heard Thane whimpering as well. “Thank you, Thane, I appreciate your cooperation. Now please remove your clothes and place them neatly in this box.” and that was pretty much it for a minute or two. I knew what was going on though, and I knew also the agony of what was going on in Thane’s head as he obediently took off each article of clothing one piece at a time and placing it out of his reach in that box. I was reliving my own experience from just a few minutes ago as I could hear Thane’s whimpering, and tears once again welled up in my own eyes. Somebody walked by in the hall, but I kept my head down hiding my tears …and my shame.

“OK Thane” I again heard Mr. Innovata’s voice through the door, “good, now put that box back on the table and it’ll be ready for you at the end of the day. Until that time you’ll be in an identically vulnerable state that Arthur was in when you snatched his towel on Monday afternoon. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me as to the meaning of empathy.” and there was silence as he clearly waited for Thane to answer. The seconds ticked by, and I didn’t hear Thane’s response. After quite a while, I heard Mr. Innovata’s voice again. “So please understand that the entire purpose of this punishment is designed to help you truly understand the answer to that question. As I mentioned to all three of you yesterday, empathy is a central value of this school and you really need to know what it means. I’ve no doubt that by the end of this afternoon’s “experiential learning” exercise, you’ll be far better prepared to answer that question.

Now please do me the favor of popping your head outside the door and ask Theo to join us.” Seconds later, the door opened ever so slightly and Thane, with tears still brimming in his eyes, motioned for me to come back into the office. Mr. Innovata gestured for us to sit down on the bench together. It was awkward seeing my best friend without his clothes and I quickly realized it had to be the same for him. We did our best to keep our eyes downcast and awaited whatever came next. “Theo, please look at me. …and you too Thane.” we both dutifully looked up as instructed. “The events that unfolded on Monday – whose idea was it to play that prank. Not yours Theo, was it?” I shook my head agreeing. “Nor yours Thane, was it?” and he too acknowledged the same. Mr. Innovata continued, “and yet here you are paying the price for participating in a prank that wasn’t yours. One of the challenges of life is that we too often get caught up in the moment and act without thinking. Is that partly what happened to you both?” Again, we shook our heads. “So, here’s the deal. I want you to fully embrace the awkwardness of your nakedness as you think upon the predicament you forced upon Arthur on Monday, knowing full well that even though you didn’t initiate the prank, you willingly followed along, and from Arthur’s perspective, you two are as guilty as Tyler. And thus your punishments are nearly indistinguishable.

Theo, you’ll be heading to an art class, and Thane, you’ll be heading to a gym class. I’ve spoken with both the teachers involved and they have prepared the rest of the students for your visit. In just a few minutes, Eric will be arriving with your friend Tyler in tow. I am asking you now to return outside my office and sit down next to each other on chairs I’ve placed there. Feel free to greet Tyler when he arrives.” and with that he ushered us back into the hall.

I looked at Thane and he at me. “I can’t believe this is happening.” he said looking totally beaten. I felt very much the same way, “Neither can I.” He sat down on the chair next to the office and I sat down next to him. We had our hands folded in our laps in the vain hope of concealing our privates, knowing full well that such an effort was temporary at best.

We heard Eric with Mr. Innovata’s next victim, coming down the corridor. “As I believe you already know, Mr. Innovata met with your two friends just after lunch and their “punishment” has already begun. He’s now finally ready to meet with you.” Thane and I had our eyes on the end of the hallway knowing that in just a second, they’d turn the corner. “You might want to take a deep breath, you’re in for quite a ….”

He artfully left out the last word in his sentence as they rounded the corner and Tyler stopped dead in his tracks upon laying his eyes on the two of us. There was a horribly awkward pause as he drank in with his eyes the two of us in our misery. Then, with a raised eyebrow, he continued the walk to Mr. Innovata’s office on his own accord. He stopped briefly in front of us, shaking his head in scornful derision, “you two are total wimps – I can’t believe you let him do this to you. I promise you this: I ain’t getting naked today!” and with that he boldly entered the office and shut the door behind him.

