The Naked Girl
by Bridget
Conclusion
My Naked Month

The day I got home from Brian’s house I made an appointment with my doctor to get birth control pills because I didn’t want to have to pass up the opportunity to make love with him those last couple of weeks. The first time we made love, I told him not to use a condom because I wanted to feel him inside me but after that he used protection.

Brian left for college a few weeks later and I was faced with the prospect of no social life my senior year of high school. I didn’t have a lot of friends in that class because until last year, they had all been a year behind me in school. But I made that work to my advantage by working more hours at my fast food job during the school year. I needed to save as much as I could because my college fund had been depleted by my medical expenses after I hurt my back.

Brian came home at Christmas and we had a great time, even arranging to make love a few times while he was home. It was hard because of the family obligations that we all had during the holidays. I saw a little more of him during spring break but not once during my senior year did I have an opportunity to visit him at school or shed my clothes and I desperately wanted to be naked around others because of how good it made me feel. When Brian left to go back to school, I was hoping that I would have a chance that summer but again it was not to be. In fact, I didn’t see Brian at all that summer other than in passing because just before he came home he called me and told me that he had met someone at school and had fallen in love with her.

I was devastated and moped around for a few weeks. Even my boss at work noticed the difference and asked me about it. I told him that Brian had broken up with me just when we had almost reached the end of our separation. I was supposed to be joining him at Michigan in the fall and we had already gotten through nine months apart. I had been looking forward to spending more time with him and with my other friends when they came back that summer but now I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be with any of them anymore.

I’m not sure if I could have gotten through the summer without Beth and Kara. Both of them were now unattached after a year at college and they made sure that they spent time with me after they heard about what Brian had done. So we did things like go to Lake Michigan, movies, and shopping together whenever I wasn’t working. They also told me about what it would be like in the fall when I was on my own at college. They explained how it had been so much more than they ever expected and how exciting it was to be learning new things, meeting new people, and seeing new places. Pretty soon my attitude started changing to friendly and optimistic again. It made no sense for me to be depressed about a failed relationship when I was nineteen years old and had my whole life ahead of me. The other thing that helped me was that I knew I would run across Brian at college and I didn’t want him to know how badly I hurt so I pushed it way down inside me and wasn’t about to let it out, at least not then.

When it finally came time for me to leave for college, I really was feeling a lot better about things. The excitement had been building for a week or two before I left and that finally pushed Brian out of my mind. Not completely, but at least the hurtful part. I was now able to think about my two experiences when I was the only one naked and how supportive and loving he was and feel happy about it without missing him and I knew that I was going to be okay without him in my life.

My parents drove me to Ann Arbor and helped me get moved into my dorm. I think they were surprised when they realized it was a co-ed dorm with men and women on the same floor. I met my roommate, another freshman named Suzie, who was oriental with golden skin and long black hair. We talked for a few minutes as I began unpacking before she left saying she had to meet her parents. I got everything unpacked and put away with Mom’s help and then it was time to go to Freshman Orientation. All of the parents and freshman were meeting in Crisler Arena for presentations.

After the orientation, I hugged my parents before they left to go home and went back to my room to register for my classes. I signed up for basic freshman stuff because I wanted to get as much of it out of way as I could, thinking that they would be easier courses while I adjusted to being on my own. The other factor was that my scholarship required me to work at least ten hours per week at a campus job so after I knew what my schedule was, I searched for jobs and found one in the student union working in a coffee shop from six to ten in the morning on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

I had also considered trying to get work as a nude model for art classes but decided against it because I didn’t feel comfortable stripping in front of people I didn’t know. I guess for me it wasn’t so much the nudity but the fact that I got to share it with my friends. It was one thing to be naked around them, the people I trusted, and another to be naked in front of complete strangers. The latter had no appeal for me at all.

Suzie and I got to know each other on the Sunday before classes started. She was from Lansing and was planning on majoring in psychology. I told her about my accident and how I had missed a year of high school because of it but didn’t describe the times I had been naked at Brian’s house. I told her how I had to quit extracurricular activities and work to save money for college because of the medical expenses. She was sympathetic and I was glad that my room mate was a decent person.

The first three weeks were both exciting and routine. I got to know other people on our floor in the dorm and settled into a routine of work, classes, and studying. I called home a few times to let my parents know that everything was going well. That was the routine part. The exciting part was just the experience of being on my own and the chance to access almost unlimited learning opportunities. I had always loved school and was soaking up as much as I could. I spent a lot of time in the library just exploring different sections and picking up something at random to read it and learn something new because it was all of the entertainment I could afford.

I was going to get my undergraduate degree in math because that was the basic tool I needed before going to graduate school in either physics or astronomy. I loved both fields and if someone had forced me to make a decision about choosing one over the other, I would have been unable to do so. But everything interested me and I read about things that had nothing to do with science or math just because I could.

It was at the beginning of the fourth week of classes that Suzie came back to our room with the flyer that would change everything for me. The psych department was looking for coeds for a research project. It went on to explain that volunteers would be paid one thousand dollars for participating in the project for one month and that the project would not interfere with classes or campus jobs.

“I know money is tight for you. Is this something you would interest you?” Suzie asked.

“Maybe, but if sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That much money has to have a catch somewhere.”

“It couldn’t hurt to check it out. There is a website where you go to fill out a questionnaire first. After that, you could decide what you wanted to do after you learned more about it.”

I agreed with her and opened my laptop to volunteer for the experiment, whatever it was. A thousand bucks would make a world of difference for me and what I could do in my free time. I found the site listed on the flyer and put in my personal information. Then I had to complete a questionnaire on-line. It asked me some pretty tame questions about my interests, my intended major, and my family before it got to the interesting ones.

Q: Other than a shower or a locker room, have you ever been naked around other people of the same gender? If yes, please explain below.
Q: Other than a shower or a locker room, have you ever been naked around other people of the opposite gender? If yes, please explain below.
Q: If yes to either situation, how long did you remain naked?
Q: In either of the last two situations, were others also naked?
Q: If no, what effect did your nudity have on the people around you?
Q: Did you enjoy the experience of being naked around others?

There were more questions related to those but I won’t write all of them out. As I read the questions, I got this far away look on my face as the memory of my two experiences came flooding back creating an intense rush of emotion. Unnoticed by me, Suzie was looking over my shoulder, reading my answers as I typed them out. Finally, she could keep quiet no longer.

“Wow! You really did that? That is really hot!”

I spun around in my chair, almost knocking her down before she jumped back. Then I calmed myself and told her that yes it really happened and I was the only one naked in a group of boys and girls; once for three days and once for a week.

“Why would you do that?” she asked me.

So I poured out the whole story about the bet with Sally but then talked to her a long time about all of the things I was feeling because of my accident, feeling abandoned by my friends, about my confusion about all of the roles I had and my inability to just be myself. And I told her how all of that went away when I was naked with my friends and how I trusted them to not take advantage of my vulnerability when I was nude. I probably took thirty minutes to explain it all and when I finished I felt she really understood it all in terms of my feelings and motives as well as I did.

“That has to be the strangest story I’ve ever heard about coping but I’m just starting out in psychology so I don’t know enough yet to figure it out. But it sounds like you really have and, as near as I can tell, there wasn’t a hint of regret about anything that happened.”

“Yes, that’s true, no regrets at all. In fact, that week at Brian’s house was probably the happiest time of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Then I changed the subject. “Can you figure anything out from the questionnaire about what the research is trying to do?”

“Well, this is just a guess but it’s probably about exhibitionism. But there has to be a lot more to it then just doing some interviews or filling out some surveys or they wouldn’t be advertising it as a month-long project and they certainly don’t pay that kind of money for interviews and surveys. The going rate in the psych department for volunteers is about five dollars an hour. But what they have in mind for the volunteers is beyond me.”

“Well, we’ll just wait and see. As much as I could use the money, with my luck, I’ll probably never hear from them again and from the reputation you guys have for using students as lab rats that may be for the best” I said laughing. Suzie didn’t take offense, in fact, she laughed along with me. After that we went down to the cafeteria for dinner and things returned to normal for a few days.

A few days later I received an e-mail that said I could make an appointment with one of the researchers on the psych project. I called the office number in the e-mail and made an appointment for later that afternoon. The woman taking the call told me to report to room 451 in East Hall.

When I arrived, I found room 451 on the top floor. It was a faculty office and the nameplate said it belonged to Professor Haynes. I knocked on the door and was told by a booming voice to come in. When I entered, I assumed that Dr. Haynes was clearing off a chair for me to use. The furniture was piled high with journals, books, papers, and personal effects. Professor Haynes was about six feet four inches tall and towered over me as he offered his hand and had me sit down. He took his seat on the other side of his desk and asked me how I liked school so far.

“It’s been better than I expected, sir. I get along well with my room mate and the classes have been great so far.”

“Why did you decide to come to Michigan, Leah?”

“Well, it’s the best school in the state and I’m afraid out of state tuition or a private college wasn’t an option for me. Wait, that didn’t come out right. I always wanted to come here, ever since I was a little girl, it’s not like I wanted to go somewhere else.”

“Are you a legacy?”

“No, sir. My father went to Albion and my mother to Michigan State.”

“Tell me about them.”

The interview went on like that for about twenty minutes; questions about my family, high school, my goals, and my interests. I didn’t realize it at the time but he was getting me comfortable talking to him about things that weren’t threatening to me. After all of that, he finally got around to the answers on my questionnaire about my experiences being naked around others. I was completely honest with him about everything, even when he asked about my sexual experiences while I was nude. When he asked me what motivated me to spend the evening pleasing nine other people orally I explained that I felt an obligation because of how supportive all of them were and that was the best way I knew to thank them for everything they had done to help me.

“Would you have been that sexually active if they hadn’t been your friends?”

“No, sir. Remember that this all started as a bet about the connection between nudity and sex. I won that bet because I believe that people can control themselves. Even that last week, when it would have been so easy to have intercourse with my boyfriend, we didn’t because we had made the condition and everyone, not just us, lived up to the promises we made each other.”

“But you did have intercourse. What about the promise you made to your father?”

“That’s harder for me to answer but I believe that my mother released me from that promise the night before I left the house. If I had been underage, I think I would have kept it. So yes, I broke my word to my father, but I don’t regret doing so.”

