Parallax

"I--I know, and I'm sorry." Shari softly replied. "But would you please...sign my yearbook, Miss Blount?" Shari could barely summon the words now. She felt her heart breaking as her lips moved. It was all so final! This was it, the final exchange between teacher and student. This was the end, and her favorite teacher didn't seem to care at all.

"I gave everyone time during class yesterday to sign yearbooks." Miss Blount replied tersely before noticing the grief-stricken expression on the girl's otherwise angelic face. The towering gym teacher rolled her eyes, feigning irritation, and sighed. "Of course, I'll sign my favorite student's yearbook. Hand it here."

Shari barely noticed that Miss Blount had gone over to where she stood and gently tugged the yearbook from the girl's shaking hands. The gorgeous blond senior watched in a mixture of sorrow and reverent awe while Miss Blount sat on the edge of her desk scribbling what seemed to be a long message inside her yearbook. For a fleeting moment or two, Shari imagined trying to seduce the prodigious woman. But she thought it was a dumb idea, and it would never work anyway. What would she say, or do, anyway?

Miss Blount is my teacher! And she's pretty old too--old enough to be my mother! Shari banished the idea from her mind, preferring, instead, to silently ruminate over the unlikely friendship they had.

As she watched Miss Blount writing, Shari recalled the first real exchange she had with her sexually ambiguous gym teacher several months ago. Shari habitually showed up late to gym class and sometimes purposefully neglected to put on her gym suit.

"I don't want to mess up my hair and makeup, Miss Blount."

She'd say this in a light musical voice. An innocent, winsome smile would spread across her pouty pink lips, and for a minute or so, she'd think she'd gotten one over on her teacher. But Miss Blount was always wise to Shari's games. She'd snap at the lovely wry girl in front of her classmates. This always elicited an eruption of laughter from the others while Miss Blount demanded Shari report to the auxiliary gym during her lunch periods to run laps as penance for her annoying transgressions. It was while Shari was completing one of these make-up sessions for tardiness when they began to talk in earnest.

Things started innocently enough. Miss Blount initiated a conversation about school and grades and Shari's favorite subjects. Shari's favorite subject this last year had been English. She told Miss Blount that she planned to stay in Thatcher Blake after graduation and attend Blake College. Blake is the city's namesake college for women, situated on the far west side of the moderately sized city. Shari told Miss Blount that she wasn't sure whether she'd move into the dorms or rent a small apartment with her two best friends, Edith and Irene, in nearby Harmony Heights.

During another time, she remembered how they talked about music, favorite books, and what school was like in the post-war boom when Miss Blount was a student. Shari suppressed an errant giggle when she recalled how Miss Blount explained that girls were not allowed to wear slacks to school when she was a student. Old Miss Blount must have looked pretty stupid with her tall, lanky body clad in a skirt or dress! But then one day when Shari completed her laps and was about to head to the locker room to change, the towering gym teacher stopped her. To Shari's shock and confusion, Miss Blount asked her if she had a boyfriend.

"I was seeing Scott Palmer for a while." Shari said demurely.

Miss Blount's weathered face seemed to register a look of disappointment. "Oh, I see." She said. "Mr. Palmer is co-captain of the varsity football team this year, isn't he? Lucky you!"

"Yeah...but Scott broke things off with me a few weeks ago." Shari replied softly.

Behind Shari Keefer's innocent beauty, there resided a heart and mind that was inexplicably taken by her gym teacher's staunch masculine presence. Was it possible that Miss Blount was just as taken with her? Miss Blount is an unrelenting task master and athletic juggernaut. She always strutted around the gym and locker room with a confident swagger that scared most of the girls at Talcott.

The Amazon woman's deep mannish voice was often terse with a pitch common to many female gym teachers. It was something that never failed to make Shari feel fluttery inside even when she was being punished for tardiness or failure to wear her gym suit to class. And that same gruff voice could (and often did) soften up just as easily when they were alone to convince Shari that her gym teacher was still very much a woman. Miss Blount was often sharp and arrogant during PE, but she usually softened her edge around Shari when the opportunity allowed for it. Shari knew she would miss that the most about her favorite teacher.

