AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place sometime in the past between a gym teacher and her former student. You might also enjoy reading Shari Holds a Torch and Shari Takes a Wife. This story features large age differences and student-teacher dynamic. If this sort of story is not your thing, skip this. For everyone else...please enjoy!
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In early October, Thatcher Blake was immersed in the beauty of fall. By now, the leaves have transformed from varying shades of green to vibrant saffron, scarlet, and citrine. The crisp, refreshing outdoor air floods the nostrils with a hint of warm spice and fried dough sweetened with maple syrup. That same air which recently was dense and heavy with oppressive summer heat had become noticeably lighter, while the fall sunshine, diffused, cast everything it touched in a radiant golden glow.
The beginning of October brought anticipation for Homecoming, school spirit week, and Halloween. It was Saturday. The frost from the chill early morning soon mellowed, promising a clear balmy day. This morning, the Talcott Varsity Tennis team met at the tennis courts behind the sprawling three-story brick school building. The assistant coach, Miss Jane Dowd, brought cider and apple donuts for everyone after practice while head coach, Miss Velma Blount, called everyone to gather around and form a circle.
Miss Velma Blount has been teaching PE at Talcott High School for over 25 years now. She is a remarkably fit athletic butch woman who towers over her students at 6'2". Recently, Miss Blount celebrated her 51st birthday, and that fact is evident in the deep lines etched in her masculine, exceptionally severe face. Her fitness, stature, and her boyishly cropped light sandy hair and short blunt bangs made her look alarming and quite menacing depending on who you'd ask. More often than not, Miss Blount scared her students—at least the freshman girls who weren't used to her yet.
But high school girls tend to judge things (and people) they don't understand. Miss Blount gazed over the tops of her players' heads and past Miss Dowd who was busy setting the two large boxes of donuts and cider she brought on the bleachers. There were a few parents who had come with their younger children to watch the practice. A small boy who looked like he was about 8 or 9 shyly accepted a donut from Miss Dowd before giggling and scrambling back up the bleachers to sit with his mother. Miss Blount's cold blue eyes settled on a familiar figure sitting on the first row of the bleachers, and a smile crossed her thin lips.
Shari Keefer, now a Social Studies' teacher at Walker High School, graduated from Talcott and had been Miss Blount's former student. This gorgeous wry teen had blossomed into an alluring 24 year old woman with lustrous light blond hair and dainty features that gave her an innocent, doll-like appearance that always worked to her advantage. Shari came along this morning to watch Miss Blount at practice while she finished grading papers for the couple sections of US History classes she taught at Walker.
Things started out innocently enough. Miss Velma Blount slowly built and cultivated a rapport with Shari during her time as a student. And after Shari graduated, the two of them became lovers. Their relationship grew and before long, Velma asked Shari to become her fully committed companion, her wife. And while Shari was happy to commit to her former gym teacher, Velma had no illusions about their relationship. A desirable young woman like Shari was bound to be pursued by the opposite sex!
In fact, since Shari started teaching, she had to grapple with one or two teenage boys who had a crush on her. The notion of getting married was out of the question. For one thing, it isn't legal, and Velma knew that Shari would have to understand that the two of them could never be open with their relationship except with the small group of women who belonged to the bible study group they attended. Luckily, most of the members were fellow teachers. At least this made an otherwise impossible to deal with situation a little more tolerable.
Velma reluctantly tore her gaze away from Shari. With a sharp blow of her whistle, she directed the girls who were gathered around on the court to form a circle and sit down. Sectionals were still a couple of weeks away, and Velma wanted her girls to be on top of their game. The towering butch gym teacher looked around now as if she'd lost something.
"Uh—Jane, where's Emily?"
The willowy dark-haired assistant coach shrugged as she joined the group in the circle. Miss Dowd teaches PE at Kent Junior High. It was her third year coaching tennis with Miss Blount. She still wasn't used to dealing with high school students. Preteen girls were much easier to work with as far as she was concerned. Although they tended to be extremely rebellious, she thought that their behavior was easier to control. Of course, Velma had her doubts about that.
"She's probably running late again, Vel. I talked to Mrs. Howlett yesterday during her planning period, and she promised Emily would start coming to practice on time."
Emily Howlett is a junior this year. She is in Miss Blount's 6th hour gym class, and her mother teaches Science at Kent. Velma looked visibly annoyed. Emily has been late to almost every single practice! And on the rare few occasions when Emily wasn't late, she didn't have her racquet with her. Miss Blount exhaled sharply before glancing over at Shari. The blond beauty was still sitting on the bleachers, watching the action (or rather, the lack of it). Funny, Miss Blount thought. Emily is such a good student during gym. At school she was always on time and on task.
"Well, I suppose we'd better get started." Velma replied tersely. "Not much any of us can do about it now..."
Of course there wasn't much that could be done at the moment about Emily's failure to make it to practice on time. Just the same, Emily's eligibility would be called into question. And it isn't fair to the other girls on the team. It's too bad, Miss Blount thought. Emily Howlett is one of her best players. She also overheard the girl during gym class a few days ago telling her friends that she planned to try out for volleyball in a couple weeks. Miss Blount made a mental note to call the girl's mother Monday afternoon. If Emily made the volleyball tryouts, she might not be eligible to participate unless she made a better effort to show up on time...
Once everyone was seated, Miss Dowd announced that the Talcott Fan Association has a few scholarship opportunities for senior athletes interested in attending the local state university. Girls who were interested could get an application form after practice. Also, college and career night is coming up next week. Students who choose to attend are asked to compose a two page essay detailing which college or university they planned to attend and why. Completed essays are to be dropped off in the main office for a chance to win one of three different prizes donated by the Booster Club.
When Miss Dowd finished making her announcements, Miss Blount introduced the theme of today's practice—teamwork. The strapping gym teacher asked the girls seated in the circle to describe what it meant to them. After a second or two, one of the girls raised her hand. It was Heather Ekstrom, a senior with deep coffee colored skin. A charm bracelet jingled annoyingly from her wrist as she frantically waved to get Miss Blount's attention.
"It's when a group of people work towards a common goal!" She said. "I think it's also knowing your limits and when to ask for help."
"Don't forget about being a good listener too!" Laura Shull said.
Miss Blount smiled as more girls began blurting out their answers. After a couple of minutes passed, she directed everyone to stand up while Miss Dowd started pairing the girls up.