“If it’s any consolation, breaking promises to our parents is almost a rite of passage into adulthood. It’s what severs our dependence to our parents and helps make each of us our own person. Anyway, let me tell you a little bit about our project. First of all, we won’t be studying the subject; we’ll be studying the people’s reactions to the subject. Our subject will be the catalyst in the experiment, not the object of the study.

“What we want our subject to do is to remain completely naked for one month. That means in the dorm, on the way to class, at your job, everyplace. During that time, the person will be restricted to campus because we can’t control what the police in Ann Arbor will do, but we have the support of the administration and the cooperation of the campus police for our experiment. I can’t tell you more about what we want to find out, at least not now, but after the study I will be more than happy to explain it to you.

“The person we need has to be able to do this without, I don’t know, cracking, I guess is as good a word as any. What I mean is that once accepted, you can’t back out because it would ruin the study. Any questions?

“You said everyplace, including outside. Most of this will be happening in October when it can get pretty cold. What will you do if it gets too cold to expose someone to the weather?”

“Well, we were originally planning to do this in the spring but the forecast is calling for a nice, long Indian summer this fall so we decided to move up our timetable. If, however, it becomes too cold to walk around campus, we will provide you with transportation.”

“What about a backpack. You said the subject would remain naked. Does wearing one count?”

“If you don’t have one, we’ll give you a bag big enough for books, a laptop, your wallet, and anything else you need to carry. But it won’t have a strap to wear on your shoulder, just handles.”

“When would it start?” I asked.

“We would need a couple of days yet to get everything ready.”

“I’ve been very careful with my word choice to refer to the subject instead of myself. When did you make the transition from referring to the subject to referring to me?”

He laughed, a huge laugh, loud and raucous, and slapped his knee. When he settled down, he still had a big smile on his face. “About the same time you decided you wanted to do this,” he told me.

“How do you know I’ve decided to do it?”

“Your body language told me. Most communication is non-verbal but people don’t take the time to learn the language. I have, obviously, because knowing it is an important part of my job. Are you going to deny that you want to do this? Before you answer, you need to understand that this is probably going to go viral on the Internet. There isn’t any way we can confiscate all the cell phones on campus. Your family will probably hear about this. Are you prepared for that?”

“I realized that as soon as I understood what this was about. It may be a problem for my parents, especially my father. But I want this. I wasn’t sure if I could do this in front of strangers; in fact, I had decided that I couldn’t when I first got here or I would have been modeling for art classes, but I want this for my reasons that have nothing to do with exhibiting myself. I don’t know whether you believe that or not, but it’s true. One more question, if I may.”

“What is it?”

“What do I tell everyone? What can I tell my room mate? She saw the questionnaire I filled out on line and knows a little bit about it.”

“Okay, you can explain it to her, but swear her to secrecy. You can tell anyone else anything you want except that you are the subject in a research study. Your instructors will know; we have to let them know not to kick you out of class when you show up naked. When would you be ready to start?”

“I’m ready to start now, but if you need a few days, how about Saturday morning as soon as I wake up?”

“That will be fine. We’ll start the clock on your month Saturday morning at seven a.m. Two more things.” He opened a desk drawer, pulled out a bracelet and handed it to me. “This has a GPS tracker and a panic button. Wear it at all times. The panic button will alert police who will be monitoring the signal. This is the charger. Charge it up every night and you should be fine. Will you need a bag?”

“I’ll take the strap off my laptop bag. That should work okay.”

“Just one more detail. Here's the contract for you to sign.”

I scanned through the contract, which seemed to be mostly legal boilerplate, then signed it and handed it to him.

“We won’t have any more contact until after the experiment ends. Good luck to you, Leah.” He stood up and I got up with him. He shook my hand and opened the door for me and I left his office and made my way back to the dorm.

When I got back to my room, Suzie wasn’t there so I just lay down on my bed and thought about what I was about to put myself through. One the one hand, I was going to be naked again, which, and I know it sounds strange, was going to make me happier than I had been in a while. But the flip side of it was that it was going to be in front of people I didn’t know well and thousands of others that I didn’t know at all. I also had to figure out what I was going to tell my parents when they found out because I knew to a certainty that they would find out.

When Suzie came back to the room, I told her that I went for the interview for the research project and she asked me what it was all about. When I told her that I didn’t know, she asked me what I would have to do during the month long project.

“I have to remain naked,” I told her.

“Huh?”

“I have to remain naked the entire month. No clothes in the dorm, outside, at my job, or in class.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope, I’m not kidding at all. That’s the deal.”

“Why would you agree to that?”

“Because I like being naked. I’ve done it around my friends and now I have to see it I can take it a step further. This is my opportunity.”

“There are plenty of places you can go if you want to be naked. Some of the beaches on Lake Huron are close. There’s even a nudist colony north of Detroit that I heard about. Why here at school?”

“I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with being the only one around people who are dressed that makes me vulnerable. It changes me in a good way.”

“When do you start?”

“Saturday morning. Seven o’clock.” I said.

“You are certifiable; you know that, don’t you?”

“Suzie, I’m being serious here. If I’m going to get through this, I’m going to need a friend to help me. Someone I can talk to and cry to, if necessary. Before that was Brian but he’s out of the picture now. Will you help me?”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Just try to understand what I’m going through. This is going to be so different from the last couple of times for me because the only people around were people that I trusted. And the other thing that you need to understand is that I get aroused a lot more often when I’m naked. There will be times when I just have to get myself off. I’ll try to keep that as private as I can if you don’t want to see it, but you may walk in on me sometime or I may have to excuse myself while we’re in the middle of something. Okay?”

“Wow, and they say that Orientals don’t suffer from body taboos. But we’ve got nothing on you, white girl.” She was laughing and I laughed with her. We talked about it a few more times over the next couple of days, or rather, Suzie asked me questions and I tried to answer them. She agreed to keep quiet about why I was doing this and I don’t think she told anyone what was coming on Saturday morning because judging by my entrance to the cafeteria no one was expecting a naked girl to show up.

I woke up about quarter after six on Saturday morning, applied the hair removal crème to my legs and pussy, and gave it a few minutes to work before getting in the shower. I had been using the tattoo dye on my nipples every two weeks or so to keep them a dark mahogany color and they stood out against my pale skin like two headlights on a dark night. I also masturbated while I was in the shower to try to forestall my arousal which I knew would be building as soon as I was seen outside my room. By the time I fixed my make-up and hair, it was almost seven o’clock and I began mentally preparing myself up for what I was about to do.

Suzie was still asleep so I woke her up and asked her if she wanted to see my grand entrance. She got out of bed mumbling to herself, used the toilet and got dressed. When she was ready, I grabbed my student ID and we stepped out into the hall together. It was empty because most of the students slept in on Saturday morning unless they had somewhere to go and we went to the stairs (my suggestion) instead of using the elevator. Two flights down and Suzie paused with her hand on the door handle, asking me if I was really ready. I just nodded and she opened the door for me. I took a deep breath and then walked through.

The dining hall was about sixty feet down the corridor. There were a few students in line but they were facing away from me so no one was looking our way. But just as we reached the elevator, it dinged, the doors opened, and three guys became the first to see me naked in public, but stood there with their jaws hanging open as I walked past the doors. They were so dumbfounded, they forgot to get out of the elevator and the doors closed with them still inside. I walked with my head up and tried to remain calm but inside I was a nervous wreck. Suzie, walking beside me, told me to breathe and I nodded in acknowledgement, afraid my voice would crack if I tried to talk.

When we were about half way to the dining hall, a girl in line turned around to talk to the person behind her and saw us coming down the corridor. She turned her friend around so her friend could see us and I saw them telling everyone else in line to turn around. In moments, there were seven pairs of eyes staring at me as I walked down the hallway and then the cell phones started coming out to snap pictures and video as I approached. Suzie and I fell in at the end of the line and in less than a minute, we were swiping our identification cards for the person checking everyone in to the dining hall.

“We were told to expect you,” the woman said as she handed me a towel. “This is for you to sit on. Just turn it in with your dishes when you’re through.”

I thanked her and took the towel and when I turned to get in line, there were about thirty people who stopped eating and were pointing and staring at me. Suzie held my elbow and helped guide me to the serving line and I’m not sure I would have made it without her help because I was frozen where I was standing, scanning the people who were staring at me. In the line, I got a bagel, a bowl of fruit, and a glass of skim milk and followed Suzie to a table for four. I put the towel down on my seat and sat down to eat my breakfast.

Throughout breakfast, I was the obvious center of attention. Suzie asked me how I was holding up and I told her I was doing okay. She asked me how I felt now that I would be the masturbatory fantasy for at least twenty guys and I smiled at her and said I hoped they enjoyed it because I sure did when I got myself off. She chuckled a little and told me I was doing fine; that I just needed to get through breakfast and make it back to the room. I nodded and focused on trying to still my pounding heart while I ate.

The good news was that no one came over to talk with us, nor did anyone call out anything that was demeaning or insulting. When we finished eating, we took our trays up to the conveyor that would take them, the towel I sat on, and our dishes into the back. Then we headed back toward the door were we checked in all the while seeing the flashes of camera phones taking pictures of me. We by passed the elevators again in favor of the stairs and didn’t see anyone until we were headed back down the hallway to our room. Two girls came out just as we passed their door and we heard them giggling as they walked away from us. Suzie unlocked the door and we went into our room and I collapsed on my bed.

“How are you feeling?” asked Suzie.

“Pretty good, all things considered. That wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”

“And how did you feel when you were first spotted? I’m asking because this is going to be my field and you have to expect me to ask.”

“I felt very much like the first time I did this, but it was much stronger this time because I didn’t know those people, or at least most of them. I felt vulnerable, very vulnerable, especially as they were taking pictures because I was powerless to stop it. And I felt sexy when they stared at me because I know I’m pretty and I like it when people take pleasure from looking at me. It’s like I’m giving them something, some part of me that I’m sharing with them and that makes me feel good. And I felt inferior to them. I think that is a natural part of being the only one without clothes. You aren’t as good as everyone; they are somehow above you in the hierarchy of relationships because they can wear clothes and I can’t. It’s amazing really because that is exactly how I felt when I did this the first time, but felt it much less the second time. Now those feelings are back, bigger and stronger than ever. I don’t know if I will still be feeling that a month from now, but right now it is overwhelming.”

“Thanks for sharing that with me. Do you mind one more question?”

“Sure, ask as many questions as you want. One thing you will learn about this is that I can’t help but be completely open and honest about things when I’m naked. I think when my clothes come off, I don’t have anything to hide behind, and so I can’t help but share my feelings.”