***

Chapter 5 - Art Class

Thane and I looked at each other shocked by Tyler’s rebuke. I was about to say something but was interrupted by Eric who said, “Poor Tyler – he still thinks he’s in charge. Oh well, he’ll learn soon enough.” Then he turned his focus to me, smiled kindly and said, “Okay Theo, follow me.” and he turned around and headed back down the hallway. I got up and followed. “So tell me Theo, what exactly did you do to earn the privilege of running around naked?”

“You don’t know?” I asked

“No – Mr Innovata simply asked me, in my role as the student representative on the disciplinary committee, to help him out this afternoon implementing your punishment. He gave me no background info or details other than to collect you at lunch, fetch Thane 10 minutes later, then Tyler 5 minutes after that, and now to take you to my art class. So, what did you do?”

“I was a part of the prank that left another kid wandering around naked.”

“Oh – so you’ve earned this honestly.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“And your parents, they were clearly on board with this custom designed punishment?”

“Yes, apparently. They wouldn’t tell me what it was last night, but they knew and told me that I’d grow from the experience. …that it would “help me in the long run” were my mother’s actual words.”

“Probably so. Often the lessons in life that are the most valuable and lasting are one’s we like least when going through them.”

I was taking a liking to Eric – he was being very nice really, especially since it had to be strange for him to be walking down what was now a crowded corridor full of his classmates with a naked younger boy beside him. Some gave him an inquisitive look as they saw me with him, one openly asked who I was and why I was in a naked state, to which he replied the truth, “a middle school troublemaker – this is the new ‘innovative discipline’ system in action. He’ll be spending the afternoon in my care.” But most of the kids were in a hurry to get to their next class and passed us by with little more than a raised eyebrow. One thing seems for sure, my naked state didn’t seem to bother Eric at all, and that fact made it easier for me. In fact, we were having a regular sort of conversation.

“So where are we going exactly?” I asked

“To my art class with Professor Kirby – he’s really helped me with my technique. I’ve been studying drawing for years now and today should be extra special.”

“How so?”

“Because we’ll have a live model. Normally Mr. Kirby places some object artfully on a table and we’ll spend the period trying to represent that object as accurately as possible with nothing more than pencil and paper. It’s called a still life. Sometimes it’s a vase of flowers, sometimes a bust or statue of some ancient emperor or the like.”

I noticed that we were now leaving the main building and heading out across the campus green. The sun was shining bright. Feeling the heat of the sun on my bare bottom was an unusual sensation but quite pleasant, though at the same time it was a reminder of my acutely vulnerable condition and my hands instinctively moved to cover my privates. Eric laughed as he saw me do it, “There’s really no point at all in covering up your privates Theo; they’re about to be the center of attention so you might as well get used to it.” He clearly noticed my confused expression. “Theo, do you know why I’m excited for this class?”

“Because you have a ‘live’ model.”

“Exactly Theo – you!”

“Me – you’re going to draw me?

“Yes, and so will everyone in the class. All eyes will be on you, studying every inch of you, and we’ll all be doing our best to transfer the beauty of the human form, your human form, onto our drawing pads. I’m really looking forward to it and so is everyone else. It’s a great class, and we’ve just arrived. Come in and I’ll introduce you.”

I followed him in, keeping my gaze on the floor in front of me – I didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone if I could help it. I could hear some gentle laughter as we entered and heard another student suck in her breath. He led me to the center of the room in front of a platform on which there was a wooden stump about a foot high, a straight tree branch striped of bark, and a pair of odd-looking sandals with little wings attached to the heals. “Hi Mr. Kirby and everyone, I am pleased to introduce you to Theo.”

I raised my gaze to drink in my punishment. Everyone was looking my way with understandably amused grins. Then, to my absolute horror, I saw the girl who had sucked in her breath – it was Samantha, my older sister; she looked mortified. I felt my shame now more than at any point earlier, and the blood rushed to my face to prove it. There are times when I liked being the center of attention; this wasn’t one. My heart pounded so hard I could almost hear it.

“Thanks for joining us today, Theo,” Mr. Kirby greeted me kindly, “have you ever been a model before?”

