Chapter 14

Later in the afternoon, Molly was up and looking somewhat rested. She found Curt at his computer. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she looked at his screen and asked "Talking to someone?"

"No, just adding to the 'Surviving' website. Look at this." He showed her what he had gotten from Kendra. "I made it into a suggestion for kids at any school to try. Your brother's idea is another one I put up."

Molly pulled up a chair next to him. What she really wanted to do was sit right on his lap, but he had not given her any signals that he was receptive to expressions of affection and he had not expressed any affection towards her. He was very friendly and considerate and he complimented her frequently. For her ideas, unfortunately.

Up until the Program's arrival at her school, Molly had not had to spend a lot of time battling her emotions. Oh, she was a teenaged girl, no doubt about that, with all the normal hormones. It was just that her intelligence was coupled with admirable mental discipline, and she just did not allow her emotions to distract her from the important things in her life.

The trauma of the break with her parents, having to be on her own, the rescue by Curt, the naked broadcast, the 'arrest', the terror of some of the kids facing the Program - no one had enough mental discipline to shrug off all of that. Her trip to pick up Francie just seemed to amplify all of the other episodes. For the first time that she could remember, she really needed some emotional support. It would be wonderful if it could be wrapped in love, as well.

Almost as if he was reading her mind, Curt turned to her and said "You must be pretty wrung out, especially after that trip. How is the girl?"

"It was almost impossible to get away from her. She will be sedated for a few days, but the doctor thinks she will be all right. I don't know if her family will ever by right again, though."

"I guess you can sympathize with that, huh?" he observed.

"It sounds like my family is going to be OK. Apparently, my mother has done a complete turnaround," she said.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Molly, but if your parents are changing, would it be better for you to be home?" That caught Molly totally by surprise. There had been some of what she had to admit was homesickness, but she had never thought of going home.

"I couldn't go back to my high school. After what you told me about not even legitimizing the Program by attending, I knew you were right," she told him.

"It was right for me, Molly, but your situation isn't really the same. Your mother filed an exemption for you, right? Didn't your brother say the school staff is bucking Program rules to avoid any tragedies? He is determined to help from the inside. That takes guts, too."

"You know, Curt, I really hadn't even thought of that possibility."

"One other thing," he pointed out. "A lot of families are going to be torn apart by this exemption decision. You have the credibility to maybe set an example. You know, take a step back toward your parents if they change their thinking. If you do it, other kids might at least try."

"Do you really think we have that kind of influence?"

"Well, uh, we are definitely very, very well known among the kids." He told her what Kendra had said about the condensed video clips.

After a strangled groaning sound, Molly lamented "Oh, God! I was just trying to do the right thing!"

"I know what you mean," he said consolingly, though he did not feel much better about the whole thing. "We did do the right thing. I have a feeling that we have started something here - a sort of a revolution. If I call Kendra, will you talk to her? She's brash and lippy, but I think it will show you what your going naked has started."

Almost in a trance, Molly let Curt dial and hand her the phone. At first, her end of the conversation was rather listless, but when she perked up, Curt mouthed the question 'Sheep?' and Molly nodded. After that, she was very much into the conversation.

When Molly hung up, Curt was very surprised to see her eyes moist, even though she was smiling. With a flash of wisdom, he did not say anything, just gave her a questioning expression. When she finally looked at him, she said "The thought of all those guys perving on my pictures is really hard to take. I'm ... I'm just not that way. I know my body is OK, but it doesn't make me proud to show it off. But maybe it really is worth it, the way Kendra talks. If there are more out there like her, you may be right. We may have started something important. That might make it worthwhile."

"Might?"

"You just don't understand how hard that was for me."

"No, I probably can't completely understand it," Curt admitted. "For me, I just kind of separated myself from the exposure. I can see where you might not be able to do that."

"I bet you weren't thrilled when you heard about those clips, either, were you?" she prodded.

"Uh, no. You're right," he agreed. Both were silent for a bit, then Curt said "Look, think of us as being in the front line of a battle. I don't think the battle is just about the Program, either. If you think of it that way, our 'wounds' aren't so terrible compared to what has happened to lots of other folks."

"I never set out to be a crusader, a soldier," Molly said. "I just wanted to get rid of the Program."

Curt was about to make a remark that he just barely held back. It shook him up to realize that he was about to play the class card and accuse her of having hidden behind her wealth and privilege. She did not deserve that. There was no way he could deny her courage.

