Prologue

I’m Danielle Fischer, a 15-year-old sophomore at Simps High School. You know, just your average teen with parents who aren’t rich but manage to give us everything we need. We live in this modest ranch house in the City of Simps, about two hours north of San Francisco.

Today started like any other. I was in my room, the TV murmuring in the background while I tried to tackle my homework. I was perched on my bed, cross-legged, my favorite floral dress rustling softly as I shifted around. My fingers danced over my tablet, switching between solving math problems and texting Tanta. The afternoon sun filtered through the window, casting a warm, golden glow that made everything feet more magical.

The soft fabric of my dress was a comforting presence against my skin, a little reminder of the normalcy of my day. The TV droned on with the evening news, its hum almost lulling me into calm. But then, suddenly, the newscaster’s tone changed, sharp and urgent. It snapped me out of focus, and my heart skipped a beat as I turned my attention to the screen, a sense of unease creeping in.

“Shifting gears,” the newscaster pressed on, her voice steady and composed, “The state of California authorities find themselves on the front lines, hastily adjusting to these latest signed federal regulations this morning. They’re now drafting guidelines for implementing and enforcing the recently signed federal act.

“Regarding a public ordinance that will allow the country to make clothing optional like many European countries today, announced earlier today from the White House. While certain regions under state governance are embracing the change eagerly, others voice apprehensions regarding the preservation of public order and decency standards.”

A knot formed in my stomach as the implications sank in. How would our city respond to this? Would we become one of those places where people walked around naked like it was no big deal? The thought made me squirm uncomfortably. I couldn’t help but wonder how this would affect everyday life—school, social outings, everything. I quickly closed the homework app and dialed my friend on speaker, discussing everything while scanning news articles and social sites about that controversial decision that seemed too crazy to be real.

I glanced around my room, suddenly feeling exposed even in the familiar comfort of my own space. It was like the world had shifted on its axis, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to navigate this strange new reality. As the newscast continued in the background, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was about to change, whether I liked it or not.

The screen cut to clips of people walking down city streets, some fully clothed, others in various stages of undress, all looking slightly bewildered. My eyes widened, as I was unable to fully process the implications. At that moment, I closed the school’s website where students posted their homework and opened several sites confirming that extremely controversial decision, not believing what I was reading. Meanwhile, I was still speaking with Tanya on speaker when I heard my mother calling from downstairs. I quickly hung up and sat down on the tablet in disbelief, the feeling of apprehension growing in my stomach.

“Danielle! Could you come down here for a minute?” Mom’s voice had a note of urgency I couldn’t ignore. My heart pounded in my chest as I made my way downstairs, bracing myself for whatever news awaited me. Leaving the phone on the bed, I walked down the stairs, my mind still spinning from the news. In the living room, I found my parents looking unusually serious. My mom, still in her work clothes, turned to face me with a resolute expression.

“Danielle, we need to talk about something important,” she began. “Your father and I have decided to register our family as pure nudists under the new laws.”

I blinked, trying to understand. “What? Why?” The words left my mouth before I could even process them fully. The air in the room felt heavy with tension as I awaited their response.

Dad took a deep breath when Mom spoke his expression serious but determined. “We believe in the principles of naturism, and the new federal law and the statement from the governor this afternoon allow us to embrace those beliefs fully. It’s about living authentically and without shame. Your mother and I have believed this since before we met but the laws at the time held us back.”

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach as I processed their words. From now on I will be wearing no clothes. The idea seemed surreal, like something out of a dream, or maybe a nightmare. My mind raced with questions, but before I could voice them, Mom continued.

“Your father submitted the documents with the required headshots to the state online just a few minutes ago, and we have been approved for the pure nudism lifestyle. This will require us to remove all textiles from the home; clothes, bedding, and large towels. We have 72 hours from the date of the approval letter. An inspector from the Bureau of Lifestyles will come by to inspect the house to ensure compliance and bring us our bracelets. They will have our registration numbers and a barcode connected to our profiles. Our bank accounts are paired with the profile so the barcode can be used to pay for goods and services. The website also listed drop-off locations for anything we want to donate. There are also discounts for body hair removal for registered nudists.”

I stared at them, trying to comprehend the enormity of what they were saying. My gaze moved from Mom to Dad and back again. Mom had stepped closer to me and was rubbing my arms on the outside of my dress sleeves. Everything was changing so quickly, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face it. My heart dropped. “But what about school, you cannot expect me to ... everything else?”