Chapter 6: Tuesday After School

The drama shop was a zoo. OK, sure, Dee Muntz was there, but so were about a hundred other kids, all trying to jam into that little room. Nadia and Ben seemed to be getting things organized all right so I decided it might be a good time to take a pee.

Mistake. The lavatory was just as crowded and Reasonable Requests were rampant. Somehow I avoided getting propositioned on my way to a toilet, but then some guy wearing a football jersey, a pleated skirt, and bobby socks insisted on watching me. If you ask me he could've seen more by watching Teah and Dan piss in the shower, which they were doing right across from me, but no, that would have been too easy. Or he could have watched the girl at my left try to piss into a urinal by holding her labia away from her piss hole. Or the girl further down who insisted on holding this guy's dick while he pissed, except that she was giving him a hard-on so he couldn't piss. At least skirt-man didn't stay to watch me wipe. Dee Muntz had come in by then and was trying to stay balanced as she bent over a squat hole. I don't know if it was the curly blonde mane or what but I guess she couldn't sit on a toilet like normal people.

The sinks were just as crowded. I paused for a moment to look for the shortest line, and then Crystal waved me down. She was washing her face with a damp paper towel and Ken Stikowski was washing his dick with another. They both let me in to wash my hands, then I was out of there.

The support group session got started a little late because of all the people who'd arrived. Sitting in a circle was out of the question, so Nadia and Ben had set seven tall stools in the stage area and arranged all the folding chairs in rows. Even so, about half of those who showed up had to stand in the back.

I was relieved that Nadia and Ben hadn't set out a stool for Dee Muntz, but she took one anyway and sat in the front corner of the room. At least she was off-stage.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for coming," Nurse Nystrom began. "With so many of you here, I should remind you that these sessions are only for students having trouble coping with The Program. They're not for entertainment or rumor-gathering. If anyone's here for that reason, please leave the room now."

Of course, nobody left. It seemed odd, thought, that out of the hundred or so students who came, only the seven of us on stage and eight more in the audience were in The Program.

"OK, you there, in the back: Yes, you; the guy in the Fancy Pants t-shirt. Please step forward, tell us your first name, and tell us what's bothering you."

Fancy Pants looked confused and glanced around a couple of times, but finally figured out he had to say something.

"Uh, my name's, uh, Bill and The Program, uh, it just freaks me out," he stammered, staring directly at Crystal all the while.

"OK, thank you, Bill," Nystrom replied. "I guess you changed your name since last week, didn't you? As I recall, you came to my office looking for a suppository, and your name then was Biron Sweezey."

"Uh, Bill is sort of a nickname," Fancy Pants explained.

"Well, Bill, or Biron, or whatever your name is this minute, if the mere sight of naked people freaks you out, then I think you need to spend time at the mall or watching television until you get used to it. Would you like me to speak with your parents about this problem? Or get you into The Program next week?"

"Uh, no, that's OK. Can I leave now?"

"Yes, you may. In fact, if anyone else has the same problem, the same advice will apply. There's no need for you to stay," urged Nystrom. Then about ninety of the onlookers rushed out of the room and into the hall.

"The rest of you, thanks for staying. I'm sorry this happened, and I hope it's not embarrassing to anyone. I'll figure out some way to avoid this in the future. Now, would anyone like to talk about a real problem?" Nystrom asked.

After a few moments, an average-looking naked girl with a pixie haircut stood up and announced, "My name is Latoya Erwin and I'm Naked In School this week."

"Hello, Latoya," everyone droned.

"Well, being in The Program is very hard for me. I'm not used to being naked at all. I've never been naked except, like, in the bathroom or in my room, and neither has anyone in my family. So, walking around school here, naked, naked, well, all day I thought I was going to lose it. I was kind of pretending I wasn't really here, or it wasn't really me."

"When I got home, though, I just couldn't hold it back any more. I just ran into my room and cried and cried and cried. Eventually my mom asked me what the trouble was, and of course I told her."

"I never went naked either, until just recently," Adam commented. "The first day can be the worst."

"Well, things got worse all right," Latoya continued. "After I calmed down, my mom stood up and took off all her clothes!"

"Did she say why?" Nadia asked.

