3 comments/ 54951 views/ 19 favorites The Freshman Ch. 01 By: caligula97236 Chapter 1 - Orientation August 28th was a big day for 18-year old Jason Schmidt. That was the day he started college and moved into his new dorm room on campus. It marked a big turning point in his life, when he would finally be away from the hassle of living under his parents. Now he could come and go as he pleased, and no longer deal with their household rules. He had spent the last couple of years fantasizing about this day, and now finally it had come. Jason's parents and his younger sister Cassie accompanied him to several campus orientation meetings, but finally all that ended. After moving several suitcases and boxes to his room, the rest of the Schmidt family headed back to their car. He pretended to be sorry to see them go, but in reality he was elated. Jason's dorm was coed, but divided between male and female wings. The east wing of the building was for male students, while the west wing was for the females. Each floor had a common area between the wings, and a single Resident Advisor or RA, for each floor. Jason noticed in his orientation packet that the RA for his floor was female, a sophomore by the name of Cecilia Sanchez. Jason's heart jumped when he noticed something else in his orientation packet. There was no second name on the list under his room number. By pure chance, he had been assigned a room without a roommate. He would have the entire room to himself, something not very common for a freshman. As he unpacked his things, Jason couldn't believe his good fortune. That meant he would enjoy a lot of small personal freedoms and not have to face the disapproval or judgment of another guy his age. The first freedom of having the room to himself he took advantage of immediately. The room was rather hot, so Jason took off all his clothes. He stuffed his clothing into a laundry bag and tossed it in his closet. He then briefly admired his bare figure in the dorm mirror and set about putting his things away. Jason enjoyed looking at his own body. He was in good shape from his high school track team, and had an attractive well-toned body. Jason was something of a nudist, although he did not yet belong to any organizations. He hated wearing clothes and was always naked whenever possible. He had slept nude since he was 12, and from sleeping nude he had gradually extended his nude lifestyle to other areas in his daily routine. During his high school years he had always enjoyed being nude at home, a habit that, to some extent, put him out of place with his classmates. He liked to stretch in the buff before and after running, and would have gone jogging without any clothes if he could have done so without being arrested. His parents owned a swimming pool, and if they were at work, Jason invariably went skinny-dipping. He loved the feel of the warm sun on his bare bottom and the cool water of the pool washing against his privates. Jason was lucky that parents were somewhat accepting about his nude forays. They didn't approve, but at the same time they never punished him. The attitude they took was "if you're going to do that, show us some respect and make sure it's not when we're around". Jason took that to mean, if his parents and sister weren't home, he would always strip. Jason continued to enjoy the feel of the warm dorm room air against his bare body as he unpacked his computer and began putting it together. He got down on his hands and knees to assemble the plugs on the floor under his desk, spreading himself wide and allowing his penis and balls to dangle freely. Precisely at the moment he was on his elbows and knees with his bottom turned up towards the entrance to his room, he heard the door open and the slight gasp of a woman's voice. He looked up to glimpse a petite dark-skinned young woman as she backed out and eased his door shut. "You ought to lock your door if you're gonna to be in your room like that," came a comment from the other side. Jason was both embarrassed and excited at having been so prominently seen by a female student. He wondered how much of him she had seen, and whether or not she was at all aroused at the sight of his bare figure. His heart pounded, but finally he got back to work and finished up with the computer and shelved his books. After about an hour, Jason had everything put away and decided to get dressed. He put on a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a clean shirt. It was dinnertime and right after dinner there would be a floor meeting. Jason looked around the hallway, introduced himself to a couple of his neighbors and ended up going to dinner in the cafeteria downstairs with four other guys. The guys were a very mixed group, and Jason could tell they would not be together for more than a couple of nights before they dispersed into cliques of more like-minded individuals. There was Ken, who seemed a distracted artistic type; Jake, who was obviously fraternity material, William, who was into computers and math, and Mike, who was heavily into leftist politics. Mike had a very tall blond girlfriend called Lisa who also joined them for dinner. Jason asked if any of the others knew who was the short girl in the blue skirt with the long black hair. Lisa responded: "Yeah, that's my next door neighbor, Cecilia Sanchez. She's the floor RA." Oops. Jason turned red, but his dinner companions didn't notice. Of course the others had no way of knowing that Cecilia already had seen Jason, quite a bit of him in fact. The six students finished their dinner and went back upstairs to the 2nd floor common area, where most of the other freshmen already were gathered. The meeting was another orientation, mainly to make sure the students all knew who the RA was and what the basic rules were for the building. Cecilia was standing next to a whiteboard, with a clipboard in one hand and a magic marker in the other. Jason was finally able to get a better look at her. She was dark-skinned, but with delicate features and only a slight curl to her thick black hair. She spoke with a mixture of New Jersey and Spanish intonation, a product of her upbringing in a Dominican neighborhood, just outside New York City. Cecilia was 19, only a year older than the collection of freshmen surrounding her. However, her assignment as the floor RA placed her in a position of authority over the 18 year olds. Cecilia glanced over at Jason and nodded, letting him know that, yes, she did recognize him as the owner of that bare bottom under the computer desk. However, her glance was not one of reprimand or anger, but more of curiosity. Once again, Jason felt a weird mixture arousal and embarrassment from the knowledge that the pretty girl had seen him fully nude in his room. Cecilia, with her rough East Coast accent, went over the dorm rules and listed violations that would result in a write-up. The biggest concerns for the university seemed to be noise, open flames, drinking, and making sure everyone had tolerance for people with different backgrounds. Cecilia emphasized the university's political correctness and "diversity", concluding that intolerance was the only thing not tolerated. Cecilia went on to talk about the dress code in the building. There was no policy about what students could or could not wear on their own side of the building, but they had to be fully dressed in the common area and when visiting the opposite side's wing. Males visiting the female wing had to be escorted. In theory females visiting the male side also had to be escorted, although in practice the escorting requirement was only enforced on the males visiting the female side. Cecilia had a final comment: "Remember you can wear what you want on your side of the building. There's no dress code in your own area. But also remember, there's gonna be visitors runnin' around your floors, so you gotta think about what you're wearin' when you're in the halls, and also, when you're in your room with the door unlocked." At that last comment Cecilia glanced over at Jason, who turned red. ---------- After the meeting Jason unfolded his university issue linens and made his bed. He noticed something interesting about the towels; they were very small, about the same size as a bathmat. They were way too small to wrap around a person's waist. Jason went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and noticed Ken walking down the hall fully nude, one of the small towels slung over his arm and a bottle of shampoo in his hand. He noticed his other floor-mates varied tremendously in their modesty. Mike wrapped a towel brought from home around his waist but wore nothing underneath, while Jake and William went to the bathroom dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Jason stood next to Ken at the row of sinks. Ken was casually attending to a couple of pimples on his face as he was leaning over the sink, his body gracefully bent over and his penis gently brushing against the white ceramic. Jason struck up a conversation with Ken and joked about the small towels. Ken commented: "Yeah, they're kind of stupid, but I think the university did it to keep them from being stolen. Well, they can screw themselves. If they're not giving me decent towels, then they'll just have to deal with me being bare-assed in their hallways." Jason's heart jumped at Ken's comment. Bare-assed in the hallways! If Ken wasn't going to bother covering up coming and going to the bathroom, then there was no reason he should either. The idea of casually running around the hallways in the nude excited Jason for some reason, and he decided at that moment to follow Ken's lead. Jason returned to his room and got undressed. He looked over his class schedule for the next day as he sat by the window enjoying the cool night air against his bare body. He promised himself the next time he needed to go to the bathroom he would go fully nude. He wouldn't even bother to take a towel with him. An hour later Jason kept his promise to himself. His heart pounding, he closed his dorm door and walked to the bathroom "bare-assed" as Ken put it. He carried absolutely nothing with him. The hallway was empty, but he felt incredibly daring as he went further and further from the protection of his room. He used the bathroom and then returned to his room, only to have a rude shock. His door wouldn't open and he did not have his room key. He had locked himself out. For several minutes he stood at his door, wondering what to do and hoping his more conservative floor-mates wouldn't come out and see him stranded in the hall with nothing on. He would have to do something, the door wasn't going to open on its own and he couldn't stand there all night. Finally he decided to go to Ken's room, borrow some shorts, and see if he could get a key from the dorm's front desk. Precisely at that moment Jason's RA came around the corner, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. For the second time that day the sight of Jason's bare body greeted her. Cecilia gave the young exhibitionist an amused and rather sarcastic look. "Jason," she asked sweetly, "are you locked out of your room?" "Yeah, I musta pressed the lock by accident when I went out. I...I'm sorry about being like this...It's just those small towels...I didn't see the point in..." "That's OK, Jason. I'll just let you back in." Cecilia pulled out a key ring and fumbled for the master key for the dorm rooms. She seemed to take her time, enjoying Jason's embarrassment. She passed Jason her clipboard. "Would you hold this for me, while I get your key please?" Finally Cecilia put the master key into the door and opened it. Jason was hugely relieved, promising himself that if he didn't get into trouble over this there would be no more naked trips down the hallway. However, at that point the RA had a rather wicked idea. She had been making the rounds to check on the male students to make sure they were all properly settled into their rooms. Part of that check was initial student interviews to find out more about each freshman living on her floor. She had planned to start at the other end of the hallway and talk to the residents room by room, but decided to prolong Jason's current predicament by doing his interview first. She would have some fun and enjoy interviewing a naked freshman. "Jason, I gotta do interviews with all of you guys anyway, so I guess I might as well start with you. Can I come in your room so we can talk?" "Uh, yeah...sure." Once inside the dorm room Cecilia took charge. "OK, just take a seat on your bed and we'll get started. Do you mind if I sit at your desk so I can write?" "Uh, no, but don't you want me to...?" "Get dressed? Why bother? From what I've seen of you so far you don't really like wearin' clothes, do you?" "Uh, to be honest, not really, but I..." "Then just stay like you are. If you like to be nude, that's fine with me, as long as you keep it here and don't do it over in the commons area or the women's wing. You'll find out I'm a pretty liberal person and I accept other people's lifestyles. But I'm warnin' you, I don't like a hypocrite. If you're a nudist and picked that lifestyle, I expect you to stay committed to your beliefs and be ready to defend your values." "But..." "Jason, come on, we gotta get started, 'cause I've got the whole guys' wing to do over the next couple of nights." Cecilia pulled out a rather lengthy questionnaire. As Jason fidgeted nervously on his bed fighting his instinct to cover up, the RA casually went down the list of standard questions about his high school experiences and interests. She seemed totally at ease as she interviewed him, as though talking to a naked freshman were the most normal thing in the world. Jason could tell that Cecilia was thoroughly enjoying herself, but also could perceive that she was fascinated by her own dominance over him. Finally, after about 30 minutes the RA signed and dated the interview form and moved it to the bottom of her stack of questionnaires. She stood up, as did Jason. He made no effort to cover up, not after having sat on his bed completely exposed during the entire interview. She casually shook his hand. "OK, Jason, we're glad to have you with us, and I'm lookin' forward to seeing a lot more of you this year. Just...please remember, put your clothes on if you go into the commons area. If you don't, I'm gonna have to smack that cute bare bottom of yours." Jason's heart jumped into his throat at his RA's final comment. Smack his bare bottom? Could she actually do that? Jason glanced out into hallway as Cecilia walked to the next room and knocked on the door. Jake and William greeted the floor's RA and allowed her in for their interviews. Jason closed his door, his heart pounding with sexual desire. He turned out his light and lay on his bed, reliving the bizarre and intensely erotic encounter with Cecilia over and over as he gently rubbed his fingertips over his body. He teased himself and stroked a furious erection, fantasizing about the sexy Dominican. Everything about her: her authority as RA, her commanding way of handling herself, her intense dark eyes and flawless brown skin, her tough-sounding East-Coast Spanish accent, and her sarcastic smile...it all crowded out every other sexual fantasy he had ever had. ---------- Cecilia conducted interviews for a total of six rooms that night, finally finishing around 11:00. None of the other interviews were nearly as interesting as the one with Jason, so the rest of the night was rather anti-climatic. The RA returned to her room feeling extremely uneasy about her encounter with Jason. She found the whole idea of coming across him naked, twice in a single day, totally erotic. The nude freshman intrigued her and brought out a strange new sexual urge in her soul, a desire to push her own limits with him and explore what was possible. Cecilia struggled to understand what had just happened to her. During the entire time she spent with the nervous teenager, she felt a force within her driving her to do all kinds of strange things to him. The fact that Jason enjoyed being naked was only part of her fascination with him. What really fascinated Cecilia was Jason's submission, especially that moment he quietly stood in front of her, his hands at his sides, while she commented about the need for him to not be a hypocrite about his beliefs. However, as she lay in her bed that night, Cecilia also was scared. She clearly had crossed a line in her two encounters with Jason and had exposed herself to a charge of sexual harassment. What on earth was she thinking, making that freshman stand naked in the hallway while she pretended to fumble for the master key, then interviewing him in the nude, and finally threatening to smack his bottom? Had she gone nuts? The Freshman Ch. 02 Chapter 2 - The first day of classes The next day Jason went over to Ken's room to see about getting breakfast. Ken was sitting at his desk, fiddling with a camera lens with a frustrated look on his face. He had not bothered to get dressed yet, but quickly slipped on a pair of shorts, sandals, and a Hawaiian-style shirt. The two college students ate by themselves, as Ken showed a class roster to Jason and gave him an interesting piece of news. "Check this out. Looks like we're in the same section of Life Drawing. First thing this morning at nine." Ken and Jason barely had enough time to purchase drawing pads and markers at the student store before the class started. They headed over to the Art Building, which was one of the oldest buildings on campus. The rooms were well lit with huge old-style multi-paned windows that let in plenty of natural light. The windows had not been painted over, so the classes could look out onto the yard in front of the building, and passers-by could see into the classrooms from the sidewalk. That lack of privacy in the classroom caused Jason's art instructor her first crisis of the semester; her life model had quit upon seeing how visible the room was to the outside. The instructor was left with no model for that day's session, and possibly would be short a model for the entire class. As soon as the students were assembled the woman made an announcement, she needed a student to model for the semester. She sweetened the deal by offering to waive three general requirement credit hours to anyone willing to volunteer. Several students thought over the offer, but Jason was the first to raise his hand. He was not planning on majoring in art, and the three extra credit hours would get his humanities requirement out of the way after just a single semester. But of course, what excited Jason even more than the three credit hours was having an opportunity to stand naked in a room of other students and get rewarded for it. Five minutes later, with his heart pounding, Jason climbed up onto the model's platform after hanging up his clothes on some hooks near the professor's desk. The windows were open, letting the hot August air into the room as thirty sets of eyes continuously glanced up at the his body and then back to their sketchpads. People walking outside had a clear view into the classroom, and many glanced into the window or through the classroom's open door. Jason was truly on display to the world, it seemed. When Jason's eyes shifted over to Ken, he noticed his friend was pure business, carefully studying his figure to render it to paper. When class ended Jason's professor handed him a light robe, pulled out a contract, and discussed the modeling requirements in more detail. The next modeling session would be for the class at 11:00. He would spend the first month of the semester modeling for the professor's two morning classes, then would switch places with a female model who was working the afternoon classes. In exchange for his time Jason would be added to the university's work-study program as well as receiving the three class credits. With his contract signed Jason hung up his robe and ascended the platform for the 11:00 group. By late morning the room was sultry and it turned out that Jason was the most comfortably dressed person among the class. The sweaty students had their sketchpads ready as they looked up at him with curious expressions. At the command of the art professor, Jason took up a standing pose, one that required him to spread his legs and was revealing to the students immediately at the foot of the model's platform. Jason held his position, but his eyes moved about the room, curious to see who was enrolled in the class. Then, off to one side, Jason noticed a very familiar face, his RA Cecilia Sanchez. The attractive Dominican was absorbed with her sketch, as she carefully lined up the features of the model's body to convert the vision to an image of ink and paper. Their eyes met. Cecilia's face seemed to shine. She was relishing every detail, along with the knowledge that he would be in here, exposed to her and the world, for at least another month. This was the third time in less than 24 hours she had seen him in the nude. The freshman's body now held absolutely no secrets from the RA; she could observe and study him at her leisure. And yet...even though he was modeling for her class she desperately wanted to see even more of him. She fervently hoped to catch him naked in the dorm hallway again later that night. ---------- Cecilia left the art class to go back to her dorm, changed her clothes, and returned to the Economics Department for an appointment at 12:30. Her thoughts were in turmoil, as her mind raced back and forth between the fears from her past and her desires and hopes for the future. The sophomore's thoughts moved to the freshman Jason Schmidt. At first she couldn't understand her fascination with Jason, other than he was so totally different from every other guy she had ever known. He was quiet and serious, but seemed like a fairly decent person. It was obvious that his family had money, but he did not flaunt it like many of the other dorm residents. He was handsome, but there was nothing flashy or flamboyant about his appearance. His runner's physique was a definite plus. However, as she gave the matter more thought, she realized that Jason interested her because of the combination of exhibitionism and submissiveness in his personality. It was a strange mixture, but one that caught her attention and that she found extremely desirable in a potential partner. It was clear that, if properly handled, Jason would be perfectly willing to submit to the right woman... Cecilia forced herself to stop thinking about Jason. She needed to clear her head, because of her upcoming appointment with her economics professor and mentor, Dr. Ruth Burnside. She cringed at the prospect of having to deal with that unpleasant woman, but she owed Burnside for having changed the course of her life. Ruth Burnside was the reason Cecilia was studying in Chicago in the first place. The economics professor was on the executive board of an academic foundation that identified promising students from lower income urban and rural communities for grants to study at the university. The economics department was interested in producing more than just corporate analysts and business majors, hence the scholarship program and invitations to students such as Cecilia Sanchez to come to Chicago and study. About six months before she graduated Cecilia's high school counselor called her into his office to let her know she was in competition to get a scholarship to study economics in Chicago. He encouraged her to look beyond her immediate future and think about where she might want to be five or ten years in the future. With the fire of ambition lit in her soul, the young student applied herself even more in her studies and in preparing to compete for the scholarship. Several essays and interviews later, a very nervous Cecilia Sanchez received a packet of materials that indicated her next year would not be spent in the military or some urban community college in New Jersey, but rather at one of the most prestigious universities in the Mid-West. ---------- Cecilia carried with her three reserach projects she had needed to prepare that summer to keep her scholarship, three reports to turn into Burnside that later would be passed along to the entire scholarship committee. Cecilia's professor graded severely, but the projects were designed to help her do better in her department's classes and ultimately prepare her for post-graduate studies. The three folders in the Dominican's hand represented a massive amount of work and a ruined summer, but they also represented her final escape from a dysfunctional family, rough neighborhood, and unhappy childhood. Burnside was still relatively young for a professor and in excellent physical shape from constantly exercising. She was only 37, but had a very severe appearance. Her intense dark eyes and sharp nose somewhat reminded Cecilia of the face of a hawk. Burnside's appearance was made even more intimidating by her immaculate dark business clothing and her jet-black hair pulled back tight and wrapped in a bun. Burnside's demeanor was partly that of a strict military officer and partly that of a dominatrix, the result of her religious childhood and several years of service in the Navy. She stood very straight and walked crisply around the classroom tapping a pointer as she lectured. When alone with the professor Cecilia always was tempted to stand at attention, and never would have dreamt of sitting down in her office without first being offered a seat. Even the way that Burnside referred to herself, using just her last name, reflected a total lack of warmth in her personality. The most intimidating detail about Dr. Burnside, however, was her sharp stare. When she was talking to a person her eyes seemed to bore right into her listener. Her expression always seemed to say. "Look, you pathetic little slacker, I know you better than you know yourself, so don't try to bullshit me." Cecilia entered Burnside's office and noticed the time, 12:35. Shit. Her appointment had been at 12:30. Her year with Burnside was not about to get off to a good start. She rushed into the back office, but it was too late. Burnside was standing in front of her desk, her arms crossed, with a cold stare that tore straight into her student. "Well, Ms. Sanchez, I see we're keeping bankers' hours." "I...I'm sorry Dr. Burnside...but it was only five minutes, and I was comin' from another class." "Cecilia...two things. First, don't tell me you're sorry. If you were sorry you would've been here at 12:30 like I told you. What you're sorry about is that I'm pissed off." "Yes Dr. Burnside." "The second thing is that you come to me with an excuse, some bullshit about a class, even though your class ended at noon. Now, what do I say about excuses?" "That 'excuses are like assholes, everybody has one,' Dr. Burnside." "That's right. I'm not interested in hearing some excuse. Now that we have the apologies and excuses out of the way we can talk about your life and your summer projects. First thing, you got the RA position, right?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I'm the second floor RA in Huntington Hall." "So we got your living arrangements taken care of...good. Now, let's see your work product for this summer." Cecilia handed Burnside the three papers. Burnside briefly looked at the tables of contents, then went straight to the endnotes. She went down the list of Cecilia's citations on the first paper, taking notes into a separate ledger. She seemed satisfied with the first paper and moved on to the second paper. Burnside's face became increasingly irritated as she flipped back and forth through the endnotes of the second project. "OK, very simple question. Why isn't there any reference to Keynes in here? We covered Keynes in class in last semester. Covered him quite thoroughly I believe. So where's your reference to his work?" "It was a 20-page project, Dr. Burnside. I wanted to concentrate on..." "Well, that won't cut it, Cecilia! You simply cannot understand mid-20th Century economic theory without mentioning Keynes. And oh, by the way, you didn't reference the Weber articles either, did you?" "No..." "Then I would say what you have is an incomplete project! You had all summer to do this right, and you didn't!" "Dr. Burnside! That's not fair! I couldn't get it all in! You said I couldn't go past 20 pages!" "That's right, 20 pages is the cut-off! And why do you think that is? It's to make you force yourself to think about what's truly important. Now, if you don't think Keynes and Weber are important enough to put in your paper, that's fine, but you'd better damn well be ready to defend your opinion. Now you take this paper back and return it to me next Monday, done right. Either Keynes and Weber go in, or they stay out, with a proper justification. If I show this to the scholarship committee as it is now, you'll have them shaking their heads and me looking like a fool." Cecilia took the paper back, her heart stinging from the total unfairness of the situation. It seemed that had she been anyone else, the paper would have been perfectly acceptable, but because she was Burnside's scholarship student, she was at the woman's mercy. Tears welled up in her eyes, but with every bit of her emotional strength she forced herself to hide her distress. Burnside clearly understood what was going on in her student's mind. "Cecilia, look at me." Reluctantly Cecilia raised her head. "Now I'm going to explain something to you. I can tell you think it's unfair that I'm pushing you like this. But there's a reason, a reason why I expect you to work way above the sophomore level. Is it unfair that you have to bust your ass over the summer while your drunken classmates relax and party and still get the same grades you do? Of course it's unfair, but that's the hand in life you've been dealt. You'd better get used to 'unfair', because you're going to be stuck with 'unfair' for a while. I know, because I was dealt the exact same hand in life as you. You think I don't understand where you came from and what you've had to deal with?" Cecilia was quiet, not knowing how to respond to Burnside's last statement. The professor continued. "Look. You'll have to understand those frat punks and sorority bitches have their money and their families and their connections, so they'll coast through life, even though they're nothing but a bunch of worthless drunks. You won't ever get the chance to coast through life, because you've got absolutely nothing except this..." Burnside reached forward and tapped Cecilia's forehead, "...so you've got to be better than them. Way better. You don't have any choice, if you're going to stay out of the 'Hood. Now you use that head of yours and you fix that paper!" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." With that Burnside looked over the endnotes of the third paper. Cecilia stood quietly, dreading the thought Burnside might find something wrong with that one as well. However, after giving the paper some consideration, finally the professor took it and set it on her desk with the other accepted project. "Is...that it, Dr. Burnside?" "No, that's not it. I've got class in 30 minutes and I need you to help me take my supplies over and pass out syllabuses. But before we do that I want to address the issue of your punctuality. Today's the second time you've been late to an appointment with me. I let you slide the first time, but I warned you never to do it again. Well, you did, and now you're going to pay for it. Now, you were thinking about joining the Army before you got your scholarship, right?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I was thinkin' about the Army." "Well, then let's give you a taste of what you're missing out on by being here instead of there. Get in the front-leaning rest position." "What?" "Push-ups. You owe me some push-ups, just like you would in the Army. Now drop!" As ludicrous as the order sounded, Cecilia could tell that the professor was dead serious. Reluctantly she got into a push-up position, her hands and toes on the floor as she tried to keep her body as straight as possible. She couldn't believe... "These will be four-count push-ups, military style. Do you know how to do a four-count push-up?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I..." "IN CADENCE...EXCERCISE! ONE, TWO, THREE..." "One!" "ONE, TWO, THREE..." "Two!" "ONE, TWO, THREE..." "Three!" "ONE, TWO, THREE..." At the count of "ten" Burnside ordered Cecilia to "recover". The student stood sweating, breathing heavily, and her knees were shaking. "You're out of shape, Cecilia. You need to spend some quality time in the gym. Now drop!" Once again Burnside's sour voice rang out as Cecilia struggled to do 20 more push-ups. She barely managed to do ten and then her arms gave out. Burnside showed her absolutely no mercy as she yelled at her to keep her back straight. With a disgusted sigh the professor ordered her to "recover" and moved directly in front of her gasping student. "Are you going to be late again?" "No...Dr. Burnside..." "Try speaking with some enthusiasm in your voice. I can't hear you." "NO, DR. BURNSIDE! I WON'T BE LATE AGAIN!" "Let's make sure about that! Drop!" Once again Cecilia struggled to make it through 20 push-ups. After only the second count her entire body was shaking and her arms no longer responded to what her brain was asking them to do. When Burnside ordered the student to "recover", she was gasping for breath and her blouse was saturated with sweat. Her eyes were wide with shock and fright over what had just happened...Burnside had punished her! Five minutes later the professor and her shaken student carried boxes of syllabuses, course schedules, and sample textbooks to a large auditorium-style classroom. The class was Burnside's introductory Theory of Economics course, the grueling 5-credit hours that always started with 150 students and usually ended with about 75. Cecilia had taken the same class the year before and had received a "B". Over the next few minutes the auditorium filled with freshmen, as Cecilia managed to calm her nerves from the unpleasant session with her professor. Burnside was joined by her teaching assistant, a graduate student working on his Master's degree. Cecilia, meanwhile, walked down the rows of young students passing out paperwork and signature forms. She noticed Jason Schmidt sitting with Ken, Mike, and her neighbor Lisa. As she passed him a stack of papers, she gave Jason a knowing smile, at which he blushed. Burnside stood quietly at her podium until her assistant finished with the final row. As soon as Cecilia glanced up at her, the professor pointed at the doors and motioned her and the TA to close them. Burnside always ordered the doors of her classroom shut before she started speaking. The professor's policy was that to be late was the same as missing class altogether, since she had absolutely no tolerance for any disruptions once her lectures began. As previously instructed, both Cecilia and the TA stood at the back, to make sure that no one responded to the desperate knocking of stragglers trying to get into the locked auditorium. The latecomers would have to wait until the class was over, then endure a nasty lecture about punctuality once the doors opened and the other students departed. It was the professor's first hard lesson to her class, there was no flexibility when it came to discipline in the Introduction to the Theory of Economics. Burnside quickly went over the course readings and schedule, then gave a short introductory lecture about the fundamentals of economics. She concluded by holding up two of the course textbooks, explaining what the homework would be for the next class. With Ruth Burnside there was no such thing as "settling in". She presented testable material on both the first and final day of class. Finally, Cecilia opened one of the doors, while the TA stepped outside to round up the nervous freshmen who had not made it to class before Burnside began speaking. The TA led a small group of 18-year olds to the professor to be reprimanded, while Cecilia looked for Jason. She saw him, and could tell that he and his companions were extremely worried about the class and their new professor. ---------- Cecilia Sanchez had a full night ahead of her. Not only did she have to continue with the interviews of her residents, but now she had the unexpected responsibility of fixing her summer project, something she had only five days to complete. On top of that she had her other classes to worry about, including Burnside's Theory of International Development and another economics course taught by a senior professor called Dr. Jim Halsey. The RA had the foresight to understand that she needed to read ahead and be prepared to answer questions on the first day in both classes. She had a lot to do, and could expect not to get much sleep over the next couple of nights. The Freshman Ch. 02 This is a sequel to my first story. If you don't like it, say so, but put your name on the comment. I will delete Anonymous comments if they have nothing useful to say. -------------------------- Mollie, the college's brilliant senior heartthrob, knocked on the freshman's door. It was a cold February day, but Mollie was dressed in a skin tight black dress; a dress that accentuated her perfectly shaped breasts and her round, bulging butt. Her long white legs had goosebumps from her walk across the quad. Mollie was used to attracting stares around campus, but she felt more self-conscious than usual in her skimpy dress. She preferred the comfort of blue jeans, yoga pants, or her trusty volleyball spandex. The beautiful 21 year-old knocked again. The door opened and the hulking body of the freshman was framed in the doorway for a second before he beckoned Mollie inside. "Hi Chad," she said. He did not reply. This was how it had been every night for the past two weeks. Every evening Mollie received a text message from Chad, containing only a few words: the clothing he wanted her to wear that night. Dutifully, Mollie would don the garments he requested and troop across campus to his dorm room. Chad never greeted her, and he spoke little if at all. For a moment after he closed the door, Chad seemed to drink in Mollie's spectacular body as she stood in the middle of the room. He looked her up and down slowly, then placed his large hand on her waist and rotated her so that her back faced him. For several long seconds he simply gazed at her big butt, tightly wrapped in the tiny black dress, seemingly too big for such a petite, athletic girl. It bubbled out a little from under the tight dress, so her bare ass cheeks were slightly visible at the right angle. She wore no underwear. Suddenly, he reached under the dress and grabbed the fat ass with both of his meaty hands. Mollie gasped as his powerful fingers caressed and squeezed her jiggly white ass, flitting every now and then to the edge of her vagina and asshole. He bent forward and bit each of the fleshy cheeks in turn, not too hard but enough so that Mollie could feel it. As he did every night, Chad then lay down on his bed. Knowing what he wanted, Mollie quickly pulled off the dress, straddled his torso, and sat her ass down his face. The huge butt enveloped Chad's face, smothering him with her luscious curves. Mollie moaned as she felt his mouth on her pussy, caressing her lips and teasing her clit with his tongue. Before long, she was extremely wet. As Chad continued to eat her soaking pussy, Mollie massaged his crotch through his blue jeans. She could feel his tremendous cock uncoiling as she rubbed him with her hands. The cock, of course, was the genesis of the new, slutty Mollie. When Chad had forced himself upon her those two short weeks ago, she had resisted only until she beheld the massive root swinging between his legs. At that moment, she felt something she had never felt before: a lust and reverence for the long, thick, member which consumed her totally. Mollie knew what had happened but was powerless to resist: she was a big dick whore now, and Chad had the biggest cock imaginable. Once Mollie felt that Chad was hard underneath his pants, she undid his button and pulled down his pants. His boxer briefs strained to contain the giant penis. Pulling them gently down, Mollie bobbed her pretty mouth down onto the head as she always did, taking more and more of the erect cock into her mouth until she gagged and spit all over it. She could tell Chad loved when she gagged on his cock, and so she made sure to squeeze every inch she could down her throat. When Chad was pleased with Mollie's effort he would give her a hard smack on her big ass, making it bounce and jiggle. After some time, Chad stopped eating Mollie's pussy. She knew this was when Chad would order her down to her knees so he could fuck her face properly. This would culminate in hot cum gushing down her throat as he finished inside her mouth. This had happened every night for the past two weeks. Dutifully, Mollie began to raise herself off the bed and onto the floor. Before she knew what was happening, Mollie felt herself being bent over the bed by Chad's powerful hands. She was standing, with her massive ass sticking up in the air and her face flat on the bed. Then, without warning, Mollie felt terrible pain. Chad had just pressed his throbbing cock into Mollie's tight pussy and was pushing inch after inch of the huge rod into her. "Oh my God Chad! It hurts so bad!" she screamed. "This is what you wanted," he said calmly, and it was true. Mollie had indeed been begging Chad to fuck her for the past two weeks; in fact, she dreamt about it constantly. She knew in the back of the mind how much it would hurt to have Chad's big cock inside of her, but she chose to ignore it. Thankfully, Chad was taking his time. The long dick slowly drew in and out of Mollie's tight pussy, stretching it over and over again. Before long, the worst pain had stopped as the vagina conformed to the huge cock, and Mollie got wetter and wetter. "It feels so good Chad," moaned Mollie. "Tell me what feels good, slut," ordered the freshman. "Your massive fucking cock feels so damn good in my tight pussy," said Mollie. "You fill me up completely." Grunting, Chad began to stroke faster. He grasped Mollie's tiny waist with his large hands and pulled himself into her, harder and harder. Mollie's fat ass bounced every time he pounded her, and he gave her a hard smack on the butt every so often. Mollie screamed as Chad's cock stretched deeper and deeper inside her pussy, which clenched as she came harder than she had ever come before. Still Chad kept pounding Mollie, now with a firm handhold on her voluptuous hips, driving himself into her as she continued to curse and moan. After what seemed an eternity, Chad pulled himself free of the tight pussy and groaned as he shot his load all over Mollie's milky white ass. The thick semen splattered all over both ass cheeks as well as Mollie's back and even into her hair. Turning around, Mollie grasped the softening penis and sucked any remaining cum off until it was dry. "Good girl," said Chad. And he allowed Mollie to sleep with his that night. ------------------------------- Things changed after that. At least, Chad began to treat Mollie more like a person and less like a plaything. She dressed normally, they spoke more regularly, and he even kissed her every once in a while. It was almost as if they were dating, but Mollie knew differently. She was addicted to him; dependent on him and his massive cock. She would do whatever was necessary to keep it. The Freshman Ch. 02 Cecilia retreated to her room and pulled off her sweaty clothes. She needed to take a shower after her impromptu exercise session with Burnside. As she washed off the sweat and felt the soreness in her shoulders, the terror from that strange encounter came back to her. She felt humiliated at the thought of having been yelled at and actually punished, by doing push-ups, of all things. She also felt chastened by her rather pathetic performance doing the exercises. She had discovered an area of weakness in her life, her own physical fitness. She planned to resolve that area of weakness as quickly as possible. However there was something else that scared her even more. She had heard rumors that Burnside routinely punished students by whipping them at her house and forcing them to do other things that were totally embarrassing. Rumors...but today's exercise session gave Cecilia a clear indication the stories probably were true. She promised herself never to do anything to cross Burnside again. The RA settled down with her notes and photocopies from her previous classes with the professor, to set about figuring out what she could take out of her report in order to make room for the Keynes and Weber material. Obviously John Maynard Keynes needed to go in, no matter what. Burnside was a big admirer of the famous economist, so that issue was settled. As for Weber, Cecilia disagreed with Burnside about his importance, but she needed to make the argument for her beliefs. Of course it would be so much easier to cite Weber and be done with it, but she knew that was not what Burnside wanted. The professor wanted Cecilia's own opinions reflected in the paper, properly cited and properly defended. That meant a trip to the library to find articles critical of Weber, from which Cecilia could extract the citations needed to justify her views...in other words, a lot of work and another ruined weekend. By dinnertime Cecilia felt she had made good progress condensing some of the material in her report to make room for the needed Keynes citations. She might even get the Keynes stuff finished the next night, leaving her three days to tackle the Weber problem. Anyhow, she had to take a break from her report to attend to her RA responsibilities. She met the dorm director and the building's other RA's for dinner in the cafeteria. As she sat eating and listening to the director pontificate about campus social activities, Cecilia watched Jason get dinner with Ken. Both were dressed to go exercising and were eating very light meals. It was apparent they planned to go out, perhaps running or perhaps to the gym. She admired Jason's attractive figure as he walked out of the cafeteria. He looks nice in those shorts, she thought to herself, but he looks so much nicer out of 'em... The RA spent the next hour and a half interviewing female students, doing a total of four rooms and eight girls. She confiscated three perfumed candles and wrote up the owners for keeping a fire hazard in their room. She listened to the chatter of rich sorority pledges and used all of her will-power not to roll her eyes. Then she dealt with a crisis in the laundry room, a stupid rich-bitch who had dumped an entire bottle of detergent into a washing machine and was panicking over the cascading bubbles pouring onto the floor. There was a drunken male who somehow had gotten into the women's area and needed to be chased out, and then an escaped parakeet flying in the hallway above the heads of squealing freshmen. Once the bird was captured there was another write-up against the owner for keeping a pet in the dorm. It was well past 10:00 p.m. when peace finally returned to the women's wing of the 2nd floor. Cecilia decided to check on the guys' side before going to back to her studies. Everything seemed quiet, given that many of the more rowdy students were out at rush parties and the quieter ones were studying. She decided to see if Jason was in, partially out of curiosity to know what he was wearing or not wearing, and partly because she wanted to know if he and his friends were planning to stay enrolled in Burnside's class. She knocked on his door, but there was no answer. She quietly turned the knob and noticed it was unlocked. The room was empty, but the light was on and there were a couple of open books on the bed, a sign that Jason had just stepped out and probably was in the bathroom. The RA was in a mischievous mood. She decided to lock Jason's door to repeat his predicament from the night before. She then looked around the hall for something to pretend to look busy, and noticed a flickering fluorescent light. Perfect. She grabbed a chair from the commons area and placed it under the light, then climbed up, pulled off the plastic cover, and began adjusting the tube. Jason came back from the bathroom. To Cecilia's delight he was completely nude, just like last night. "Hi Jason." Jason blushed, but at the same time felt aroused at the thought of being on display yet again in front of his pretty RA. Still, he was somewhat embarrassed and wanted to get into his room. He had a horrible shock when he realized the door wouldn't open. He had locked himself out the second night in a row, but...he could have sworn he had checked before closing his door! Cecilia continued to adjust the light, but with difficulty because she barely could reach it, even standing on the chair. Jason stood nervously at his door, working up the courage to ask his RA to let him back in. "Uh, Cecilia..." "Yes, Jason?" "I kinda...locked myself out of my room again...could you like...uh...let me back in?" "That's OK, I'll let you back in. But I got a quick favor to ask. Could you get up here and see if you could help me get this light put back in? I'm too short and I'd really appreciate it. While you're doin' that I'll find the key." Jason nervously climbed on the chair and tried to adjust the light, while the RA stood admiring his figure. At that moment Mike and Lisa came down the hallway, a bit perplexed at the strange sight of Jason standing naked on a chair while the floor RA stood below giving him directions. Mike's girlfriend mischievously patted his bare bottom as she walked by. Jason blushed, but Cecilia noticed his penis stiffening slightly after the young woman touched him. After several minutes it became apparent the tube was bad, not the socket. Cecilia asked Jason to pass the tube down to her and then handed up the plastic cover to put over the light. He stepped down as she started filling out a work order to get the tube replaced. "Jason, do me a big favor and take the chair back to the commons area." "But I..." "That's OK. It's late and I'm sure no one will see you." Jason carried the chair past the hallway door and set it back in the commons area, feeling incredibly daring at the thought of being naked in the public area. He slipped back into the hallway, only to notice Cecilia still casually writing up her work order. "Thanks. Now if you could just take that tube to the bathroom and throw it out..." At that moment two sorority girls came down the hall and giggled as Jason passed them with the florescent tube in his hand. He entered the bathroom and put the tube in the trash. When he came back out, the two young females glanced back at him and giggled again. Jason was embarrassed, but at the same time was enjoying himself. He didn't want to admit it, but he liked being exposed in front of those girls. He returned to where Cecilia was writing into her clipboard and quietly stood in front of her, his hands at his sides. With a sarcastic sweetness in her voice Cecilia asked: "OK, you ready to get back in your room?" "Yeah." "Now come-on Jason, I want some manners. Say please." "Please let me back in my room, Cecilia." "That's better." As before, Cecilia pretended to fumble for the key, prolonging Jason's suspense. Finally she opened the lock, and the nervous freshman entered his room. However, the young woman was not done with him. "Can I come in so we can talk?" "Uh...yeah...sure..." Once again Jason assumed the worst, perhaps that he was about to be written up for being caught naked in the hallway a second night. However, his RA wanted to discuss something totally different. "Please take a seat on your bed, 'cause I wanna talk to you about Dr. Burnside's class." Jason hesitated, thinking that maybe he should grab a pair of shorts. Cecilia stopped him. "Jason, remember what I told you last night, that I don't like a hypocrite? If you're a nudist I expect you to practice your beliefs with pride and honesty. Sit down as you are...uh, actually I want you to get your economics textbooks first, and then you can sit down." Jason nervously bent over as he dug into his book bags, while Cecilia studied his bare bottom. Her desire to spank him returned in force. She could feel the wetness build between her legs as she imagined it probably would not be too difficult to get him over her lap within a few weeks. Jason sat down on his bed and the RA sat at his desk, looking over the course syllabus. "So how do you feel about Dr. Burnside's class?" "To be honest...I don't think I want to stay in...you know...I sort of want to enjoy my first semester...and she seems like a total bitch. I don't know, maybe I'll try to see if I can take that class next semester, if someone else is teaching it." "No one else is teaching it. She's the only one, so you're gonna have to deal with her sooner or later." "But, I kinda wanted to have some fun the first year, and then get more serious next year. Why couldn't I just take the other stuff first, and deal with Burnside next year?" "Jason, let me explain something. You gotta take her class. You don't have any choice, and you're better off doin' it as soon as you can. It's a basic requirement not only for economics, but also if you want to major in political science, business, sociology, or even history. Dr. Burnside's the hatchet woman for all those departments. She makes things easier for the other professors, 'cause they get to pretend to be nice to the students and put all the blame on her. But they can do it 'cause Burnside don't care about hurting anyone's feelings and flunks people like crazy. Burnside's classes get rid of half the freshmen, and it's the other half who get to study the other subjects, the ones who can pass her classes." "But why can't I deal with this next year? I don't think Ken's staying in, and I'm not sure about Mike." Cecilia gave the naked freshman a very sharp look. "Ken and Mike? So that's how you want to live, puttin' everything off 'cause of Ken and Mike? Worryin' about them instead of what's good for you? 'Oh, I might have to actually have to do some work, and my friends are running away...so I'll just wait.' Wait until when, Jason? So, when are you gonna do it? When are you gonna get this requirement out of the way?" Jason paused, feeling chastened by the RA. "And you've taken it?" "Yeah, I took it last year. I'm here on scholarship and it was the very first thing they wanted me to take. I got a "B" and I can tell you that was the toughest "B" I ever got. Now I'm takin' two sophomore classes with Dr. Burnside, and I'm kinda assisting with the Theory class." "So you know what's in the class?" "Uh-huh." Jason fidgeted. "Cecilia, if I stay in, you can...help me? Like...uh...give me some advice and, check my work?" "Yeah, I'll help you. I'll look over your work and explain anything you don't understand. As long as you study, keep up with the pace of the class and don't fall behind, and also, do what I tell you, I'll make sure you pass." "Thanks! I'd really appreciate it!" Cecilia stood up and picked out the two books that contained the required reading for the next class. She ordered Jason to sit down at his desk and placed the two books in front of him. She summarized the first reading assignment, essentially telling him how to prepare for his first seminar with the TA the next day and Burnside's next lecture on the following day. Once the freshman started with his reading, Cecilia got ready to leave. She had her own work to contend with. "I'm gonna be pretty tied up over the next couple of days, but I'll swing by tomorrow about this time to make sure you understand the readings. Also, I gotta make sure you're not locked out of your room." The RA smiled slightly as Jason blushed yet again. He stood up to say goodbye. A breeze floated through the window and hit his backside at that moment; reminding him he had just spent the past hour talking to his RA with absolutely nothing on. She gently squeezed his hand and gave him a seductive smile. Jason's heart jumped into his throat as he watched her slip through his door. ---------- Cecilia Sanchez returned to her room elated, unable to concentrate on her own work for Burnside. Because of her, Jason would be staying in Burnside's class, and because of Burnside's class, he would need her to pass. She was developing a very strange relationship with him, one that would make him completely dependent on her. Cecilia realized at that moment that she badly wanted Jason for herself. She would seduce him and force him to submit to her. She imagined the naked, embarrassed freshman, at her service kneeling in front of her, caring for her, massaging her body, and attending to her physical needs. On the rare occasions he disappointed her, she would discipline him. She imagined him bent over, sadly looking back at her, waiting for...the paddle. The fantasy of paddling him took hold of her, as did the fantasy of having him constantly next to her, forcing him to be nude and submissive in public during all kinds of situations. Her desire for him was not exactly love, but rather an urge to care for him, to control him, to possess him, and...to actually own him. The young Dominican stripped off her wet panties, wincing slightly as the scent of her arousal filled her dorm room. She turned out the light and pulled off the rest of her clothes. She accommodated herself on her bed, spreading her legs wide in the darkness as the night breezes from her open window caressed her most intimate areas. Normally she slept in a nightshirt and panties, but that night she lay naked on top of her bed, as she imagined Jason doing the same thing. Sweat poured down her face as she gently ran her fingertips over her body in the heat of the late summer evening in her darkened dorm room. She gently pinched her nipples and then ran her fingers down her sweaty stomach. Her hands moved between her thighs...oh yes! She delayed her orgasm as long as possible, gently teasing and massaging her clitoris. Over the years Cecilia's fear of falling under someone else's domination had forced her to become her own lover. She knew her body and how to prolong an orgasm to get the maximum satisfaction. It was a lonely life, but her teenaged years had taught her the hard lesson that she simply could not open up her soul and risk having it taken over and trampled by someone else. However, Cecilia finally had found what she needed, a partner she could control. She figured it wouldn't be too much longer before she could give her fingers a break from this. Soon they would be replaced by Jason's tongue. She imagined the intimate area between her legs as a temple, and Jason as a kneeling worshiper trained to pay proper respects at that temple. She gave herself yet another orgasm as her thoughts concentrated on the nervous naked freshman, knowing he soon would be hers to do with as she pleased. The Freshman Ch. 03 Chapter 3 - The first date The next day Jason and Ken joined Mike and his girlfriend for breakfast. Jason was a bit nervous, wondering how Mike and Lisa would react to the sight of him standing on the chair the previous night. Jason had to retell the story of how he had locked himself out of his room and the RA had caught him in the hall, then how she made him help her with the light before she let him back in. His companions found the story quite amusing and Lisa commented: "Well, the next time the light burns out in my room I'll have to get you to come over to fix it. Of course I'll want you to wear your repairman's uniform." At that everyone had a good laugh. Jason was a bit relieved his friends had reacted so casually to the hallway incident. However, they all were open-minded when it came to stuff like that. Ken had spent several years in Sweden while in high school, while Mike and Lisa had grown up in Santa Cruz, a very liberal town just south of San Francisco. Jason surprised the others by telling them he was planning on staying enrolled in Burnside's class, and explained why. The other three were dismayed upon hearing the news that Burnside was the only professor teaching the introductory Theory of Economics class. Then came the real surprise, the news about Cecilia's offer to help Jason pass the class. Jason concluded: "I think you guys should stay enrolled. If Cecilia can help me, maybe I'll be able to help you." Lisa thought over the whole situation between the RA and her breakfast companion and changed the topic. "You know, Jason, she likes you. You understand that, don't you?" "You think so?" "It's kinda obvious, don't you think?" "I guess..." Lisa rolled her eyes. "You guess. Look, try asking her out this weekend. Find out what she's into, and then ask her out. I'll bet you she'll accept." Mike added a comment that made everyone laugh: "Yeah, maybe she'll take you around the university to fix all the lights." ---------- Jason spent the rest of the day going to his other three classes, all of them general requirement courses for freshmen. There was College Algebra, then Creative Writing, and finally the seminar with Burnside's TA. The seminar boosted Jason's self-confidence tremendously. Because of the help he had received from Cecilia the night before, he was among the better prepared students in the group and performed well in comparison with the others. Jason and Ken then went to the gym to workout in the late afternoon. They had heard about "the freshman fifteen", the fifteen pounds a person normally gains during the first year in college, and were determined that would not happen to them. At the gym Jason and Ken were surprised to see Lisa working out with Cecilia. It was obvious Cecilia was not used to working out and that Lisa was telling her what she needed to do. The RA was sweating profusely and had an exhausted look on her face, even though the settings she had on the workout machines were only moderate for a female. There was dinner, during which Jason went over the Burnside material to help his friends focus their studying for class the next day. He then asked Lisa if she could give him any more information on Cecilia. "She's a bit weird, and I don't have her figured out. I can tell you that something happened to her yesterday that made her totally obsessed with getting into shape, and I mean like, right away. I tried talking to her, you know, small stuff, but the only thing she was interested in was how to use the workout equipment in the gym. She made me promise to go with her to workout and help her get settled into a routine...I mean, all of a sudden that became real important to her, but she wouldn't tell me why." "So...did you find out anything else about her?" "A little. She told me a bit about her freshman year and some things about the classes she took. There's some other stuff I got out of her. She came here on scholarship, and from what I gather, that place in New Jersey she came out of was bad, I mean like...really bad...gangs, crack, drive-by shootings...she grew up with all that shit. She's got a brother in jail, and...oh yeah, Jason, here's a piece of information you'll need to know if you end up taking her out. Cecilia totally hates Rap music, I'd guess 'cause it reminds her of where she grew up. When they played some Rap at the gym she actually went up to the front counter and made 'em switch the tape." "So what kind of music is she into?" "Classical." "Classical?" "Yeah, you know, Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, that sort of thing. That and New Age. And I bet I know why. I'm sure nobody listens to classical music back where she's from. That's probably why she likes it." "But, I don't know anything about classical music..." Mike pulled out a copy of the campus newspaper, opened it, and laid it on the table in front of Jason. He pointed at announcements for a classical concert to be held by the campus orchestra that weekend. "Here. You're problem's solved. Take her to this. And here's a coupon for the seafood place just off campus. I don't think Cecilia's a McDonald's type of girl. She'll want something a bit more upscale." Lisa smiled. "I'll tell you one more thing about her." "What's that?" "A secret from the women's locker room. She wears a skimpy white thong under