My voice cracked embarrassingly as I squeaked out, “No sir.”

“Well no matter, just relax and try to stay exactly in the position I place you in. Now put these sandals on, then step up here and try to reproduce this pose.” and with that he showed me a picture of a marble statue which he explained was of the god Mercury extending in his right hand, while twisting slightly to the left leaning on the staff and his left foot up on the stump. He explained with a hint of a grin that Mercury, the god of mischief and troublemaking, was always portrayed in art as a beautiful youth which, when he learned that I’d be visiting class today, seemed like the perfect fit for the circumstances. I didn’t say anything, but I got the joke and returned his grin to acknowledge his cleverness. I had caught on to the fact that the jokes were going to be on me, and I’d better play along or it was going to be more than just miserable. So I took a good deep breath and mimicked the pose in the photograph he’d shown me. With my right hand extended and my left foot raised as I held the staff, the rest of my body was fully exposed facing the students. My natural instinct to cover my privates wasn’t given to me as an option and in my mind, I heard Eric’s amused comment that my privates were going to be the center of attention and now I understood exactly what he meant.

So it was that for about 20 minutes I stood there as the god Mercury with my privates on full display. The students, both boys and girls, examined me, all of me, with an intensity that I’d never before been the subject of, and while it was humiliating in the extreme to undergo such scrutiny, I recognized and accepted it for what it was – my punishment, and so stood there, as instructed, as motionless as I could. My mind however wasn’t motionless; my thoughts raced, replaying the events leading up to this moment: the image of Arthur standing there helpless, dripping wet from the showers, both hands over his privates and that look of horror as he saw us leaving with his towel. Then the knock on my bedroom door and a replay of my parent’s “chat; my moms words of encouragement, “you’ll get past it, and I honestly think it’ll help you in the long run.” Her words echoed in my head as the seconds ticked by. I saw Mr. Kirby standing behind each student as they drew, making occasional suggestions.

About half way through class, despite my best efforts to stay in pose, I was beginning to lose it; he must have noticed for just then he announced that it was time for a break and a change of scene. The students all headed for out in the hall for a bit – my sister Samantha first among them; I suspect she’d disown me as her brother right now. Meanwhile Mr. Kirby handed me a bottle of water, told me I was doing a great job and invited me to wander around to look at the drawings while two of the boys removed the stump and replaced it with a padded bench and a few pillows. I needed to stretch badly, so I wandered by each easel looking sketches of myself. How weird it was looking at myself objectively. Mr. Kirby came up, “This one’s good isn’t it. I’d say it really looks like you, though the proportion aren’t quite right, your torso is too long and your bellybutton too high. This one over here is good too, great job on your face; its recognizably you, though the body is physically more mature than you are at this stage, notice the width of the shoulders.” and with that he placed his hands on my shoulders positioning me next to the easel. He then stepped back to compare the two of us. “Not bad really, it’s a handsome drawing.”

Then he paused for a second before changing topics, “So am I to take it that your Samantha’s brother?” I nodded and he continued, “She was clearly taken aback when you walked in so I guess she didn’t know anything about your being in trouble and being punished in this way. I feel for you Theo, this has to be very hard. No doubt you’ll have an interesting dinner conversation when you get home tonight.”

He continued around the room pointing out the best in each effort. I must confess that I sort of liked some of them, even though it was my puberty on exhibit. When we circled around to Eric’s easel, I stepped back my eye’s wide. It wasn’t me the boy in the pose, it was series of different takes just on my middle, by which I mean my belly button to my balls, which included the little patch of pubic hair which I had, with happy satisfaction, watched grow in the recent months. They were well done I guess but it was awkward to look at knowing that his entire focus was on my privates. Mr. Kirby laughed seeing my reaction, “Eric is an authentic student – he knows that he’ll rarely get an opportunity like this to examine the male genitals close up, so he’s making the most of this chance. Let’s face it, it expensive to have live models willing to sit for hours while you draw them, and all the more costly if you are asking them to pose in the nude. So I am not surprised to see how Eric is spending this hour. Anyway, it is now time for us to resume; please take your last sip of water and sit down on the couch. The class will decide the exact pose in a minute.”