"Yeah, I asked her. She said she wanted to be my partner in this, and to show how natural being naked can be. But I don't want her to be naked. I don't want to be naked. I don't want to get used to it. I want my clothes!"

"So afterward, did your mom get dressed?" Nadia asked.

"No! She cooked dinner naked, and she let my brother and sister see her naked and greeted my dad naked when he got home, and then she ate dinner naked! Now I guess she's not going to wear clothes anywhere. My dad took her shopping, and then they went to a movie, and she stayed naked the whole time. This morning she was naked at breakfast and drove me to school naked."

"You know, in some ways, you're lucky," Crystal told Latoya. "I wish one or both of my parents would change their mind about being naked. Then I wouldn't have to wear clothes around the house, and sneak around to take 'em off when I go out."

"That's fine for you but I don't want to go naked," Latoya replied. "And I don't like seeing my mother naked."

"Did you feel any better today?" Ben asked.

"Not really. I'm still so embarrassed," said Latoya. "I'm a virgin, you know."

"Well you could just do it with somebody," I suggested.

"Latoya, you need to remember that you're in charge of your own life," suggested Nadia. "Whether your mom goes naked or wears clothes, that shouldn't affect your self-image. Now, you've proven you can do this for two days. There are only three days left. Get those out of the way and then make a fresh start."

"OK, thanks," said Latoya then she sat down.

"My name is Tony Mulcahy," said the next guy to stand up. He wore a polo shirt, pleated pants, dark socks, and loafers.

"Hi, Tony," everyone replied.

"Well, my girlfriend is in The Program this week and she seems to be drifting away from me. She says she feels so exposed being the only naked one when she's with me and my friends. She's the only one in The Program, see? But when she's not with us, she gets too many Reasonable Requests."

"Maybe you and some of your friends should go naked," I suggested. "That way she won't feel so isolated. And who knows? You might get lucky."

"Yeah, that might work," said Tony, then he sat down.

My name is Emily Tamblyn and I'm Naked In School," began the next girl. Her hair was elaborately set, and she had expensive-looking acrylics on both her fingernails and her toenails.

"Hi, Emily," everyone replied.

"My problem is that when I'm in The Program, I look the same every day," she explained. "Like today, I look the same as yesterday, and I'm going to keep on looking the same all week. It just doesn't seem right. Nobody wears the same outfit two days in a row, let alone a whole week. What can I do?"

"Do you have a lot of outfits?" Crystal asked.

"Not really. Just a few dozen," Emily explained. Oh brother. This chick reminded me why I stopped wearing clothes. There's no way of keeping up with people like her.

"Have you considered jewelry?" Teah asked.

"I don't have a lot of jewelry; just a couple of rings," Emily replied. "Is jewelry allowed under The Program?"

"Oh sure," Teah replied. "See, I have this labia ring and Nadia here has two. She has her nipples pierced, too. Adam has earrings, Vivian has a nose ring, and Dan there has a PA."

"The PA is the penis piercing, right?" asked Emily. "Doesn't that hurt a lot?"

"Yes, PA is short for Prince Albert, who supposedly had one," Teah explained. "And no, I never noticed that it was painful."

"The rule is that the jewelry can't really cover anything," Nadia added. "Like, I usually wear nipple shields, but those cover too much for The Program. But I can leave my barbells in. And it doesn't have to be pierced jewelry. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and clip-on earrings are all OK."

"If I wanted pierced jewelry, where should I go?" Emily asked.

"Needles and Pins is a good shop," Nadia recommended. "Once you get pierced jewelry, though, you can't change it for six weeks or even a year, depending on where you put it. You have to wait for the skin to grow around the whole inside of the hole."

"OK, thanks," Emily told everyone, then she sat down and started pinching her ears, her nose, and various other parts of her body.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Valene Hosten and I'm Naked In School," began the next malcontent.

"Hi, Valene," everyone responded.

"This one guy keeps watching me pee," Valene complained.

"So, just kinda accidentally spill some on him," I suggested.

"No, I'm afraid that might backfire. I think he might like that," Valene replied.

"So masturbate. That makes some guys uncomfortable," suggested Nadia.

