Tradition, part 1
by RSW
Chapter 1Emily surveyed the parking lot to make sure that no one was watching her as she exited her cousin’s car. Not bothering to wait for Beth to get out of the driver’s seat, she took off practically at a run after she determined that the coast was clear. As she reached the concrete steps leading to the brick façade of Riverside High School, she noticed a freshman boy, whose name she couldn’t recall, struggling with what looked to be some kind of science project.
In addition to his backpack, he carried a large piece of plywood piled high with glass beakers and electronic gadgets. She looked wistfully at the entrance and briefly considered ignoring him.
Sighing, she turned to him, “Need help?”
Was the boy gawking at her, his eyes devouring the exposed flesh under her too-short skirt?
“That would be great,” he said. “I can’t exactly put this down easily, and I had no idea how I was going to get in the door. Would you mind opening it for me?”
She followed behind him as he limped up the stairs at an excruciatingly slow pace and, when he finally reached the top, let him in. After he assured her that he could manage the rest of the way, she grabbed her first period books from her locker and hurried to the bathroom to hide.
It didn’t take long for Beth to find her.
“Emily, honey, I’m wearing the exact same outfit that you are, as will all six of the other cheerleaders. It’s okay, really.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’ve seen those tiny bikinis that you wear to the beach. You have no shame.”
Beth didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she grabbed Emily’s hand and pulled her over to the mirrors.
“Look at yourself. You’re completely covered. There’s nothing obscene or even abnormally revealing about what you’re wearing. It’s a cheerleading outfit, for God’s sake. Girls your age all over the country right this moment are dressed the same way.”
Emily made herself look.
“See,” Beth said. “It’s not that bad. I’ve seen you wear sleeveless shirts before, and I know that you’ve worn shorts that covered less than that skirt.”
“Not to school, I haven’t! Besides, this whole outfit is designed to draw attention. Look at the royal blue of the skirt and the bright red top. The colors are practically blinding. Look at how far down the neck plunges and that pleated skirt shows off my panties with every step that I take. When I sit down, it rises up all the way over my butt.”
“Stop exaggerating. The neckline doesn’t plunge; it barely makes a tiny little ‘v,’ and you can’t see any of your cleavage. The skirt doesn’t show your panties; it shows your bloomers. You’re supposed to see the bloomers.”
Emily could see clearly both the affection and the annoyance in Beth’s look as she continued.
“Stop being so dramatic. You wanted to be a cheerleader, didn’t you?”
“I wanted to be a part of something,” Emily said, “instead of just being my older cousin’s tagalong, and I knew that it would please you. I think that the only thing that made you prouder than being selected as squad captain for your senior year was seeing me be selected as the only freshman to make the team.”
Beth hugged the younger girl. “I was so proud, and I’m still proud. You’re going to do great! Now, buck up and get out into that hall.”
Emily knew that she didn’t have much of a choice; she couldn’t hide out in the girls bathroom all day long. Still, she hated the thought of all the attention and the boys staring at her. She made it through the day, though, without dying of embarrassment. Then she fought the butterflies in her stomach and performed at the pep rally in front of the whole school. She cheered on the sidelines during the game and danced at halftime. Emily never really grew comfortable in her outfit, but, eventually, she got used to wearing it.
The season wore on, and the football team did great. For the first time in many years there was talk about the playoffs and maybe even a state championship. As the prospects for the team increased, Emily continually caught mysterious snippets of conversations about “the tradition,” but no one, not even Beth, would elaborate, regardless of how much she pleaded. As the regular season ended, their team sat atop the standings. Beth called a closed door meeting with the other two seniors on the squad to discuss preparations “just in case.”
By this point, Emily was dying of curiosity. She knew that eavesdropping was wrong, but she just had to find out what they were saying. She also knew that she couldn’t just stand by the door and listen. If one of the other cheerleaders saw her, they’d tell Beth, and she’d be in big trouble.
Instead, she circled the area looking for a concealed location and discovered an unlocked supply closet right next to the room. As quietly as she could, she stacked boxes and buckets to make a platform that would allow her five foot two inch frame to reach the ceiling. After carefully removing one of the acoustical tiles, she found that, if she listened closely, she could just make out what they were talking about.