her skirt. And she's got a really nice butt." ---------- Mike and Lisa had given Jason the information he needed to ensure a successful outing with Cecilia. However, they also unwittingly had played right into the RA's hands by encouraging Jason to focus on her needs instead of his own. Jason's purpose in life for the entire evening would be accommodating Cecilia's tastes. What he might have wanted to do was a non-issue. After dinner he took the paper and put the coupon in his wallet. He then went to Cecilia's room and shyly knocked. She was a bit surprised to see him at her door, but quickly she gave him a seductive smile and invited him in. For the first time Jason had a chance to see the RA's room and get a feel for her personality. The room was full of neatly organized books and study materials. The desk was piled with notes and books, but otherwise the room was immaculate. Cecilia was using her own linens and curtains, which matched and were very elegant-looking. She had several landscape prints hanging on her walls. As for personal pictures, there was only one. It was a picture of Cecilia and seven other scholarship students standing with Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey at a social function. There was nothing in the room, not one item; that looked like it could have come from her previous life in New Jersey. Jason noticed only one other picture on the wall that had any people in it. It was a medium-sized photo of two young women standing in front of a microphone. They had their hair done up in exactly the same manner and were wearing white dresses. One of them was blond and the other was Asian, but oddly enough, they looked very much alike. Jason recognized them as the lead singers from the famous European New Age group "Socrates' Mistresses". The photo was autographed with the following: Cecilia: the Ancients have blessed us with your friendship and help. Thank you for everything you have done for us. - Kimberly Lee-Dolkinva, # 98945. Jason was horribly nervous and decided to get right to the point. He showed her the concert ad and asked her if she was interested in going. Again she smiled seductively and touched his arm. "Sure. I'd like that, Jason. That'd be a nice break from all the stuff I'm havin' to do this weekend." His heart jumped. So Lisa had been right after all! But then Cecilia's demeanor changed completely. She put a condition on the proposed outing. "Jason, have your work for Dr. Burnside ready. When I come over to your room, I want you to be properly prepared with the class reading, 'cause we're gonna go over it together. If there's stuff you don't get, make sure you write it down so you can ask me. If I'm gonna help you, I don't want you wasting my time. You get that?" "Uh...yeah, Cecilia, I understand." "There's something else that I need from you if you want to take me out. I don't like a person who tries to keep secrets from me. I want to make that very clear before we spend any time together. You're not gonna keep any secrets from me. That's very important if you want to have any kind of relationship with me." "Uh...alright, Cecilia...I promise. I...I won't have any secrets from you." "OK. I hope you understand what that means. Now get studyin'. I'll see you as soon as I get my own work taken care of. Please be ready." ---------- Jason returned to his own room, completely bewildered by what had just happened between himself and Cecilia. He was elated that inviting her out had been so easy, but what happened right after that scared him. It was obvious that he would have to take her seriously and be very careful how he behaved around her. It also was obvious that Cecilia was a controlling person and in her own way had very strict values. He understood that he would have to conform to what she wanted, but did not yet have any idea how complete his surrender would have to be before he could win the love and trust of Cecilia Sanchez. Jason tidied up his room. He then nervously reviewed the materials for Burnside's class the following day, as he carefully wrote down questions he had about the reading. He tried to make his questions sound intelligent, and in doing some managed to eliminate some of the more basic items he was able to answer himself. In trying to impress Cecilia, Jason was motivated to learn Burnside's coursework in a manner not possible if he had just been studying for himself. Cecilia showed up about 10:00 and quietly knocked on Jason's door. She entered the room, gave him a very sweet seductive look, and tilted her head sideways, her cheek facing Jason. He figured out what she wanted, she wanted to be greeted with a kiss on the cheek, Latin American style. For the first time Jason felt Cecilia's soft skin on his lips and caught the faint scent of her perfume. His heart beat very heavily with anticipation and desire. Cecilia was sweet at first, but quickly she got down to business. She took a seat at Jason's desk and ordered him to stand, hands at his sides, in front of her. She pummeled him with questions, making sure not only that he knew the right answers, but that he also knew where the answers came from and how he had found them. They spent more than a half an hour going at it, with Cecilia's voice snapping at the freshman whenever he got anything wrong. When he made mistakes the RA shoved a book at him and ordered him to find the right answer. Jason's nerves were on edge and he was sweating, but in less than 40 minutes he was completely prepared for both Burnside's next class and the TA's next seminar. Cecilia got up to leave, but had a final task for the freshman. "Do you think your friends are gonna stay in the class?" "Yeah, I think I can get 'em to stay in..." "Then I'm holdin' you responsible to make sure they pass. If I'm gonna help you, you're gonna pass the favor along. You get that?" "Yeah, OK, I understand..." "I'm holdin' you accountable for the others. I'm warnin' you, don't you let me down." Cecilia then disoriented Jason by shifting from her harsh Burnside demeanor back to her sweet seductive demeanor. She gently put her hand on his arm and tilted her cheek towards him, waiting for a goodbye kiss. Again the faint scent of her perfume and the feel of her soft warm skin on his lips took control of his thoughts and desires. He badly wanted to take her and kiss her mouth, but was smart enough to know that would have to wait. He would kiss her when she gave him permission, not a moment before. As soon as Cecilia left, Jason went to Mike's room. Mike called Ken and Lisa. Once the group was together Jason repeated what Cecilia had told him, that she expected him to help them pass the class. The other three were visibly relieved, and with that Jason spent the next two hours passing Cecilia's information along to his classmates. By the time the study session ended it was well past midnight and the four were exhausted, but they also were guaranteed that, for the first week at least, none of them would fall behind. As Cecilia walked around the dorm doing her final floor check for the night, she noticed with satisfaction Jason sitting with his three friends and Burnside's textbooks in one of the group study rooms. Cecilia had a genuine concern they pass Burnside's class, partly because she liked to see people succeed and partly because they were her floor residents and she wanted her floor in general to do well. However, Jason's friends also were an important part of Cecilia's plan to bring him under her control. They would directly benefit from his relationship with her, and thus would not be in a position to criticize her or question anything she planned to do with him. As long as Jason kept Cecilia happy, she would tutor him and he, in turn, would tutor them. Were Jason to do anything to upset Cecilia, their access to her knowledge of the class material would be cut off. They now had a vested interest in making sure Jason kept her happy. ---------- The following day was Friday. Jason had his modeling in the morning and Burnside's class in the afternoon. Jason's pose for the day was to lie on his back, his hands behind his head, his legs spread and his penis and testicles on full display. At the 11:00 class Cecilia arrived early and took an easel right next to the model's platform. Jason's pose forced him look up at the ceiling, but he actually could feel her intense stare as she carefully studied the area between his spread legs. Cecilia decided to draw a close-up image of Jason's private area in as much detail as possible, and later hang it in her room as a reminder he could not have any secrets from her. As he lay on the platform, as exposed as a person possibly could be, Jason pondered the odd situation that Cecilia had seen and studied his body in intimate detail, but he had not yet seen that much of her. So far the closest he had come to seeing her body was in the gym the day before, when she was dressed in shorts and a tight-fitting top. The sight of her attractive dark legs and slim shoulders fired his imagination and made him desperate to see the rest of her. Lisa's comment about the white thong and Cecilia's "really nice butt" came back to him. However, he now suspected it would be a while before he got to see either the thong or her "really nice butt". Shortly after the Life Drawing class Cecilia helped Burnside set up for her lecture, although this time she was on time to her appointment and there was no unpleasantness in the office prior to class. Burnside had a rather nasty surprise for her students, a pop quiz. The entire room was exasperated...a pop quiz on the second day of class! Fully anticipating the reaction Burnside coldly announced: "Look. I told you that in my class material is testable from day one. From the moment I open my mouth on the first day, right up until the moment I shut my mouth on the last day, you are responsible. Let this be a lesson to you. Maybe what you need to do is put down your beer, sober up, and think about why you're really at this university and sitting in this room." Jason and his companions looked at each other, but with hugely relieved expressions on their faces. They were among the few in the class who were prepared. On this quiz they would do very well, because of Cecilia. There was the afternoon workout at the gym, during which Lisa guided Cecilia and spotted her on the weights. As much as Lisa was hoping to learn more about her mysterious companion, she only learned a few more details about her RA's freshman year and some things about the Economics Department. Cecilia seemed not to want to talk any more about her life prior to college. While Jason and his friends went out for some pizza and later to the university center, Cecilia spent a long night at the library, thumbing through scholarly journals to find the articles she needed to back up her opinion about Max Weber. She also started checking out the books she would need for research projects she needed to do for other classes. Having learned a hard lesson the previous year sitting on library waiting lists, she was determined to beat the rush and make sure the books she needed were checked out to her and not to someone else. Let someone else sit on the waiting list this year, thought Cecilia to herself, I've got better things to do. ---------- Saturday came, and with it Jason's much anticipated outing with Cecilia. He was excited, because he finally would have a chance to spend time with her as a woman, not as an RA or as a tutor. However, he also was a bit worried, concerned about the bossiness in her personality. He thought long and hard about what he should wear, finally settling on clothes that were expensive, but trendy for the college crowd. He had been planning to go over to Cecilia's room, but about five minutes before he was planning to leave, he heard a knock on his door. It was Cecilia, wearing an elegant white dress. Jason later found out the dress was a Danubian formal gown, sent to her as a gift by that New Age group "Socrates' Mistresses". Jason's RA, her dark skin contrasting with the white cloth of the dress, was a flawless picture of elegance and beauty. Suddenly Jason felt under-dressed and very intimidated. Cecilia's next words were not reassuring. "Jason, tell me what you're wearing isn't what you were plannin' to take me out in. Please tell me that." "Uh...I guess I better change." "I'd say so, Jason. You'd better change." Cecilia pushed past him and opened his closet. She rummaged through his clothes, choosing his best dark suit, a white shirt, and his most conservative tie. She then dug through his shoes, finding his best pair and laying them out on the floor. "How come these shoes aren't shined? They're the only decent pair you got, and they're not shined. Why is that?" Jason fumbled to get some shoe polish out of a drawer and quickly set about fixing the shoes, while Cecilia tried to brush the wrinkles out of the shirt. Once the shoes were shined Cecilia ordered him to wash his hands and change into the suit. As soon as he was dressed to her satisfaction, she straightened his tie and brushed off the back of his jacket. She took his arm as they walked out of the dorm. They made their way to the concert hall in the heat of the late summer evening and settled in with a crowd of mostly older people. Jason realized that Cecilia had just saved him from some embarrassment because most of the other people in the audience were formally dressed. Had he gone in his original clothing Jason very much would have looked out of place. There was a final detail Cecilia needed to settle as they went in. Without saying a word, she reached in his pocket, grabbed his cell phone, turned it off, and put it back. He was a bit taken aback that she so casually had reached into his clothing without asking his permission, but decided not to say anything. They went into the auditorium and found their seats. Once the music started Jason decided to take a bit of a risk, he sought Cecilia's hand to hold it. He was elated when she did not pull it away. For the rest of the concert her hand rested in his, as he felt the thrill a person always feels at the very beginning of a romantic relationship. The peaceful music of the concert and the presence of the elegant, pretty girl at his side blocked out the more disconcerting details of her personality in his thoughts. It was a moment in his life he could enjoy, that moment when the world seemed to open up to him because of her presence. The Freshman Ch. 03 Sorry for the wait in between chapters. I promise the next one will be very soon. *********** Since Mollie was, by consensus, the most beautiful girl on campus, she was of course very popular. Although she enjoyed the company of some men, she realized over the years that it was impossible to be "just friends" with guys -- they would inevitably try to get in her pants sooner or later. Therefore, Mollie preferred to stay within her group of girlfriends, most of them teammates on the volleyball team. Over the past few weeks, her friends had noticed that Mollie seemed withdrawn and more preoccupied than usual. She was gone in the evenings for long periods of time. When asked about it, she simply said that she was busy with schoolwork. Since Mollie was extremely studious, it was a believable explanation. However, one of Mollie's roommates was waiting for her when she returned to their off-campus house after a two-night absence. Mollie, of course, had just spent the night at Chad's dorm for the first times since they had begun their "relationship". She was still wearing a tiny black dress when she walked into the house on a chilly Sunday morning. One of Mollie's roommates, Alex, a teammate on the volleyball team, was in the kitchen drinking coffee when Mollie walked in. "Where have YOU been?" asked Alex, eyeing her friend's revealing attire, which barely managed to cover Mollie's round, bulging, rear-end. "Oh... you know..." muttered Mollie evasively. Alex had never seen her friend returning home this way. It was well known around campus that Mollie had never slept with a guy at the college. She instead went out with young professionals in the city, lawyers and businessmen, who brought her to the most expensive restaurants and bought her extravagant gifts. Alex knew that the pampering is not what attracted Mollie; it was the culture and conversation she craved from older, successful men. And being so stunningly sexy, she was able to get what she wanted. "Hold on a second," said Alex as Mollie began trying to climb the stairs and escape her friend. "Did you hook up with a guy on campus??" Mollie paused and looked at her friend. Alex was much shorter than Mollie, and not as voluptuous. Still, she was an attractive girl in her own right, with a small waist, wide hips, and breasts that seemed huge for such a tiny body. She attracted almost as many looks as Mollie when the girls entered a party together. Alex was probably Mollie's closest friend in the house, and Mollie knew she would have to tell her sooner or later what was happening. "I started... seeing a guy," said Mollie hesitantly. "His name is Chad." "Chad?!" exclaimed Alex. "Not that jock who keeps trying to hit on you at parties?" Mollie hung her head. "I know it's hard to believe," she said. "But yes. I've been seeing Chad. That's all I can say right now." And she dashed up the stairs into her bedroom before Alex could question her further. That night, Alex related the news to the other housemates, all senior members of the volleyball team. Abby, the captain, whose butt was even larger than Mollie's but whose waist was somewhat thicker, thought that Mollie was lying. "C'mon, Chad??" she said, "That dude hardly knows the difference between Plato and Pluto. He's literally the last person on campus that Mollie would ever date. I think she's probably seeing some other guy in the city and she doesn't want to tell us who. Maybe he's even older than usual for her, or he's famous or something." Alex wasn't convinced. Neither was Shannon, the fourth girl in the house. Shannon had slept with by far the most guys out of the housemates. She was not as attractive as the other three, but had large boobs and didn't mind showing them off to the college men. Shannon was much more willing to believe that Mollie had lowered her standards and decided to sleep with Chad. In the end, the three girls decided not to badger their housemate about it. Mollie was secretive but always spilled the beans in the end. Over the next couple weeks, even Abby was convinced that Mollie was truly dating Chad. She was rarely in the house and seemed to spend almost every night at Chad's dormitory. They saw them together at meals sometimes in the dining hall. A few times, when the girls tried to join their table, Chad would stick around only long enough to grunt hello before he left the cafeteria. His lack of interest in getting to know them, combined with the increasingly distant presence of Mollie, quickly made Chad an enemy of Mollie's housemates. One night, they finally confronted her about the issue. The next day, Mollie told Chad about the problems with her roommates. "They can't understand why I'm dating you. They want me to explain. And I don't know what to say." "Tell them the truth," replied Chad. "Tell them it's because you're my big cock slut." Mollie shook her head, knowing it was far too embarrassing to admit the real reason she was growing distant from her friends was that she now spent so much of her time dreaming about, worshipping, and fucking Chad's huge member. "How about I talk to them," said Chad. "I'll think of something." ******* The next day, after a particularly miserable volleyball practice, Mollie dwelled longer than usual in the locker room's shower. Her game was steadily going downhill since she began sleeping with Chad. Volleyball, which used to be her outlet and her passion, had now become just another barrier to spending time with Chad and feeling his cock. She was hardly surprised when she reentered the locker room and found a small group of girls huddled together in their towels, speaking in hushed tones. When they noticed Mollie, they stopped talking. Abby stepped towards Mollie. "We need to talk about your performance at practice," she said. "Look," replied Mollie, "Will you please just leave me alone for a while? I need --." She stopped because heavy footsteps had just reached their part of the locker room. It was Chad, dressed normally but holding a volleyball. The girls were stunned. It was Abby who regained her composure first. "What the FUCK are you doing in here, meathead?" she screamed at Chad. "This is the ladies' locker room! Get the hell out right now before I call the police!" Chad just smiled. "I need to talk to you girls," he said, "I want you to understand why your friend is spending so much time with me." Shannon and Alex glanced at Mollie, who hadn't moved and was still gaping at Chad. "Go on," said Alex. Her interest was piqued. "This should explain everything," continued Chad in a friendly tone. And quickly, before anyone could do anything, or say anything (except Mollie, who quietly gasped "NO!" when she realized what he was doing), Chad opened the zipper on his jeans and pulled out his penis. The cock was almost completely soft, but was still an impressive girth and hung almost down to Chad's knees. The volleyball girls were too stunned to say anything, except Shannon, who began to laugh. "Oh COME ON," she giggled, "You except us to believe that is real? Keep dreaming, buddy." Chad walked up to her until he was just a couple feet away. Shannon, like the other girls, was still staring at the cock. "Touch it," commanded Chad. Mesmerized, but with still a grin on her face, Shannon reached out slowly and put her hand on the dick. She frowned, realizing that the appendage did not feel to be rubber. Quickly, she ran her hand around the cock, squeezing it, her eyes widening second by second. Frantically, and seeming to forget she was not alone, Shannon fumbled with his jean button and revealed Chad's full package. The girls gasped. There was no doubt now that Chad was real. His massive penis, which was already hardening in Shannon's grasp, hung impressively just above his large testicles. His pubic area was completely shaven, and accentuated the enormity of the complete package. "Oh... my... god..." whispered Alex. Abby was speechless, her eyes bulging as she took in the massive cock. Shannon's hand was now stroking the penis, seemingly unconsciously. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. Mollie sat down heavily on a bench and watched her friends' stunned expressions. Mollie's movement seemed to wake Shannon. She jolted from her stupor and let go off the penis like it was scalding hot. "Oh my god Mollie, I'm sorry I touched your boyfriend..." gasped Shannon. "I just can't believe this..." Mollie simply shook her head and said nothing. "Don't stop," Chad said to Shannon. "I can tell you like playing with my dick." Shannon gulped. "I can't..." she said, glancing at Mollie. "Don't worry," said Chad. "Mollie does what I tell her to do. And she won't care about this." He gently took Shannon's hands in his and placed them on his semi-hard penis. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her down to her knees. Shannon was now fixated again on Chad. "You have such a huge fucking cock," she whispered hungrily. "Stroke it," commanded Chad. And she did, slowly rubbing up and down the cock with her two hands. It had grown hard enough that her fingers no longer could reach around the complete girth. "Good girl," said Chad, and he reached down and tore off Shannon's towel. He grunted with pleasure as her large tits were revealed, nipples hard. His cock was now almost completely erect, by far thicker and longer than anything the girls had ever seen. Shannon continued to methodically pump the giant member with both hands while she gazed open-mouthed at the long, thick, shaft before her. Just a few feet away, Abby and Alex exchanged a glance but could think of nothing to say. "Now suck my big cock, you big-tittied slut," growled Chad, and he drove the head of the massive dick inside Shannon's gaping mouth. She immediately began to gag as the cock completely filled her mouth. Chad withdrew the cock enough to let Shannon gasp a breath, but then rammed it back inside her lips. He tried to push the cock deeper down her throat, but the most she could swallow was about a quarter of the giant rod. Abby watched mesmerized as Chad fucked Shannon's throat until her eyes were red and the cock drenched with saliva and precum. Finally, Chad pulled the cock from Shannon's mouth and slapped her hard across the face with it. It was heavy enough to create a large "thud" when it hit her. The girls were mistaken if they thought Chad was done with Shannon, who now lay gasping on the floor. He pulled her back onto her knees and carefully placed his massive root in between Shannon's substantial breasts. "I can't do this with your friend Mollie," said Chad to Shannon, motioning to Mollie, who was on a nearby bench staring at the floor. "Her tits aren't nearly as big and soft as yours." "Oh god yes," said Shannon. "Fuck my big titties with your fat fucking cock." And she wrapped her boobs around the cock as Chad began sliding up and down between them. The shaft was long enough that he had to take care not to spear Shannon in the throat every time he thrust in between her tits. Faster and faster he went, moaning from time to time as he watched his huge cock enveloped in Shannon's 36DD breasts. "Are you going to come for me, Chad?" asked Shannon quietly, as she gazed up at him. "Not yet, slut," he replied. "I'm not finished with you and your friends just yet." And he turned his gaze to Abby and Alex. The Freshman Ch. 03 During the intermission Cecilia was totally sweet and caring, letting Jason know that she did appreciate the fact he had gone to the effort to find something she would enjoy, instead of just taking it for granted anything he wanted to do automatically would interest her as well. She flirted with him, giving him that seductive look. She then squeezed his hand and excused herself to go to the bathroom, a break Jason took advantage of to make reservations at the seafood restaurant. He had forgotten to do that, and dreaded the thought of making her wait. Once the concert was over, Cecilia walked arm-in-arm with Jason to the restaurant. It turned out that Mike's recommendation was perfectly appropriate for the evening, and once again Cecilia signaled her gratitude. However, when they went to their table there was another issue she needed to settle with him. Jason sat down, but she did not. Instead she remained standing, looking at him with an impatient expression. He wondered why she wouldn't take her seat. The restaurant hostess came to his rescue, whispering into his ear: "She's waiting for you to seat her." Jason quickly got up, his heart pounding and his face beet-red. He seated Cecilia. That was yet another lesson she managed to teach him that evening. Whenever they dined together, he was to show his respect by seating her. When they finished dining, he would move her chair to allow her to stand up. Once Jason got over his embarrassment from the seating incident, he began talking with her. He was nervous, which made him talk all that much more. Cecilia calmly directed the conversation to find out as much as she could about him. She learned what his likes and dislikes were, what he wanted to do in the future, his experiences with his high school track team, what his family was like, what his girlfriends in high school had been like. She carefully listened, gathering as much information as she could about him on that first night. By getting him to talk, she set Jason at ease and made him feel comfortable being with her. She did not talk much about herself. Finally there was a peaceful late-night walk back to the dorm through the quiet university. Again they walked arm-in-arm, as Jason enjoyed the feel of her soft hand is his own. He led her back to her room, his heart soaring at the thought of having the pretty elegantly-dressed young woman at his side as his girlfriend. The couple got back to the door of her room, their formal clothing looking somewhat out of place in the dorm hallway. Cecilia took Jason's hand and for the final time that night looked at him with her seductive and somewhat sad smile. "You know...I really enjoyed my time with you...I want to thank you...for a fun night." Jason wasn't sure what to say. He had been looking forward to this evening. Apparently his first date had gone well, but he was sorry to see it end. He had vaguely hoped that he might, tonight after the romantic walk home... Cecilia could tell what was going on in Jason's mind and what he wanted. However, he would have to wait. Access to her body was a privilege she eventually would grant him, but one that he would have to earn over time, after a lot of effort on his part and a lot of accommodating her desires. She drew herself close to him, smiling slightly and placing her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating. She tilted her head to the side to let him know it was time to give her a goodnight kiss...Latin American style...on the cheek. The Freshman Ch. 04 Chapter 4 - The first touch Cecilia was restricted to Huntington Hall the following Sunday. She was the duty RA from midnight Sunday morning until midnight Monday morning. She had to keep the dorm security radio with her at all times and be the first member of the dorm staff to respond to any crisis. The RA would have been perfectly content with the arrangement, given that she needed to finish fixing her project for Burnside anyway, had that damn radio not been going off non-stop. No sooner had she changed out of her dress from her date with Jason did she have to deal with her first crisis, a dorm party over on the guys' side of the building, complete with alcohol. That meant calling Campus Security, multiple write-ups, being called a "fucking Spanish cunt" and another write-up over the insult, and dealing with multiple drunken complaints from the party-goers. Two hours later Cecilia returned to her room, only to have the radio go off again, this time over an ecstasy overdose on the women's side. The overdose constituted a medical emergency involving calling paramedics and the dorm director, then taking statements from the girl's hysterical roommate and writing up multiple reports. The overdose was followed by a fight right outside the dorm, a drunken frat pledge throwing up in the commons area, an overflowing toilet, and finally another detergent crisis in the laundry room. By the time she finally returned to her room at 7:00 a.m., the duty RA was exhausted and her nerves were on edge. She finally managed to get some sleep, only to have to wake up a couple of hours later and continue with her paper. She slowly worked her way towards the finish, typing on a surplus computer that the Economics Department had given her as part of her original scholarship grant from the previous year. ---------- Jason, meanwhile, had a fairly good night's sleep, after lying awake for a while pondering his strange date with Cecilia and trying to understand the unusual combination of traits in her personality. He did not dwell on any resentment he might have felt over being snapped at and bossed around by a young woman who was only a year older than he was. It was clear that in her own way Cecilia cared for him. Yes, she was a bit controlling, but so far it seemed that every time she had told him to do something, especially when it came to academic stuff, she had been right. Jason wondered if Cecilia now was his girlfriend. He sort of thought so, but couldn't be too sure. What he did know was that he badly wanted her. He desperately wanted to please her, precisely because he knew that pleasing her would be extremely difficult. She had extremely high standards, but that gave him something in life to strive for. However high Cecilia's standards might be, or how hard they might be to meet, he was determined to meet them. ---------- The following day Jason went out with his three friends on a hike. There was a football game going on that Jason might have wanted to see. However, it was obvious the other three were not the football types, so Jason ended up spending the day on a sweaty walk instead. The walk gave him a chance to talk about Cecilia and the increasingly strange relationship he was having with her. Unfortunately the others did not have much insight to give him about their RA. The only person in the group who knew Cecilia at all was Lisa, and she had not talked to her since their workout on Friday. Jason did get a better opportunity to know his new friends better. All four members of the group were a bit unique in their personalities and to some extent outsiders to the fraternity party society of "normal" university students. There was Mike and his politics, and there was Lisa with her eccentric personality. Then there was Ken, who confessed to the others that he was questioning his sexuality and trying to figure out what he really wanted from his personal relationships. He confessed that there were both women and men who attracted him. "I don't know what's going on with me. Sometimes I think I'm straight, sometimes I wonder if I'm gay...All I know is that right now I'm fucked, 'cause I really don't know what I want." Each member of the group was messed up in his or her own way, but at least they could talk to each other and not face college life alone. They would spend the semester eating, studying, and exercising together, at the beginning of a friendship they would remember well beyond their years at the university. ---------- The next day Jason posed twice in the hot, exposed art classroom. He had thought the pose on Friday was revealing, but that one was nothing compared to the pose he had to assume the following Monday. He was instructed to get on his knees, spread his legs, and extend his arms out in front of him. The pose was something like a kneeling worship position, except that he had to extend and stretch himself as much as he could. The position forced him to arch his back and spread his bottom wide, leaving his anus and testicles fully visible to the students standing behind him. The occasional breeze coming through the open window and blowing against his backside served as a reminder of just how exposed he was to his audience. Jason noticed that both Ken, during the 9:00 session, and Cecilia, during the 11:00 session, took the easel closest to his stretched bottom. It seemed that both of them were fascinated at the thought of their friend being forced to put the most intimate part of himself on such public display. There was Burnside's class. Moving about the stage and pointing at her PowerPoint presentation, the professor quickly went down lecture material that was designed to provide structure and organization to the massive amount of reading she had assigned for the semester. As always, her lecture lasted exactly 48 minutes, with no breaks or pauses. The students frantically wrote into their notebooks, because every sentence, every phrase, coming out of Burnside's mouth was full of information. She used her time at the podium with ruthless efficiency. As for the two minutes at the end of the lecture, that was for announcements and reminding the students what they needed to read for the next class. Burnside took nothing for granted. Yes, the reading was in the syllabus, but if she brought it up in class as well, no one had any excuse for claiming the assignments were not clear. Jason glanced back as Cecilia, who, as always, stood guarding the back doors and quietly listening to the professor. ---------- Cecilia learned from her push-up experience the previous week to have a spare blouse in her backpack to avoid the trip back to the dorm after her Life Drawing class. She quickly changed, went over to Burnside's office, hoping her revised summer project finally would be acceptable and she could move on with her life. Burnside carefully looked down the revised citations and then thumbed over to Cecilia's comments about Max Weber. She looked up at the student, who was standing with a very nervous expression. "You understand I don't agree with these comments about Weber?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I understand that, but I got the sources to back up what I'm saying." "Yes, you do. You backed up your argument, which is all I'm asking. I don't care if you agree with me or not, but I do care about you knowing the literature." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Well, this is acceptable. Not perfect, but it'll work. You'll get it back with my criticisms once I show it to the committee. But we do have to move on, don't we?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." Of course that was not it as far as the visit was concerned. Burnside demanded to see a list of the books Cecilia had for her two upcoming term papers. She suggested some additional sources, then moved on to some economic formulas that she wanted Cecilia to learn by heart. "I'll tell you where I'm going with all this. If your performance is adequate this year, I'm going to see about making you a department research assistant your junior year, for either myself or Dr. Halsey. That'll get some money in your pocket, because I know you're not getting any now. If you can hold out until next year, I'll try to fix that for you." "Thank you, Dr. Burnside." Once the freshman class was over, Cecilia met Lisa at the gym to work out. She listened attentively to Lisa's explanation about the gym equipment and setting up a workout schedule. Cecilia's attitude actually forced Lisa to push herself harder than she might have had she been exercising alone. Lisa tried to get some more personal information out of Cecilia, but the RA always turned the conversation back to Lisa's life. Cecilia had given up more about herself than she had wanted the previous week and was determined not to make that mistake again. She cringed at the slip she made about her brother being in jail. That was not something Lisa, nor anyone else, needed to know. Anyhow, Cecilia's brother, like the rest of her relatives, no longer was in contact with her and thus had no relevance to her current responsibilities or relationships. After the workout the two women showered and changed. Again Lisa noticed Cecilia's attractive figure and could see why Jason was so taken with her. As before, Cecilia put on a white thong before putting on her skirt, a small detail Lisa could relay to her friend that night at dinner. ---------- Cecilia returned to her room to relax for an hour before meeting the other RA's for dinner. Part of her responsibility as RA was to dine every night with the rest of the dorm staff at dinner, no matter what. It was the one opportunity each day for all the RA's to be in one place at one time and thus be available for anything the director had to say to them. Cecilia did not mind the arrangement, because she would have felt uncomfortable eating with Lisa or Jason in the cafeteria. Cecilia glanced up at the autographed picture of the singer Kimberly Lee and her Danubian partner Eloisa, the two women whose magical voices gave her personal thoughts coherence and her mind an escape from that horrible Rap music she had to listen to day in and day out while she was growing up. Cecilia hated the world from where she came. There's nothing glamorous about drug dealing, shooting at the police, gang life, and the mean streets, so why sing about that? She had lived that reality, had seen more than her share of awful events, and Rap music had been the sonic backdrop for many very unpleasant memories. She had left, never to go back, and her mind had left, never to go back. The music of "Socrates' Mistresses" was crucial for Cecilia's mental transformation away from her life in New Jersey. She heard a song from the European group for the first time only two days after arriving at the university the year before. She was hooked the very first time she heard Kimberly Lee's voice. She desperately asked who that group was, and upon finding out their name, spent the only money she had in her pocket to buy a CD. The first several songs were in Danubian, but that did not matter. The voice of the Danubian lead singer was so moving that Cecilia was almost left in tears, even though she didn't understand any of the words. But then came the song that Cecilia really needed to hear, Kimberly Lee's English rendition of "The wall that divides my soul". Cecilia looked up the group's website and discovered that Lee had written the lyrics when she realized she was committed to living in Europe and could never return to her home in the United States. Kimberly Lee, an American stranded in the isolated country of Upper Danubia, had spoken directly to Cecilia, a Dominican stranded at a university in Chicago. Cecilia's life was divided, much in the same way Kimberly Lee's life had been divided. They both had left home. Now there was no home for either of them to return to. ---------- The sad, dreamy music forced Cecilia's memories to drift into the past, to the place she lived in while growing up. As a child and as a teenager, whatever moments of happiness she might have enjoyed always were very fleeting and brief. There always was a lot of tension and resentment and very little love in the Sanchez household. The memories she had of her past were not happy ones, which was why she had no desire to stay in touch with her family. The Sanchez family was assigned to a three-room unit in a Section 8 housing complex. There were a total of seven people crammed into that small space: her mother and whatever boyfriend she had at the time, two brothers, a cousin and her baby, and herself. Cecilia shared her room with the cousin and the infant. There were three women and three guys sharing two bathrooms, and the invariable screaming fits in the mornings over who was taking too much time getting cleaned up. And, of course, there always was that damn living room TV, turned up at full volume, day or night, so it could be heard in every room of the apartment. On top of that was her brothers' gangster-rap music competing against her cousin's Salsa, all mixed with the non-stop crying of her cousin's baby. Cecilia was constantly berating her cousin to pick up the baby or change him, but more often ended up doing it herself, just to quiet the child down. Too much noise and too many people packed tightly together, with the only escape being the street, or in Cecilia's case, the library. There were plenty of times she found an isolated corner desk on the second floor of the local library, and seduced by the quiet environment, promptly sat down and fell asleep. In high school Cecilia's encounters with guys invariably had been unpleasant. Her old neighborhood and high school were filled with drug dealers and thugs on ego trips, whose minds were saturated with gangster mentality and blatant sexism. She had no desire whatsoever to surrender to any of that, she wanted more from her time on earth than getting pregnant at age 16 by some drug addled gang-member and spending her life on welfare. She earned the enmity of the guys in her class, who thought they were entitled to having sex with her, and of her female classmates, who were jealous of her independence and scornful of her good grades. As a teenager Cecilia was disgusted by the squalid, noisy, and aggressive world in which she lived, and determined that whatever happened, she would remain in charge of her future and escape. She had the one advantage of being a very gifted young woman, one of the best students in mathematics at her high school. She also was good in social studies and clearly a cut above most of her classmates. Being one to the better students at Cecilia's high school wasn't particularly hard from an academic point of view, given that it was located in a blighted neighborhood and had one of the lowest graduation rates in the United States. Cecilia became a rebel among her classmates simply by doing what the teachers told her to do, going to class every day, and making sure her homework was turned in on time. Even though she was in her teens, she knew that she had only one hope, and only one chance, of maintaining any kind of control over her life. She had to play the system by the rules, and above all, make sure she was among the few students from her school who actually graduated. She pushed ahead in her studies, with absolutely no support from her mother or brothers. In the end her independence became an obsession in her life, precisely because she had to battle so hard to maintain it while growing up. Cecilia's fixation on controlling her own life extended to her thoughts on relationships. She had extremely strong sexual urges, but was determined that no matter who she ended up with, she would be in charge, period. That was non-negotiable. The wall that divided Cecilia's soul was that intensely hot July day she left her housing project to board a bus headed for Chicago to accept her scholarship. It was the day she took with her a bus ticket, $ 23, and a single carry-on bag that contained three changes of clothing, one romance novel, and the precious paperwork from her high school and the scholarship program that would allow her to begin her new life. It also was the day her mother flatly told her she was prohibited from leaving. There was a final round of shouting, and Cecilia almost gave in. Then one of her brothers, one of her own brothers, called her a "fuckin' bitch". Cecilia said nothing more. If her family was going to call her a "bitch", then they could go fuck themselves. She took off, with her mother yelling threats and insults at her back. She ran to the bus station, barely catching the outgoing bus for Chicago. That was the wall that divided her soul, the day Cecilia Sanchez walked out on her relatives, never to return, something almost unheard of in her neighborhood. Just a few days later, the torment from that memory still fresh in her mind, she listened to Kimberly Lee's voice for the first time. There were other songs in English on the CD, most notably "Marooned", and "A question I cannot answer" that seemed to speak directly to her. The scholarship student decided to e-mail Kimberly Lee, who, to her enormous surprise, wrote back. The fan and the group singer began corresponding and finally, for the first time in her life, Cecilia recounted to Kim in painful detail the circumstances of her flight from New Jersey. Shortly afterwards came the contract dispute and the banning of "Socrates' Mistresses"' music in the US. Cecilia then got a Christmas gift from Upper Danubia in the mail, a complete collection of CD's containing everything the group ever sang. One thing led to another and over the spring Cecilia found herself helping out on the group's website, answering fan mail, and organizing electronic petitions to get the ban on their music lifted. Cecilia's efforts on behalf of "Socrates' Mistresses" earned her two more gifts, the autographed picture and the Danubian dress, which in the US would have sold for $ 700. Cecilia looked about her room. After a year in Chicago she still had very few material possessions. There was the computer on her desk, a cheap CD player, some additions to her wardrobe, her linens, and a few books. There was some paperwork and a recently acquired passport, just in case she needed to travel for the university. There were the gifts from Kimberly Lee, and a few CD's of classical music. And, that was it. Cecilia's scholarship paid for her tuition, books, room and board, a city bus pass, and Internet service, but did not give her much spending money and prohibited her from working an outside job. She was used to living without any money and really did not miss it. Cecilia had no TV in her dorm room, which was not a problem for her. In New Jersey the living room TV had been turned on in her family's apartment non-stop while she was growing up, at maximum volume so it could be heard in every room. There were times Cecilia had to leave, simply to get away from the constant infernal noise of that fucking TV. Like Rap music, television was associated with a lot of bad memories in Cecilia's mind. It was very unlikely she ever would want to have a TV in her residence, even if she could afford one. ---------- As she sat with her co-workers, Cecilia glanced at Jason Schmidt and his friends eating dinner. They exchanged smiles, but there would be business to take care of later. At 9:00 Jason would be expected to be in his room waiting for his RA to go over the material Burnside had presented that day in class. Following that, Jason would meet with his three friends and pass the information along to them. It was a routine that would last the entire semester, one that would assure four passing grades from the difficult economics class. Jason scrambled to go over the readings and prepare his questions, while Cecilia worked on a project she had for the Theory of International Development. At 9:00 p.m. Cecilia showed up at his door. As always, Jason stood at attention while the RA barraged him with questions. Jason would learn over the semester that, no matter what was the personal relationship between them, Cecilia expected Jason to perform on cue when it came to Burnside's classes. The Freshman Ch. 04 If you like it, comment! The more feedback I get, the quicker the next installment will come :) ***** Mollie tried to keep staring at the locker room floor, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing up from time to time. Her boyfriend Chad was thrusting his enormous cock in between the large soft breasts of her friend and teammate Shannon, who was on her knees begging Chad to come on her big tits. It felt so surreal to Mollie. For weeks now she had worshipped Chad's massive penis; gagging on it, stroking it, and feeling it split her in half. Now she was watching one of her best friends enjoy the thing that had become the focal point of her life. Mollie felt angry—betrayed by her boyfriend as well as her teammate. She felt insanely jealous. She did not want to share her boyfriend's huge member with anyone. She wanted to be Chad's big dick slut all by herself. All the same, Mollie couldn't help herself from feeling a little turned on. Watching Chad shove his cock into Shannon's mouth reminded Mollie of all the times when she had gagged on the huge cock. And she had to admit that Shannon's huge boobs looked amazing wrapped around Chad's massive penis. Seeing another girl submit to Chad the same way she had excited Mollie. Suddenly, Mollie was aware that Chad was moving towards her. Shannon was still on her knees, her face and breasts plastered with precum and spit. As Chad approached, Mollie gazed at his erect penis, hoping he would order her to suck it. However, Chad stopped short of her. "Get up, you big cock whore," he ordered. "And take off that towel." Mollie rose slowly, letting her towel fall off. It revealed Mollie's incredible body: a tiny waist, perky tits, and above all, the huge round ass. The butt would have been large on any girl, let alone one as petite as Mollie. As it was, the perfect white ass had made Mollie a legend on campus, and was the reason Chad had targeted her to be his object. After Mollie stood, Chad grabbed a handful of Mollie's big ass and gave it a hard spank that made it jiggle slightly. "Clean her," said Chad to Mollie, pointing at Shannon. "What?" asked Mollie, though she now knew what Chad wanted. "Clean your big-tittied friend," ordered Chad. "Now." Without looking at Shannon's face, Mollie reached down and helped her friend up. She looked at Shannon's large breasts, which had just been wrapped around her lover's cock. She felt a stir between her legs as she leaned forward and ran her tongue over Shannon's boobs, scooping up some of the saliva and precum left from Chad's vigorous titty-fucking. She felt Shannon gasp quietly, but continued to lick the mess off of her chest methodically until it was clean. From time to time, her tongue lingered on Shannon's nipples, which were still hard. Still without looking at Shannon, Mollie turned around to face Chad, who was slowly stroking his cock as he watched the two girls. "You're not done," said Chad. "Her face." Hesitantly, Mollie turned back and looked Shannon in the eyes. Her face was splattered with the juices from Chad's vigorous throat-fucking. Slowly, Mollie put her lips on Shannon's cheek to begin cleaning. As she did, she felt her Shannon take Mollie's hand. Gently, Shannon placed Mollie's hand on her large breast. Mollie squeezed the soft boob and ran her thumb over Shannon's nipple, eliciting a gasp of contentment from her friend. Before she knew what was happening, Mollie's tongue was in Shannon's mouth and Shannon's was in Mollie's. Mollie caressed both of Shannon's breasts while they kissed passionately. Chad watched the two girls make out as he stroked his long, thick cock. But his gaze shifted quickly to the other pair in the room. Mollie's other teammates, Abby and Alex were watching the two girls kiss with their mouths open. Alex had begun to unconsciously caress her own breasts, and Chad could see her stiff nipples through her towel. As Chad walked over to the two girls, they snapped out of their trance and stared at him. However, they seemed incapable of moving or speaking. In front of the girls, Chad stopped and stood, his massive pole standing erect before him. Silently, Alex fell to her knees before Chad. She was by far the smallest of the four girls. She had short brown hair and her large brown eyes widened as she looked up at Chad and his huge cock. For a girl of her size, her breasts were large, but nowhere near the size of Shannon's or even Mollie's. She butt was not large, but perfectly round and descended into her shapely legs. Of the four girls, she was the most petite and probably had the prettiest face. When Alex put her hands onto his cock, Chad grunted with pleasure. Her hands were tiny and didn't even cover half of Chad's length. "Oh god," whispered Alex, "How is it so big? It's just so fucking big." "Do you like that, babe?" asked Chad, "Do you like Daddy's huge cock?" "Oh god yes," moaned Alex. "I love holding Daddy's big, heavy, cock." And she began stroking the penis with two hands, pumping it as if her life depended on it. "Good girl!" said Chad. "Now suck Daddy's dick." Alex opened her small mouth as wide as she could and Chad was able to cram the head of his cock between her lips. Her eyes widened as she realized how truly enormous the penis was. Still, she gamely began to suck as much as she could. Alex looked truly small in comparison to the impressive member. Her large eyes stared pleadingly up at Chad as she bobbed up and down on the cock, begging him to continue. Chad, however, shifted his gaze to Alex's right. Abby had just knelt down quietly next to Alex. Her towel still clung to her. Behind them, Mollie was lying on a bench with Shannon between her legs. Mollie was moaning as Shannon gently licked her clit and inserted a single finger in Mollie's soaking pussy. Chad ignored them as he looked at Abby. She was the biggest of the four teammates. She had extra baggage around her waist and her face was somewhat round. Unknown to Abby, however, Chad had had his eyes on her for a long time for the same reason he had ultimately chosen Mollie: her huge ass. Abby's butt was even larger than Mollie's thanks to her wide hips. She also had D cup breasts. Despite these generous proportions, Abby was objectively the least attractive of the four friends due to her slight chubbiness and the gap between her front teeth. Chad didn't seem to mind in the slightest as he pivoted towards her and shoved his huge rod into Abby's open mouth. It was immediately clear that Abby could handle the massive cock more easily than her tiny friend Alex. She gagged and spat on the penis but continued to force it inch after inch down her throat, eventually taking more than half of huge cock. Alex tore off Abby's towel and began to massage her large tits as she swallowed the big dick. "You suck his huge cock so good," whispered Alex in Abby's ear. "You're such a good slut. I want to see you ride that big dick." "You want to see me fuck your friend?" asked Chad. "Oh yes, you big stud," moaned Alex, "please fuck Abby's wet pussy." Chad hauled Abby up so that she was kneeling on the bench with her ass up in the air. Alex stood next to Abby and watched as Chad reached down and bit Abby's fleshy weight butt. He spanked the big ass with her hands and watched as it jiggled back and forth. On her knees with her legs together the butt looked enormous. Chad laid his thick cock on the big ass and admired it. It reached almost halfway up Abby's back. "Please Chad," said Abby, speaking for the first time. "Pound me with your big cock. Make my huge butt bounce and jiggle and keep on pounding." Chad picked up his heavy penis and pressed the head against Abby's pussy. He could feel how wet she was. Before Chad could enter her, though, Mollie clambered onto the bench next to Abby. Her face was flushed. Seeing Mollie and Abby's asses side by side on the bench seemed to somehow turn Chad on more. He groaned and grabbed his cock, using it like a paddle to spank the two girls' huge butts. Then, before the girls knew what was happening, he had entered Mollie's dripping pussy and was fucking her hard from behind. As Chad fucked Mollie, he kept one hand on Mollie's bouncing ass and one hand on Abby. Shannon was kneeling in front of Mollie and Alex in front of Abby; the girls were licking each others' breasts and kissing passionately as Chad pounded Mollie. Chad worked his finger inside Abby's tight asshole as he fucked her friend, grinning with pleasure as Abby groaned and begged him to fuck her. After some time, Mollie could feel a familiar shaking coming from Chad. He was close to coming. "Come on baby," she screamed. "Blow your load all over my big fat ass!" "Oh god..." grunted Chad. "I'm gonna fucking come." Abby, Alex, and Shannon crowded around their friend's huge butt. Their eyes were wide and their mouths open as they waited for the big-dicked god to finish. Finally, Chad pulled his cock free of Mollie's pussy and began shooting spurt after spurt of hot semen onto the four girls. The first blast covered Alex's pretty little face, the second landed all over Shannon's huge tits. By the time Chad finally finished, the three faces were plastered, and Mollie's huge ass was dripping with cum. The girls immediately began licking the cum off each others' faces and bodies as Chad began to dress himself. "Come on Mollie," he said. "Time to go." "But Chad..." said Shannon, and Abby and Alex looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please... we need you inside us...we need to feel that huge cock inside us right now..." But Chad took Mollie's hand and left the three girls there in the locker room, naked and cum-soaked. Three more big cock sluts for him to rule. The Freshman Ch. 04 At 9:30 Cecilia dismissed him and presented her cheek for a good-bye kiss. Jason then had to start on the second part of his duty to the RA, updating his friends on the course material and making sure they were properly prepared for the Tuesday seminar and the Wednesday class. ---------- The semester's daily routine was settled by Tuesday of the second week of classes: breakfast, classes, exercise, dinner, study. Over the next couple of days Jason wondered about Cecilia, given there was no indication they were any closer than they had been the previous Saturday night. The only way he could find out was to attempt to invite her out to a second classical concert over the weekend. Instead of asking her out Wednesday night when she was still in his room, Jason decided to wait until the following evening and go over to Cecilia's room, with a vague idea of talking to her and perhaps getting a better idea of where exactly his relationship with her was headed. He called Lisa to escort him through the women's wing. She agreed, but was none too pleasant about it. Jason suddenly realized that Mike must have been in her room and it was likely he was interrupting their evening. Jason could hear faint music coming out of the RA's room, the extremely haunting sound of women's voices and some very unique-sounding instruments. He recognized the music: it was a song from Cecilia's favorite group, "Socrates' Mistresses". Suddenly he remembered the autographed picture of the group's lead singers hanging on Cecilia's wall. He vaguely wondered about the story behind it. Lisa clearly was impatient. She either wanted to deposit Jason in Cecilia's room, or escort him back out into the commons area and get back to whatever it was she was doing with Mike. More to avoid looking like a fool in front of Lisa than anything else, Jason forced himself to knock on the RA's door. The moment Cecilia opened, Lisa walked off and quickly disappeared into her room. Cecilia greeted Jason by presenting her cheek for a kiss. Her appearance was a bit of a surprise. She looked extremely tired from barely having slept and seemed somewhat depressed. Her clothes were different as well. She was dressed in a mini-skirt and halter-top that left her shoulders completely bare, an outfit considerably more revealing than what she normally wore in public. Jason longingly glanced at Cecilia's uncovered shoulders and bare arms and legs. In spite of her exhausted appearance, in her abbreviated outfit she looked extremely sexy. Jason suddenly became extremely nervous, because he realized he had no real reason for coming over. Cecilia, however, did understand why Jason was in her room. He was looking for answers. For one evening, a time she was in a melancholy mood and her defenses were down, she managed to open a window of her soul to him, even if it was just a tiny bit. She began by asking him about his classes, taking a genuine interest in finding out what he had done that day. She then passed him a copy of the revised Burnside project, explaining about the paper and why it had kept her so busy over the previous weekend. She decided to tell him more about the professor and her own experiences as a freshman at the university the previous year, thinking it would be a good idea to warn Jason what he could expect later on from Ruth Burnside. She made it obvious her first year at the university had not been fun. It seemed that she did absolutely nothing other than study and work on research projects. Jason, whose mind still was fresh out of high school and somewhat full of fantasies about crazy college life, was bewildered at the dreariness of Cecilia's first year. "You didn't, like, go out with anyone, or go to parties, or do anything?" "That's not what I'm here for. I'm here to study. Maybe, once I get my degree, you know, and a job, then I can relax. Until that happens, I'll do what Dr. Burnside tells me to do, because I'm not goin' back. My ass is hers until I graduate, but I'll deal with it. I am not goin' back." "To...your housing project in New Jersey?" Cecilia gave Jason a very sharp look. "That's right Jason, my housing project in New Jersey. So you knew that?" "Uh...yeah." "Did Lisa tell you?" "Uh..." "Answer me! Did Lisa tell you about our conversation last week?" "Uh...yeah, she told me." "So you know about my family, and all that shit." "She...uh...told me a few things..." "And I told her not to say nothin'! And she did!" Jason felt totally sick. He wondered if he had just sparked a fight between Cecilia and Lisa. At the very least he had cut off his only source of information about her, since it was obvious that Cecilia never would trust anything personal with Lisa again. And that the best he could hope for... Cecilia was infuriated at Lisa, but Jason's fears of an open fight were unfounded. There was no way Cecilia would confront Lisa because doing so would not serve her interests. She still needed Lisa to help her learn how to use the gym equipment, and it was useful to Cecilia for Lisa to remain Jason's friend. On top of that Cecilia was Lisa's RA and at least needed to treat her with professional courtesy. But as for as placing any further personal trust in Lisa; that had ended. Jason already knew more about Cecilia's background