Chapter 2

The girls of Willowbridge High Hockey trained intensely, pushing themselves through their rigorous schedule. Relieved that Mr. Henderson, whose presence often made them uncomfortable, was absent, some of the girls opted to forgo their skirts during the indoor gym session. Instead, they wore just their sports bras and shorts, relishing the rare privacy. They worked up a sweat, their toned bodies glistening as they ran, laughed, and enjoyed the freedom of moving without the weight of the male gaze.

Ms. Pembroke observed the training session, dressed in her tracksuit bottoms and a vest top, wishing she could wear less as well. She watched Maddie perform squat jumps, starting from a crouched position and springing into the air. From behind, she noticed Maddie’s bare legs glistening with a sheen of sweat, droplets trickling down her back into her white shorts, pooling between her buttocks, the damp fabric clinging to her ass and swallowed up by her crack. Ms Pembroke quickly averted her gaze, though the image lingered in her mind, leaving her flustered.

She turned instead to Sarah Saad, a cute little thirteen year old, in her black hockey skirt, white socks, white trainers, and white t-shirt. Unlike the more outgoing Milly, Sarah was notably shy, she could never display as much flesh. Her brown hair curled delicately down the sides of her face, framing her features. Sweat glistened on her skin, dripping from her forehead and cheeks. She had a cute button nose, and her lips were parted as she panted, revealing her luminous white teeth against her milk coffee skin. Her black eyes shone as she smiled at her teacher.

“Hi, Miss,” Sarah began hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. “May I ask you something?”

Ms. Pembroke smiled gently but with an air of authority. “Of course, Sarah. Though I hope it’s not an excuse to get out of practice early,” she teased.

Sarah’s cheeks flushed, and she shook her head quickly. “No, Miss, it’s not that. I ... I wanted to ask if you could help me with my English essay. I find it really hard...” Her voice trailed off, and she looked down at her feet, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

Ms. Pembroke’s expression softened. She had always noticed how hard Sarah tried, and sometimes even imagined she had a crush on her. She was much too innocent for Ms Pembroke to even imagine returning the favour ... yet.

“Of course, Sarah,” Ms. Pembroke said. “I’d be happy to help you with your essay. Why don’t we set aside some time after practice to go over it together?”

Sarah’s face lit up, her dark eyes sparkling with gratitude. “Thank you, Miss! I really want to do well...” She paused, then added softly, “I want to make you proud.”

Ms Pembroke did not want to tell Sarah some of the things she wanted to do to her, she was used to keeping it to herself. She looked at the rivulets of sweat drip down the girl’s nose, falling down the side and on to her pink lips, parting slightly, her tongue darting out like a lizard to catch the moisture, while her eyes maintained her child like innocence.

“Good, now, until then, do your lunges like the other girls!” Ms. Pembroke said with an encouraging smile. She clapped her hands signalling for Sarah to rejoin the group. The young girl nodded, her shy smile returning as she hurried back to her teammates, her white trainers squeaking softly against the gym floor.

Ms. Pembroke observed Sarah as she performed her lunges. As Sarah moved, the hem of her hockey skirt shifted almost to her waist, revealing her thighs, the light brown skin of her legs catching the gym’s fluorescent lighting, glistening with a sheen of sweat.

Ms. Pembroke had to turn her head away again and was now confronted with Maddy once more. Maddy’s body was drenched in sweat, her white bra almost transparent now and showing dark nipples underneath through the moisture. Sweat sparkled in her belly button, pouring in small streams down the insides of her thighs from the white cotton of her shorts. The older women watched for just a few moments more to find that she could make out the contours of the girl’s pussy lips as she brought her leg forward in a lunge, and that she had apparently got rid of any and all pubic hair she had.

“Naughty girl” Ms Pembroke thought to herself. She wished she was back in Victorian times when she could properly discipline a girl like Milly.

“Hi, Miss Pembroke, thank you for your time!” Sarah said, her voice soft but sincere as she approached her teacher after practice. She had changed back into her school uniform, her dark curly hair still damp from the shower and her face glowing faintly from the exertion of the session.

Ms. Pembroke smiled, gesturing for Sarah to take a seat. “You’re welcome, Sarah. Now, let’s talk about your English essay. What part are you finding challenging?”

Sarah hesitated, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She took a deep breath, her dark eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Ms. Pembroke ... the truth is, I don’t want to talk about my English essay.”

“Oh” smiled Ms Pembroke. Just her luck, she laughed to herself, preparing herself to turn down any advance from this cute but silly girl. “What’s on your mind, then?”

Sarah looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s ... it’s my family. I’m sorry, Miss ... I just ... I thought I could only trust you.”

Ms Pembroke’s expression was quizzical if a little concerned. She hated getting involved in this stuff, it was tedious and also dangerous. But she maintained her warmth -”Sarah, you can always talk to me. Whatever it is, I’m here to listen. You don’t have to go through it alone.”

Sarah nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She felt like she might finally be able to share the weight she’d been carrying. Taking a shaky breath, she began.

“It’s my parents ... or, my dad. You know my mum has ... issues. Well ... my dad wants to take me back to Egypt, and I think ... I think he wants to...” She trailed off, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Marry me off,” she finally whispered.

The older woman leaned forward slightly, her voice calm and steady, “Sarah, I’m so sorry you’re carrying this burden. That’s a lot for anyone to deal with, especially someone your age. You’re incredibly brave for sharing this with me.”