Although he restrained himself from his immediate reaction, it was too late. Molly saw the expressions play quickly over his face and she had a pretty good idea what he had been about to say. Her heart sank as she realized just what attitude stood in the way of a romantic relationship with Curt.

Anger followed quickly on the heels of the disappointment. She did not want him to see that, so she turned away. "I'm going to call home," she said as steadily as she could manage.

As she walked away, Curt was having a little argument with himself. 'Those are valid arguments for her going home', one side of him declared. 'Since when did you start lying to yourself, Curt old boy?' the other side demanded. 'You just want that temptation to go away. Be a man and admit it.'

Temptation it was indeed. His mother had been right. Molly was appealing to him in almost every way. It would be much easier on him if she was not around, particularly when it was pretty obvious that she had some strong feelings for him. He tried to tell himself that it was the kindest thing for her, as well.

As many times as he had been over it in his mind, he just could not see any future for them. He knew that he could never be happy living on her money. Maybe that was chauvinistic. Maybe it was woefully old-fashioned. It was still true, and he could see no way that it would change. He knew enough about relationships to know that something like that would eventually poison one, no matter how well everything else fit together.

"Don't say anything to Mom," Molly told Bert as soon as they had exchanged greetings, "but I'm thinking of coming home."

"Wow! That would be great, Sis! I really miss you. But I thought you just couldn't be at the school because of the Program."

"Well, I've got some more thinking to do. Do you know if Mom ever filed the exemption for me?"

"Yes, she did. She was going to for me, too, but I asked her not to."

"Good. I guess that option is still open, then. I suppose they could buy me into the Academy, too," she speculated. "I just don't know, Bert."

"What about Curt? Don't you want to be with him?"

"It looks like that's not going to happen."

"You don't like him?" The idea that Curt would not be attracted to Molly never entered Bert's mind.

"That', uh, not the problem," she told him, forcing herself not to let any sign of how she really felt about Curt leak out.

"Then he must be an idiot," Bert opined.

"That he definitely is not," Molly assured her brother. "I think he may have some very chauvinistic ideas that get in the way, but at this point, I'm just guessing."

"I need to talk to him. Maybe I need to come out there and knock some sense into him."

"Bert! Please. Curt is running himself ragged trying to help kids and trying to stop the Program. Don't be too hard on him. I think maybe we, you and I, don't realize how much we are separated from everyone else."

"Oh, so you think that's the problem?"

"Like I said. I'm just guessing so far. It was Curt who got me thinking about going back home. He said..." She replayed some of the earlier conversation about what she could contribute if she went home.

Molly, Gwen, Curt, and Jason were together for the first time that day at dinner. Molly brought up the possibility of her going home, laying out the pluses. To say that Gwen was shocked would be a serious understatement, and she could not hide her reaction. Molly talked as if they were her own ideas and not just Curt's suggestions. She sensed that it would be hard for Gwen to think that Curt might be trying to get her to leave.

"What will it do to the refuge idea if you're not here?" Jason asked. "Your personal credibility is one of the things that gets kids to come here. What about that girl you picked up - Francie. What will it do to her?"

Curt jumped in at that point. "Jason, it's wonderful how you're trying to set up a full refuge, with school and everything, but I wonder. If you gave equivalent money to the Hooverton schools, couldn't they find ways to handle more students. I'm talking about more teachers, maybe temporary classrooms, the whole thing. It seems to me that it would be good for the kids to be in as normal an environment as possible."

"But they would still live at the convent?" Jason asked.

"Yes, definitely. I know that you already bought the place, but maybe we can find ways to reduce the number that actually take refuge. For instance, what if we tried court injunctions where we could get them? Order the schools to keep certain kids out of the Program? There must be lots of judges who would issue them."

Jason was thoughtful for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "You may have just found a powerful weapon, Curt! What if we starting flooding the courts with every possible lawsuit and injunction we can think of?"

"But I thought that had all been tried against the Program," Molly objected.

"Forget the Program. We file against the school districts. Say some district ends up with a dozen actions against it of one kind or another. How will they react?" Jason asked rhetorically.

"Money." Gwen answered. "They will start to freak out over the legal costs, even if the actions don't go anywhere. They still have to go through all of the legal steps, and that costs money."

"Exaxctly," Jason agreed. "It's the standard tactic used by the IRS for decades. They win even if they lose because the victim is irreparably damaged."