than she had wanted him to know, thanks to Lisa's big mouth. She now felt she needed to somehow explain herself to him, a situation that made her feel very vulnerable. She wasn't sure where or how to begin, and she wasn't sure how much information about herself she needed to give up. She then happened to glance at the picture of the two "Socrates' Mistresses" singers, who quietly and sadly stared back at her from behind Kimberly Lee's handwriting. The thought crossed Cecilia's mind that she didn't need to say anything at all to Jason; that perhaps she could let her favorite band speak for her. "Jason, I'm gonna make you promise me something. I don't ever wanna have to talk to you about my life before I came to Chicago. I don't wanna talk to anybody about it. I don't wanna think about it, 'cause it's over! I don't want you askin' me, get it?" "It's OK. I won't ask you. I promise." Cecilia sighed. "But I do owe you something, and I'll try. If you wanna understand me, listen to this." She took the "Socrates' Mistresses" CD out of her CD player and replaced it with an older CD from the same group. She skipped ahead to the song she wanted Jason to hear. She hit the play button, and Jason listened to Kimberly Lee sing "The wall that divides my soul". Jason vaguely knew the story behind the song; that Lee had written the lyrics when she realized she was committed to living in Europe and could never return to her home in the United States. He knew right away why Cecilia wanted him to hear the song and listened to it attentively. Cecilia's life was divided, much in the same way Kimberly Lee's life had been divided. Cecilia thought he did not need to know the details, but the conversation and the song gave him a general idea of what had happened to her the previous year. As Jason sat quietly listening to Cecilia's CD, she shook her head, signed, and started rubbing her temples and neck. She was trying to cope with a vicious headache and stiffness from having sat at her computer since the beginning of the semester with very little sleep. Jason asked her what was wrong. "What's wrong is that I'm tired. You know, I'm trying to do about five different things at once. I guess...it just...finally caught up with me." "Is there anything I can do...you know, to make you feel better?" The RA thought about it for a moment. Yes, there was something that would make her feel better. She wanted to have her neck massaged and would ask Jason to do it. A neck massage would be a good way for her to test him, to see if he could do something physical to her but stay within the limits of what she wanted. It was a simple desire, but at the same time a very momentous decision, given that Jason would be the first man allowed to touch her in nearly four years. "There is something you can do for me, if you want. If you could rub the back of my neck and my shoulders I'd really appreciate it." Cecilia tied up her hair and moved into the room's armchair. She sat quietly, looking straight ahead. Jason, not saying anything, stepped behind the chair and placed his fingertips on her skin. He gently began pressing into the stiff muscles of her neck, slowly working his way up to the top under her thick black hair. He moved his fingers back down, and cautiously massaged her, pressing his fingers in a little harder to get her body to relax. She closed her eyes and sighed, smiling slightly. His heart jumped, as he realized he was doing something that pleased her. He pressed into her shoulders a bit harder and again worked his way back up to the top of her neck. He spent a long time accommodating her request, obediently rubbing harder or softer as commanded. Jason felt a surge of erotic desire when he realized that if he stood directly over her, he could peek down the cleavage of his girlfriend's halter top and see quite a bit of her chest. He felt extremely daring as he looked down at her breasts, because he knew she had not given him permission to see that part of her body. Jason did not think about the enormous irony of the situation, that she had seen him completely naked several times over the past two weeks for extended periods of time, and here he was, excited about catching a fleeting glimpse of her breasts by looking down into her top. Cecilia told Jason to put some lotion on her shoulders and continue massaging. She instructed him to move to her hands and arms. He started with her fingers, massaging them one by one, then pressed her hands to try to push out the soreness from all that typing. He moved on to her forearms and worked her muscles as he slowly moved back up to her shoulders. She obviously was enjoying this. He felt a real joy in being able to touch so much of her body and doing something that pleased her. Cecilia was nodding off. He took her hand and helped her to move to her bed to lie down. Seeing her bare legs and feet Jason wondered whether or not she would like to have the lower part of her body massaged as well. Her voiced sounded infinitely tired as she responded: "I'd like that, Jason. But I want you to concentrate on my feet, and don't go above my knees. I'm warnin' you, don't go above my knees." Jason spent the next half-hour massaging her feet and calves, as he admired her smooth dark skin and looked longingly at her bare thighs and the small patch of white cloth between her legs up under her skirt. The thought that he would someday get the chance to touch that bare flesh and kiss her tender dark skin tormented him with desire, but unfortunately tonight that part of her body was off-limits. The sound of her breathing changed, indicating she had fallen asleep. Jason stopped massaging. The sight of Cecilia sleeping and helpless was strange to him, one that he could not resist enjoying for a few minutes. In spite of being in love with her, he also was somewhat afraid of her and it was nice to see her lying quietly with a peaceful expression. He turned out the light and sat in the dark for a few minutes, wondering what to do about getting out of the room. He did not want to wake up Cecilia just to escort him out, nor was calling Lisa an option. Finally he decided to slip out and head to the commons area by himself. It was late and it was unlikely any of the female floor residents would see him, or if they did, confront him. As he opened the door, he took one last look at her, as she lay on the bed in her hot room. He fervently wished he could have been lying next to her, both of them naked, after having made love. He wanted that day to come. He knew it would, just not soon enough. ---------- Two nights later Jason took Cecilia out on their second date. The outing was a repeat of the first date; except that Jason managed to avoid many of the mistakes he committed the previous week. He was properly dressed in a dark gray suit with his shoes properly shined and his shirt ironed, his cell phone was left back at his dorm room, and he already had reservations set up at another restaurant recommended by Mike. When he met her at her door, Cecilia was dressed in her Danubian dress. Once again she was the perfect picture of feminine beauty and elegance, her physical appearance contrasting with her rough East Coast accent. She glanced approvingly at her date, satisfied at his effort to make himself presentable to her. She rewarded him with a very pleasant smile. She took his hands as she greeted him, but still presented her cheek instead of her mouth for Jason's kiss. Cecilia spent that night digging deeper into Jason's life, finding out about his interests and what had affected him throughout his childhood. She may have been unwilling to talk about herself, but was very good at getting Jason to expose his most intimate thoughts and desires. She became curious about his nudism, getting out of him his habit of skinny-dipping in his parents' pool while he was growing up and his nude forays around the house when his family was not home. Throughout the night she allowed more physical contact: more hugging, more hand-holding, more light seductive touches on the forearm, to signal she was ready to move towards a more serious relationship. She worked to put him at ease and make him feel comfortable being with her. However, in many very small and subtle ways, Cecilia also let Jason know that she would remain in complete control of their time together. By the time the evening ended Cecilia's unspoken message to her boyfriend was very clear; she was not to be crossed. He would learn to meet his own needs by satisfying hers, that to make her happy was to make himself happy. Her disapproval on any detail, no matter how trivial, was something he needed to avoid. As they walked back through the university following dinner, Cecilia drew herself close to Jason. She put her arms around him and allowed her cheek to rest on his shoulder. She was immensely happy. Yes. He was the one, he the man she had been waiting for. Maybe he didn't know it yet, but he was the one destined to serve her. The Freshman Ch. 05 Chapter 5 - Two Streakers Jason spent the following Sunday with his friends, once again going on a hike along the shore of Lake Michigan north of Chicago. It was a very pleasant outing, made even more so by Jason's extremely upbeat mood over his successful date with the RA the night before. The group got back from their hike relatively late. After getting cleaned up and changed they decided to go into Ken's room and order a pizza, after having missed dinner. Jason thought about going over the Burnside class materials for the next day. However, before he had a chance to say anything, Lisa and Mike decided to play cards. The four friends played a couple of rounds, but it was just for fun, there was no betting. Ken then suggested making the game more interesting by playing a round of strip Poker. Jason agreed, as did Lisa. Mike was a bit reluctant, for a very good reason. He knew that Lisa, whose father worked at a casino in Reno, was an excellent card player. He already knew what the game's outcome would be; Lisa would win. The only question would be in what order she would strip her three companions. However, under pressure from the others, he finally went along. Lisa cut the cards and crisply shuffled them. She quickly and expertly dealt the first round, the cards landing precisely in groups in front of each player. Jason and Ken glanced at each other, suddenly realizing they were facing a very tough opponent. Just how tough became evident within 15 minutes, when Ken, the first loser of the game, pulled down his underwear and handed it to Lisa. She made him stand with his hands behind his head for about 30 seconds, but then ordered him to sit back down and dealt him another hand of cards. "OK, Ken, now you're playing for penalties instead of clothes. The way this'll work is that we'll play until there's only one winner. The first and second loser will stay in, playing for penalties, until we have our third loser. Once we're done, the winner will figure out what the penalties will be." Jason lost his shirt the following round and Mike lost his socks on the next round. Ken then lost again. Lisa ordered Ken to stand and took a black magic marker to draw a "P" on his chest, indicating he had a penalty against him. Jason's shorts came off in the next round, and, since he wasn't wearing underwear, that made him the game's second loser. Ken lost the following round, earning a second "P" on his chest, then Jason lost the next two rounds, earning two penalties and two "P's" on his chest. Mike, the final holdout, battled Lisa and got as far as getting her shoes and socks off, but then she got his shirt and his shorts and reduced him to his underwear. Ken lost yet another round and earned himself a third penalty. Then Mike lost again. He stepped out of his final piece of clothing and quietly handed it to his girlfriend. He wouldn't have any penalties against him, but would not be allowed to get dressed until Ken and Jason were done with their punishments. Lisa ordered Jason and Ken to stand next to each other, hands at their sides, while she took several pictures, from the front, from the sides, and from the back. She handed the camera to Mike, and then posed with her two victims. She stood between them and placed her hands over their penises, in a pose mocking their modesty. She ordered them to go into the hallway for another round of photos. The final shot was when she ordered them to get on their hands and knees next to each other. Still fully dressed, Lisa climbed up on their backs for a pyramid pose. By the time she finished, Lisa and Mike had shot an entire roll of film of 36 pictures. Ken and Jason were stupefied at Lisa's imagination when it came to making them do embarrassing things. Unfortunately for both losers, there was much more coming from their friend's sadistic desires. Lisa ordered Jason and Ken to stand in front of her, as she took her magic marker and crossed out a "P" on each of their chests. One penalty down. There were two more to go for Ken, one to go for Jason. Lisa decided to do Ken's extra penalty next, then have Ken and Jason do their final penalty together. She ordered Mike to switch the roll of film in the camera and prepare to take yet more pictures. She then sat on Mike's bed and ordered Ken to lie across her lap. For a couple of minutes she gently massaged Ken's bottom and pressed between his legs to get him to spread for her. Jason looked at Ken's face, which showed an odd expression of anticipation. Ken was not nervous or embarrassed at all, he was excited! "You know, you really are a bad boy, and we all know what bad boys deserve." With that Lisa began spanking. She spanked softly at first, but quickly she picked up both her pace and the force of her swats. Jason could hear his friend breathing. Sweat formed on his forehead and his face reflected a mix of discomfort and intense pleasure. Mike took a couple of pictures, but Jason could tell that he too, had noticed Ken was enjoying being spanked by Lisa. He clearly was irritated with both of them. As Jason sat in Mike's armchair watching Ken's punishment, the slaps continued, five minutes...ten minutes. The scene moved him, the submission of Ken to Lisa and the intense pleasure it was bringing to him. Ken's reddening bottom-cheeks were nicely spread and bounced each time Lisa's hand made contact. Ken was making no effort to clench his bottom or in any way avoid the full impact of Lisa's swats. Jason thought about Cecilia and her dominating personality. He wondered...was it possible that Cecilia might someday put him over her lap? Jason's heart pounded at the thought...that perhaps, not too far off in the future, he might be laying naked across Cecilia's thighs and submitting to her discipline. As he watched Lisa's hand continue its cruel and yet intimate contact with Ken's red bottom, Jason fervently wished it could have been him and Cecilia...his beloved Cecilia's hand against his bare bottom... Finally Ken's spanking ended. Jason could tell that Mike's mood had changed for the worse, something that fortunately Lisa noticed as well. She tried to repair the damage by passionately kissing her naked boyfriend, and in doing so managed to settle his temper a bit. Ken meanwhile, stood up, rubbing his bottom and turning away as he tried to hide an erection. He had thoroughly enjoyed the spanking. He looked longingly at Lisa as she kissed Mike. He wanted more, and was wondering how to get more. Once Lisa calmed Mike's jealousy and Ken calmed his state of arousal, it was time to complete the final penalty. This was one that Jason and Ken would share. They would have to sneak out the dorm wearing nothing but their shoes, streak to the university student center, actually enter the student center, take a picture to prove they were there, and then streak back to the dorm. Mike added a condition. There was a display of campus political fliers near the student center's main staircase. Jason and Ken would have to pick up fliers before fleeing the building to prove they had made it that far in. It was unlikely there would be anyone in the student center so late on a Sunday night, but still, Mike's added condition made the streaking expedition much more risky. The student center was more than half a mile from Huntington Hall, but going out and coming back didn't present much risk of being caught. There was a back route to the student center that was mostly hidden by hedges and trees. The back way had only one danger spot, a quick dash across the courtyard in front of the University Library. The main risk of being caught was in the student center itself, but that was what made Lisa's penalty so daring and exciting. The two streakers put on their shoes while Mike put on his shorts. The four students slipped down the hallway to the back stairwell. The agreement was that Mike would stand outside waiting outside the dorm's back entrance for the two runners to come back. Upon checking to make sure they had the required political fliers in their possession, he would signal Lisa to let all three of them in through the back stairwell. Jason was scared out of his wits, wondering how on earth he had let himself be dragged into this weird adventure. At the same time he was excited, and determined to have a successful run. The real danger only would last about 60 seconds: the quick dash to the student center's main staircase, grabbing a couple of fliers, and then getting the out of the building before Campus Security spotted them. Jason and Ken said nothing as they jogged along the dark sidewalks and made their way to the student center. They both were used to running three to four miles a day, so a half-mile jog was no big deal. Actually Jason always had fantasized about being able to jog in the nude, and now here he was, doing it for real. The cool night air actually felt very nice on his bare body. They came up between the final two buildings before having to sprint across the library courtyard. There were several students walking about, but it couldn't be helped. The two streakers nerved themselves and dashed across the lit area, trying to run as fast as they could as they heard the whistles and applause of their late-night spectators. They quickly disappeared into the darkness and completed the final leg to the student center. Now came the hard part. They came up behind a kiosk, the final item that offered any concealment from the student center. There was a couple sitting near the main fountain, but that was it as far as potential spectators. Ken tapped Jason's shoulder. "Let's just do it. We'll go straight to the stairs. You grab the fliers, and I'll get your picture while you're doing it. Then we run like hell." The next two chaotic minutes would be the two longest minutes of their lives. They ran straight across the courtyard, ignoring the squeal of the female sitting at the fountain. They had to try several doors before finding one that was not locked. Once inside they frantically ran to the stairwell, and as planned Jason grabbed a fistful of fliers as Ken's flash went off. "HEY YOU TWO! STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!" It was a female officer from Campus Security, standing at the top of the stairs! Jason glanced at Ken, and they decided to make a run for it. They bolted for the door. "I SAID STOP! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! FREEZE!" They frantically ran for the unlocked door with the security officer in hot pursuit. Then something extremely fortunate happened, as the officer pulled out her police radio to call back-up, she dropped it. The radio clattered on the floor and she had to stop in her tracks to pick it up. She frantically keyed the device and shouted for her partner, but it was too late. Jason and Ken had made it out the door. They scrambled across the courtyard and fled into the darkness. They made their way to the dark sidewalk of the back route, running as fast as they could. To their horror they heard the crackle of a police radio behind them, which indicated they still were being pursued. Jason realized they would be caught for sure if they stayed on the sidewalk; their only hope was to try to sneak back through the bushes. Jason saw a break in the shrubbery and grabbed Ken's arm. They pushed through and got on their hands and knees, and then crawled through the mud, parallel to the walkway. Sure enough, Jason had been right. Two security officers came down the sidewalk on bicycles, their headlights illuminating what was in front of them. As the two streakers knelt in terror, the officers stopped only a few feet away from them. Jason and Ken could hear their conversation. "Jamie, are you sure they came this way?" "No, I'm not completely sure, but what other way could they have gone? Polk is out watching the Baker Street exit and he's not seen them. The only other way is out through the academic buildings, and that area's completely lit." "Alright, let's keep looking. This time I want to get 'em. It's the third time this weekend and I'm sick of this." The officers split up, riding their bicycles in opposite directions. Jason and Ken frantically crawled towards the library, now a huge forbidding open space they had to cross to make it back to the dubious safety of the dark walkway on the other side. To their relief there were very few people milling about in the courtyard. They crashed through the bushes and dashed into the lit area. There was a whistle and some clapping as they frantically ran to the dark exit on the other side. They had to pass a single female student who was weighted down with textbooks. That wouldn't have been a problem except for one awful detail. The woman turned around and the two naked, sweaty, mud-covered students found themselves staring right into the face of their RA. They were so shocked they stopped dead in their tracks. Cecilia was not pleased. She shifted her heavy armload of books as she called them over. "OK you two, get over here. Now!" Reluctantly the two streakers approached their RA. There was no point in running anymore. They were busted. The police radio crackled in the distance as Cecilia glanced over at the dark path. She could see a light approaching and illuminating the bushes. She rushed to set her books down, almost dropping them. "On your knees, quick!" Jason and Ken hesitated. Cecilia slapped their shoulders. "Get on your knees!" Just as Jason and Ken got on their knees, the two security officers rode into the library courtyard. Jason could hear one of them announce into his radio. "OK, Polk, we got 'em." "10-4. Good job." What Cecilia did next totally shocked her two companions. She was as calm as could be, putting on an acting job that should have won her an Oscar. "Officer, is there a problem?" "Yeah, young lady, there's a problem! These two are under arrest!" "Uh, sir. This is Tri-Alpha pledge week. It's their initiation. We do this every year, and we've never had a problem. Didn't your supervisor tell you?" The male officer turned to the female. "Jamie, did you hear anything about this?" "No, I missed the nightly briefing. But I think she's right. If it's the Tri-Alpha thing we gotta leave 'em alone. I remember that from last year." The female turned to Cecilia with a totally disgusted expression. "Alright young lady, just get these two out of here. I don't care if you're a Tri-Alpha or not, you need to keep this initiation crap away from places like the library. Show us some decency for once." The officer then pulled out her radio. "It's a no-go, Polk, they're Tri-Alphas. Sorry about that." Jason and Ken breathed a huge sigh of relief as the officers rode off. Well, that was one problem resolved, but now they had another. They stood up and looked at Cecilia. Her expression was not pleasant. "Here, you two take my books. Now let's get back to Huntington Hall before anything else happens." Cecilia took the muddy camera and fliers from Ken and Jason, as each stooped down to pick up a stack of books. Jason was dumbfounded she had been trying to carry so much back to her room with no assistance. With her next words he realized carrying that heavy load unassisted had not been her intention. "By the way, Jason, I tried callin' you over the last couple of hours because I needed you to help me with these books. So now I know why you weren't pickin' up. This is really great. I'm really proud of you." Jason said nothing. He struggled to hold the books out away from his muddy chest, figuring it would be the last thing he ever would do for Cecilia. He was as miserable as a person could be, convinced whatever relationship he might have had with her now was gone. He couldn't see how she would want to stay with him after this. Ken was quiet as well. None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for his stupid suggestion to play strip Poker in the first place. He felt bad for Jason, knowing that he really liked the RA and was just starting to go out with her. Thanks to him, Jason was going to be without a girlfriend and what was much worse, he wouldn't have her helping him with the economics class stuff. As Cecilia led her naked companions back to the dorm, two things were going on in her thoughts. She was genuinely angry at the two freshmen, more for their stupidity than anything else. However, she also was pondering how to turn the incident to her advantage in her relationship with Jason. She could tell by his expression and demeanor he was convinced that she was about to leave him. In Cecilia's mind that was not the case at all; she had no intention of leaving him. Quite to the contrary, the streaking incident ultimately would help her establish the type of relationship that she wanted with him. She would play on his guilt and embarrassment, punish him, and use the nude run as part of her plan to bring him under completely under her control. They made it back to the back entrance of Huntington Hall, where Mike, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, was waiting outside the door. Cecilia brusquely handed him the fliers and camera and ordered her three dorm residents upstairs to Ken's room. As they went up the back stairs Lisa joined them, sadly trailing behind the others. Once in Ken's room Cecilia ordered the four students to stand next to each other, without giving Ken and Jason permission to get dressed. They made a sorry sight, with miserable expressions and their bodies streaked with mud and covered with scratches. The RA took up her position in front of her residents, trying to act as angry as possible. In reality she found the whole affair extremely funny, but was not about to let the four freshmen know that. "So let's hear it. What were you doing?" Reluctantly Mike and Lisa told Cecilia the story about the strip Poker game and how things "sort of got out of hand". They were extremely apologetic, dreading the thought of being written up. Obviously this was not going to look good on their student records. Cecilia sighed, pretending to struggle with how she, as the floor RA, should handle a difficult situation. She sadly shook her head. "Look, I gotta think this over. I'm not sure how I'm gonna deal with it." She glanced over at Lisa. "Where's the roll of film?" Lisa sadly pointed at a roll sitting on top of Mike's clothes. Cecilia took the film and put it in her pocket. She then told Lisa to hand her the video card out of her digital camera and pocketed that as well. "I'm confiscating these. I really hope there's nothing illegal in here, 'cause you're in enough trouble already." Again Cecilia feigned a sad sigh. "OK. I think we've had enough excitement for the evening. Lisa, you're gonna help me with my books. Jason, I want you to get cleaned up and wait for me in your room. I'll be over in five minutes. I gotta talk to you alone." Jason gathered up his clothes as Cecilia loaded Lisa's arms with a stack of books. As the two women disappeared into the commons area Jason grabbed a towel out of his room and went to the shower. He cleaned off the mud and soaped his scratches as quickly as he could, rinsed off, and returned to his room. Cecilia already was standing outside, waiting for him. Once in the room, Cecilia ordered Jason to hang up his towel and stand in front of her. There was no mention of him getting dressed, and he knew better than to ask. "Jason, you got anything more to add, about what happened tonight?" "No, uh...you know...it's kinda what Lisa said...that it just got out of hand..." "You understand that I'm really pissed at you?" Jason nodded. Cecilia put her finger under his chin and forced him to look up. "Jason, let's get something straight. I don't want you nodding, or going 'uh' or saying 'yeah' when I ask you a question. You're gonna answer me with courtesy and respect. Now, let's try this again. You understand that I'm really pissed at you?" The Freshman Ch. 05 As always, the more comments I get, the faster the next chapter comes! Thanks for your support! ***** Mollie had always been the object of at least a small amount of jealousy from her three best friends. She was, after all, the college's senior heartthrob, with an unbelievable body and a tender personality. However, that jealousy was nothing compared to what Mollie's friends were now experiencing. It was the deepest envy they had ever felt, born from their experience one week ago in the women's locker room after volleyball practice. There, they had witnessed Mollie's boyfriend and begun to worship the well-hung freshman the same way Mollie had. The girls hadn't spoken to Mollie all about that day. Some nights though, Abby, Shannon, and Alex would sneak into each other's rooms to talk to each other. In whispers they would remember the shock they felt upon seeing Chad's massive cock for the first time; the way Shannon had pressed the dick in between her huge breasts; the way Chad had filled up Alex's little mouth and slapped Abby's huge ass. Often on these nights, the girls would begin to touch their soaking pussies as they talked of Chad. Abby would produce her huge black dildo and the girls would push it in and out of each other. Of course, the dildo wasn't quite as large as Chad's thick white cock. Alex was the only one with a steady boyfriend at the time; they had had sex only one time since the encounter with Chad. Her boyfriend simply wasn't enough to satisfy her anymore. Seeing her friends worship Chad's huge cock had made Mollie even more infatuated with her boyfriend. She felt incredibly lucky to be the only girl on campus feeling the massive penis inside her pussy. So Mollie did everything she could to keep Chad happy: wearing any outfit he wanted whenever he wanted, sucking his cock several times a day, doing his homework and his laundry, and anything else he wanted. In return, Chad mostly treated Mollie with civility, though he still spoke very little other than to give her commands. And every night, Mollie felt Chad's massive pole pounding her wet pussy and filling up every inch of her. She orgasmed time after time, night after night. Sometimes, Chad would come deep inside Mollie, but more often he preferred to plaster her face and hair with his thick white semen. On Saturday night after midnight, about a week after the encounter in the locker room, Chad crept out of bed while Mollie lay sleeping. Silently, he grabbed Mollie's keys off of the dresser and slid out of the room. He walked the short distance off campus to Mollie's house and unlocked her front door. Stepping inside, he saw the TV on and walked into the living room. Alex was alone on the couch. She looked up, expecting to see Mollie, and gasped when she saw Chad's tall, muscular figure. "Chad! Oh my god!" she choked. She was wearing a nightshirt and a tiny pair of shorts, with glasses that magnified her already-large brown eyes. Chad said nothing but continued to look at her. Alex stood up and slowly approached him, stopping when she was almost touching him and gazing up into his eyes. The tiny Alex barely reached Chad's chest. "I've been thinking about you so much," Alex whispered. Without taking her eyes off of Chad's face, she massaged Chad's crotch with her tiny hands and could feel his cock stiffen. "Are you going to let me suck your massive dick again, Daddy?" asked Alex quietly. Chad groaned and closed his eyes as Alex began to undo his pants. He took a deep breath and put his hand on Alex's. "No," he said. Alex's big eyes looked up at Chad pleadingly. "Please..." she said. But Chad was already turning around and climbing the stairs to the house's second floor. At the top of the stairs, he paused at Mollie's bedroom door; he had been inside once or twice but never stayed overnight. Continuing down the hallway, he stopped at the next bedroom and opened it quietly. For a moment, he watched the girl sleep. Then, he coughed loudly. Abby started and sat up. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she recognized Chad, she gasped just as Alex had. Without speaking, she turned on the lamp on her bedside table and climbed out of bed. Abby wore nothing but a small black thong on her voluptuous body. Her D-cup breasts swayed as she walked to Chad and sunk to her knees. Abby slowly unbuttoned Chad's jeans and pulled down. Abby lovingly massaged the bulge in Chad's boxer briefs. He was still hard from his encounter downstairs with Alex. Abby took a deep breath and pulled down the boxers, revealing the huge, pulsing cock. "God. You are such a fucking stud," muttered Abby. "Your cock is bigger than my fucking arm." "Do you like it?" asked Chad. "Oh god yes..." moaned Abby. "There's nothing I want more than this big, thick, cock deep inside me. I've never seen a dick half the length or girth of this fucking monster. I haven't stopped thinking about this huge cock since last week." "Good girl," said Chad, as Abby took the heavy member into her hands and jammed as much as she could into her mouth. Even with seven inches or so down her throat, Abby had more than enough shaft to massage with both hands. Her eyes watered as Chad grabbed her shoulders and began to slowly thrust his huge cock in and out of Abby's mouth. Saliva and precum dripped all over Abby's large beasts. Abby gagged on the massive cock but gamely continued sucking, her mouth stretched to its capacity around the thick penis. As the curvy slut slobbered on his cock, Chad looked up and noticed that the bedroom door was ajar. Peering inside was Alex, her mouth hanging open as she watched her friend work on Chad's huge knob. Smiling, Chad refocused on Abby. He pulled the cock from Abby's mouth and let her catch her breath. He took her hand and helped her to her feet. Bringing Abby over to her bed, Chad had her get on all fours on the mattress. Abby's round white ass looked incredibly huge and Chad was stunned for a second as he looked at it. He raised his large hand and gave the phat white butt a powerful slap, causing it to ripple and jiggle. The black thong looked so small on the massive butt. Grunting, he continued worshipping the huge butt for many minutes: grabbing handfuls of the soft ass, spanking it hard, and watching it bounce and shake. Then Chad grabbed the thong and ripped it off Abby. Chad knelt down so that he was eye level with Abby's big butt. He placed his face in between her legs and let his face get swallowed by the huge ass. Sticking out his tongue, Chad could taste the juices from Abby's soaking pussy. He flicked his tongue and massaged Abby's swollen clit repeatedly while listening to her loud moans. However, it was a gasp from behind Chad that made him turn. Alex was still in the doorway, wearing only a bra and rubbing her clit as she watched Chad lick her friend Abby's pussy. But the gasp Chad heard came from the other girl in doorway: Mollie. She stood there, wearing an oversized shirt and her panties; clearly she had walked over once she realized Chad had left bed. Mollie looked into Chad's eyes pleadingly. Silently, she begged him to leave the other girls and come back to her. Still looking at her, Chad hefted his huge cock in his hand and plunged it inside Abby's pussy. She screamed as the huge cock split her in half. "Oh my fucking god!" yelled Abby. "Your cock is so fucking massive! Fill me up with that fucking horse cock!" Chad grabbed Abby's hips and fucked her harder and harder. He looked back and saw Mollie watching sadly as the huge dick penetrated one of her classmates for the first time. Alex had been joined by Shannon in the doorway. Both were touching themselves and Shannon's free hand was massaging her huge boobs. Chad continued to plow Abby's pussy as the other girls watched. After a few minutes, Chad looked up and saw Mollie next to him. She had shed her nightshirt and was wearing only a pair of lace pink panties. "Do you like my boyfriend's big cock inside you?" Mollie asked Abby quietly. "His big cock feels so fucking good..." moaned Abby, and she shuddered as another orgasm ripped through her. Mollie turned to Chad. "If you're going to fuck my friend, you may as well fuck her right." And she grabbed Chad's cock with her hand and pressed it against Abby's asshole. The head of the cock seemed impossibly large next to the tiny asshole. "Oh my god, no!" screamed Abby. "Mollie, stop! It won't fit, it's way too big!" But Mollie continued to push the massive appendage until it began to gradually sink into the tight butthole. Abby was screeching. Alex and Shannon had gotten closer in order to see their friend's ass get destroyed. Only a couple inches of the huge cock had entered Abby. Even Mollie had never had Chad's dick inside her big ass. It was incredible that Abby could fit it inside her, and as Chad continued to fuck her from behind, more and more of the long shaft entered the round butt. "Fuck my fat ass!" yelled Abby. "Fill my asshole with your huge fucking cock!" And fill it Chad did, spanking the massive cheeks every so often as he pounded the curvy slut. "I'm going to come!" grunted Chad. "I'm going to come in this phat ass!" Groaning, and still grabbing Abby's wide hips, Chad pumped his semen into her gaping asshole. When he finished, the three other girls pounced on Abby and began slurping up the milky white cum. Abby just lay on the bed moaning. It would be weeks before she could walk without a limp. Mollie was still Chad's main girl. But it was no clear that no pussy was off-limits. Chad could have any girl he wanted, when he wanted, and everyone knew it. For a while, though, the only girls Chad wanted were Abby and Mollie. The three of them spent almost every night together for the next week. Abby helped Mollie fit Chad inside Mollie's asshole for the first time. Abby discovered how much she enjoyed Mollie's big ass sitting on her face while Chad's big cock filled her pussy. And of course both girls spent hour after hour worshipping the long, thick cock on the freshman. The Freshman Ch. 05 "Yes, Cecilia, I understand." "Do you know why?" "Because I shouldn't have gone out streaking?" "Because you shouldn't have put yourself at risk like that! Runnin' around nude in the student center! What were you thinking? But that's not the worst part, Jason. That's not what really pisses me!" "It isn't?" Cecilia looked straight into Jason's eyes, her expression full of hurt and anger, some of which was genuine. "Jason, here's why I'm really mad at you. Do you understand why you didn't get arrested?" "Yeah, 'cause you told 'em we were doing a Tri-Alpha initiation...and...I really wanted to thank you for..." "Stuff it. What you did, Jason, was you made me tell a lie. I had to tell a lie to Campus Security to get you out of trouble. That's why I'm pissed at you. You made me lie, Jason, you...made...me...lie! Do you have any idea how much I hate liars? And you turned me into one!" Jason said nothing. He was so upset he felt sick. Cecilia continued. "There's somethin' else about tonight that really hurt me. I spent tonight checkin' stuff out of the library and I needed you. I needed you to come over and help me carry all those research books back to my room. I tried callin' you for two hours, 'cause I needed your help. And when I needed you, you weren't there for me! Jason, how can I have a relationship with someone who isn't there for me?" "I...I'm sorry...I...don't know..." "You really let me down. I don't think you can imagine how much you hurt me, by doing that stupid shit. I mean, weren't you thinkin' about me...about our relationship...at all?" She turned away, waiting for Jason to respond. The next move was up to him. "Cecilia...please...I want to...make this up to you. I'm really sorry...and I...want to make it up to you." "And just how do you think you're gonna do that?" "I don't know, but I want to make it up to you. I'll do whatever you tell me." Jason thought for a second, and remembered Cecilia's comment that first night, when she had mentioned "paddling that cute bare bottom" of his. His heart jumped. Maybe... "What about...uh...punishing me? Like...uh...spanking me, like you said...if I...uh...went in the commons area?" Cecilia kept her outward expression of hurt and anger, but inwardly she was elated. He was right where she wanted him to be. "Jason, of course I gotta punish you for this. But I can't do it tonight 'cause you're gonna pose tomorrow and I don't want you all marked up and people in the Art Department askin' questions. We'll have to do it Friday, after class." Jason's heart stopped in terror, not only at the knowledge that she was indeed going to punish him, but also from the completely casual way she was talking about it. "I'm not talkin' about your punishment," continued Cecilia, "what else do you think you ought to be doin' to make this up to me?" "I'll do whatever you want. Anything you want, I'll do it. I'll never let you down again." Cecilia took Jason's hands and gave him a teary smile. "You promise? You won't never let me down again?" Jason felt he needed to give Cecilia a dramatic gesture to symbolize his dedication to her. He kissed her hands and then hugged her. It was time for Cecilia to go, but she had a parting gift for him. She needed to reward Jason for acknowledging it was his responsibility to serve her needs and accept punishment from her when he needed it. She put her hands on his bare arms, and very gently and seductively gave him a good-night kiss...on the mouth. ---------- Cecilia returned to her room and noticed the time. It already was past 1:00 a.m. She sighed, wishing that it wasn't so late, but time does fly, especially if you need the sleep. The RA got undressed and decided to relieve her physical urges before closing her eyes. In the darkened room she gently caressed her body, thinking about the extremely fortunate chain of events that had transpired that night. Yes, she had been infuriated as she left the library lugging nearly 30 research books and no one to help her. However, to see Jason and Ken running towards her naked like that...with totally panicked expressions and covered in mud...that would remain one of the funniest memories of her life. What totally stunned Cecilia was how easy it had been. Less than two weeks after meeting Jason, she was about to get everything she had hoped for in her relationship with him. She had figured it would take at least several weeks before she could begin disciplining him, but it turned out that next Friday evening would be the big night. Friday he was to bend over and present his bare bottom for its first punishment. The RA thought about what she should use. She figured her choices were buying a paddle at the campus souvenir shop, or finding a good thick belt and using that. The paddle was the easier choice, but she really wanted to go with a belt, if she could find the right one. It needed to be made of thick, heavy leather, but at the same time be very flexible and pliable. An old used belt would serve well; assuming it was heavy enough. A new belt would be too stiff and not pack the sting she wanted. Cecilia already knew how she would choreograph Jason's punishment. She would arrive at his room at a predetermined time, wearing a somewhat sexy outfit that left her arms and shoulders bare and free to swing. He would be waiting for her, not wearing anything, of course. She would show him the belt and lay it on his bed in full view. She would order him to get on his knees and explain to her why he needed to be disciplined. Then she would instruct him to position the armchair in the center of the room so she could move about freely. She carefully would guide him over the back of the chair, with his hands resting on the chair's arms and his waist bent over the back. She would order him to spread his legs and stick his butt out. Slowly at first, she would begin swinging, gradually picking up the tempo and force of the swats. For a long time the room would be full of the cracking of old leather against bare skin. Finally, when it was over, she would comfort him, letting him know that she loved him and only was doing this to make him a better and stronger person. Cecilia's desire to punish Jason had nothing to do with cruelty. She needed the Jason that she was creating, but also was convinced he needed her. She saw the freshman as a person who in some ways was still very vulnerable and whose personality was not yet completely formed. He had a weak, immature character that needed to surrender control to a caring, but stronger-willed person. After that initial session with the belt, he would learn to submit in every detail of his life, not just by presenting his bottom for punishment. He would submit to her sexual desires and strive to adapt to her needs. During the day he would serve her in many mundane ways, such as carrying things for her, seating her, opening doors for her, and attending to a multitude of other details to make her life more pleasant. That was his destiny; that was why he had become part of her life. Cecilia gasped and moaned as her fingers rubbed around her clitoris and through the juices of her arousal. Tonight it was fantasy, but in just five days, it would be real...Jason's lovely bottom decorated with a series of red stripes and his face streaked with tears...and the real beginning of his new life under her guidance. The Freshman Ch. 06 Chapter 6 - Punishment and Pleasure The following morning Jason and his friends got together for breakfast, to talk nervously about the previous night's disaster and what being caught by their RA might mean for their immediate future at the university. The RA had the roll of film as proof of their misadventure. What was almost as bad, Lisa's camera was one of those electronic cameras that added a date and time in the corner of each picture. Not only was the evidence of their behavior on film, the date and time was there as well. Mike, Lisa, and Ken were totally scared. Jason, giving the matter some more thought, suspected that it was his life that would be much more affected than the lives of his three friends. In fact, if he did what Cecilia told him to do, it was possible nothing at all would happen to the others. However, Jason could only give them partial reassurance, because he had no desire to bring up what was going to happen to him Friday evening. Jason now had two very powerful motives to make up with Cecilia and do what she told him to do. He was desperate not to let her slip away from him, but at the same time she now held the fate of his friends in her hands. He felt obligated to get them out of trouble, if at all possible. Jason went to his first session of Life Drawing with Ken, and once again stripped to model for the 30 students attending the 9:00 session. It was an unfortunate coincidence that Jason's pose for that day was to place his hands on a chair and bend over, as though he were bending over to receive a punishment. He spent the hour wondering if this was to be the position that he would have to assume for Cecilia on Friday. During the 11:00 modeling session Cecilia took her normal position right behind him, giving him one of her sweet smiles. She drew him, bent over the chair, and then added several belt marks to his bottom. She planned to hang the drawing in her dorm room to remind Jason of his role in her life every time he came over. ---------- Cecilia did not have an appointment with Ruth Burnside that afternoon, so she was free until 1:30. She had a small amount of spending money with her and decided to get a few items she would need for her time with Jason. The first stop was to drop off Lisa's roll of film to have it developed. Cecilia had absolutely no intention of turning the pictures over to the dorm director, but having them in her possession was one more way she could wield control over Jason and his three friends. Besides, she was curious to see what was on them. The second stop was at a bath shop to purchase a bottle of massage oil and a massage manual. Massaging Cecilia would become an important duty in Jason's life. At first he would remain restricted to her hands, arms, shoulders, neck, calves and feet, but over time he would become responsible for massaging the rest of her body as well. He would massage her on a daily basis, to help alleviate the stresses of her daily life. Massaging properly was a skill Jason would have to learn, one of the things she would hold him accountable for as part of his duties to her. The next place she visited was a men's clothing store. There was no question Jason had to change his evening wardrobe. When they went out, Cecilia wanted her man properly dressed, not looking like some M-TV groupie. He needed to buy a couple more suits and several decent shirts, and definitely more shoes. She roughly knew his size, so she concentrated on looking at clothes likely to fit him. The following weekend she would bring him to this store and make him spend nearly $1,500 on new clothing. The purchases would be on his dime, not hers, however. He had the money and there was no reason why he shouldn't spend it to look decent. Cecilia walked by a store of expensive women's clothing. She glanced longingly at the nice items, things she would not be able to afford for at least another year. Her own wardrobe was very limited and, with the single exception of the "Socrates' Mistresses" dress, mostly consisted of cheap clothing bought at discount stores. She sadly walked on, resenting having to wait to have decent clothes. The words of Ruth Burnside came back to her: "Of course it's not fair, but that's the hand in life you've been dealt." Getting Jason to buy her the clothing she wanted never crossed Cecilia's mind. She was not interested in his money, nor did she want him buying her things. That was not the kind of relationship she wanted to have with him. Obviously he needed to pay for concert tickets and dinners, but she would have expected that from anyone taking her out, rich or poor. Paying for their dates was the only thing she wanted from him financially. In fact, she planned to discourage him from buying her gifts, because she did not have the money to reciprocate and did not want to feel indebted to him. As for the money she planned to make him spend at the men's store, that did not count, because that was to purchase clothing for him, not clothing for her. Cecilia went into a used clothing store to look at belts. There were several racks of used belts, but most of them were too light or too stiff to use for Jason's punishment. She finally found five old heavy leather belts that were right for her needs, from which she planned to choose two. She tested them by doubling them and swatting them through the air to see which ones felt the most comfortable in her hand. A female clerk glanced over at her, curious about the customer because it was obvious what she was planning to do with her purchase. Finally Cecilia chose two very flexible old belts, both sturdy and made from thick heavy leather. When she went to pay for them the clerk flirted with Cecilia and gave her a very warm smile. "So, sweetie, who's been naughty?" Cecilia hesitated, then decided to be honest. "I got 'em to use on my boyfriend. He...sorta did something yesterday I didn't appreciate." The clerk's face became somewhat disappointed upon finding out her customer was straight, but she responded. "Well, you got a couple of good ones. Have fun, and give him a swat for me!" Cecilia rolled up the belts and put them in the bag with her massage supplies. It was an ironic mixture of items, pleasure and pain. Finally Cecilia returned to the film-developing store to pick up Lisa's pictures. She peeked into the folder to make sure she had the right ones, and sure enough, the stuff Jason was doing with his friends was undignified, to say the least. She added the pictures to her bag of purchases and would look at them later that night. ---------- Cecilia did her usual workout with Lisa. She could tell her companion was desperate to please her, terrified at the thought of those pictures being turned over to the dorm director. However, she was afraid to simply come out and ask what the RA planned to do, if anything, about the streaking incident. Cecilia did not volunteer any hints. In fact, she had only one comment about the previous night; one that left Lisa very unsettled. "You know, when I was in high school I played a bit of Poker myself. One of these days, when I have some time, I ought to have to you come over to my room and we'll play a couple of rounds. Jason told me you're really good, and it'd be nice to have a game with someone who actually knows how to play. And of course, we'll have to make it interesting with the bets." ---------- After dinner Cecilia called Jason to let him know she wanted to move the economics class review sessions to an earlier time: 8:30. "There's some things I wanna start doin' differently and I got a couple of favors I'm gonna ask you." "What are they?" "We'll talk about it when I come over." Cecilia went over to Jason's room precisely at 8:30. She seductively placed her hand on his arm as she gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. As normal, Jason was wearing a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a Hawaiian-style shirt. Jason's clothing was the first issue Cecilia wanted to address. "Jason, I got a question for you. What do you usually wear when you're in your room studying alone?" "Uh...to be honest I usually don't wear anything, you know, 'cause the rooms are so hot." "Then that's the way I want you to be from now on when I come over. Remember what I told you, that I don't like a hypocrite and I don't like a person who hides things from me? If you're gettin' dressed just because I'm coming over, I consider that being a hypocrite and I don't appreciate it." "Uh...yeah, I guess..." Jason stood looking at Cecilia with a very nervous expression. "So what are you waiting for? Get your clothes off and put 'em away." Reluctantly Jason took off his shirt and his shorts and threw them in the closet. Cecilia angrily walked over to the closet, retrieved the items and threw them on his bed. "I didn't say throw 'em on the floor, I said put 'em away. That shirt needs to go on a hanger and those shorts need to be properly folded. That goes for the rest of the stuff in your closet. I don't know what you're thinking, but that closet's a disgrace." "Yeah, I guess it is..." "And that's another issue I want to settle with you. I already told you that I want you to answer me properly and with respect. Not with 'yeah' and 'uh' and nodding your head. I told you that, and I shouldn't have to tell you again. Do you understand me?" "Yes Cecilia, I understand." As Jason hung up his shirt Cecilia noticed a lock on one of his suitcases. "Why is that suitcase locked? What's in there?" "I got some personal papers in there...and...a couple of things I...didn't want you to know about." "So you were keepin' a secret from me?" "Uh...yeah...I mean yes, Cecilia." "Well, give me the key, 'cause I want to see what it is." He hesitated. "Give me the key Jason, now." Reluctantly Jason handed her the key. Cecilia took the suitcase out of the closet, laid it on the floor and started going through the contents. It turned out that "Jason's secret" was not too big of deal, some sexual comic books, a couple of men's magazines, some nudist magazines, and a sexually oriented video game. "Alright, it's not too bad. I'll let you keep the nudist magazines. The rest of this stuff I want you to throw out. Just run it over to the bathroom and drop it in the trash. Once you've done that we'll get started with the readings for Wednesday." Jason, hugely relieved that Cecilia had not blown up at him over his modest pornography collection, was willing to part with the items if it meant maintaining peace with her. He felt a twinge of regret as he heaved the magazines into the bathroom trash, but mostly relief that she seemed relatively calm about this small act of deception he had attempted. When he returned to his room, he found her sitting at his computer. "What's your password?" Jason told her the password and she wrote it down on a small piece of paper after making sure it worked. "Alright. I'll be over sometime later this week to see what's on this computer. If there's anything on here you don't want me to know about, I'm givin' you the chance to get it off." "Thank you, Cecilia." "So there's stuff on this computer you wouldn't want me to see?" "...Yes, I got some stuff on there..." "Well, then that's what the 'delete' key's for, isn't it?" Jason took his standing position while the RA sat at his desk barraging him with questions about the class assignment. Very quickly he forgot about his forfeited magazines and the fact that he was standing in front of her, hands at his sides, with nothing on. He was too busy concentrating on economic theory and formulas to think about anything else. Once they finished, Cecilia let Jason know that she was very pleased with him. With no resistance or arguing whatsoever, he had granted her the right to review his possessions, tell him what he could and could not have, and go through his room and computer whenever she felt like it. He had ceded control of his personal space to her, which she considered a very important part of his submission. She was genuinely grateful that he was willing to make that sacrifice and rewarded him with a longer and more sensual good-bye kiss when she left to return to her room. She then asked him to call her once he finished reviewing Burnside's readings with his friends. She had another favor to ask of him later that evening. Following an hour tutoring his friends, Jason called Cecilia to tell her he was ready to go over to her room. She met him at the door that separated the women's wing from the commons area to escort him back. She was dressed very casually, wearing a mini-skirt and a tube-top that fit snugly around her breasts leaving left her shoulders completely bare. Jason correctly guessed his girlfriend was wearing the outfit because she wanted another massage on her shoulders and feet. They entered her room. Jason noticed a bottle of massage oil sitting next to her armchair and two towels spread on her bed. He also noticed a drawing hanging on her wall, a black and white image of himself bending over with belt marks added to his unprotected bottom. The picture was a clear indication she had not forgotten about the proposed punishment on Friday. Cecilia took a seat in the chair. "Jason, go ahead and get your clothes off, fold 'em up properly, and then I'll tell you what I need from you." Jason obediently stripped, folded his clothes, and stood in front of Cecilia. "Take a small dab of that oil, and spread it on my feet. Then you can start massaging them, starting with my toes and working your way up to my ankles." Jason knelt in front of the chair and gently began spreading oil on her feet. He followed her directions as he pressed hard into the soles of her feet with the palms of his hands and worked the muscles and tendons of her arches. He massaged the area around her ankles and then pushed up her calves, obediently stopping at her knees. Next came massaging her arms, shoulders, and neck. She instructed him to stand behind her and start on her neck, then ordered him to kneel beside her and work her hands. He gently massaged her fingers and then pressed into the palms of her hands with more force. He worked his way up her arms and spent a long time massaging her shoulders and neck for a second time. When he finished she rewarded him with a gentle pat on the hand, and then moved to her bed for the second part of her massage. She lay facedown over the towels to allow him to work her feet and massage the backs of her calves. He took advantage of his position to sneak several glances at her bottom under her skirt, and the tiny piece of white cloth from her thong that concealed her vagina. His heart jumped at the clandestine peek at the intimate area under her skirt and his penis stiffened She quietly instructed him what to do as he worked the muscles on her calves, but the next day she would give him the massage manual and he would be expected to learn what was in there by heart and apply that knowledge to making her feel better. He moved to massaging her shoulders, and succeeded in putting her to sleep. He stopped massaging her, and sat at the foot of her bed, positioned so he could look up her mini-skirt at the lower part of her bottom and her famous white thong. It was the most of her that he had ever seen. The sight of her lovely dark thighs and tempting bottom, highlighted by that tiny triangle of white cloth between her legs, drove Jason wild with desire. He wanted her...he wanted her so bad...and was willing to do whatever it took, make any sacrifice necessary, to have her. She was well aware of what he wanted. Eventually she would give in to him, but he would have to earn it. Jason had to wait for his erection to subside a bit. He got dressed, gave the sleeping young woman a gentle good-bye kiss on the cheek, turned out the light, and slipped down the hall to the commons area and to his room. ---------- The week passed quietly, but in nervous anticipation for Jason and his three friends. Lisa continued to work out with Cecilia, and in many small ways tried to please her. She went over Burnside's class material with her RA, trying to demonstrate her dedication as a student, and in very subtle ways tried to figure out what Cecilia planned to do about Sunday night. Cecilia's comment about a Poker game and making "it interesting with the bets" also worried her. Cecilia was pleasant, but didn't give her any clues about her thoughts concerning the streaking incident. Jason was both scared and excited about his session with Cecilia Friday night, but was afraid to say anything or ask her about it. When he visited her room he looked up at the drawing of himself bent over a chair, figuring that probably was how he would be spending Friday evening. He was smart enough to take Cecilia seriously about what was on his computer. Over the past year he had downloaded several hundred pictures of nude women, a few short sex videos, and some erotic fiction. He transferred the files to a CD and deleted them from his hard drive, then cleaned his registry and deleted his temporary folders and Internet files. He pulled out a drawer from his dresser and taped the CD to the back, thinking he could at least keep that from his new girlfriend. Making and hiding that CD was something he later would regret doing, but at least now his computer was cleared of anything Cecilia might find objectionable. Wednesday night he stood nervously while she went through his computer to see what was on it. She not only was looking for pornography, but also for any sign he might be cheating in any of his classes, and any other possible secret. Cecilia studied, did her rounds as RA, wrote up dorm residents for miscellaneous violations, and attended to her duties in class as Burnside's unofficial assistant. In the evenings she grilled Jason about his progress in the class and then had him put her to sleep by massaging her. She let him know that Saturday she was the duty RA and thus could not go out on a date, but the following day, Sunday, she wanted him to accompany her shopping. "Cecilia, why couldn't we go out Friday night? I mean I could get you back in by midnight, for your shift." Cecilia feigned a surprised look. "Jason, don't you remember? Friday night's when I'm punishing you for what happened Sunday. We're not goin' out. We'll