Between Bread and Secrets

The corridor felt longer than usual.

Jennifer walked with a strange mix of tension and calm-her lips carrying a smile she didn't fully understand. Her steps were quiet, but her thoughts were loud. Her uniform clung in the places that still remembered what had just happened, and beneath her shirt, her skin still felt too warm.

As she pushed the classroom door open, the murmur of chatter softened.

All eyes turned toward her.

Some students paused mid-sentence. Others titled their heads. A few whispered to one another. Jennifer didn't flinch.

She walked straight to the desk and sat down like nothing had happened, taking out a couple of books from her locker.

From the other side of the room Cynthia and Angela approached-their expression stiff with concern.

Cynthia leaned in first.

"Hey...are you okay?" she asked, her voice low but direct.

Jennifer looked at her with that same odd smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

Angela frowned.

"How terrible was the punishment? You missed the entire physics lesson..."

"Sorry, buddy," Cynthia added, her voice softer now.

Jennifer exhaled, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

She looked down at her hands.

"Really."

Before Jennifer could answer more, a firm, familiar voice cut in.

"Good afternoon, class."

Heads turned.

Miss Emily stood at the door, hands folded neatly. Her voice was steady, formal-as though nothing had happened between her and Jennifer earlier that day.

"Good afternoon, Miss Emily," the students echoed in unison.

She stepped slightly into the room.

"I believe I mentioned earlier that today we would be having a special guest for our Guidance and Counselling period."

Behind her, a woman stepped forward- dressed in a modest navy habit, a silver cross hanging over her chest. Her hands were gloved and gentle-looking, but her gaze was sharp.

"Please welcome Sister Agatha from St. Veronica Catholic Church," Miss Emily said, then quietly walked to the back of the room and took a seat-her presence still looming especially for Jennifer.

The nun moved to the front of the classroom and nodded gracefully.

"Thank you, Miss Emily."

She turned to face the students, her voice gentle but clear.

"Good afternoon, girls. I am Sister Agatha Njeri. I was invited today to speak with you about something deeply spiritual...something close to the heart."

She paused, looking around the class, letting her eyes settle on a few familiar uniforms.

"Today," she said, "we're going to talk about chastity."

A few students shifted in their seats.

She took a slow step forward.

"Let's make this simple," she continue. "Let me ask-what is chastity?"

She pointed to a student in the second row.

A girl stood up-Sierra, known for her sharp answers and high marks in C.R.E .

"Chastity," Sierra said clearly, "Is the virtue of staying pure, especially when it comes to sexuality. It means abstaining from sexual relations until marriage, as taught by our faith."

Sister Agatha smiled, pleased.

"Very good," she nodded. " A wise answer."

 And now," she said.

"What is sex?"

A few students glanced at each other.

Then one spoke, softly but clearly:

"Sex is intimacy between a man and a woman. It's meant to be shared in marriage...as part of love, and to create life."

A moment of silence followed.

Then sister Agatha nodded.

"Correct. Sex is sacred," she said, her voice calm but firm.

"And its rightful place is within the covenant of marriage-between a man and a woman."

She looked across the room again.

Her gaze landed on Jennifer.

"And you," she said gently. "What do you think?"

Jennifer froze.

Every head in the classroom turned toward her.

The air suddenly felt thinner.

She sat upright, trying not to look behind-where she knew Miss Emily sat, silent, watching.

Jennifer swallowed.

Her voice came out quieter than usual-but steady.

"Sex..." she began, then paused , searching for the right words.

"It's... a physical connections. But it's also emotional. Sometimes overwhelming."

A murmur passed through the room.

Jennifer continued.

"It's when two people share a moment that brings...intense pleasure. It's not just about bodies-it's how you feel after. Satisfied. Or...not."

Her fingers trembled on her lap, but she didn't stop.

"It can make people feel seen. Or exposed."

Silence.

Even Sister Agatha blinked slowly, surprised by the depth in Jennifer's voice.

The nun pressed her lips together.

"That is... a complex answer," she said carefully.

A few students whispered.

Jennifer looked down, heart racing. She hadn't even mentioned gender.

And yet, somewhere behind her, Miss Emily remained still- but Jennifer could almost feel the approval hidden in her silence.

Sister Agatha looked at Jennifer once more.

Her voice was soft but clear.

"Jennifer," she said gently, "Are you a virgin?"

The room fell into a heavy silence again.

Jennifer didn't answer immediately.

She stared down at her desk, lips parted -but no words came. Her pen lay untouched across her notebook.

She hadn't taken a single note since the session began.

The nun looked at Jennifer a moment longer, then added, "Have you ever had sex with a man? 