“Did you become aroused?”

“No, not yet, but I’m sure that as I get used to this, I will. I masturbated in the shower this morning and I think that helped hold my arousal in check for the time being.”

“I have to go to the library for some research. Do you want to come?”

“It would probably be good for me to get out so I can get used to this again. But no, I have a paper to write and I can do it here. But I do have one favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Can you go with me to lunch? I’m not sure I’m ready to face a crowd alone yet. Having you there really helped me this morning.”

“Sure. If I go now, I should be back by noon. I’ll see you then.”

She packed her bag and left me alone. As soon as she was gone, I let out a deep breath and released the tight control I was holding on myself. As soon as I did, I began trembling and I just lay there letting my nervousness work itself out.

When I finally settled down, I went to my desk to work on my history paper. I had all of the research and citations I needed in my notes so I was able to finish the paper by eleven. It was due on Monday so I saved it thinking I would go back and reread it later looking for last minute corrections. I started on my math assignment and got about half way through it when I had a sudden image of myself sitting naked at my desk. This kind of out of body experience had happened several times before when I was nude; it was like I was standing or floating behind myself looking down to see what I was doing. Without thinking, my hand went down to my pussy and I played with myself. I put one leg over the arm of the chair to open my pussy and put two fingers inside to rub my clit. I didn’t hear Suzie when she came in because I was so engrossed in my own pleasure. I whimpered as I came and my body twitched sitting in the chair until finally the climax subsided. When I turned my chair around, there was Suzie staring at me, not saying a word, but smiling. I blushed from head to toe, then excused myself and went into our bathroom to wash up before lunch.

She hollered in to me as I washed. “Just so you know you don’t have to excuse yourself around me. It was cool to watch you. Just next time, I want to see your face instead of watching from behind. Okay?”

“Okay,” I called out to her. “Next time you get the full frontal view. I’ll be out in just a sec.” I finished washing and dried my hands and pussy. “Here we go again,” I offered as we left the room. “The crazy naked girl is on the loose.”

We giggled a little as we headed down the stairs but for the life of me, I’m not sure what was so amusing. Once again, Suzie held the door open for me as we left the stairwell for the long hallway leading to the dining room.

Obviously the word had gotten out because this time the hallway was crowded with people, both men and women, who wanted to get a look at me. I kept my shoulders back and my eyes straight ahead as I walked that gauntlet of cell phones snapping pictures and recording video. People were also calling out to me; everything from questions about why I was naked to requests for a date. Some of them, not many but some, were just downright obscene as they graphically described what they wanted to do to me or have me do to them.

Thinking about it now, in just that one walk down the corridor, I saw and heard everything that was good and bad in people. This was so much different than when I had been naked with my friends and knew that they loved me and I loved them that it gave me pause. I suppose I realized that this was going to be more difficult than the last two times but I believe that on some level of my subconscious I was expecting it to be the same; where people accepted me for what I was. Then it hit me; there were Sallies in the crowd of students and anything they couldn’t understand they mocked and ridiculed. That realization made it so much easier for me and as I walked through the students lining the hallway, I was smiling. Now I had something I could deal with. I wasn’t going to let the Sallies beat me. I let out a strong exhale and knew that everything was going to be all right. As further evidence that I was feeling good, my nipples grew into hard, little nubs sticking out instead of remaining flat.

After we got our food and were seated, Suzie asked me what happened in the hallway. She said she noticed a change in me as we were walking through the crowd of students and I explained how I had gotten started by losing my cool with Sally and offering the bet. Then I told her that the people with the catcalls and insults were just more people like Sally and I was determined not to let them beat me. She nodded and we talked about classes while we ate but about half way through lunch, two guys came over and asked if they could sit with us. Suzie looked at me and I nodded that it was okay so they sat down facing each other and between Suzie and me on each side.

I knew both of them slightly. Jake and Colin were freshman, and I had one class with each of them. As soon as they were seated, Jake took the lead.

“So, Leah, what’s this about?” Jake asked me and with a half-smile, I asked him what he meant. “Don’t be coy. Why are you naked?”

“Jake, honestly, I would tell you if I could, but the reason has to be my secret for a while. Is it enough that I tell you that I like it and am glad I have the opportunity?”

“I guess it will have to be, but jeez, Leah, how long will you be doing this?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that either, but it will be awhile before I get to wear clothes again.”

“Well, I’m sure that by tomorrow, you’re going to have the campus in an uproar. The evangelicals are going to have a field day with this. Not to mention the newspapers and TV. How are you going to deal with all of that?

“I’ll just have to deal with everything the best way I can. If it helps, I have the support of the administration. That means the campus police won’t hassle me and my teachers won’t kick me out of class because I’m naked.”

“Well, I don’t understand but if you’re okay with it, who am I to make waves?”

Then it was Colin’s turn. “Leah, some of us were going to get together tonight for beer and pizza in the common room. You and Suzie are invited but it’ll be ten bucks to cover the cost. You interested?”

I looked over to Suzie who asked me if I though beer and nudity were a good mix. That made everyone smile and so I told them that we would both be there.

Once again it was a circus as we left. As we passed the front doors to the dorm, Suzie asked if I was ready for the next step.

“What do you mean?”

“Would you like to walk off lunch outside? It’s a gorgeous day and you shouldn’t be cooped up all weekend.”

I was going to have to go outside tomorrow morning to get to work so I held my breath and said okay. We went to the doors and then I stepped out naked into the sunshine. I was surprised that there weren’t more people around until I realized that most of them would be eating lunch inside. We headed across the lawn to the other side of the square created by the buildings around us. The grass felt cool and clean underneath my bare feet and then I stumbled as I suddenly was overwhelmed by the sensations my body was giving me. It was like a switch had been turned on and all of sudden every nerve came alive, overloading my brain with sensory input.

Suzie gave me a look and I told her I was okay. She was right, it was an absolutely beautiful day and I enjoyed the feel of the warm sun on my bare skin. While there weren’t a lot of people around, it didn’t take long for a crowd to gather around us and once again I was subjected to a multitude of cell phones snapping pictures of me and recording video. Once we made it across the square we turned right and then right again when we got to the end of the walk, and then one more right so we were heading back to our dorm. By now there were about thirty people, almost all of them guys, surrounding us but giving us about fifteen feet of space. At our front door, Suzie asked about one more lap and I shook my head no so we went inside and back up to our room.

The good news was that no one following us had made any lewd or obscene remarks to us. The bad news was that they were still camped out near the front doors waiting for my next appearance. I got on my bed with a textbook and tried to read but all I could do was think about what the walk around the square really meant. I expected to be the center of attention while I was naked, but I wasn’t sure that I could withstand a month of being surrounded by gawkers every time I made a move. I was thinking about that when Suzie broke my train of thought.

“You know, it’s going to be tough for the rest of us to get a date for the next month. How are we supposed to compete against a naked girl?” she asked chuckling.

“Well, you could go around naked, too.” I suggested laughing. “It would be nice to have some company.”

“I don’t think so. First, anyone who wanted to date me just because I was naked would probably not interest me. And second, it would dishonor my family which is everything in the Japanese culture. So I guess I’ll have to be celibate until you’re ready to wear clothes again.”

“Suzie, what do people see when they see me naked in everyday situations?”

“Not sure what you mean. If you’re fishing for compliments, they see a beautiful young woman. Beyond that, I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“Do you think it makes them happy or gives them some pleasure?”

“The guys, certainly, unless they happen to be uptight and prudish. The girls, I’m not sure. I can only speak for me and I’m not sure yet how I feel about it. I still have to process it and I’m not there yet. Why do you ask?”

“What if I told you that I liked the fact that looking at me makes them happy? Does that mean there’s something wrong with me that I would be willing to humiliate myself to gain their approval?”

“If that were the case, then yes, there would be something wrong with you. But so far, I haven’t seen any signs of humiliation. Did you feel humiliated earlier today?”

“No, not today. I did a little bit the first time, but not today. So why do I do it?”

“Why do you think you do it?”

“Because it frees me in a way that nothing else does. When I’m naked, I’m just me; I’m not trying to be someone else’s picture of what I ought to be.”

“Then that’s why you do it. I’m sure a psychologist would help you achieve that while you’re wearing clothes but for now, this is what you have so use it. Why was it so important to you to play roles for other people? Have you ever asked yourself that?”

I told her about the accident and the feelings of separation I had from my friends when I didn’t see them because of different classes and my work. I concluded with “I guess it was just my way of getting people to like me when I was among strangers.”

“You didn’t have to think about that at all which means one of two things. First, it could be the truth and you’ve come to understand it or second, it is such a well rehearsed lie to yourself that you’ve come to believe it. Any idea which it is?”

“No, when you put it like that, I don’t know.”

“So maybe you just need to figure out which it is. Let’s say it’s the second option. That means that you really are an exhibitionist. Nothing wrong with that, and there are lots of healthy and appropriate channels for it. In fact, you’ve found one now. I’ll admit it is a little out of the ordinary, but it has an official sanction so it can’t be wrong. You were just taking an opportunity that was offered to you. Anyone else would do the same thing if the opportunity met a real need the person had. Either way, it’s cool. The one thing psychology teaches us is that we can’t hide from ourselves. We can try to, we can cover up the truth and disguise it for awhile, but eventually we either face it or we develop psychoses that lead to other behavioral problems. I’ve lived with you for a month and as near as I can tell, you are pretty normal with the exception of the situation you are now in. Now remember, I’m only a freshman starting out on this but I have read a lot, as much as some professionals, but nothing replaces experience so maybe I just sold you a bill of goods.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so. Keep this up and you will turn out to be a great psychologist. Thank you.”

“You’ll get my bill.”

After that we studied for awhile before it was time for the party in the common room. We took a few minutes to freshen up and headed down the hall. There were about twenty people there when we arrived and Jake greeted us, took our money, and let us in. We already knew the people, even if it was just a passing acquaintance and my nudity became the immediate focus of everyone there.

I asked Jake to turn off the music for a minute and when I got everyone to quiet down, I made an announcement. “I don’t want to spend all evening explaining so let me just get this out of the way now. I can’t tell you what is going on, but the administration is aware and supportive. I can’t even tell you how long, but it will be some time before I can wear clothes again. I am doing this willingly and I know there will be repercussions for me, my family, and perhaps some of you. For that I apologize. Is there anything else you want to know?”