be together Friday night, but we're not goin' out." Jason felt his heart in his throat. No, he was not getting out of being punished. Finally Friday came. Cecilia found out that Lisa was planning to go dancing with Mike, which would leave her room unoccupied until very late. That detail made the RA decide to move Jason's punishment from his room to hers, because the RA's room was at the end of the hallway and her only next door neighbor was Lisa. With Lisa gone, and most of her other floor residents at pledge parties, Cecilia would have plenty of privacy for Jason's punishment. At 7:30 p.m. Cecilia went to Jason's room and knocked on his door. He was obediently naked, and had followed her instructions to get cleaned up and make sure he didn't have to go to the bathroom. She warmly kissed him, and then told him to get dressed. She gave him a seductive look with her sarcastic smile, and took his hand. Without saying a word she led Jason to her room, her hand rather firmly gripping his. When they entered her room, Jason saw two thick, very sinister-looking belts laid across his girlfriend's bed. His heart raced and his breathing became difficult. Cecilia handed him a shirt and a pants hanger. He obediently took off his clothes and hung them up. She took his hand, squeezed it, and sadly looked into his eyes. "Jason, I really care about you and I want the very best for you. You understand that, right?" The Freshman Ch. 06 Sorry for the wait! ***** There's no doubt Chad was a lucky guy. Even though he was just a freshman, he was dating the most beautiful girl on campus, a fact that made him the object of jealously for many other students. And although the rest of the campus didn't know it, Chad was also sleeping with his girlfriend's best friend Abby and was worshipped by her other two friends. However, Chad didn't always feel like the luckiest guy in school. He left Calculus class with his head down and a piece of paper crumpled in his fist. It was the third failing grade he'd received that month. Even some tutoring from his girlfriend Mollie hadn't helped. Chad walked into his next class, a literature survey, with a sinking feeling in his gut. The previous week they'd had a ten-page essay due and Chad had only turned in a single page. As expected, the professor began class by handing back the graded essays. The way this particular professor did this was the subject of much resentment: she doled out the assignments starting with the one receiving the highest marks and continued in that fashion until the essays were fully disseminated. Today, that meant that Chad was the last one to receive his graded essay. The professor gave Chad a disapproving look as she handed the paper back, and he lowered his eyes in anger and embarrassment. Once she returned to the front of the class, the professor cleared her throat. "Although there are certain exceptions, overall I continue to be disappointed by the quality of your writing," she told the class. "If you received a C minus or below on this assignment, you'll notice a date and time written on your essay. This is when I have scheduled student conferences to discuss your work. Be advised that if you miss your appointment without an appropriate excuse, you WILL NOT pass this course." Chad's mood immediately worsened. He looked around grimly and noticed that Mollie's friend Alex, who was also in the class, had an ashen look on her face. This was surprising, since Mollie and her friends were usually model students. However, Alex had certainly been preoccupied over the last couple weeks. She had taken to wearing mini-skirts to every class she shared with Chad, and would spread her legs anytime he looked towards her. Chad was having a hard time resisting the tiny girl's advances, even with Abby and Mollie's bubble butts waiting for him at home every night. It seemed that Alex's obsession with Chad was affecting her grades. Later in the week, Chad overheard a classmate talking about how unpleasant the meeting with the professor, Dr. Williams, had been. Grimacing, Chad steeled himself for his appointment later that night. At 6:30PM, he picked up his backpack, left his room, and headed across campus for his meeting in one of the academic buildings. He knocked at Dr. Williams' office door and entered when she opened it for him. "Good evening, Chad," she said. "Good evening Dr. Williams," muttered Chad. The professor had Chad's essay on the desk between them. She lectured him for a while, reminding him of the privilege of attending college and telling him that he would regret his lack of effort later in life. "Do you understand that you won't last long at this school with this type of work product?" asked Dr. Williams. Chad nodded resignedly. He didn't want to look her in the eyes, and suddenly found himself noticing that Dr. Williams was quite well-endowed. Although she was in her late forties and rather plain-faced with glasses, it was hard to ignore the fact that the buttons on her white blouse were straining. "Excuse me!" exclaimed Dr. Williams, and Chad realized he had let his gaze linger for a little too long. "Are you listening to me or just staring at my chest?!" "S-s-orry ma'am," stuttered Chad. He couldn't help but notice that the breasts looked even bigger when she was puffed up in indignation. Realizing that his cock was beginning to stiffen beneath his basketball shorts, Chad quickly pulled a book off Dr. Williams' desk and put it on his lap. Professor Williams was sputtering with rage. "I give you the opportunity to come in here and explain this shoddy piece of writing and what you do is disrespect me!" she shouted. "Get out of my office right now and I have half a mind to report you to the Dean!" Chad hesitated for a second, and that was enough for Dr. Williams. "Out! Now!" she yelled, grabbing the book off of Chad's lap. Then she froze. Chad's semi-erect cock was clearly outlined by his shorts. It wasn't fully upright, but its girth was very apparent and it reached almost halfway to his knees. Dr. Williams' mouth was hanging open. She had stopped mid word when she noticed the massive appendage. Very slowly, she reached over and placed a hand gingerly over the penis. Realizing that it was what she thought it was, she gasped. "What...is... Are you serious...?" muttered Dr. Williams. Then she looked up at Chad. "That can't be real. It just CAN'T be." In response, Chad stood up and loosened his shorts. Hooking his thumbs inside the waistband of his boxers, he slowly pulled down both his shorts and underwear, revealing his absurdly large member. Dr. Williams moaned in astonishment. "Have you ever seen one this big before, Professor?" asked Chad slyly. "Oh god, no. No, no, no. Not even close, hun. That is the biggest fucking tool I've ever seen in my life. Oh my god," stammered Dr. Williams. Her eyes were glued to the still-lengthening rod, and her mouth continued to hang open. "Get on your knees. Now," commanded Chad. Still mesmerized, Dr. Williams fell to her knees in front of her student. Chad reached down and ripped open the white blouse with a single swipe. The professor's bountiful breasts were exposed, barely contained by a white lace bra. "Let me see those big tits," said Chad, and Dr. Williams wordlessly undid the clasps on her bra. The large, heavy breasts bounced free. Chad was surprised by how firm they looked. He hefted his dick in one hand and placed it between his professor's big tits. Dr. Williams quickly complied with Chad's wishes and used both her hands to wrap the breasts tightly around his huge cock. Moaning, Chad grabbed Dr. Williams' shoulder and rammed the cock in and out of the big tits. The professor had to lift her chin and lean her head back to avoid being skewered by the meat pole. Then, without warning, Chad pulled his cock free, grabbed Dr. Williams' head with both hands, and began to shove his massive dick into her open mouth. Instantly gagging, Dr. Williams attempted to pull her head back, but Chad wouldn't budge. Holding her head, he mercilessly fucked Dr. Williams' face over and over again. After just a couple minutes, the professor's face was splotched with tears and mascara, and the cock was coated with spit and precum. "How do you like that, bitch?" asked Chad savagely. "Do you think I lack effort now??" Dr. Williams tried to shake her head, and Chad responded by pressing even more cock down her throat. "I'm not going to fuck you right now, but I know you want me to, you fucking slut," continued Chad. "So here's what's going to happen. You're going to give me A's for the rest of the semester, and if things work out well for me, I'll fuck you. Do you understand?" Dr. Williams gagged on the cock again, and managed to nod her head. "Good whore," said Chad. Then he pulled his cock out of the professor's mouth. She was still gasping for air when Chad began to shoot his load. Groaning, Chad aimed the first blast of the hot, sticky cum right into Dr. Williams' open mouth. The second splattered over her glasses and onto the rest of her face. "Yes! Oh god yes!" shouted Dr. Williams, as another huge load shot into her hair. She reached up and squeezed Chad's huge balls, milking every drop of semen out of them. Load after load shot out of massive cock, showering the professor's hair, face, and huge breasts. Chad couldn't recall ever busting such a massive nut before. Finally exhausted, Chad allowed his professor to lick his softening penis clean before tucking it back into his basketball shorts. He left the professor there, still on her knees and covered in thick white cum. On his way out of Dr. Williams' office, Chad passed Alex, who was waiting for her appointment. "Hi Chad!" said Alex breathlessly. "Hey Alex," replied Chad. He was in a good mood. "I'm not sure Dr. Williams will be able to see you right now." "What?" asked Alex, confused. She stuck her head around the door and into the professor's office. Seeing what was inside, she gasped. "Chad! Oh my god what did you do?" Chad simply smiled. "Please Chad," begged Alex. "Let me taste your cum too. I need it, Daddy. Please feed your little girl..." Chad looked down at his girlfriend's tiny friend, with her wide hips and huge eyes. He took a step closer to her. "What do you want, Alex?" asked Chad quietly. He got his answer quickly as a small hand reached up one of his pant legs and began massaging his huge cock. "All I want in the world is to feel your huge fucking dick inside my tight pussy," Alex purred. "I want you to fuck me like you've fucked Mollie and Abby. I want you to punish your little girl and coat me with cum like you did to Dr. Williams. Please Daddy. Let me play with your big fat cock." Though he could feel his cock stiffening under Alex's hand, Chad backed away. "Don't worry Alex," he said. "You'll have your chance. But not today." And Chad left her standing there with her knees shaking. Abby and Mollie's phat asses were waiting for him at home. The Freshman Ch. 06 "Yes, Cecilia...I understand." "Do you understand why I gotta punish you?" "Yes, I understand." "Please explain to me what you did wrong." "I...sorta did something stupid last weekend...and I almost got into a lot of trouble. I didn't think about how it was gonna hurt you, I was just thinking about...you know...that dare and having some fun." Jason stopped, his eyes full of tears. "Please continue. I don't want to punish you until I'm sure you know exactly what's wrong with what you did." "I...I mean...we...you know...Ken and me...we were gonna get arrested and...you had to lie to Campus Security 'cause of what we did...and you don't like to do that. And...I...was supposed to help you with your books...and I wasn't...I wasn't there for you..." "That'll work. At least you understand what you did wrong. Now, do you think I ought to be angry at you?" "Yes, you ought to be angry." "And you deserve to be punished on the bare bottom?" "Yes...I deserve to be punished on...the bare bottom." "Now turn around and put your hands on my chair. I want to feel your bottom and figure out how we're gonna do this." She placed her left hand on his shoulder and positioned him slightly bent over, with his hands on her armchair. She slowly and sensuously ran her hand over his thin, well-formed bottom. Jason had a truly nice bottom for a guy, well proportioned and with very little hair on it. Cecilia slowly circled her hand over both bottom-cheeks, relishing the feel of his skin. This was her first opportunity to actually touch his backside, even though she already had seen it many times. "You know, you really do have a cute bottom. It's gonna hurt me to have to mark it up." Jason said nothing, becoming increasingly stressed about a growing erection. Cecilia, pretending to be innocent, continued to rub and explore his bottom as his penis became harder and harder. Finally when his erection was sticking straight out and his penis was bobbing up and down slightly, Cecilia backed away. "Jason, stand and face me, please." Very reluctantly Jason followed her command, his face beet-red as his erect penis pointed straight at her. She heaved a disgusted sigh. "What's this?! Why are you hard?" "I...I don't know..." "Does having your bare bottom punished turn you on? Does thinking about pain give you a hard-on?" Jason said nothing, but his erection refused to go away. "Answer me! Does this turn you on?" "I guess." "No, that's not how you answer me, Jason! I want some respect out of you, especially now! Now, you answer me properly!" "Yes, Cecilia, I'm turned on...I don't know why...I'm sorry..." "Look, I don't appreciate this! Now you get rid of that hard-on! You'll be adding to your punishment if you don't!" Cecilia stood with her arms crossed and a very angry expression on her face while Jason remained upright in front of her. His humiliation grew as he stood there, minute after agonizing minute, and that damn erection refused to go away. He choked back some tears. Finally, after about 15 minutes, Jason's penis began to relax. The next command was to move the room's armchair into position. Once that was taken care of, Cecilia needed to change into her tube top to allow her arms and shoulders maximum flexibility and movement. She ordered Jason to turn around, but there was a mirror hanging on the wall that faced the dresser where she was changing. Jason positioned himself to watch her through the mirror and was treated to the sight of her bare back as she took off her bra. She quickly pulled the tube top over her head, positioned it over her torso, and then told him he could turn around. She noticed that once again he was stiff, but she decided to ignore it. At this rate they'd never get through the punishment if she kept stressing about the condition of his penis. It was his bottom that she really was worried about, not his penis. Cecilia picked up one of the belts from the bed, the one that was slightly lighter but also more flexible. It must have been a very old belt. The leather was slightly frayed, but it had a very comfortable feel in her hand. The old brass buckle made a satisfactory clinking as Cecilia doubled the strap and prepared to chastise her terrified companion. "Over the chair. Put your hands on the arms, and make sure you got a good grip. I want you to rest your hips on the back and scoot as far forward as you can. Try to rest as much of your weight as you can on the back." This was it...the spanking finally was about to begin. His eyes wide with terror and humiliation Jason positioned himself, wanting to prove to Cecilia that he would be brave and do his best to obey her. Cecilia couldn't resist passing her hand over a few times over his lovely bottom, now stretched tight and gracefully bent over. "Now, this is going to hurt, and we're gonna be at it for a while. Please be brave for me and stay down. Promise?" "Y...yes, I...promise." Cecilia doubled the belt and gently rubbed the end around her target. Jason was so nervous he was sweating. Cecilia noticed a thin cover of moisture on his bottom cheeks. Perfect, she thought to herself. She had heard that a thin layer of water sprayed on a naked bottom prior to punishment was supposed to enhance the sting, and the thin film of perspiration on Jason's bottom cheeks essentially was the same thing. The young woman took a step back, positioned herself for a comfortable swing, drew back her arm, and delivered a fearsome blow across the lower part of Jason's bottom. A sharp, loud CRACK filled the room and announced the beginning of Jason's first punishment. Jason gasped, taken aback by how much the first blow hurt. He was even more surprised that the pain from that first swat seemed to get worse, not subside, as Cecilia paused before delivering her second swat. Cecilia admired the first mark she had laid on Jason's bottom. The belt had stuck flat, making perfect contact and leaving a reddish rectangular strip of solid pain across those unprotected buttocks. Cecilia twisted backwards and struck hard a second time, the belt once again flattening itself against Jason's bare skin with a nice sharp CRACK! Jason's bottom jiggled slightly from the force of the blow. Cecilia's heart was pounding and already her vagina was wet. She couldn't believe how much she was enjoying this. The reddish marks, her trembling, sweating victim, the clanging of the belt buckle, the feel of the belt in her hand as she swung, the flattening of the leather as it made contact with his unprotected skin, and most of all, that satisfying CRACK...all were details that filled Cecilia's soul with an intense pleasure she could only have imagined before that night. CRACK!...CRACK!...Cecilia's dark eyes shined with pure joy. This was better than anything she could have imagined, something that fully satisfied her inner being. He belonged to her, he was hers to do with as she pleased, and this was what she wanted to do to him. She had waited all her life, for this very moment. Now it had come, the fulfillment of her needs. Cecilia relished every detail. She wanted to go slowly, very slowly, make him feel every bit of pain she was capable of inflicting. CRACK! Jason shifted uncomfortably. He felt the belt tap his bottom, and felt another vicious blow, accompanied by yet another loud CRACK! He took a very deep breath, truly frightened by how painful this experience was becoming. As the heat from the first several strokes mounted, there was a loud CRACK announcing the yet another stroke and the yet another strip of raw burning marking his bottom. The throbbing and stinging from the swats increased to an intensity that forced Jason's mind, his whole being, to focus on the savage sensations coming from his punishment. He fought his instincts to stand up or cover his bottom with his hands, because he knew that Cecilia needed him to do this for her. He loved her and understood that his place on earth was to fulfill her needs. And yet...perhaps he needed to be punished as well, to clear his mind and focus on one thing...that intense and exquisite pain from collection of welts on his bottom. CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...Cecilia switched sides and positioned herself to strike the base of his right bottom cheek. She placed her free hand on his back to press him forward and turn his bottom up even more. He complied, spreading his legs a bit more and fully exposing the tender skin at the base of his bottom to the cruelty of the belt. Cecilia tapped a sensitive area of as yet unmarked skin, the struck full force, in a cruel blow that concentrated the tip of the belt right on the sensitive base of the bottom cheek. Jason's voice broke as the pain seared into him. "Jason, now please be brave for me. I know it hurts, but it's what you need." "Ow! Yes...I'll...try...Cecilia..." Cecilia switched sides again, to deliver yet more cruel blows against the base of Jason's bottom. She measured her distance and laid several loud swats across the middle, then concentrated several swats full force on each bottom cheek. Cecilia went as slowly as she could and Jason tried, but failed to fight back the tears. He kept quiet, but the intensity of the pain in him bottom forced tears into his eyes and down his cheeks. Cecilia looked at him. This was the Jason of her fantasies, the one with the severely marked up bottom and tear-stained face, the one who was sacrificing and suffering...just for her. Within about a half an hour Jason's bottom was beautifully marked up, with a deep red color that was punctuated with purplish welts and marks. His upper thighs were covered by reddish stripes, but both bottom cheeks were completely red. Jason continued to feel the pain, but now there was a warm numbness as well, and an intense sexual desire. Finally Cecilia, breathing hard and covered in sweat, stopped. She was too tired to go on, but she had a new problem, she also was too aroused to go on. She threw the belt on top of her bed and put her hand on Jason's shoulder. When he looked up at her with his teary face, she gently wiped the tears away, but still tried to maintain her role as Jason's disciplinarian. It was at that moment her entire plan for bringing Jason under her control by dominating him went off-track. Jason stood up and hugged Cecilia. However, he had the hardest, biggest erection she ever had seen. She couldn't help herself. She just had to touch it, out of curiosity. Cecilia's body betrayed her. Seeing and touching his stiff penis, with her soul full of erotic desire and arousal from having disciplined her love, made her forget her long-term plans. That moment she needed one thing from him, and she needed it right away. Her body demanded sex. It had been four years...four years! Her body could not wait for what her mind had wanted to accomplish with Jason. She needed him, and she needed him immediately. Jason, his fear of Cecilia swept away by his intense arousal and the feel of her hand wrapped around his painfully stiff penis, grabbed her bare shoulders and kissed her passionately. She returned his kiss and buried her mouth into his. She no longer was the Cecilia who intimidated and punished him, she became the intensely attractive and feminine woman of his nighttime desires and fantasies. They both needed this...they needed it so bad! Jason buried his mouth into her neck and kissed her shoulders. He explored her neck, and then she pulled down her tube top, exposing her breasts. He buried his face in her bosom, then kissed and lightly bit her nipples. She groaned and threw her head back as she pressed her body into his. He grabbed her bottom and ran his hands over her skirt. She wanted to feel his hands on her bare skin, not over her skirt. She was the on who pulled down her miniskirt and let it fall to the floor. His hands...on her bare bottom...oh yes! For a long time Jason explored Cecilia's mouth, her face and neck, her shoulders and breasts, with his lips and tongue. He moved behind her and kissed the back of her neck while he covered her breasts with his hands. He pulled the final item protecting her modesty to the floor, her skimpy thong. Now she was exposed, her body presented to him in a desperate request for passion and sexual relief. His bottom still throbbing and his erection harder than ever, he guided her to the bed. She obediently opened up for him, placing her dark vagina in full view for him. He glanced at his love's most intimate region, then lightly touched her with his fingertips. The reaction of being viewed, and touched...there...was immediate. Finally he entered her, as she reached up to feel and squeeze his welt-covered bottom. The thought that she had just punished the man now making love to her returned to Cecilia's mind. The memories of his marked up bottom, combined with the intense pleasure coming from the feel of him inside her, gave Cecilia the best orgasm she had ever enjoyed. No more fantasy...this was the real thing. Jason thrust vigorously, the intense pain in his bottom and the intense pleasure coming from being inside his lovely companion combining to give him an orgasm that was unbelievably intense. He climaxed, spending what seemed like an exquisite eternity pumping semen into her. This was good, really good. If having his bottom whipped could do this to him...then bring it on! Finally both of them ran out of energy and reluctantly separated. The room stunk of orgasm and Cecilia's fancy sheets now needed an unexpected wash. Jason bunched up the pillows at the headboard and rested his head and shoulders on them, as he drew her to him. She compliantly cuddled up to him and enjoyed the warmth of his body next to hers. Cecilia's mind was awash in conflicting emotions. This had been so good she couldn't believe it...but why couldn't she have waited, like she had planned? She was angry at herself for having lost control, of both Jason and of her own body. She had planned to go much further in forcing him to submit and conform to what she wanted before finally rewarding him with her body. Now those plans would have to change. She still wanted Jason and still fully intended to control him. She reflected that in some ways it might actually be easier, because he obviously had enjoyed the past hour and would want more. It was up to Cecilia to determine when he might get more and what he would have to do for it. There was one big advantage of this sudden change in her plans; no longer would she have to wait for her full-body massages. He already had seen and touched her, so there was no point in any further modesty when it came to presenting herself for her nightly rub-down. He would have to learn that manual right away, because Sunday night she would expect him to give her a full-body massage and do it correctly. Cecilia felt a twinge of fear over one detail of that night's loss of control; they had used absolutely no form of birth-control. She calculated it wouldn't be a huge risk, given that her period was only three days away. Still, until she actually started bleeding, she would be stressed about getting pregnant. Obviously she could not afford to take another such risk in the future. She would have to get some condoms and make sure Jason wore them from now on. She had done her stupid deed and calculated that for once life would not punish her. She doubted she would get a second chance to be unprepared and get away with it. As Cecilia rested her face on Jason's chest and gently rubbed his stomach with her hand, she could not have known that tonight's loss of control actually would help her plans to take over his life. His bottom still was burning from that fierce strapping, but it was a heat that he was enjoying tremendously. He had made rather frightening discovery about himself, that he actually enjoyed being punished. The fear, the humiliation, the anxiety leading up to that first swat, and finally the release of that anxiety as the belt bit into him and forced his mind to focus on the intense pain in his bottom. It hurt, and yet it felt good...really good. He actually was looking forward to his next punishment (he was well aware there would be a next punishment) because of the intense mix of sensations in his body and the exquisite release that awaited him at the end. Cecilia already had achieved her goal with Jason. He was hers, because he was hooked on knowing that intense suffering could bring out intense pleasure. He wanted that pleasure, and would submit to her to get it. The Freshman Ch. 07 Chapter 7 - A Sunday with Cecilia Jason and Cecilia only spent a few minutes relaxing before she had to get up, get showered and turn on her duty radio. Midnight was fast approaching, the beginning of her 24-hour shift as duty RA. She would have to go to the front desk at about 11:30, get a briefing from her co-worker going off duty, and fill out a duty roster checklist. She had no illusions of any peace, given that it was a Friday night and the fraternities were in the midst of rush. After he got dressed, Cecilia escorted Jason back to his room. She reminded him that his punishment was not over. He would be on restriction for the next 36 hours. After he took a shower he was not to leave his room, nor was he permitted to put on any clothing until she came by to release him Sunday morning. He could not use the Internet, and to make sure of that she took away his modem. He could go to the bathroom and get a drink of water when he wanted, but that was it. Given the collection of marks and welts on his bottom, and the fact that he was prohibited from covering himself, it was a sure thing he would want to minimize the bathroom trips. He would not go hungry, because she promised to bring him two meals from the cafeteria, one late in the morning and the other late in the afternoon. What he did not know was that the meals would consist of whole wheat bread, raw vegetables, and fruit. Cecilia ordered the freshman to spend Saturday reading ahead in Burnside's class and learning a series of economic formulas that would be required for first week of October. She already had him about a week ahead of the class in his studies, and she hoped being restricted to his room would put him ahead at least another week. She also handed him the massage book, telling him that if he got bored studying economics, he could try to learn some new massage techniques. "I'll be checking in on you. I'll let you have your friends over if you want to study with them, but that'll be it. Don't let me catch you doing anything else with them." "Cecilia, I have a question." "Yes?" "If I have anyone over to study, is it alright if I get dressed?" "Absolutely not. You're on restriction, and you'll just have to explain it that way if you get together with 'em. I'm warnin' you, don't you let me catch you disobeying me." With that she gave him a goodbye kiss and walked back to her room to get cleaned up and head downstairs. ---------- Cecilia's worst fears of a wild night were confirmed within minutes of going on duty. There were several drinking incidents and alcohol seizures, two freshmen females getting sick from food poisoning, a fight between two other girls over a dead goldfish, and a drunken fraternity pledge who deliberately threw up on several pieces of furniture in the commons area, all before 3:00 a.m. The night's big excitement was a dorm room fire in the adjacent building and the evacuation of its residents to Huntington Hall. For three hours hundreds of disheveled freshmen from next door crowded into the common areas, cafeteria, and hallways until the fire department could clear the other building and allow the students back in. That crisis brought all of Cecilia's co-workers out of their beds and forced the cafeteria to open up and serve breakfast early. There were a series of reports to write up once the students from the adjacent dorm were allowed back in their rooms, an activity that took up a large part of the morning for the staff of both buildings. Cecilia took Jason's breakfast to him at about 9:30. She was a bit surprised to find him asleep and that he had slept soundly since midnight the night before. Cecilia kissed him and gave a brief account of the fire and evacuation; amazed he had slept through all that turmoil. She handed him his breakfast, then ordered him to turn around so she could study his bottom. She had been right about postponing his punishment, because his bottom still was covered with marks, bruises, and welts from the night before. As he placed his hands on his desk she gently passed her hand over his backside, enjoying the site and feel of his smooth, but marked up, skin. "Try not to sit too much and stretch as much as you can. I think those marks will be gone by Monday if you go easy on your cute butt." With that she patted his bottom and left. Jason opened his food box once she left and was somewhat disappointed with his meal. It all was healthy and very bland food. She really did have him on restriction. Shortly after Jason finished eating, Ken came by. Jason let Ken into his room completely undressed. Ken immediately noticed the marks on his bottom and of course was curious to know what had happened. Jason decided to tell Ken what transpired during the punishment, and then spent a long time talking about his increasingly strange relationship with Cecilia. Jason turned around and displayed his bottom to his friend, who studied the marks with wide, hungry eyes. Ken asked Jason to recount the complete story of the strapping. He wanted to know every detail: how many swats, how it felt, what happened immediately before Jason bent over the chair, how Cecilia swung the belt, how many times he moved or tried to cover his bottom with his hands, what exactly Cecilia said to him, how much did he cry. Two things were obvious from Ken's reaction to Jason's story. He was extremely aroused by seeing Jason's bottom and hearing the details of his punishment, but he also was extremely envious. He sighed. "You're so lucky, to have a girl like Cecilia. Do you realize how many guys would do anything to change places with you?" Jason thought Ken's reaction to the entire incident was strange. He suspected Ken might try to flirt with Cecilia. He also suspected, were that to happen, Cecilia would rudely rebuff him. He knew Cecilia well enough to realize, as long as he did what she told him to do and paid attention to her needs, she would remain fiercely loyal to him. Jason changed the topic slightly by informing his friend that he was sure their RA had no intention of reporting the streaking incident to the university. "She'll keep the pictures and probably hold this over your heads to make you behave, but I don't think you're in any trouble. I think the only one of us who got in trouble was me." He also asked that Ken not say anything to Lisa and Mike about his punishment. "I really don't want this getting around, and I don't think Cecilia does either. That's why she waited until last night, so there wouldn't be a bunch of questions in the Life Drawing classes." Once Ken promised to keep the punishment a secret, Jason pulled out two of Burnside's readings to review with his friend. They were at it for nearly two hours. Jason's tutoring responsibilities helped him tremendously, because talking to his friends forced him to practice explaining the coursework and thus prepared him for seminars and quizzes. Shortly before they finished Cecilia unexpectedly dropped by to check up on her boyfriend. She seemed satisfied when it was clear that Jason was behaving properly. He had not gotten dressed and was going over coursework with Ken. She gave him a kiss and continued her mid-day floor check. Ken left to workout, a bit disappointed at having to go the gym by himself. Jason slipped to the bathroom and then returned to his room. Fortunately the hallway was empty and no one saw him. He took a look at himself in the mirror and noticed the marks on his bottom were less visible than they had been in the morning. He figured they would be completely gone by the following evening. He divided the rest of the afternoon between reviewing for Burnside's class and studying the massage manual. He knew that Cecilia would want a massage Sunday night and was counting on him to do a good job. She came by with another simple meal in the evening, gave him another kiss, and continued her rounds. Jason stayed up late studying, but finally went to sleep; looking forward to being released from restriction and getting his modem back the following morning. ---------- Cecilia came by the Sunday morning at 9:00. She briefly questioned her boyfriend about what he had studied the day before, and satisfied with his progress, she gave him a kiss and announced he was off restriction. She sat down for a brief foot massage and then told Jason to get dressed. They went out for coffee, walking though the quiet university to the stores located just off-campus. Cecilia recounted 24 hours of crises that she had to confront as duty RA as they shared coffee and a light meal. After a leisurely breakfast she took his hand and led him down the street to the men's clothing store. She flatly announced that his evening wardrobe was unacceptable and he needed to dress more appropriately. While Jason stood quietly, it was Cecilia who talked to the salesman and explained what she was looking for. She selected several suits and had him try them on. She brushed the jackets and straightened the pants. She ordered him to turn around as she sat evaluating the clothing, nodding or shaking her head. After she selected two suits, she picked out some very conservative ties and ordered Jason to try them. She was the one who stood in front of him straightening the knots on the ties and checking to make sure they were the proper length. In the end she chose four and handed them to the salesman to put with the suits. There were shirts to pick out and finally shoes. The salesman was a bit taken aback when Cecilia moved in front of Jason and put different shoes on his feet, then told him to walk around and asked how the shoes felt. It was obvious what was happening, she was dressing him and he did not have any input over what she was picking out for him. The sales clerk could not argue, however. The young woman's taste in fashion was appropriate, if a bit conservative. Her boyfriend would look good in the clothing she was selecting for him. Cecilia negotiated the alterations needed to make the suits fit properly and ordered Jason to pull out his credit card. The total purchase was nearly $ 1,500. However, considering the money Jason had spent buying himself stylish items over the summer such an expenditure was not unusual for him. Anyhow, the bill would go to his parents' house and they would pay for it. "Just tell 'em you'll need the suits for job interviews and social functions. That's no lie, Jason, because this is the clothing you'll need to make a good impression on people. I don't know what your parents were thinkin', lettin' you buy all that weird Rapper shit you got over the summer." The store clerks quietly looked at each other. Their young female customer was right, but it was strange to watch the brusque and direct way she treated her totally obedient companion. The stop at the clothing store lasted nearly three hours, so it was mid-afternoon when they continued looking around the other stores. They bought some ice cream and walked out to a park, where she got him to talk about his childhood and parents. Cecilia realized it would be a good idea to find out as much as she possibly could about the elder Schmidts before meeting them, especially their likes, dislikes, political views, and what they wanted for their son. Pleasing Jason's parents would be an important part of Cecilia's long-term plans with him. She wanted to make sure they would find as little as possible objectionable about her and get them to approve of the relationship. She knew she was starting at a huge disadvantage, because her dark skin, cheap clothing, and rough accent made it obvious she had not come from a privileged background. She would counter that disadvantage with the information she needed to get the Schmidts to talk about themselves instead of talking about her, and make them feel comfortable being around her. As the day went by, Cecilia subtly directed Jason to behave properly in many small ways. When they came up to a door, she waited until he opened it. When they were at a table, she stood until he seated her. When they bought something to eat or drink, she never took the item herself. She waited for Jason to take it and pass it to her. She rewarded him by smiling and punished him with an impatient, unpleasant look. By the end of the day Jason was well aware of Cecilia's expectations for his minute-to-minute behavior in her presence. He had been trained, without even realizing he had been trained. It was getting dark as they walked back though the university, with Jason toting a bag of shirts, ties, shoes, and socks that were to be part of his outfit whenever he took Cecilia out at night. She held his arm and cuddled his shoulder, letting him know that she was happy and enjoyed being with him. Upon entering Huntington Hall, Cecilia decided it was time for her massage. She told Jason to take his new clothes back to his room and pick up the massage book. She then escorted him back to her room and laid a dorm sheet on top of her bedspread and placed another in her armchair. She told Jason to get undressed and fold his clothes. She gave him a seductive look and stood quietly with her back to him. He realized what she wanted. She wanted him to undress her. He decided to start with her skirt, which he unzipped and pushed down to her feet. She stepped out the skirt and was left almost completely naked from the waist down, with nothing but her white thong to barely conceal her figure. His heart pounded as he admired her attractive dark legs and exquisite bottom. He folded the skirt and placed it on her desk. Next he took the hem of her blouse in both hands. She raised her arms as he lifted it over her head. Although the blouse had been worn all day and needed to be washed, Jason folded it and placed it on top of the skirt. He unhooked and removed a cheap bra, leaving her completely bare except the thong. For a second he admired her breasts, before completing his task by pushing the thong to her feet. Cecilia sat down in her armchair, enjoying the feel of being completely naked in the hot room. Jason took the massage oil, rubbed it in his hands, and began spreading it around her shoulders. Using both his imagination and the techniques he had picked up from the book, he began loosening the muscles in her shoulders and neck, then knelt and massaged her fingers, her hands, and her arms. He attended to her feet, and then she moved to the bed, this time lying face down completely naked. She relaxed her bottom and spread her legs slightly, allowing him to see her dark bottom-hole. He felt an ardent desire to explore her entire bottom with his kisses, and gently touch his lips to every part of the soft skin of that exquisite part of her. His immediate duty was not her bottom, but instead to massage her entire body, from the feet to her neck. He began with the heels, and slowly worked his way up her calves to her knees. Then he continued on, spending a long time working the muscles of her thighs. The came the best part: her bottom. He began gently by spreading oil over her bottom cheeks with the palms of his hands, allowing his fingertips to gently brush the darker area in between. Then he pressed hard into her with his palms and then his fingers, trying to find and relax the large muscles that lying underneath the lovely mounds of her tender backside. He relished the feel of that beautiful sight, of her bottom moving and changing shape under the pressure of his hands. Finally he reluctantly moved on, continuing up her back to return to massaging her shoulders and neck. He expected her to fall asleep, but she was still awake once he finished massaging the muscles in her neck at the base of her skull. She turned over, completely exposing her entire front side to him. Again he started at her feet, this time tracing the fronts of her shins and working the muscles on her thighs. He caught glimpses of the secret area between her legs, and realized from the wetness and the smell she was getting aroused. He decided to take a chance. He kissed the inside of her thigh. The reaction was immediate; she groaned and shifted her legs apart, her body full of erotic heat. He kissed her insides of her thighs, slowly working his way up towards the very wet vagina that awaited him. She lifted her legs and spread them further. However, he held back, working his way ever so slowly towards his goal. He kissed the tender, very sweaty skin at the base of her thighs, then slowly began kissing and licking her labia. Just as Cecilia had foreseen, he became a worshiper at her temple, with its tiny goddess impatiently waiting for homage from his tongue and lips. Cecilia's entire body was soaked in sweat mixed with massage oil. She placed her hands on his head, gently running her fingers through his hair and guiding the kisses and licking around her private area. He made her wait, but finally he worked his way towards her clitoris. She groaned with pure joy when his tongue brushed it for the very first time. He kissed the area around it, then concentrated his efforts on that center of feminine pleasure. He touched her and teased her, brushed her and circled his tongue, as he tasted the juices of first one, then a second, complete orgasm. Jason was aroused himself, but was unsure whether or not he could enter her. He knelt upright, silently asking her permission to satisfy his own desires. It had not been her intention that night to have oral sex with him, let alone regular sex, but at least this time she was prepared. "There's condoms in the top dresser drawer. If you put one on you can make love to me." Jason quickly and obediently put on a condom and positioned himself to enter Cecilia. She was exhausted, but still aroused with eyes full of pleasure and gratitude. She reached up and drew him to her. He entered her and began thrusting. In spite of the condom, this was really good. In spite of her exhaustion, Cecilia's body reacted at the feel of her love being inside her. Her passion built up as she enjoyed yet another orgasm. She groaned from pleasure that was much more than she could have hoped for just one month ago. Yes! Yes! Yes! This was it! He was hers...he was her gift from life, the man destined to dedicate his own existence meeting her needs. The Freshman Ch. 08 Chapter 8 - A high stakes wager The following Monday morning Cecilia breathed a huge sigh of relief, when she woke up and realized her period had started. Her menstruation normally was a source of irritation that intruded on her routine once a month, but for once she was very happy to see the familiar spot of blood. She changed her panties and stuffed a pad in the crotch of the clean pair, relieved that her moment of carelessness with Jason the previous Friday night would not disrupt her life. She spent a normal Monday morning, going to her early class, then drawing her boyfriend during the 11:00 Life Drawing class, then spending "quality time" with her strange economics professor during the hour leading up to the 1:30 economic theory class. Burnside already was thinking about the class midterm. She had decided to split the midterm into two parts, one to be given at the beginning of October and the other at the beginning of November. Although Cecilia really had nothing to do with writing the test or grading it, Burnside confided some of the exam plans to her scholarship student. The professor also confided another piece of exciting news, that it was likely the Prime Minister of Upper Danubia would visit Chicago and the university sometime late in the semester. The student's reaction surprised and impressed her. "You mean Vladim Dukov is gonna be here?!" "You actually know who he is?" "Yeah, Dr. Burnside, he was Kimberly Lee's defense attorney when she got arrested...you know Kimberly Lee of 'Socrates' Mistresses'. I'm a big fan of that group and I know all about him, 'cause of what he did for Kim. So he's actually coming? Do you think I could meet him? Please...I'd really like to meet him!" Burnside thought for a minute, trying to see how Cecilia could be brought into the planned visit of the foreign dignitary. The Prime Minister would attend an international economic seminar in downtown Chicago and speak about his plans for his country's economic development. He was scheduled to visit several political think-tanks and then give two speeches at the university about his views and goals for the future of his country. His final stop before flying on to Canada and Europe would be a day in Washington DC to speak at the National Press Club. Vladim Dukov had been Prime Minister of Upper Danubia for less than a year, but was well-liked within his own country. He was not a popular figure in the US, because of his nationalistic ideology and rejection of globalization. He was not friendly to international business concerns and perfectly willing to walk away from negotiations if he felt the interests of his country were not being served. He recently had caused a sensation in Europe by withdrawing Upper Danubia's application to join the EU because he felt the previous government had made too many concessions in its effort to join. Dukov had his own philosophy about economic development, based on the needs of a rather isolated and backwards society instead of popular economic models. The Prime Minister's goal in coming to the US was to speak directly to the public and intellectuals about what he wanted for Upper Danubia and ultimately where he hoped to lead his country. The political issues where of only passing interest to Cecilia. Her desire to meet Dukov was much more personal. The Danubian leader was a direct link to her favorite singer and the music that had transformed her outlook on life. To Burnside the issue was a practical one, finding a student for the university delegation who actually knew where Upper Danubia was located and enough about the country to not look like the typically ignorant American. It was obvious Cecilia was a bit star-struck at the thought of meeting her favorite singer's former guardian, but if she could tone that down a bit, she would make a good addition to the student representatives. "I don't see why you couldn't be part of the student delegation. Most of the group will be graduate students, but I think you'd do a good job representing our department. I'll add you, under a condition. I want you to pick a Danubian topic for your term paper for the Theory of International Development course. Do some research, get yourself ready to meet Prime Minister Dukov, and you'll make a real contribution." ---------- After her daily workout with Lisa, Cecilia sat with the other RA's for their nightly dinner. The dorm director surprised his staff when he announced he wanted to have a formal meeting with the RA's following the meal. The staff met in one of the dorm's small conference rooms. There was a series of issues to discuss, including a new duty roster, a review of the previous weekend's fire in the adjacent building and Huntington Hall's own evacuation procedures were a similar emergency to take place, and an announcement there would be a fire drill later in the week. Following the serious topics, the dorm director gave the group a sarcastic smile and passed out flyers for a 10 kilometer run that would be held Saturday of the following week. It was sponsored by the Tri-Alpha fraternity and was a yearly tradition at the university, an essential task of the fraternity's initiation for new pledges. What set the Tri-Alpha run apart from any other university-sponsored 10-K run was that all runners had to be completely nude throughout the entire race and the ceremony preceding the event. The only permitted items of clothing for anyone participating were running shoes and socks. The run had been a yearly tradition since the early 1960's, when the Tri-Alphas began incorporating nudity as part of their initiations. During the first two decades of its existence the 10-K route had gone through not only the university, but also through Fraternity Row and a couple of nearby commercial streets. In 1985 the race was scaled back. The Tri-Alpha fraternity and the university agreed to shorten the run to just 2 miles and have it contained completely within the campus area. A few years later there was talk of banning the nude 10-K race altogether, given that most of the universities around the US that had nude student runs were stopping them. Talk of banning the Tri-Alpha nude run came to an abrupt end when a fraternity alumnus and multi-millionaire died and left a huge grant to the university. The benefactor left his money in a trust fund, stipulating that $ 10 million would be paid out each year until the account was exhausted. The grant had two conditions. The first condition was the entire amount had to be used to pay the salaries of non-tenured professors and Teaching Assistants. The second condition was that the Tri-Alpha nude run had to be held each year, restored to its original 10-kilometer length and held in the middle of the day on the last Saturday each September. Whatever moral objections there might have been to the spectacle of naked runners streaking through the university each year, no one in the Board of Regents was going to argue against $ 10 million in guaranteed salary money for instructors. Money talks, and bullshit walks. So, the Board of Regents negotiated the details of the revised race with the directors of the Tri-Alpha fraternity. The race would remain within the confines of the university, but would be a full 10-K run. The starting line was at the Memorial Stadium. The runners would do two laps around the football field, then leave the stadium to follow a route around the university, pass through the old part of campus, then circle back to the Stadium and do a final lap around the track to the finish line. The event drew a large crowd that filled the stadium and lined the race route around the university. Attendance was restricted to students, active alumni, faculty members, and reporters. The campus was sealed off to outsiders during the race, but even with the restriction, typically between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators attended the event each year. Participating in the race and running the full 10 kilometers non-stop was a requirement for all Tri-Alpha pledges. The fraternity encouraged other students to participate by offering a trophy and $ 1,000 in prize money to any non-Tri-Alpha member who managed to win the men's race. A second prize of $ 1,000 was offered to the winner of the women's division, as an incentive to encourage female students to run. During any given year there were a few participants from other fraternities and sororities, a few from the dorms, and always students representing the Art Department, the Theater Department, the Athletic Department, and the School of Music. However, the male 10-K winner usually was a Tri-Alpha pledge, because the fraternity forced its prospective members to train for the race. The RA's smiled and laughed at the idea of getting someone from Huntington Hall to run in the nude for an hour, but the director had an offer that made his staff take the whole affair somewhat more seriously. "I've got a $50 gift card to any store in the mall for anyone who can get me a runner to represent Huntington Hall in the 10-K. If you get me a winning runner, I'll give you a $ 500 gift card. I think it'd be good for morale if we could have someone to cheer for in this race, one of our own. Anyhow, you all have floor meetings scheduled this Sunday and I'd appreciate you bringing it up to your residents." Most of the RA's figured they had their work cut out for them, getting any of their floor residents to participate. The race was not an experience for anyone with any modesty, because the time the runners spent in the nude extended way beyond the hour of running. There was a pre-race ceremony and a march around the stadium prior to the run itself, and then post-race events and a coronation ceremony for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in separate divisions for male and female runners. The six winning runners could expect to be nude in public for at least six hours and pose for hundreds of pictures. Yes, $ 1,000 was a nice amount of money for a student, but actually winning the prize was a tough challenge, given the competition from the well-prepared Tri-Alpha pledges. Cecilia was the only RA who was confident that she could supply at least two runners, and possibly four. She was sure that with a little coaxing she could get Jason and Ken to run, but she wanted to get Mike and Lisa to participate as well. That would mean four gift certificates and $ 200 to spend on new clothing. If either Jason or Ken won the race, she would get the $ 500 gift certificate and finally supplement her meager wardrobe in a meaningful way. As Cecilia pondered getting her runners for Huntington Hall, the director set down a stack of flyers and registration packets for the race. Most of the other RA's took just one packet, but Cecilia confidently took four. ---------- The evening returned to normal, as Cecilia went to Jason's room, where he was waiting for her to review Burnside's materials. As instructed, he was naked and stood obediently as she questioned him about his studies. Eventually she planned to train him to always greet her by getting on his knees and kissing her hands, but that would come later. She confidently sat at his chair and snapped at him to get the right answers to questions about the assigned readings. Once she was sure he knew the Monday material, she released him to tutor his three friends while she went back to her room. The RA spent an hour studying for one of her classes, then returned to Jason's room to escort him to her room for a massage. Once Jason was undressed and ready to massage her, Cecilia ordered him to strip her to her panties. She was wearing a regular pair of women's briefs instead of her usual thong because of her period. Obviously for the next several nights Jason would be restricted to massaging her back, arms, feet, and legs. Cecilia sat in her armchair as Jason knelt to begin massaging her feet. As usual he moved up her calves, then massaged her hands, arms, shoulders, and neck. Once the chair portion of the massage was complete, Cecilia would lie on her bed to have her legs and back massaged. Cecilia fell asleep and Jason covered her up. He quietly got dressed, gave her a very gentle kiss on the cheek, turned out the light, and slipped back to the commons area. ---------- Lisa owed Cecilia a Poker game. Cecilia's original idea was to play one-on-one, with high stakes between the two women. Cecilia was not planning to wager money, however. The stakes instead would be favors and a period of servitude. Cecilia changed her plans for her Poker wager upon returning to her room with the four Tri-Alpha race registration packets. She would make it a five-person wager, with participating in the race a penalty for the losers of planned game. The three males would end up in the race for sure, and if Cecilia's plans worked out and she won against Lisa, she would pass out registration packets to four losing freshmen. There was no question they would participate, because she still had the pictures from that wild Sunday night two weeks before and would use them as leverage, if necessary, to pressure everyone to play. Cecilia was aware that Lisa really might be a good player, and there was a risk that it might be Cecilia, not Lisa, who would be take the fourth packet and run the race with the three guys. Yes, it was a risk, but if she lost, the RA was fully prepared to honor the bet and run the 10-K. Cecilia was not much of a risk-taker in her daily life, but for once she was willing to face the prospect of losing to Lisa and running 10 kilometers in the nude. The uncertainty would make the evening's card game an interesting experience and a challenging one for the RA. During her workout with Lisa on Tuesday, Cecilia brought up the idea of a Poker game Friday night. "We'll have the guys play with us, so we'll start with five players. We'll play strip Poker. First we strip the guys, then you and me go head-to-head." "Are we playing for penalties?" "Yeah, but just one each. We'll be playing for elimination. Whenever someone loses all their clothes, they're out of the game. There will be a single penalty for each loser." "What is it?" "I've got four envelopes. Each loser takes an envelope. It's a surprise, but it'll be the same for each loser." "You too? If you lose, you'll do the penalty?" "Of course. If I lose, I'll do the penalty." "And what makes you so sure you can beat me?" "Lisa, I'm not sure about that at all. I don't know how good you play, and you don't know how good I am. That's what'll make Friday night so interesting." ---------- Friday night Lisa and Cecilia made the final arrangements for the card game. They counted pieces of clothing to make sure each was starting with the same number of item. Cecilia ordered Jason and Mike to bring a small round table into Lisa's room from the commons area and to borrow five folding chairs from the dorm's conference room. The players would sit in a circle, each the same distance from the others. Lisa pulled out her digital camera and Cecilia borrowed Jason's 35-mm camera, for full body portraits to be taken of each loser as soon as he or she was eliminated from the game. Cecilia sealed the four registration packets and laid them on Lisa's desk. Jason, Ken, and Mike looked at each other nervously. There was a grim determination about the two women that unsettled them. The knowledge that each of them was sure to lose and take a penalty also concerned them. The game really was between Cecilia and Lisa, and the guys figured once they were eliminated, they would be standing at attention in the nude for a very long time while the two women battled to see which of them would end up with the fourth envelope. The guys did not bother to count how many articles of clothing they were wearing, since they were destined to lose anyway. Jason was wearing only four items; a pair of loose-fitting shorts, a shirt, and a pair of casual deck shoes. Ken had six items of clothing; the same outfit as Jason, but also a pair of socks. Like Jason, Ken normally did not wear underwear. Mike had on five items of clothing; shorts and underwear, shoes, and a shirt. Cecilia let Lisa deal first. She passed the freshman an unopened deck of cards, which Lisa quickly unwrapped. Cecilia carefully watched as Lisa expertly shuffled, with the calm expression of a person familiar with gaming. Poker face. OK. She looks calm, but we'll see what's she's hiding later on, thought Cecilia to herself. The two women played very carefully, eager to keep as many articles of clothing possible during the first phase of their game in which they eliminated the guys. Jason was the first to be eliminated. At the end of the seventh round, Ken had lost two shoes and Mike one shoe, but Jason already had lost all four articles of his clothing. He pulled down his shorts and handed them to Cecilia. Lisa then ordered him to stand against the wall to pose for several pictures with both the 35mm and the digital camera. Cecilia then ordered her boyfriend to put his hands behind his head and remain standing while the game continued. Ken was eliminated next. In quick succession he lost his socks, shirt, and shorts, while Mike lost a second shoe. Once again, the two cameras clicked as the loser submitted to having multiple full-body shots taken to record his loss. Once his body was documented on film, Lisa ordered him to put his hands behind his head and take his place next to Jason. Jason felt a rush of erotic excitement as he stood, completely uncovered in front of two women, his hands behind his head and his entire body on full display in the well-lit room. There was the thrill of being exposed, but also the thrill of submitting to his role as a loser of the game and the ominous envelope that was waiting for him on Lisa's desk. He knew that whatever was in that envelope, it would be a huge erotic challenge and an opportunity to prove his willingness to do whatever Cecilia wanted him to do. He glanced over at Ken, whose penis was stiffening and who was clearly enjoying himself. Mike put up a much better fight then Jason and Ken. In the round following Ken's elimination he managed to take Cecilia's first article of clothing, a shoe. He won the next two rounds against Lisa, and got her two shoes off. Then he lost a round, giving up his shorts. That loss left him wearing a shirt and underwear. During the following round he took a second shoe from Cecilia, and a sock from Lisa after that. Mike lost his shirt, but then won two more times against Cecilia, getting the belt off her skirt and then her blouse. Cecilia became very nervous, realizing she was down to three articles of clothing and still had not eliminated Mike from the game. Mike got a second sock from Lisa before finally losing his final article of clothing, his underwear. Lisa stood up and pulled his underwear to his ankles. Then Mike dutifully stood against the wall