Cold Love

Unable to hold back any longer, Janice moved one hand to her clit and stroked it. Her cry of, "Oh fuck, oh fuck me! So close, so fucking close," was swallowed up by the cold, howling wind outside her window. Her back was arched and it was all she could do to hold the vibrator in her cunt. The nearly painful stabs of pleasure forcibly extracted a string of cries from her as she hurtled over the cliff of no return towards her climax at the bottom. When it hit her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, then collapsed to the bed, shuddering in the waves of ecstasy that rolled out from her pussy to envelope her entire body. Her teeth clamped shut, her fingers and toes extended out from her hands and feet, curling back in double jointed flexibility, and her cunt bore down on the vibrator so hard that it was forced out onto the bed between her legs.

Her body relaxed and Janice started to breathe hard and fast, making up for the time lost when she was cumming instead of breathing. The howling wind, a reminder of the cold that was less than ten feet from her, was strangely reassuring. There was no way that she could scream louder than that wind, ensuring privacy for whenever she wanted to take herself to heaven for a short while. She could feel the dampness under her ass cooling already. "Great. I haven't even slept in it yet," she thought to herself.

She slipped some pajamas on and took her newly soaked bedding to the laundry. It had always embarrassed her that she produced so much fluid when she came. She never had worked up the courage to ask any of her girl friends what happened when they came. While the sheets and blanket cycled through, she started the process of sorting her books into need now; would like now; can wait two weeks. She was staring at a pile of books that was still half again as large as she had shelf space for when she realized she had yawned for the fifth time in as many minutes. Leaving them where they sat, she made her bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, she had solved her book space problem. She would take her educational resources to the school. That would leave just enough space for the rest. After a breakfast of Grape Nuts (she put shopping as a top priority for today), she loaded up the books that were making the trip, insulated herself against the cold and stepped outside.

It was dark. "Damn!" she thought, "It's seven in the morning and it's still fucking dark." She looked at the illuminated thermometer on her outer wall and read the depressing 12 degree temperature. "20 degrees below freezing. I'll be lucky to see 30 degrees today."

Grateful that the school was only 25 yards from her door, she made the short trip and found the door already unlocked. She mentally added a flashlight and lots of batteries to her internal shopping list. Inside were the four rooms of the school. The largest was the classroom itself. She had only 20 students in the equivalent of grades 1 through 10. Janice was so glad that U of Nev. had offered an elective on antiquated teaching methods. The section on 19th century, one room school houses was going to be invaluable. The second room was a small kitchenette where the students and her could fix and eat lunch. The village provided food for the school at no cost and required that she teach the equivalent of home economics to all students, so even lunch was going to be learning time. This fit her philosophy of teaching to a T.

The other two rooms were her office and storage for her teaching supplies. She carried her books to the office, only to find that it was already occupied. Kumak was standing at the filing cabinet, thumbing through the files. He didn't even look up as he said, "Good morning Miss Webster."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Janice's voice was exasperated.

Kumak turned around with a frown. "I'm making sure all the files are in order. Do you have a problem with that?"

His attitude of condescension set her off. "This is my office Mr. Kumak. From the moment you hired me, the files on the children became my concern and not yours. This may be an Inupiat village and school, but we're still in the US the last I checked. Federal privacy laws apply here just like they do in Nevada. Even if you were the entire school board, those files are off limits to you. Now, get out!"

His eyes blazed, all the while staring at her chest. "Miss Webster. I teach here as well, giving me as much access to these files as much as you have."

"Excuse me, have you signed a contract to teach here in an official capacity?"

"No, but I..."

She cut him off. "Then you are at best, a volunteer, even with your position as superintendent. That means you are violating Federal law. Now I said get out and I meant get out!"

The two stared at each other for several seconds. His kept drifting down from her face, interfering with his ability to level anger at her. Her eyes never wavered from his face, but her breath was becoming increasingly short and it had nothing to do with her anger. Finally, Kumak slammed the file drawer shut and stalked out of the office. Janice couldn't help but notice how sexy his ass was. As he left her sight, she shook her head.