“Do you want to do this? Are you happy about it?” someone shouted from the other side of the room. It was a damned if you do and damned if you don’t type question so I evaded, slightly.

“I wasn’t forced into this and I could have avoided it and chose not to. Does that answer your question?”

“No. You don’t happen to be a political science major do you? You have a real future in politics with answers like that.” Everyone laughed and when the laughter died down, I asked if there were any more questions. When there weren’t, Suzie and I got a beer and a slice of pizza and sat at one of the card tables. In another minute, Jake and Colin joined us.

“Well done,” Colin said. “Get the information out and forestall an inquiry. Pretty good crisis management technique.”

“Oh, God, you’re a communications major, aren’t you?” asked Suzie.

“Communications and marketing. I want to work in public relations.”

“Is there no limit to the depths when humans fall from grace?” she told him with a big smile on her face.

“Actually, it’s not much different than what you do, I just do it wholesale to your retail,” Colin said laughing.

Jake and I were taking in the exchange while we ate our pizza. “Do you have enough alcohol in you to agree to a dance?” he asked me.

All of the memories of dancing naked, both for and with Brian, came flooding back. I wanted to dance and yet, I didn’t want to dance because of the association it would have to my other experiences naked. Before I could answer, Colin extended his hand to Suzie and she took it so they got up and went to the dance floor leaving Jake and me alone. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I might get carried away and who knows what would happen.”

“Carried away?” Jake asked.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m naked, and if I start shaking my booty with you, there is a good possibility I will get very aroused. It’s one of those things that just can’t be helped; my body will react to the situation no matter what my brain tells it to do. I’m not sure I’m ready for everyone to see that. Believe it or not, there are still some things that can embarrass me.” Jake had a perplexed look on his face, as if he was being torn between two bad choices, then his face suddenly cleared and he just nodded. “You were just thinking something and came to a decision. Care to share it with me because I’m pretty sure I’m involved with it somehow.”

“I didn’t realize I was that much of an open book to you. Maybe I need to practice my poker face.”

“No, I doubt most people would have noticed; it happened so fast. But in my current state of undress, all of my senses are heightened. I think it is a self-protection mechanism because I’m more vulnerable naked.”

“You don’t hold much back about your feelings, do you?”

“Not when I’m naked. This isn’t my first time doing this so I’m aware of how it affects me. I am more open and honest with people about my thinking and my feelings. I don’t want to hide anything about myself when I’m like this. It’s really a case of what you see is what you get, no pun intended.”

“Then that means I must be getting a lot, because I can certainly see a lot.”

I smiled at him and told him I was glad he was enjoying the view. Then I went back and asked him again what had troubled him a moment before.

“If I tell you, will you dance with me?”

“Only a scurrilous coward would attempt to blackmail a damsel at his mercy,” I cried.

“Scurrilous, yes, I will grant you that. But coward, no. How many of the unattached guys had the guts to come over and talk with you? Despite the fact that every single one of them wanted to so badly it hurt.”

“Point taken. Okay, one dance, a slow one if you tell me what you were thinking.”

“I was wondering if I should back off a little and give you some space. I wanted to ask you out for the last several weeks and never caught you at the right time. I was afraid I had blown my chance after I talked with you in the cafeteria because you might think that I was only doing it because you were nude. I didn’t want you to get the idea that I thought you were easy. But I decided to chance it because clothes or no clothes, I want to spend time with you.”

“But how do you know I’m not easy? After all, the evidence would seem to support the conclusion. Who else but an easy lay runs around naked in front of others?”

“Somehow, I don’t believe that.”

“That’s good, because I’m not. Just one boy and we waited a long time before we did it.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No, I want to dance with you but there is a condition. If I get too aroused, you have to take me back to my room. Not to have sex; that isn’t going to happen. At least not tonight but you’re good looking and pleasant to talk with so I won’t rule it out in the future. Deal?”

“You have a deal. Let’s go.”

We walked over to the area where four other couples were dancing and watched them for a few minutes until the song ended. I was hoping the next one would be a slow song, but it wasn’t so I had to make a decision. I took Jake’s hand and pulled him into the dance area. As we danced, I kept my eyes glued to his face, trying to block out everything else. I knew from experience that my body could do this on autopilot. I was going to be sexy and beautiful; I would be loose and flowing and soon everyone would stop dancing to watch me. By staying focused on his face, I hoped to avoid seeing what the others were doing. I was smiling at him as I danced and I surprised myself by never once thinking about Brian. Jake was my focus and as I danced for him I knew that it was incredibly erotic from the way his eyes kept straying from my face to see my body move.

When the song was over, I took a deep breath and waited for the next one. This one was a slow one and I think I surprised him when I flowed into his arms and put my arms around his neck so I was pressed up against him. I closed my eyes and let him guide me around while my breasts were crushed against his chest. He was a little taller than Brian, so I turned my head and put my cheek against his chest as we danced.

Then I began to feel my body react. Even crushed against him, my teats were growing hard and I felt a trickle down my thigh from my pussy. We got through the dance and when it ended, I stood on my tiptoes and whispered for him to grab a couple of beers and take me back to my room. He nodded and held my hand as we walked over to the cooler to grab two longnecks and then through the doors and into the hallway. Once in the hall however, I realized I didn’t have a key to my room so I told him I would have to go back and get one from Suzie. He told me to come down to his room instead and since he roomed with Colin, we would know when Suzie got back to her room.

So we went down another twelve doors and he unlocked the door and held it open for me. His room was amazingly clean and neat; somehow I had the idea that guys in dorms were basically slobs and that there should be dirty laundry and fast food leftovers all over the room. He sat down on the bed and opened the beers, handing me one while I sat on one of the desk chairs.

“So how bad was it getting when we left?” he asked me.

“Pretty bad. There was fluid running down my thigh thanks to you.”

“How is this my fault?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You were holding me too close,” I answered smiling at him

“If I remember correctly, you pressed yourself into me.”

“Yes but then there was no escape from you because you were holding me too close. See, perfectly logical and you have to admit it was entirely your fault.”

We both laughed hard and when we settled down, I spoke again. “I was serious about not sleeping with you. I just want to make sure you understand.”

“I do, and that’s fine. You’ve given me hope for the future.”

“But there is something else I can do if you want. I really need to masturbate and if you want to watch me, I’m okay with that.” His jaw dropped open but he didn’t say anything. “Excuse me,” I said, “I can either go back for my key or I can do it here, but either way, I’m cumming in the next few minutes. It’s your choice as to where.”

He just nodded to me and I assumed that was an acknowledgement that it was okay to do it here. I stood up and rested my bottom against the edge of the desk with my feet a little more than shoulder width apart. I drained my beer, and then had the idea to use the neck as a dildo. With one hand holding my lips open, I used the other to put the neck of the bottle inside me and shuddered as the ridges at the mouth pushed at my clit. As I worked the bottle in and out inside me, I was amazed how the end of the bottle stimulated me. Every time those ridges rubbed against my button, it was like a mini-climax. I was shaking and felt myself grow weak as the pleasure radiated from my vagina throughout my entire body. I moved away from the desk and got down on my knees to prevent myself from collapsing. One hand went to my nipple and I was pulling and twisting it furiously until it hurt but the pain merely drove me on to fuck myself with the bottle even harder. I leaned back so my head was against the desk and my body was bowed outward, completely exposing myself to Jake and I jerked the bottle up and down in my pussy. Finally I froze in place as the orgasm exploded and I saw a flash of light even though my eyes were still open. When my climax finally subsided and I looked at Jake, his hand was rubbing his crotch through his jeans. He quickly pulled his hand away, embarrassed that I saw him rubbing his erection and he stood up from the bed and reached out his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me up to my feet. We stood there for a few moments just looking at each other’s face while we held hands.

He smiled at me and said, “How in the name of God’s green planet are we supposed to have a conversation after that?” and laughed.

I laughed with him and he pulled me over to the bed, sat down on it, and I climbed into his lap for our first kiss. It was long and deep and hard and I loved the feeling of his tongue dancing with mine as I sat naked on his lap. I was waiting for him to touch my breast but he kept one hand on my shoulder and the other on my leg, not trying to feel me up, although I wouldn’t have minded if he did.

When the kiss finally ended, I told him that was nice and asked him if he liked watching me masturbate. “Yes,” he answered, “I really did, but I liked kissing you more. Ready for an encore?” Instead of answering, I leaned in and we kissed again. Unbelievably, our second kiss was better than our first. I could feel his cock pushing against my leg through his jeans and when the kiss was over, I asked him if he needed help while I grabbed his crotch. He just nodded and I slipped off his lap and knelt between his legs while I undid his belt and zipper. I pulled his dick out and leaned down to take it in my mouth and he stopped me.

“You don’t have to do that. Your hand is fine if you want.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. And I’m sure you’ll get a lot more out of it this way.”

I don’t know what it was with Jake, but he took forever to come in my mouth. If he had been fucking me, I could have cum twice in the time it took me to suck him off and my mouth was sore as he finally ejaculated in my mouth. When I finished, I swallowed, put his penis back in his shorts, and zipped him up. Then I got on his bed with my legs underneath me facing him and he turned around to look at me.

“Earlier, you said you’ve done this before. What did you mean by that?”

I told him about the two other times I had been naked around my friends, but I didn’t mention any of the specifics. “One of the things I learned,” I concluded, “was that when I do this, I need friends around who won’t take advantage of me. And when I have them around, I’ve found that what we just did is the best way I know to thank them for being a friend. I believe you said something earlier also, about asking me out on a date. As long as we stay on campus, I would love to so when are you going to ask?”

“Right now. Casablanca is playing at the union next Saturday night. Would you like to go with me?”

“Of course. You know I’ll still be naked then. Is that okay?”

“Are you nuts? Don’t ever ask a guy if it’s okay for you to be naked. He’ll think you’re retarded.”

We laughed and then I told him that I had to work early in the morning so I needed to go and asked him if he’d walk back with me to get the key from Suzie. He agreed and we walked back to the common room holding hands. “You know, everyone is going to think that we made love, especially since you have the special smell. Why don’t you wait here and I’ll get the key.”

“No, it doesn’t bother me what they think or what they can smell. When I’m naked, I don’t hide anything from anybody. If someone asks you what happened, you can tell the whole truth. That’s what I will do if I’m asked. Okay?”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

We went in and found Suzie sitting with Colin. Most of the others were still there dancing or talking and I asked Suzie for the key. She told Colin it was time for her to get back too, so she got up and headed out. I gave Jake one last goodnight kiss and followed her out.

