Chapter 3

The twins returned to school and were amazed to realize that only three hours had passed. They stopped in the office to get late passes for their three missed periods when Mr Davis heard them speaking and called them into his office.

“I don’t know what the two of you think you’re doing, but I assure you that you will be in the Program. You assaulted my teachers and the guards and also interfered with the start of the Program for all the others, too. Mr Cirota has already failed you for this first week so you’ll be doing...”

“Sir, stop. We will absolutely not participate and there’s no way to force us,” Roger interrupted. “You saw how physical force won’t work. Our parents back us completely. The local police will not interfere. Just how do you intend to try?”

“The federal Program office has enforcement people; they can make you comply.”

“Just how can they do that?” he retorted. “Using physical force? I think that there’s little they can do, and if they try physical force, they’ll be met with a greater force. The Marines protect their own, you know.”

“You won’t be allowed to graduate.”

“We’ve already been accepted to college with scholarships,” Cynthia shot back. “Do you think a college will care about a piece of paper called a diploma?”

“We’ll contact the college and have them withdraw the offer...”

“Right; if you try that, first, why would they listen? Do you seriously think that our college would really care if we refused to take part in a pornographic Program week in high school?” she went on. “Second, your doing that would make us wealthy after we sued this school district out of ten years of revenue. Please, sir, can we go now? Random threats aren’t going to change our minds and we’re here to go to school. Please don’t try to interfere with our right to get an education. That’s why the school’s here—to educate us, not to force a stupid, pornographic, immoral program on us innocent kids who just want to be left alone to learn.”

“Okay, just go. I expect the Program enforcement people to be here tomorrow. You’ll see what they will do then.”

It was now the twins’ lunch period, so they went to the lunchroom and when they arrived, they noticed two naked students sitting at a corner table morosely picking at their lunch.

“Cindy, see if you can find any Marine kids you know; I’ll look too,” Roger said. “We need to help them.”

They were able to round up nine kids whom they knew came from Marine families.

“Listen, guys. This has the backing of the base if not the Corps. Find anyone else you can and spread the word. We’re setting up a kind of platoon here—it’s the anti-Program platoon—and here’s how it’ll work. First, no Marine kids will participate in that naked crap. You have your folks’ backing on that, also the local cops told us they won’t get involved. Next, we need to protect the civilians so they can keep their honor intact as well. After all, the Marines’ mission is to serve and protect, right?”

A few kids murmured, “Semper fi!”

“Here’s what platoon members will do. We won’t allow groping or any other kind of contact that the Program person doesn’t want. We don’t let them enter the opposite sex’s lockers or toilets—and if that’s not possible, then we empty those rooms before the Program person enters. If there’s a forced classroom demo, we’ll stand up and use our bodies to block the view of the class and stand in front of any cameras to block pictures. If enough of us do this, they won’t be able to justify punishing us, especially if we do everything as civil disobedience in protecting the Program person’s privacy. Let’s try to make a bubble of privacy around everyone in the Program, starting now. We’re Marine kids so we’ll do it like Marines: Improvise, adapt, and overcome!”

“Question,” one of the girls said. “Is this only for the Marine kids or can civilians help too?”

“Good point. I don’t know how civilian parents would react—I hope in the same way—but sure, civilian kids can do the duty too. Why don’t we all get insignia, yeah, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, to wear somewhere to identify us? They have various kinds of E-G-A logos at the BX store. Get some extras for the civilians you recruit too. Sound good? Let’s grow this outfit now!” Roger concluded.

As the group left to recruit others to help, Roger took two of the group over to the Program kids’ table as Cynthia followed.

“Hey, guys,” he said as they came up to the table.

Startled, the two looked up and one of them exclaimed, “You! Oh, god, what a show you put on in there. I was too scared to resist and now look at me. It’s been awful—I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. Oh, I’m Tony and a junior.”

“Yeah, I can only imagine. I thought there would be more of you at lunch here, though.” Cynthia said.

“All the girls went somewhere else. One of them knew a place she said was out of the way. I think they skipped lunch. And my name is Dennis; I’m a senior.”

“Oh, poor things. You know Roger and I pulled out because we’ve been forbidden to participate. Our dad’s commanding general ordered that no Marine family was to do this and the Marines intend to enforce that. But we want to help you guys who don’t have that protection, so we’re trying to organize a group to interfere with the way the Program runs,” Cynthia explained. “You might see more and more kids start to appear who are going to protect you and keep other kids away from you both in the halls and in classes. We hope by tomorrow to have all of the Marines in school on board and maybe others too.”

“Wow, you can do that? That’s great!”

“Yeah, we’ll try. Get the word out to the others you see and tell them to watch for kids who show up to help them. We’re hoping to block the classroom demos too, and I think that today being the first day of the term, the teachers aren’t set up for that yet,” Roger commented.

Cynthia broke in, “Say, do you know how many kids are actually left in the Program today?”

“Well, after you broke up the morning meeting, there were only eight finally left in the room, five guys and three girls. The others went to their classes and a number of them were rounded up later. I heard that a few went home and some are refusing too. There’s maybe ten to twelve naked kids now, but we haven’t seen everyone all together, of course. You two did a number on the teachers, though. The wrestling coach has his arm in a sling and both of the school’s guards are limping around,” he chuckled wryly.