Janice sat in the chair behind her desk. She trembled with anger, as much at him for the violation of her student's privacy as she was at herself. Why was she so attracted to him? He was rude, abrasive and full of himself. He was also a hunk. Janice realized that her nipples had hardened since she entered the school. "I've got to spend every day with him around? I'll go stark raving mad with lust," she moaned to herself.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, she outlined her teaching plan for the school year. Janice knew that the plan would not survive intact for more than a couple of weeks, at best, once she actually started interacting with the students. Fortunately, from her point of view, she did not see much of Kumak during that two weeks. He did stop by once to discuss when he would be holding his conversational Inupiat lessons. They agreed that immediately after lunch would be best. The tension between them had not diminished in the slightest.

Once the school year had started, they saw more and less of each other. While both Janice and Kumak were in the school house at the same time for almost an hour, they saw very little of each other during that time. Janice spent the time he conversed with the children in their native tongue preparing for the next day's lessons. She found that his voice, low in the background, enticed her. It was just as seductive to her ears as his body was to her eyes.

Several times, she found herself listening to his lessons, "just to practice with the language," she would tell herself. Janice came to the conclusion that he was a good teacher; at least in language skills. He had a rapport with the children that she had seen in only a couple of teachers in the past. His presence still provoked sexual feelings in her and she had frequent dates with Mr. Roboto.

The children themselves were a joy to work with. The older children were enthusiastic in their assignments involving tutoring the younger children. All except the shy 14 year old girl, Jameel. The teen was very reluctant to accept responsibility. When it was given to her in a manner that did not let her refuse, she handled it well, but she never volunteered for anything. Her proficiency in explaining math to young children was even better than Janice's. Three weeks into the year, she asked Kumak to come by after classes were done.

"Ms. Webster. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, Kumak. Thanks for coming. I wanted to ask what you know about Jameel. She's a bright young lady, but seems almost embarrassed to let anyone see how smart she is. Is there anything you can tell me about her that isn't in her file?"

"I was wondering when you would ask about her. Your impression is more accurate than you might have thought. Eight years ago, her father had something removed from her file." He held up a hand when Janice started to bristle. "I know that's not supposed to be possible. Martel is a stubborn man with a lot of influence. The teacher at the time gave into his demands."

"What was removed?"

"The results of an IQ test. Jameel tested at 155."

"Good grief! Why would anyone want to hide that their child has a genius IQ?"

"Jameel is probably the smartest person in the village. More significantly, she is smarter than her father. He is a traditionalist. He is afraid that his genius daughter will be enticed to leave the village to some white man's university and loose her sense of who she is. So, not only has her IQ test been suppressed, it has been made clear to her, not in so many words, that doing well in school is not something that is strongly desired."

"Do you mean to tell me that he actively discourages his daughter from excelling in her studies?"

"No, not actively, but, passively, she is led to understand that doing well in school is unimportant. Tell me, have you noticed any times when she does work up to her potential?"

"Yes. When she is working with the younger children in math and when she is part of a group."

"Exactly. She won't try to excel when she is affecting only herself, but she refuses to do anything to hold others back. Her father has instilled a strong sense of responsibility in her."

"I see. So the more she has to excel as part of a group, the better she will do, simply from an obligation to do so."

"Yes."

"Have any other teachers noticed this and acted on it?"

"No." The upset in his voice was palatable. The only thing that seemed to soften it was the equally hard look in Janice's eyes. Both were thinking the same thing. How many years of this girl's life had been wasted by teachers who took the easy way out.

"I think it's time we increased Jameel's level of responsibility. How much pressure can she take?"

"From what I've seen, the greater the pressure, the better she will perform. I wouldn't want you to do this, but if she found herself having to teach all the other children, she would rise to the challenge, teaching herself everything she needs to teach the others."