"No, I'm afraid that might backfire too."

"Let him see you make it with your boyfriend. Maybe that'll convince him you're taken," suggested Ben.

"I don't have a boyfriend. I usually like girls," Valene admitted.

"So make it with one of your girlfriends."

"No, that might backfire too."

"Maybe you and your friends should all start watching him pee. Do you think that might drive him away?"

"No, I'm afraid it would encourage him."

"Well, I guess you'll have to tell the office," Nadia suggested. "Do you know who this guy is?"

"Yes, it's him," Valene stated, pointing to Dan. Teah really looked offended.

"Look, Valene; I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize I was watching you that much, or that it bothered you. I promise I'll stop."

"No, that's the problem. I don't want you to stop," Valene replied. "I mean, this is so awkward, but what else do you have in mind?"

"Ah, Valene, I think we can help you," Teah suddenly proposed. "After the session here is done, can you meet Dan and me outside the lavatory?"

"Hello, everyone. My name is Ronnie Delonnie and I'm Naked In School," began the next speaker. Clearly, she'd been masturbating before she stood up, and she continued doing herself in full view of everyone.

"Hi, Ronnie," we all answered a bit shakily.

"Weren't you here yesterday under the name Rhonda?" Nurse Nystronm asked.

"Uh, yeah, some people call me Ronnie, and some call me Rhonda. And yeah, I was here complaining about my perverted masturbating brother, and the fact that I had to be naked around him. Whoa! Pfew! Oh, excuse me; I'm trying to keep this under control."

"So, do you still have the problem?" Crystal asked. On the one hand, it was kind of a dumb question. But on the other, what else are you going to ask?

"Uh, you're Vivian, right?" she asked me.

"Yeah, you might say that," I confirmed.

"Didn't you and another girl bring some real estate papers for my mom and dad to sign yesterday?"

"Yes, we did," I allowed.

"So, you've seen my perverted little brother, then,"

"Yeah, I remember," I admitted.

"And you saw how my mom and dad started masturbating along with my perverted little brother, and they wanted me to join in."

"Ah, yeah, that's about when we left. The papers were signed and everything."

"Well, after you left, I told my mom that it wasn't fair for all of them to masturbate in their clothes when I had to do it naked. Oh, wow! Hang on just a minute," Ronnie urged, then she backed off her stroking for a few moments.

"So what happened?" Crystal asked.

"I thought my mom would back off, but she didn't! Instead, she thought about it for a while, and then she took off her clothes. She made my dad and my perverted little brother strip, too, and oh were they pissed! All of a sudden they had to be careful where it went."

"So is that the end?" Nadia asked with some trepidation. I mean, this was getting weird.

"No, we all did it there in the living room, and then we had dinner and did it under the dining room table. Then my mom decided we should all stay naked and go out for ice cream! My dad and my perverted brother were spent by then, but my mom and I did it twice more at the ice cream shop. Then, when we got home, she took me in her room and we watched each other do it for most of the night. Oooh, shit! Oh! Excuse me a minute," Ronnie said, and then she removed her hand just long enough to wipe her cunt with a towel.

"Where was your dad during all this?" Adam asked.

"He was in his room," Ronnie explained.

"Does your mom make most of the decisions in your house?" Dan suddenly wondered.

"Well, yeah. She runs a cement factory. My dad is a secretary at a flower shop."

"So is this a status report or do you still have a problem?" Dan asked.

"Well, do you really think masturbating is natural, and that all teenagers do it?" Ronnie asked. She was getting herself pretty worked up again, and she backed against the wall for support.

"Just don't abrade your delicate tissues," Nurse Nystrom advised, then it was a quarter to four and I had to leave for Bogswamp's.

By then I was famished. Fortunately, traffic was light and I didn't have to spend that much time smiling and waving at people. OK, there was a fire truck, and I have a thing for firemen, but there were only five of them. After that was over, I still had enough time for a quick run through the drive-up lane at Guido's Quick Fill.

"Ciao and welcome to Guido's," came the voice over the lousy intercom. "How can we serve you?"

"Is Guido there?" I demanded.

"Un momento," said the voice. Then, half a minute later, another voice came over the intercom. "This is Guido," it said.