“It’s tradition,” Beth said. “Obviously, we have to do it. Do either of you really have a problem with it?”
“No,” answered Meg.
“I think that it could actually be kind of fun,” Julie said.
Emily heard Beth’s voice next. “You are such a slut!”
“And you’re an exhibitionist,” came Julie’s retort.
Though the voices were faint, she could tell that humor filled the exchange. She heard Beth’s voice again.
“What about the other girls?”
“I’ve been talking about it with a few of them,” Meg said. “They’re a bit nervous, especially Kate, but are okay with it since it’s, you know, tradition and all. The only one that I’m really worried about is Emily.”
“Yeah,” said Julie. “Not only is she the youngest, but she’s so shy. She’s such a sweet kid; do you really think that she can handle it?”
Emily tensed. She muttered, "Sweet kid. I’m not a kid! I’m a high school sophomore, practically an adult. And I’m not that shy; I run around all the time in that skimpy cheerleader outfit, don’t I?" She wanted to yell out but that would have just exposed her eavesdropping. Instead she listened intently as Beth continued.
“No one has said anything to her, have they?”
“As per your orders,” Meg answered, “no one has said a thing.”
Emily let out a little yelp and then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. 'Beth is the reason that no one will talk to me about it? Does she think that I’m a child that needs to be protected?’
In the next room, Beth said, “That’s good. I think I’ve got an idea to mitigate it somewhat for her, but I have to talk to Greg first.”
“Don’t hold out on us,” Julie said. “I’ve been really concerned about her having to do this. If you’ve got a possible solution, please let me know what it is.”
Emily strained to hear Beth’s faint voice.
“Well…”
Two students in the corridor outside the supply closet started talking so loudly that she couldn’t hear much of the rest of the conversation and caught only little pieces. Meg seemed concerned about Beth’s idea at first but then got enthusiastic about it. Emily also heard the name “Ben” mentioned. Ben Miller, the offensive tackle, maybe? She was so frustrated that she wanted to get down and ask the people in the hallway to leave. ‘It’s not their fault,’ she thought. ‘They don’t know that I’m desperately trying to snoop on my cousin’s private conversation.’
The thought rattled her. Since when did she eavesdrop? How would she feel if someone invaded her privacy? Her guilt overrode her irritation at being referred to as a shy kid who needed to be protected. She closed the ceiling back up and waited for the students in the corridor to leave.
Chapter 2
Greg Barnes watched Beth as she entered the room. He loved her outfit, the short skirt, the tight top that accentuated her breasts, and those long black boots. There was just something about the bare skin that showed between the boots and the skirt that so turned him on. Not for the first time, he thought ‘I know it’s a cliché for the captain of the football team to date the head cheerleader, but tell me again why we decided to just be friends?’
“Hey girl, what’s on your mind?” he asked after she sat next to him on the couch.
“I’m concerned about what is going to happen if y’all win the championship.”
There it is, then. So far, they hadn’t discussed it. He teased her a bit. “Nervous about following through with the tradition? I would have thought that you’d be into it.”
She smiled. “You do know me well.” She crossed her legs.
Greg swallowed hard. ‘Did she deliberately flash her panties at me?’
“What I’m concerned about is Emily,” Beth said.
Greg had been focused on his team and preparations for the playoffs. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. I can’t picture her going through with it.”
Though Emily easily made it to the top five on anyone’s list of cutest girls in the school, none of the players talked about her in the locker room. Some girls were just too angelic for vulgar comments and thoughts, public ones anyway.
“All eight of us, including her, WILL go through with it,” Beth said.
“There isn’t anything that we can do? Between the two of us, we lead the football team and the cheerleaders. Can’t we just exempt her from having to take part? I’m sure that the guys will understand.” Greg said.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, and, believe me, I’m glad that you understand and are willing to help with the problem. Emily will be taking part. It wouldn’t set a good precedent to let one girl out of it. It would go against tradition, and it would hurt both her honor and the honor of the cheerleaders as a whole.”