for pictures. Following the shots of Mike, Lisa ordered all three guys to stand together for a couple of group shots. Lisa and Cecilia were left evenly matched. Lisa was wearing a pair of jeans, underwear, and a t-shirt, while Cecilia was wearing a skirt, a thong, and a bra. Lisa won Cecilia's skirt in the next round. She now was confident of winning the game. She decided to embarrass Cecilia by briefly ordering her to stand in front of the three naked guys so they could see their RA in her underwear. Cecilia sat down, only two articles of clothing away from losing the game and having to take a registration packet for the race. However, without realizing it, Lisa now was in serious trouble. She had assumed that forcing Cecilia to stand in front of the three males in her underwear would make her too nervous to think straight upon returning to the table, but quite the opposite happened. Cecilia's mind was sharply focused, while Lisa was completely distracted at the thought she was so close to winning. Cecilia could read her opponent's expression with each hand and knew exactly how to counter. Lisa quickly was stripped to her panties and her mood went from elation to panic. Sure enough, she lost the final round. With her eyes wide from the shock of actually having lost after being ahead, she stood up, folding her arms across her breasts. Cecilia, still wearing nothing but her thong and bra, stood behind Lisa and slowly pulled her panties to her ankles, relishing the hard-earned victory and her opponent's complete embarrassment. The Freshman Ch. 08 "Lisa, please hand me the cameras and stand next to the wall, facing me, with your hands at your sides." Lisa, her face still reflecting the amazement she actually had lost, quietly obeyed, as the three guys watched her. Jason and Ken were fascinated with Lisa's tall attractive body, but both of them had to be careful about looking at her too hard. Ken would have to contend with Mike's jealousy if caught eying Lisa. Jason would have a much worse problem to contend with if Cecilia caught him looking with too much interest at another woman. The cameras went off, then the RA ordered her rival to turn around so she could take several pictures of Lisa's bare backside. Finally Cecilia ordered Lisa to step outside into the hallway, and took several pictures of her as she walked to the end of the women's wing and then back to her room. She sadly re-entered, wondering what Cecilia's "high stakes bet" would entail for the game's four losers. Cecilia ordered Lisa and Ken to fold and stack the chairs and push the table to one side of the dorm room. She then told the four naked freshmen to line up and handed each of them an envelope. "I know all of you've been jogging, so you ought to be ready for this." She passed out four pens and continued. "Once you have these filled out, pass them back to me, and I'll run 'em down to the dorm director's office first thing tomorrow. He'll be real happy to know you're gonna represent Huntington Hall in the race." The freshmen opened their envelopes with very mixed reactions. Jason was elated, not having known the university sponsored a nude run every year. Cool! His heart jumped in anticipation, especially once he saw that the route would have him running naked past all the areas of campus he already was familiar with. This was his lifelong fantasy, a serious nude run, a real race in which he could enjoy the freedom of having his entire body exposed to the cool fall breezes of a late September afternoon. He was thrilled at the thought of being completely naked in front of 50,000 strangers. Also, the old competitive spirit from his high school track team experiences resurfaced, making him wonder if he had a realistic chance of actually winning the race. Ken was somewhat more dubious about the whole adventure, but realized it would be possible to have some fun with it. His mind wandered to the thought of running naked among all those other guys, and suddenly he found the whole thing very erotic. He then checked himself, wondering about fantasizing about being in the middle of a bunch of other naked men and then felt guilty about his fantasy. His mind wandered back and forth, but finally decided he was looking forward to the run. Mike was not thrilled at all. The thought of running nude in front of 50,000 people made him cringe. He was not a particularly modest person, but he certainly was not an exhibitionist like Jason. He looked at the run as an ordeal he simply wanted to get out of the way and was mad at having allowed himself to get dragged into doing it. Lisa still was in shock. She couldn't believe she had let Cecilia win three rounds of cards in a row. Now here she was, stuck with this awful commitment that not only entailed placing herself on very public display, but also the grueling physical challenge of running a full hour without stopping. Oh how she'd like to see Cecilia having to do this! Yeah right! The RA probably couldn't even run one mile, let alone six. Yes, that would have been fun, seeing that Ghetto bitch naked, sweaty, gasping for breath, and holding her hands at her side from runner's cramp while struggling to keep up at the tail end of the race. And it could have happened that way, if she had just paid closer attention to the cards during that last couple of rounds! This was ridiculous...she was a good card player, actually slightly better than Cecilia, but still she had lost, because she wasn't paying attention and her rival was! The four freshmen spent the next few minutes filling out their registration forms, which asked basic questions to ensure the runners were over 18, currently enrolled in classes, and in good health. There was a map of the route with a signature line to assure the runner understood the route and agreed not to leave it during the race. There was another signature line to make sure each applicant was aware that all clothing, with the exception of running shoes and athletic socks, was strictly prohibited and that wearing anything above the knees would disqualify a person from the race. Finally there was a question asking what university entity the runner was representing. Jason, Ken, and Lisa put down Huntington Hall. Mike decided to declare he was representing the political science department. ---------- Following the card game, Mike, Lisa, and Ken decided to go out, while Cecilia asked Jason to follow her back to her room. Once in the room Jason undressed, folded his clothing, and then undressed Cecilia and folded her clothes. As she sat down in her armchair he knelt and followed the usual routine of massaging her feet, her calves, her hands, arms shoulders and neck. She then lay on her bed on her back, with her leg spread slightly and the exposed intimate area between her legs beckoning her boyfriend's anxious gaze. Jason massaged Cecilia's thighs, all the while looking longingly at her relaxed vagina her partially shaved pubic hair. Cecilia left only a very small strip of pubic hair when she shaved, because she liked having a clean bikini line for her favorite thong underwear. As Jason's hands massaged her upper thighs and closed in on her most intimate areas, Cecilia spread her legs and clasped his head with her hands. She directed him to begin kissing the insides of her thighs. As Jason began his task of satisfying her desires, Cecilia directed him by guiding his head with her hands. Eventually he began kissing the soft shaved area between her legs, gently biting and licking her labia and inserting his tongue into her vagina. He would have liked to insert another part of his body into that secret opening, but unfortunately for Jason, tonight that was not to be. He already understood his place in the relationship. He could enter her only when she was in the mood and gave him permission. She would tell him when that would be; it was not his place in the relationship to bring it up. Finally Cecilia directed Jason to kiss and lick the area around her clitoris. For a very long time she gasped and shuttered as he performed his duty in satisfying her need that night to have a nice orgasm. Cecilia smiled, squeezed his hand, and flipped over on her stomach for the second part of her massage. Jason, his face tired and sticky from servicing Cecilia's sexual needs, continued his task of relaxing her. Beginning with the soles of her feet, he worked his way up her legs, kneading and massaging her muscles. He was rewarded by getting to his favorite part, her lovely dark bottom. He spent a very long time exploring those lovely mounds of tantalizing flesh, massaging and caressing that intimate part of her body. To have those lovely buttocks in his hands and under his care was his reward for his efforts to make her happy. After he massaged her bottom, he spent a long time kissing it, even venturing between her bottom cheeks. He was rewarded by a happy sigh and a supportive comment from his love: "Hmm...that feels good. I like it when you do that to me." He finished massaging her upper back and, as usual, covered her up before leaving her room. ---------- Cecilia insisted that Jason spend most of the following Saturday studying, given that he was not likely to have much time to study the following weekend. She ran into Ken in the hallway and "strongly recommended" that he join Jason as he reviewed for the first midterm in Burnside's class, as well as midterms in a couple of other classes. Cecilia, meanwhile, went to the gym with Lisa. Fortunately her companion had recovered from the shock of the previous night's Poker game and was resigned to running the following weekend. To prepare for the run she changed her workout, explaining to Cecilia why the altered workout was better for a person preparing for a 10-K run. Cecilia followed Lisa's lead and decided to add jogging to her exercise routine. There was the usual theater and dinner date Saturday night, with Jason appropriately dressed in a new suit, new shoes, and conservative tie. Cecilia, as always on such outings, wore her Danubian dress, which was the only article of decent clothing she owned. That night Cecilia led Jason even further into the world of high culture, by asking him to take her to a production of the famous opera "Madame Butterfly". The production was located in downtown Chicago, which involved a 40-minute drive into the center of the downtown area. Jason had to spend most of Saturday morning scrambling to make arrangements for getting himself and Cecilia from the university to downtown and back again. Cecilia wanted to see "Madame Butterfly" and she expected to be taken to see "Madame Butterfly". The details were Jason's problem, and he was expected to make whatever arrangements necessary to comply with her desire. It was that simple. In the end Mike came to Jason's rescue by lending his car and showing his friend the best way to get to the downtown theater. He also knew of an expensive downtown restaurant close to the theater, which solved Jason's other problem, where would they eat. Once downtown, Jason took Cecilia to what turned out to be a very elegant restaurant before taking her to the opera. He treated her in a proper and respectful manner, seating her, opening doors for her, and doing everything else he could think of to make her experience more pleasant. After dinner they walked arm-in-arm to a theater production that had been written a century before by someone her had never heard of, in a style of music he never listened to. As always, what Jason might have wanted didn't matter. The night belonged to Cecilia. Cecilia's reaction to the opera surprised Jason. While he tried to hide his boredom as best he could, she really got into the production. As the final act ran its course, Jason glanced over at his girlfriend to notice tears running down her cheeks. She truly was moved by the desolation of the main character's downfall from happiness to despair, fully understanding the very thin thread that kept her own life from returning to the dark world of despair from which she had emerged. How difficult it is to escape; how easy it is to fall back in! She rested her head on his shoulder, thinking about the bleakness of not only the opera's depressing ending, but also of her own life and the dysfunctional society that had produced and then exiled her. As they left the theater to return to Mike's car, Cecilia showed her gratitude to her boyfriend with smiles, by holding his hand, and cuddling up to him. He was the one man in her life who seemed to understand what she needed, and more importantly, was willing to give it to her. She was genuinely grateful for the attention he was giving her, fully realizing that what she wanted from him was completely unreasonable. In her own way, after only a month of being with him, she was falling in love. The Freshman Ch. 09 Chapter 9 - The Tri-Alpha 10-K run The following Sunday evening there was a general meeting in the cafeteria for all Huntington Hall residents and staff. As the freshmen crowded into the cafeteria, Cecilia and the dorm director stood together, while Jason, Ken, Mike, and Lisa stood off to one side nervously awaiting what was about to happen. They were to be introduced as the representatives for Huntington Hall in the Tri-Alpha 10-K nude run. Following some words about fire safety and the need to focus on midterms, the dorm director handed the microphone to Cecilia. She stood up and proudly gestured to the four blushing freshmen. "I'm very pleased to announce that this year we got not one, but four residents from Huntington Hall running for us in the Tri-Alpha race! Let's give a big hand to Jason, Ken, Lisa, and Mike, our representatives in the nude 10-K!" There was thunderous applause, whistling, cheering, and sex whoops for the four nervous freshmen. The hundreds of college students in the room cheered for their four companions, elated at the thought of seeing them running naked the following weekend. "OK...here's the deal. The race starts right at noon, and there will be the pre-race ceremony, which starts at 11:30. So here's what we're gonna do. We'll be leaving here at 10:30, and I think it would be good for all of us to go over to the Stadium together, to show support for our runners!" Cecilia again gestured towards the four freshmen and there was loud cheering from the room, which slowly died down. Cecilia continued. "Let's make some banners and signs with Huntington Hall's name on them, let's get ready to make some noise, and let's let those Tri-Alphas know who we are!" Again there was loud applause and cheering. The dorm director smiled at Cecilia. She was the only member of his staff who had delivered, providing the runners for whom the dorm residents could cheer and support. None of the other RA's could convince anyone else to participate. Jason and his friends forced themselves to smile, but in reality were very nervous. It had just dawned on them that Cecilia had no intention of letting them wait until they got to Stadium to get undressed. Her plan was to have them come downstairs already stripped for the run, and then have them walk across the campus completely naked with all of Huntington Hall's other residents walking and cheering behind them. Cecilia's plan also meant they would not be able to get dressed again until they returned to Huntington Hall, which probably would not be until the late afternoon. Anyhow, no matter what Cecilia's plans were, the group now was fully committed to the race. The entire dorm was expecting them to strip and run on Saturday, and they were beyond the point of being able to back out of the ordeal without having to face the teasing of their fellow residents. Jason took the challenge seriously. Throughout the week he changed his workout to build himself up for the run, stretching more than normal and preparing his body for a race that was two miles more than his normal routine of a four-mile jog every other day. He ate only healthy foods and lots of fruit to hydrate himself. During his outings jogging, Jason was joined by Lisa, who had played soccer in high school and also was a good runner. Lisa surprised him by saying she wanted to try to win first place in the women's division. She figured she wouldn't have too much competition from other female runners. She sighed. "If I gotta do this, I'm gonna do it right and at least try to see if I can get that $ 1,000 for this shit." ---------- The week seemed to pass by both too quickly and too slowly. Jason and Lisa would have liked to have had more time to prepare for the race, but at the same time the anticipation seemed to make each day an eternity. Finally, Saturday did come, and with it the big day for Huntington Hall's four most famous residents. The other RA's spent the early morning with their floor residents putting the finishing touches on Huntington Hall signs, while Cecilia rounded up her four runners and explained what was going on up to the race. As they had foreseen, she had decided that they would leave their clothes behind in the dorm and leave the building wearing nothing but their running shoes and socks. Cecilia already had a backpack set up in which she had bottles of water, towels, extra socks, band-aids, and ointment for blisters, should any of the four get sore feet during the race. She also was well prepared to take lots of pictures, with Jason's 35 mm camera, a borrowed telescopic lens, Lisa's digital camera, extra rolls of film, and an extra memory card. By the time the RA had everything ready, it was close to 10:30 and time to head over to the stadium. "OK, drop your drawers and let's head downstairs." Jason stripped immediately, the others more reluctantly. The RA led them out of her room and locked her door. They now were completely separated from their clothes, and it was up to Cecilia to decide when they could come back into her room to retrieve them. With the men's penises swinging as they walked and Lisa's breasts bouncing up and down slightly, Cecilia led the runners to the main entrance of the dorm. They were greeted by a very loud cheer as they stood on the steps. With Cecilia standing on one side and the dorm director standing on the other side, Jason and his three naked friends joined hands and held them over their heads in a victory gesture while dozens of cameras flashed and captured the moment on film. The other RA's then took up positions on the steps behind the runners and there was an official photo taken of them with the Huntington Hall staff. Cecilia then moved into the middle of the four freshmen, standing between Jason and Mike. There were more pictures of the group alone with their RA, as Cecilia's dark skin and blue clothing contrasted with the bare white bodies of her four companions. Once the picture taking was over, Cecilia led the four freshmen down the steps towards the sidewalk leading to the Memorial Stadium. As they moved away from the dorm, the other residents fell in behind them, cheering and waving signs and banners. As they approached the Stadium, they followed part of the official race route and passed dozens of cheering spectators lining the sidewalk. Cameras and camcorders flashed as the Huntington Hall delegation made their way to into the main part of campus and crossed the stadium parking lot. The RA's began directing the marching residents to sing the university hymn as the group passed through one of the main gates. It was an impressive show for Huntington Hall, one that left the director very pleased. Once inside the stadium, Cecilia led the four runners to the football field while the other dorm residents filed into a reserved area in the bleachers. Cecilia was carrying a banner for Huntington Hall and her backpack full of water and other supplies as she directed Jason and his friends to follow her. Her destination was a group of about 150 other naked students who were gathered and stretching near one of the goal posts. There was a lot of cheering from the crowded bleachers, but the field was empty except the runners, a few officially sanctioned photographers, and people like Cecilia who had come to carry supplies or assist the participants. As he stretched, Jason looked around at his rivals. Most of the others were in fairly good physical condition, but they did not look like practiced track athletes. There were only a couple of guys who looked capable of giving him any meaningful competition. As for the 23 women in the group, there was only one who had a runner's physique. He glanced at the woman's thin muscular body, then at Lisa. There was no reason why Lisa could not come in at least second among the females, and hopefully she would come in first, win the women's race, and get her $1,000. A group of musicians from the university band came out onto the field along with some Tri-Alpha upperclassmen wearing fraternity uniforms. The band members took their positions on the track as the Tri-Alpha referees organized the runners by who they were representing. Cecilia handed the Huntington Hall banner to her freshmen and they took their place on the track with the other runners. Mike had to separate himself from his friends because he would carry a banner for the political science department. On cue the musicians played the university hymn and began marching. They marched a complete circle around the football field as the runners followed holding up their banners. Once the initial march was completed, a Tri-Alpha alumnus took a microphone and introduced the runners to the audience by delegation. There was a very loud cheer when the three Huntington Hall residents bowed to the audience, and a somewhat more muted cheer when Mike bowed on behalf of the political science department. The runners stood quietly as the announcer briefly retold the history of the nude 10-K run, a tradition that now went back more than four decades. Upon finishing his history lesson, the speaker told the runners to move to the starting line. From a distance they made a very strange sight, a small flesh-colored spot among the otherwise garish colors of the stadium and its audience. As he waited for the starting pistol, Jason cleared his mind of everything other than the race. All of the strange events that led him here were of no importance right now. He forgot about the crowds, forgot about being naked in the middle of the university football field, and even forgot about Cecilia. He focused on one thing. He was participating in a competition and he wanted to win. There was the shot that started the race and the runners began their initial two laps around the field. At the beginning neither Jason nor Lisa were anywhere close to the front of group. They were in this for the full distance, not to be the first ones exiting the stadium. Ken shot straight to the front, but Jason knew from experience that was a stupid thing for him to do. His friend quickly would burn himself out and be lucky to even finish the race if he did not pace himself. Mike knew he had no chance of winning. From the beginning he ran at a leisurely pace, simply hoping to finish the course without having to stop and take any breaks. As they rounded the field to complete their second lap, the runners began to spread out. Photographers and camera crews lined the outside of the track, rapidly taking pictures of the runners as a group and as individuals. The second lap was the best time for photos, because the runners were spread out, but still all in one place. As he completed the second lap, Jason's mind concentrated on the physical sensations of his experience. He was enjoying the feel of the warm sun on his bare, healthy body, a body that was in top condition at the peak of his life as an adult. He was ready, more than ready, to run the 10 kilometers and was looking forward to his trek across the university. He paced himself, thinking about simply enjoying the run instead of knocking himself out trying to stay in front. As he entered the final mile of the race, Jason planned to pick up his speed. During the final mile he would push himself hard to move ahead of the lead Tri-Alpha runners and win the race. After the second lap around the field, the 150 naked runners dashed out through the main entrance of the stadium and down the main road of the campus. The entire route was lined with cheering spectators, many with cameras and many others holding banners or signs with the name of a particular runner. Jason saw several students waving Huntington Hall banners. The route passed the economics department, and Jason saw his professor Ruth Burnside, the class TA, and several other professors standing on the steps of the Economics building. He felt a pang of real embarrassment knowing Burnside was watching him as he ran by, but there was nothing he could do about it. He waved at his professor and TA, and continued on his way. By the time the runners left the academic area and circled around the dorms, they were well spread out. By the fourth kilometer marker Jason and Lisa had begun passing exhausted runners who had not paced themselves early in the race. As they made it to the halfway point, they passed Ken, who clearly was in trouble from having spent all his energy during the first couple of miles. Lisa slapped him hard on the ass as she passed him, while Jason shouted "Pace yourself! Pace yourself!" The line of naked bodies and cheering spectators passed the dormitories and returned to the university library via the back route Jason and Ken had used for their streaking adventure a couple of weeks before. Upon reaching the library, the runners ran across the courtyard and circled around to the old part of campus. There was only a mile left to go to get back to the stadium and another quarter mile for the final lap around the track. Jason had reached the part of the race where he had to stop enjoying the run and actually focus his energies on passing all of the remaining runners. He pulled away from Lisa and picked up his pace. Lisa also picked up her pace, as she sought to pass the only two female runners ahead of her, but there was no way she could run as fast as Jason. Using the technique that had served him well in high school, he calmly started passing the 12 runners who still were ahead of him during the final portion of the run. He began breathing more heavily and sweating hard as he pushed himself. Soon there were 11 runners in front of Jason, then there were 10, then 9... By the time the stadium was in sight Jason only had two more runners ahead of him, the two he had known from the beginning would be his toughest rivals. Both were Tri-Alpha pledges, who were confident this would be yet another year Tri-Alpha would take the trophy and use the $ 1,000 in prize money for a post-run party at the fraternity. Jason had other ideas about that prize money and what it would be used for. The three young men ran fiercely in a tight cluster as they re-entered the stadium, well ahead of anyone else in the race. Jason heard the announcer's voice. "Hey-hey, what's this? We've got Huntington Hall giving the Tri-Alphas a bit of a challenge here! So, it looks like we might have an upset this year!" The crowd roared its support for the runners, some of them rooting for the Tri-Alpha runners and some of them for Jason. As they came around the final quarter lap Jason put forth a final burst of energy. He put everything he had into a desperate sprint to the finish line and pulled ahead of his two final rivals. He barely felt the ribbon as he pushed through it and it broke across his chest, with the campus newspaper and Tri-Alpha photographers rapidly snapping pictures of the first non-Tri-Alpha member to win the race in 11 years. The crowd exploded into cheering as Jason pulled to a stop and struggled to regain his breath. He looked back at the two Tri-Alpha pledges, who were taken aback they had not kept the tradition of yearly wins for the fraternity. There would be hell to pay for the loss later that night. Instead of a post-race party, the pledges would have to return to their dorm naked, get cleaned up, and then spend the evening getting paddled by the fraternity's upperclassmen. To make matters worse, the fraternity's sister sorority pledges would be invited to watch the punishments. Losing the race was a serious matter for the Tri-Alphas. Still gasping for breath, Jason saw Cecilia running towards him. She gave him a big hug and a kiss, embracing him as several Huntington Hall RA's took pictures of the happy couple. Sweat from Jason's bare body saturated Cecilia's blouse as she hugged him, but she could care less about that. He had won, he had won for her, and she loved him for it. Naked men continued to trickle into the stadium, circling around the field and passing the finish line. Then came the second batch of excitement, the first female runners in the race re-entered the stadium. They were Lisa and the female track runner. It turned out they were evenly matched, because Lisa was tall and had a long stride, but her competitor was the more seasoned athlete. The two women ran viciously against each other as they desperately circled the football field. They crossed the finish line together and for a minute it was not clear which of them had won. Finally a race referee produced a digital photo showing Lisa ahead by about a foot as the two women crossed the finish line. The photo was put on the stadium's display board for the audience to see how the winner had been determined. A foot wasn't much, but under the race rules Lisa was clearly the winner. The Huntington Hall students went wild with cheering. This year the dorm had produced not one, but two winning runners in the race, thanks to the 2nd floor RA. The residents cheered as Cecilia posed arm-in-arm with the winners of the male and female division of the race for numerous pictures. The announcer reminded everyone the race still had not finished, and for all runners to remain on the field until the final contestants still on the course had re-entered the stadium and completed the final lap. Cecilia, Jason, and Lisa applauded as Mike crossed the finish line. He gave Lisa a big hug, hugely relieved simply to have finished the race at all. He actually had done relatively well for not being an experienced long-distance runner, coming in 67th out of 152 participating. The remaining runners entering the stadium began to thin out after the 100th runner crossed the finish line. Ken staggered in, crossing the finish line as the 109th runner. He was completely burnt out, exhausted, and had pulled a muscle in one of his thighs, but at least he completed the race. Jason later planned to have a talk with him about his performance, because there was no way he should have finished so far behind Mike. He was in good shape, but had used horrible technique. The naked runners stretched and drank water on the football field as stragglers trickled into the stadium. The final contestants struggled to keep running, because the rule of the race was that a runner had to complete the entire distance non-stop to receive a certificate of participation. Finally, the last two runners to complete the race, two gasping and limping young women, struggled around the track, finishing as runners 126 and 127. The referees radioed out to the course to see if any other participants still were on their way to the stadium, but the other 25 runners had dropped out of the race. Following a break to let the stragglers stretch and drink water, the remaining 127 runners lined up on the field as the musicians played the Tri-Alpha fraternity song. The three top male finalists and the top female finalists were called to step forward to be recognized and receive medals. For the 1st place winners there would be trophies and checks. The three winning women went first, stepping onto a platform to receive their medals and pose for pictures. Lisa, her bare body still saturated with sweat, proudly took her place in the winner's spot. The modesty she had felt prior to the race was completely deleted from her mind. She held the trophy over her head, hugged the woman with whom she had almost tied the race, and posed for dozens of pictures. The three winning males were next, with Jason taking his spot on the platform between the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. As the winner of the entire race and the first non-Tri-Alpha to win in more than a decade, the presentation of Jason Schmidt to the university was a very big deal. He stood quietly holding his trophy, smiling for 15 minutes as reporters and campus photographers took his picture over and over. Finally the two winners stood together with their trophies for the official winners' photo of the race, taken by a professional photographer. Later in the semester the photo would be re-printed for sale at a charity event and the two winners would have to spend an evening autographing copies as part of a campus fund-raising drive. The Freshman Ch. 09 As the final part of the event, the finishing contestants lined up to get their race certificates. Once the certificates were passed out, the 127 runners lined up one last time behind the race winners, holding their certificates for a final group photograph. As the other runners began to disperse, there were several interviews for the two winners, who stood naked in front of several television cameras. Jason did most of the talking, simply reciting that he won the race using the techniques he had learned while competing on his high school track team. "I guess the person I really gotta thank is Coach Thompson from Eastwood High School. He was the one who taught me how to run for the distance. And also, my RA, Cecilia Sanchez, who encouraged me to run." He and Lisa smiled sarcastically to each other at that final comment, given the manner in which the RA had "encouraged" the four freshmen to participate in the race. The majority of the race participants returned to the stadium locker rooms to shower and get dressed. Within a few minutes the football field was largely cleared of naked bodies. The four Huntington Hall runners were the exception. For them there would be no getting dressed until they had made their way back to Cecilia's room, where their clothing and room keys were being kept. They left the stadium in the company of Cecilia and the dorm director, with hundreds of cheering classmates trailing behind them for a very public naked walk across campus back to the dorm. Even once they were back at the dorm, still there was no getting dressed for the four naked residents. Many of their classmates wanted to take pictures with the four runners, especially with the two winners and their trophies. Jason and Lisa shrugged their shoulders. What the hell? They had been in the nude and posing for pictures over the last seven hours for just about anyone and everyone, so what difference could a few more pictures make? For the next 40 minutes Jason and Lisa posed with their trophies, medals, and bare sweaty bodies for dozens of pictures with their classmates: with single classmates, with couples, and with small groups. Cecilia stood with the dorm director as they watched the final photography session of the day on the steps of Huntington Hall. She reminded him of something, a promise he really had not expected to fulfill, but one that now would make him dig deep into his pockets. "I'm gonna really appreciate the gift certificates. I'm looking forward to a nice shopping spree at the mall, 'cause to be honest, my clothing collection sucks." "Oh, uh...yeah...I did promise, didn't I? OK, I'll get that $ 500 gift certificate to you first thing Monday, along with the $ 50 ones for Jason, Lisa, and Ken." "Sir, will that be one or two $ 500 gift certificates? We did have two winners, after all." "It'll be two. I'm a man who keeps his word. You gave me two winners, you get two certificates. That's what I promised." Cecilia was elated. As the result of a single Poker game, she had a $ 1,150 shopping spree coming her way. ---------- It wasn't until after 5:00 p.m. when Cecilia and the four freshmen finally returned to her room and they were able to retrieve their clothing and room keys. The three men couldn't go into the women's wing undressed, which to them made no sense, because they had come out that way in the morning before the race. They had to wait in the second floor commons area for Cecilia to bring them their room keys. Lisa went to the shower right away while Jason, Ken, and Mike waited for their RA to come back with their belongings. Finally, more than seven hours after leaving Cecilia's room in the morning, the three freshmen went back to their rooms to shower and get dressed. The dorm director called Cecilia and asked her to invite the four runners out for dinner to celebrate the run. Shortly after they were cleaned up, the RA and her four residents joined the dorm director and the other RA's at a nearby restaurant, for a free dinner, compliments of the director. He planned to hold a dorm party the following Saturday for all the residents, but the post-run dinner at a nice restaurant was his way to offer his personal thanks to Cecilia and the four runners. He mainly wanted to thank Jason and Lisa, but because Mike and Ken also were residents of the dorm, the director did not feel he could justify excluding them. Cecilia, as always, went to dinner in her formal Danubian dress, while Jason wore one of his new suits. The others in the group were amazed at how good Jason and Cecilia looked together when dressed up. Following the dinner Cecilia invited Jason to her room. He expected the usual routine of servicing her with a massage and oral sex, but she had a surprise for him. Cecilia was very happy with her boyfriend and was determined to reward him for having performed so well in the run. Tonight she would concentrate on pleasing him, not on having him please her. The first thing she did upon returning to the room, was to slowly and seductively strip him. She pulled off his jacket, his tie, and his pants, kissing him the entire time. Then she pulled off his shirt and pulled his underwear to the floor. She turned around and asked him to lift her dress above her head. She stopped to hang it up in her closet, given that the dress was worth $ 700, was her only item of decent clothing, and was a gift from her favorite singer. As she reached into her closet, Jason admired her dark skin and the thin strip of white thong around her waist that accentuated the nudity of the rest of her body. She returned to kissing him and encouraged him to explore her with his hands. Over the month he had known her, Jason was becoming skilled at understanding what Cecilia wanted from him without having to ask. Tonight her desire was clear. She was offering herself to him. She wanted him to take her, enjoy her body, and take charge of their time together in bed. He also understood why she was surrendering herself to him. He was being rewarded for winning the race and making her look good to the dorm director. Jason pushed her skimpy underwear to her ankles and grabbed her bottom hard as he pulled her body against his. She could feel his stiff penis poking into her, until he separated to kiss her breasts and explore her nipples with his tongue. He sucked hard on her breasts, causing her slight pain, which accentuated her arousal. He then moved behind her, grabbing her breasts hard as he kissed the sides of her neck. She pushed her bottom backwards, allowing him to relish the feel of the warm tender area between her bottom cheeks pressed up against his very stiff hard-on. He guided her onto her bed, on her elbows and knees. Under ordinary circumstances she never would have consented to sex in this submissive posture, but that night was a rare occasion she wanted to submit and be taken. He explored and squeezed her widely spread bottom and fondled the secret region of soft dark skin in between. For a few seconds he massaged the skin around her exposed bottom hole, then moved to fondling her labia and vagina. She was very wet, very aroused, and her body reacted at the slightest touch of his fingers. He knew better than to try to enter her without a condom. He grabbed one out of her top dresser drawer, slipped it on, and took a good hard look at the beautiful dark bottom spread in front of him, fantasizing about turning the tables on Cecilia and spanking her. Maybe a spanking was what she needed... The sight of her exposed bottom, and the secret thought of putting her over his lap and soundly spanking her, drove him wild with sexual desire. He grabbed her hips, entered her very wet vagina, and thrust into her vigorously, to the point she felt some discomfort. Still, she pressed backwards, wanting him to get as far inside her as possible. It hurt and yet felt good, to surrender her body to Jason's hard thrusts. Jason climaxed and pumped semen into his condom. He stayed hard and continued pushing into Cecilia. The fantasy of having her over his lap and soundly slapping her bottom took hold of him as he thrust...and thrust...and finally had a second orgasm. By the time he finished both their bodies were covered in sweat and their energy completely spent. The lovers felt an exhausted bliss as they finally separated and collapsed. They lay on her bed sticky, sweaty, and reeking from love-making. However, both of them were too tired to get up or make any effort to get cleaned off. They fell asleep, not even having the strength to pull a sheet over their exposed bodies or turn off the light. A few hours later Cecilia woke up, turned off the light, pulled the covers over Jason, and got back in bed with him. He remained soundly asleep, enjoying one of his deepest sleeps ever. That was no surprise to Cecilia, given the hour of hard running in the middle of the day and the vigorous session of love-making in the evening. After such exertion, of course his body would be completely tired out. Cecilia lay in the dark, looking at his sleeping face and gently running her fingers through his hair. In spite of the tenderness she felt for him that moment, her thoughts focused on the lesson she had managed to teach him that day. He had learned; if he really put forth a serious effort to accomplish meaningful goals for her, she would reward him. The reward would be a night of being permitted to enjoy her body as he pleased. However, a session of sex on his terms instead of hers was a privilege he needed to earn. She wasn't going to just give it to him. The Freshman Ch. 10 Chapter 10 - "One Screw-up in Life" A storm front moved across the Mid-West the night after the Tri-Alpha race, bringing with it wind, cold rain, and dreary skies, a warning that the pleasant autumn weather soon would be drawing to a close. Rain pelted Cecilia's dorm window as she and Jason woke up. The couple canceled their plans to spend the morning walking around the university and having breakfast off-campus. Instead they got dressed and after getting cleaned up, simply decided to have breakfast downstairs in the dorm cafeteria. Jason was hoping for another lovemaking session with Cecilia, but she dismissed him and ordered him to spend the day working on his term paper for Burnside's class. "I'm gonna check your work tonight, so be ready to show me what you did today. I want you to get through at least four pages of the actual writing." "But...I'm still taking notes..." "Well, type out what you got so far. Then I can go over it and tell you what you need to do next. And...by the way, if you need to go to the library I want you to call me and let me know, and also when you think you're gonna be back." "Is it OK if me and Ken go to the gym? I sort of wanted to go swimming and relax my legs from the race. And Ken's thigh is pretty messed up." "I'll let you two go over there for an hour. But you'll have to go straight there and straight back. I don't want you messin' around doin' other stuff. You don't have any time for that. If you go, call me first." "Yes, Cecilia." She hugged him and gave him a warm kiss, and with that he was dismissed. ---------- Cecilia was supposed to study, but she took some time away from her scholastic duties to attend to her commitments to "Socrates' Mistresses". She worked on a draft for a new section of the group's website, editing and organizing pictures and links to promote the group's upcoming album. She corresponded with fans and directed some questions to Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna. After sending a draft of the web pages to Kim for review, Cecilia wrote an e-mail to Kim's sister Cynthia Lee concerning the upcoming visit by Prime Minister Dukov. Cecilia asked for advice concerning a topic for her own research paper. She knew that Cynthia Lee's Master's thesis had focused on foreign influence in Upper Danubia's recent election and the failed efforts of several multinational corporations to prevent Vladim Dukov from becoming Prime Minister, so she was the right person from whom to seek advice. While Cecilia was waiting for the response from Cynthia Lee, she received an e-mail from Kim who stated that she was satisfied with Cecilia's web page drafts. Kim shared some of the group's upcoming plans for concerts around Upper Danubia and for promoting the new CD. Kim then did something that showed Cecilia how much she truly trusted her, she sent her fan the preview file of the group's most recently recorded song. The song was titled "My father's land". The song was dedicated to refugees worldwide, but its point of view was Danubian. The narration was from the daughter of a Danubian refugee, who returned to land in Lower Danubia once owned by her family, only to find it taken over by foreigners. The narrator discussed her hopeless situation, and the knowledge her family never could return to their former home. The song was by far the most ambitious musical project ever attempted by "Socrates' Mistresses", with very complicated female vocals, a mix of modern and traditional instruments, and the quiet chanting of the male musicians as part of the background music. Cecilia was dumbstruck at the song's very sad beauty. She knew right away that "My father's land" had all the makings of a truly great piece of music. Cecilia's thoughts drifted to her past and the lands of her own ancestors. She wondered what the concept of "home" possibly could mean to her. Was "home" in Illinois, where she had her dorm room and her studies? Was it New Jersey, where she grew up and her estranged family lived? Was it the Dominican Republic, where her grandparents still lived? Or was it perhaps somewhere further back, in a land of her more distant ancestors? But then, if so, which ancestors? The ancestors from Spain? The ancestors from Africa? The ancestors from the Caribbean? What was "home" to Cecilia Sanchez? The flash of an incoming e-mail message shook Cecilia out of her mental wanderings. It was Cynthia Lee, with a note that signaled the end of the dilemma over choosing a topic to research. Cynthia suggested examining the reasons why Prime Minister Dukov had decided to withdraw Upper Danubia's application to join the European Union. It was a currently important topic with plenty of historical background and perfect for Burnside's class. Kim's sister included a list of recommended reading, and in doing so saved Cecilia days of looking up information on the Internet and in the library. As soon as she saved the list of readings to a floppy disk, Cecilia called Jason. He would accompany her to the library, so she could supervise his time there, and, more importantly, to give her an extra set of arms to carry books back to her room. Jason agreed to drop his plans and go without saying anything, much to her satisfaction. He was learning to obey her properly. That was good. That night, as she slowly fell asleep under to comforting caresses of her boyfriend's hands, Cecilia felt better about her life than she had felt since coming to the university. Everything seemed to have fallen into place for her. She faced a relatively easy time doing her term paper, Jason was there for her, she had $ 1,150 in purchases coming her way, there was her work for "Socrates' Mistresses"...yes it all seemed to be working out. Cecilia's confidence in life was very short-lived. The following day she made a mistake that would seriously disrupt the tranquility of her semester and come very close to ending her entire university career. ---------- Jason's modeling schedule shifted to the afternoon classes. During the mornings he was replaced by a female model, who, ironically enough, was the young athlete who nearly tied the Tri-Alpha 10-K female title with Lisa. She had an attractive figure for anyone who enjoyed looking at thin, muscular women. She was the perfect picture of physical fitness, a detail that Cecilia found erotic. The RA left the art class somewhat distracted. She went to Burnside's office to discuss her research topic and present a list of books she had checked out the day before. Burnside took the list and logged onto her computer, to see if there were any other books and research articles she wanted Cecilia to add to her project. The professor logged on, looked up a list of articles, and told Cecilia to sit at the computer and write down several titles. As Cecilia started copying titles and reference numbers, Burnside's pager went off. She glanced at the message and excused herself. "I just got a delivery in the main office and I have to sign for it. I'll let you stay here and finish copying. Don't leave until I get back, and don't open any other files in the computer." Cecilia finished copying the article titles and was just about to log-off when she noticed a desktop icon with the university logo titled "Examination Drafts". Out of curiosity she clicked on it and opened it. Inside the folder she noticed the names of several tests, including one that interested her, "Econ147Midterm01". Curious to see if the midterm for the Introduction to the Theory of Economics course would be the same as it had been the previous year, Cecilia clicked on the icon. A dialogue box came up. "Click yes to continue." Cecilia clicked "yes", and brought up the midterm draft, along with another dialogue box. "Click yes to log your account." Cecilia clicked "no", but the mid-term came up anyway. It turned out the test would have completely new questions, but keep the general format it had the previous year. Her curiosity satisfied she closed the file, and got another dialogue box. "Click yes to exit". The dialogue box "Click yes to log your account" came up a second time, but again Cecilia clicked "no". She closed the examination folder and returned to the list of the professor's research recommendations. Burnside returned with a couple of certified envelopes. She laid them on her desk and instructed the student to help her take some supplies to the upcoming lecture. ---------- Wednesday morning Cecilia's daily routine was interrupted when the dorm director knocked on her door. "Cecilia, I just got a call from Professor Burnside. She wants you to go over to her office immediately." "But what about my morning classes?" "I don't know. Whatever it is that Dr. Burnside wants, it sounds kinda serious. I think she's more worried about getting you over to her office than about your other classes." A prickly feeling of fear crept up Cecilia's back. Obviously something was very wrong. That became even more evident when the dorm director accompanied his RA to the Economics Building. It turned out Burnside had asked him to escort the student directly to her office. Cecilia's boss departed as soon as his employee was safely deposited at Burnside's door. The professor's expression was not reassuring. Her face reflected a mixture of anger and worry. As soon as the door to the office was closed, Burnside got right to the point. "Alright. I have a question for you and you'd better damn well answer me honestly. When you were on my computer the day before yesterday, did you open any files?" Cecilia thought for a second, and then remembered the midterm draft. She had not thought looking at the midterm was any big deal, given that she was no longer a student in the class and already had taken the test the year before. It was obvious; however, there was indeed a problem. "I sorta...took a look...at the midterm file for the Theory class, Dr. Burnside, you know...'cause I was curious to see if it was...like...like last year." "OK. That answers one question. Now, what did I tell you about opening any files on the computer?" "I wasn't 'sposed to do it, Dr. Burnside." "That's right. You disobeyed a direct order. Now for the other question that interests me. Why did you open that file? What was in there that you felt you needed to see?" "I...it...I was just curious, to see if it was like last year." "Oh really? Just curious? That's it, just curious?" "Honest, I was just curious..." "My God! Just curious! You're trying to tell me that you opened a test file because you were 'curious'? Do you have any idea how lame that sounds?" "Dr. Burnside, it's true...I was just curious...honest." With that Burnside picked up a logbook and an ominous-looking folder with a computer printout. She let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't believe this! You're claiming you accessed an official test file because you were curious!" Burnside looked hard at Cecilia. She realized her student still did not recognize the seriousness of the situation. She handed Cecilia a memo sent to her office late Tuesday night. "Here. Read this. Then I'll tell you the rest of it." Cecilia took the letter and read: Dr. Burnside: The university examination tracking system has detected a user violation on computer ECON748a, which our records indicate is assigned to your office. Last Monday, at 12:47 p.m. our records indicate there was an un-logged access to examination file 88382-f. You are reminded that an un-logged access to an exam file is a violation of Section 3, clause B-3 of your contract with this university. Because examination 88382-f is compromised, the department chairman's office directs you to completely remove the file and all preceding drafts from computer ECON748a. Furthermore, you are directed to prepare a statement fully detailing any and all knowledge you have concerning the aforementioned violation of your contract and of this department's examination security policy. Upon completing your statement you will submit it for review by the University Ethics Committee for Tenured Instructors. Signed: Richard Baker -- Ph.D. Acting Chairman -- Department of Economic Studies Cecilia's hands shook as she handed back the letter. She couldn't look Burnside in the face. The professor continued in a tone of quiet rage: "The university has a very strict policy for monitoring examination files kept in the campus network. The reason is quite simple, if a student or anyone else tries to access a file to steal it, we find out about it right away. That's why we haven't had any tests stolen for over three years. There have been all kinds of efforts to hack into our system, but we always catch them." Burnside angrily put the papers back in their folder and continued. "I don't know what to say to you. I never would have suspected that you'd pull something like this. I trusted you, and obviously trusting you was a big mistake." "But I didn't copy anything! I just looked at some of the questions! I...was just...curious!" Burnside took a deep breath, still struggling to control her temper. "Alright. On that I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, because the computer log doesn't indicate you copied or downloaded any text. Because no text was copied, I think we can avoid a criminal prosecution over this, although you might have to consent to an electronic search of you personal computer. But...you will have to understand that at the very least you're facing disciplinary action under the Student Code of Ethics." A very sick feeling swept over Cecilia. A possible criminal prosecution? A search of her computer? Definite disciplinary action? Burnside's next words only made the student feel worse. "I need you to type up a statement that describes, in detail, the entire incident from your point of view. I need you to include what your reasoning was when you opened the file, what you remember seeing, when you closed it, and what you did afterwards. I need it as detailed as possible, because the Department of Economic Studies Ethics Committee needs to check your recollection against the electronic log. It will be a sworn statement, and will be entered into evidence." "But...what...what's gonna happen, Dr. Burnside?" "I don't know, Cecilia. I don't know what's going to happen, except that you'll go before an official hearing to determine how the university is going to deal with you. You're screwed, but I won't know how badly you're screwed until we go before the ethics committee. I'll try to put the best face on this I can, but I can tell you the university isn't going to be happy about this, not with either of us. Now start typing." Cecilia had one final question, the answer to which she already knew, but still, she had to hear it. "Dr. Burnside, am I gonna get to go to my other classes? I'm kinda worried about the midterms..." "No, you're not going to any other classes, not 'till we go before the ethics committee. As of now you're officially suspended, and you're not allowed to be anywhere on campus unescorted. You're going to have to stay here in this office this morning. When I teach, you'll have to stay out in the reception area in the sight of the secretary. If the ethics committee decides to expel you, I'll make arrangements to have someone from the department help you get your stuff out of Huntington Hall. I think I owe you that much." Cecilia stood immobilized from shock. Burnside's sour voice snapped. "Well, what are you waiting for? Sit your butt down and type out your explanation." As Cecilia sadly sat typing, Burnside called her co-workers who served on the ethics committee. She requested an emergency hearing, since it was important to resolve Cecilia's situation as quickly as possible. She was enormously relieved when the ethics committee chairman responded and agreed to hold a hearing at 6:00 that evening. Whatever happened to Cecilia, at least her situation would be resolved by nightfall. Either she could go back to her dorm room and return to her normal life, or she would have to go to a motel, but either way it would be settled. Burnside managed to calm her temper. As angry as she was with Cecilia, the professor still felt responsible for her well being and success. The priority now was to salvage the student's career, because she was well aware that to expel her from the university probably would end her life. At all costs, Burnside had to do what she could to convince the ethics panel not to kick Cecilia out of the university. Cecilia got about halfway through a page-long explanation when she stopped. She put her head down into her hands, as tears started dripping down her cheeks. It's over...she kept thinking to herself...it's all over. Burnside glanced at the student. She doubted that the ethics panel actually would expel Cecilia from the university if that wasn't what her professor wanted. More likely she would be placed on probation, but it would be a close call either way. Burnside said nothing to reassure the young woman, because life had taught her to be pessimistic. She did not want to give Cecilia any false hope, unless she was absolutely sure the ethics panel would refrain from imposing the maximum penalty. "Cecilia, if you're going to just sit there crying, then you might as well go back to your room and change into some decent clothing. You and I have a hearing scheduled for 6:00 tonight and I want you to be presentable. I'll have Dr. Halsey's TA escort you back to your room." The walk back to the dorm was absolutely humiliating. Cecilia knew Halsey's arrogant TA and the two women totally hated each other. Having to be escorted back to her room clearly indicated the scholarship student was in trouble, a fact that no doubt would be a source of gossip and speculation throughout the department over the next few days. The TA smirked as she walked back to the dorm alongside the quiet Dominican. To make matters worse, she insisted on going into the dorm room while she changed her clothes. As they stood in her room, Cecilia asked: "Could you at least turn away while I get undressed?" "No. I'm told to watch you and that's what I'm gonna do." Cecilia stripped down to her thong; cringing at the thought of a woman she intensely disliked studying her bare figure. She changed into a light-colored dress she had bought Monday night as part of her wardrobe expansion from the gift certificates given to her by her boss. She sighed, wondering if the next time she entered this room would be the last time, to take her things off campus. "OK. I guess we can head back." After Cecilia returned to Burnside's office, she managed to finish her statement and handed the disk to her professor. Burnside took it, opened and reviewed the file, and secretly deleted the sentence in which Cecilia mentioned that she had been told not to open any files. Burnside had every intention of settling the issue with her student later on, but the priority of the moment was to get her past the committee hearing. Cecilia spent the longest afternoon of her life sitting in the Economic Department's reception area while Burnside taught her classes. TA's and students entered and left the office, all curious at seeing her sitting well dressed, quiet, and miserable in the waiting area of the Economics Department. The waiting gave her time to think about how bleak her situation had become, all because of a single mistake. How quickly it all had ended for her! How easily everything she had struggled for had been swept away! All it took was just two minutes of curiosity and stupidity, just one dumb act, to destroy all her ambitions! Her life was over, because she couldn't see how she could recover from this disaster. There would be no going home. She had no home to go to. There was no way she could face her family after this failure; so New Jersey was no an option. Nor was there any way she would be able to face Jason. She would have to leave without his knowing, and then write him a letter giving him a partial explanation about her departure. Then she would disappear from his life. The Freshman Ch. 10 For the first time in several years, Cecilia contemplated her own death. Without her studies, she had no future, and if she had no future, there was no point in staying alive. She wondered if she could work up the nerve to commit suicide, and if so, how she would carry it out. Her thoughts drifted to her hero Kimberly Lee. Yes, Kim was another person to whom she owed an explanation... Finally, at about 5:00 p.m., Burnside called Cecilia back into her office. "Now, I'll tell you what's happening and what I hope to accomplish tonight. The first thing that I'll let you know is that I'm really pissed at you. Among other things, I'll have to re-write the entire mid-term, and I don't appreciate that. Second, I want you to understand that if you had just done what I told you to do, or at least asked me before clicking on that file, none of this would be happening. You understand that, right?