"Guido, this is Vivian," I explained. "What's the special today?"

"Vivian! Where you been? We all miss you so much! Emelio! It's Vivian! Now Vivian, what can we do for you?"

"I haven't eaten all day," I explained, "I came to ask about the special."

"For antipasto, Mussels Casino," Guido began. "That's fresh steamed mussels with bacon, sweet pepper and onion in a roasted garlic sauce. Eccellente!

"For insalata, Spring Mix. That's field greens topped with artichoke heart, roasted red pepper, crumbled bleu cheese, and our special home-made balsamic vinaigrette. Molto bene!

"For entrata, Veal Stuffed Portabella. That's sautéed scaloppini of veal with roasted shallots, Roma tomatoes, and tomato sauce over enorme portabella mushroom cap. We put that on a bed of spinaci and top it with provolone. Magnifico!

"OK, I'll have the special," I decided. "What kind of coffee is in the Caramel Macchiato?"

"We only use Segafredo. It's the best," came the squawky voice.

"OK, I'll take a large."

"Some dessert signorina? We have Biscotti Napolitano, Biscotti Cioccolato e Pistachio, many kinds of Cannoli, Tiramisu, Tortoni, Zabaglione..."

"How's the chocolate in the Tiramisu?" I asked.

"It's genuine Amedei from Italy. Numero uno," said the voice.

"OK, make that two large Caramel Macchiatos and two Tiramisus," I decided.

"Can I get you anything else?" asked the voice.

"Nope, that's all," I stated.

"Pull up to the first window, per favore," Guido commanded.

"You're the best, Guido," I commended him.

When I got to the realty office it was three seconds to four: on-time and good enough for me. The minute I entered the lobby, though, I knew there was trouble. Sitting cross-legged on the daybed with Marlene was Donnie Delonnie, Ronnie's perverted little brother, now fully naked.

Marlene glanced up and waved as I passed. I guess that proved I'd become an insider. Or maybe that she was having a really great time amusing Donnie.

Cynthia and Lonnie Delonnie were sitting on a pair of ottomans in the client lounge, They were both substantially naked, both watching a slide show of kitchen and bath designs, and both masturbating. Cynthia was wearing her sandals and Lonnie was wearing four necklaces: two that reached to her breasts and two that reached to her hips.

"Vivian, isn't it?" Lonnie asked between thrusts and gasps. "You didn't need to buy all that for me." She was referring, of course, to my dinner from Guido's. "Maybe just the drinks and something light. Let the staff have the rest."

Cynthia turned away from Lonnie, then grimaced and rolled her eyes so Lonnie couldn't see. Still, what could I do? I gave them the two Caramel Macchiatos and two Tiramisus, and then headed for the break room.

"Vivian, there you are!" exclaimed Courtney the moment I entered the staff area. "We need to make four stops by five thirty today, so we need to get going right away. Watcha got there?"

"My dinner," I explained. Then I took a marker from Cynthia's desk, wrote my name on the bag from Guido's, and put it in the break room refrigerator. It seemed like a crime to reheat food like that but oh well. On our way out, I bought a little package of crackers and gooey artificial cheese-like spread.

Our first stop was a house of prudes. A boy, probably a 7th or 8th grader, answered the door wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. It took him about one second to realize we were naked, and then he closed his eyes and slammed the door.

"Oh, it's going to be one of those," Courtney remarked, then she called the house with her video suppressed.

"Hi, I'm from Bogswamp Realty," Courtney explained. "My partner and I are outside your front door. We have some papers you need to sign."

"Is there any way you can put something on?" asked a disembodied female voice. She had her video suppressed as well.

Courtney look at me, but I had to shake my head No. "Sorry, ma'am; it's a warm day, you know."

"Can you leave the papers between the house door and the screen, then drive around the block?" asked the voice.

"All right. We'll stay on line in case your have any questions, and then you can tell us when you're done," Courtney explained. Then she put the envelope of papers between the two doors and we drove around the block.

At the second house, no one came to the door at all. Instead, an intercom speaker came to life.

"Who is it?" asked the voice in the speaker.

"Hi, I'm from Bogswamp Realty," Courtney explained. "My partner and I are outside your front door. We have some papers you need to sign."