"Hmmm. That would be a little extreme. But I think I can force her to stretch. I should give her more independent study, let her explore and discover things on her own. What are some of her interests? How will her dad respond to her taking on responsibilities?"

Kumak thought for almost a minute. "He won't help her, but he won't hinder her either. I know she has an interest in different mythological heritages, as well as meteorology. We can look at her reading choices from past years for other idea."

"Not what I would want from a parent, but better than it could be. There's a lot she can do with what you've said. Thanks for your insights."

She stood up to see him to the door. Both tried to enter the hall at the same time and they collided. Suddenly finding themselves shoulder to shoulder, they turned and found themselves pressed against each other in the doorway. Janice's heart leapt as she looked slightly down at him and their eyes locked. For almost a minute, they stared into each other's eyes, their breath warming each other's faces. Kumak's hand went to the back of Janice's head and pulled her, unresisting, to a kiss. The first contact between their lips was electric. Both moaned and their arms pulled the other closed. Kumak's lips parted and his tongue probed at the entrance of her mouth.

Her lips gave him access. They explored each other's mouths with a tender vengeance, both eager and desperate. She could feel his cock hardening inside his pants and her nipples keeping pace. Her hands absorbed the feeling of strength in his back, barely restrained by his shirt. She broke off the kiss.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Her tone did not agree with her words.

In an equally contradictory tone, he responded, "No we shouldn't."

They kissed again. His hand slipped under the back of her shirt. Her skin had a feminine smoothness that enticed him to continue. The moan with which she responded reinforced that enticement. Her hands pulled his shirt up and caressed his back as well. She felt the muscles in his back ripple under her fingers. The kiss broke, both of them breathing hard. The two locked eyes, their thoughts in sync, "Do I want to do this?" Neither could come up with an answer.

Kumak brought his hand to her breast, waiting for her to pull away. Janice's breath drew in quickly as her body shivered under the tender touch. Her back arched, presenting her breasts more fully, pressing them into his hand. Kumak began to unbutton her blouse, exposing the lace of her bra and the hint of the breasts they contained. When his hands cupped her breasts, she moaned, her hands grabbing his. She shook her head.

"No. Kumak, we can't. You're my superior."

"I don't care. I've wanted you ever since I first saw you. Is that so wrong?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Kumak, this is contrary to everything I believe. What will people think?"

He looked at her body, then at her face. "I don't care what they think. I want you. I know you want me. If you don't, just say so, and I'll back off." The look in her eyes and her silence spoke volumes. "Let me bring some warmth into the cold for you."

"I do want you," she began. As she continued, she pulled his hands off her breasts, biting her lips as she did. "But, I'm a teacher and you're my supervisor. It's wrong. I just can't do it."

Kumak let his hands be pulled away and watched her back away from him. The disappointment in his eyes matched the disappointment in hers. He let her step back, watching her. Janice turned her back and walked back to her desk. She waited until she heard his footsteps walk away, then sat down, and cried into her hands.

* * *

Jameel responded to the increased responsibilities that both Janice and Kumak gave her. Kumak started letting her take the lead in the post-lunch conversations in Inupiat. Janice had her start preparing lessons of her own, overseen by Janice herself, to teach the younger children in math. When Janice suggested that she do a report on comparative mythologies with an emphasis on how the environment shapes myth, Jameel leapt at the chance Janice found that she loved the job she had taken. At times, the ever present cold and dark could be forgotten when she was in the classroom, reaching students, teaching them.

Her relationship with Kumak was not such a bright part of her life. When he was with the students, she sat in her office, unable to do anything. Occasionally, she would find herself crying. Their conferences about the students were stressful, each painfully aware of what they would rather be doing. At night, she went through the motions of eating and reading. A couple nights a week, someone, usually a parent, would invite her to dinner, something she found enjoyable. Like small villages everywhere, friendliness was the guiding principle. You never knew when your life might depend on the person three houses down. Regardless, she went to bed early, as much to escape her feelings for Kumak as to be able to fall asleep in time to get enough rest.

