Chapter 21: I Understand Why

Seventeen minutes and thirteen seconds. Holy shit, I understand why I'm so exhausted. We wrestled more than three times longer than any of the other girls. Marie and I were sitting, naked, on hay bales on the side of the ring. I was exhilarated at my victory. I didn't deserve it, but I'll take it. Right now, I'm not hurting, but when the high wears off, I'll have a hard time moving. Best of all, I just won $225! I'll have to buy a bottle of Advil tomorrow, and a new bikini, but that was almost as much as I take home in a month working in the university library.

Moving right along, from the past to the future, I've got another match to wrestle yet tonight. I tried to remember who else was still alive. Just Barb and Ashley from the Delts; I could probably beat them.

I wasn't sure I remembered all the remaining Sigs. I knew Brandy; even though I'd beaten her when we wrestled in our underwear here in the Kap's yard, she'd beaten me when we wrestled the same way in the apartment she and her boyfriend shared. I thought I was almost as good a wrestler as she was.

Linda Muller had beaten Rox quickly, but I thought it was more a matter of that first big surprise hit, and the immediate loss of her bra, which took Rox out of her game; I thought I was as good as Linda.

I had no clue about Janey Lewis; she was a real unknown, since Nat didn't put up any fight at all. The only way I'll ever know what chance I have against her is to watch her again, or to wrestle her.

I couldn't recall the name of the girl who beat Maria; she was not one of the Sig's best, since she was chosen by a drawing, but she won very fast, without losing a garment. I had my mind on other things, and I didn't consciously watch this match and looked up when the referee called time and it was over. Even though she beat our number 3, since she wasn't one of the Sig's top five, I was probably as good as she was. At least I hoped I was.

Macy was the one I was worried about. I was actually afraid of her. She was the roughest of the Sigs. She hit Ronnie so hard the medics wouldn't let her continue. Macy was hit hard by Ronnie's replacement, but it didn't slow her down. She won fast, kept her clothing, and was wearing my unremovable bra. I figured I had the least chance against Macy. I hoped another girl would get paired against her, and that the other girl would get lucky. I certainly didn't want to meet Macy in the quarterfinals, as the winners would get another $375. That was almost enough to cover my books for next semester; I didn't want Macy between my books and me.

Thank God there is an hour between the end of the last elimination match and the beginning of the semi-finals. What was better yet, the hour doesn't even start until after the between match tasks. First comes Marie's walk of shame, then the hose down, followed by Linda Muller shaving Rox Green, and writing her name in indelible ink four places on Rox. Then it is my turn, as I write my name on Marie Judy, between her pubic hair and her navel. Next, Marie will draw the name of a guy who will get to remove a garment from three of her sorority sisters, because Marie was the third Sig loser, and she will draw the three girls to sacrifice a garment.

While all that is happening, I get to scout around, and claim a top and bottom from non-competing Sigs who are still wearing something, if I can find something which will fit me. I don't know if the suit I wore to wrestle is OK or not, but I have the opportunity to take two Sig garments, and I plan to do it. If I can't find something now being worn by Sigs, then I can look into the clean suit box or as a last resort, take something worn by a Delt, but that won't make me popular amongst my sorority sisters. Then Marie draws the name of a guy to remove the garments for me. Some of the girls put the garments they wrestled in back on. That minimized the time they stood around exposed. I'd already watched the seventh match naked, and figured it was a good way to remove two Sig garments for the rest of tonight, their walk back to their sorority house, and all of next week's event.

Jim Tracker came over to where Marie and I sat, still trying to catch our breath. He keyed his microphone on. "Let's hear it for Gabby Hunt and Marie Judy. That was the best match of the night so far. And it ended up the way we want them all to end, WITH BOTH GIRLS NAKED!"

Jim's words were met with loud applause. I stood up, went to Marie, and pulled her up. I took her hand in mind, and raised it in victory, because to me, she deserved to win. As we sat down, Marie shot me a dirty look.

"There is one rule change for the rest of the matches. No loser can be required to have her pubic hair shaved of unless she can't last longer than the shaved girl who lasted the longest in the preliminary round. That best shaved girl was Rox Green, who lasted 1:36. As a reward for getting past the qualifying matches, any girl who gets beyond the Green line does not get labeled for any reason. Rox was waiting up there to be shaved; I saw her wince when Tracker talked about the Green line.

"There is supposed to be a one-hour interval between the end of this match and the beginning of the quarter-finals. It is in the rules we agreed to. But the three co-chairs, or a majority of them, have the authority to make whatever rules changes are necessary. Gabby Hunt, the victor in the fabulous match we just watched is one co-chair. The other co-chairs are Brandy Scott and myself. Brandy and I agreed on a schedule change without consulting with Gabby, who was naked in the mud at the time. Because of bad clock management, and an exceptionally long match just ended, we are about an hour behind schedule, so we've decided to shorten the time period before the next match and start it as soon as the festivities the shaving and the stripping are finished."