"Ah, OK, well, you see, we all happen to be naked right now. Can you leave the papers between the house door and the screen, and then drive around the block?" asked the voice.

Same ole, same ole. Courtney called the house on her PDA, left the papers between the door, and coached the clients from around the corner. Then we retrieved the papers from the same spot and headed to the next stop.

At the next house a naked kid maybe ten years old strolled out from the back. He had a killer suntan, and didn't seem self-conscious at all. His blue waist-length hair was a little unusual but oh well.

"We're from Bogswamp Realty. We have some papers your parents need to sign," Courtney explained.

"Oh yeah, I think they were expecting you. You'll have to wait a few minutes, though, 'cause they're fucking. C'mon in. You want a drink or some cookies?"

I had to give the kid credit; he knew what he was talking about. As he walked us from the foyer through the living room and into the kitchen, there were his mom and dad grinding away on the living room floor. After seating Courtney and me at the kitchen table, he took three sodas from the refrigerator and fetched a plate of cookies from the counter.

We made small talk for about five minutes, and then I heard a series of shouts and groans from the living room. A few minutes later, mom and dad found us, wiped their crotches with kitchen towels, and signed all the required places.

A cute little girl wearing a frilly dress answered the door at the last house. This time, I did the honors, namely "Hi. We're from Bogswamp Realty. We have some papers your parents need to sign."

"OK, but you'll have to wait a few minutes," the girl explained. "They're fucking. You can come in, though. I'll get you some milk and cake."

The parents were clothed this time, but the guy's pants were down around his ankles and the woman's skirt was up around her waist. Plus, they were in the family room.

I'm not sure which was better: the cookies at the third house or the cake at the fourth house. All I remember was being really hungry.

The parents showed up with their clothes partly fastened and completely rumpled. Each of them threw away a wad of paper towels, and then signed on all the dotted lines. Done.

"Those were all easy ones," Courtney explained as we drove back to the office.

"What's a hard one? When they want you to do it with them?" I asked.

"No, a hard one is when the client insists on reading and questioning every line of the contract, or wants their lawyer to do it. I mean, it's their right to do that, but these forms are all very standard. We're not out to cheat anyone. If we did something sneaky or illegal, the court costs would far exceed any gain. These clients aren't freakin' you out, are they?"

"No, I saw just as much and more when I was delivering pizzas. I mean, it's their house; people live the way they want. Of course, with pizzas, you don't have to hang around and wait for them to sign. I could just leave the pizza on the porch or somthin' and wait for the people to transfer the payment. Well, here we are."

At Bogswamp's that is. I parked the jeep in an employee parking spot that was visible from the street, and then carried all the signed paperwork inside. Courtney clocked out from the parking lot and jumped in her car to go home. Her car was just a plain compact model but at least you could drive it in the rain and not get drenched.

It was five thirty by then and I was starving. I dropped the signed paperwork on Neil's desk, then headed for the break room.

Fortunately, my dinner from Guido's was undisturbed. I tossed the spring mix salad on the table and popped the mussels casino in the microwave. The machine coffee was a far cry from Caramel Macchiato but at least it was hot and wet. With a plastic fork and no little enthusiasm I tore into my salad.

"There you are," said Cynthia, peeking around the corner.

"Mmph," I said with my mouth full. "Sorry, I'm famished. You want some mussels casino? It's good."

"Not if you're so hungry," Cynthia empathized.

"No, it's OK. I've also got a Veal Stuffed Portabella. You know: veal scaloppini, shallots, Roma tomatoes, tomato sauce, a portabella cap, bed of spinach, topping of provolone. Wonderful seasoning. I probably won't finish it all."

"This is from Guido's? I always thought of them as a pizza and sub sandwich joint."

"There's a basement that connects under the alley to a building on the next street. That's where Rabottini Brothers is. You know that place?"

"Why yes! That's the best Italian restaurant in town. Walt and I go there on special occasions. Very special occasions. So Guido's and Rabottini Brothers sell the same food?"

"It's the same kitchen but no, not the same food. Unless, of course, you know Guido Rabottini. Are you sure you don't want some of these mussels?" I asked again, pushing the plate toward Cynthia and rising to heat the veal stuffed portabella.