Back in the room, Suzie asked me what happened and I told her everything. She just sighed and said she wondered what it would be like to be that uninhibited. I told her that it was easy once you were naked but that getting naked in front of others was the hard part and she laughed. I got in the shower so I wouldn’t have to get up early in the morning and when I got out, I went to bed. It was only about nine thirty but I was tired and went right to sleep while Suzie read a novel.

The next morning I got up about five thirty without the help of the alarm because I went to bed so early. I decided on another shower and got out of bed as quietly as I could in the dark and found my way to our bathroom. I closed the door, turned on the light, and got in the shower with the water as hot as I could stand it. The bathroom was filling with steam as I just stood under the hot water and let the steam relax me because I was still wound up from the night before with Jake. After about five minutes, I turned the temperature down to as cold as I could stand it and let the water cool me off. Then I turned it back to warm and washed my hair and body. The bathroom was still steamy when I got out so I opened the door and slipped out, leaving it open a crack while I dried off.

I did some yoga exercises in the dark to stretch and when the steam had cleared out of the bathroom, went back in to fix my hair and make-up. Twenty minutes later I was ready so I put my wallet and key in my laptop bag and slipped out of the room without disturbing Suzie.

I knew I was going to be early but I figured that was okay because I might have to explain to Bobby, the other employee who was in charge, why I was showing up for work naked. The sun was just coming up as I walked the half mile to the union and entered the front door. Amer’s was the coffee shop where I worked on the first floor and Bobby was already there, brewing coffee and tea and setting up the register.

“I got an e-mail that said you would be naked, but I didn’t believe it. I thought it was some sort of prank,” he said as I walked up.

“No, it’s me in the flesh,” I told him and then quickly added, “all my flesh,” and he laughed, but it was a nervous laughter. Bobby was a senior and he only worked about twelve hours per week as part of his scholarship. “So how do you want to handle this?” I asked him.

“I’ll take care of the coffee and tea and you handle the register. We’ll both fill orders but when there is a line waiting to order, you take care of them as fast as you can.”

Because it was Sunday morning, we both knew it wasn’t going to be very busy so I agreed with him and counted the money in the register drawer to verify what I had. After that, we had some time to talk before people started showing up. When everything was ready, Bobby asked me why I wasn’t wearing clothes. I told him that I couldn’t tell him but obviously I had the support of the administration because of the e-mail he had received. Then he asked me what it was like to not be dressed. I noticed that he was choosing language that did not include the words naked or nude and from that I thought he might be embarrassed by seeing me like this.

“Bobby, I’ll be happy to talk to you about it but are you embarrassed because I’m naked?”

He blushed some and just nodded. So I turned to face him, spread my legs shoulder width apart, and put my hands on top of my head. “Look at me, Bobby, look all you want until the embarrassment goes away. I like being looked at and that is one of the reasons I’m doing this. So take your time and really look at me, not just my face, but everything. He stood there red faced for several seconds looking at his shoes then lifted his eyes. I could track them as he started at my feet and scanned slowly upwards. I saw him hesitate at my bare pussy and again at my breasts before he paused and I knew from his face that he was seeing all of me. I slowly turned around, hands still on my head to let him see me from the side and back and when I returned to a position facing him, he was smiling.

“Thank you,” he said, “You are really beautiful.”

“Did you enjoy looking?” I asked.

“Very much.”

“Well, don’t hesitate to look again if you want. As I said, I like being looked at. It makes me feel sexy and erotic.”

Just then we saw a group of three students, two girls and a guy, coming our way. I recognized them as Sunday morning regulars. They would spend most of the morning there reading the New York Times and the Detroit Free Press. They were chatting as they walked toward us so they didn’t notice me until they were almost to the cash register. When they did see me standing naked behind the counter, they just stopped in their tracks and stared with the guy’s mouth hanging open.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Huh, do you realize you’re naked?” asked one of the girls.

“I am? Omigod,” I exclaimed. “I am!” and I laughed. “Yes, I know, and it’s a long story. Can I get you something?”

They gave me their orders and I told them to have a seat. I noticed that the guy put a dollar in the tip jar. Usually students just put in their change if they put anything in at all. Bobby was smiling as he went to work on the cappuccino while I got the two coffees. I put the coffees on a tray and added the three pastries they wanted while Bobby finished. He added the drink to the tray and I took it out to them. As I put the tray down on their table, the other girl asked me if I was in compliance with the health code.

“Apparently, I am. This was arranged ahead of time. It’s not a spur of the moment thing.”

“Why would you do this? Why would you humiliate yourself like this?”

“I don’t feel humiliated, not at all. I like being looked at. Check out your friend; he can’t take his eyes off me.”

The two girls turned to the boy and before he knew it, he was being slugged on each arm by the girls. I went back behind the counter while the two girls berated the guy and he just sat there looking sheepish, taking their abuse.

Two more guys came up and after taking a few moments to get over being flabbergasted, placed their orders. Each of them also left a tip and when I took their order out to them, I thanked them. “A small price to pay,” muttered one of the guys as he openly stared at me. I did a pirouette for him to let him get the three hundred sixty degree view before going back to the register. As I walked back, I heard him calling a friend telling him to come down to Amer’s.

Everything was pretty normal until about eight thirty. That’s when I really noticed that a line was starting to form. I told Bobby I was going to start taking names on the orders so I could stay behind the register until we got caught up and he agreed. But the line kept getting longer and longer until there were over thirty people in line. We worked our asses off trying to keep up with the orders and started a rotation where I would take an order and fix it while Bobby took the next order and prepared that one. While it was a more equal division of labor and let us work a little faster, there were some groans from the guys in line when Bobby took the first order.

Neither of us got a break all morning as people kept arriving based on cell phone calls and text messages from their friends to come down. By ten when my shift was supposed to end, I was exhausted. Our relief arrived a few minutes before ten and Bobby and I took a deep breath. Then we took the contents of the tip jar to the back to divvy it up. There was over one hundred dollars in the jar when the usual Sunday morning meant fifteen or twenty dollars to split between us. Bobby said he would have to see if he could arrange to work more shifts with me and I asked him about sharing the wealth. He just shook his head no and said it wasn’t about the extra money; it was because of the fringe benefits and I laughed.

Nothing much happened the rest of the day. I spent the day in my room except for lunch and dinner thinking about what tomorrow would be like when I would be going to my two classes, one at ten in the morning and one at three in the afternoon. The last one was pretty far away, almost a mile, which meant a fifteen minute walk there and fifteen minutes back across campus. I was also sure that after this morning the word would be out all over campus that there was a naked girl running around.

What I wasn’t prepared for the next morning when I left the dorm were the camera crews from the local stations shoving microphones in my face. It was a tumult outside the dorm as I exited and began walking to my first class. At first I was stymied as the news people crowded around me but then a couple of students got between us and began pushing them out of the way. A few more guys joined my escorts and then I was able to make good progress, leaving the news people trailing in my wake as two of the guys took up a position behind me, blocking the view of the cameras.

When I got to the building for my class, I thanked them for their help. One of the guys from my dorm told me that he had arranged for some of his friends to meet him outside in case something like this happened. I stood up on my toes and kissed his cheek to thank him, then had to repeat the process with the other six guys who had gotten me to class safely. By the time I kissed all of them, the news people were catching up so I ducked inside and headed to my class.

I got through the class all right because most of the students had already heard about me or had seen the commotion with the news people. I was sitting in the back and could see the frequent head turns as people looked back to see what I was doing but I kept my focus on the instructor and taking notes. When class was over, I was dreading the walk back to the dorm but my escorts were waiting for me and helped me get back with a minimum of fuss. This time, instead of kissing them on the cheek, I kissed them on the lips, but they were thank you kisses, not passionate ones. Still I thought they were pleased that I did and I knew that pressing my self against them was having some effect. The other nice thing was that each of them put their arms around me during the kiss to hold me and I liked that a lot.

I had lunch and headed up to my room to wait for my next class. I was surprised when I came out that the news people were gone but I guessed that they got their footage for the evening news earlier and were now content to leave me alone. It was after I got back and had dinner that I got the call from my parents. They were both on the line but it was my mother who spoke first.

“Leah, we saw a girl who looked like you on the news walking around naked. Tell me it wasn’t you.”

“I can’t, Mom. It was me.”

“Leah, what’s going on up there? What do you think you’re doing walking around naked?”

“Mom, I can’t explain but you have to believe me; there’s a good reason for it.”

Then my father took over. “Leah, there’s not a single reason anyone can think of that would justify this behavior. I am about fifteen seconds away from driving over there and yanking you out of school unless you stop this tonight.”

“Dad, I’m sorry you found out the way you did. I should have called you and told you first; that was wrong of me. But what I’m doing isn’t wrong and it’s important. The administration knew ahead of time what I was going to do and it has their support.”

“Not good enough. Tell us why you’re running around campus in the all together or you’ll be home by tomorrow morning.”

“Dad, I can’t tell you without ruining everything. I know this is hard on both of you but can’t you trust me that there is a good reason?”

“Hard on us? Do you know what it will be like for us tomorrow? Do you know what it will be like when I have to go to work and have everyone tell me they saw my daughter naked on TV? You’re mother and I will be humiliated and ridiculed for this for years. Didn’t you think what it would do to us?”

“With all due respect, Dad, you’re not the one naked in public. The images of me are now on the Internet and they will be there forever. So again, are you going to trust me and trust that I know what I’m doing?”

“Leah, does this have anything to do with the stories Sally told about you after the snowstorm?” It was my mother asking.

“Only in a very remote way. It really isn’t connected at all. If she had never told those stories, I might still be doing this. Does that answer your question?

“Not really. You sound like your trying to be evasive.”

“I know I am, Mom, but I have to be. I promise, when this is all over, I will tell you everything. But for now I have to finish what I started.” We talked a little longer and I could hear my father fuming at the other end of the line. Finally I told them I needed to study, and that I loved them both, and hung up.

After all of the initial chaos, things settled down fairly quickly. I worked my shifts at Amer’s and saw my tips increase four or five fold over normal. I attended classes, I ate my meals in the cafeteria, and I studied. I also spent time with Jake, just talking with him as we got to know each other better and we studied together for the one class we had in common.