Jennifer sat up straight, blinking.

Her voice came out a little too quickly.

"No."

Sister Agatha gave a nod, lips curving into a proud smile.

"Of course," she said calmly.

"You are a virgin."

She placed a warm hand on Jennifer's shoulder.

"Remain in chastity, my dear. Until you are married. That is the beauty of obedience and self-control."

Some students glanced at Jennifer, then quickly looked away.

Jennifer didn't speak.

She just nodded faintly, her eyes drifting to the edge of the blackboard-distant, unreadable.

Behind her, Miss Emily's silence still felt heavy.

But Jennifer didn't turn.

The bell rang softly through the corridors-signaling the end of the sessions.

Sister Agatha folded her hands and gave a gentle nod.

"Have a blessed break," she said with a calm smile.

"And I hope that the words we've shared today won't just fade with the day...but will settle into your hearts."

Miss Emily, who had remained seated at the back of the classroom, rose silently and gave a slight nod of agreement. She exchanged a brief glance with Sister Agatha-unveiled, but charged with something unspoken.

As students gathered their books and began to move out, Angela, Cynthia, and Jennifer walked towards the hallway, as they always did.

They were often described-almost jokingly-as the split triplet: three completely different girls, yet inseparably bound by some silent thread.

Angela, watchful and kind.

Cynthia, bold and loud.

And Jennifer...

Jennifer, the quiet storm. Always a little apart, yet always with them.

The dining hall buzzled with low chatter as students lined up for their mid-morning break. Inside, the queue snaked between the benches, moving slowly toward the serving counter where trays of snacks were being handed out.

Angela and Jennifer stood on either side of the Form 2 line, calmly guiding the students and keeping the flow steady. Their prefect duties during dining hall time, had become almost second nature-direct, firm, and always alert.

Cynthia stood nearby, as usual, helping them out when needed, and mostly just waiting so they could sit and eat together once the queue thinned out.

The line moved steadily. Students collected their trays and walked off toward the eating area, cheerful and calm.

But then came Maria.

She strolled in with her usual swaggers, flanked by her small group of girls, all of them loud and laughing like they had no care in the world. Without hesitation, they stepped right past the queue and toward the counter-cutting the line as if it didn't exist.

Angela took a firm step forward. "Hey-excuse me," she called out. It's not your turn. It's still Form Two's slot. Wait your turn like everyone else."

Maria turned, flashing a bright, sarcastic smile.

"It's just a snack, and we're in a hurry," she said , raising her voice for everyone to hear. "Some of us actually take school seriously. Assignments don't finish themselves, you know."

The girls with her let out soft chuckles, a few glancing smugly around-some looking straight at Jennifer.

Angela's jaw tightened. She looked like she was about to speak again.

But Jennifer gently turned her head-just slightly, side to side. A silent signal. Her eyes met Angela's , calm but firm.

Let it go.

Angela held her breath, then stepped back, swallowing her frustrations.

Maria and her group moved ahead, satisfied and unbothered.

Jennifer turned her gaze back to the queue. Some battles weren't worth the energy-not yet.

They settled beneath the open window-their usual corner, quietly claimed long ago and known by everyone as their spot. 

Cynthia let out a content sigh as she set down her plate.

"Finally. I love Tuesdays," she said, reaching for her sausage. "At least we get to eat like civilized people for once.

Angela chuckled, unwrapping her toast. "You say that every week."

"And I'll keep saying it," Cynthia shot back with a grin. "Until this school learns how to serve decent breakfast every day."

She glanced at her plate and sighed again. "I wish they'd given me two sausages instead of one."

Without a word, Angela slid one of hers onto Cynthia's plate.

Cynthia blinked in surprise, then smiled as she looked at Angela.

"Wow...you're so kind," she said softly, almost like a confession. "If you were a boy, I think I could have fallen for you."

Angela gave a short, nervous laugh and looked away, pretending to sip from her cup. 'Well...lucky for you, I'm just your overly generous friend."

Jennifer glanced between the two, catching the tension that danced briefly in the silence, then returned to her tea without a word.

But not for long.

Angela leaned in, raising a brow.

"By the way...Jennifer, you didn't finish telling us. What kind of punishment did Miss Emily give you that lasted a whole physics lesson?"

Jennifer paused, cup halfway to her lips.

Cynthia jumped in, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Was it painful? Was it, like...serious?"

Jennifer took a sip-and choked.

Cynthia reached across the table, laughing softly.

"Hey! Don't die before telling us."

Jennifer wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her voice coming tight.

"It was... fine. Just...long. That's all."

Angela gave her a look that said really?, but let it slide.

For now.