Copyright© 2004

Her scent washes over me as she bends, once more, to peer over my shoulder at the sketch I'm working on. The thunder of my pulse drowns out other sounds as her soft, warm hand rests on my shoulder. I cannot breathe as her silky hair brushes my cheek. She smells... clean. Clean and fresh, with just a hint of lavender and something else...

"Very good, Justine!" I can barely hear her whispered compliment over the pounding of my pulse!

I sigh with relief and longing as she drifts away, murmuring encouragement to other students as she passes.

Why, oh why did I take THIS art class! Even as the thought enters my head, the answer niggles at the back of my brain: 'Because, Justine, you have a stupid schoolgirl crush on Ms. O'Connor!'

Yes, I have to admit that I took the class because I wanted to be close to her. Never mind that every boy in school wants to get into my pants, never mind that I could have any of them I want, and have, from time to time. I had to go and fall in love with a TEACHER - a FEMALE teacher, for God's sake!

But God! I never dreamed of the torture being in her class would heap upon me! Every day is like a knife twisting in my guts as I wander, oblivious, through the rest of my schoolday, living only for third period. For art class. For HER art class! Then I'm there, and it's even worse!

Her face, her presence, her voice, her scent permeate the atmosphere around me, and I can do nothing about it! To top it off, I'm cursed with a modicum of talent! This invariably brings praise and soft touches that cut my soul to the quick! Oh, how I wish they could be for me, not my art!

My chair feels like the seat is lined with broken glass. I can't keep still! Of their own volition, my thighs rub together, trying without success to satisfy the itch that grows, unbearably, in my nether regions.

"I would like to discuss something with you after class, Justine." I didn't hear her! Again she surrounds me! Did she notice? Can she tell that I was thinking about her like THAT?

"Can you stay behind for a few minutes?" she asks, as my panic threatens to undo me.

"Uh, sh..." I have to clear my suddenly dry throat before the sounds will come out right, "Sure, um, Ms. O'Connor."

'You have such beautiful red hair, Ms. O'Connor! May I call you Kathleen?' my mind toys with the idea of continuing, but of course, I can't, 'Would you like me to eat your lovely pussy, Kathleen? May I call you lover, Kathleen? Oh, thank you so much, Lover!'

Delicate fingers rest on my back. Is it my wanton imagination, or is she playing with the sandy curls at the top of my neck, making shivers chase each other up and down my spine? Could she see my blush? Were my petrified nipples poking through my bra as far as I thought they were? I'll never survive 'til the end of this hour!

Somehow, glacially, the time passes. I sit nervously at my drawing table while the others file out of the room, some snickering over speculations about what I might have done to be detained.

She crosses to the door and locks it as the last of the students leave. Settling her petite frame gracefully into the chair opposite mine, smiling her teacher smile.

"I'm not quite sure how to approach this, Justine." she seems almost as nervous as me! "Your other teachers are, well, concerned."

My face flushes. Of course they would notice the change in me! I've practically been a zombie outside Ms. O'Connor's class! How stupid of me!

"They tell me you've been... distracted." she says softly, "I think I know why, but I'd like to hear it from you."