Miss Blount was finished writing. She handed the yearbook and pen back to the blond beauty who now seemed strangely absent from herself. The towering gym teacher snapped her fingers just inches from her student's face. She waved a couple of times in an effort to thrust Shari back to the present. "Hey there, Shari berry!" Miss Blount said. She could tell that the girl was really down about something. "Something wrong, kid?"

When Miss Blount failed to get a response, she tried to cheer the girl up. Miss Blount put her arm around Shari's shoulder and started teasing her about the fact that she can look forward to having a whole new group of teachers to torment at Blake in the fall. Shari didn't think it was very funny. Before Miss Blount could try teasing Shari further, the girl suddenly started crying.

Miss Blount was at a loss for words. "Come here, kid." She tenderly embraced her soon to be ex-student and hugged her for the longest time. Before she knew what was happening, Shari realized her teacher was rubbing her back in an effort to soothe the pain of the inevitable parting of the ways. For a moment, the gesture seemed to Shari to be more intimate than friendly. For an alarming moment, the girl was caught off guard. The embrace was unexpected. Still, the beautiful blond senior leaned into it, savoring the moment and the contact that came with it.

Then to Shari's surprise, Miss Blount told her that she'd written her telephone number and address inside the yearbook. She told the quietly sobbing girl that she was welcome to call her whenever she needed her. This seemed to quell Shari's sadness for the moment. With one final reluctant hug, Shari slipped her yearbook back into her bag and said goodbye to her favorite teacher. Even though Miss Blount knew she'd see Shari at graduation on Friday, she secretly hoped that the girl would miss her enough to give her a call.

June...

Almost two weeks after graduation, Shari decided to call Miss Blount. "I think I need some help registering for my classes." She spoke shakily into the receiver. She didn't know why she sounded that way. Her parents weren't home and there was no one around to hear her. "I decided to switch one of my classes, and I'm not sure if I did it right." Of course, all that was a lie. Shari was already registered for classes, and besides, her freshman adviser would have helped with that.

And, of course, Miss Blount knew it was an excuse. A flimsy one at that, but she didn't care. "I've got faith you'll have it all straightened out, Shari." She said. "And I don't mind helping out a student of mine."

"But I'm not your student anymore." Shari protested.

"Details. I'll meet you at Blake, just tell me when."

"In about an hour maybe? I've got to change clothes first." Shari quickly realized that she didn't really need to use an excuse with her ex-teacher when Miss Blount suggested that they could grab some lunch afterwards and talk.

As far as Shari could tell, Miss Blount actually sounded pretty thrilled to hear from her in spite of the butch woman's attempt to dampen the enthusiasm in her voice. And it didn't take the towering gym teacher very long after meeting up to discover that Shari's story about needing help registering for classes really had been a ruse. They spent an hour or so walking around the campus at Blake College while they talked and got to know each other better.

After that, they stopped at a coffee shop for lunch before Shari had to reluctantly end their visit. She was babysitting one of the neighbor's kids, and she was due to show up in a couple hours. But during their time spent together, Shari began to really wonder if her teacher had feelings for her beyond mere friendship. From Miss Blount's perspective, she never seriously expected the relationship she'd had with Shari to ever go beyond where it stood, but deep down, she really hoped that it might.

Loneliness Dies in the Heat of a Summer Night...

On one quiet and uneventful night in July, Velma Blount was dozing off in front of an old black and white movie on TV when she heard the doorbell ring. With some reluctance, Velma got up and glanced at the wall clock in the kitchen on her way to the front door. It was almost 10PM. She wondered who could be knocking at this hour, and then she remembered her colleague, Diane Lusby, had stopped by earlier in the evening so they could go for a run together. Maybe Diane had forgotten something.

But when Velma opened the door, her heart skipped a beat. There stood Shari Keefer, and she seemed more than a little upset. As a matter of fact, it looked like she'd been crying recently. As far as Velma was concerned, the girl looked stunning as always in spite of the redness around her eyes. A few loose curls fell away from the torrents of Shari's light blond locks. She wore a very pretty light floral patterned sundress with sandals.