Greg wasn’t willing to give up that easily, but he could tell that Beth was leading up to something. “Okay, then what do we do?”
“I have an idea, but it’s going to take a some doing on your part,” Beth said.
“Go on, share.”
“I was doing some research on the matter, reading the past Cheer Captain’s Chronicles, and I found a caveat to the tradition. Apparently, it’s customary for the most valuable player to be able to choose any one of the cheerleaders for a private performance, and the two of them usually do their thing completely separate from everyone else. It seems that the MVP is allowed far more perks than any of the other players.”
Greg nearly dropped his Coke. “How does that help us? We don’t want to subject Emily to more than what is expected from the others.”
Beth explained quickly. “Well, if the right person were chosen MVP, he could make it a lot easier on her.”
Greg got the picture. “I understand. It sort of sucks for me, because I’ll probably get the MVP award as the quarterback. I’ll miss out on all the action, but it’s worth it to protect Emily.”
Beth smiled and reached over to grab his knee. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind. I wouldn’t want you to miss my show.”
Greg grinned at her.
“What if Ben Miller were voted MVP?” Beth asked. “He’s an all-state tackle, and you know better than me that linemen just don’t get all the recognition that they deserve. As captain, you could swing the vote his way, right?”
“Hey now,” Greg replied, “that is a great idea. You’re smart AND beautiful. Gentle Ben is a great choice; he’s even shyer than she is. I doubt he was even planning on going to the party.”
“Do you think he’d do it if we told him it was to protect Emily?” Beth asked.
“I’m absolutely positive that he will.”
* * *
The team cruised to victory in the final playoff game. After the following Monday’s cheer practice, Beth called all the squad members together for a meeting. Emily listened intently as Beth began to speak.
“Our sports and cheerleading programs here at Riverside High are steeped in tradition. We have traditions for initiation, traditions to ensure continuity of leadership, even traditions for which cheers to use. We take these traditions seriously, and teach them to each new initiate. There’s one tradition, however, that is only discussed once a particular situation arises.”
She paused before continuing. “In the event that the football team wins the state championship, the cheerleading squad throws a party for the seniors on the team. Since the team is playing in the championship game this Friday night …”
The seven girls interrupted Beth with loud clapping and cheering.
“Since the championship is Friday night, we need to discuss your responsibilities for that party if our team does happen to emerge victorious.”
Emily’s heart rate sped up. She was finally about to hear what everyone else apparently already knew.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the cheerleaders will be expected to strip for the senior players and to stay naked for the entire party.”
Emily’s eyes got big. ‘What? She can’t really mean what she just said, can she?’
On the other hand, it made sense. Them wanting to protect her, the joking slut and exhibitionist exchange between Julie and Beth, the nervousness she sensed in some of the other girls. Beth was serious.
“There will be a strict look but no touch policy. I trust that Greg will keep his guys in line. If any of them get fresh, he will make sure that they are removed from the premises. It’s up to me to watch over you girls.”
Julie yelled out, “Who’s going to watch over you?”
Most of the girls laughed, and Beth gave Julie an annoyed look.
“Once the party is over, what you do is your business, but, while it is officially in session, you will not have more than the most innocent physical contact with the players. Dancing is okay, even slow dancing with body parts touching. Intimate contact is not, and there will be absolutely no drinking. Do you understand me?”
The girls each nodded their assent.
“There is, however, one notable exception to the rules. One of the seniors will be voted most valuable player for the game by his teammates. That player will be allowed to choose one of us cheerleaders for a private party. The policy for the private party is, basically, anything but. That means anything that he wants goes. Touching is allowed. Only actual intercourse if forbidden. Are there any questions?”
Beth didn’t give them much of a chance to respond before continuing. “Great. Now for some details. There’s not all that much planning to do for the actual event. Meg and Julie have volunteered to make all the necessary arrangements. All you need to do is leave Saturday night open in case of a victory, and practice the routine that we’re about demonstrate for you. If we’re going to strip for the guys, we’re going to do it as a team, and we’re going to do it right.”