"Could Francie or her parents file against the school for assault?" Molly asked.

"It would seem to me," Curt answered, "that any student who was forcibly stripped could file."

Jason had a lot of natural reserve and self-control, but they could all see the excitement in his eyes. "We will have courts and school boards so upset at the Program!"

"Here's another scary idea," Molly said. "What if some girl who does not want to be touched files sexual assault charges against a boy who exercises a reasonable request?"

"That probably would not get very far," Jason opined.

"But the police would still have to process the call and the charge, wouldn't they?" Molly pressed. "Didn't you say that winning was not the main objective, just the disruption and the turmoil?"

"I have a question," Gwen interjected. "Why have none of these things been tried before?"

"Sheep," Molly answered cryptically.

"She's right," Curt agreed. "It seems that our whole population, and teenagers in particular, have become totally passive, at least as far as the government is concerned."

"Hmmmm." Jason mused. "That fits. As the government provides more and more of what people once were responsible for themselves, people become less willing to do anything to incur the government's ire."

"So, what has changed now, if anything?" Gwen challenged.

"Young people have always been the ones most likely to go against the established order," Molly explained. "It seems that inclination is still there, just dormant. Curt and I have seen evidence that it is waking up." She explained the talks with Kendra.

"Well, we have you two to thank for that," Jason declared. "Tonight, I was going to lay out a massive advertising and political attack on the Program. Listening to the conversation here, maybe it would be better to keep a lower profile and see if we can promote a grass-roots rebellion from the kids."

Gwen saw the potential impact on Molly and Curt with that approach. "That would keep Renewal more in the background. Molly and Curt would be the ones up front, right?"

"Yes, you're right, Gwen," Jason agreed. "I guess I don't have the right to force them into that role."

"You don't have to force me," Curt said quickly. "I'm in this for the long haul. I've given up too much already to back out now. Besides, as long as every girl in the country is probably jilling off to clips of my ... uh, sorry." That required an explanation about the condensed clips from the broadcast. Gwen giggled when she heard about them, then was apologetic when she saw Molly's face.

"OK. Let's see where we're at," Jason said, literally rubbing his hands in his enthusiasm. "First of all, I think the idea of only housing kids at the convent is a great one. I'll call the school board president tonight about giving them money for expansion.

"We have two legal tactics that we have talked about: injunctions and assault charges. Assault charges can be against the school and against other students.

"There is a looming student revolt where many students show up naked to make the Program kids seem less conspicuous. Anything else?"

"My brother, Bert, is trying to organize some football players to 'persuade' guys not to touch girls who don't want it," Molly said.

"Oh, that's brilliant!" Jason chortled. "Grass roots rebellion at its best. Do you think it will work?"

"I've put the idea up on the 'Surviving' website," Curt answered. "After what happened today, I'm expecting some kids around the country to expand on the idea, maybe add to it."

"'Surviving' website?" Jason asked.

"Oh, I guess we didn't mention that, sorry," Curt apologized. "It's called 'SurvivingNiS.com'. We're putting up every suggestion and idea that we can think of."

"Perfect," Jason enthused. "Let's make sure to get that into all of the ads going out.

The discussion went on for quite a while longer. When they broke up, Gwen pulled Molly aside. "Did Curt make the suggestions about you going home?"

"Did you expect him to?" Molly asked in response.

"Let's say I'm not too surprised," Gwen said with a resigned sigh.

"He did make some good points," Molly pointed out.

"But I think we both know what the real reason is," Gwen said sadly.

"I have an idea, but tell me," Molly pled.

"I couldn't speak for him, Honey. Just ask him." Gwen demurred.

"I couldn't do that," Molly admitted. "Tell me if I'm wrong. His pride won't let him even think about living off of my money. Is that it?"

Gwen just looked at Molly sadly for a while. Then, her shoulders sagged and she said "It's more than that. He describes it as two different worlds. He says there is nothing that he could afford to do with or for you that would mean anything compared to what you are used to. He is concerned that everyone would forever think that he was with you for your money. I shouldn't have told you that, and I'm sorry. I don't agree with him, but I think you know how strong-minded he is."

"How can he be strong-minded and still be such an idiot?" Molly spat out. Then she lost the battle with tears and Gwen did the best she could to be comforting.

"Where is all that macho self-confidence?" Molly demanded as she stood facing Curt with hands on hips. She had sought him out as soon as she got the tears under control. "Why can't you make your own fortune?"

