James and Charles were friends. There could hardly be anything strange about that. They had, afterall, known each other for nine of their fourteen years of life. They had started school together, gone on to middle school together, and together they were starting out on the third term of their first year at the local comprehensive. They got on well together. It was true that James had a slight tendency to be a bit of a bully and played fairly cruel mind-games on some of his peers from time to time. Charles, on the other hand, saw himself as a bit of a practical joker, but the outcome of his pranks was often just as miserable for his victims as the more sadistic intentions of his pal.

James and Charles were friends, and we have established that there was nothing extraordinary about that happy fact. What was, perhaps, somewhat surprising was the fact that James and Charles were not on such friendly terms with Shane. Shane and James had been living right next door to each other all their lives. Shane had started school in the same class as the other two, been through the same middle school, and was now in the same year-group at the local comprehensive. Shane was another sporty lad, a bit taller than the other two, and had just celebrated his fourteenth birthday over the Easter holiday which placed him as just a little bit younger than the other two, but only by a matter of weeks.

Circumstance might have suggested that the three should have been great companions but circumstance does not always win out. Shane was a pleasant lad, well-liked by most of his peers, and perhaps lacking that caustic side which was such a feature of so many of the exploits undertaken by James and Charles. The three were not enemies and Shane always greeted the other two with a smile, but it was probably true that the smile hid scars from teasing he had received from the other two.

How had James and Charles teased Shane? Well, it was probably true that Shane's parents were a bit more strict with their offspring than usual. Shane, for example, had worn shorts all year round until they moved up to middle school, and even at the age of thirteen, had been wearing grey school shorts for the summer term. The oldest and tallest lad in the school to be seen with bared knees was always going to be a target for snide remarks and teasing.

But James had something else in his armoury. Living next door in a row of terraced houses meant that there wasn't a lot of privacy. Their bathrooms backed on to each other and one could hear the neighbouring toilet being flushed or a bath being run. And James had been able to hear the sounds of traditionally minded parents dealing with their children in the most traditional of ways. James often wished that he could have drilled a hole through that wall and seen the action on the other side. He had never been on the receiving end of a spanking but having heard a few he was left with so many questions. Did Shane get his spankings on the bare? Did he have to bend over his Dad's lap? Did he get spanked with a strap or a wooden spoon or what? So many questions but one thing was clear. Spanking was the method of choice for disciplining Shane and his bother and sister. If evidence was needed it was to be had in the blush that came over Shane's cheeks when, walking to school, James would catch up with him and ask, "did the little shortie pants boy get his little bot-bot smacked last night?". Cruel, but it pleased James to see how Shane would almost be in tears at the knowledge that his shame was known.

So James and Shane were not really the best of friends, but James and Charles were as close as two boys could be. And that was how things stood towards the end of the Easter holidays when James and Charles were messing about on the computer in James's bedroom. The sound of a ball being kicked about had drawn the two to the window where they could look out and see Shane and his younger brother having a kick-about in the neighbouring back garden. The two footballers were wearing matching t-shirts and shorts and James remarked that the scene was just too cute. Charles agreed and went on to pose the question that would kick-start a whole series of rather cruel events in Shane's life. "Do you reckon his parents will make him wear shorts to school this term?"

The two friends laughed at the thought, imagining fourteen year-old Shane making his very lonely way through the crowds at school, the only boy in the whole place to be wearing uniform shorts. It was a pleasing thought and it had the same effect on both of them, so pleasing that they abandoned the computer and with easy familiarity slipped down to the floor, backs against the bed, and jerked each other off.

It was a very pleasing thought and later that night James found himself jerking off again as he imagined his next door neighbour being forced to turn up at school wearing tight little grey school shorts. But of course, he concluded, it was unlikely to happen. Strict and all as they might be, Shane's parents were hardly likely to make their son wear shorts to school at the age of fourteen. Even they must know that nobody wore shorts to secondary schools in 2006. It might have happened in the old days when James's Dad was at school back in the seventies, but even that didn't seem likely. It was really weird though, because every time he recalled the image of Shane kicking the ball around that afternoon, knees bared and tanned, James found his prick demanding more and more attention. It wasn't likely to happen, but what if circumstance could be altered a bit? A few more seconds of attention to his teenage prick and James had both relief and the hazy beginnings of a plan.