She gestured for Meg and Julie to join her in front of the others.
“The routine that we’ve worked up is relatively simple. Once you watch us perform it this once, you’ll be expected to practice on your own and know it for this weekend.”
The three team leaders removed their shoes and socks.
“Julie, Meg, and I will also be modifying a set of older uniforms, so you won’t be wearing our normal game attire. We’ll also be making three other changes. First, obviously, is the lack of shoes and socks. Tennis shoes just aren’t sexy, and we couldn’t think of a way to make taking them off fun or exciting.”
“I wanted high heels and stockings, but Beth nixed the idea,” Julie said.
There were some nervous laughs in the room. Emily sat paralyzed. ‘Are they really about to demonstrate a strip routine that I have to learn?’
Beth lifted up her skirt. Instead of her normal red bloomers she was wearing a pair of white panties.
“Next, leave the bloomers at home, ladies, and the sexier the panties you wear, the better. Finally, we couldn’t figure out a good way to take off normal bras and not break the rhythm. It’s sports bras for the evening.”
Meg started the music, and the three girls began to dance. Emily watched in amazement as her cousin and the two other seniors stripped naked in front of the rest of the squad. She felt nothing but dread at the thought of having to do it herself.
‘I can’t do this,’ she thought. ‘I can’t strip naked in front of a bunch of boys. I’m not even comfortable when I have to shower with the girls at camp. Should I resign from the team? Beth would be so disappointed.’
Consumed by her thoughts, Emily didn’t speak a word as Beth drove her home. Should she agree to do something that she found mortifying, or should she let down the one person who had been there for her for the past five years, who had practically raised her?
Just before she exited the car, Emily finally turned to Beth. “I just wanted to let you know that I won’t let you down.”
Beth leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “That’s my girl.”
Chapter 3
On Thursday morning, the football team loaded up in two buses and headed to the state capitol. In the afternoon, they did a walk through in shells – helmets, shoulder pads, and shorts – at the university stadium and then went to their hotel rooms to settle in for the night.
Taking the adage that a quarterback’s best friend is his left tackle to heart, Greg made sure that he roomed with Ben. With about an hour to go before lights out, he clicked off the television and turned to his teammate.
“You decided what you’re going to do next year?”
“I think that I’m going to accept the scholarship to Tech. They have the better engineering program and are willing to red shirt me. I just don’t think that I can finish an ME degree in four years and play football. You?”
“I think that I’m going to choose State,” Greg said. “That’s where Beth is going.”
Ben didn’t look surprised at the announcement. “You two are finally an item? That’s great.”
“What do you mean?”
Ben looked at Greg like he was a complete idiot. “Let’s see. You’re the quarterback and captain of the football team. How many girls have you asked out in the past year?”
Greg thought about it for a second and was shocked that he had a hard time remembering the last girl that he asked out. “I can’t think of any, but there has to have been some.”
“Man,” Ben said, “you two hang out together every chance you get. Every dance, y’all go as ‘friends.’ You’re already dating, just without any of the benefits.”
“We’re just friends. Her parents are going to be moving out of state, and I don’t want her to feel deserted. That’s all.”
Greg hadn’t intended for this conversation to revolve around his love life. He changed topics. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”
“Not really. Oakridge has a strong team, but I think that we match up well. I’m not overconfident or anything, but I think that we’ll win.”
“A lot is riding on you,” Greg said. “You’re one of the best linemen in the state, and I need you to bring your A game.”
“Hey, I’ve got your back. Literally. You know that. You’re sounding nervous. Are you okay?”
Greg tried to figure out the best way to broach the subject with his friend. “I’m concerned about what’s going to happen after we win. You know about the party, right?”
“I’ve heard rumors. The cheerleaders are throwing a bash for the senior players. There’s wild speculation among some of the players about what’s going to happen. Regardless, I wasn’t planning on attending.”
This news did not surprise Greg. “I’m not sure what rumors you’ve heard, but they may be truer than you think. The cheerleaders will be partying butt naked with us. No touching is allowed, but they really are going to strip.”
“You don’t mean ALL the cheerleaders. Surely not Emily too?”