As the students were heading back to their easels, one boy came up to me and said, “Hey Theo, I’m not sure what you did to earn the privilege of joining us for the day, but whatever it was, you shouldn’t hesitate to do it again – I’d love to have you model for us again sometime!” and the girl next to him nodded in agreement and added almost under her breath but loud enough for me to hear, “Yeah – he’s adorable. I’ll be dreaming of him in my sleep tonight.” I blushed as I sat down.

The class returned to their easels and Mr. Kirby made some comments on their efforts thus far and then asked if anyone had a good idea as to what pose I should take, noting that it had to be either sitting or lying down since I’d already been on my feet for the first half of class. The girl in the front row who had made the comment to me earlier raised her hand and said she’d love to have me lie down on my side propping up my head with my left hand. I wasn’t exactly sure I understood her and seeing my puzzled look, she stepped forward to position me herself. She took the liberty of physically putting me in the exact position she wanted and I cooperate the best I could and quickly found myself resting in reasonable comfort on my side facing the class; though I noted with some relief that my privates were packaged in such a way that only the curve of my penis was visible to the class as the rest of my privates had taken refuge between my legs. I must confess that having an attractive young lady place her hands on you when you are naked was a sensation I hadn’t experienced before and there was clearly a part of me that found it awkwardly exciting. The climactic moment was when she had me pretty much where she wanted me and stepped back for a final look, then said, “almost perfect, do you mind if I adjust one thing?” to which I, innocently, said sure, and with that she reached between my legs and pulled my balls out from hiding and laid my little package artfully on my right thigh. My penis she placed resting in the crease between my torso and my right leg. “That should work, I think.” she said as she looked for signs of approval from her classmates who quickly smiled their appreciation for her artful efforts. “Great – now hold that pose.” she said with what I later interpreted as a mischievous grin.

I am an adolescent boy and a very attractive girl had just touched my body where boys are most sensitive – the fateful die was cast, the Rubicon had been crossed; I could feel with increasing horror as the blood which drained from my face travelled down my naked torso to my middle, and I could feel myself beginning to swell. It wasn’t much at first and I wondered if anyone had noticed and meanwhile did everything I could to direct my attention to something, anything that might avert total, irredeemable embarrassment. The male appendage, however, has a mind of its own and its owner can’t dictate how it is supposed to behave. I grew larger as the seconds ticked by and young lady in the front row grew increasingly confident that her little ploy had achieved its aim. The rest of the students now were fully aware of what was happening and smiled at my agony. I heard someone say, “Well done, Theo, keep it up.” … to which the others in the class laughed, and the girl in the front row smiled at me as mouthed the words, “Theo – you’re so hot!”

Of course, I was utterly undone – humiliation in the extreme, but there wasn’t anything I could do at this point. I was destined to be the laughingstock of the school from this moment onward. I’d only make it worse if I suddenly tried to cover up, so I dutifully stayed in my assigned pose as my erection pulsed with each beat of my heart.

It was Mr. Kirby who came to my rescue, not by throwing some fig leaf over my budding manhood, but ironically by acknowledging what was happening, “Please take full advantage of Theo’s gift to us, most models wouldn’t be able to offer you a chance to sketch a full erection.” and he encouraged me saying, “and I mean it Theo, thanks, - this is indeed a treat; however long you can sustain your erection will be appreciated.” And with that he again wandered the room giving advice to each student in turn as they did their best to capture my midsection in its full glory. Every now and then I’d begin to soften, but the girl in the front would notice and she’d whisper something excitingly inappropriate that would cause me to regain my fullness. I was still hard when the bell rang, and the students reluctantly put down their pencils and began packing up to leave. I immediately sat up and put my hands in my lap thankful that this ordeal was finally over. But then Mr. Kirby said, “Before you depart, please make sure you thank our guest today. He gave you all a real treat.” So the kids turned around and approached me, most with big grins, to shake my hand and say thanks. What was I supposed to do but to stand up and respond appropriately which meant once more that I was center of attention as I extended my hand to shake each in turn while my still somewhat stiff penis wagged up and down. Just one more mortifying moment to add to what was now a long list.

