Shari Fans the Flame

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!

*****

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.

"It sounds like everyone is familiar with the meaning of teamwork, so why don't we see how well you ladies understand the concept!" Miss Blount suggested.

The girls were paired up to play Pass the Racquet. Each pair of girls stood in the service box on opposite ends of the court while Miss Dowd finished setting up the targets. Each girl had to rally the ball over the line as they aimed at the target. After they finished taking their turn, the girls traded places with their partner as they passed the racquet. Miss Blount took the opportunity to stroll along the extreme far side of the court while occasionally glancing over at Shari.

Shari Keefer wasn't much of an athlete in high school. She was kind of a klutz in gym class in spite of her lithe little body. As far as Velma Blount was concerned, that negative attribute was exasperating. It usually meant that the girl was sure to be the princess type—high maintenance and disruptive. But in the eyes of the towering old dyke, Shari was different. As much as Velma avoided such thoughts, she knew deep down she was very attracted to the blond beauty.

Velma recalled one day during gym class when her feelings about Shari Keefer churned in the pit of her stomach, threatening to crest the surface. The class was finishing up a unit on calisthenics, and the girls were working on a sprint drill in the main gymnasium. Shari suddenly rolled her ankle and almost collapsed onto the polished hardwood floor. Luckily, Shari's friend, Irene was standing close enough to catch her. Miss Blount came over and asked the gorgeous blond senior if everything was alright. When she was satisfied that there was no lasting damage to the girl's ankle, Miss Blount told Shari to walk it off for a few laps.

That was when Craig Carlson showed up. He was supposed to be using the bathroom, but on his way back to class, he got distracted by the noise spilling out of the gym through one of the open doors. He spotted Shari, and the two lingered in the doorway talking until Miss Blount saw them. Miss Blount hated Craig. He was a class clown—a troublemaker. Worst of all, Craig was on the football and wrestling teams, and extremely popular with the girls. The towering old dyke had no idea what he and Shari were discussing, but as far as she was concerned, she'd seen enough. Miss Blount practically charged at Craig from across the gym and demanded that he get back to class.

Miss Blount felt a sudden rush of searing heat in her cheeks. She'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't jealous of Craig. After class, the gym teacher pulled Shari aside and demanded to know what she was talking about with Craig. Miss Blount asked Shari if she was dating Craig, and of course the shy blond senior said she wasn't. She insisted that they were just good friends, and that Craig was actually dating one of her other friends, Edith Moser. That was when Velma Blount realized she had feelings for Shari. Truth be told, she was obsessed with the beautiful blond senior, but now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. The gym teacher directed her attention back to the court...

*****

Shari Keefer tossed her tote bag filled with the US History papers she'd finished grading into the back seat of Velma Blount's car before returning to her seat on the bleachers. The girls were about finished with practice, and Miss Blount was talking to them about the sectionals which were coming up. The blond beauty gazed wistfully at her former gym teacher, hoping that practice would be over soon.

Miss Blount wore a light colored tennis dress with a matching light pink cardigan. The extra short hemline of the skirt seemed to draw extra attention to the towering gym teacher's lean muscled legs and flat chest. Honestly, Miss Blount's choice of attire should have made her appear softer and a little more feminine. Instead, she looked more menacing than usual, and this had a tendency to stir up trouble once in a while with parents who were unfamiliar with the veteran teacher.

And trouble came almost as soon as Shari returned to her seat on the bleachers. It came in the form of Mr. Howlett. Mr. Howlett is an investment banker, and he was used to getting what he wanted whenever he wanted it. So when the matter of his daughter's continuing eligibility for sports came into question, the man wasn't having any of it. He was already locked in frenzied debate with Miss Dowd when Velma walked over. Mr. Howlett glanced up at the towering gym teacher and visibly shuddered as though he'd seen something terrible.

"Good morning, Mr. Howlett. I've been trying to contact you or your wife last week about Emily's practice attendance..."

Mr. Howlett ignored the greeting; "Jesus Christ, who let the horse out of the stable?" He asked the assistant coach.

Miss Dowd mashed her lips together and exhaled sharply.

"Look, mister—we're trying to have a discussion about my daughter!" Mr. Howlett directed the obvious insult at Velma. He'd met Miss Blount before. The first time was during his daughter's sophomore year on registration day.

"The name is MISS Blount!" Velma seethed. She was pushing the words through her teeth. From Shari's perspective, it looked like the old dyke was about to clean his clock. Emily Howlett noticed it too. She touched the gym teacher's arm lightly in a gesture of understanding. Miss Blount just stood there, clenching her hands into tight fists. In a matter of seconds, her bony knuckles turned snow white.

"Jeez, I'm real sorry about that, Miss Blount." She said. "Dad doesn't really mean what he said...he—uh—likes to tease..."

"Get your stuff and get back in the car, Em!" Mr. Howlett looked Miss Blount in the eye. The two were nearly matched in height. Emily's father leaned in towards the masculine giantess. He was doing his best to intimidate her.

"We'll just see what your goddamn department head has to say about this!"

"Mr. Howlett, if you would please listen for a moment!" Miss Blount replied in a voice that began to waver. "Emily is one of my best students, but her sports eligibility..."