“ALL of them. Including Emily.”
Greg knew that Gentle Ben didn’t get mad often, but, when he did, he was an erupting volcano. The last time was when a couple of freshmen had been playing around throwing rocks in the parking lot and one of them had hit Ben’s 1970 Dodge Charger, putting a chip in the windshield. Ben had saved money since he was ten to buy that car, and Greg knew that Ben and his dad had spent countless hours working on it. Ben had been livid. He had chased down the one that threw the rock. If Greg and a few of his buddies hadn’t restrained him, he might have seriously hurt the kid.
Greg could tell that Ben was starting to get mad now.
“You can’t make her strip naked in front of all those guys. It’s not right!”
Greg expected Ben to sympathize but didn’t anticipate such vehemence.
“Calm down. It’s okay. I agree with you. Beth came up with a plan.”
“A plan? Beth should tell Emily to stay at home!”
‘What’s the deal? Why does he care so much about this?’ Greg thought. “I know man. Calm down. That’s what I suggested, too. Beth said that it was some kind of cheerleader honor thing. We can’t mess with their traditions anymore than they can mess with ours.”
“It’s still stupid. She should stay home.”
Greg had never known Ben not to listen to reason. “How would you feel if they told us how to handle a situation with one of our players? Would you at least listen to her plan?”
“Go ahead.”
“A part of the tradition is that the game MVP gets to choose one of the squad for a private party. I guess that the idea is that he gets a special bonus in that the no touching rule doesn’t apply. The important thing is, though, that he and the cheerleader disappear for the duration of the party.”
Ben cocked his head to the side, looking like he was trying to work out the ramifications. “How does that help? Unless you truly screw up, you’ll be the MVP. You’ll surely choose Beth, right?” Ben suddenly snarled at Greg. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to choose Emily? Exactly how far can you go with the touching?”
Gregt suddenly realized if he didn’t watch it he was about to be receiving more punishment from his own lineman than from the opposing defense. Did Ben have a thing for Emily? “Wait a second! Hear me out. I’m not going to choose Emily because I’m not going to be the MVP.”
That comment stopped Ben in his tracks. “Huh?”
“I’ve been talking to some of the guys, and, assuming you have your usual great game, we’re going to choose you as the MVP.”
“You’re the QB, the team captain. The honor should go to you,” Ben said.
“You’re just as much of the reason that we’re here as I am, and I’ve already received a lot of honors. Besides, I need to stay with the other guys to make sure that they behave themselves.”
Ben objected again. “What about Beth? You’re going to let her strip in front of everybody?”
“She’s an exhibitionist; it’s not going to bother her. To tell you the truth, I think it’s hot.”
Ben tried another tack. “You want me to stay with Emily while this party happens? You know that I don’t really talk to girls, and she’s as shy as I am. Are we just supposed to sit in uncomfortable silence for hours?”
“Look, this is the only thing that we could think of that works. Is there someone else that you would trust to stay with her?”
Ben shook his head.
“Would you rather her stay with you for a while and be mildly uncomfortable or have her walking around naked in front of a bunch of guys? This way, you’re the only one that will see her tight little bod.”
Ben started to erupt once more. “I’m not going to see…”
Greg cut him off. “Sorry, just teasing you there. Look, as MVP, you can do anything short of sex with her, or you can do nothing. Your call. Will you do it?”
Ben didn’t look happy, but he agreed.
In the championship game the lead changed hands eight times. Down by four points with time about to expire in the fourth quarter, Riverside’s team lined up at their own 40 yard line. Greg took a seven step drop. Oakridge rushed their four linemen and blitzed the middle linebacker. The fullback picked up the blitz. The four other offensive linemen teamed up to block three defending players, leaving Ben isolated on Oakridge’s prep all-American right end.
Ben exploded from his stance and pancaked his guy. With the end out of the action, he looked into the backfield and saw Greg rolling to his left because the fullback had missed his block. Ben ran back to help and laid the linebacker out. Greg, now with plenty of time to set his feet, heaved the ball as hard as he could. The football came down 55 yards later in the hands of the senior wideout, Mike Conner. Oakridge’s free safety, who had played deep in the center of the field, sprinted at Mike.