One of the things I noticed however about my first week being naked is that I did not masturbate nearly as often as I had the last time I spent a week nude. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and came to the conclusion that because I didn’t know the people around me nearly as well as I did the last time, my nudity wasn’t affecting me as much. I did masturbate once with Suzie in the room and a couple of other times when I was alone, but there wasn't any day when I had eight or nine orgasms like the last time I did this. I hadn’t masturbated nine times since I had arrived at UM, let alone in one day. I think the other reason was that I was so much busier now compared to the last time. Then we had a full week with nothing to do but play. Now with work, classes, and studying, there just wasn’t that much time. I often went to bed exhausted; literally too tired to finger myself. I silently resolved that I would have to make time for myself in my schedule.

On Saturday night, I spent about an hour getting ready for our date. I used the dye on my nipples because they were starting to fade a little, used the depilatory crème on my legs, underarms, and pussy, took a shower, fixed my hair and make-up and was ready five minutes before he was to pick me up. I quickly made a decision and got out the Ben Wa balls Brian had given me and put them in my pussy, tucking the string inside also instead of letting it hang out. I got my wallet, made sure my key was in it, and was standing near the door when he knocked. I opened it for him, he asked me if I was ready, and I told him I was. Before leaving, I put my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss, feeling my breasts rub against his shirt, and then we were ready to go.

The theater at the union wasn’t a typical theater. Instead of rows of folding seats it had sofas and easy chairs spread around a large room. There were tables near the furniture for food and drink and servers took our orders and brought them to our seats. When we entered, Jake pointed to a couple of easy chairs near the middle of the room but I took his hand and pulled him to a solitary chair in the back. I had him sit down and then I sat on his lap with my back against one arm and my legs over the other. The server came and we ordered hamburgers and cokes and she brought them to our table just before the lights went dim. We ate with me on his lap during the first twenty minutes and when we finished, I took Jake’s hand and put it on my breast. “I hope you understand why I wanted one chair in the back now,” I whispered in his ear and he just smiled at me.

For the next twenty minutes, Jake played with my nipple and breast while we watched the movie. I was really turned on by having him touch me like this in public, even though it was dark and we were in the back. I opened my legs a little and moved his hand to my pussy and he cupped it gently in the palm of his hand while he massaged it but didn’t try to put his finger inside me. It didn’t matter because he was moving the balls around and as they rubbed against my clit, I felt my pleasure build. Just before the orgasm, I pressed my mouth against his neck to stifle the moan and then my body shook as I experienced a wonderful climax. He realized what had happened and I think he was confused because he never entered me. Again I whispered in his ear, telling him I had Ben Wa balls inside me and he nodded. He didn’t stop kneading my pussy and within ten minutes, I had my second orgasm. ‘This is more like it,’ I thought, ‘two orgasms in twenty minutes.’

After that, I moved his hand back to my breast and we watched the rest of the movie. I cried at the end, like I always do during Casablanca and I didn’t have a tissue to wipe my eyes or blow my nose. When we got outside, Jake wiped away my tears and asked me if I wanted to stop for a coffee and I told him that would be great. We hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps when I heard Brian’s voice from behind me.

“Hello, Leah.”

I turned around and said hello to Brian. Then I introduced Jake and Brian introduced Rachel. There was an awkward pause for a moment and then Jake asked them if they wanted to join us for coffee. I thought for a moment that Brian would say yes, but Rachel pulled on his arm and said they were planning on meeting some friends off campus. We said good-bye to each other and went our separate ways.

At Amer’s over coffee, Jake asked me how I knew Brian and I told him he was my boyfriend in high school. Jake gave me a quizzical look and then I explained that Brian was my boyfriend the other two times I was naked for extended periods and that he was the first (and only) boy I had slept with. Then I had to tell him everything about those times. I had told him that I had been naked around my friends but I had never given him any details about it. Now I did tell him; everything from the bet with Sally up to my deflowering ceremony and then being alone with Brian for two days when I lost my virginity. Then I finished with him dumping me, presumably for Rachel, just before summer vacation started.

“Wow, that’s some story. So that’s what you meant when you said that you had done this before. Look, if you don’t want to say anything that would be okay, but why do you like being naked?”

“Jake, you’re a dear and I really like being with you. Are you sure you want to know about this? It may leave you with the impression that I am really fucked up in the head and while I don’t think I am, you may not agree with that assessment.”

“With or without clothes, you are the most beautiful girl I know and I really like you, too. I want to know all about you because I… well, because I think we’re great together and I want to see how much better it can be. But you can’t do that if the other person is an enigma.”

“Okay, here goes. I missed a year of high school when I hurt my back. If you look closely, you will see two small, white scars on either side of my spine about half way up from the two surgeries I had. When I went back to school, I was a year behind and had no friends in my new class and lost touch with my friends in the class ahead of me. Plus I had to work to save money for college because all of my college money went to pay my medical bills and even so, my parents almost went bankrupt. So I was feeling guilty and abandoned and to overcome all of that, I started trying to please everyone by being what I thought they wanted me to be. So at the party, when I shed my clothes something amazing happened after I got over the humiliation and embarrassment. All of a sudden, I couldn’t be anything but me. All my real feelings came out and I didn’t have to pretend to anything any more. And that was exhilarating. Beside that, I found out how sexy I really was and I liked that. Finally, I was able to bond again with my friends and that made me feel terrific. So all things considered, I was a lot better off naked than when I was dressed.

“So when I had the chance to do it again, I leapt at the opportunity. I spent the entire week as the only one naked and it was the best week of my life. But when it was over, I thought that it was my last chance to experience the good stuff that comes with being naked. So I just existed; going to class and going to work, but not really feeling anything. When Brian came home for Christmas, it was nice, and we made love a couple of times, but it wasn’t really the same because now there was some distance between us caused by his being away. Then a few months later, he broke up with me and I was really in a funk until a couple of friends helped me get out of it. By then, it was time to come here and I was excited about it but after the first couple of weeks, I felt myself slipping into the doldrums again.

“Then I was presented with an opportunity to be naked again and I grabbed it. Since then, I’ve been happier than I have for a long time. I met you and that has been a blessing, as has Suzie, but without being naked, I’m not sure that either of you would have helped me feel things so strongly again. The bottom line is that I am happier and better adjusted when I’m nude than when I’m clothed.

“So now, just how screwed up do you think I am?”

“Other than the lack of attire, you seem pretty normal to me, so how can I answer that? But if I could make a suggestion, I think what’s inside you is a lot more important than what is outside you, not that the outside isn’t terrific. Talking with you the few times I did before you got into this situation made me want to get to know you better. And as I have, it’s made me want to know even more. So screwed up or not, I’m in if you want me to be.”

“Jake, honey, just how in do you want to be?”

“Huh? I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well, if I have to be obvious, will you please take me back to your room or mine so you can get inside me in the very best way.”

Suddenly the light dawned on him and he understood what I was saying. He took my hand as we walked back to the dorm but Suzie was in my room and Colin was in Jake’s. But he didn’t let that upset him and, still holding my hand, he led me back downstairs and out the back of the dorm. It was dark out, but not late, as he led me across the campus to a thick grove of trees. Once inside the grove, we were almost invisible to anyone walking past us.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” he told me. I don’t have a condom. We can make love without intercourse if you’re worried.”

“It’s okay. I’m on the pill.”

“Have you ever made love in the grass?” he asked and I just shook my head no as I tugged at his shirt, trying to get it over his head. He quickly stripped down and we lay down together in the soft grass as we kissed. Then I took out the Ben Wa balls and we made love together. It never crossed my mind that we might be found and so the love making was free of worry and unhurried.

When we were finally through, he got dressed and we headed back to the dorm. There was semen leaking from my slit but I didn’t care. We said good night at my door and I went inside. I realized I was still holding the balls so I went to the bathroom to clean them.

Suzie began quizzing me immediately, not even waiting until I came out of the bathroom and I told her everything that happened, including how he had brought me to orgasm twice during the movie. She either had a terrific poker face or she knew me as well as I knew myself because nothing I told her seemed to take her by surprise.

“So does being naked make you more sexually active?” she asked after I had told her everything about our evening.

“I think it makes me more aroused, but not necessarily more active. If I hadn’t been with Jake, I wouldn’t have done it to myself in the theater. I think the fact that he is cute, smart, and very interested in me has more to do with it than my lack of clothes.”

“You kind of glossed over the part with Brian. Was it really awkward?”

“You know, not as much as I expected it to be. I had played out the scene where we saw each other a hundred times in the last couple of months and the reality turned out better than most of my imaginings.”

“Any interest in seeing him again?”

“I don’t think so. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. How could I ever get serious about Brian knowing that he already dumped me once?”

“Yeah, but that was before he knew you’d be running around campus in the nude. If he had known, do you think he would have broken it off with you?”

“The question is moot. He did, and Jake makes me happy. By the way, how are you and Sammie getting along?”

“We’re not. He’s nice but I don’t get that special feeling.”

“Sorry, I thought you two were getting along.”

“We do, just not the way you and Jake do,” she said with an ear to ear grin on her face.

“He is nice. I wish there was a way to spend more time with him.”

“Maybe there is. Janis dropped out today. I could move in with Billie and Jake could move his stuff down here.”

“Do you want to move out?”

“Not necessarily. But having you naked all of the time can be a little unsettling. I might be able to focus on homework a little better if my roommate was wearing clothes.”

“It’s only a couple of more weeks. And I don’t think I’m ready to move in with Jake. We’ve only had one date and there is still a lot I don’t know about him. Can I go back to what you just said?” When she nodded, I went on. “Is it really that hard to study with me around? You’ve been so great this last week and I don’t want to make things harder on you. Is there anything I can do?”

“Other than put on some clothes? I don’t think so. Look, I could always study at the library if it was really a problem, but it’s something else.”

“What?”

“I envy you. You’re so easy about it even when the guys are looking at you and thinking what it would be like to fuck you. I wish guys would look at me that way sometimes. It’s not that I resent you, or resent that they look at you and get pleasure from it. I guess I resent that I can’t be that way myself.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Sure. What are you thinking? I can see the wheels turning.”

“You, dear friend, are about to become the subject of my own experiment. But you have to do exactly what I say. Agreed?”

“What are you planning? I know better than to agree before I know what you’re planning on doing.”

“That’s why I asked you if you trust me. You can’t know until it happens. Otherwise you will talk yourself out of it. So do you agree?”

“Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“Get in the bathroom and clean yourself up. You have five minutes. Go on, just get ready.”

