A diminutive but middle-aged long-eared jerboa stood on a stepladder on front of his seventh-grade history class.  He had just explained the night’s homework, much to the chagrin of his students who had were looking forward to a weekend without responsibilities.  Scott Pan had been teaching at this particular school for seven years, for many he was one of the first male teachers that they would encounter.  He had a reputation of listening to his students, but still being heavy handed when he needed to be.  This day however he had an uneasy feeling about what he was about to do.

     The electronic bell sounded.  He reminded his class once more about the homework before he started to step down from the stepladder and hop to his desk.  He then looked up as one of noticed one of his students.  He had his eye on this particular hedgehog girl for a few weeks with a hunch about something.  “Marci.” He says, “Can I talk to you for a few?  I’ll make an excuse for you next class,” He said as he sat down at his desk.

     The young hedgehog blinked.  Marci Beaucoup, in spite of her parents’ bad taste in naming her, has been excelling in all of her classes, including history.  She looked at the shorter teacher, “Umm, Mr. Pan?  I’m still doing well in class, am I?” She asked.  As she approached his desk he could notice the girl’s belly had a slight pooch, giving her a shape somewhat similar to something he had seen normally with older women.

     “Indeed, you are one of my best students,” he said, “That’s why I feel somewhat bad about what I’m going to ask you.  Are you or have you been sexually active?” He asked in a clear tone.  “You don’t have to answer, and if you want me to drop the subject I will.”

     Marci self-consciously held one arm with the other hand and blushed profusely.  The brown quilled hedgehog seemed to turn red with embarrassment, “I-  I guess I couldn’t hide it forever huh?  Are you going to tell my parents I’m pregnant?  That their little angel made a mistake up on the last week of vacation and they’re going to be grandparents?” She asked.  She then walks over to the door and closes it, she knew the classroom wasn’t occupied in the next period.

     Scott’s ears flattened down, “Yes…  that was my concern.  I saw you growing over the past few weeks.”  He looked slightly aside from the young girl, “I was concerned that if you were trying to hide it at school you might be doing things that could cause you and the baby harm.”

     “I know…”  Marci said softly, “Especially gym class…  but I can’t let…  I can’t let mom and dad know, not yet,” she said.  “They’ll kick me out, or make me join a convent or something,” She told him.  “I know I should tell them… I’m surprised you realized it before them,” she said with a tear trailing down her face.

     Scott reached over the desk and held the girl’s hand, “Marci.  We have all had lapses in our judgement.  I’m guessing it was something along the lines of maybe you thought the first time doesn’t count or something…  or you just had a steamy fling.  Unfortunately, nature doesn’t care whether as long as you have had intercourse, there’s a chance of this happening.”  He stroked the young girl’s hands in his in an attempt to comfort her.  

     “Marci,” Scott’s voice shook her out of her introspective.  “Do you think you should talk to your counselor or move on to your next class?” He asks.  

     The girl looked down at the desk, “I’ll…  I’ll try to get to class.  Don’t want to miss out after all,” She told him.

     Scott wrote on two pieces of paper, “Here, this is your excuse for being late to class…  and this is my phone number.  Call me if things don’t go so well when you break the news.” He said.

     Marci took the papers and stood back up.  That slight tenting he could see at her middle showing that she can’t keep this a secret for much longer.  She walked to the door and opened it.  Then she turned halfway back to the teacher.  “Mr. Pan…  thank you…  for caring.”  She then left the room, leaving Scott along.
_________________________________________________
     
     That evening Scott settled down at home.  The tests from that day were on scantron, making it super easy to grade them, leaving him without much to do at home rather than relax.  Then images of Marci popped into his head.  He tried to shake it off…  he can’t be starting to feel an attraction to one of his students, especially since she is in seventh grade.  

     Just then his phone started to ring.  The caller ID came up as a private number.  He answered it anyway.  “Hello!”

     “Mr. Pan…  this is Marcie.  Dad kicked me out,” said the voice on the other end.  

     Scott gritted his teeth in anger, but he collected himself.  “Tell me where you are, and I’ll come pick you up.”

     About ten minutes later Scott pulled up to a grocery store which had a safe space sticker on the front.  He hopped inside and saw Marcie standing near the customer service counter, crying her eyes out.  She had two duffle bags with her.  He nearly went on a tirade when the girl’s crying reminded him that he needed to use some tact.  He picked up the bags, “Alright Marcie, I don’t know what all needs to be done but you can stay the weekend, and after school on Monday we’ll talk to CPS, okay?”  He places a reassuring paw on her shoulder.