The two met at the one yard line. Mike tried to leap over the defender just as the safety lunged at him. The blow hit his legs and flipped him completely upside down. Mike landed on his shoulder in the end zone still clutching the ball as time expired. Touchdown! With the extra point, Riverside won by three points, and their fans rushed the field.
With Greg’s encouragement, the team voted Ben MVP. After a night of revelry and travel back to their hometown, preparations began in earnest for the Saturday night party. Mike arranged the use of his uncle’s cabin, located just outside of town, for the event. Though somewhat isolated in the woods, there were still neighbors close enough that might call the cops if they suspected that an underage party were taking place. The planners assigned parking at various spots near the cabin so that the celebration would be less conspicuous.
Chapter 4
About an hour before Beth was scheduled to pick her up, Emily finished her shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Walking to her bed, she looked with dismay at the outfit laid out for her. The senior cheerleaders had taken one of the older uniforms and made major alterations. The skirt was now a good three inches shorter than the one on her normal uniform, and the top was cut off so that not much of the section between the bottom of her breasts and her waist would be covered.
Then, she looked at the underwear. The black sports bra was okay, better than wearing something sexy and lacy. The panties were a problem. She had two pairs laid out, both also black, and couldn’t make up her mind which one to wear. The first was a really dainty pair with lots of lace. Though not a thong by any stretch, it would show most of the sides of her legs and a great deal of her butt. The other wouldn’t show much less than her bloomers would have.
Sighing, she finished getting ready and got dressed, putting on the more conservative panties. She then waited by window in her room, forcing herself not to fidget or pace around the room. As soon as she saw Beth’s car arrive, guilt got the best of her, and she hurriedly changed into the sexier panties. Grabbing her overnight bag and throwing on a coat she kissed her dad, telling him that she’d be spending the night with Beth. He barely looked up from the book he was reading as he told her goodbye. After slipping some flats on her otherwise bare feet, she was out the door.
“So, girl, are you ready?” Beth asked when Emily got into the car.
Emily blushed. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“I’m so proud of you. I know that this isn’t easy for you, but you haven’t complained once.”
Emily was eager to change the subject. “So, did Ben Miller pick which cheerleader he wanted for the private party? I’m guessing Julie. It surely would have been you if Greg had gotten MVP.”
“Actually, Ben has chosen, and it wasn’t Julie. He chose you.”
The revelation shocked her. “Me? I thought surely that one of the senior girls would be chosen. Oh Beth, I don’t think that I’m ready to go that far. I’ve never even seriously kissed a boy.”
Beth pulled the car over to comfort the upset girl. Putting her arm around her and giving her a squeeze, she spoke to Emily softly. “It’s going to be okay, Em. You know Ben; he’s a really great guy. He won’t try to get fresh with you at all.”
“I don’t know him that well. We’ve been in the same group a bunch of times when I’ve tagged along with you to hang out with Greg and his friends, but I don’t think that Ben has said more than twenty words to me total.”
“Come on, you’ve been around him for years. Surely, you know that he’s a nice guy.”
Emily forced herself to calm down and think for a minute. “I know that he got really angry at those guys who damaged his car. The rumors were that he would have put one of them in the hospital if it hadn’t’ve been for Greg.”
“That was one time. I’ve never heard him utter a single mean word about anyone except for that once.”
Despite not wanting to like the guy who was going to force her to strip tonight, Emily couldn’t help but recall some of his better qualities. “Okay. There are some positives. I remember when Julie had her leg in a cast last year. He carried her around and was at her beck and call the whole time. You know how Julie is, she wanted to ‘repay’ his kindness, but he wouldn’t take advantage of it.”
“See…”
“And you’re right. I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anyone, and there’s not a person in the school who doesn’t like him. He’s a good football player, and he’s smart. I’ve heard that he’s probably going to be the valedictorian for your class. But…”
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“He’s huge. He’s like, what, 6 – 5? The program guide says that he’s 275 pounds.”
“All muscle, too. What’s wrong with that?”