The following Monday saw the start of the summer term and all was pretty much as James had anticipated. Shane was wearing long trousers to school. It was pretty obvious that his parents were still making sure that Shane changed into shorts when he got home from school but James wasn't satisfied. He wanted to see if he could arrange things so that Shane would soon be displaying his well-tanned thighs and knees at school. It was time to share the plan with Charles.

The plan was simple. James guessed that Shane's parents had made the assumption that no other boy at the comprehensive would be wearing shorts and they wouldn't want to embarrass their son by making him be the only one to do so. It was one thing to put your boy into short trousers when he was at middle school and the uniform guidelines listed charcoal grey shorts as an option for the hot summer term. It would be quite another thing to make him wear shorts as a secondary school pupil. But if they happened to see another boy wearing the school uniform but with proper school shorts, what then would be the result? James was willing to put a fiver on getting the outcome he desired. This plan of his had become a bit of an obsession and he was willing to try whatever he could to make it come off.

But of course James could not take on the risk of being seen in those dreaded shorts. Shane's parents would have been bound to ask questions if their young next door neighbour was seen parading around in uniform shorts for only one brief afternoon. The idea appealed to Charles's sense of humour and he figured that the result had to outweigh the risk. The fiver was duly produced and the two friends made their way to the high street where a well-known chain store was selling school shorts at this reduced price in their back to school range. Back in James's bedroom Charles tried on the shorts and James felt very pleased indeed that he had convinced his friend that this plan might be worth trying.

It took another week of planning and watching before the two friends reckoned that they had the timings right. From ordinary neighbourly nosiness James knew that Shane would often head off with his mother on Friday afternoons to shop at the big supermarket and two weeks of observation suggested that this was still the pattern. So a Friday in late May saw Charles slip into the toilets at the shopping centre wearing his usual school uniform and emerge somewhat hesitantly wearing grey school shorts instead of his trousers.

James kept his distance, watching out for his neighbour's car and enjoying the obvious embarrassment and discomfort of his best friend. James had to acknowledge that he thought Charles looked really good in those shorts; his somewhat excited prick was making itself obvious under his own school trousers and he promised himself that he was going to get Charles back to his bedroom as soon as this was over for a little bit of fun and relief. But right now there was a watch to be kept. The timing would have to be right.

And the timing was right. Shane's mum drove an ancient little car which was pretty obvious among the people-carriers and executive saloons in the car-park. A quick nod to Charles and James slinked back against a wall to watch. It was all very simple. Shane and his Mum were approaching the trolley bay. Charles walked towards them pushing a trolley as if to return it. He smiled, said, "Hi Shane", left the trolley in the bay and turned back towards the shopping centre.

You didn't have to be much of a lip-reader to follow the exchange between Shane's Mum and her son. Shane was looking bewildered at the sight of his schoolmate's retreating thighs. Shane's Mum was clearly asking Shane about that nice boy in the short trousers. And then it happened. Shane said something to his Mum and James delighted to see her deliver a quick whack across his backside. The seed was clearly planted.

In the long wait before his own parents got home, James got Charles to change back into those shorts and the two friends got down to business in the bedroom. There was clearly an almighty row blowing up next door. At one stage an angry exchange was brought to a sudden conclusion when Shane's Mum clearly shouted the ancient phrase, "just you wait til your Dad gets home".

James found himself imaging the scene and turning to Charles asserted a new authority when he looked his short-trousered friend in the eye and said, "you know, young Charles, that little boys like you need to show respect for their elders and betters, and to be obedient at all times". It must have been some sort of magic exuded by those awful shorts but Charles felt himself responding by slipping into role and saying "Yes Sir" with a great deal of respect for his friend and leader.