Mr. Howlett glared at Miss Blount, and taking his daughter by the arm, said: "Bullshit. Look at you—you fucking queers are all the same! How do I know you aren't after something ELSE, huh?"

"Oh my God..." Miss Dowd looked ashen. She looked like she wanted to throw herself in front of a fleet of fast moving trucks! Shari didn't blame her though. The blond beauty glanced back at the bleachers. None of the other parents were helping. In fact, it looked like everyone was more interested in the cider and donuts than they were with the commotion on the court.

"Mr. Howlett, I think it would be best if you took your daughter home." Miss Blount said tersely. "I will arrange for a meeting with you and your wife sometime next week to discuss Emily's eligibility..."

Mr. Howlett rolled his eyes and headed back toward his car. For a few seconds, Emily stared silently at Miss Blount. It was obvious that the girl was about to burst out in tears. Shari dashed over and put an arm around the girl.

"I oughta have you fired!" Mr. Howlett shouted from the open window of his car. "Last thing these girls need is some big oaf in a skirt leering at them out on the court! Hurry up, Emily!"

"I'm soooo embarrassed!" Emily whispered to Shari. "I don't want to get kicked off the team..."

"Don't worry." Shari said. "Miss Blount is pretty fair and easy going. She used to be my gym teacher when I was in high school. Things will work out, you'll see."

Emily tried her best now to crack a smile before giving Shari a hug. The pretty junior tossed her bag in the back seat of her dad's car. Mr. Howlett was staring at Shari now. It was making her a little uncomfortable, but she reasoned that it was probably nothing.

"Hey, I've seen you here before." Mr. Howlett said. Shari nodded. She didn't want to say anything that might rile him up. "That woman bother you any?" He nodded in the direction of the court. There was no doubt he was talking about Miss Blount.

"No! Why would she?" Shari replied.

"Well, if she ever does, let me know. My wife's a teacher over at Kent. We're pretty good friends with Mr. Bowen." He was referring to Talcott's principal. "Have a good one!"

"Sure, you too, Mr. Howlett." Shari replied softly as the man drove off.

By now, just about everyone else had left. Miss Dowd started packing up the leftover donuts and cider. She stayed a few minutes after to discuss the next practice session with Miss Blount before throwing the rest of her things in the trunk of her modest car. Shari watched Velma in silence as the towering old dyke scooped up a couple stray tennis balls near the net.

Until that unfortunate encounter with Mr. Howlett, Velma had been her usual stern and steely self—a firm but fair coach and task master. But now it was clear to Shari that the gym teacher's otherwise solid confidence was shaken. Velma's shoulders drooped and her cold blue eyes stared down and away from Shari as if she wanted to avoid a sudden onslaught of tears. It looked as though in a matter of seconds Velma Blount had become a different person; like she'd been stabbed. But Mr. Howlett used his words instead of a knife.

"Thank you for talking to Emily...for not giving into your fear." Velma said quietly.

That trademark gruff intonation returned to the gym teacher's voice; a characteristic that seemed exclusive to butch women. Miss Dowd wished Velma and Shari a good rest of the weekend before taking off. Ruth Fornal and Jenny Knight followed the assistant coach to her car and got in the back seat. When Miss Dowd's car pulled away, Shari watched Velma retrieve a couple empty tennis ball cans which she shoved into her bag.

"I—ah—wasn't expecting that." Velma said with a weak chuckle. "But God says we must always be strong and courageous. He is watching and with us always."

Shari helped Velma gather the two remaining bags she'd brought with her to practice. It was the first time in several months Shari heard any mention of God or the Bible from Velma. Even though they attended Bible study regularly, Velma rarely mentioned it outside the confines of their tight-knit group. The masculine giantess heaved a gusty, wavering sigh. Velma Blount's otherwise piercing light blue eyes looked watery and distant when her gaze met Shari's.

"I expect Emily's mother to call Mr. Bowen on Monday. The Howletts are very good friends with him and his wife...and it's not the first time something like this has happened."

Shari was starting to worry. Even though her very limited experience with teaching had its problems, the possibility of a parent (or two) causing problems never really occurred to her. The two of them got in Velma's car now, and they drove off in the general direction of home.

"You're—you're not going to lose your job because of Mr. Howlett...are you?" Shari asked. Velma replied with a weak smile as she shook her head no.

"I really doubt that anything will come of it. This is, even if he does call Mr. Bowen. Remember that I've been a teacher for a lot longer than you have, Shari berry. I'm a tough old bird...I've dealt with a lot worse."

*****

As a high school student, Shari Keefer had heard just about every wild rumor floating around Talcott about Miss Blount. She remembered one time during lunch when a couple cheerleaders were discussing the latest rumors about the gym teacher's sexual predilection. At the time, she was unsure whether she ought to be disgusted or not. But one thing was certain from the first time she had Miss Blount for gym class; she was intensely curious to know if any of it was true or not. Shari was pretty sure she wasn't a lesbian. But by the time her senior year rolled around, she was acutely aware of her growing lesbian tendencies.

She found herself spending more and more time with her gym teacher after school and occasionally during lunch. The beautiful blond senior was unsure if it was because she was drawn by Miss Blount's alarming appearance and masculine voice, or if it was something else. Either way, Shari deliberately came to gym class late. Sometimes she'd refuse to wear her gym suit because she didn't want to mess up her hair or makeup.