Teacher Stories

Miss, Are You Gay?

AN - Themes of sexual assault and homophobia

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Sophie spent a lot of time in the wellbeing hub. Everyone loved her but she was going through a lot so she spent around 20% of her time there. She was meant to speak to the PGWs but instead, a teacher called Miss Morris had taken Sophie under her wing and that was who Sophie spent a lot of her time with. Miss Morris was the deputy head of year ten, and Miss Lowe was the head of year ten.

So it was a Thursday morning in June, seven thirty when Miss Morris was arriving at school, but as she pulled into the car park, she saw a girl sat against the wall. She parked her car and walked back out of the gate to see Sophie.

"Oh Soph." Miss Morris hadn't seen the girl this bad in a few months, she thought that it was finally getting better. She held out a hand which the sobbing girl took and Miss Morris pulled her up and led her towards her classroom. "Tell me everything Soph."

She pulled up two chairs in her little side room where she put some water, from a large water bottle under her desk, in the kettle as she started to make herself a coffee and Sophie a hot chocolate. Sophie watched the process intently, watching how the perfect, collected woman moved with such calm and grace.

"Y-y-you remember Callie?"

Miss Morris nodded. "Your girlfriend, yeah."

"Well, I went out with her last night, we went to Mumbles pier and we got chips and yeah. My dad followed us in the car, and after I had walked back from Callie's last night, he threw this bag at me, told me to pack it and get out. And I did but just before I left, he uh..." Sophie started to break down again so Miss Morris pulled her into a comforting hug, soothing her.

"You can tell me anything Sophie. I want to help you."

"He, uh, he raped me." Sophie admitted between sobs, tensing as she waited for the older woman's reaction.

She pulled back and poured the water into the mugs, handing one to Sophie.

"Miss?"

"Call me Jen. Did you get everything you need? From your house?"

"I forgot my school books. They've got all my revision in them."

Jen nodded and picked up her phone and called someone. "Hey, Car, are you in school? Need you to come somewhere with me. Cool, meet me by reception in five minutes."

The teacher then turned her attention to the girl. "How do you feel about going back there, just once?"

Sophie hesitated and then nodded. "OK brill. Car... Miss Lowe is coming with us. We won't let anything happen to you, so don't worry."

Sophie felt tears well in her eyes again but smiled lightly, Jen put her arm around Sophie's shoulders as they walked back to Jen's car. Miss Lowe met them at reception as arranged and Sophie watched the exchange between the two of them. There were a lot of hushed words and glances and Sophie had never been more sure that something was going on between the two of them.

"OK Soph, ready to go?"

She nodded and they headed to the car, Sophie getting in the back as the two teachers got in the front, Jen driving with directions from Sophie. The final turn was coming and Sophie felt her heart start beating faster. She directed Jen as to which house it was and they parked the car in front of the house.

Jen and Miss Lowe headed up the path and stood on the doorstep with Sophie behind them, just visible. Jen knocked.

A man answered the door. a quizzical look in his eye. "Can I help you?"