"Well, maybe just one," Cynthia decided. "Oh, these are heavenly! How did you get to know Guido Rabottini?"

"Actually, it started with his cousin Vinnie from San Diego. Vinnie introduced me to Carmine from Caracas, and Carmine introduced me to Guido. That's private, by the way. I'd appreciate you're not spreading it around."

"No problem. My, these are delicious," she replied, taking her third mussel. "Listen, I want to thank you for saving the Delonnie sale yesterday. I owe you part of my commission."

"For what? Saying a few sentences? Don't worry about it. I owe you a favor for last night. That Delonnie family is a bunch of characters, though, aren't they? What was going on with her in the client room today? Or is that -- you know -- private?"

"No, it wasn't private. Not even close. She used to sit there in her clothes and masturbate, but today for some reason she showed up naked and did it. On top of that, she's on some kind of masturbation campaign. She wants everyone around her to do it. If you want to do business with her, you have to play along.

"Now that they're buying that house, they want to remodel the kitchen and combine all the bathrooms. Of course we'd like them to go through Bogswamp. That way, we get a commission and they can finance the renovation as part of their first mortgage."

"So you masturbated with her?" This was nothing like the nice, traditional, naked mother I'd imagined Cynthia to be.

"Just between you and me, no, I faked it," Cynthia confessed.

"Does this kind of thing come up often?" I asked. "I'm not trying to pry; I'm just wondering what I might be in for." The beeper on the microwave oven sounded, so I got up and retrieved my veal stuffed portabella.

"No, not often. Most of the clients just look. It's all kind of crazy, really. You seem very comfortable without your clothes, though. How long has it been?"

"Over a year now," I revealed. "I never had good clothes, and people would look down on me for that. So when I left town and came here, I just left my clothes behind. We all did. Travelin' light, you might say."

"You all did? I thought you didn't have a family?"

"Well, this is kinda private again, but there were a whole bunch of people living at this beach house. Then, the woman who owned it -- I called her my aunt even though she wasn't -- well, she teed off the wrong people. They sicced the cops on her, but the cops couldn't make a case, so the cops sent her to the Mexican police and guess what, she ended up in a Mexican jail."

"What was she guilty of?" Cynthia asked.

"Nothing. Or rather, of hot wiring a Mexican police car. But think about it; when's the last time you saw a car with an ignition switch?

"Anyway, once they got my aunt, the rest of us figured we were next so we all left town."

"And then you came here, and you found this Marjorie who's not really your aunt, and you've been living with her." Cynthia concluded. "What about the others?"

"They're doing OK, at least those I know about, but we promised not to blab on each other. I probably shouldn't have told you this. It's private, OK?"

"You've had a hard life, haven't you, Vivian? Bounced around, traveling form city to city on your own, always getting started in a new place. And yet, look at you! You're smart; you're healthy; Adam says you take honors classes at school and you make friends with the Rabottini family and get gourmet food at pizza joint prices. You're a remarkable girl, Vivian. I hope you don't believe that driving pizzas or paperwork around is the top of the line for you."

At that point, I didn't know what to say. Instead, I made a big show of eating for a few minutes, trying to pick up vibes from Cynthia. How much could I really tell her? Whatever I did tell her, how would she react? If I wasn't careful, I'd probably end up riding the rails again, and I didn't want that. At least, not just yet.

"It's a problem knowing what to aim for and how to get there," I finally told her. "It's true I've bounced around quite a bit. I've had some good times and some bad, some successes and some failures. I know I'm smart. But to become a doctor, or a lawyer, or a teacher, or a real estate agent, or an airline pilot, or hell even the President: How would I do that? It's a lot different from landing in a new town, asking around, and trying to make myself useful to someone."

"Not as different as you might think, Vivian," Cynthia remarked. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? Adam's at swim practice, Walt's out of town, and the twins are with friends. I'll be going home to an empty house."

"Oh, have some of this veal, then," I offered. "See, I haven't touched this side of the plate. The cheese is a little flat from being reheated but it's still really good.

"OK, you talked me into it," Cynthia allowed. "I seem to have finished those mussels."