The gym teacher invited her unexpected guest inside and offered her a seat on the sofa. She asked Shari if everything was all right, and just like that, the floodgates opened anew. Shari's eyes brimmed over and she burst into tears. Her body trembled visibly as she did her best to suppress her sobs. She tried to keep it together, but she couldn't help herself. She told her ex-teacher as best she could that the idea of starting college in the fall scared her. Shari decided to live on campus in one of the dorms. She'd already started packing her things even though the move was still several weeks away. But still, the thought overwhelmed her even though (unlike some of her classmates) she was only moving to the other side of town.

"I know it might be hard to believe, but I wasn't exactly the best student these last few years." Shari softly admitted.

Velma fought the instinctual urge to roll her eyes and snort loudly in response to this "revelation" about the girl's academic performance.You don't say, she thought,I would've never known! But now was not the time. Shari needed support, not sarcasm. The girl plainly asserted that she was sure she wouldn't be able to take the pressure to do well in her college classes.

For several minutes, Shari did most of the talking while Velma dutifully listened. The gym teacher tried, and failed miserably, to tease the blond beauty and cheer her up. Velma tried to tell Shari that everything would be all right. Suddenly she was startled by another outburst of tears. She got up from the sofa and switched off the television. She was at a loss for what to do next. "Let me get you something to drink, Shari. I'll just be a minute or so. You stay right there." Velma disappeared into the kitchen without waiting for a reply.

A minute or so went by, and Velma returned. She sat close beside Shari and pressed a glass into the girl's trembling hands. "Thanks, Miss Blount." Shari muttered. She brought the dew-covered glass to her quivering lips. It was ice water. She took a few sips before setting it aside. "I'm not very thirsty."

"That's okay." Velma said. Her voice, so often clipped and terse, was reassuring. "It's there if you need it."

Shari was crying again, quietly, but for a different reason. Her cheeks flushed visibly and uncomfortably. She wanted to tell Miss Blount, but she was sure that her old gym teacher would never understand in a million years. The girl's eyelids fluttered. Her vision was blurry from the onslaught of hot tears. She faced the tall middle aged butch woman beside her. Her delicate features clouded over in a grave expression for a brief moment, and then everything seemed to hit her at once without warning. Shari cried in grief as if someone very close to her had just died.

Shari didn't think she was the sort of person to feel grief like this. But she knew deep down that she wasn't actually grieving a person. She didn't lose anyone recently except her grandmother who died a year and a half ago. She cried because she was grieving the loss of her former life and routine. Even though she knew she'd been a pain in the ass as far as some of her teachers were concerned, these last four years in high school had been carefree and wonderful. But now the specter of the unknown haunted her, and she was afraid of having to face it alone.

The distressed look on Shari's otherwise angelic face caused Velma to suddenly feel self-conscious. Luckily, she showered right after her early evening 10 mile run with Miss Lusby. She was wearing a grubby looking faded old t-shirt and old shorts. She was clean, but she'd only planned on spending a boring drowsy evening alone in front of the TV with a cold beer as her sole companion. This lovely little blond angel sitting next to her must think her old gym teacher looks pretty ghastly!

Imagine Miss Blount's shock when the girl, still sobbing, inched closer, practically snuggling beside her on the sofa. She pressed her face against the old dyke's shoulder and sobbed quietly. Soon, things began to get very interesting. Maybe it was the influence of the couple of beers she'd had earlier after Miss Lusby's departure, but Velma thought her ex-student looked unbelievably adorable as she did her best to stifle her sobs.

"I'm sorry that I'm being such a crybaby, Miss Blount. I'm not usually like this!"

"Don't be. It's natural for girls your age I suppose...but call me Velma, okay?"

Shari brushed an errant tear from her lovely porcelain face and did her best to crack a smile at her ex-gym teacher. Right then, the old dyke felt the stirrings of liquid courage brimming inside her, urging her to do something. She moved in closer to the sobbing teen and lifted the girl's small chin up to meet her admiring gaze. "Shari...close your eyes for me."

She said nothing, but Shari did as she was told immediately. Velma pulled the girl's tear stained face closer until their lips brushed together. With the memories of that party of Christmas past haunting her, she wanted to test the waters. She wanted to be sure.