Two months had passed since they had almost given in to their passion. Two days ago, the sun had descended below the horizon for the last time until March. Jameel stuck her head inside Janice's office.

"Ms. Webster?"

"Yes, Jameel?"

"I wanted to let you know. I'm going out to get some ice samples."

Jameel, like the other high school age students, was required to develop a science project. The project had to demonstrate a scientific principal in such a way that the younger children were able to understand it. Jameel had chosen to make a demonstration of glaciation. She had already started a snow pile. Over the next few months, additional snow would be added and the weight of the new snow would compress the bottom layers into ice. She wanted an ice core from the nearby ice pack to show what layered ice looks like.

"Okay. Do you need any help?"

"No. I have the corer. It shouldn't take more than an hour. I want to be able to show the kids how layers form."

"Great. You've been doing fantastic, Jameel. How have you been holding up? You have taken on a lot of responsibility."

"I love it, Ms. Webster. The kids are a joy to work with and it seems like I learn from teaching them. Isn't that weird?"

"No. When I was doing my student teaching, I found that I learned more about my subjects when I was teaching them. What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. Be careful, it's not going to get any warmer out there."

"I've lived here all my life, Ms. Webster. I can take care of myself."

"Okay. If you're not back in an hour, I'm sending a search party out."

"I'll be back."

Jameel left, bundled up in her parka. Janice left right after she did, thinking that she would be back before Jameel could return. She wanted to get her dinner started, giving her crock pot several hours to turn meat, water, potatoes, carrots and onions into stew. She turned the TV on to catch the weather report. It had not taken her long to realize the importance of knowing what was going to happen. Being surprised by the weather here could be more than just a rained out picnic. It could kill you.

The weather channel cycled to their 'local on the 8s' segment and Janice heard the report. "This is a severe weather alert. The storm in Kotzebue bay has turned north and should be making land fall near Kivalina and Kluso within the half hour. Expected snow fall is 18 to 24 inches with temperatures dropping to 20 degrees below zero. All residents are advised to remain indoors until the storm passes in 24 to 36 hours. We repeat..."

Janice did not stay to listen to any more. Her student was walking into the teeth of a killer storm and she had no idea. Janice was certain she could overtake Jameel in short order. The teen had a coring drill with her. Her parka and other cold weather gear on, she rushed out and found Jameel's tracks. She followed them for about 15 minutes. Then, they seemed to disappear. Looking around, she realized that, while she had been paying attention to the ground, the wind had picked up. Looking back, she saw her own tracks in the snow were quickly vanishing under the impact of the wind.

Janice realized that she was in danger of not being able to find her own way back. She turned around and started to follow her tracks back to town. She had not traveled more than five minutes when the snow started to fall and the wind had picked up significantly. Janice could not longer see the ground, let alone her tracks. She tried to keep walking in a straight line, but was quickly disorientated and was soon walking in circles. The temperature plummeted and the snow built up. By the time there was an inch of snow on the ground, her feet were beginning to feel the cold. After a half hour of walking in the blizzard, she realized that she was lost. She stood and looked around. All she could see was snow falling and blowing in the wind. When she brought her hand in front of her face, she could not see it unless she brought it to within six inches of her face.

Janice dropped to her knees, crying softly, as it dawned on her that she was going to die, in the cold, alone. She didn't know how long she knelt there, her body increasingly cold, the snow building up around her legs. Her feet and hands had stopped feeling cold when a figure loomed up out of the swirling snow in front of her. In the distance, she heard a voice. It may have been calling her name, but she couldn't make it out.

* * *

Jameel had seen the signs of the impending storm shortly after she had left. Deciding that it was too dangerous to get her core today, she turned back. She had gone into the school to return the core drill when Janice had walked off to find her. Jameel, figuring that her teacher had gone to her apartment, hurried over to find that the door was unlatched and a set of foot prints trailed off into the snow, the same way Jameel had gone.