“He dwarfs me. I feel like a tiny kid next to him, like he could crush me like a flea if he wanted.”
Beth had finally had enough of the coddling. “Will you just trust me? It’s going to be fine. When we get to the house, go upstairs. He’ll be waiting in the first bedroom on the right. There’s an iPod in the glove box that you can plug into the radio in the room. Just walk in the room, turn on the music, and do your routine. After that, do whatever he says.”
“You said that he wouldn’t make me…”
Beth cut her off.
“I am one hundred percent positive that he will not make you do anything besides strip. Greg has assured me of it. Do you really think that I would let you walk into a situation like that if I didn’t feel that it were safe? Still, though, the tradition is that he’s in charge. I expect you to do whatever he says.”
Emily knew that Beth always looked out for her. Ever since Emily’s mom died, Beth had been part older sister and part mother to her. Beth wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. If Beth trusted Ben, then so would she. “You’re right. You wouldn’t have me do it if you didn’t think it was safe. I’m sorry if I’m acting like a brat.”
“You’re not acting like a brat; you’re just scared. Think about it this way, though. Yes, it will be terribly embarrassing for you to strip for Ben, but he’ll be the only guy that sees you. No dancing naked with the other fourteen seniors. Some of those guys are real horn dogs, not gentlemen like Ben.”
Beth started the car, and they rode in silence the rest of the way. They were parked near the cabin before Emily knew it.
Emily grabbed the iPod and got out of the car. Before she shut the car door, Beth instructed her, “leave the coat in the car.”
Emily shot her a pleading look. Beth ignored her, removing her own jacket and putting it in the car. Emily reluctantly followed suit.
Though the temperature had dropped quickly with the setting sun, Emily’s primary motivation for wanting to keep the coat was not warmth, but modesty. The garment reached almost to her knees and fully covered her scanty attire. Without their coats, she wouldn’t have been surprised if someone seeing them walk down the street called the police to report a couple of prostitutes. At least the street was dimly lit, so the darkness of the evening concealed them somewhat.
The outfit was even worse than she anticipated when she had stared at it on her bed. No matter how hard she tugged it down, the top didn’t fully cover the black material of her sports bra. And, the skirt! The skirt was impossible. She wore it as low on her waist as she possibly could, but it would only come down far enough to barely cover the bottom of her butt cheeks. Being pleated, it came up when she made any movement. In effect, she flashed her panties, back and front, with every step. If there would have been anyone out on the street to see her, she would have died of shame.
Though dressed almost exactly the same, Beth didn’t appear to be bothered. When they reached the door of the cabin, she removed her shoes and walked in. Emily knew that there were boys inside, but the thought of having Beth disappointed in her was even worse than having them see her in this humiliating outfit. She followed her cousin in the door.
She and Beth were the first two cheerleaders to arrive, but all the football players were already there. Every eye in the place was on either her or Beth. She froze. Was she expected to stay down here and mingle with these guys? She looked at Beth, who motioned for her to go upstairs.
She was relieved that she didn’t have to socialize with all the boys while dressed so provocatively until she realized what she would now have to do. Not only did she have to cross the room with everyone watching her bouncing skirt, but she had to climb the stairs, too. There would be no way to preserve her modesty as her panties would be on full display after the first step.
She tried hard to forget her outfit and her audience as she went up the stairs. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other and fixed her gaze straight ahead. ‘Maybe they’re not even looking. Maybe they’re all staring at Beth.’
She couldn’t fool herself, however, and was greatly comforted to walk into the bedroom away from all the prying eyes. ‘Only two eyes in this room,’ she thought, ‘but they’re going to see a lot more than just my panties.’
Ben was sitting on the bed on the opposite side of the room. Even seated, he was still head and shoulders taller than her.
‘He’s so massive,’ she thought.
She saw him jump as she walked in the door. He looked in her direction for a moment and then quickly averted his gaze. He continued to look at the floor as she closed the door, walked over, and plugged in the iPod. ‘I think that he’s more scared of me than I am of him!’
“Are you ready for my dance routine?” she asked.
End of part 1