The new experience of having an obedient boy kneeling before him was a very pleasing one for Charles and after he had reached a state of much-needed relief he vowed that he would never again jerk himself off but would from that day onwards insist on being shown the respect that he felt was only proper for a lad of his genius.

Later that evening James suddenly found that he needed some extra information about some homework and it seemed to him that the most obvious thing to do would be to pop around next door and ask his old classmate for the details. Shane's Dad answered the door and invited James in, saying that Shane was a bit inconvenienced at the moment but he was sure to want to help a classmate. Sure enough, Shane looked very inconvenienced. He was facing a corner, his hands on his head, and he was clearly snivelling. It was a bit disappointing that he was fully clothed but James took in the sight of a large old training shoe on the coffee table and put two and two together.

Shane was excused to go through the homework assignment and James tried to convey his deep sympathy for his neighbour's plight. It was such a difficult piece of schoolwork and it seemed obvious to suggest that it might be helpful if Shane could come around the following morning so that the two of them could work on it together. Shane's parents seemed to think that this was an excellent idea, so naturally enough Shane agreed.

If having a respectful and obedient Charles kneel before him had been wonderful, James found that it was even better to exert his mastery over Shane. Shane had come around as agreed on Saturday morning, looking very cute in a pair of very short and tight navy shorts, obviously pulled out from storage and forced upon the growing teenager. James had magnanimously offered to keep what he had heard and seen in Shane's household as an absolute secret. He was sure, he said, that Shane would not need the embarrassment of having such a story spread around the whole school. Shane explained what had happened. His Dad was taking him into town later on to buy the wretched grey school shorts that Shane would be wearing for the rest of the school year.

James offered as much comfort as he could and invited Shane to hang around with him at school so that he wouldn't be on his own when the teasing started. It didn't take long before Shane was demonstrating his appreciation for this offer of protection from the jibes and sneers of the schoolyard. Running his hands through the hair of the boy kneeling before him James thought that there was only one thing that would make this whole wonderful situation even better. When Shane had finished his ministrations, and done so with considerable ability, James rebuked him gently, telling him that he had been a very naughty little boy. "And you know what happens to naughty little boys!".

It was a time of pure magic for James as he pulled those little shorts down and hauled Shane gently across his lap. Shane's backside was still very red and there were a couple of little bruises which James gently massaged. Then he brought his hand down and with that very first smack James felt his prick leap back to attention and ready for action. It didn't take very many smacks before Shane was gasping and begging to be allowed up. But James took his time and extracted a promise of respect and obedience from his neighbour before declaring the spanking to be over, "for now".

The plan had been absolutely perfect. On Monday morning James and Shane met outside their houses. Shane was, as expected, wearing a pair of grey school shorts. James chose to be mature about his neighbour's plight, commenting only that Shane had great legs for shorts. They walked on in silence, turning the corners and following the streets towards the school. There were a few catcalls from other pupils but James was true to his word and glared severely at those who shouted and most settled down to bide their time.

Closer to school there was a little crowd gathered around another boy. It took a few moments before James saw that his best friend was the object of some unwanted attention. It took a few kicks and a bit of elbow-jabbing before Charles was released from the throng and dusting himself off. James allowed himself a little chuckle. It was pretty obvious why Charles had attracted so much notice, the poor lad was wearing those wretched five-pound school shorts.

The explanation was short. Charles was really pissed off with his friend. The plan had back-fired when Charles's mum had gone out to bridge on Saturday night and found herself partnering Shane's mum. Somehow the connection had been made, the shorts discovered, and Charles had been told in pretty strong terms that if he wanted to wear shorts to school then of course he should.

Shane was really puzzled. He could tell that there was something going on that he didn't really understand.

James was really delighted and laughed straight out, invited his companions to link arms with him, and with a well-spanked short-trousered schoolboy on each arm and strode up to the school gates. It had been a well-spent fiver. And down in his briefs he could feel the stirring of an appreciative little friend. It looked as if this was going to be a really great summer.

 

� Mike Ward 2006

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