I think I must have turned crimson when Samantha approached, “Quite a shock, I must confess, to see you here today, little brother, and in this state. But, if it’s any consolation, you really were a big hit and from the comments I overheard in the hallway during our break, they all seem to think you’re really cute, especially when you’re standing at attention.” She giggled as she glanced down to my stiffie, and I responded through gritted teeth, “Thanks Sis”

Eric, who was just behind her and heard her comment nodded in agreement. “That really was awesome, Theo, thanks! I really mean it, as do the others.” He reached to shake hands as had had all the others, so I again had to extend my right hand, though now with my left I started trying to get my erection to subside. “Ok, my friend, it is time for me to escort you back across campus to Mr. Innovata’s office. I believe you have one more piece of business to get done before you can get your clothes back. We’re a bit late, I told him I’d get you back right after class, so let’s get going.”

“Eric,” I stuttered, “I can’t, …I can’t go back until ...you know.” as I took my left hand away and my erection sprang back to full life.” I looked at him helplessly, hoping he’d take mercy on me.

“Your erection, Theo, was already the center of attention for the last 15 minutes. I’d think you’d be accustomed to it by now.”

“That was in the privacy of this one class and it was my punishment to be the model. But walking back across campus - out in the open,” I pleaded with him, “everyone would see me …like this - even some of my own classmates.”

Eric laughed, “Yes – that’s true enough, I think you’ve summed up your predicament pretty accurately. But to be honest with you, Theo, it would be sort of funny.” There was a mischievous glint in his eye.

“This isn’t funny.” I raised my voice and I looked at him desperately, trying to get him to see it through my lens and take pity on me.

“What do you mean that it’s not funny, Theo? Aren’t you here in this naked state precisely because you thought it ‘funny’ to put one of your classmates in an identical position? You can’t have it both ways.”

“…but Arthur didn’t have a boner.”

“Really – how do you know? I thought you said that you, Tyler and Thane took off after hiding his clothes and taking his towel. …and if he had tried to follow you, he’d have had to chase you out in the open across the same campus green that we’re heading for now. So let’s go; we’re late and I have one more class and Mr. Innovata is waiting to give you your final assignment.” And with those words he turned and headed back across campus, and I, fighting back tears of shame, followed as my boner bounced along as I raced to catch up. Once I got beside him I desperately placed one hand in front of me trying in vain to hide my boner and the other hand to wipe away my tears. If my classmates see me naked and with a boner, that’s bad enough, but adding the humiliation of them seeing me cry about it, that might just kill me. I thought of my mothers words of encouragement, that I’d be OK and I’d get past it – yeah right!

***

Chapter 6 - Apology

It was a harrowing trek across campus as I was besieged with cat calls and laughter. One group of my classmates changed direction to follow us, I heard one kid say, “I bet he’s hiding a boner under his hands.” and another taking up the bait, “How much?”

“How about 10 bucks.”

“You’re on – it’s a bet.” and before I knew it four boys positioned themselves in front of us and we had to stop. Right away a whole bunch of other kids now circled round to witness my humiliation. The blood had rushed to my head without, unfortunately, leaving my middle; the laughter from the crowd was unbearable. I kept both hands clutched tightly over my privates as I looked around for any possible means of escape.

“Excuse me gentlemen,” I heard Eric say, “Theo has an appointment right now with Mr. Innovata. You’ll need to step aside so we can go on. …now!” and Eric’s tone of voice was wonderfully authoritative and to my great relief, there was a parting in the wall of faces in front of us and Eric and I went on our way.

“Thanks Eric” I squeaked out.

“Sorry about that – not much fun being made fun of, is it?”

“No way – worst day in my life - a day I’ll never forget. If only I could!”

“Well, perhaps that’s for the best. Anyway, Theo, we’re almost back at Mr. Innovata’s office so the hard part of your ordeal is now over, things should bet a bit easier from here. Good luck.” and with that Eric knocked on the office door and announced my arrival.

