Chapter 2

Molly Malloy looked out at her class of third-grade children and smiled. She knew most of them from school last year and the beach activities during the summer months when she held the post of senior lifeguard for the town of Shoreside Park. Among the new group composing her class were Amy and Tammie Farrell. The younger sisters of Wendy “Waif” Farrell were busily detailing the horrid day last week when their grandmother, Fiona Farrell, had dragged them to a meeting with a social worker.

“The worst thing was we had to wear those icky clothes she picked out for us,” Amy told Amanda Sun one of the girls who had bonded with the twins over the summer.

“Yeah, can you believe pink hair ribbons, pink sun dresses, pink panties, pink socks, and Mary-Jane shoes,” Tammie, her face displaying the displeasure of her grandmother’s taste, added in, “We are twins but, for golly sakes, we don’t want to be matching book ends. Amy likes art I like soccer. Neither of us likes pink. I like purple and Amy likes green. Our grandmother has this weird concept of how life should be for us. We don’t want it and our mom sure doesn’t want it for us.”

Amy continued, “But, our dad is overseas for at least another year, and some judge grandma Fiona knows gave an order in court that she has rights to extended visitation with us. Our mom couldn’t fight it. Her lawyer is a friend but mom says that we don’t have enough money to pay him the kind of billable hours needed to mount a full-court battle.

“I sure don’t know what all that means, but I know with Dad serving in the military we are not getting paid anything like what he made on his civilian job before he was called up. We moved in with Grandma Andrews to save money. The lease on the townhouse we had in the city was too much for our new income level. Mom stored our furniture and stuff and now we live with Grandma Ruth. That’s my mom’s mom.” Amy paused for breath and Tammie took over.

“We love it here, Miss Molly. Loretta and Hank and all of you have made us feel like we belong and have lived here forever and that’s just what we want to do, live here forever,” Tammie ended just as Molly’s “Ahem” caught the children’s attention, “Melody, Amanda, Amy, and Tammie please take your seats so we may begin.”

All four of the girls took the special seat towel designed for the school from their backpacks and spread the towel on the seat attached to the desk assigned to them. Their nude tanned bodies slipped into the seats and the lessons for the day began.

Loretta Lake, who had a younger sister, Melody, in school with the twins, and Hank Sun, Amanda’s older brother rode in a three-wide seat on the bus with Wendy Ann Ingrid Farrell. The eighteen-year-old girl with the body of an eleven-year-old was on her way to her first day of classes as a junior (eleventh-grade) student in the newly clothing-optional Bayside High School.

The school was a thirty-minute ride from Shoreside Park, requiring the bus to travel over the causeway from the barrier island community across the bay to the mainland where the regional school district maintained its high school for grades nine to twelve.

Paul Wilcox, fellow surfer, Shoreside Park resident, senior class varsity surfer, and the current object of Waif’s romantic fantasies sat directly behind the trio. “Waif, don’t get too upset with the kids at school when you meet them. You are going to hear from some that you are a ‘daughter of Eve.’ The religious conservative kids from the mainland orthodox community will probably be the worst of the vocal abusers. Their community is against women and men bathing together on the same beach in swimsuits, so this whole Naked in Public/Naked in School program is going to throw their leaders into a frenzy of picketing, demonstrations, and riling up their kids to activism in school.

“We are supposed to have an assembly when school begins and rules will be explained by Doctor Suarez our principal. I hope after that the year gets off to a smooth start. I don’t have the option of doing the consenting nudist thing full-time. As a football player, I am required by state law to wear the full uniform and to be clothed in school for the football season at least. Same with baseball in the spring, so I’m with you in spirit, but my college scholarships depend upon my sports seasons.

“I, and the entire sports program, intend to support all of you as you go the clothing-optional route. I have had emails from my teammates, my coaches, and the school athletic boosters. Everyone is behind this shift, at least those who have come forward.”

“Well, we are here, so there is no turning back at this point even if we wanted to,” Loretta Lake grinned, rose from her seat exposing her lithe totally tanned body, and grabbed her backpack to get off the bus. Waif and Hank followed, Hank, telling Paul, “My coaches tell me that the swimming, diving, and surf teams will have the option of competing nude.”

“Yes, and so will the beach volleyball players, track and field teams, cheerleaders, and gymnasts,” Paul agreed. “The full clothing rule is being applied to all contact sports. I mean come on common sense dictates that football and hockey require a lot more than just skin.” Paul replied with a grin.

Loretta added,” So that means girl’s field hockey, boys and girls lacrosse, as well, I guess.”

“I think the principal shall be giving us the definitive answers at the assembly, Loretta, but you are probably correct.” Paul finished the conversation as the four friends pushed through the front door of the school into the chaos that is the usual form for the first day of school.

Loretta and Hank were also entering grade eleven, and the trio of summer friends found themselves assigned to room 207 as their homeroom. Waif entered the room with the usual gasps coming from the taller and more developed girls and boys with whom she would share this school year. Hank settled them down with, “Hey, everybody, I would like you to welcome Wendy Ann Ingrid Farrell to our class and our school. She and her family moved to Shoreside Park this summer. Waif, as she likes to be called, just turned eighteen. Hey, yes I know she looks like she is eleven, but trust me the wicked smart brain packed into the small body can take on any one of you and she swims like a fish and surfs like she was born on a board.

“Let’s get it out of the way. She had a rare blood disease that required her to undergo complete marrow replacement when she was eleven. Because of the radiation and other stuff, she has never developed physically. With her illness, she lost a couple of years in school, so she is here with us. Loretta and I found a friend and a fun companion in Waif this summer and I hope the entire junior class will find the same qualities in her as the year goes on.”

The rest of the homeroom students, seven girls, and nine boys came over one by one and were introduced. Several of the boys wore clothes and Waif quickly and politely remarked they must be part of the football team. Only one shook his head negatively. John Jakes rolled up a pant leg to reveal full leg braces. “I was riding on the back of my brother’s motorcycle two years ago when we went into a skid. I jumped the wrong way; the bike rolled on top of me and crushed both of my legs. I can’t walk without these braces and the special canes. Hey, I guess that makes us both medical miracles in a way, no one thought I’d live either. Here I am though and I’m very glad to meet you.”

Nine girls were in the homeroom and Waif and Loretta had entered nude. This declared their status as ‘confirmed nudist’ while the other seven girls were sporting tank tops and cheer shorts. A girl who introduced herself as Karin, explained, “We know that Principal Suarez will be calling out names today for the mandatory one-month NIS all of us must complete to graduate. All of us are willing to do our month, but not all of us are ready to commit to complete full-time nudism as you two have done. So we all decided to wear the bare minimum in case we were chosen at assembly to strip and begin our month.”