“Well, try to spread the word about the protection we’re trying to set up,” Roger said as he looked away, since he saw Cynthia waving to Ayame. “Talk to these guys about your schedules to see if they can help you this afternoon. Gotta run now.”

“Rog, go over to Ayame and I’ll grab some food for us,” Cynthia said.

Ayame was frantic when Roger got to her.

“Roger, what happens with the naked students? Heard that everyone going to be forced to be naked this term— 違う！[chigau] Not possible! Can’t do that! I...”

“Shhhh, Ayame, it’s okay. First, kids from the Marine families aren’t doing the Program and second, you’re a Japanese citizen as far as the school is concerned. They can’t force foreign citizens to forfeit personal things like privacy. And you don’t need a diploma from here, either, so you’re okay, right?”

“Guess. Was so scared when I didn’t find you and then found note. So scared, eh, no, concerned about how my scars look and they remind me of that awful fire,” she whispered as she began to cry.

Roger took her in his arms and soothed her and then she pulled away. “Okay now, 感謝 [kansha: sincere appreciation]—errr, thank you. Just so scared and felt so alone. I have to get over that if I will be in U.S. for next few years.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe that’s something to consider in your college choice—we’ve been accepted to college, we told you where, Avery University in Atlanta, and that was one of your choices too, right?” Roger asked.

“We can think about it... はい [Hai]. Have lots to think about now...”

Cynthia appeared with a tray heaped with food. “Ayame, I got some lunch for you, too. Is everything okay now? I saw how frantic you looked.”

“Yes, freak out over naked stuff. You never told me that this was to happen!”

“We didn’t know—that is, we assumed it was starting in the fall from what the last school newsletter said. They pushed up the starting date, apparently, because all the kids in the first group were totally shocked,” Roger commented. “That’s why we were out of school for a couple of hours. When we got called out of home room, that’s when we found out we were selected to be in the first naked group. We went to Dad’s office and spoke to him and he’s setting up the protections for the Marine kids. I think there are two others from Marine families in the first group but don’t know who or where they are.”

Soon the bell sounded and the three teens left for their English class. On their way, Cynthia asked Ayame about what they had missed in their morning classes.

“In Anatomy and Physiology, we just covered the term’s schedule—it’s a syl ... something...”

“Oh, syllabus.”

“はい [Hai]. Then had Civics next period. What’s your second class again?”

“Second? We have Economics.”

“Oh, okay. Then gym, today and Thursdays. We had introduction and free time. Used those bicycles on stand. Then History and did the syl-bus thing there too. No preparation work for tomorrow was given.”

Roger looked at Ayame. “You were so upset at lunch—anything strange happen in class?”

“はい! [Hai] In Civics there were two naked students and sensai asked them ... err. He asked them if they wanted ... it was to do オナニーを する [onani o suru] ... ahh ... what’s the word?”

“オナニー [Onani... ]? Oh! Masturbate!” Cynthia exclaimed. “Yeah, it’s that Relief thing that’s supposed to be done first.”

“はい [Hai]. Doing this in public? With people watching? Who ... why ... what is that for?” Ayame said in confusion.

“Damned if I know,” Roger muttered. “Supposed to make the kid ‘more comfortable with his body’ or something idiotic like that.”

“How does err ... humiliation comfort someone?” she asked, now even more confused.

Cynthia put her hand on Ayame’s shoulder. “It’s not about the Program person, I’ve figured out. It’s about titillating the observers. It’s to teach us to become compliant watchers of abuse, not to help the coerced participant. And that booklet they handed out is proof that it encourages sexual assault. It’s what we learned to avoid in grade school—’improper touching.’”

Roger continued, “And I’m sure that there were more disturbing things, right?”

“はい! [Hai] In gym they told us that the boys and girls had to be together in locker rooms! And shower together too! I will not do that! I will not go in locker room with boys!”

“It’s ok; you won’t have to do that. I can see why hearing that freaked you out. You don’t even have to be in gym at all, you know,” Cynthia soothed her. “We’re going to try to keep the boys and girls apart, and ... OH! Rog, I have a better idea—let’s get all the boys to use the girls’ lockers and vice versa. The rules say that Program people have to use the opposite sex’s facilities. Let’s extend that to everyone. It’s not against the rules.”

“Cyn, that’s fantastic! Great idea!” The bell rang just then. “Let’s continue this after class is over,” Roger finished.

After English they walked to Psychology and continued discussing their plans for the week when Roger’s cell phone chirped.

“Um, got a text. Must be important—everyone knows not to text during school. Let’s see who it is ... Oh, from Dad. All the Marine kids—and the camp civilian employees’ kids too—are being texted by their folks to meet outside the stadium after school. Some of the MP officers will be there to tell us what we’ll be able to do for tomorrow.”

“Wow, Dad works so fast,” Cynthia said.

“Yeah, that’s why he’s at the top rank so young, Cyn. He’s a real go-getter.”

In their last class, Psychology, the teacher went over the term’s topics and then looked around the class.

“We’re supposed to have some Program students in class this week.” She looked at a paper. “Roger Denison? Cynthia Denison?”

They raised their hands.

“You’re supposed to be naked. This is a serious Program violation and I understand that the punishment for improperly concealing your body is doing another day in the Program.”

“Ma’am?” Cynthia said. “We’ve refused to do the Program at all and we told that to Mr Davis this morning.” The classroom rang out in gasps. “They attempted to use physical force on us too and we had to use force to resist. No one will be making us participate this week or ever.”