“Come on in.” and then asked Eric, “So tell me how young Theo navigated the challenge of the afternoon?”

“Quite well really – fully cooperated and his efforts were genuinely appreciated by the others in the class. His trip back across campus however was a bit rough; he’ll tell you about it. I’ve got to run off now to my last class – I’ll be a bit late as it is. If Mr. Phelps gives me a hard time, would you be willing to vouch for me.”

“Sure. …and thanks again for your help in orchestrating this afternoon’s adventure.”

And he turned to me for an explanation and saw that I was still holding my privates, so I suspect he figured it out. I was still too undone to find my voice, so after a bit of horrified quivering, I released my hands to show him the source of my distress. It had begun to recede a bit but was still swollen enough to confirm his suspicions. Haltingly, choked up by tears, I described what had happened on my return from class. He didn’t laugh. Indeed, he seemed genuinely empathetic to my distress and said with sincerity, “Oh Theo, I feel for you. That must have been horribly difficult to endure. I’m sure you wouldn’t wish that on anybody. But alas sometimes life’s lessons are very hard.” and then he added with a hint of a grin, “No pun intended.” and then he waited for me to get his little joke before continuing, “So now that you’ve spent awhile in Arthur’s shoes and understand what you put him through, you should now be able to compose an authentic apology. There is a desk outside my office on which you’ll find a few sheets of the school’s finest stationary and a pen. Please go sit down in the corridor and write the kind of note to him that you would want if you were in his shoes.” and with that he ushered me back outside his office and I sat down and began to write. I had lots to say and even as I wrote them, I had tears in my eyes.

Dear Arthur,
I am sorry – so so very sorry. I won’t pretend that you could possibly forgive me for participating in that prank on Monday; if the roles were reversed and you had done that to me, I’m not sure I could forgive you, so I won’t even ask. And if you should decide to forgive me, I’ll know that it is an act of generosity I don’t deserve.

I suspect that by the time you receive this letter, you’ll know many of the details about how I spent my afternoon – pure horror! Nothing in my life has ever been so embarrassing, never could I have imagined such a punishment – but here I sit, stark naked in a busy hallway outside Mr. Innovata’s office writing this letter of apology to you …and this represents the easy part of my punishment.

On Tuesday afternoon Mr. Innovata asked me what empathy meant, and while I knew the answer intellectually, I really had no idea what it meant in practice. I do now. During some of the most painfully embarrassing moments this afternoon, I couldn’t help thinking about you and how you must have felt when you saw the three of us laughing at you and how angry you must have been when you saw us leaving across campus with your towel. I somehow thought it was funny – I now recognize how very NOT funny it was. I would do anything to undo the prank I participated in, but I know that’s impossible; just like it’ll be impossible for me to unspend my afternoon as a nude model in art class being utterly embarrassed – in fact every kid in the class now has their own drawing of my misery. If only one could go back in time and correct the mistakes one makes – I would undo your prank if only I could. Since I can’t, all I can say is SORRY. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Sorry sorry sorry!!! -Theo

I knocked on Mr. Innovata’s door and he bid me to enter. I handed him the letter. He adjusted his glasses and read the letter. There was a long pause as he finished the letter and looked up at me. Eventually he got out of his chair without saying a word, reached up to get the box with my clothes in it and put it in front of me. “Theo, I am so sorry that you’ve had to learn this critical lesson the hard way, but I do believe that you get it now and that you truly understand and empathize with what you put poor Arthur through. It won’t happen again will it?”
“Not a chance.” I responded ….and I meant it.

“Here then, take your clothes, get dressed, and head up to baseball practice. …and when your teammates give you a hard time about the events of this afternoon, just smile and tell the truth: that you were learning a lesson the hard way. I promise you that if you take full ownership of what happened today, then you’ll take away much of the fun others might have in giving you grief about it.” and then he added after a pause, “Just so you know Theo, I am very proud of the way you’ve dealt with this punishment. Your debt is now paid off in full and you are free to go. In the meantime, I’ll reach out to your parents and let them know that they should cook you an extra special meal tonight to celebrate how well you’ve learned the lesson.”

***

(End of File)