It was with some hesitation that she went into the bathroom. When I heard the water running, I dialed Jake’s room and asked him if Colin was with him. When he said he was, I asked him if he felt like a walk around campus. He told me he would love to join me and I said to bring Colin. I was going to leave my door cracked open and he and Colin were to knock and barge in fifteen minutes from now.

“What are you planning? You’ve got something going on.”

“Doesn’t matter but you need to be here in fifteen minutes. Don’t be early, it will ruin everything. And taking a walk is your idea, not mine. Got it?”

“Anything you say. See you in a few minutes.”

I hung up and called in to Suzie to see how she was doing while I opened the door and pushed it almost closed but not letting the latch catch. She told me just a sec and when she came out, she was wearing fresh make-up and she did her hair in a ponytail.

“Okay. Now I want you to take off all your clothes,” I told her.

“Why?”

“Just trust me, remember. You told me you wanted to experience something like what I do every day. Since it’s just the two of us, I figured this would give you a taste of what I feel all of the time.”

“Okay, but I don’t see the point. You’ve seen me naked lots of times.” She pulled off her top and unfastened her bra. Her breasts, smaller than mine by a smidgeon, were perfect cones pointing out from her chest with dark brown nipples that quickly grew into hard, little nubs as I looked at them. With her golden skin, it was hard to tell if she blushed as I looked at her, but she kept stripping, kicking off her sandals and pulling down her shorts and panties with one motion. When she was naked, I asked her to put her hands on top of her head and turn slowly while I looked at her. She did as I asked and when she was facing me again, she started to put her hands down but I asked her to leave them on her head as I looked up and down at her body. After a few moments of staring at her, I asked her what she was feeling.

“It was weird. No one has ever looked at me just to see me like you did. You were studying my body, taking it all in with an intensity that I’ve never associated with looking at someone. It made me feel like I was some inanimate object; a painting or a sculpture, and you were just trying to memorize every line and curve of my body. And I also felt, I don’t know, it’s hard to find the right words, but I felt very sexual. I couldn’t help thinking about how nice an orgasm would be, even with you watching me.”

“Now I want you to close your eyes and do the turn again. But this time, we’re not alone. Imagine ten or fifteen other people, men and women, watching you. I’ll tell you when to stop turning but keep your eyes closed.”

She took a sharp breathe before she closed her eyes and slowly turned around. When she was almost all of the way around I had her stop and asked her how this was different than the first time.

“I could see them smiling as they stared at me and I felt good about that but I also felt less like a person and more… more like an animal. I felt some humiliation for a moment but as I saw their faces, I was proud of the way I looked and could feel their pleasure being transmitted to me somehow.”

I told her to open her eyes, and just as she did, Jake knocked on the door and it flew open. Suzie saw Jake and Colin standing in the hallway looking at her as she stood there completely exposed with her hands on her head. She started to go to the bathroom to hide but I stopped her. “Let them look at you,” I told her. “They’re friends and you can trust them.” She turned to face them and just stood there with her hands at her side, not trying to cover up as Colin and Jake looked at her with their eyes wide open, unblinking.

After almost a minute of staring at her, Jake said, “We thought you might like to go for a walk.”

“Sure, we’d love to. Let’s go, Suzie.”

“I have to get dressed first. Give me a minute.”

“No you don’t. Let’s go. Once around the square,” I told her, gabbing her hand and pulling her toward the door.

“No, I can’t. I’m not you, Leah. I could never go out like this.”

I got very serious and told her that yes she could. “You wanted to experience this and now you can. You saw how Jake and Colin reacted; they were absolutely stunned by your beauty. Time to share that beauty with the world; or at least this corner of the campus. You can do this because you want to do this. It’s late and it’s dark outside. You’ll never have a better opportunity. Trust me, remember?”

I pulled a little more on her hand and she followed me to the door. She hesitated there for just a brief moment, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hallway. It was deserted and we walked down the hallway, Suzie and I holding hands and the boys flanking us. Just as we got to the elevator, it chimed and the doors opened. There were two guys from our floor who looked first at me and then gave Suzie a long, hard stare before they got off and we got on. As the doors closed, we heard one of them say, “Wow, now there’s two of them! Isn’t college great?”

There was no one in the lobby and Suzie hesitated again as we got to the front door because we could see ten or twelve people out on the square walking in different directions. “You can do it,” I whispered to her and she nodded and walked outside first while Jake held the door for us. I followed her outside and then the boys came after us.

We started walking up the sidewalk toward the far end of the square and pretty soon we saw people pointing at us. The area was well lit so there was nowhere Suzie could hide from the gazes of the other people and realizing this, she straightened her shoulders and held her head high, looking straight ahead. I told her it was okay for her to look at the people looking at her, that she should enjoy them looking and she just shook her head a little. We made the turn at the end of the sidewalk and now we were headed toward a group of four guys who had obviously been drinking. They called out to us as we approached and Jake tried to steer us away from them but Suzie and I went right up to them and I asked them how they were doing.

“Pretty good starting the moment you walked out of the dorm,” one of them told us and Suzie and I smiled at them. Then another one asked us if we wanted to dump the guys we were with and party. Suzie told them no, she and I were happy with the guys we had and he replied with, “Your loss.” They moved to let us by but as I passed them, one of the guys swatted my bottom; not hard, but there was some sting. I turned to face him while Jake was trying to pull me away. I shook off his hand and looked at the guy who had spanked me.

“Look all you want guys, we like it when you look and we like it when it makes you happy to see us naked. But no touching without permission, not ever. Understood?”

“Sorry, I apologize.” He had a sheepish look on his face.

“I know you are, now come here,” I told him and when he got close to me, I put his hand on my breast and kissed him on the cheek. “Next time ask,” I told him, “and you might be surprised at my answer.” I smiled at him and then turned and we continued walking away.

When we had gone about twenty or thirty steps, Jake stopped me. “Are you crazy? Those guys had been drinking; there’s no telling what kind of trouble they could have caused. And why did you kiss him and let him feel you up?”

“First, I won’t go through this expecting to find trouble. I’m aware of the risks but what you don’t know is that I have a panic button on my bracelet that summons the campus police. But even with that, I didn’t think I would need it with that group. Second, he recognized his mistake and apologized for it. I believe that type of behavior needs to be rewarded, not ignored, so I rewarded him the best way I know how. Any more questions, Jake?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Don’t get huffy with me, Jake. I shouldn’t have snapped like that and I’m sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?”

“You can let me apologize.”

“For what, for being concerned about my safety? Why would I ever expect an apology from you for that?”

“Because if I apologize, then maybe I can get rewarded like he did,” he said laughing. “Come here, you,” and I pulled him toward me. I took his hand and put it on my breast but he didn’t get a kiss on the cheek. I stood on my toes and gave him a full one on the mouth. He let go of my breast and put his arms around me, pulling my tight against him and crushing my breasts into his chest as we kissed. I don’t know how long the kiss lasted but it seemed to go on forever and I forgot that Colin and Suzie were still waiting for us.

When the kiss finally ended, Colin suggested we head back to the dorm. The four of us ended up in the boys’ room with Suzie still naked. She wanted to go to our room first to put on some clothes but I wouldn’t let her. The four of us sat on the floor with the boys facing each other and Suzie and me between them. The boys were sitting cross legged while Suzie and I sat with our legs folded.

“Okay, Suzie, truth time. How did you feel when Colin and Jake first came into our room?”

“You saw, I tried to hide in the bathroom because I was embarrassed but I also wanted to stay so when you told me to stop I stopped. I think if you hadn’t been there already naked, I couldn’t have done it but I got some strength from you to let them see me. And as they looked, the feelings were far more intense than the ones I had during the visualization exercise you used. Now it was real while before it was just my imagination.”

“Why did you want to stay?” I asked her.

“Because I… you know, I’m not sure. I just thought it was important for me not to hide, but while they were looking at me, I felt sexy and desirable. I also felt some humiliation at being naked in front of clothed men, but that just added to the feelings of being sexy.”

“And how did you feel outside?”

“I was scared and excited. It was like just before a bungee jump. I knew someone would see me naked outside and so there was a feeling of anticipation and not knowing how exactly I would react to being seen. But once we were noticed, I wanted to show everyone that I am proud of the way my body looks so I made sure I was standing tall. I also didn’t want them to know how scared I really was so I tried to block everything out and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.”

“And how do you feel right now?”

“Comfortable but if I was the only one naked, I’m not sure I would feel as comfortable. And aroused; definitely aroused. My pussy is moist,” she explained, blushing at the last.

“Have you ever considered doing anything about your arousal while others watched?”

“Oh God, no. I could never.”

“Well, I have and I can. Would anyone mind if I played with myself right now?”

When no one objected, I shifted around so I was on my knees with them spread wide. I put one finger inside my pussy and the feeling was intense. It was always that way when someone watched me touch myself; far more intense than when I was by myself and I think that’s why I sought out these kinds of opportunities. I was looking straight at Suzy as I fingered my clit and then I lost focus on her as the pleasure began to build. I wanted to cum so badly but there was something else I wanted also and I tried to calm myself just a little as I refocused on my room mate sitting across from me. It was like the guys weren’t even there and then I saw what I wanted. Suzie’s hand went to her pussy and she began playing with herself. Before I lost my concentration, I took a quick look at the boys and their heads were on swivels, turning back and forth trying to watch both of us at once. Then I lost all connection to the others and laid back, my thighs on top of my calves so my pussy was elevated and gapping open while I continued to finger myself. My other hand, no longer needed to prop myself up went to my nipple and was twisting and tugging at it, not very gently, until my climax came. I shuddered for a few moments as the pleasure washed over me and after I calmed down, I pushed myself back up so I could watch Suzie’s orgasm.

She was very close and I reached my hand out to hold Jake’s as we watched her writhe on her knees as she got closer and closer. She cried out as she came, shaking her little boobs and we stared intently at her until her orgasm subsided and she was looking at us again.

“Jake, honey,” I said, “Would you please take me back to my room. I’m afraid that I need to ravish you because just that one wasn’t nearly enough.” He smiled as he stood up and then helped me to my feet. We left the room as Colin moved closer to Suzie to hold her and I saw them kiss as we walked out the door.

The lovemaking with Jake was fabulous. He came twice, once in my pussy and once in my mouth and I had at least three more orgasms before we fell asleep in each others’ arms.