Miss Blount then kissed her student very slowly and sweetly at first. There was a hint of sensuality in their contact, but otherwise the kiss seemed innocent. From Shari's perspective, she was a little stunned at first. But that first kiss was nice; very nice. It was not that much different from kissing a boy like Scott Palmer. Now Velma's large hand closed on the back of Shari's head, palming it like she would a basketball. She caressed the young girl's face with her other hand as she kissed Shari again.

This time, the kiss was deeper; more insistent. The kiss of a lover.

The sensation, somewhat alien to the inexperienced teen, felt sinful and wonderful all at the same time. When Velma's lips met Shari's, her body tingled painfully, and her mind raced with kaleidoscopic flashes of the past. For the longest time, she dreamed of breaking this taboo of student and teacher. And she often wondered if Velma ever thought about it too.

They came together again, sharing another kiss. This time, Shari slowly parted her lips, allowing the old dyke's tongue to enter. Velma's mouth tasted strongly of beer as her tongue probed the nervous teen's mouth. Shari felt her stomach drop, and she melted helplessly in Velma's arms while they continued to kiss. The towering butch leered over Shari, baring down, as she pulled the girl towards her. A shudder raced through her when she felt the girl's plump little breasts brushing against her nearly flat chest.

They pulled away now, both still visibly shaken. A mere second passed before Velma leaned in, kissing Shari's slender neck. The woman's tongue emerged, dragging the tip lightly against the girl's fair skin upwards to lick around her ear. Shari shuddered from the sensation, and she felt an unmistakable hot throbbing between her slender thighs as she realized Velma's tongue started tracing along the delicate shell of her ear. Scott Palmer never kissed her this way when they'd gone on dates together. No guy had ever kissed her this way!

Velma stopped and slowly retreated. Shari sat there, saying nothing. She stared straight ahead, eyes distant and cheeks flushed. The girl's facial muscles twitched, and her expression knotted in a look of something like bewilderment. "Shari, are you alright? It wasn't my intention to--" Without warning, Shari turned towards Velma. She put her arms around the older woman, grabbing her homely face. Now she pulled the old dyke in for an awkward, almost desperate kiss. Velma surrendered to the girl's blundering advances, parting her lips so the girl could drive her tongue deep inside her willing mouth.

Minutes went by, but it seemed like mere seconds. The gym teacher and her former student shared several kisses, but soon they stopped again, reluctantly pulling away. Shari's gaze was empty; void. Her eyes stared at the quietly flickering images on the old 20 inch RCA TV in front of them. She was visibly stunned and unsure where to look.This isn't happening, this can't be happening, she thought.Miss Blount is my gym teacher--at least shewas my gym teacher! But every time she set eyes on the masculine giantess, her heart would race, and a very strange feeling always throttled her...like vertigo. The idea of seducing Miss Blount crossed the girl's mind in the past few times she'd been in class. The mere thought of it always gave her a thrill. Shari could hardly believe that she was actually sitting there in her gym teacher's house right now...kissing her!

Little pinpricks of floating light, like dust motes, drifted before her eyes. Similar pricks of electric sensation raised the fine hairs on her arms and the back of her neck. Shari realized now, how tight and swollen her breasts felt underneath the light cotton fabric of her dress. It was a nagging, almost painful, throbbing.Jesus, it's so hot in here! By the looks of things, Velma felt it too. A series of distressing jolts of arousal shot through the gym teacher's body when Shari, in a fit of nerves, yanked up the hem of her dress and accidentally exposed the pink floral panties she was wearing underneath to Velma's lustful gaze.

As a veteran teacher, Velma knew she had the upper hand. As gratifying as that was, she also knew she had to maintain her game face. That was easy enough what with her imposing height and the obscene age difference between her and her lovely young guest. And although Shari was no longer in high school, the student-teacher dynamic was still very much present. And that dynamic afforded Velma an absolute dominance over Shari which felt unbelievably sexy. She stood now, firmly grasping the 19-year-old by the arm, and pulled her up from the sofa.

"Come with me." Miss Blount commanded in that familiar gruff, sharp voice meant to solidify her dominance and remind the girl that she alone is in charge. Shari seemed surprised, almost fearful, but she went along without any resistance. By then, Miss Blount guessed that her feelings toward Shari Keefer were definitely mutual.