"I gave up that chance when I left Crosley High school," Curt said gently. He went on to replay the points he had made to his mother. Molly stood shaking her head in disbelief and anger at every point he made, but she could not come up with any counter arguments. When he finished explaining, she just walked away.

Tuesday, just as dinner was finishing, there was another upset for Win over Eleanor's plan to stay naked when she attended that evening's school board meeting. "Win, Honey, it won't mean anything if I dress for the tough times. You must understand by now why I'm doing this - why it's important to me."

"I'm don't think I've ever really understood it," he complained, but the level of vehemence was definitely less than some of his earlier complaints.

"Let's, uh, talk about it in our room for a minute, shall we?" Eleanor said as she pulled him to his feet without much resistance from him. He had an idea how their 'conversation' would go.

Eleanor's campaign to overcome his objections to her nudity with plentiful and vigorous sex had had a rocky start, but it was showing signs of great success. She was still feeling the glow from his conduct on Sunday. It had amazed her, and it had thrilled her more than she could say. Over the last couple of days, she had daydreamed about a re-invigorated sex life. If only the present trend could continue.

Maybe the fact that he stayed by her side at the picnic and supported her was due to macho pride. Maybe he was just boasting in front of his male relatives about the sexy woman he had for his own. That was just fine with Eleanor. She was proud of her body and she had worked diligently to keep it looking its best.

It would be wonderful if Win's feelings for her went deeper than just lust for her her tits and her ass, but it was a start. She had begun to think that her marriage was headed for its end. Evidence of its revival thrilled her.

In the beginning, sex with Win had been a definite plus and a big reason why she had married him. Over time, it had become much less satisfying, to say nothing about thrilling. She just assumed that his deteriorating attitude was in the way. Now, she was starting to believe that she could use her body, her sex, to bring about a change in his attitude. That could turn everything around.

She was tugging him by the hand, but as soon as they were out of sight of the kitchen, she turned and walked backwards, busily undoing his shorts as she backpedaled toward the bedroom. He was looking around nervously, but he made no attempt to stop her.

Not wanting him to trip, she held up the shorts with one hand while she reached into his underwear and fished out his already swelling cock with the other. With unerring accuracy, she guided him right into the master suite. No sooner had she pushed the door shut than she used one arm to pull herself against him for a sizzling kiss while her other hand kept working on his cock.

The first night of her 'campaign', she had discovered that she liked talking to him suggestively, and he certainly seemed to respond well to it. "Now, be honest, Honey. Weren't you just busting with pride at the picnic, knowing that you had this body of mine whenever you wanted it, and all those other guys could never touch it? I think my boobs and my ass had a lot of them panting, don't you? Did you see the nasty looks I got from your female relatives? Oooooh! If looks could kill. It made me glad that I kept myself looking so good, just so you could show me off - all of me."

By this time, his shorts had dropped to the floor and he was trying to step out of them. She was not done yet. "Right now, I want you to fuck me so hard my pussy lips will still be red and swollen when I run the school board meeting. I want the men there to stare at my pussy and my battered nipples and come in their pants. Don't you think that would be great? Do you think Hawkins is a lezzie? Think she'll cream her panties when she sees my battered pussy? Think she'll even be wearing panties?"

Feeling his pulse pounding through his cock, she realized she had better back off a little, or ... well, why not? "Tell you what, Stud. You come all over my tummy and my pussy hair, and I just won't shower. Think the men will figure out what the crusty stuff is? Hmmmm?"

That was the point where he began to enter into the sex play. He duplicated her earlier move, with one arm pulling her in for a kiss, and the other hand in her crotch. To her delight, he got into it much more quickly than before. She used her hands to push his shirt up. When he pulled back from the kiss for a moment, she left him with only his sandals on.

He pulled her right back in for a kiss, and she decided that they were not going to get to the bed right away. She went after his cock and balls with both hands, coming close to the point of hurting him. Not too close, though, and very soon, she pulled back and aimed his jetting hose right at her lower belly and pubes.

Though probably not in his wife's league brain-wise, Win was no dummy. It was getting through to him that he may have forgotten just how special his mate was. The more she walked around naked, the less irritation he felt, and the more he could just enjoy her beautifully maintained, sexy, mature body. The playful, in-your-face sex that she had gotten into lately was not hard to take, either. It was the stuff of teen-aged fantasies and she seemed to want it all the time.