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside. I understand." "The next thing I want you to understand is that between now and 7:00 tonight, I'll have one priority on my mind, and that's keeping you enrolled. No matter what I say to that committee, you are not to contradict me. Do you understand?" Cecilia looked up Burnside with teary eyes and nodded. Burnside's expression bore into the miserable student. "I want you to understand that what I plan to do is to try to convince the ethics committee to defer your punishment back to me. I'll settle matters with you afterwards, which is going to be part of my argument to the panel that you shouldn't be expelled or prosecuted. You'll be punished, but we'll do it in private and it'll stay out of your student records." Cecilia wondered what on earth Burnside meant by the comment "you'll be punished, but we'll do it in private". She remembered the rumors, those weird stories about the whippings. Her hands shook. Was it possible...? "Before we head to the hearing room, I want you to take a look at this and sign it. You are responsible for honoring this agreement if I manage to keep you from getting expelled." Cecilia read: I, __________, admit to having accessed an active course examination file on __________ without authorization from either my professor, Dr. Ruth Burnside, or anyone else associated with the Department of Economic Studies. I fully understand that unauthorized access of an active examination file is grounds for immediate expulsion from this university under the student code of ethics. I also understand that an unauthorized access of an active university examination file for the purpose of re-distribution is a misdemeanor offence under the laws of this state and is punishable by 90 days in jail and/or a $ 5,000 fine. In lieu of disciplinary action from the university administration, I, __________, freely and willingly choose to accept the disciplinary alternative offered by my professor, Dr. Burnside. I understand that upon completion of the disciplinary alternative to Dr. Burnside's satisfaction, I will continue my coursework and no further action will be taken against me. Signed ___________. ---------- A few minutes later Cecilia and Burnside stood before three very stern-looking senior professors. Cecilia recognized two of them from the Department of Economic Studies. The third panel member was a female professor from the Business School. As severe as Ruth Burnside might have seemed to Cecilia, if anything, the three in front of her looked even worse. Burnside's usual direct and confident self-demeanor was a bit toned down in the hearing, given the uncomfortable task she had in trying to convince them to let her student stay enrolled. Burnside directed Cecilia to present her statement to the committee. She signed it in the presence of the committee members who each initialed the bottom of the document. There was a reading of the computer log, and the conclusion that it matched Cecilia's statement. The director of the committee then spoke to Burnside. "Ruth, what's your interpretation of Ms. Sanchez's motives?" "As odd as this sounds, I think she's telling the truth. The computer log doesn't show the downloading of any text, which to me would have indicated she had some other purpose for accessing the file. She says it was just curiosity, and I think that's what it was." "Do you think she was aware of the serious consequences of her actions?" "No, of course she wasn't. And that was partially my fault, because I didn't say anything about not opening the test files. I just assumed she wouldn't." "You assumed. Ruth, you can't make such assumptions! That sloppiness of thinking is unacceptable, especially from someone with your standing in the department! You're at fault then, for leaving those files unsecured! Do you understand that?" "Yes, I understand that. I accept blame for leaving my files unsecured. I am willing to accept my part of the responsibility for this incident, because I did not secure the contents of my computer. Ms. Sanchez accessed the file in large part due to my own negligence." The female member of the panel spoke. "Well Ruth, perhaps it is a noble thing you are trying to accomplish, but I suspect your efforts to accept blame and keep your student enrolled are being misdirected. To me it seems that Ms. Sanchez has proven herself untrustworthy, and to be honest, I feel she's taking the place of someone else who could bring to this university a better character. The fact that you left examination files unsecured is a separate issue, but I don't feel that means that Ms. Sanchez should not suffer the consequences of her actions." "I agree with you. Ms. Sanchez should suffer the consequences of her actions. But I don't think those consequences should entail ruining her life. My intention is not to let her off, but instead make this a learning experience for her. I ask you to remember that outside this incident, she has been an exemplary student. Should we condemn her for a single mistake, however serious that mistake may have been?" The chairman of the committee spoke to Cecilia: "Young lady, I'd like to ask you something. How do you feel about this? What lessons do you think you might take away from this hearing?" "Sir, all I can say is that I really messed up. I don't know. Maybe I deserve to get kicked out, 'cause of all the trouble I caused for Dr. Burnside. But, no matter what, I do wanna say 'thank you' to Dr. Burnside for at least trying to help me, and that...I'm sorry for what I did." "If this committee decides to refer your discipline back to Professor Burnside, would you find that acceptable?" "Yes sir. I'd do whatever she tells me." "Then..." the director faced the representative from the Business School, "...Brenda, I'm going to disagree with you on this. I think the interests of Ms. Sanchez and the university are better served by keeping her enrolled and deferring the matter back to Ruth. Bob, what do you think?" "Let Ruth handle it. That's my vote. Brenda?" "I'm dissenting. I think this young woman violated the trust of the university and of a faculty member. She should be made into an example for other students, and I would like that comment recorded in the minutes of this meeting." "Very well, Brenda, your concerns will be noted. Ruth, this panel is voting two to one to allow Cecilia Sanchez to remain enrolled as a student in the Department of Economic Studies. I am recommending she be placed on probation for the rest of the semester and will hold you personally accountable for her behavior from this point forward. As of this moment the suspension against her is removed and she will be allowed to return to her classes as of tomorrow morning." "Very well. For the record I want to express my deep appreciation to this committee for your consideration, and also for meeting on such short notice to resolve my student's standing." Burnside turned to leave, but Cecilia was so stunned that she couldn't even react. The professor touched her arm. "Cecilia, let's go. I need to talk to you in private." Cecilia quietly followed Burnside down the stairs, not completely sure what exactly had been decided by the committee. She was too scared to ask or say anything. Once in the office, the older woman closed the door. "Cecilia, do you understand what just happened?" "I...I'm not gonna get kicked out?" "Sort of. What the committee did was to make me responsible for deciding about your continued enrollment. Obviously it's my intention that you stay enrolled. It's my intention that you keep your scholarship and you get your degree. It's also my intention that you go back to your room with a lesson from tonight. I believe that everyone is entitled to one screw-up. You've just had your allotted screw-up, and it was a pretty big one." "Dr. Burnside, what's gonna happen to you?" "I'll get a written reprimand for leaving examination files unsecured. It'll stay in my file for a year and then get pulled out. I can't get promoted until that paper's out of my file, but that's no big deal. A year's not that long." Cecilia said nothing. Burnside put the committee papers on her desk, except the paper Cecilia had signed immediately before the committee hearing. "By the way, you understand that I still have to punish you?" "But...I thought that..." "Cecilia, what the committee did was to defer your punishment back to me. You're still getting punished for what you did. It's just that I'm doing it, not them, and the reason I'm doing it is so it won't go into your academic record. But you placed my career in jeopardy, and you're going to pay for that. That's why I had you sign that paper. The first part of your punishment is going to be here in this office in a couple of minutes. The last weekend in October will be your second installment, which is when I'll punish you again and have you serve as a hostess at my annual Halloween Party. That'll be it, assuming you don't screw up again." Burnside took off her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. Cecilia looked at her in terror, realizing... "Get undressed. Get everything off, right now. Fold up your dress and put it on that chair. Then put your underwear on top and put your shoes underneath." "Dr. Burnside, please...couldn't you just do it over my clothes?" "Of course I'm not punishing you over your clothes! Now start stripping! If I have to do it for you then I'll really give you something to cry about!" Her heart pounding, Cecilia reluctantly pulled the dress over her head. She fumbled with her bra and pushed her thong to her ankles, then stood in front of Burnside, looking away and trying to cover herself with her hands. The professor sharply smacked her hands away from her body. "There will be no false modesty from you. I'm going to be seeing plenty of you next month, so you'd better get used to it. Now stand up straight and look at me." Cecilia stood up straight, as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "This is the way I do things. My feeling is that if you screw up, you have to suffer for it. I believe in strict discipline, but don't believe in wreaking people's lives. There is an issue for us to settle, but we're settling it in private. That's what you agreed to, and it's what the ethics committee agreed to. Do you understand me?" "Y...yes...Dr Burnside, I...I understand." With that Burnside sat down on her office sofa. Cecilia reluctantly approached her, waiting for instructions. The professor reached up, grabbed her wrist, and pulled the trembling, naked student across her lap. "Move forward a bit...good...now turn your butt up and spread your legs." As she complied, Cecilia felt the cool air of the office gently blow against her exposed vagina and bottom-hole. She felt completely helpless and exposed, lying at the mercy of her professor. There was irony in the situation: Burnside had saved Cecilia's ass, and now she was going to spank it. Burnside rested her hand on Cecilia's left bottom-cheek, gently caressing the mound of tender skin and her fingertips resting in the dark sensitive area in between. "This is going to hurt, and we're going to be at it for a while. Until I'm finished, I expect you to keep your bottom relaxed and turned up. I expect you to keep your hands in front of you and your feet down. If you tighten your bottom by tensing up your muscles, I'll warn you by running my finger up the middle. You will relax immediately. If you disobey me, I am not going to tire my hand out spanking a tensed up bottom. I've got a cane behind my desk and I'll just finish up with that instead. If you try to cover yourself with your hands, we'll switch to the cane right away. If you want to avoid the cane, you'll keep your butt relaxed and your hands away until I'm done. Do you understand me?" "Y...yes...I understand." Burnside caressed Cecilia's bottom a few more times, enjoying the sight and feel of her victim's soft dark skin. Finally she lifted her hand and delivered a very sharp SMACK to Cecilia's right bottom-cheek. The student squealed, more from shock than anything else, at the force of the blow. She would discover that Ruth Burnside, although in her late 30's, was physically fit and very strong from having worked out all her life. She also had plenty of endurance in her arms. An over the lap spanking from Ruth Burnside was a very serious matter and a long, painful experience. Burnside had thought about using the cane on Cecilia, but decided to spank her instead. She wanted the experience to be humiliating for the student and drag it out as long as possible, possibly as long as an hour. Having the naked girl over her lap also gave Burnside a feeling of intimate control over her, and she thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of Cecilia's body squirming over her thighs and the bare skin of her bottom against the palm of her hand. SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!... Burnside spanked slowly, spacing the smacks about 5 seconds apart to allow Cecilia feel the full effect of each swat. She spanked on alternate sides, covering her entire bottom with painful, stinging marks. Cecilia struggled to keep her bottom turned up and clasped her hands to keep them from trying to reach back and protect her backside. Tears were running down her cheeks, but they were not tears resulting from the spanking itself. She was crying over the entire traumatic day, of which the physical punishment was the final painful episode. Every few minutes Burnside paused from spanking to pass her hand over her student's warming backside and enjoy the feel of her swollen skin. As much as she wanted to fondle and massage the tender area between Cecilia's legs, she refrained from doing so. Burnside found Cecilia very attractive, but struggled to control her own sexual desires with her quiet victim. SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!... As the pain continued to worsen, Cecilia struggled to avoid crying out loud. There was nothing she could do about the tears flowing down her cheeks, but she was determined to show as much courage as possible and not let Burnside hear any crying. Only once did she tense up, the muscles in her bottom tightening against Burnside's hand. As she had mentioned before starting, Burnside ran her index finger up the middle of Cecilia's bottom as a warning. Terrified at the thought of the cane, the student managed to relax her bottom and the spanking continued. The young woman's emotions were going through turmoil as she fought her instincts and tried to stay in position for the next swat. She did not resent being punished in this manner, because the alternative was expulsion and having her life ruined. If anything, the sharp pain burning into her backside was a more of a relief. All day she had felt horribly guilty over the trouble she had caused Burnside, and had wondered how to make it up to the professor. Well, now she didn't have to worry about that anymore. She was receiving the needed punishment, the intensity of which was driving away the guilt. The pain in her bottom was cleansing her soul...she felt this was what she needed. No, she would make no effort to avoid the swats or try to cover herself. It wasn't the fear of the cane that motivated Cecilia to stay in position; it was the feeling of needing to redeem herself by pleasing the professor and submitting to her discipline. Burnside's anger slowly began to subside as she belabored the quiet student. She was pleased that Cecilia continued to quietly lie across her lap, stoically accepting the punishment she had so obviously earned. She also enjoyed what she was doing; enjoying he sight of the attractive naked student as her bottom jiggled and reddened under the continuing barrage of harsh slaps, the feel of the soft skin an resilient flesh each time her hand made contact, and the weight of her body as she lay in intimate contact with the professor's thighs. As the spanking continued, Burnside became more and more aroused. Punishment always gave the woman intense sexual gratification, whether it was punishing a student such as Cecilia, or punishing one of her many lovers. The sight of a bare, badly marked up bottom and the teary face of a person being disciplined gave her intense sexual joy that nothing else could give her. SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!... As brave as she was, it was becoming harder and harder for Cecilia to stay in position. She couldn't believe how strong Burnside was, nor how much endurance her arm had. The minutes dragged by and the slow rhythm of the spanking did not change. 15 minutes....20 minutes...25 minutes...30 minutes... The experience was as severe as a paddling; with Cecilia's bottom becoming swollen and red. Perhaps this was just an over-the-lap hand spanking, but the strength in the professor's arm ensured that Cecilia would feel it for a couple of days and sit uncomfortably in class on Thursday. Cecilia couldn't hold out any longer. After about 35 minutes of severe spanking, she began crying. Crying was the one thing she desperately had wanted to avoid, but Burnside was not about to grant her that desire. Breaking the student was an important part of the punishment, and finally, after more than a half an hour of non-stop pain, the Dominican did break. As the painful slaps continued to land on her swollen bottom, Cecilia's body jerked from crying and her sobs filled the room, much to Burnside's satisfaction. Cecilia buried her face in her hands as she lay crying. Burnside decided to wind down the spanking, because Cecilia finally was doing what she needed to do, cry. She was releasing the guilt and tension built up throughout the day's traumatic events, something the professor felt was necessary before the student could go back to her room. Burnside stopped spanking continuously and began spanking much more slowly. She delivered four sharp slaps on alternate bottom-cheeks, then gently massaged the swollen area for a few seconds before delivering four more slaps. Burnside began lengthening the breaks between slaps as she enjoyed caressing her student's suffering bottom. Cecilia continued to cry, but now she felt enormously relieved, especially after Burnside delivered her final swats and sat quietly as the young woman continued to cry over her lap. For several minutes Burnside did nothing, simply waiting with a re-assuring hand resting on the student's back while she continued to cry. Cecilia could take the time she needed to cry it out. When she had recovered enough to stand up, things would be right between the student and her professor. The anger and guilt from the day would stay here in this office. Tomorrow would be a new day, a new beginning, and a new opportunity for Cecilia to move ahead with her life. Cecilia's crying subsided about 10 minutes after Burnside finished spanking her. Burnside motioned her to get up. "Come-on, we're done. I want you to get back to Huntington Hall at a decent hour so you can get ready for tomorrow." The Freshman Ch. 10 Cecilia slowly stood up and sadly looked back at the professor. Already Burnside was putting her dark jacket back on. Cecilia reluctantly reached for her thong and slipped it over her very sore bottom. She put on her dress, not worrying about fiddling with her bra. She shoved the bra in her purse. Again she looked over at the professor, who was straightening the papers on her desk. Cecilia wanted to say something to Burnside, but wasn't sure what. Finally a question popped into her mind. "Dr. Burnside?" "Yes, Cecilia?" "How come you didn't tell the committee that I...that you...told me 'don't open no files?' I mean like...that you didn't say nothing about it...'cause you did." "I didn't mention that because I had one thing on my mind at that meeting. I wanted to save your ass, Cecilia. That's what I was worried about. I probably could've avoided the write-up if I had mentioned what I said to you about not opening files, but then you would've gotten kicked out for sure." "And you don't care...I mean...about yourself?" "Of course I care about myself. I'm not happy about what happened. I'm still pissed about it. But I didn't want to see you on a bus heading back to New Jersey." "I wouldn't have gone back there, Dr. Burnside. I couldn't of. I would've just...tried to disappear." "I figured as much. I could see it in your eyes, when I came back from class and saw you sitting there in the receptionist's office with that dead look on your face. That's why I thought saving your ass was more important than avoiding a write-up. As for the write-up, I'll get over it. A year from now that'll be out of my file and it'll be like none of it ever happened." Cecilia nodded, and with all her effort managed not to start crying again. She realized something important, that Burnside cared about her. She was cruel and unpleasant, but at the same time she actually cared about Cecilia and wanted the best out of life for her. In spite of the pain coming from her still throbbing bottom, the knowledge of knowing that her professor actually cared about her somehow seemed to make the entire night worth it. "Good night, Dr. Burnside." "Good night, Cecilia. Remember, it'll be bright and early tomorrow. You've got a day of catching up to do." ---------- Upon returning to the dorm, Cecilia called Jason and told him to get dressed and be ready to be escorted back to her room. Once inside she hugged him and held onto him for a long time, wanting reassurance that he still was there for her and that she would not have to leave him. To have him safely in her arms, after coming so close to having him stripped away from her along with all of the other parts of her life! Jason was deeply puzzled by his girlfriend's odd and very affectionate behavior, but only much later would he get an answer from her about what had happened. Cecilia needed him, but she needed to have a relationship in which she would not display any of her weaknesses. He knew that she had just suffered a crisis in her life, but he knew better than to inquire what that crisis had been. What she needed was for him to be there and hold her, not to ask a bunch of questions. He didn't need to know why; he just needed to comfort her. She turned out the light and undressed him, and then herself. She would have to skip her normal massage, given that her bottom was too sore and she did not want him to see how red it was from her punishment. Instead she told him to lie down on her bed on his back. In the darkness she massaged his chest and finally his penis until he was hard and ready to meet her desires. She put a condom on him and lowered herself to satisfy her need for sex. The pain from her spanking returned as she pressed down on her bottom and rocked back and forth over his pulsating organ. Cecilia was shocked to discover that the pain from her bottom and the memory of her harsh experience over Burnside's lap aroused her tremendously. She had one of the best orgasms of her life that night, as she re-lived the harsh, scary experience and enjoyed the exquisite feel of her lover inside her and the pressure against her sore backside as she moved back and forth over his thighs. She had learned what it was to combine intense pain and intense pleasure for a truly great sexual experience. That was yet another lesson about life given to her that night by Ruth Burnside. The Freshman Ch. 11 Chapter 11 - An evening with Dr. Jim Halsey Ruth Burnside quietly finished putting away Cecilia's papers and locked her file cabinets. She pondered the strange events that had transpired over the last 24 hours. It was about 9:00 p.m., exactly 24 hours since she had received that ominous e-mail from the director of the department concerning her computer. The e-mail had brought about a day of crisis in the life of the scholarship student, but fortunately that crisis now was over. Tomorrow Cecilia would be safely back in class, and Burnside would have to sign an acknowledgement of the written reprimand. No big deal. She had been reprimanded before and always got past it. Burnside knew the three professors on the ethics panel. She had nominated one of them and had voted for the other two. She knew them well enough to have been able to predict how they would vote. Brenda always voted to expel, Bob usually voted in favor of the student, so the committee's director always cast the tie-breaking vote. Normally he simply deferred to whatever the professor in question wanted, which in this case, was to leave Cecilia Sanchez enrolled. Still, the committee's vote was a serious matter. Cecilia's life literally hung in the balance, because Burnside correctly suspected her student would attempt suicide if she were expelled from the university. Going into the meeting Burnside had no guarantee that Cecilia would be allowed to stay enrolled, so she had to take the hearing very seriously. Burnside was a pessimist by nature, so she always prepared for the worst outcome. She was hugely relieved to have managed to keep Cecilia enrolled, but at the same time remained very angry at her. More than anything else was the hassle of having to re-write the midterm. There were other unpleasant concerns facing her, including the reprimand and invariable department gossip and discussions behind her back about her choice of a scholarship student. Burnside somewhat sympathized with Cecilia, because the girl had no way of knowing that a few mouse clicks would set off such a crisis. She had found out the hard way something that she really wasn't supposed to know, because the university examination tracking system was a strictly kept secret. Burnside expected Cecilia not to say anything to other students about the examination tracking system...which she had forgotten to mention before the chastised student left her office. She typed out a quick e-mail to Cecilia with that detail; under no circumstances was she to discuss the tracking system with other students. Burnside heard a knock on her outer office door. She was expecting her visitor, so she grabbed her purse and locked up. The visitor was Dr. Jim Halsey, her co-worker, her friend, her mentor, and her lover. Halsey was 15 years older than Burnside, which made him 62. However, he still was full of vigor, in excellent physical shape (Burnside could attest to that), and a long way from retiring. He was dressed, as always, in a very expensive dark suit. His steel-gray hair and sharp features gave him a very severe appearance to his students, but his blue eyes always glinted mischeviously at Ruth. Jim Halsey was the only person in Ruth Burnside's life who dared address her as "Ruth". Everyone else, everyone else, including her other lovers, always addressed her as "Dr. Burnside" Jim Halsey kissed Burnside's hand, and then took her hands and lightly kissed her mouth. Burnside's heart pounded, however. She knew she was in trouble and facing punishment from her lover, in spite of his courteous manner of greeting her. He asked her how the ethics committee meeting went. Burnside responded in detail, because every professor wanted to know what the ethics committee reasoning was whenever it rendered a decision about a student's continued enrollment. Burnside recounted Cecilia's actions in detail, partly in hopes of getting her lover's perspective on how trustworthy he thought she really was. After listening to Burnside for a while, Halsey finally countered: "You know Ruth, my girl, this incident is your fault. You understand that, correct?" "Yes sir. I understand that I was irresponsible and my student suffered as a result." Burnside's next words indicated the unusual nature of the relationship she had with her old lover. "Sir, am I to be punished for my carelessness?" Halsey caressed Burnside's cheek with the back of his hand and looked her in the eye. "Ruth, my girl, what do you think? Were you irresponsible enough to warrant a severe punishment?" Burnside's heart pounded from that familiar mixture of fear and arousal she always felt before she faced a whipping from her lover. She was terrified, but, as always, also felt warm tingling all over her body and an anxious, comfortable warmth between her legs. She was about to be punished by the only man she loved, and that knowledge drove her wild with sexual pleasure. "Sir, I've been irresponsible. I violated my contract. So I'm letting you decide what's best for me." "Well, my girl, we both know what's best for you is a punishment on you bare body. You've earned it." "Yes sir. I've earned a punishment on my bare body. I'll submit to you, sir." With that Ruth Burnside, one of the most feared professors in the economics department and dressed in one of her best teaching outfits, got on her knees and kissed her lover's hand. That same hand soon enough would be inflicting both intense pain and intense pleasure on her unprotected body. The two professors, Dr. Ruth Burnside and Dr. Jim Halsey, walked arm-in-arm to his car. Burnside's house was relatively close to the university, so normally she walked any day the weather permitted. Halsey lived somewhat further away, so normally he drove. On any evening Ruth had to stay late, he always gave her a ride home. Tonight he would come into her house, the two would have a glass of wine, and then there would be a night of discipline and lovemaking. ---------- Ruth Burnside had met Dr. Halsey during her final year as an undergraduate. She was an exceptional student who caught his attention, having completed her Bachelor's of Arts degree in just two and a half years with a GPA of 3.8. Halsey could tell the young woman was very different from most of his other students. She had a very serious, intense manner of carrying herself, a detail that intimidated many of her classmates. He could tell that she had not come from a privileged background and was not surprised to learn that Ruth had financed her studies with a stint in the Navy. Yes, she did indeed have the military in her personality. He knew, having been an officer in the Army himself before becoming a professor. Dr. Halsey helped Ruth organize the paperwork and applications she needed to get into graduate school. The young professor and the student took a liking to each other, but at first it was the result of shared interests and shared experiences. Halsey was going through a divorce at the time, while Ruth Burnside confided that she had left the Navy because she became pregnant while at sea. Halsey was the only person to whom Burnside ever willingly shared that detail of her life, apart from a few doctors, nurses, and social workers. There was another detail about herself that Burnside was able to confide with her professor, that she had to give the child up for adoption. It wasn't her financial situation that forced Burnside to give up her baby; it was her violent temper. She knew from the beginning she did not have the personality to raise a child. She took the only logical step she could think of at the time, she made arrangements for the child to be adopted before she was born. Within three hours of giving birth the baby disappeared from Ruth's life, adopted by a wealthy couple from New Hampshire. Ruth spent the next two and a half years studying, desperate to catch up and graduate at the same age as most of her classmates. She didn't do badly; she started her studies at age 21 and finished them at age 24. Shortly after Ruth graduated she began to explore her sexual fantasies by joining a Chicago sex and fetish group. The first time she went to a meeting she had a huge surprise; Dr. Jim Halsey was there, wearing a tuxedo and carrying a leather paddle. Ruth and Jim discovered another common interest, a love of S&M. That night they stepped away from their roles as student and professor. They entered a playroom and closed the door. Halsey took Ruth's hand and lightly kissed her cheek. Then he pulled her skirt off and gently lowered her panties. She went wet immediately. He could smell her arousal, and to make sure about it, he ran his finger over her very wet vagina. He held the wet finger up in triumph. "Ruth, my girl, you know what you need from me." "Yes sir...its what I want, and only you can give it to me." With that Halsey forced the young woman to bend over the back of a sofa. He studied her pleasantly shaped backside for a few moments, and then started spanking her with the paddle. He started gently at first, gauging her desire for a more serious punishment. She kept her bottom in position as the scent of her arousal assaulted his senses. He struck harder and harder, as the satisfying CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... of the paddle filled the room. That was the beginning of their relationship. For several years they navigated their awkward situation, fulfilling their conflicting roles as professor and graduate student, as friends, as lovers, and as fetish partners. They kept their relationship secret from the outside world and were forced to keep each other at arm's length emotionally. Each gave the other permission to have other lovers and fetish partners, partly to avoid suspicions about a relationship that violated university rules prohibiting liaisons between professors and students. In the end the arrangement worked out admirably for both of them, because they could maintain their independence and freedom, and yet still know that each was a stabile presence in the other's life. Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey loved the world of pain and sexual pleasure. Ruth was mostly a dominant and enjoyed punishing other people. Her submission to Jim Halsey was a mystery to her, because she never felt the desire to submit to punishment at any other time in her life, and never from anyone else other than Jim Halsey. But with her lover she had discovered the frightening truth about herself; she enjoyed pain, if it was inflicted by the right person. The only right person to inflict that pain was Jim Halsey, the only person she trusted for pain and discipline. Jim Halsey was much more of a switch than Ruth. Sometimes he liked to play a dominant role and inflict punishment, and sometimes he liked to submit and be punished. Over time he and Ruth took turns role-playing and punishing each other, but he could tell that Ruth really did not enjoy role-playing. She needed something more real, not pretend. Finally the two lovers worked out an arrangement that satisfied both their needs. Each would hold the other accountable for everything having to do with their careers, research, publications, and over-all responsibilities teaching. Each granted the other permission to inflict punishment for any mistakes or irresponsible acts. Once one of the lovers declared that the other deserved a punishment, the offender had to submit immediately and unconditionally, and remain submissive until the punishment was declared completed. The element of role-play was removed, because the punishments were real, only to be given for real offenses. The lovers took responsibility for disciplining each other and each had to submit to their mutual relationship. Tonight it was Ruth's turn to be punished, for having allowed Cecilia to use her computer unsupervised. It turned out that both guilty parties would be punished that night; the student by her professor, and then the professor by her lover. It was for that reason Burnside was kneeling in front of Halsey and addressing him as "sir". Whenever he was at fault for something, the roles were reversed, with him kneeling and addressing her as "ma'am". ---------- Upon entering her house, Burnside quietly pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses. She filled both glasses and dimmed the living room lights slightly. She knelt in front of Halsey and handed him a glass, taking the other herself. Saying nothing, the couple drank their wine, in a symbolic act that would initiate her punishment. "Very well, young lady, you will stand up and turn away from me." Burnside did as instructed. He placed a scarf over her eyes and lightly tied it. Over the years he had discovered that depriving her of the sense of sight during the preparation of a punishment heightened her anxiety and her arousal. He slowly undressed her, allowing her to feel more and more vulnerable with the removal of each piece of clothing. Finally she stood naked in the middle of a pile of fallen clothes. Halsey stood back to admire his lover's large breasts and fit body. Burnside worked out aggressively on a daily basis and had the figure of a much younger woman. Her arms and legs were trim and muscular, her stomach was flat, and her bottom and breasts just beginning to show the effects of her age. Halsey went into one of Burnside's back rooms and returned dragging a piece of furniture that looked something like a gymnastics horse. It had a padded leather surface and rings attached to the bottoms of its metal legs. The piece of furniture was Burnside's favorite punishment bench, or "horse", where she had restrained innumerable students and lovers for punishment. Now it would be her turn to bend over that bench, to stretch herself as best she could for a severe whipping. Halsey then briefly left to retrieve something from his car, the item with which he would punish Ruth. The implement was something he had received in the mail only a few days before, and was guaranteed to give Ruth a totally new experience in painful discipline. It was a genuine leather police switch imported from the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. Halsey slashed the switch through the air, satisfied with the loud, sinister whoosh. He returned to find Ruth quietly standing in her living room, still blindfolded with her clothing clumped around her feet. He touched the tip of the switch against her breasts, gently massaging her nipples until they became hard. Burnside knew that her breasts were being touched by the implement her lover would use to punish her. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what exactly was making contact with her skin. "Hold your hands out in front of you, Ruth my girl." Burnside complied, and Halsey laid the switch in her hands. He then removed the blindfold, allowing her to see what implement would be used on her unprotected body that night. She shuddered, never having seen a real Danubian police switch before. She had heard about the scary switches, but had not seen one in real life. Halsey picked it up and showed the handle to his lover. Burnside read: "Milítzya Danúbik - Nom. 3394" "A real Danubian police switch, Ruth. A Ministry of Justice issue with its own serial number. The real thing; not some pathetic adult shop imitation. Now tell me, how do they punish criminals in Upper Danubia?" "T...the police...give them 50 strokes, sir. They strap criminals to tables and punish them...with the switch." "That is correct, Ruth. Tonight I want to give you a bit of a challenge. I'm giving you the standard punishment for a Danubian criminal...50 vigorous strokes on the naked buttocks. Are you up for that?" "Yes sir, I'll do my best." "50 vigorous strokes on the naked buttocks, and I've been practicing. Think about that." "Yes sir." "I'm giving you another challenge tonight. Unlike a Danubian criminal, I will not tie you down. You will stay in position, under your own free will. I will punish you every bit as hard as a Danubian police officer punishes a criminal, but I am holding you accountable for staying in position." "Yes sir." "And another thing. At the end of the 25th stroke, we will stop, and you will present your bottom for my pleasure. Once your lovely bottom has given me the pleasure I deserve, we shall continue." "Yes sir." With that Halsey took his lover's hand and kissed it. He then led her to the bench. She gave him a very nervous look, but dutifully draped her body over the padded leather surface. She shifted herself forward, spreading her legs and grabbing the bar in front with her hands. Her large breasts dangled and wobbled slightly as she moved about, attracting her lover's attention. As a preliminary to her punishment, Halsey gently caressed his lover's hanging breasts with the tip of the switch. The touch was very gentle, and teased her until she became wet again from anticipating the pain from her upcoming switching. Burnside was terrified, but the terror was part of the experience that made it so special. She wouldn't have traded what was about to happen to her for anything. The woman's ample buttocks were spread and stretched tight. The wet, secret, sensitive area in between her bottom-cheeks was on full display, and her bottom was damp with the sweat of anticipation. She reeked of arousal and struggled to breathe normally. Before cruelly marking it up, Halsey gently passed his hand over his lover's sweaty posterior, enjoying the feel of her firm flesh and trembling muscles. Then he stepped back and lightly tapped her bottom with the switch. He left the implement in place for a couple of seconds to increase her anticipation. Halsey drew back and struck hard across both sides of Burnside's bottom. She had anticipated the first blow would hurt, but was a bit surprised at the intensity of the pain tearing into her. She gasped and struggled to stay quiet. Burnside rarely cried during a punishment. However, her lover's switch was the real thing, a professional punishment implement designed to inflict maximum pain without inflicting permanent injury. Tonight he wanted to challenge her, to inflict a judicial whipping and push her endurance to its limits. The professor had done his research concerning how judicial punishments were administered in Upper Danubia. Danubian police officers were trained how to use their switches to maximum effectiveness. The goal was to deliver 50 severe blows against the criminal's body without breaking the skin or causing any permanent scarring. The police officer could take up to 50 minutes slowly striking the criminal's bottom, upper thighs, and upper back with the switch. The blows where severe, leaving cruel welts that lasted for days. Halsey had received a police instruction manual that explained proper punishment technique along with the switch. The manual was in Danubian, but had many illustrations. He studied the diagrams in the manual and practiced swinging the switch against an armchair in his living room. He was shocked when he tore the fabric, making him realize that if he did want to use the switch on his lover, he needed to do it properly and be extremely careful. The switch left a nasty-looking weal on Burnside's bare backside. Halsey stepped back and stuck again, laying a second blow immediately beneath the first one. Halsey was an experienced disciplinarian and knew how to strike with precision. Armed with the additional information from the instruction manual, he could punish her in exactly the same manner as if she were a convicted criminal in Danube City. Halsey stepped back and carefully struck his lover a third, a fourth, and a fifth time, laying five dark reddish stripes very close together across the lower part of Ruth Burnside's unprotected bottom. The pain mounted as she began sweating and clenching her teeth. Yes indeed, it would be a real challenge for her to make it through 50 strokes without crying or moving out of position. The Freshman Ch. 11 Halsey tapped the lower part of Burnside's right bottom-cheek. The next portion of the punishment would be to concentrate strokes on the spot where his lover's bottom met her upper thighs. He would strike one side at a time, to maximize the force of the blow and concentrate the pain in a very small area. He would strike her three times at the base of her right bottom-cheek, then three times at the base of her left bottom-cheek, and then work his way down the upper parts of each thigh. Very slowly he struck, as three sinister-sounding whooshes announced three new welts on Ruth's lower right bottom, and three whooshes announce three new welts on the left side. He continued striking the upper parts of her thighs, laying four very severe welts on the upper part of each of her legs. He then returned to the upper part of her bottom, laying a final six welts across immediately above the first stroke. Tears were flowing down Burnside's cheeks, but she had managed not to cry so far. She couldn't believe how much that Danubian switch hurt, but the very intensity of the experience was a huge turn-on to her. Still, it would be a long time before the sexual arousal would be relieved. There would be a break, but it would only be to allow Jim to continue the punishment in a different manner. He took Ruth's hand and helped her up. As she stood twisting in agony and holding on to her punishment bench, her lover laid a towel on her floor and then a hard cylinder-shaped pillow on top of the towel. She dutifully draped herself over the pillow and spread her legs, exposing her bottom-hole. Halsey took off his pants and underwear. Already he had a furious erection, excited at the sight of his lover so submissive and cruelly marked up. Now her punishment would shift to her bottom-hole. He dabbed some medical jelly over the back entrance to her body. He positioned himself over her and pressed down, allowing his body weight to force his way into his lover. Jim rarely entered her in this manner, even when she was being punished. However, tonight he had decided the punishment needed to be extra severe and having her bottom violated was part of the extra severity. Burnside gasped from the discomfort of having Jim's penis moving inside her intestines and her anus stretched to accommodate the intrusion. The welts stung horribly as the weight of her lover pressed down on her entire backside. However, it was what he demanded from her, and thus what she was expected to do. To present her bottom to him was a gesture of ultimate submission, and a sign that, during a punishment, she truly would do anything for him. She trusted him, knowing that when he needed to hurt her, the pain was simply a manifestation of the unusual love the couple had for each other. He finished and pulled out, but his sexual drive ensured that within a half an hour he would be ready to give Ruth the reward that always followed a painful punishment. He cleaned her as she continued to lie over her pillow, treating her abused bottom gently as he soaped and rinsed her in preparation for the second part of her whipping. Halsey guided Burnside back over the punishment bench. She quietly and dutifully took hold of the bars in front and waited for the 26th stroke. Halsey finished getting undressed before taking up the switch for the final portion of his lover's punishment. He began very methodically, laying strokes over her already punished bottom. After laying a few strokes to cover the spots he had not marked during the first part of the switching, Halsey paused to study his lover's cruelly-marked backside. After the 35th stroke he punished her somewhat less severely, afraid to break the skin over the welts, which already were raised and formed painful ridges. However, the new strokes laid over the previous set of welts hurt horribly and Burnside's voice began breaking with each new blow. Halsey watched carefully what he was doing to his lover's body, mindful of his torn chair. By the 43rd stroke, Burnside was quietly crying. As her marked body jerked from the suppressed sobs, she became a perfect picture of erotic submission. Halsey knew that a Danubian judicial switching usually ended with the final five or six full-force strokes laid across the criminal's shoulder blades. He would finish up with Ruth in the same manner, extending the painful region to the woman's back. He ordered her to kneel on the floor and place her hands in front of her on the punishment bench. He struck hard against her shoulders six times, his efforts rewarded by a cry from his lover with each stroke. Halsey set down the switch and took his lover's hand to help her stand up. The pain was continuing to mount in her body. She felt like she had been torn apart and found it hard to believe she wasn't seriously injured. Still, this type of experience was what she expected from her lover whenever she made a career-related mistake. The pain tearing into her only made her love him all that much more. She stood hugging him for a long time, enjoying being comforted as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks and the welts throbbed. Finally the pain subsided slightly and gave way to intense sexual arousal. It was after a severe punishment from her lover that Burnside's senses truly came alive. The intensity of the experience and the fact that it came from the only man she loved opened up every pleasure center in the woman's body. She reached down to touch her lover's penis, and sure enough, he was hard again and ready to give her the long-anticipated reward. Halsey pressed Burnside to the floor. Her body protested from having her body weight pushing down on her welts, but the combination of pain and sexual gratification was what made a post-punishment love-making session so special. He entered her and for a very long time moved back and forth, grinding against her very wet and very aroused body. Yes...yes...yes... this savagely intense pleasure was indeed worth the horrible pain from the last hour... Halsey continued thrusting. There were times that Burnside wondered if he supplemented his sexual drive with Viagra or some other sexual stimulant, but she was not one to question a good thing. Halsey's body was a reliable as a clock, always ready to give her the pleasure she needed as a woman. Finally the exhausted couple got in bed. Normally they did not sleep together, but a punishment for either of them always was followed by a night in Burnside's bed and breakfast at her house the next day. He fell asleep, but Burnside found it hard to relax with the continuing throbbing from the mass of welts and blood blisters covering her backside. Still, she was very happy and immensely satisfied with the experience she had endured that night. She contemplated her old lover as she stroked his hair and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She loved Jim Halsey, because he was the only man in the world who could give her what she needed, and at the same time give her the space and independence in her life that she also needed. It was a strange relationship, but it brought fulfillment and pleasure to the lives of both professors, which was what mattered. The Freshman Ch. 12 Chapter 12 - Cecilia's own words Cecilia's life returned to normal the following Thursday morning. She woke up, went to class, and talked to the professors from her Wednesday classes about making up the work from the lectures she had missed. However, the previous day's incident left her badly shaken, by making her fully aware of how fragile her life truly was. Her entire existence and the world as she knew it depended on the whim of a single person, Dr. Ruth Burnside. Still sore from the spanking from just 12 hours before, Cecilia was very nervous when she entered Burnside's office with a final list of readings for her midterm paper. Burnside behaved as though nothing had happened the previous day. She photocopied the list, told her student to add one title, and provided the e-mail address of an English-speaking professor at the National University in Danube City from whom she could request further information. Burnside then did something that indicated she still trusted Cecilia, in spite of the recent crisis. She outlined the midterm schedule to her student and asked her to help proctor exams in her three freshman classes. Cecilia was shocked. "Dr. Burnside, you...actually trust me with proctoring, I mean, after...?" "Cecilia, it's obvious to me that what you did on Monday was exercise extremely poor judgment. I don't see it as a reflection against your integrity. You fucked up, but that was a learning experience and it isn't going change your responsibilities under your contract with the department. Also, I'll let you know something else, that maybe you'll find important. A single stupid act doesn't really change my over-all opinion of you as a person. You showed yourself willing to face the consequences of what you did, which is what matters. If my opinion of you had changed last night, you would've been dis-enrolled at the ethics hearing." Burnside took it for granted that there would be no further problems from Cecilia, no further academic crises or violations of university rules. The student's relationship with her mentor would return to normal, with the exception of a second round of physical discipline that loomed at the end of October. Cecilia knew a very unpleasant day awaited her at the end of the month. She correctly assumed that a session of severe punishment would be followed by a night of servitude at the professor's annual Halloween BDSM party. Cecilia's feelings about the impending second part of her punishment were complex. She was scared, but at the same time looking forward to having the opportunity to completely resolve the examination incident with her professor. Physical punishment was the way Burnside dealt with people who upset her, but once the punishment was completed, the professor considered matters settled. The woman never held a grudge nor played on an offender's guilt. In spite of her apprehension over what awaited her at the end of the month, Cecilia mostly was relieved. A painful and humiliating evening was a very small price to pay to avoid the alternative: expulsion from the university, the loss of her scholarship, and a possible criminal prosecution. As far as her official record was concerned, the only evidence placed in her student folder would be a memo noting the date she had gone before the ethics committee. Because the committee officially referred her punishment back to her professor, the note would not detail any accusations and could not be used against her in any way. Upon graduating the note would be expunged from her record. ---------- While Cecilia dealt with her secret academic crisis, Jason and his friends had to contend with the strange notoriety they had achieved the previous weekend. No one in the dorm thought about making fun of the four streakers, because from the beginning they were treated as sports heroes by the dorm staff. Still, it felt very strange to both Lisa and Jason to be known as "the naked champions" and see their bare bodies displayed on the front page of the Monday edition of the campus newspaper. Later, dozens of high-quality digital photos of the two winners became available on the Internet from several on-line photo galleries documenting the race. Both winners realized that if they ever ran for public office, the Tri-Alpha photos would become a campaign issue for sure. Jason and Lisa decided to donate their trophies to the Huntington Hall championship display case, where the hall director placed them in a prominent spot with a photo of the two winners taken standing arm-in-arm with their RA. The director was proud of the Tri-Alpha win, given that it was the first major campus-sporting event won by a current Huntington Hall resident in six years. The naked bodies of Jason and Lisa now were preserved for posterity, forever enshrined along with sports trophies won by other hall residents going clear back to 1955, the year the dorm was built. Jason became much more of an official nudist as a result of the Tri-Alpha 10-K run. Three days after the race, a Chicago naturist organization approached him about becoming a member, something he readily agreed to do. The group's leader also asked Jason if he wanted to give a speech the weekend following the next at an upcoming nudist gathering in Springfield. The presentation would be a recap of the Tri-Alpha race and how it felt to be the winning participant in a nude athletic event. The group's leader had seen Jason's television interview following his win and was impressed with him. Jason was just the type of person the naturist movement needed to bring in new, younger members. His youth, attractive appearance, ability to speak in front of cameras, and notoriety made him a promising representative for the organization, especially for efforts to recruit college-aged people into exploring naturism as a lifestyle. The Friday night following his win, Jason approached Cecilia with the news about the invitation to join the group and give his first public speech as a nudist. Cecilia was pleased that Jason was asking her permission before accepting the invitation, but now she was presented with the first moral dilemma resulting from her relationship with him. Cecilia's initial instinct was to tell him not to go. She was not a nudist and suspected that if Jason became wrapped up in promoting naturism, at some point she would have to make changes in her own life to accommodate that part of her boyfriend's beliefs and values. Her obsession for controlling both her partner and her own life would be challenged by having to go along with supporting him as a spokesman for a public moment. However, as that thought passed through her mind, Cecilia's words the first night she met Jason came back to haunt her: "I'm warnin' you, what I don't like is a hypocrite. If you're a nudist and have chosen that lifestyle, I expect you to stay committed to your beliefs and ready to defend to your values." Commitment to his beliefs and defending his values...well, that was exactly what Jason was planning to do in Springfield, openly express himself as a nudist. Cecilia realized that with her own statement she had committed herself to accepting her boyfriend's unexpected new obligation. Given the direction she had pushed him over the last month, she was in no position to tell him not to speak openly about what he believed in. She would be giving him inconsistent advice and force him to be a hypocrite by telling him to do one thing, and then later telling him to do something contradictory. In her mind, having a partner who was a hypocrite was much worse than losing some of her control over him. After some thought Cecilia granted Jason permission to become a member of the naturist group, take his trip to Springfield, and give his presentation. He enthusiastically hugged her in gratitude. ---------- By Friday night Cecilia's bottom had mostly recovered from the spanking she had received from Burnside two days before. There still was a faint feeling of stiffness from the remaining bruises, but the marks were not visible under Cecilia's dark skin. As she looked at her bottom in the mirror she thought to herself; I guess that's one advantage of not being light-skinned, stuff like this doesn't show up so easily. With that it became clear that she could keep the Wednesday punishment secret from her boyfriend after all, even if she was undressed for sex in a lit room. Cecilia and Jason followed their usual Friday night routine of reviewing the material for Burnside's class. As always, he stood at attention in the nude while she sat at his desk questioning him. Following the course review, Cecilia told Jason to get dressed and follow her back to her room. Jason was expecting to massage her, although he had been puzzled by the fact she had not wanted a massage either Wednesday or Thursday night. It turned out that Friday night was the third night in a row in which Cecilia did not ask for a massage, which left Jason wondering if she was displeased with his massages or had become bored with them. Upon entering the room, Cecilia undressed her boyfriend, ordering him not to move until she gave him permission. She gently ran her fingertips over his body, lightly touching his skin and arousing him. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes he was clearly aroused and his penis stiffening. Cecilia explored her boyfriend's backside, lovingly caressing his bottom-cheeks and massaging the sensitive area at the base. As she explored and studied his attractive bottom, a long-standing fantasy returned to her full-force, her desire to put a young man over her lap and spank him. The fantasy was not a spanking for punishment, but a spanking for erotic excitement. Her heart raced, because she knew that tonight was the first night out of many she would put Jason over her lap. She continued rubbing and exploring his bottom, and then gave him a warning of what was about to happen by patting it with a gentle spanking motion. "You know, you really have a cute butt. You know that, right?" "I...I guess it's OK..." "No, it's not just OK, Jason. It's perfect. Perfect for a nice spanking, don't you think?" Jason's heart jumped into his throat as she patted him more firmly. He didn't know how to answer. He had secretly fantasized about a spanking, but was afraid of another painful session with Cecilia's belt. He shuddered with both fear and arousal, not knowing what exactly she was planning to do to him. She stopped, placing her hand more firmly against his right buttock. "Answer me please. Don't you think your bottom is perfect for a nice spanking? Isn't that what you think I ought to be doin' right now?" "Y...yes, Cecilia...I guess you could spank me." "No, that's not how to ask me for a spanking. What did I tell you about talkin' to me with respect, Jason? If you wanna nice spanking, you gotta ask me right." "C...Cecilia, please give me a nice spanking." "A nice bare-bottomed spanking? Over my lap? Is that what you want from me?" Jason's penis hardened even more at Cecilia's words. Yes, he realized that was indeed what he wanted. "Yes, Cecilia, I want a nice bare-bottomed spanking over your lap." "Say please, and kiss my hand, Jason." Cecilia stuck out her hand. Jason then did something she had not expected. She was elated when he got on his knees before kissing her hand. He took her hand in both of his and touched the back of it to his lips. "Cecilia...please spank me." With that she gently took both his hands and directed him to stand up. She sat on her bed and motioned him to lie over her lap. He had to position himself a bit, because his penis was very stiff. Once he managed to move his hard-on to the side so he could rest comfortably over her thighs, he followed her instructions to spread his legs slightly and turn his bottom up. He could feel the cool air of the room against his exposed bottom-hole and the backs of his testicles. Cecilia was in no mood to hurry. She gently caressed his entire backside, exploring his spread buttocks and the sensitive area in between. He began sweating from arousal and anticipation as he felt the palm and fingertips of his girlfriend's hand explore his most sensitive areas. She admired the healthy color of the attractive bottom under her face, thinking how much more attractive it would be in a few minutes with a deep pink glow applied to the exposed skin. She began slowly and gently at first, as she gradually moved from caressing and patting his bottom to lightly spanking it. He sighed with anticipation and pleasure as Cecilia leisurely picked up both the pace and force of the slaps. The lovers knew this would be a prolonged, sensuous experience, a perfect match of moderate pain and extreme pleasure. SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... After about 10 minutes, Cecilia was spanking full-force. Following the example set just two days before by her professor, the Dominican spaced the slaps about five seconds apart to let Jason feel each swat and appreciate it before receiving the next one. She also realized that spacing the slaps would keep her arm from tiring too quickly and allow her to deliver a much longer spanking. Cecilia's hours at the gym were paying off, as she realized that just a month before she would not have had the endurance in her arms to deliver a proper spanking. Now weakness in her arms no longer was an issue. The warm tingling Jason experienced at the beginning gave way to a much hotter sting. He shifted uncomfortably, but even as the pain in his bottom was becoming more difficult to endure, a feeling of intense pleasure swept over the rest of his body. He had felt the same feeling the night Cecilia punished him with the belt, but this time it was much more intense. Cecilia was completely aroused. The sight of her lover's attractive bottom, now colored with a lovely shade of deep pink, the feel of the weight and warmth of his body on her thighs, the feel of his very stiff penis pressing against her leg, the sound of his breathing, and the crisp sound of the slaps filling the room...all those wonderful details fulfilled a fantasy that had filled her nights for several years. She was wet between the legs and burning with desire. Finally she couldn't wait any longer...she had to have him inside her... She stopped and motioned him to get up. His eyes were wide with pain, pleasure, fear, and extreme arousal reflected in his expression. His penis was as hard and big as it could possibly get, ready to perform its duty to satisfy the needs of both lovers. She quickly pulled off her clothes as he tore open a condom package and slipped the protection over his painfully hard erection. A few seconds later, she was lying on her back with him safely inside her. For several minutes he aggressively moved back and forth as she moaned with pleasure. He held back as long as he possibly could, desperate to prolong the intense feeling of pleasure and relief. Cecilia squeaked with delight as sweat poured down her body and she shuttered from a very intense orgasm. Jason closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as the warm burning in his bottom intensified the extreme pleasure he felt up front. He realized the heat in his bottom was what was making this experience so special. As he continued to feel the lovely sensation from his backside he thrust and thrust, totally exhausting himself and expending all of the stress built up over the past week. At last he pumped jets of semen into his condom as intense relief rushed over him. A few minutes later, their energy spent in one of the best sessions of sex of their lives, Jason lay on his back in Cecilia's bed, with his head partially propped up by her pillows and his girlfriend in his arms. They were sweaty and stunk from their recent exertions, but very relaxed and happy. Cecilia rolled on her stomach and rested her head on Jason's chest, gently exploring his stomach with her fingertips. "So tell me...how's your butt?" "You know...it's weird, but it feels really nice right now, like all warm." "So you liked that?" "Yeah, I did. I mean...it's totally different from anything I ever felt before. It hurt, but at the same time it really felt great." "Well, you know that you're a very naughty boy, Jason. You know that, right?" "Yes...I suppose so." "And you know that naughty boys need lots of discipline. That's why you liked it so much, 'cause you're so naughty." With that she reached down and began exploring his wet penis and testicles. He began to stiffen with her next words. "I'm gonna have to discipline you a lot more, Jason. I'm gonna have to put you over my lap for some good bare bottom spankings, and don't think I forgot about my belts. I'm gonna use those on you too, when you're really bad. I'm gonna punish you lots, 'cause it's what you need. That cute bare bottom of yours was made for spanking, don't you think?" Jason gasped as Cecilia slowly stroked his penis into another very hard erection. "Y...yes...Cecilia." "I'll keep that cute ass nice and red for you...nice and red." "Yes..." She stroked his hard-on a few more times, then gently squeezed it and let go. She rolled on her back, the expression in her eyes clearly indicating she wanted another round of sex. He jumped up, grabbed a condom, and slipped it on. He then entered her, the remaining warmth from his recent spanking still present in his backside. Jason had yet another exquisite orgasm, but his thoughts no longer were on the punishment he had just received. Now he knew this night's spanking was just the beginning. He was destined to present his bare bottom for many more sessions from his lovely Cecilia. Some of the punishments would be much more painful than others. There would be gentle spankings for sensuous arousal, and there would be painful whippings for strict discipline. However, all of Cecilia's punishments would be delivered with love, given to him because she cared for him and because she knew submitting to her discipline was what he needed. ---------- As soon as she recovered from the race, Lisa's modesty was completely swept away. She quit bothering to get dressed except when she left the women's wing of Huntington Hall. Whenever Cecilia went to her neighbor's room, she could count on finding Lisa completely undressed. If she ran into Lisa in the hallway or the bathroom, she could count on seeing Lisa's tall attractive figure in its entirety. Lisa walked around naturally, with her hands casually at her sides, no matter who else happened to be in the hallway. Even having male visitors seeing her bare body didn't bother Lisa, given that everyone in the entire dorm had seen her the day of the Tri-Alpha race. Anyhow, on prominent display in the dorm's main entrance was the post-race picture taken with Jason and Cecilia, so she saw no point in any further modesty. Lisa's new lack of inhibitions extended to the way she dressed when she left the dorm. Her clothes in public became as revealing as possible without risking arrest. When she wore dresses, she wore them without any underwear. When she wore blouses, she wore ones that were of light, loose-fitting material and no bra underneath. When she wore jeans, she wore low-riders. She bought the most revealing low-riders on the market, ones that, even when she was standing up, barely reached the top of the crack between her bottom cheeks. Lisa's new pants pulled half way down her butt whenever she sat down. Whenever she was sitting at the student center or in the dorm cafeteria in her low-riders, her hips and the top part of her bottom were on full display to passers-by walking behind her. Mike looked upon his girlfriend's new-found exhibitionism with a mixture of fascination and apprehension. Mike was liberal in his politics, but of the group, he was the most conservative about what he wore in public. While it was true that in California he had gone to local nude beaches with Lisa and some other high school friends, in Chicago he understood that he was in a somewhat more conservative part of the US and dressed accordingly. Now he was with a girlfriend who had become quite flamboyant in her manner of dressing and her behavior over-all. Guys all over the university looked at Lisa's body under her revealing clothing, and enviously at Mike, her companion. Lisa now had plenty of options available to her, should she ever get bored of her relationship with him. There were plenty of men around campus, and some women as well, who would have been happy to take Mike's place at Lisa's side. The Freshman Ch. 12 Cecilia was intrigued by the changes in her boyfriend and her friend: that her boyfriend was about to become an open proponent of nude living and her friend seemed to have lost any inhibitions about her body. Her thoughts wandered to the Tri-Alpha picture signing event, which was scheduled to be held the following Wednesday, a week and a half after the race itself. Every year the fraternity sold over-priced autographed pictures of the race winners to raise money for charity. Typically there was a moderate amount of interest in the autograph event, and most of the interest was for pictures of the winner of the female division. However, the euphoria over having a non-Tri-Alpha member win the men's division meant turnout would be higher than normal and that there would be at least as much interest in pictures signed by Jason as pictures signed by Lisa. Cecilia wondered if there was a way she could help make the picture-signing session even more successful, because she had a personal interest in raising money for that year's selected charity. The proceeds were slated to go to upgrading a pediatric hospital in an impoverished area of the Dominican Republic, located in a small town just a few miles from the Haitian border. The town was not too far from the village where her grandparents still lived. Cecilia saw the autograph fund-raising event as an opportunity for her to do something for her home country, and perhaps even something that would directly benefit her extended family. Finally Cecilia came up with two ideas she hoped would raise additional money for the hospital project. The first idea was to have Jason and Lisa attend the event wearing what they wore during the race, their running shoes and nothing else. Having them sitting naked while they autographed their race photos certainly would make the public more interested in buying pictures, no matter how over-priced they were. Cecilia's other idea was to invite a professional photographer to set up a camera and backdrop, and give members of the public a chance to pose for a picture with one or both of the naked race winners, for a hefty price, of course. Cecilia contacted the president of the local fraternity chapter and presented her suggestions. The fraternity leader liked both ideas and forwarded them to the national Tri-Alpha directorate, who, in turn, cleared them with the university Board of Regents. Within a few days the details were settled. The picture-signing event would be moved to the main conference area of the student center and be advertised campus-wide. At the beginning of the week Cecilia approached Jason and Lisa with the changed venue for the autographing session. Jason and Lisa looked at each other upon finding out they faced several more hours naked in public as a result of the Tri-Alpha race, but they both agreed. Certainly the charitable cause was worth while, and both race winners secretly enjoyed the daring feeling of having their bodies exposed in such a public setting. So it was agreed, starting at 6:30 and going until about 10:00, the two race winners would wear their running shoes and socks, but otherwise be fully undressed as they signed autographs and posed for pictures in a crowded room during a public event. Wednesday night Jason, Mike, Lisa, and Cecilia walked to the university student center right after dinner, on a dreary rainy evening. Once inside the student center they went to the building's main reception room, where a rather long line of fans already was forming. Oh yes, it seemed that Jason and Lisa were quite the celebrities that night! As soon as they entered the main reception area Jason and Lisa got undressed and put their shoes back on. Mike and Cecilia stuffed their clothes into student backpacks as the two race winners sat down on chairs covered with towels behind a large table. The president of the local Tri-Alpha chapter and a reporter from the campus newspaper approached them and explained what was going to happen. There were three sets of race photos being sold for signatures, one of Jason standing with his trophy, one of Lisa standing with her trophy, and a picture of the two winners standing side by side with their trophies. If a fan approached Jason with a picture of himself, he would ask the fan's name, making sure the spelling was correct. Then he would write a short personal message and sign his full name. Lisa would do the same for her race photos. The only pictures Jason and Lisa would both sign were copies of the shot of them standing together. After the initial two hours, the two race winners would stand up and pose with guests at a backdrop set up by a photography student from the university art department. The fraternity abandoned the idea of hiring a professional photographer when they found an art student who was willing to take the pictures for free. The art student's time and talent would be her own donation to the children's hospital project. Cecilia glanced over at the photographer, a young woman who seemed about her own age, roughly 19. She was not exactly pretty, but she had a very interesting appearance. She had a figure that would have been considered attractive in the late 1800's: wide hips, thick thighs, and a nice large bottom. She had pale skin and very sad, haunting eyes. The photographer's hair was interesting to Cecilia as well, done up in much the same way the singers of "Socrates' Mistresses" from Upper Danubia had their hair styled, braided and wrapped around her head. The photographer wore a long, loose-fitting skirt that accentuated her wide hips and voluptuous bottom. The art student, in spite of her young age, was all business. She moved about the area where she had set up her backdrop, adjusting the lighting and testing the camera lenses she had brought. Cecilia later learned the photographer had borrowed most of her equipment from the art department and was trying to work with the unfamiliar items and settings as best she could. Finally, at 6:30, with Jason and Lisa were sitting on their towels behind the table, the Tri-Alpha representatives opened the doors and allowed the public to come into the room. The first stop for the customers was to purchase pre-printed race pictures at a separate table staffed by fraternity members. The Tri-Alphas had the foresight to print not just the pictures of the winners standing with their trophies, but also several action-shots of Jason and Lisa as they approached the finish line. There were a total of 15 different photos customers could purchase, at fifteen dollars apiece, or one hundred fifty dollars for an entire set. Jason and Lisa noticed many of the customers buying complete sets, as well as separate photos they wanted autographed. Over the next two hours Jason and Lisa wore out their hands signing pictures. On each picture the winner wrote a short message directly addressed to the customer by name. They worked quickly, but it seemed that no matter how many pictures they signed, the line of waiting customers never diminished. The Tri-Alpha fraternity members running the event had to guide the clients to move away from the table once their photos were signed, and also chased away anyone who tried to photograph Jason and Lisa sitting at the table. Anyone who wanted to take a picture with the race winners that night would have to wait until 8:30 and pay for the privilege. As she watched the growing line of customers and her two dorm residents frantically try to keep up the pace signing photos, Cecilia decided to strike up a conversation with the photographer. The young woman's name was Suzanne Foster. Suzanne was double majoring in physical therapy and art, with a specialization in photography. Like Cecilia, she was a sophomore still living on campus, but unlike Cecilia, Suzanne was not receiving a full scholarship and thus was financially strapped. Cecilia and Suzanne talked non-stop for nearly two hours, without realizing how quickly time was passing. They both were surprised to hear the Tri-Alpha representative announce a break. Following the break Jason and Cecilia would make themselves available to pose for pictures with guests, for a donation of $ 100 per picture. The two race winners went to the bathroom without bothering to get dressed, had a drink of water, and took their places in front of Suzanne's studio backdrop. For the next two and a half hours Suzanne's camera flashed at the two naked race winners posing with fans. The event organizers looked at each other in amazement. This was by far the most successful post-race money-raising event in the history of the Tri-Alpha 10-K run. While Suzanne worked to rapidly take pictures, Cecilia helped out, opening rolls of film and helping the photographer load her two cameras. Cecilia's assistance allowed Suzanne to work much faster and ensured that everyone who wanted to have their picture taken with the race winners had the opportunity do so. No one could have foreseen how many people wanted to take pictures with the race winners. When Suzanne came close to exhausting the supply of film she had brought with her, Cecilia volunteered to run to the art department photo lab and grab additional rolls. She and Mike took Suzanne's key and desperately rummaged through her photography supplies to gather up more film. They made it back just in time for Suzanne to re-load her camera and continue shooting. The anxiety and excitement that Jason and Lisa felt at the beginning had long since given way to a feeling of routine exhaustion as the two naked race winners stood arm-in-arm with one guest after another and the flash went off in their faces over and over. In the end they posed with over 200 fans, going an hour past the planned schedule and adding more than $ 20,000 to the charity proceeds. The supply of pre-printed race pictures completely sold out, in spite of the production of extra copies. It was past 11:00 p.m. when Jason and Lisa finally waved goodbye to the departing crowd and picked up the backpacks containing their clothing. They went to the bathroom, quickly got dressed, and re-entered conference room. They were completely tired out and ready to sleep. However, they were elated when the fraternity's president told them the evening had raised a total of over $ 70,000 for the hospital project. Cecilia exchanged addresses and phone numbers with Suzanne and departed with her three dorm residents. She was very happy from having made a real contribution a worthy cause the same night she made a new friend. ---------- Three days later, Jason stood on stage at a microphone in Springfield, speaking about his experience winning the Tri-Alpha 10-K race. He began by describing his own experiences as a naturist and how he gradually became more and more comfortable with his body as he progressed through high school and the first semester of college. He jokingly talked about his comical streaking adventure with Ken, and then moved on to discussing the 10-K race itself and the strategy that he used to win. Cecilia and Ken sat in the audience. Cecilia was one of the few dressed people in the room, which made her stand out and feel a bit uncomfortable. Ken had decided to attend the event in the nude, and sat next to his RA, feeling a bit daring doing so. Like most of his listeners, Jason was completely undressed. In spite of his lack of attire, he spoke with poise and confidence, calmly making eye contact with various senior members of the organization in the audience. He had rehearsed his speech in front of Cecilia and Ken, researched the history of the race, and was prepared to talk about it at length. As it turned out, the Springfield speech became an important turning point in Jason's life. Over the next several months he would travel around the Mid-West to speak at colleges promoting the benefits of nude living. Later in his life he become a public spokesman in opposition to legislative efforts to curtail public nudity at beaches and a nationally recognized face for numerous clothing-optional causes. Even that first night it was obvious that Jason already had his fans and admirers. Cecilia was a bit surprised at the success of her boyfriend's public presentation. She was impressed by his confidence in himself as he stood on stage speaking to interested and sympathetic listeners. She felt deep satisfaction as she realized it was because of the relationship with her that he was here. Perhaps this was his destiny, something in life he now could fulfill. Perhaps part of Cecilia's destiny had been to help Jason find a purpose in life by giving him a cause to promote. The Freshman Ch. 13 Chapter 13 - Suzanne's Studio By the middle of October Jason and his friends were fully adjusted to the routine of the university. They already had passed their first midterm in Burnside's freshman class, all of them with high "B's". They had a clear understanding of the material presented in class to date and seemed well-positioned to pass the class on the first try and get one of the university's most difficult requirements out of the way. Jason's confidence in himself went up as he pushed Ken, Mike, and Lisa to learn the material that Cecilia was pressing on him. Jason continued to model for the afternoon drawing classes. The thrill of standing or lying naked in front of a group of strangers had diminished over time because he was doing it on a routine basis, but it was something he still enjoyed. As he continued to work out, Jason became increasingly proud of his body and liked showing it off. The week following the autograph signing session, the photographer Suzanne Foster developed the pictures and delivered them to the Tri-Alpha fraternity. There were several boxes of 8 x 10 photos, all of them pictures of Jason and Lisa posing with various fans and people who had attended the nude 10-K race. The fraternity already had stacks of envelopes prepared to stuff and mail to the charity donors. As soon as Suzanne delivered the pictures the fraternity was ready to mail them to their buyers. In spite of her busy schedule, Cecilia decided to make herself available to help Suzanne carry the pictures to the fraternity. She wanted to see Suzanne again and get to know her better, so helping her with delivering the pictures was a perfect justification to get together with her again. Suzanne gladly accepted and the two women headed over to the fraternity house in Suzanne's dilapidated old car. Going into the fraternity was a rather strange experience for Cecilia. She and Suzanne were greeted by the sight of several naked 18-year olds running around the house, busy doing chores and keeping the place clean. Most of the pledges had red marks or bruises on their bottoms from constant paddling. All of the freshmen present had shaved their pubic hair, which was another requirement imposed on Tri-Alpha pledges. It turned out that the fraternity had a rather severe system of hazing freshman pledges. The Tri-Alphas prided themselves on not using alcohol as part of their initiations, but the lack of drunkenness meant hazing had to take a different form. Instead of drinking contests, the fraternity imposed a semester of sexual servitude on anyone who wanted to join. Pledges were required to be naked any time they were in the frat house. They also were required to visit Tri-Alpha's sister sorority on a regular basis to clean it up and submit to whatever humiliations the girls chose to impose on them. Like the fraternity, whenever the pledges were working in the sorority or submitting to its members, they had to be completely naked. Upper classmen from the fraternity had the right to paddle a pledge at any time for any reason, as did members from the fraternity's sister sorority. If an upper classman or sorority girl wanted to fondle or humiliate a pledge in any way, they were perfectly free to do so. It seemed to Cecilia that there were plenty of sorority girls floating around the house, taking special delight in dominating the pledges. As Cecilia and Suzanne carried boxes to a back room that served as the fraternity's main office, they passed a patio where three sorority girls were spending "quality time" with a naked 18-year old. One of the girls was relaxing on a lawn chair. She had taken her shoes off, but otherwise was fully dressed. The pledge was on his knees licking her feet and sucking her toes while another sorority girl was smacking him with a belt. A third sorority girl was taking pictures of the pledge with a digital camera. Cecilia noticed the girl with the belt was not using good technique: she had not doubled it and was not smacking effectively. While Suzanne and the fraternity president sorted through the pictures to place into their proper envelopes, Cecilia decided to return to the patio and watch the foot-worshiping session. She rolled her eyes as she saw the sorority girl deliver one weak ineffective swat after another, on a victim who obviously was not feeling the punishment properly. Finally she decided to intervene and do something about it. She introduced herself to the sorority girls and asked to borrow the belt. Rather surprised, they agreed and the girl wielding the implement passed it to the fraternity's new guest. Cecilia addressed the kneeling guy, who continued licking the feet of the sorority girl in the lawn chair. He kept his tongue on her feet, because he had not been instructed to do anything else. "OK, little pledge. I'm gonna smack you good, and you'd better stay right where you are, or I'll get the paddle." With that Cecilia delivered a crisp SMACK to the exposed backside at her feet, leaving a white stripe that quickly turned deep pink. The pledge shifted uncomfortably as his hand involuntarily went to his bottom to protect it. "Hey! I didn't say you could do that, little pledge! Just for that, I'm gonna give you another!" CRACK! Cecilia let loose a fearsome blow as the three sorority girls looked at her in amazement. The freshman gasped from the shock of the smack and the pain tearing into him, but he managed to stay still, as required by the rules he had to follow as a pledge. Cecilia handed the belt back to the girl who had been using it. "There. Now, that's how you spank a naughty pledge! You double the belt and you put your body into it, just like you was playin' tennis! Now you try it." The sorority girl followed her guest's lead, and managed to deliver a respectable swat. The freshman began to sweat. His afternoon was about to become much more difficult. Cecilia, still not completely satisfied with the other girl's performance, took back the belt. She then placed her foot between the freshman's thighs to force them apart. "Come-on, boy! Spread 'em! Let's see what you got back there! Let's see it, spread nice and wide!" The freshman complied, exposing himself completely as he spread his knees apart. Cecilia paused long enough to get a good look at the pledge's bottom-hole, the backs of his testicles, and the lower part of his penis. Once she had her victim properly positioned, Cecilia twisted her whole body back and delivered a blow that was much harder than her first two. CRACK!!! The freshman jerked to the side and rubbed his bottom as he gave the Dominican a very frightened look. Cecilia's next comment was not addressed to him but to the sorority girls. "Well, I think we can see why you got a problem here. You're not disciplining this pledge properly. If you'd trained him right, he wouldn't be lookin' up and jerkin' around like this! Now, either you train him right, or I'm gonna tell your chapter president you're not doin' your job with this guy!" The girls' expressions changed with Cecilia's last comment. "No...please...don't! If you say anything, we'll all get it! She'll spank us, like...I mean...bare-assed...right in front of all the guys!" "Then do your job!" The sorority girl administering the punishment gave Cecilia a nervous look as she took back the belt. She doubled the leather, positioned herself, tightened her lips, and laid into her victim full force. CRACK!!! The freshman groaned and gasped as he tried to absorb the shock of the latest swat. Unfortunately for him, the girl in the chair got into the spirit of Cecilia's lesson. "Hey, pledge! I didn't tell you to stop licking my feet! You get your tongue back between my toes, or we'll really give you something to cry about!" She looked up at her friend. "Give him another, Heather...and make it a good one!" CRACK!!! With difficulty the guy continued licking the sorority girl's toes, as one fearsome swat after another marked his unprotected backside. Tears began rolling down his cheeks, but he had to obey the three sorority girls or get kicked out of the pledge group. Of any given Tri-Alpha pledge group, there always were guys who were eliminated or disqualified because they couldn't handle the physical punishment or please the sorority girls enough. He was determined to stay in, and was willing to do what it took to please his three tormentors. Cecilia was very turned-on, feeling the familiar warm, wet sensation build between her legs as she watched the pledge's ordeal. Her heart pounded in her chest and her eyes shined with an intense, hungry expression as she studied the suffering teenager in front of her. She badly wanted to take up the belt again and deliver some more swats, but not being a sorority member, she decided it was not a good idea to participate any further in the guy's hazing. A few minutes later Suzanne came back to the patio, chatting with the Tri-Alpha chapter president. She looked over at Cecilia as she stood watching the hazing. Suzanne then looked at Heather, the girl wielding the belt. The expressions on the faces of both Heather and Cecilia fascinated Suzanne's instinct for photography. She pulled out her camera to take some pictures, not of the spanking itself, but instead of Heather's concentrated focus and the aroused, hungry look in Cecilia's eyes. Once her camera was unpacked and the lens adjusted, Suzanne became all business, taking advantage of a unique moment to get some intense facial shots to add to her professional portfolio. Suzanne snapped several pictures of the girls on the patio, but only photographed their faces. She was not interested in photographing the hazing scene itself, but rather the expressions of the participants. She snapped several close-up shots of the wide-eyed pledge as he continued to lick the set of toes in front of him and wincing as Heather's belt made contact. She turned to Cecilia, took some more photos of her clearly aroused expression, and finally told her companion it was time to go. Cecilia resented being pulled away from the hazing, but at the same time realized Suzanne was right. They were not sorority members and to have stayed any longer would have worn out their welcome. As they left the fraternity, she was bewildered by Suzanne's detached interest in the spanking scene unfolding on the patio and the intense, but unemotional manner in which she took her pictures. Suzanne was not aroused, nor shocked, nor sympathetic, nor offended. It seemed as though she were photographing nothing more an inanimate object. What also interested Cecilia was the strange contrast between Suzanne's quiet personality and her interest in taking pictures that would have controversial content. She relayed her curiosity to the photographer. "I'm not sure how to answer that," responded Suzanne. "I guess when I take pictures, what I'm looking for is emotion and mood. I'm also looking for...I suppose I'm searching for what's strange and what's erotic in everyday life. I think that's the best way I can describe it." "So...you do artistic photography?" "I don't know if you could call it that, artistic photography, I mean. The way I look at it is that I'm not trying to create art. It's more like I'm trying to capture emotion. That's what I'm really after in my photos." Cecilia and Suzanne talked a bit more as they made their way back to the art department. Their conversation turned to the Tri-Alphas and the fraternity's odd influence on the university. Suzanne explained that she had been the unofficial photographer of the Tri-Alphas since the previous spring semester. She had taken pictures of several charitable events, displacing a professional photographer who was charging extortionately and reducing the profits going to the intended causes. Suzanne charged nothing for her work, but hoped that her connections with the Tri-Alphas and her growing artistic portfolio eventually would help her break into the field as a serious photographer. The fraternity was different from any of the others on campus. The members prided themselves on being risk-takers, but always in unique and unexpected ways. The Tri-Alphas were the only fraternity that did not feature drinking at their events. Instead they focused on a variety of other daring activities and physical competitions. The annual 10-K run was only one example of some of the unusual things its members liked to do. The Tri-Alphas' taste for adventure attracted a certain type of personality and made the fraternity rather hard to join. A key goal of the initiation was to get members to completely get rid of any personal inhibitions. Prospective members had to spend an entire semester as pledges and undergo constant hazing, which eliminated about half of the applicants any given year. The hazing was in itself an adventure, of which the 10-K run, being kept naked for a full semester, and submitting to constant spankings were only part of a much larger journey of sexual servitude and erotic experiences. Pledges were specifically prohibited from touching any alcohol or drugs, because the fraternity wanted its prospective members to be fully aware of everything that was happening to them. As a result, the annual drinking scandals that plagued the other fraternities never affected the Tri-Alphas. The Tri-Alphas and their sister sorority were blatantly sexual in what they enjoyed doing. There were sexual games and other nude or erotic events throughout the year, of which the 10-K run was by far the most public. There were non-sexual activities as well, including the annual Spring Break adventure and trips to exotic locations such as mountain climbing in the Chilean Andes. The fraternity and its sister sorority were very health-conscious, which was another important reason drinking was not a part of Tri-Alpha life. Cecilia, as a dorm Resident Advisor, was well aware of the various fraternities on campus. The other fraternities claimed to be "wild", but in reality, for all of the others, "being wild" meant being constantly drunk. Apart from drinking, preparing to get drunk, and recovering from being drunk, the pledges from the other fraternities really did very little. For any male student who wanted active adventure instead of lying around in a sick, drunken stupor, the only real option was joining the Tri-Alphas. Suzanne invited Cecilia to see the pictures she had taken as a freshman the year before. There were numerous large and medium-sized prints preserved in several large folders. Two things immediately struck Cecilia about Suzanne's work. First, the pictures, every last one, were excellent in their quality and the manner in which Suzanne had composed the shot. She seemed adept at capturing people's expressions and the inner workings of their emotions. Second, many of the pictures were blatantly erotic. Suzanne seemed interested in straightforward figure photography, but also had taken many pictures of models in a wide variety of sexual situations. She had done photo shoots of gay and lesbian couples, of older couples, of people in erotic poses by themselves, and artistic figure studies of ballet and jazz dancers. The eroticism in the pictures surprised Cecilia. Suzanne's savagely sensual work hugely contrasted with the artist's quiet demeanor and conservative appearance. Apart from the erotic figure studies, Suzanne had taken many pictures around both the university and throughout Chicago. There were photos from numerous athletic events, including two Tri-Alpha nude 10-K races. There were some landscape shots and a few photos of animals. Cecilia was very impressed. She spent more than an hour going through her friend's work without realizing the passage of time. Suzanne's photographs excited Cecilia almost as much as watching the freshman getting punished on the Tri-Alpha patio. She decided to ask the photographer do a couple of photo shoots of Jason, but also decided that she wanted to have a photo shoot done of herself. Cecilia never had taken any nude pictures of herself nor allowed anyone else to photograph her, but suddenly decided she wanted to add her own body to Suzanne's artistic portfolio. She had no idea why she would want to do such a thing. The idea scared her as much as it excited her. Hesitantly Cecilia brought up the idea of posing, asking if Suzanne was interested in having her pose for a figure study series. Suzanne readily agreed, enthusiastic at the thought of having her dark-skinned exotic-looking acquaintance as a model. Suzanne surprised Cecilia by suggesting they do the photo shoot right away. She had photographed enough people to gauge their emotions prior to a modeling session, could tell that Cecilia would become very nervous if she had any time to think it over. It was possible she might have reservations and be tempted to back out. Suzanne did not what to force or trick Cecilia into posing, but she felt that a successful photography session might help Cecilia see the beauty in her own body and boost her self-esteem. The photographer was aware of her ability to capture the essence of a subject's personality on film, especially when she was doing a figure series. No matter how reluctant a model might be to be photographed nude prior to a photo shoot, the reaction always was extremely positive once the subject saw his or her figure rendered in the developed pictures. Cecilia's heart pounded as they entered the art department's photography studio. There was a plain white backdrop already set up. Suzanne explained what she had in mind. The pictures would be a stark contrast of Cecilia's dark body standing alone against the white background. There would be no other objects in the photos; the session would be focused entirely on her bare and unadorned figure. To Cecilia the idea seemed a bit simplistic, yet at the same time a bit scary. Cecilia's body and soul, standing out on that white backdrop, was to be starkly and unabashedly exposed to the viewer. Before setting up, Suzanne told Cecilia to get undressed. "I want your clothes off for at least 15 minutes before we start shooting, so that you don't have panty-lines marking your waist. This photo shoot is all about you, not about what you were wearing before we started." Cecilia stripped and faced the photographer with her hands at her sides as the studio fan blew cool air against her exposed body. She felt incredibly daring, even though Suzanne had done the same thing with dozens of other people over the past year and a half. The Dominican began to feel sexually aroused at the thought of being so exposed to her new friend, a sensation which mixed with fear to make her feel both very vulnerable and very submissive to the photographer. Cecilia had never felt this way before. She wanted to surrender herself to Suzanne, and in fact, had the art student wanted to seduce her at that moment, Cecilia would have been perfectly willing to comply and let her do whatever she wanted. She began to feel wet between her legs, and worried that Suzanne might pick up on her sensual mood. Suzanne wanted her model to be in a sensual mood for the session, but also wanted her mood to be manageable. Upon sensing how aroused her model really was, she calmly told Cecilia to go to the studio locker room and take a quick shower. "It'll help calm your nerves, and also finish off those pressure marks from your underwear." Cecilia showered, but avoided getting her hair wet. It turned out Suzanne was right, showering calmed her nerves without ruining her over-all mood. Once she dried off, Cecilia returned to the studio, where Suzanne was waiting with her camera and backdrops ready for action. Suzanne planned to take some very sensuous and revealing photos of Cecilia, but would work up to that as the session progressed. She began with a few simple standing poses. Cecilia at first was clearly tensed up, but finally managed to relax and stand naturally. Suzanne then she had Cecilia walk around the room, snapping the camera whenever she walked across front part of the backdrop. Next came sitting and kneeling poses, taken from both the front and from behind. Suzanne told her model to arch her back and spread her legs, capturing the submission in her face and arousal in her dark eyes. As Cecilia became more comfortable and more aroused, Suzanne began pushing for the photos that she really wanted. The model stood confidently, with her legs spread and the most secret parts of herself on full display. She knelt, facing away from the camera and exposed herself even more. The Freshman Ch. 13 Once she had her model in the right mood, Suzanne pressed the play button on an old cassette player to fill the room with the sound of New Age instrumental music that featured fast drumming. Cecilia quickly got into the spirit of Suzanne's selection, imagining herself dancing naked in the tropics below a full moon at midnight. She danced passionately on the backdrop, only vaguely aware of the click-click-click of the camera. Suzanne rapidly took pictures, reloaded film into her camera, and adjusted the lighting. She worked feverishly, but knew better than to interrupt her subject and risk spoiling her concentration. As a result, she missed some good shots, but got plenty of others. After the fast drum-piece ended, Suzanne switched to a much slower piece, hoping Cecilia could make the change from dancing to a fast piece of music to dancing more slowly. Switching music worked with some models, but not with others. With Cecilia it worked just fine. Cecilia moved slowly and passionately in front of her photographer, now completely distracted and not paying attention to her surroundings at all. Within 40 minutes Suzanne had shot several rolls of film on her new model, who now stood in front of her exhausted and sweaty. The spell lifted, leaving the Dominican shaken that she had been able to surrender herself so completely to her friend's camera. As Suzanne unloaded the final roll of film from her camera, she was very satisfied with her new friend's performance. Cecilia continued to stand against the backdrop, catching her breath and sorry to see the modeling session end. Yes, this was something she truly had enjoyed. She could see why Jason enjoyed modeling for the art department, but she was convinced modeling for a photographer and being able to move about with passion had been much more fun than anything Jason had done to date in the art classes. She definitely wanted to get him into the studio for some sessions posing for Suzanne. She wanted her boyfriend to have his body properly documented on film by a gifted professional photographer. ---------- Several days later Suzanne invited Cecilia back to the art department to see the developed pictures. Cecilia was impressed by the images' beauty and unabashed eroticism. Cecilia saw a part of herself she had not really known existed in images that were quite sensual. The pictures were so well done that Cecilia was aroused...looking her own body of all things. Suzanne gave her copies of all the pictures, and then did something standard for the profession, asked her to sign a model's release. Once Suzanne took back the release, the Dominican's body became an important part of her artistic portfolio. The two women spent the next hour getting to know each other better as they ate at a natural food restaurant Suzanne liked. When the restaurant played a song by the banned group "Socrates' Mistresses" the conversation turned to the band and the fact that Cecilia had corresponded enough with Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna to consider her a friend. It turned out Suzanne was a fan of the group as well as was very impressed upon finding out about her friend's connection with the Danubian band. Upon finishing dinner they returned to Cecilia's dorm room so that Suzanne could hear the newest CD in its entirety. Back in Cecilia's room the two women opened up to each other, sharing personal secrets that neither had shared with anyone else at the university. The friendship between them deepened as they discovered even more details about their lives they had in common. They were somewhat surprised to find out they came from similar family situations and that both were estranged from their parents. Cecilia was much less forgiving of her family than Suzanne seemed to be of her father. For some reason the words "fuckin' bitch" sealed Cecilia's heart against not only the brother who spoke them, but also against her mother and her entire neighborhood. She had no intention of allowing anyone from her family back in her life, to the extent that during her freshman year she bought a phone with a caller ID function to screen any calls coming from New Jersey. If a call came from area codes 201 or 973, she simply did not pick up. Eventually calls from the two area codes diminished and ceased, and with that Cecilia made the final break with her life prior to college. She had not had any contact with anyone in New Jersey since the beginning of the year. Cecilia talked at length about her family's apathetic attitude over her academic success and her mother's complete opposition to her studies in Chicago. She went on to describe, in bitter detail, the scorn and contempt heaped on her by her brothers and her female classmates year after year as she struggled to get through high school. She repeated the final words that pushed her to run to catch the departing bus to Chicago. The Spanish accent and bad grammar from her Dominican childhood came out in her speech as the deep anger in her character surfaced: "They called me a 'fuckin' bitch'...my fuckin' brothers did, and even my mom. That's what they called me, Suzanne, a fuckin' 'puta', and I ain't never gonna forgive 'em! I ain't no bitch, but I ain't gonna do what they want!" Suzanne, who was a much quieter person than Cecilia, was a bit taken aback by her friend's sudden display of temper and bitterness. However, the Dominican's unpleasant memories about her family matched Suzanne's own about her father. Suzanne confided the grim recollection of seven years of terror she had endured being physically and mentally abused after her parents got divorced and her mother mysteriously left. The physical abuse from her father lasted from the time Suzanne was eleven until she was fourteen. She did not go into details, but related that the physical abuse abruptly stopped, only to be followed by continuous verbal abuse, insults, and put-downs that continued up through the day Suzanne graduated from high school. Suzanne, like Cecilia, did very well in her studies, but that was in spite of, not because of, her father's role in her life. Finally the two women finished talking about their pasts. It was quite late and Suzanne needed to get to sleep. Cecilia handed her a recorded cassette of the "Socrates' Mistresses" music from the latest CD. Ordinarily Cecilia would not have dreamt of recording her Danubian friend's music to pass out to anyone. However, she trusted Suzanne not to give it out to anyone else, and besides, "Socrates' Mistresses" was not allowed to sell anything in the US anyway. Suzanne departed back to her own room, taking with her the tape. As she lay awake thinking about her past, Cecilia realized something important from her conversation with Suzanne. What she realized was a detail that, over time, would help her come to terms with her own unpleasant memories. It seemed Suzanne's father treated her with complete hatred and malice, while Cecilia's family treated her the way they did largely out of ignorance and the street's disdain for formal education. Whatever their faults, Cecilia could never claim that her family actually hated her while she was growing up. Instead, they rejected her because she was an outsider to the values and social demands of the neighborhood's subculture. The Freshman Ch. 14 Chapter 14 - Jason's second punishment As the semester progressed, Cecilia quietly tightened her control over Jason. In some ways she wanted to change him, especially how he appeared and what he did in public. She wanted him to become conservative in his appearance instead of "trendy", to look dignified and not look like a kid. By the middle of October it always was Cecilia who decided how he should dress, even with casual clothing. There was another expensive trip to her favorite men's store for more clothes, this time for a wardrobe of casual items. The shopping trip was followed by a trek to a clothing donation center, where Jason surrendered the trendy clothing he had bought just a few months earlier in anticipation of partying on campus. As for their dates, Cecilia decided what they did, period. The couple didn't even pretend that Jason had any say in what constituted entertainment, although it was he who always bought the tickets and was responsible for making travel and dinner arrangements. Cecilia liked formal evenings that required dressing up, elegant classical concerts and theater productions, and quiet fancy restaurants. Jason quickly became familiar with Chicago's "high culture" and over time became used to, and finally began to like, his girlfriend's taste in music. He became separated from casual college culture and over time his familiarity with popular music began to fade. As for the partying he had been expecting prior to coming to college, well, for him there was no partying apart from formal university events. There were no rowdy concerts, and certainly no fraternity parties. The only exceptions were a couple of Tri-Alpha events. However, any time Jason went to the Tri Alpha House, Cecilia chaperoned him. Another important goal in the Dominican's life was to ensure her boyfriend's body remained as healthy as possible. Jason's body was Cecilia's prized possession and her most important source of physical pleasure. As a result, it needed to be kept in top condition. She began monitoring her boyfriend's workouts to make sure he was exercising vigorously but not over-exerting himself. At night she checked in on him to make sure he was getting enough sleep. As the weather got colder, she checked to make sure he was dressed appropriately to go to class. She periodically went through his medicines and strictly prohibited him from going anywhere he could get alcohol. Over time she even began monitoring what he ate on campus, pushing him to eat more vegetables and fruit, less meat, and eliminate fried food and desserts altogether. Shortly after the Tri-Alpha 10-K race, she began controlling his food choices in the cafeteria and told him what he could and could not select. Even though she continued to eat with the other RA's, she made sure that Jason dined within her sight in the cafeteria and showed her his tray before sitting down. Whenever he chose something that did not meet her approval, she unceremoniously picked up the offending food item and pitched it in the trash. In other ways she dominated him by encouraging him to do things he wanted to do anyway, the most obvious example being his constant nudity. The RA took advantage of Jason's desire to be naked by encouraging him to always have his clothing off, partly as a constant reminder of his submission to her. By the end of their second month together Jason knew that Cecilia expected him to be naked at all times while in his room, whether she was with him or not. Even when he had his friends over, Jason felt that he was prohibited from getting dressed. He explained to the others that he was fully committed to the naturist lifestyle and that wearing clothing when it was not necessary went against his values. That was becoming increasingly true, but the thought of Cecilia's disapproval, or worse, her belt, was the main reason he decided never to cover himself unless he was going out. Apart from the diet restrictions and encouraging him to keep himself uncovered as much as possible, Cecilia took control of Jason's life in other ways. She insisted that he make any part of his body available to her whenever she wanted. Any time she wanted to uncover or touch any part of him she was free to do so. She became fascinated with his bottom and loved having him lie over her lap. Occasionally she spanked him, but usually she simply made him lie quietly, as her hand explored his buttocks and the back of his scrotum. Other times she explored his testicles or penis from the front, making him lie perfectly still on his back as she gently fondled his private area. She was fascinated with every detail and watching him become erect. Other times she put on a medical glove, and, forcing him to lie over her lap, pushed her finger deep into his bottom to explore his intestines and prostate gland. Penetrating him, the thought she could reach so deeply inside and explore his body from within, totally fascinated her. She photographed him constantly, both in her room and in the studio at the art department. Apart from her own photos, Cecilia also collected photos taken by her friend Suzanne Foster. At his girlfriend's urging, Jason found himself modeling for Suzanne on a regular basis, always nude, and at times posing for some very provocative pictures. Suzanne's photos were very good and many ended up on display in local gallery exhibits. Over time Jason's bare figure became a fixture around the Chicago artistic community. By the end of their second month together, Jason's submission during their sexual encounters was so complete that it was routine. Almost every night he knelt with his face between her legs, sensuously caressing her clitoris and labia with his tongue and lips. She trained him to improve his technique and prolong her orgasms. There were the nightly massages, which became longer and better as he learned from experience to become better at relaxing her muscles. ---------- The final weekend before Halloween there was an incident that allowed Cecilia to punish her boyfriend and tighten her control over him even more. Throughout the semester Jason and Ken secretly had thought about getting tattoos. It seemed that most of the other guys in the dorm were getting them. It was something cool and in fashion, so, why not? For several weeks they hovered outside the display window of the area's best tattoo studio, working up the courage to get their bodies marked up. Finally, on a chilly Saturday morning they nerved themselves to actually go in, made an appointment for later in the day, and began studying designs displayed along the wall to make final selections. As the two freshmen stood inside near the window, Cecilia walked past the studio, returning from an off-campus bookstore. As usual, she was weighted down with an armload of books. She was in a foul mood, because she had wanted Jason to help her and had attempted to call him several times during the morning. She would have to have a talk with him and...what the fuck was this? So there was Jason, with that idiot friend of his Ken, standing inside a tattoo studio. She could tell by their expressions the two freshmen were seriously looking at designs, not just glancing out of curiosity. Cecilia walked into the studio, quietly sneaking up behind the two young men. They did not notice her and continued cheerfully chatting about tattoos some of the other guys on the floor had recently gotten. Jason then turned around, and had the shock of his life as he nearly bumped right into his girlfriend. She did not have a pleasant expression on her face. He knew right away that he was in trouble. "Take my books, Jason," she began in a very cold voice. "They're heavy and I'm sick of carrying 'em." Jason began sweating heavily, but immediately took the books. He was afraid to look at Ken, who seemed very nervous. "OK, whose idea was it to do this stupid shit?" Jason answered: "It kinda...was both our ideas...I mean...like, you know...all the other guys are doing it...and we thought it would be cool..." "Too cool to tell me about it, is that it? Or, maybe 'cause you know what I think about this shit! It's shit, Jason, that's all it is, shit! You wanna see tattoos, you go to New Jersey and look at my brother! He's a fuckin' freak, but oh, he think's he's so cool, with all that ink shit all over his body! That's what you want, to look like a fuckin' gang-banger?" Everyone in the studio was looking at them, wondering how Jason was going to respond. He was horribly embarrassed, but had nothing to say. He quietly carried Cecilia's books out the door, as she and Ken trailed behind. Ken too, was horribly embarrassed by Cecilia's outburst and Jason's non-response, and felt he never could return to this store. That was too bad, he thought to himself, because they did have the best tattoo designs near campus. Cecilia slapped Jason hard across the back of the head once they were on the street, right in front of his friend. He flinched at the force of the blow and struggled not to drop the stack of books in his hands. "There's a lot more of that comin' when we get back to my room! I'm gonna teach you, and I'm gonna teach you good!" Ken's heart jumped in his throat upon hearing Cecilia's comment. Was it possible...? Jason was miserable as they trailed across the campus, partly from regret of having so thoroughly upset his girlfriend, partly from being so humiliated in front of Ken, and partly from the public embarrassment of the ugly encounter in the tattoo studio. He knew that punishment from Cecilia's belt awaited him at the end of the walk and was horrified that Ken was fully aware of what was about to happen. He was mad at himself for having gotten caught up in the stupid tattoo craze, knowing ahead of time that Cecilia would disapprove. He had not told her precisely because he knew she would stop him. Because of his attempt to deceive her, he was facing punishment, and pursuing a tattoo now was the furthest thing from his mind. There was more humiliation coming. As soon as they were back in Cecilia's room, she closed the door. The Dominican ordered her boyfriend to neatly stack the books on her desk. With Ken watching, she gave him a long lecture about the need to respect his body and the need to respect the relationship by asking her permission to do anything major such as getting a tattoo. Finally she concluded with a question: "Now, I wanna know how come you didn't say nothin' before you and Ken went over there to that fuckin' ink studio!" "I...I...don't know...I just forgot..." "That's shit, Jason...shit! You fuckin' knew I wasn't gonna let you do it, that's why you didn't say nothin'. You didn't fuckin' forget! So right now you're lyin' to me, ain't that true?" Jason said nothing, but a tear ran down his cheek. "Well, ain't it?!" "Yeah...it..." A sharp SMACK interrupted Jason's answer. Cecilia slapped him hard across the face, as Ken looked on in total shock. "Jason, how many times do I have to tell you I don't want you sayin' 'yeah' when I ask you somethin'? How many times? And you're still doin' it!" Tears rolled down Jason's cheeks as he struggled to answer, this time truthfully. "I just thought that if...I just did it, you wouldn't mind, you know..." "No, I don't know, Jason, I don't know! I'll tell you this, if you'd gotten a fuckin' tattoo I would've left you, 'cause I don't want no fuckin' gang-banger tattoo shit in my life! Get it? No fuckin' gang-banger shit! I don't wanna see that shit on you! So you're fuckin' lucky I caught you when I did!" The vehemence of Cecilia's remarks frightened both young men. As usual when she was upset, the rough accent and crude grammar from her childhood surfaced in her voice. Jason and Ken had no way of knowing that, like Rap music, the sight of tattoos brought forth many ugly memories from the Dominican's prior life in that awful New Jersey housing project. What was clear, however, was that her temper was rising, much to Jason's dismay. Sweat trickled down his body and the skin on his bottom tingled slightly from the anticipation of knowing a severe punishment was only minutes away. Cecilia turned to Ken. "I want you outta here, unless you want me to whip your ass too. And I don't wanna see no tattoos on you neither! You get a tattoo, and I'll fuck you up! Get it? I'll fuck you up if you get a tattoo!" Ken, wide eyed and scared, nodded. "Now go study. I'm checkin' on you later, and don't you let me catch you doin' nothin' except studyin' in your room!" With that, Ken withdrew from the RA's room. Jason was scared to see him go. At first he had been horribly embarrassed at the thought of his friend seeing him reprimanded by his girlfriend, and had wished that he had not been present. However, now it was obvious he was facing a truly vicious whipping. Jason was thinking that Cecilia might have restrained herself had there been a witness in the room. With Ken gone, there was nothing to keep her from whipping to her heart's content. Jason knew what her next order would be. Sure enough: "I want your clothes off, Jason, everything. Put your stuff on a hanger and hang it up in my closet." Jason quickly, but very reluctantly, stripped. Following orders, he hung his jacket on a hanger, before taking off his shirt and pants and placing them on two other hangers. As usual, he was not wearing underwear. He sadly slipped off his socks, folded them, and stuffed them into his shoes. He stood at attention, feeling totally exposed as Cecilia's dark eyes glared at him. Cecilia's next words left no doubt over what was about to happen. "The belt's hangin' on the side of the closet, next to my sweatsuit. Get it, then I want you on your knees in front of me." Cecilia realized how much she really did have Jason under her control when he meekly complied and got on his knees. She took the belt and menacingly tapped it in her hand as he remained kneeling in front of her. She tapped it in her hand as she enjoyed his terrified expression, but finally ordered her boyfriend to get on his elbows and knees at the foot of her bed. She instructed him to scoot closer and hang his feet over the edge, allowing her unrestricted access to his bottom from both sides. She ordered him to spread his knees and arch his back. When he complied his buttocks were stretched tight with his anus and testicles fully exposed. She reached forward and ominously surrounded a testicle with the tips of her fingernails, letting him know that all she had to do was apply a little pressure... "I ought to give you a couple of good smacks on your balls...that'd teach you." Jason was terrified. His position would allow her to easily strike his testicles with the belt quite severely, if she so desired. He dared not move, desperately hoping she would not carry through with the threat. He was sweating and the skin on his tightly stretched bottom was moist, a perfect target for the heavy leather strap doubled in his girlfriend's hand. She tapped the belt below the base of his bottom, touching his balls and scaring him even more. Although his gaze was directed down at the patch of bedspread under his face, his other senses were carefully tuned to what was going on behind him. He listened to her footsteps as she positioned herself and tried to sense where the belt would actually land. As she contemplated the unmarked bottom in front of her, a feeling of immense happiness swept through the young woman, partly replacing her anger at her boyfriend's stupidity. She was intensely aroused, much more so than the first time she punished the freshman. The sight of his attractive naked bottom, spread and submissively presented for punishment, was the fulfillment of everything she had hoped for in her fantasies. Together with her extreme arousal came a feeling of intense love for her boyfriend. Deep down in her soul Cecilia was grateful that Jason was submitting so completely and allowing her to punish him as she saw fit. He was not questioning her authority nor trying to negotiate a less severe punishment. The only thing that mattered was the fact he had offended her and now was willing to redeem himself by accepting her discipline. For that she loved him and was determined to show him how much she loved him once the belt whipping was over. However, before the redemption and gesture of love had to come the punishment he so richly deserved. Jason had to be taught never to lie to the Dominican or keep any secrets from her. Most of all, he had to understand that under no circumstances was he ever to try to do anything behind her back again. A tattoo...and without her permission...what on earth was he thinking? CRACK! Cecilia struck hard, and struck well, at the base of Jason's left bottom-cheek. A white rectangle quickly turned a deep pink at the base of the upturned bottom. Jason winced as the pain mounted from the first out of many blows he could expect to receive over the next half-hour. He gasped and struggled to stay in position as he felt the belt touch the spot just above the stinging welt from the first swat. CRACK! A perfect swing, into which Cecilia put her entire body, delivered the second vicious swat to mark the young man's helpless backside. Tears formed in his eyes, and, even as the pain from the second swat mounted, a third ferocious CRACK signaled a third welt that slightly overlapped the top of the second one. Jason groaned and gasped as he fought to hold back the tears. He couldn't believe that a simple spanking from a belt could hurt this much. Cecilia switched sides and studied the burning reddish area marking the base of Jason's left bottom cheek. The color from her exertions impressed her. Undoubtedly Jason was in a lot of pain right now. Good. There was a lot more pain coming his way. Cecilia positioned herself to deliver three back-handed swats against her boyfriend's right bottom cheek. She took a deep breath and snapped her arm and shoulder into another savage blow, this time delivered against his vulnerable right side. CRACK! CRACK!...CRACK!... Cecilia struck two more blows, full force, to add color to the right side of Jason's bare bottom. She stepped back to admire the result of her efforts, a solid strip of pure pain covering the lower portion of his bottom. CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... Slowly, spacing the blows 15 seconds apart, Cecilia delivered five swats against the middle part of Jason's tender backside. Striking across the middle part of his bottom there was no danger of smacking his testicles, so she felt no hesitation to hit hard across both sides at once. He groaned and shifted as the pain continued to mount, but tried as hard as he could to stay in position. He knew he deserved this, a proper punishment for having tried to do something behind