Chapter 15: Tuesday Midday

"Cheeseburger in Paradise"

Rebbecca

Am I ready for class? Am I ready to be at school? Can I possibly know the answer? That's the better question.

Let me see ... Basket case this morning. So much so that my brother practically had to carry me to school. Comfort in My Mountain's cave for too short a period of time. Then the confusion of Biology class. Then, then, then...

It was so much easier to be hidden.

'Hi!' My Muse said.

'What are you doing here?'

'Getting ready to slap you upside the head you, because girl, you need it.'

'What? Why?'

'Because you're being stupid.'

'Wha... '

'Think about all the good things that have happened because you weren't hidden.'

'Like what?' I demanded of my Muse.

'Luis. Reconnecting with your parents. Your art — that painting of Luis was the best you've done. All because you're fully alive now.'

'Today, then?'

'To be cliché, bad things happen to good people. And, you're learning to be scared and handle it. It's all about how you use the experience.'

I looked up from the floor and my hands, letting my arms relax, and found the sweet eyes of My Mountain. I didn't have to fake the smile that appeared on my face. "Let's go get 'em!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"That's the girl I love."

We both looked at the clock, as did Mrs. Grant. "Only fifteen minutes left in class. Why don't you two go to lunch early? I've taken care of letting your morning teachers know. They've all communicated that there were no homework assignments tonight."

"Thanks, Mrs. Grant." We said in unison. That gave all three of us a case of the giggles. Okay, she and I did. Luis rumbled.

"Go on, you two lovebirds. I've got work to do." She made a motherly, shooing motion towards the door.

We strolled towards the cafeteria, hand-in-hand. I didn't feel the need to talk. With the hallways empty, no requests. I felt good, despite this morning. And, yes, I was still bloody naked in school! I just didn't feel weird about it. But, I did need to use the restroom.

I gave Luis a quick kiss and went into the boys' room, as per The Program. That felt really weird and made me feel how vulnerable I was. It was empty, thankfully. Dirty, but empty. A different dirty than the girls' room. Luckily, I had shoes on.

I splashed some water on my face and examined myself in the mirror. Who was this girl—no, woman—looking back at me? I suddenly felt tired. I dragged myself to the door and managed to open it. I actually looked up from the floor for a second. Okay, more than a second.

'My God, he's huge!'

'But, gentle, ' my Muse said.

'Why me?'

'Because... ' Yeah. Because ... what? A column of cold, hard marble melted within me. I saw a new canvas that was destined to be me. Now was the time to own the brush strokes on it. I've emerged, now it was up to me to determine what I became.

A new warmth spread through me. I wasn't alone anymore. And this was a good thing. I felt my body move towards Luis, without the need to command it this time. It just followed my desire. Strong. A new resolution. A new self.

His eyes showed concern for a brief second. Then they shown with the infinite possibilities of love. Together. Each being us, while us was each.

I touched his face and gave him a quick peck between those muscular breasts he had. I felt his heat. I heard and felt his heart through my lips. I lifted my head towards the peak of My Mountain.

"I love you."

He placed his hands lightly on my face. Yet, the power behind them ... all directed towards my heart.

I think he said he loved me. I was too out of it to hear. The touch was enough. Two heartbeats passed, a thousand years—Luis calls it relativity—I said, "Let's go to lunch."

"You sure you're okay?"

"More than!" I gave him a light pat on the chest and pulled him along.

The cafeteria was still crowded from first lunch. No one was in line, so that went faster than normal. Service was its usual surly self. When we emerged into the main room, it was just like in the movies. A sudden hush spread outward from where we were.

Tim Carter stood up. "Hey, Naked Table over here!"

A wave of laughter preceded the conversations starting again. Speculation? Rumor? Truth? The Letter by the Box Tops was playing at one table. Some Shag could be heard from the corner where kids would dance in sock feet, just like their parents did. As I looked around, I could feel myself getting red, embarrassed at the center of attention. More so after that incredibly intimate moment we had just shared. On display again. Naked.

"Chin up, sweetie. Be proud of your beautiful self. Be proud of making it past this morning."

"Yeah, right," I said to the floor. Then I rejected that. "Sorry, let's go for it!"

We paraded to the table and put down our trays. Luis stood on his chair, like he needed that to get attention!

"Folks!" He waited for things to die down. I had no idea what he was doing, so I just stood there. I'm sure I was catching flies with my mouth. At least I wasn't getting any redder. "Yo! People!" His voice was not shrill or angry. It was loud, deep, and ... commanding? Yeah, commanding.

"I'm sure there are a ton of questions about this morning. Probably as many as the number of rumors." His pauses seemed natural. A few voices agreed with him. "I figured." That got a few chuckles. "Here's everything in a nutshell, the real story." He had every eye in the place. Amazing, add orator to the long list of his good points.

"You all know Will Allen of the senior class?"

"Creep!" A few dozen voices volunteered.

"Weird!" Another contingent weighed in.

"Sick!" A small minority, but not silent.

Luis raised his hands and got quiet. I watched as he moved them slowly to his sides, palms towards the crowd, and he began speaking again.

"Yes, we called Will many names. Did any of us know him well enough to justify them?" He paused and let the crowd reflect. They stayed glued to him. "Did we even try to get to know him? Get past our own judgments, fears, and doubts?" Again, a pause. Just when tensions started to build into the silence, "I know I didn't try to get to know him. As a result, I didn't know about his problems. None of us did. His problems ran deep. They all came out today, trying to get the attention they needed." He let that sink in.

"Rebbecca, this beautiful lady ... My girlfriend!" That got a few hoots. He let them settle down. "She was the random target of his appeal for help. He didn't physically hurt her." All eyes shifted to me. He reached a hand down and I automatically took his. As soon as my fingers were in his, I calmed. I stood tall and showed my forearms.