     Poor Marcie could barely look at her teacher, but she managed to get a nod through all her bawling.  The jerboa picked up a pint of ice cream that was in a small freezer in the front of the store, paid, and then lead the girl to his car. Down the rural roads he went until he got to his home on the outskirts of town.  He took it slow as he drove through the bumpy passage leading to his front yard.  When he stopped he looked over to the girl, who had fallen asleep in the passenger’s seat.  “Poor girl…” he says softly, “Sorry I gotta wake you.”

     He takes a moment to haul the duffle bags into his house before opening the passenger side door and gently nudging the hedgehog girl.  “Marcie, we’re here,” he says.

     The girl slowly opens her eyes and wipe away the crustiness that her crying had caused earlier.  “Ooh…  Mr. Pan.” She says, recalling what had happened…  but then she realized something. “I gotta go to the bathroom!”

     “I’ll lead you there, I already took your bags inside,” He said.  They were eerily quiet as they made their way inside the house.  She didn’t run, but she didn’t stop either.  She kept walking through, not really paying attention to the interior.  It wasn’t until she got out of the bathroom that she realized that the interiors of the home reflected the owner, most of the fixtures being short and easy to reach.

     She had no more tears.  For the whole of two hours she felt sadness, pain, like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.  I that moment though she felt something she hadn’t felt before.  Numb.  She made her way to the living room couch.  Scott was nearby at the computer, having started on the next week’s lesson plans.  “Mr. Pan.  What do I do from here?”  She asks him, a little shakiness in her voice.

     His ears rose before he turned around in his chair.  The diminutive teacher looked to her, “Let’s just worry about the weekend for now.  Come Monday I’ll set you up with a doctor’s appointment and we can discuss things from there.”  He looked to the girl, “There is a spare bedroom down the hallway you can use.  Feel free to keep yourself entertained.  get your mind off things for now.”  He then wondered, “Did you have your books?”

     Marcie said, “They’re in one of the duffles, that might actually be a good idea.”  She slowly gets up, inadvertently giving Scott a good view of her curves.  “I guess I might need new clothes soon as well.  I suppose I’ll be in the other room.” She said.  “Thank you…  I don’t know what I would’ve done.”


     Marcie walked into the bedroom.  She noticed the duffle bags were set on the ground next to a neatly kept twin bed.  Does he always keep the guest room so well made? She wondered.  She then caught an image of herself in the body sized mirror and focused on her belly.  She remembered those two days at the resort.  She used an excuse to meet up with someone that she met in a game online.  She knew he was a middle-aged mink, though she had lied slightly about her own age.  

     For months they played online together, he showered her with presents, many cash shop items and paid for her subscription.  Then over the summer her family planned a vacation, and according to him he just so happened to be going to the same place on business.  She now believes his only “business” was to bed a young girl.  For months she believed him to be the one.  Two days of vacation she spent mostly in his room.  Sure, she sensed danger, but in his arms were a façade of security.

     A week later she stopped seeing him in the game.  Another two weeks after that and her subscription had lapsed with no contact.  A couple of months into the school year and here she was, his cub in her belly and sleeping at her teacher’s house because her parents kicked her out.  She lifted her shirt, exposing her belly and her budding breasts to the open air.  She places a hand on her belly and said, as if speaking to her unborn child, “What a fine mess I’ve gotten us into.  I only hope you can forgive me.  I don’t think I can give you the care you need little one.”  After a few moments of introspection, she walked over to the duffle bags to find her night shirt and some clean panties.  “Uuuugh…  gotta have all new clothes…  how am I going to buy them?”

     While she started to gather up her clothes, sorting them out somewhat on her bed, Scott opened the door, “Just wanted you to-  G’ah!” he chirped, realizing he got a view of her panty-clad rear.  He promptly shut the door, “I’m sorry Marcie, I didn’t mean to look!  I guess I’m too used to living alone, I forgot to knock!”

     She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, “It’s okay now, you can come in Mr. Pan.”  She hadn’t put anything on over her legs but at least her nightshirt should make a decent cover if she’s not bending over.

     The jerboa opened the door again, “You will probably need some new clothes huh?” He asked.  “It might be just a few outfits, but I can probably get you something to fit you better tomorrow, okay?  I’m about to head to bed, but if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”  He stated, though he swiftly corrects himself, “Anything appropriate that is.”

     That brought a slight smile to Marcie’s face, where she had recent lost faith in almost everything, these good deeds are filling her with at least a little bit of hope.  “I will Mr. Pan.  Sleep well.”  The rodent left the doorway to leave her in the room.  She repacks her clothes, with the ones she would wear the next day on top, turns out the lights, and then lies on the bed.  Sleep would not come easy, but it would eventually claim her.