Chapter 2

Shari felt that her life had got out of control.

For much of her 16 years she had lived a sheltered life watched over by her parents and big brother. At high school she had met, and made friends with, girls whose life to her had been so much freer. They could stay out late, go out with boys and wear what they liked.

Some could even take their boyfriends home like Sherri, her brother's girlfriend. She longed to have what other girls took for granted.

Things had eased up a little. She could go out with her friends, but her father still kept strict control of the money she earned at Mo's Deli. She simply could not afford to buy the clothes, the make-up and all the other things considered necessary in a young girl's life.

She had known Mo' all her life. He had been good to her family. She liked working for him. He took a paternal interest in her, making sure she got home safely, often staying and chatting to her family. He was a kind man and good looking, for an older man, she thought, and wondered why he had never married. She envied his wealth even though she knew he had worked hard for it.

Her own family was not wealthy like him. They ran a small kebab restaurant downtown but the competition was hard. But they got by. They had wanted her to go to college, but couldn't afford the fees. Therefore they had got her a job in order to save up. They would not have let her work otherwise.

Poorly educated themselves, they had wanted the best for their daughter and saw education as the key to a life they couldn't afford to give her. Like Mo's parents they had come from Lebanon with barely the clothes they stood up in to make a life for themselves in a new country. Shari felt a heavy responsibility.

Which is why she now felt racked with guilt. She had only meant to take a little from the till but things had got out of control. Once she realized how easy it was, she couldn't control herself. There was always some reason why she needed a little more.

She told herself she would put it back next week from her pay but the figure had grown too large. She could not bear to count the amount of money she had stolen. She felt like she was standing on a precipice, balancing, staring down into the chasm which was about to consume her young life. She felt utterly miserable.

Concealing her outer turmoil from the outside world had involved years of practice. She was used to protecting herself from the criticism of her family all her life. From around 13 she had kept private the chaotic thoughts of her emerging sexuality.

She had begun masturbating around then, the techniques discovered with the giggling advice of her school friends. The talk at school drifted increasingly towards boys. Boys whom she knew she couldn't get too close to. It wasn't fair that her brother Kalil, only 2 years older, could bring his girlfriend Sherri home to make-out with while her parents worked in the evening.

Sherri, a blond white girl her own age slithering all over her brother while she had to stay in her room to study.

Finishing a damned history essay late one night she was returning from the bathroom while preparing for bed when she heard them murmuring in the lounge. On impulse she carefully pushed the door ajar and peeked in. The sight stunned her.

There, in front of the fireplace lay Kali and Sherri. By the dimmed light she could see that Sherri had her blouse undone to the waste. The cups of her bra were pulled down to reveal the most perfect white breasts she had ever seen. They put her own small pair to shame.

She could clearly see her pronounced pink nipples standing proud from her creamy white flesh and as she watched saw her brother leaned over and carefully sucked on one.

Instantly Shari felt a tingle in her own small breast. Wide eyed she noticed Sherri's hand moving at her brother's crotch. He turned on his back and she noticed Sherri was stroking his hard naked cock.