"No bruises," I said confidently, albeit quietly. Yet, it carried through the room.

"He's getting help now." He subtly dropped my hand. His arms, still at his side, palms out, rose slightly. He made eye contact randomly around the room. "Everything from that point to now has been addressed by all the parties involved, including Dr. C and the police. All the players, families, and authorities are okay with the outcome. So..." Again, he let the pot stew a bit. "So, that conversation is over. Period." He didn't raise his voice; it just seemed to project through and around everything. His hands had slightly risen during all this.

"Now," his hands came above his waist, "we'd like to go back to being just naked in school." That actually got a few chuckles. "I would also hope you find it in yourself to offer thoughts and prayers for Will." A few murmurs as he lowered his hands a bit. "I know I didn't feel compassion for him before this. I don't think anyone did. Instead of friends he could turn to for help, all he had were people that didn't care, people he couldn't turn to, talk to, seek help from." Every eye was on him. Some were nodding. Everyone was looking serious. Everyone! Even a few tears! Damn, he's good.

"I'm a football player. A jock. I'm also a budding physicist and a lover of music." He took my hand again. "Rebbecca, who until yesterday was damned good at hiding, is a brilliant artist, a serious student, and my girlfriend." He was beaming more than me, I think. "We're both naked, so we're unable to hide our bodies, yet no one in the past two days has bothered to look into our minds or souls. Just touch and feel our bodies."

He looked around the room. Catching eyes and holding them until some connection was made, then moving to the next. "I want to offer a challenge to you." I'm beginning to learn the power of a pause. "Find out something new and nice about everyone you interact with today. For the rest of the week, even. Do that, and I'll make sure we beat East."

"Luis, that's no challenge. You're going to beat them anyway!" The crowd laughed with the lone male voice.

"Okay. What then? What would you want to be nice for a week? Connect with each other for a week? Be a better school for a week?"

"You naked for the rest of the year!" That voice was definitely female.

"And Rebbecca!" A male voice. Whoa! WHAT! Yet ... Yet ... I looked up at My Mountain. I took his hand and we talked with our eyes. I gave him my trust and permission. He gave me his power and love. Support, too! Definitely agreement! I nodded my head slightly. What have I just done?

'The right thing, ' my Muse said.

"You're on!" Whoops and cheers until My Mountain raised his hands over his head. The room slowly quieted. There is some kind of magic with his hands.

"Here's the deal. Becca and I will stay naked after this week until one of us sees people being ignored, disrespected because they're different, or abused. We stay this way until ... Hell, I'm not sure. Let me think about this, talk to Dr. C and others, and we'll work out the bet. Plus, he'll choose how to oversee this and monitor it. Is that sufficient?" The volume of suggestions and debate was overwhelming. The agreement on the concept was universal. This was going to happen. Part of me wanted to close up and run away. Luis looked me in the eyes. He could see that I was scared shitless and, at the same time, open to the adventure. He took my hand, that was all the support I needed. His eyes let me know that it would be okay. I told him that I was proud of him and wanted to make a worthwhile change to things.

When we finally sat at the Naked table, everyone joined in and volunteered to be part of forming the bet and taking part in it.

"Why don't all of us Nakeds this week talk with Dr. C and see what we can arrange. Ms. Carlisle should be part of it, since she is the Program Sponsor. I'll have Mrs. Grant ask the Nakeds to come to the office when it is set up. Does that work?"

Everyone agreed. Damn, my man is good. He's found a way to make this whole mess a positive. I looked up at him and my eyes began to water. When he felt me and looked down, my eyes were running rivers. His first look was alarm, then joy. Then, he looked deep into me. I definitely felt it.

"I just realized how much I love you and how proud I am of you, My Mountain." As our look deepened, I could feel his heart through my eyes. His eyes misted with tears of joy as well. Less than two days, yet a lifetime. Maybe there was something to not wearing clothes! Well, not hiding either. I realized in that moment I had known him all my school life. He was not one of my tormentors when my boobs started growing. I suddenly knew that he had been distant with me in fifth grade because he had a crush on me and didn't know how to approach me. I could see in his eyes and soul he knew that I knew. His smile got bigger.

"Okay, guys. Get a fucking room, would ya'?" We all broke up on Margie's comment. She turned to her brother, "something honest and personal about you, then, My Really Big Brother. When did you first fall in love with Rebbecca?"

That got everyone's attention. I'd just discovered the answer, let's see what he says. Damn, am I testing his integrity? Well, he is male. Of course I am!

"Margie, I don't have a simple answer to that." Luis turned to his sister and got a very thoughtful look on his face. "We met in first grade. Somehow, I knew she was different and special. When I got to the point of 'liking' girls around the fifth grade, I was really interested. But, I didn't know what to do. How to approach a girl. Anything like that. Then something happened to her and she ... Disappeared is the best way I can describe it. Yesterday, it all came back and blossomed into something more than I ever imagined. We're still discovering what it is..." He looked at me with a big smile. I felt warm and loved. I think I smiled back. We melded. Spoke without speaking. Kissed without touching.

Margie cleared her throat, pulling us back to the moment.

I turned to her, "I'd like to talk about the other side of the story. What happened in fifth grade was I grew boobs. Obviously!" I cupped my hands under them and hefted the twins. "The comments and abuse I got I didn't know how to handle. So, I chose to disappear. Did a damn good job. Yesterday, when we stripped..." I looked him in the eyes and they said to go on. "He hesitated before pulling down his boxers. I think we reconnected then. I knew he was worried. The story in my head was he felt he was too small..." I hadn't realized my hand was on Junior, which made me laugh when I looked down and notice. The laughter of the group just made me laugh harder.