Suzie woke us the next morning, still naked, and kicked Jake out. I asked her how her night went and she said it was wonderful but further than that, she would not say. She got in the shower first and when she came out, I took my turn. When I came out, she was still naked and when I asked her if she was going to get dressed, she got a surprised look on her face. Then she went to her closet and took out the clothes she was going to wear that day and laid them out on her bed. She stood there looking at them for a long time before getting dressed.

“Are you sorry it’s over?” I asked.

“Huh? Sorry what’s over?”

“Your naked time. It seems to me that if you’re going to keep doing this, your next step is to go outside in broad daylight.”

“No, last night was enough for me, but now I think I understand you a little better. But I think this is a case of one and done,” she said as she got dressed. “Let’s skip the dorm breakfast this morning. I’m buying coffee and pastry at Amer’s if you want.” I told her that sounded great and we left for the union.

I had been naked for a week now and I would have thought that I would get used to the stares or at least indifferent to them, but on the walk to the union, I was more conscious of them than ever. As I’ve said before, I liked it when people looked at my naked body because I knew, at least for the men, how much pleasure they got from it. And it always made me more conscious of how my body was moving and how all of the parts worked together. My posture was straighter and the awareness of my breasts, hips, thighs, arms, stomach, and bottom was a powerful and pleasant experience.

At Amer’s, I got a table while Suzie placed our order and waited for it. As soon as she sat down, a guy came over and asked if she was The Naked Friend, verbally capitalizing the words.

“What do you mean?” Suzie asked.

I had become known as The Naked Girl. That was what the You Tube and Daily Motion videos called me. He went on to explain that there was a new video posted last night that showed a girl, also naked, walking with Jake, Colin, and me around the square. The other girl was referred to as The Naked Friend.

“Yes, that would be me, I guess,” she told him.

“It was hard to make you out because it was dark, but I thought it might be you. You both were very beautiful and I was wondering why you decided to get dressed again.”

Suzie was dumbfounded, as was I to a certain extent, by the question. Imagine someone coming up to a stranger in a public place and asking them why she decided to wear clothes. The incongruity of the question made me smile but Suzie just had a confused look on her face. After all, how does someone respond to a question of that type? But to her credit she tried to explain.

“Leah’s my room mate and I wanted to understand what she was going through and how she felt. The only way I could do that was to duplicate her experience so I tried it last night. That doesn’t mean I want to run around in the nude all of the time. It was just an experiment; a one time thing.”

“That’s too bad,” the guy told her. “Because you really are beautiful and I wish I could have seen you better in the video.” Suzie blushed and he went on. “Any chance you might repeat the experiment some time?”

“I don’t think so. I got what I wanted from it.”

He left us alone and I asked Suzie if she really did get what she wanted from it. She got this far away look in her eyes, as if she was going back to last night to relive the experience before she answered. “Yes, I think I did. All of the feelings I experienced last night are somehow jumbled up but the whole thing was just amazing. I really do understand what you mean when you say that you shed a lot of baggage along with your clothes. You can’t be anything else but yourself when you’re naked, as I found out last night. I think I was shying away from Colin because of what he wants to do with his life; advertising and public relations is something I looked down on. But last night when I was naked, all my pretenses about it just slipped away and I saw him as a person instead of just his major. But what’s more, I understand now how it could become habit forming. What I mean is that the rush I got is already starting to fade a little bit. When I think about last night, the memory isn’t nearly as intense as the experience was. I find myself thinking about doing it again; about pushing myself a little further into it in order to refresh the intensity of the feelings.” Then she paused for a moment. “My God, I can’t believe I’m thinking about doing it again.”

“You know, the other times I did this, it was important to me that I was the only one naked. I remember thinking at the time how much I needed to feel vulnerable by being the only one naked. I needed the feelings of inferiority that came with being naked around my clothed friends. It really helped me shed the different roles I was trying to play so I could just be myself. But last night was different. I liked the fact that I was sharing it with a friend; that we were both naked and exposed and helpless to do anything about it. So if you ever want to repeat the experience, I’d be glad to have you join me.”

Suzie didn’t say anything for several minutes as we finished our pastries and coffees. When it was time to go, she excused herself to use the restroom, taking her backpack with her. I looked around at the people who were sneaking surreptitious looks at me while I waited for her, thinking about how strange my experience really was. Completely exposed on one of the largest college campuses in the country, visible to thousands of students and faculty, day after day with no hope of reprieve and I felt isolated and alone in a way I had never felt before. On my previous encounters, I was surrounded by a small group of friends for short periods, but this was an entire month, with only a few friends, and I was exposed to an entire community. It briefly crossed my mind to end the whole thing just so I wouldn’t feel so different; so I could begin the process of fitting in again. In retrospect, while my extended nudity helped me grow closer to my high school friends, now it was a barrier of the type that my previous nudity had removed between my friends and me. I was close to three people in a dorm with almost two hundred and an institution with thousands. I was tired of feeling alone because my naked body was more of an obstacle to forming relationships than I had thought it would be.

But Suzie was about to prove that the quality of the relationships was more important than the number. When she came striding out of the restroom, she was as naked as I was. As people noticed her, their stares turned away from me and toward her. She was unhurried in her walk and there was a smile on her face that told everyone that she was proud of her body and that she was happy to be showing it to them; the same kinds of feelings that I had most of the time I was naked. She walked over to the table and asked if I was ready to leave so I stood up and we walked together back to the dorm. We didn’t go directly to our room; we stopped first to see Jake and Colin. When we were inside, Suzie asked Colin if it was okay with him if she stayed naked for awhile and he just nodded; unable to speak because of his surprise and, I believe, that Suzie looked drop dead gorgeous. Jake smiled at me and asked if I was perhaps the carrier of a nudity virus. I just shrugged my shoulders as if to say maybe.

Suzie didn’t remain naked constantly like I did but over the next several weeks, she stripped six or seven more times and appeared in public like that. And she wasn’t the only one. Within a few days, as the videos of The Naked Friend spread and more and more people saw them or actually saw her, a few more women made naked appearances on campus. None of it was streaking; that is to say, in each case the women were deliberate, unashamed, and almost insolent about their nudity.

On the last day of my naked month, I received a phone call from Professor Haynes asking if I could stop by his office that afternoon. I was surprised by the call because he had said that we wouldn’t have any contact until after the experiment was over but I was eager to see him and hoped I would learn the purpose of the research.

At two o’clock, I knocked on his door and he let me in. I was, of course, still naked and I put the towel I had been carrying around for the last month on the leather chair before I sat down.

“I want to thank you for everything you have had to go through this last month. I expect you would like to know what it was about and what we learned.”

“Yes, sir, I would.”

“We wanted to try to measure the power of personal example. What I mean by that is ‘Can one person’s behavior that is contrary to social mores influence others in a similar way?’ We wanted to learn if your behavior would spread to others just because of your own behavior, uninfluenced by argument or attempts at conversion. Hence the prohibition on explaining your reasons for being naked. And I would say it was successful. At last count, over seventy co-eds have appeared nude in public on campus. That is an astonishing number given the inhibitions and the peer pressure that have to be overcome by a person to appear nude in public.

“So tomorrow, you can get dressed again and I don’t know if that will be a relief to you or not. But you have fulfilled all of your obligations to the project so here is your check and again, I want to express my personal thanks to you for making this work.”

“Sir, one more question if I may.”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Why is this important to know?” His face clouded over for a moment and then broke into a big smile. It was as if he was not used to being asked to explain himself but then he realized I had next to no knowledge of his field and he became more tolerant of me.

“Well, I could site hundreds of applications, but let’s just take one to make the point. Think of a law abiding person who is friends with a criminal. It is possible for the influence to move in either direction but one would expect that it is easier to cross the line into criminality than for the criminal to reform. Another example might be a politician who refuses campaign cash from special interests. That is contrary to the mores of most politicians but perhaps they can be influenced by the example of someone else. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir, I believe so. And thank you for the opportunity. I have learned a lot about myself and my friends because of this. In the long run, that will mean more to me than the money.”

“I don’t know if you realize it yet, but together we have also created quite a conundrum for the administration. Are they now supposed to ban nudity on campus or permit it when it is not sexual or lascivious? You probably don’t realize it but during the last month, attacks on women on campus hit a five year low. This is consistent with other research that shows that as pornography became more accessible on the Internet rapes declined. I’m not saying that what you did is pornographic but there are obvious similarities. My suspicion is that they are going to have to allow it now that the genie is out of the bottle. If they do, will you remain naked? I know you had your own reasons for participating and I’m curious.”

“Perhaps occasionally, but I would have to consider it more before I can tell you. I certainly don’t expect to spend such an extended period without clothes.”

That was really all that was said during the interview. We exchanged pleasantries and I left his office.

* * *

When the weather turned nice the following spring, it seemed that there was rarely a day that went by when a co-ed wasn’t seen naked on campus. I don’t know if it became a lifestyle for anyone or if anyone remained naked twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week like I did over that month. But if it did, more power to them.

Jake and I remained lovers the rest of freshman year and about half way through sophomore year. We are still good friends and spend a lot of time together but the spark that was there got lost and neither of us was unhappy about it. In a way, we are closer now than we were then because we have come to rely on each other for advice and are free to take it or leave it as we see fit without any pressure of a relationship to worry about. However, Colin and Suzie stayed in a relationship all four years and are going out west to grad school together. Whenever I am with them, I think about Suzie’s comment that there was no electricity between them when they first met. I once reminded her about her remark and she said that nudity certainly has a way of charging the romantic batteries.

I’ll be graduating in a few weeks with degrees in math and physics and then it is on to MIT for grad school with a full scholarship. My original plan was to graduate in three years to make up for the year I lost to my accident, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance for the double major so I ended up taking the full four years. So far, school has been a challenge, not in terms of the course work but because of the time management it takes to get two degrees in four years. I expect that will change in the fall because I will be working (and competing) with some of the best young minds in the country.

I’ve often wondered how I would have done if I had remained naked after the experiment but it never bothered me. I think that month got it out of my system and I’ve only been seen naked by room mates or lovers (sometimes they are the same thing) since then. My parents never really understood my naked month but since that was almost four years ago, we act as if it never happened. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without those experiences and I cherish them but I’ve gotten all I can from them. They helped me come to terms with myself and I’m glad I did what I did, but I have no need to repeat them. It would be impossible for me to be taken seriously in my field if I had continued to live naked so it is just as well.

Still, every once in awhile I get the urge to do it again, so who knows what will happen?

The End

Copyright© 2012 by Bridget. All rights reserved. Send comments or feedback to brdgwriter@gmail.com