the back of his lover. He had offended her and the least he could do was submit to her discipline. CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... Cecilia laid several swats to the upper part of Jason's right bottom-cheek and some to his left bottom-cheek before returning to the tender area at the base of his backside. By then Jason was quietly crying, his body shaking from suppressed sobs. She started again below the lowest part of his bottom, delivering several strokes against the upper part of his right thigh and slowly working her way up the right side of his already marked buttock. Her goal was to make his entire bottom a solid deep red, laying row after row of welts until she had the color she wanted. She also wanted to get him to cry. Making Jason suffer to the point he was crying uncontrollably would be important for her plans for their relationship. He needed to truly understand that his body belonged to her and was hers to do with as she pleased. Right now it was her desire to flog him, and it was his duty to unconditionally present his body for that flogging. Had she wanted to flog him until he bled, it would have been his responsibility to stay in position and allow her to do so. The Freshman Ch. 14 Again and again the belt made contact with Jason's bare skin, as the color in his bottom approached the dark shade she desired. His groans became sobs and finally he was starting to cry properly. He was humiliated to be crying like a baby in front of his girlfriend, but the blows continued to land, showing no sign of abating. Cecilia paused... "It's OK for you to cry, Jason. I want you to cry. I know it hurts, and a good cry'll be good for you." As she delivered her final cruel blows, Jason, now that he had her permission to cry, did not hold back. His body shook from sobs and his tears stained the bedspread under his face. Finally she stopped. She was covered with sweat, burning with sexual desire, and breathing heavily from her efforts. Her lover's bottom was deep red, very swollen, and punctuated with dark marks and blisters. She looked at the solid mass of welts with deep satisfaction. He had just endured a punishment that was much more severe than the first belt-whipping, but still he remained submissively on his elbows and knees, waiting for her next command. She let him cry for a bit, but finally took his hand and guided him off the bed. She pushed him to his knees and let him put his arms around her waist. He buried his face into her skirt while she stroked his hair and comforted him. "It's OK, mi cariño, it's OK. You were very brave, and I'm very proud of you." Jason sniffed. "You're not mad at me anymore?" "No, I'm not mad. How could I stay mad at you? I had to punish you, but that's because I love you. I know what you need, and I'm gonna give it to you, just 'cause I love you so much." She left him on his knees, with his arms desperately locked around her, until his crying died down. As his tears moistened her skirt, Cecilia suddenly remembered Jason's next modeling session for the art department on Monday. That was less than 48 hours away. His backside still would be bruised and marked up, but she planned to insist he pose. On this occasion the world would know he had been disciplined, and he would understand that crossing her, in any way, would come at a very heavy price. Once his crying died down, the young woman took her lover's hands and guided him to stand up. Now she planned to reward him, and herself, with a session of sex. However, because Cecilia felt the need to continue dominating her boyfriend, she decided to tie his hands to deny him any active participation in their lovemaking. He would remain at her mercy and she would decide the details of the afternoon session of intimacy. She pulled out a piece of soft rope from a drawer and ordered him to lie on his back on the bed. Quickly she tied his hands together and secured the rope to the headstand. She removed her skirt and the wet thong underneath. She positioned herself over his face, holding the back of the bed to steady herself while he performed his duty to arouse her with his tongue. It was an awkward position, made even more so because his hands were tied, but he struggled to bring her to orgasm. Finally, once the first orgasm was completed, she began massaging his chest and legs, slowly working her way towards his penis. As she gently massaged him into a desperate erotic frenzy, she admonished him... "I love you. I love you so much, even if you are such a naughty boy. So, are you a bad boy?" "Y...Yes, Cecilia...I...I'm bad." "...and what happens to naughty boys?" "Uh...I...naughty boys get punished." "That's right. They get punished on the naked bottom. On the bare, naked bottom, 'cause that's the only way to do it." "Uh...Uh...Yes, on the naked bottom...uh..." "I'm gonna spank that bare ass of yours plenty, Jason. You belong to me, and your cute ass belongs to me, and I'm gonna spank it good. Isn't that what you need? To have your bare ass whipped?" Cecilia's words struck fear into Jason's soul, even as his body was reacting to her kindness and caresses. His emotions were almost overwhelmed from the combination of extreme pleasure, the fierce pain still burning in his bottom, and the knowledge that his future was to submit to plenty of similar punishments. He was swept up in his desire to submit to her, to make a promise to both her and to himself. "I...uh...I...need...my ass whipped." "You're mine, cariño. Mine to love...mine to discipline..." "Uh...I...belong...to you...I'm yours..." With that, the young woman worked her lover's body into desperation. He needed her so badly. She pushed a condom onto his erection and lowered herself over him. As her body weight pressed down on his hips, the pain from the pressure on his bottom seared into Jason's body. And yet, the ongoing physical pain, his helplessness, the fear of the punishments yet to come, and Cecilia's announcement that she loved him, drove him into a wild sexual frenzy. He desperately pushed up into his lover, trying to get as far into her as possible. She leaned down to kiss him, but then sat upright enjoying the feeling of being on top of him, but having his organ pulsating inside her body. Finally they finished and she lifted off of him. She pulled the condom off his penis and gently wiped it clean. Then, without untying his hands, she ordered him to flip onto his stomach so she could caress his back and study his punished bottom. The punished area was hot to the touch, covered with severe welts, and very swollen. It was likely he would have marks and bruises well into the following week. Jason lay quietly as Cecilia gently massaged his back and stroked his hair. As much as he wanted to be untied, he dared not ask her to loosen the ropes. She would untie him when she felt like it, not when he wanted. Until she decided otherwise, he would lie on her bed, helpless and naked, on his stomach with his hands immobilized over his head. Finally he fell asleep and Cecilia untied the rope. She then took off her blouse and lay beside him as she continued to stroke his hair and study the result of her efforts on his bottom. Yes, he was hers and she loved him for it. Each time she punished him, each time he cried in her arms, each time he knelt and acknowledged her as his mistress, her love for him would only increase and intensify. She loved him, precisely because he belonged to her. The Freshman Ch. 15 Chapter 15 - Halloween night at Burnside's house Jason's punishment solved one dilemma in Cecilia's life, what to do about concealing her own impending punishment from Ruth Burnside the final day of October. Halloween that year was on a Tuesday night, only three days after the ill-fated trip to the tattoo studio. She simply could put him on restriction and keep him confined to his room in the evenings as part of his punishment over the tattoo incident. That would prevent him from seeing her body until the welts had healed and keep him from knowing that she had been punished at all. Cecilia never thought about telling Jason that she had to suffer roughly the same discipline that she had inflicted on him over the weekend. She felt that having to admit to being punished was to display weakness, and thus reduce her authority in her boyfriend's life. She did not want him to see her as an equal, but as his infallible mistress. He saw her as nearly perfect, incapable of making mistakes, and in a way invincible. The upcoming punishment at the hands of Ruth Burnside clearly demonstrated that she was not invincible at all, but she felt no need to share her weaknesses with her lover. Cecilia was duty RA that Sunday night, so there was no massage and no lovemaking the day after Jason's punishment. She restricted him to his room and announced that he would remain on restriction throughout the entire week. The restriction also applied to Ken. Although she had not punished him, she made it clear that he was not to leave his room in the evenings, and that to disobey her would lead to very serious consequences. Ken, remembering the photos the RA still possessed of the night he and Jason went streaking, was in no position to challenge her. The following Monday morning Jason had to pose for two art classes. He was back on the morning schedule, which meant that he was the model for the sessions during which both Cecilia and Ken were drawing. The two classes had a surprise when they saw their model with his bottom still badly marked up from Saturday's punishment. Jason felt totally humiliated, having to share his that detail of his life with his professor and 60 art students. The instructor was fascinated by the sight of her model's welts and decided to change his pose to force him to place his bottom on prominent display for the benefit of the students. She lowered a rope from the ceiling and told him to grab onto it and face away from the class with his legs spread and his back arched. Once she had him properly positioned, she resisted the temptation to pat his bruised backside. As for the students, most of them were fascinated at the contrast between the purplish welts on their model's bottom and the unmarked skin of the rest of his body. The students crowded around the model's platform to render Jason's welts to paper, Cecilia and Ken among them. Following the art class was Cecilia's daily trek to Ruth Burnside's office. As usual, she helped the professor take lecture materials over to her class and helped set up. As usual, during the lecture she stood at the back of the room with the TA to make sure the doors stayed shut and the students stayed quiet. As usual, she looked at Jason and his friends, who glanced back at her with uneasy expressions. When they returned to the professor's office, the two women went over Cecilia's progress with her research about the economic dispute between the Danubian Prime Minister and the European Community. Cecilia had learned that, upon entering the Danubian Parliament, Vladim Dukov discovered that deputies of both the previous government and the opposition party had negotiated several secret deals with other governments and multi-national companies. The deals had not been mentioned during the campaign that brought him to power, but came as an unpleasant surprise and were Dukov's first crisis as the Danubian leader. One of those deals was to build a major trucking route that would pass through the eastern provinces and exit through a pass along the mountainous northern border. The EU considered the proposed route as an important north-south trade link between its member nations. An extensive logging project in eastern Upper Danubia would provide the money to build the highway. Upon finding out about the plan Dukov flatly canceled the project. He responded to its foreign backers: "You need this highway, we don't. I'm not spending the Duchy's money and forest reserves on something we don't need." Other European leaders warned Dukov not to cancel the road building project or Upper Danubia's membership in the EU would be jeopardized. Dukov responded by formally withdrawing Upper Danubia's request to join the EU. Upper Danubia's neighbors needed the road more than Upper Danubia needed the EU. When it became apparent that Dukov's withdrawal was serious and not just a bargaining tactic, neighboring governments began offering concessions to bring Dukov back to the negotiating table. He still was not convinced his country needed or would benefit from a large road, but over time was willing to listen to proposals. Cecilia's research predicted that the project eventually would be approved, but under conditions much more favorable to Upper Danubia. Burnside was very pleased with her student's progress. She commented as she handed the papers back to her student: "This is what I wanted from you. Now you have a grasp on an important issue facing Prime Minister Dukov, and you'll be able to talk to him about something more intelligent than how much you like Danubian music." Even as they casually discussed Danubian politics and economic policy, the student's mind wandered to what was happening the following evening. She wanted answers and was trying to figure out how to ask her professor exactly what to expect the following afternoon. Finally she took a deep breath and blurted out: "Dr. Burnside, I...was curious...you know...about tomorrow." "What about tomorrow?" "I...I mean...what's gonna happen...like...what do I gotta do?" "Cecilia, what's 'gonna happen' is that you 'gotta be' at my house at 3:00 p.m. sharp, and be prepared to stay until about 4:00 the next morning. What you 'gotta do' is exactly what I tell you to do. That'll be it." The student swallowed hard and asked another question. "...and you're...still...gonna punish me?" Burnside's fierce eyes bore into her student. "Can you think of any reason I shouldn't? Can you think of anything that's happened between last month and now that changes the fact you chose to dig around in restricted test files and because of that I have a reprimand sitting in my personnel folder?" "No, I 'spose not, Dr. Burnside." In spite of her uncomfortable situation, Cecilia left the office no longer afraid of what was going to happen to her the following night. However painful Burnside's punishment might be, she was confident she could withstand it. Instead, she felt somewhat relieved that an issue clouding her relationship with her mentor was about to be resolved. She would take her punishment, submit to Burnside's commands for an evening, nurse her injuries for a few hours, and then return to her normal life. Undoubtedly Wednesday morning her backside still would be covered with painful welts, but she would deal with the pain, attend her classes, continue to discipline Jason, and move ahead with her research and her studies. She reflected that in some ways Ruth Burnside's role in her life was similar to her own role in Jason's life. In the same way that she wanted to mold Jason's character through discipline, Cecilia Sanchez rightly assumed that Dr. Burnside wanted to mold her into a very different person from the one who stepped off the incoming bus from New Jersey the previous summer. She didn't mind the changes Burnside was attempting to impose on her, because she hated who she had been and the life she had led prior to attending college. If it took the will of another person such as her professor to help her break free from her past...so be it. ---------- The following day Cecilia flatly told Jason that he was not to leave his room, even though it was Halloween night and the university was teeming with parties. When she saw the disappointed look in Jason's face she coldly reminded him: "You're on restriction, and just 'cause it's Halloween doesn't make any difference to me. You should've thought about that before the tattoo studio." "But...what are you gonna do for Halloween if I can't go out with you?" "Me? What do you think? You think I'm gonna be partying? Yeah right. I gotta do some work for Dr. Burnside." "She's gonna make you work Halloween night?" "Yeah...work. So don't feel so sorry for yourself. I won't be havin' any fun either." With that she kissed her boyfriend goodbye and left to catch a bus to Burnside's house. She had told Jason part of the truth about her evening, but in telling him part of the truth she completely deceived him about what she actually was going to be doing. Jason pictured his girlfriend spending a long night pouring over stacks of papers in her professor's office. He never could have imagined that instead she would spend the night serving drinks in a crowded living room, in the nude with a collar around her neck, and displaying a row of welts on her exposed bottom. ---------- A half an hour later Cecilia sadly got off a city bus and followed Burnside's instructions to walk the final several blocks to her house. The professor lived in a nice neighborhood of 1960's ranch-style houses. Cecilia sighed at seeing the quiet, spread-out area as she wondered if she ever could afford a house of her own. After several minutes of walking along tree-lined streets she finally came up on a house whose number corresponded with the address on the slip of paper in her hand. Her heart pounding, she rang the doorbell. Burnside answered the door, dressed in a gray sweatsuit. The professor's outfit came as a total shock to her student, given that she never had seen Burnside wearing anything other than her formal teaching outfits. The living room was a bit of a surprise as well. It was huge, much larger than what was normal in an average sized track home. It seemed sparsely furnished, but there were boxes of party supplies already on the floor and a stack of black sheets sitting near one of the walls. Cecilia stepped inside and sadly looked at the professor, waiting for her first order. "OK, you're here at 3:00 just like I told you. Good." The professor then handed her student a paper grocery bag. "I want all your clothes off. Put your stuff in the bag and take it to the back room." Cecilia went to the back room and slowly stripped. She felt very uneasy about parting with her clothing, even though Burnside already had seen her body the month before when she spanked her after the ethics committee hearing. She sensed that Burnside was bi-sexual, remembering the older woman's fingertips brushing against her most private areas immediately before the spanking began. She wondered if Burnside would touch her again, fervently hoping she wouldn't. She returned to the living room and faced the professor, her hands at her sides and her heart pounding. Burnside's next order was to tell the student to go into the guest bathroom, get cleaned up, and completely shave off her pubic hair. Cecilia's pubic hair already was partly shaven, because she wore thong underwear and had to shave along the sides to keep her panty-line clear. However, what remained had to come off as well. Burnside insisted that anyone serving at her parties had to be completely shaved, to be as exposed as possible. Cecilia ran bath water and shaved off the small amount of black hair remaining on her pelvis. Upon getting out and drying off she looked at herself in the mirror. She felt a faint thrill of erotic excitement, somewhat surprised by how much she liked the way her vagina looked stripped of any hair. With no pubic hair she looked younger and much more vulnerable. Again the student returned to the living room, where the professor was waiting. For the next hour the two women moved furniture into the guest bedroom, leaving only the chairs and a couple of large tables. Cecilia worked hard enough to forget that she was completely nude, even as her bare body contrasted with the gray sweatsuit of her professor. The next task was to hang sheets on small hooks around the large room. Burnside brought a step-ladder, told Cecilia to climb up, and handed her sheets as she reached up to attach them to a row of hooks near the ceiling. As she stood on the ladder with her body exposed and her hands reaching up over her head, Cecilia remembered that she had forced Jason to do the exact same thing the second night she caught him outside his dorm room with no clothes on. Burnside, meanwhile, admired the Dominican's attractive figure and dark skin. The girl's bottom jiggled slightly as she moved about, while the professor's gaze took in every detail with pure pleasure. Such a lovely dark bottom...such a perfect target for punishment... The room's walls now were covered with black sheets, which totally changed its appearance and made it look much more sinister. There was a brief break while Burnside brought her dog into the house and shut him in the garage, and then the final set of commands, to unpack several boxes onto the tables. Cecilia shuddered when she saw what the boxes contained. They were full of fetish implements: whips, leather paddles, wooden paddles, a couple of canes, leather handcuffs and collars, leather restraints, painful-looking metal clips, and a few items that she had no clue what they could be used for. The implements frightened Cecilia, but at the same time fascinated her. They represented a more extreme dimension of the relationship she already had with Jason, a progression of submission, punishment, pain, redemption, and finally a release through sexual pleasure. Cecilia knew that, as much as he feared being punished, Jason's best orgasms always followed a spanking or, better yet, a belt whipping. She looked at the collection of leather implements, wondering if she should try to take her relationship with her boyfriend to a higher level of more severe punishments, more severe pain, more complete submission, and perhaps better orgasms. The final item to be brought into the living room was a heavy piece of furniture that looked something like a gymnastics horse. It had a sturdy base and padded leather cushion. Also, it had two sets of adjustable chains for mounting bondage cuffs. Following Burnside's orders, Cecilia took one end of the heavy item and helped the professor move it from a back bedroom to the middle of the living room. Cecilia's heart pounded, because she knew that momentarily she would be draped over the padded leather cushion, her hands and feet immobilized by the chains. Burnside said nothing, but returned to her bedroom and came out with a truly scary-looking item, a long, thin, black leather switch. "Put your hands out in front of you." When Cecilia complied, Burnside laid the switch in her hands. There was a detail that truly frightened her as she held the punishment device in her hands. The switch was very thin and flexible, but also seemed very heavy. It was obvious that any stroke from the implement, even a light one, would hurt. "Take a good look at it. It's a Danubian police switch, what they use to punish criminals with in Upper Danubia. If I'm not mistaken, I think your singer Kimberly Lee got punished with one of these." "Y...yes...Dr. Burnside...she did...three times..." "Well, now it's your turn. I realize that you've put that spot of irresponsibility from last month behind you and that you are continuing to fulfill your potential as a smart student. But you will understand that every action that you take in life has its consequences. The consequence from looking into my test files will be the punishment I'm about to give you. Do you understand me?" "Y...yes...Dr. Burnside...I...I...understand." "You will also understand that once I'm done with you, I will consider the matter between us settled. I don't hold grudges against people willing to face up to their mistakes. I guarantee that any further fall-out from the incident last month will be my problem, not yours." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." With that Burnside took the switch from her student's hands. She laid it across the punishment bench before going over to one of the tables and picking up four leather cuffs. She wrapped the cuffs around the young woman's wrists and ankles, and then returned for a metal collar to place around Cecilia's neck. The message was very clear, until the collar came off; Cecilia had given up her freedom. For the evening she belonged to Ruth Burnside. The professor tapped the switch against the leather cushion of the punishment horse. Saying nothing, Cecilia stepped up, draped her body over the top, and allowed her arms and legs to hang freely. Burnside knelt down and clipped the four cuffs to the chains. The student now was helpless with her arms and legs chained to the bench and her bottom spread and facing upwards. She tried to tighten the muscles in her buttocks, but realized she couldn't because she was so completely immobilized. For the first time in her life, Cecilia had surrendered control of her own body. Burnside took her time. She stripped off her sweatshirt, leaving herself completely nude from the waist up. Her large breasts jiggled slightly as she slashed the switch through the air. This was a moment for her to truly enjoy, the comfortable feeling of the cool living room air on her upper body, the lovely sight of the attractive helpless bottom in front of her as it waited to be marked from the punishment, and the feeling of inflexible authority the implement gave her as she gripped it and felt the weight in her hand. She walked a full circle around the student, slashing the switch through the air as she contemplated the trembling body immobilized over the punishment horse. Cecilia was terrified, of all things, by the sight of her professor completely naked from the waist up. The professor's bare upper body somehow added to the severity of her appearance as she walked around slashing that terrifying strip of leather. Burnside stopped and gently tapped the switch to the base of Cecilia's bottom. She positioned herself, tapped her target again, and struck hard. She struck expertly, laying an even, parallel line across the lower part of both sides, just above the crease that separated Cecilia's bottom from her upper thighs. The pain from the first blow mounted as the student struggled to catch her breath and fight back the tears. She desperately wanted not to cry, even though the pain from the switch went way beyond anything she could have imagined. Burnside waited, enjoying the sight of the student as she struggled with the agony from the first stroke. That was the first stroke out of what was to be a lengthy punishment. Ultimately she planned to give Cecilia a total of 15 strokes, but they would be laid on with force and spaced well apart to make sure she felt each blow fully and separately. She also wanted to force the student to cry, if at all possible, to break her and demonstrate who truly was in control. From her silence it was obvious that Cecilia was going to try to resist. Burnside tapped the spot immediately above the first welt, left the switch in position long enough to let her victim know where the next stroke would land, drew back, and struck hard. The professor's switch landed exactly where she planned, just slightly above where the first stroke had landed. Cecilia again drew a deep breath and tightened her lips, desperately trying to stay quiet. Very slowly and methodically Burnside struck a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth time. The routine always was the same; she gently tapped the spot she planned to mark, left the switch touching the student's skin long enough to let her know where the stroke would land, and then struck hard. Each new welt was laid immediately above the preceding one, creating an ever-widening band of solid pain across the young woman's bare backside. The Freshman Ch. 15 Burnside was determined to punish Cecilia as severely as possible, but also concerned about not breaking her skin. She calculated where each stroke would land and was very careful not to cross the welts. At the same time she proceeded at a very leisurely pace, fully enjoying the growing set of painful marks on her student's dark skin. Her plan was to finish up at the top of her victim's bottom, then return to the base and lay the final strokes immediately below the first weal. Cecilia gasped and grunted each time Burnside struck her. She clenched her teeth and struggle unsuccessfully to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Her entire being was focused on a single thing, the terrible throbbing and stinging that was tearing into her and increasing each time a stroke landed. But she would not cry. She wasn't Jason and she would not cry... Burnside's eye shined with pleasure, as they always did whenever she punished a student, male or female. This also was the first chance she had to try out the Danubian switch with which Halsey had beaten her and then presented as a gift. The welts it left were impressive and obviously very painful. Burnside knew that Cecilia had a very strong character, and if this switch could break her, it could break anyone. Fifteen minutes had passed when the professor laid the twelfth welt across the upper part of her victim's bottom. She had three strokes to go, one across the tender area where the young woman's bottom met her thighs, and then two final strokes across the tops of her thighs. Cecilia grunted and gasped each time the switch made contact and her face was wet with tears and sweat, but she had managed not to cry. She was breathing heavily and her legs were shaking, but, with every bit of her strength, she was not doing the one thing Burnside wanted, and that was to cry. Burnside showed no mercy as she laid the final three welts across the upper part of the student's thighs. The girl continued to gasp and shake, but it seemed that Burnside never managed to get any closer to actually breaking her. For that she grudgingly admired the Dominican, who had resisted 15 of the most painful strokes she ever had delivered to a student. Burnside stopped after the 15th stroke marked Cecilia's upper thighs with a pair of cruel reddish lines. Her entire backside continued to swell and darken, as the final welts changed color to match the first ones. The student, her hands and feet still immobilized by the cuffs, continued to struggle against her instincts to scream or cry. No, she would not...she would not give Burnside the satisfaction of hearing her cry. The professor stepped back to admire the marks and the student still gracefully draped over the punishment horse, but finally decided she needed to release her. The punishment was over and it was only fair that Cecilia be let up and given time to recover before having to serve drinks. Saying nothing, the professor unhooked Cecilia's cuffs from the punishment horse and helped her to her feet. "Alright, you're done. I'm going to change into my party outfit and I'll give you a few minutes alone to recover. After that, my guests will start showing up and you'll be taking their coats and serving them drinks. I expect top performance out of you. You give that to me, and things between us will be settled." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." With that the professor picked up her sweatshirt and disappeared into her bedroom. Cecilia staggered into the guest bathroom, the welts searing into her with every movement she made. Her world still consisted of almost nothing other than the burning pain in her bottom, to the point she couldn't imagine a time in her life she had not felt such agony. She made it to the bathroom, closed the door, and collapsed on the floor, lying face down. She did indeed need to have a good cry, but she'd be damned if she'd let Burnside know about it. She buried her face in her arms as the tears flowed and her body heaved with quiet sobs. It took about 15 minutes for Cecilia to finish crying and look beyond the switching she had just endured. She got up, wincing as the welts shot new waves of pain through her backside to protest her movement. She washed her face and prepared to face an evening of servitude, and finally, redemption. The doorbell rang. Cecilia answered it and had a huge shock. The first person to arrive was Mark Gertz, Burnside's TA. What was even more shocking than Mark's presence was his appearance. He had cut his hair short, dyed it black, spiked it, and was wearing black lipstick and eyeliner. He also was wearing a black leather collar. Cecilia felt horribly embarrassed having to greet him wearing nothing but bondage cuffs and a collar, but then the TA did something even more shocking. He took off his trench coat...and...was not wearing anything underneath. Another shocking detail was that he had shaved off his pubic hair and his penis was imprisoned by a cock-ring. There were more surprises coming. Burnside came into the living room wearing a fetish outfit. Like her TA, she was wearing black lipstick, makeup, and fingernail polish, but she had powdered her face to make her skin look white and contrast with her lips and eyes. The outfit she wore was a leather two-piece costume that at first reminded Cecilia of a female version of Tarzan. From the front she seemed to be wearing a somewhat average leather swimsuit, but then she turned around. From the back the professor was almost completely naked. A very thin strip of leather, no thicker than a shoestring, ran up between the professor's buttocks. Another string ran around her waist, and a third string secured her bra across her back. If someone was standing any distance whatsoever away from the professor, when her back was turned it appeared at first glance that she wasn't wearing anything. The young man immediately knelt at the older woman's feet, as the sophomore watched in total disbelief. It turned out that Burnside's employee was one of her many casual lovers, and also one of her most trusted submissives, or "subs", as they were called in the world of fetish. He knelt with no reservations whatsoever, kissing Burnside's toes and placing his shaved testicles and bottom on lewd display to the naked young woman standing behind him. Throughout the night Mark crisply knelt every time Burnside spoke to him. Cecilia later learned that she had "collared" him the year before, which was a formal declaration on his part that he would submit to both her orders and her punishments. Cecilia watched the professor look down at her servant with satisfaction, but also with a cruel, knowing smile. The graduate student would have a bit of a surprise in store later that night. What he didn't know was that she planned to call him out of the kitchen and test his resolve to remain her sub. She was planning on having him submit to a live demonstration of her new Danubian police switch, a full-scale criminal punishment of 50 hard strokes in front of 200 guests. In the meantime, Burnside's TA also was committed to serving guests at the party that night. The hostess took both assistants into the kitchen and explained how she wanted drinks for the guests to be fixed and served. His job would be to pour and mix the drinks, while Cecilia's job would be to take the drinks out to the guests and return to the kitchen with empty glasses. He was over 21 and she was not, hence it made sense that he would be the one actually handling and pouring the alcohol. Burnside also wanted to extend the Cecilia's punishment by forcing her to appear with her marked backside in front of her guests. Cecilia had been severely switched, and it was her duty to place herself on display for the benefit of the party. The welts, like the bondage cuffs and the collar, were part of her servant's outfit. Cecilia had no desire to show her punished bottom to a room full of strangers, but she reflected that it was only fair that she do so, given that she had forced Jason to pose with his badly marked up bottom in art class the previous day. In one aspect she was luckier than her boyfriend. She had to appear naked and punished in front of strangers, while Jason had to display his welts to 60 people who knew him. Cecilia moved stiffly as guests began arriving, still wincing from her 15 welts. One of the first couples to enter the house was the head of the university ethics committee with a woman who appeared to be his wife or girlfriend. They both had cross-dressed: he was wearing her clothing and she was wearing one of his business suits. Dr. Halsey arrived shortly afterwards dressed in a leather motorcycle outfit with chaps that left his wrinkled bottom exposed. The older man's eyes scanned the Dominican's bare body, very much to her horror. For some reason she felt that she could not bear the thought of Dr. Halsey seeing her like this. He knew that, and did absolutely nothing to comfort her. "Young lady, you will turn around please, so I can see how well Ruth has mastered the Danubian switch." Cecilia sadly turned around to allow the older man to have a close look at her punished figure. There was no argument from the student. Her agreement had been to complete the disciplinary alternative "to Dr. Burnside's satisfaction" and the last thing she wanted to do was anger her professor's lover. There were other guests arriving, all in unusual or outlandish outfits representing various shades of the world of fetish, with an emphasis on S&M. Cecilia, as she ran about the room with a tray full of drinks and a notebook for drink orders, realized that Ruth Burnside was something of a leader among the area's fetish enthusiasts. It was strange to watch her in an environment that was so totally different from the classroom and in a revealing outfit that was so totally different from what she wore at the university. Yet, just as she always was in charge while in class, she also was very much in charge among this crowd of sexual adventurers. She moved about with complete confidence, mixing with small groups of guests for a few minutes before moving on, making sure she talked to everyone in the room. The party was more of a costume party than anything else, but there still was plenty of S&M play and practice with Burnside's collection of punishment implements by the guests. Cecilia observed that there was one important rule in the room, that either Burnside or Halsey had to be present if any guests wanted to use any punishment implements or the punishment horse. Burnside and Halsey had the authority to stop a punishment and also to determine whether or not any pictures could be taken. There also were two other rules in the room: a person being punished had to undress, or at the very least completely expose their bottom, prior to the beginning of a punishment, and the other rule of the room was absolutely no sex. The nature of the party was sexually oriented punishment, but sex itself...well, that was for later, at home after the party ended. A final rule was no drunkenness. Burnside told Cecilia that if she saw anyone who appeared intoxicated, she was to notify either herself or Dr. Halsey immediately. Cecilia was kept so busy that she really did not have time to think about her own dilemma. She moved about the room as quickly as possible with her tray and notepad for drink orders, then made quick trips to the kitchen to drop off orders and empty glasses, pick up finished drinks, and dash out to find the people who had ordered them. She was hard-pressed not to fall behind and somewhat dismayed by the Mark's efficiency in the kitchen. No matter how quickly she moved drinks out to the living room, it always seemed there was a backlog of filled glasses waiting to be taken out. Finally Cecilia learned that her fellow servant worked at a sports bar, which explained his efficiency with the drinks. Finally, about an hour after midnight, Cecilia heard Halsey asking the guests to clear the area around the punishment horse, while Burnside approached Cecilia, holding the Danubian switch in her hand. A pang of fear swept over the young woman, as she wondered if she was about to be subjected to another switching. "Please get Mark out of the kitchen and have him join Dr. Halsey and myself. Tell him he's relieved of fixing drinks, because I need him for a demonstration I'm giving for the benefit of our guests. Also, tell him to take off his cock-ring. I don't want that on him because it might be a safety issue." With that Burnside handed her student a metal clip and issued a final order. "Once he has his ring off, hook his hands behind his back and escort him out." Cecilia, somewhat relieved that apparently she was not to be the subject of the "demonstration given for the benefit of the guests", went to fetch Mark out of the kitchen. She relayed her command for the TA to take off his cock-ring, at which his expression changed. He sighed nervously as he worked to get the metal ring off his penis. "I'm in trouble. She never has me take off the ring unless she's going to punish me." A series of questions popped into Cecilia's head. She was curious about his relationship with Burnside and what being her collared sub actually meant. However, there was no time for conversation at the moment. Mark quietly turned his back to Cecilia and positioned his hands so she could hook his cuffs together and escort him over to the dominatrix and her boyfriend. The naked Dominican led her naked companion through the crowd to the spot where the punishment horse was located. Immediately Mark knelt on the floor at his mistress's feet while Cecilia nervously stood next to him. Cecilia did not want to kneel because she did not consider herself Burnside's sub. Her situation at the party was a one-time occurrence (so she hoped), and there had been no formal collaring agreement between the student and her professor. Burnside said nothing to Cecilia, other than to ask her to step back and join the spectators. Halsey and Burnside had put on plenty of demonstrations at their parties over the years, so they knew how to make sure everyone had a chance to see what was going on. Halsey took the switch and directed to circle of spectators closest to the cleared area to sit on the floor, two bodies deep. The next circle of spectators was instructed to kneel. As for the people standing in the back, he directed the group to sort themselves by height, with the shorter spectators standing immediately behind the kneeling spectators and the tallest ones to stand behind everyone else. Thus organized, the entire room had a clear view of what was about to happen at the punishment bench. Cecilia, having no desire whatsoever to sit on her punished bottom, backed away to join the row of kneeling spectators. Mark knelt forward, once again placing himself on lewd display to the audience immediately behind him. Burnside announced that anyone in the room who wanted to take pictures was welcome to do so, given that her sub had surrendered his free will when she had collared him. Cecilia noticed the TA trembling slightly, because he was well aware that something very severe was about to happen to him. Just how severe became evident when Jim Halsey held up the Danubian switch and began explaining the Danubian judicial system to the crowd. Upper Danubia was the only country in the world not to have any jails, because instead of being incarcerated, criminals were forced to wear metal collars and submit to periodic switchings throughout their sentences. "Now, I suppose that many of you are wondering what one of these switchings must be like," continued Halsey. "Well, for your benefit we are going to conduct a demonstration for you, a full criminal's punishment of '50 vigorous strokes on the naked buttocks' as they say in the Danubian courts. We are fortunate enough to have a standard Ministry of Justice leather switch with us," Halsey held up the switch, "and we are fortunate enough to have a volunteer who has graciously agreed to contribute his bottom to our humble effort to enlighten you." Halsey tapped Mark's upturned bottom with the switch while the guests applauded. He then picked up a police cap and placed it on Burnside's head. "Most importantly, we have a volunteer who will perform the role of the Danubian police officer, a lovely young lady whose skills and talent with leather and wood are an asset to us all." Burnside bowed to the cheering room, then took the switch from her lover. She slashed it through the air as the leather made an ominous whoosh. She then handed the implement back to Halsey, who continued: "In Upper Danubia the criminal is restrained throughout the duration of the punishment to a switching table. Ruth and I have determined that the punishment horse will make an adequate substitute, because our culprit will be properly restrained and bent over for the switch." Burnside tapped the kneeling young man and directed him to drape himself over the leather punishment bench. She quickly immobilized him, hooking his cuffs to the chains and forcing his legs apart. Halsey shined a flashlight at Mark's exposed anus and scrotum. "The criminal's genitalia is on full display during a punishment. A Danubian criminal has no right, and no expectation of any privacy." Cecilia caught a glimpse of Mark's face. She could tell by his expression that he was absolutely terrified, given the severity of what was about to happen to him. However, the fear he felt gave him a tremendous psychological rush. It was when he was afraid...afraid of something real, something truly terrifying that he could not control, that he felt truly alive. His emotional stress was at its peak, extreme humiliation, extreme anticipation, extreme fear, and, momentarily a release through extreme pain. That was what it meant to be Burnside's sub. Burnside took the switch back from Halsey and held it beneath Mark's face, so he could see it clearly. She bent down and spoke to him. "I want you to take a couple of minutes to think about what's going to happen, and how much it's going to hurt. You're going to be feeling some real pain in a couple of minutes, and we're going to be at it for quite a while. And it's going to be in front of nearly 200 people, all of them watching and taking pictures. Now, aren't you scared?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "And totally humiliated?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." The room was completely quiet as Burnside lovingly caressed her sub's bottom, first with her hand, and then with the leather switch. She knew that the dread, the moment of anticipation, was a key part of the punishment experience for her sub, so she sought to drag it out as long as possible. He was shaking slightly and had an erection. Finally the professor stepped back, measured her distance, and delivered a fearsome blow to the base of her TA's stretched bottom. He gasped, but stayed quiet. Burnside nodded to Halsey, who stepped in front of the audience to address them again. "You will notice the savagery and pure viciousness of the first stroke. And yet, our pitiful subject did not cry out. Why is that? Because it is a point of honor for the Danubian criminal to stay as quiet as long as he can, just as it is a point of honor for the Danubian police officer to break the criminal as quickly as she can. It is a cruel game between the offender and the enforcer, but one that, in the end, can have only one outcome. Let us resume our exercise in cruelty and see what happens." With that Burnside resumed her punishment. She struck again and again, marking her victim with welts that were perfectly parallel and almost touching each other. Cecilia, having felt the same switch only a few hours before, flinched every time the cruel leather made contact with Mark's unprotected skin. At first Mark's punishment seemed to be a duplicate of Cecilia's whipping...like her he perspired and gasped and with all of his willpower struggled not to cry. He would have done just fine...had his punishment ended at the 15th stroke, as had been the case for Cecilia. However, he was due 50 strokes, not 15. The Freshman Ch. 15 When she passed the 15th stroke, Burnside started again on her victim's upper thighs and slowly worked her way up his already marked bottom. It was at the 22nd stroke, when she crossed a welt from a previous stroke, that Burnside a sharp agonized groan out of Mark. She struck again and he cried out. When her victim cried out, Burnside's eyes lit up with joy and fierce sexual desire. She tightened her lips and continued striking the already marked up area on Mark's backside. By the 35th stroke he was screaming at each blow and sobbing in between. Ugly ridges and blood blisters were forming where the welts crossed each other. Burnside stopped, and again nodded to her partner. "You can see our unfortunate victim now is broken. Very rare is the criminal who can withstand a full 50 strokes without crying. And yet, the level of cruelty can only get worse, because we still have 15 strokes of the sentence to carry out, and my friends, they will indeed be carried out. Shall the bottom be punished more, or must we move to another part of the body, the shoulders, perhaps? The police officer must not break the skin, but at the same time the police officer must not lighten the final strokes. So, how to resolve this dilemma? Let us watch the final strokes and see how our police officer settles the issue." Cecilia winced as even more cruel strokes landed on the victim's injured backside. There were ugly blood blisters that looked about to break, but Burnside, just like a Danubian cop, was careful not to draw blood. She delivered the final seven strokes on Mark's shoulders, as he screamed with each stroke. When Burnside finished and lay down the switch, Mark's body was heaving with sobs and his legs were shaking. The audience was stunned by the severity of the beating, but at the same time fascinated and impressed. A real punishment and real pain, and they had been witnesses to something real, a genuine punishment inflicted by Ruth Burnside. Halsey continued: "Our victim is in so much pain that he is barely aware of what is going on around him. And yet there are duties he still must perform before he is released. He must thank the officer for punishing him, and he must present himself before the judge. My friends, you will be the judge, and you will receive the honor of the presentation of our culprit's punishment." Burnside unhooked the cuffs from their chains and released Mark. With all of his effort he struggled to get off the punishment horse and kneel in front of Burnside. He was crying, but managed to get out: "Thank you, my officer, f...for correcting...my evil behavior." With that Burnside and Halsey each grabbed an arm and forced Mark to stand up, as the cameras flashed wildly. First his agonized, teary face was on display, and finally, his horribly marked backside. Once the crowd's desire to document the graduate student's punishment was satisfied, the two professors walked Mark over to a sturdy table and forced him to lie on it face down. Halsey spoke one last time to the spectators: "You can see for yourselves that our culprit has been properly and severely punished. Following the Danubian custom, he now will lie face down until he has recovered from his injuries and trauma. You are free to examine him at your leisure, to verify for yourselves what it means to be a criminal in Upper Danubia. Please, a hand for our lovely police officer..." There was a loud applause for Burnside, as she took off her police hat and bowed. Cecilia swallowed, extremely grateful that it had not occurred to Burnside to punish her with a full 50 strokes. The professor sought out her student as the guests began standing up. "OK, Cecilia, we're about to wrap up. I'm going to let the word out that everyone can have one last round of drinks, but only Coke, water, or juice. No more alcoholic stuff. Don't want any crashes on the way home for anyone, so we're done with the booze. Besides, I think our bartender is finished for the evening." "Dr. Burnside, may I ask something?" "What is it?" "Why'd you do that to him? What'd he do to deserve that?" "He didn't do anything. But we have an agreement. If I want to punish him, I punish him. I don't need a reason." "But why..." "The rush, Cecilia. He does it for the rush. Just like people ride roller coasters. You could say...I'm his roller coaster in life. Now, you get that drink tray in your hands so we can finish up." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." There was a final frantic half hour as Cecilia tried to keep up with serving drinks to nearly 200 guests, but then, much to her relief, Burnside told her to start carrying coats out to the guests as they were leaving. The party was over; the only thing left was to help clean up. Burnside changed out of her fetish costume and back into sweats. She ordered Cecilia to take off the bondage cuffs from her wrists and ankles and she unlocked the metal collar from the younger woman's neck. There still was a horrible mess to clean up and only three people: Burnside, Halsey, and the sophomore to do it. Burnside said nothing to Cecilia about getting dressed, and the student was afraid to ask, so she remained naked during the clean-up. Burnside covered Mark with a sheet, but otherwise left him alone. It would take him several hours to recover from his horrendous whipping and she was more interested that he return to class the following day than he help with the clean-up that evening, or, morning as it now was. The Dominican was surprised at how quickly the clean-up actually went. Burnside, used to tackling the horrendous mess after a large party, organized her boyfriend, her student, and herself into an assembly line to clean dishes. Once the dishes in the kitchen were clean and put away, there was a general clean-up of the living room, a gathering of all trash and extra dishes, and another round of dish cleaning in the kitchen. Next came the black sheets hanging on the walls. Cecilia had put them up, now she had to take them down. Burnside returned to clean up the kitchen while Cecilia and Halsey, still dressed in his biker outfit and his bare bottom on display, moved the furniture back into the living room. Burnside returned to the living room and addressed her student. "Cecilia, I have a question for you. Do you have any way of getting back to campus?" Cecilia thought for a second, and realized she didn't. It was about 4:30 and certainly no buses were running at that hour. She shook her head. "Alright, then I'll just have you stay here, in the guest room. Dr. Halsey can drive us all in tomorrow." "Uh...thank you, Dr. Burnside." Cecilia was not thrilled about not being able to return to her own room that morning, but, as soon as she saw the bed in the guest bedroom, fatigue swept over her and she collapsed under the bedspread. Three hours later Burnside woke her up for the ride to the university in Halsey's car. Upon being dropped off at the dorm, she went to her room to take a shower and put on fresh clothing. Her bottom was still quite swollen from her punishment and she decided to wear a light skirt with nothing underneath. Throughout the morning she couldn't take her mind off the sensations of her bruised backside, combined with the feeling of the cool fall air blowing against her cleanly shaved crotch. She remembered the saying "we are naked under our clothes". That day the expression certainly applied to her, and she thoroughly enjoyed the new sensation. At 11:00 in the morning she took up her sketch pad and drew yet another picture of her naked boyfriend in the art class. She studied his bottom, which still was marked with faint remains of the bruises from the Saturday punishment. Her thoughts wandered to Burnside's collection of punishment implements, pondering what she might want to use on Jason the next time she disciplined him. Cecilia quickly had to change the course of her thoughts once she made the trek to Burnside's office. She was exhausted, having had only three hours of sleep that morning, and her bottom still was very sore and tender from the punishment she had received less than 24 hours before. She ran into Mark, who had washed the black dye out of his hair and looked more like his normal self. However, there was one detail that reminded the Cecilia of Mark's ordeal just a few hours before, he moved about very stiffly and cautiously, his welts throbbing against his clothes. Cecilia desperately wanted to talk to him about his relationship with Burnside. She wondered if he had any other women in his life, or if he was fixated on a mistress whose heart belonged to someone else. She wondered what motivated him to casually accept submitting to such a savage beating, only to show up to work just a few hours later as though none of it had happened. Most of all, the Dominican, always mindful of details she could learn to better control her own boyfriend, was curious to know how he might have changed psychologically as a result of his subservience to the professor. Burnside came into the office, looking none the worse for her exertions and lack of sleep the night before. She made no mention whatsoever of the previous night's party. Her mind was focused on one thing, the lecture for that day. There was only one comment she made that indicated that anything at all unusual had happened to any of them: "Cecilia, I need you to do Mark a favor. Please take his box for him. I'm a bit concerned about his welts and I don't want him exerting himself until Friday." That comment was the only time Burnside ever mentioned anything about Mark's ordeal. That night, Cecilia's life returned to normal. Jason, as usual, stood at attention in the nude while she stood next to his desk grilling him about what he had studied for the day. Cecilia winced at her welts, the pain from which still was very much present on her mind, but she also was extremely aroused. She wanted to have Jason relieve the burning desire building up between her legs, first through a nice round of oral sex, and then with a session of regular sex. Her problem was how to do that without him seeing her welts and knowing she had been punished. Finally she realized there was a very simple solution, to blindfold him so he couldn't see her, and tie his hands so he couldn't run them over her bottom. She led him back to her room and ordered him to strip and hang up his clothes. She then ordered him to kneel and was pleased to see him quickly comply with no questions. She took out a scarf from her dresser, folded it, and placed it over his eyes, securing it in the back. She checked to make sure he could not peek out through the bottom, and then stripped off her own clothes. She lay on her back, as he sensuously massaged her burning clitoris with his tongue and gently squeezed her labia between his lips. She ordered him to "take his time and make it last", so he was in no hurry to make her climax. Finally she did climax, the ongoing throbbing of her sore backside mixing with the extreme pleasure radiating from between her legs to give her a completely new dimension to her physical sensations. Once he finished on satisfying her with his lips and tongue, she tied his hands together and secured them to her headboard. She spent a very long time teasing his body until she had him worked up into a desperate orgasm. Finally she put a condom on him and mounted him, riding him hard as visions of the bittersweet sensations from the party the night before flowed through her mind. The Freshman Ch. 16 Chapter 16 - A change of plans Cecilia's the Halloween party Burnside treated Cecilia in a completely normal manner, as though the entire test incident had never happened. It was as though she had purged the entire affair from her mind, as though she had forgotten it entirely. Cecilia knew that Burnside never forgot anything, but she realized that the professor was capable of disconnecting an offense such as the test incident from a relationship once the offender had submitted to punishment. Burnside's thoughts were not on the recent past, but on the near future. The Danubian Prime Minister's impending visit occupied her mind, given that it was to take place shortly after Thanksgiving break. Just two days after Halloween, the professor went over Cecilia's research and took notes. There was a general discussion between the two women about current conditions in Upper Danubia and Vladim Dukov's plans for re-developing the eastern part of the country. Burnside then moved on to the visit itself. "The Prime Minister's visit is a private trip. It's not a state visit at all, he's just here to set up an exchange program with the National University in Danube City and pick up some advice about economic development. That's why he's specifically coming here and not doing anything official in DC. And there's something about him that I find very interesting. From what I gather, he's not big on making a spectacle of himself. He's just coming here on a commercial flight with his daughter, a couple of secretaries, two bodyguards, and a couple of his ministers." "That's it?" "That's it. It'll be real simple. He'll meet up with the Governor, the president of the university, and the Danubian ambassador at the airport, then they'll head over to the University Memorial Center and we'll be there to receive them." Burnside then made a confession that surprised her student. "Cecilia, I've got a bit of a problem. There's some stuff going on that's going to pull me away from having any time for getting ready, including some fires that need to be put out with the university administration and the State Legislature. I have to go to Springfield two weeks from now to make sure we don't lose funding next year and I have to get ready to give testimony. I'm going to rely on you to inform me about what's happening in Upper Danubia. Your research will be crucial to me, because, quite frankly, I'm too busy with my responsibilities to the department to properly prepare for Prime Minister Dukov's visit. I need you to give me summaries about what's going on in Danube City, and I mean not just with the EU road dispute. I need a complete picture of Dukov's government; who the players are and their backgrounds, what they're doing in Parliament, how Washington and Brussels are dealing with them, and any other issues you think they might be worried about right now." "Uh...OK, but why do you need all that information, Dr. Burnside?" "So I don't look like an idiot...so I don't look like I've been spending all my time at the State Legislature begging a bunch of ignorant hicks and corporate cronies for more university money...and so I can be properly prepared with minimal effort..." "But...when am I gonna have time to do my paper for your other class?" "As of today you don't have any papers. Your primary responsibility is getting me information for Prime Minister Dukov's visit. Your papers are canceled, because I need you for something way more important. If you've already checked out library books, take them back. You won't be doing the class projects." "But..." "No 'buts'. You've got your Danubian contacts...your singer friend and whatnot?" "Yeah, I 'spose..." "Well, there you go. Put your contacts to use." Burnside paused to hand Cecilia several sheets of paper with a long list of questions. "This is the stuff I need to know. Research topics, so to speak. I need you to tell me as much as you can about what's in these questions. It was stuff I was going to research myself, but now I can't because of the State Legislature crap." Burnside paused, and then continued with a comment that shocked Cecilia with its raw honesty. "Now, do you think I'm using you? You bet I am. I need you to surrender your time and your resources to help me, and I'm not shy about admitting it. Right now I could care less about your other assignments. You can spend some other semester digging quotes out of library books. This'll be more important." Cecilia was dumbfounded. She still could feel the welts from the punishment only two days before. As though none of that had happened, here was Burnside, entrusting her with a very important responsibility of international significance. Just like that, and with no thought that Cecilia possibly would not or could not take on the assignment, with no thought about the fact that officially she still was on academic probation. Cecilia rushed back to her dorm room and wrote a frantic e-mail to Kimberly Lee, explaining about Dukov's visit and her own role in helping Burnside prepare to receive him. Under ordinary circumstances she never could have expected a celebrity to help her. However, the issue for Kimberly Lee was a personal one, because Dukov had been Kim's defense attorney, or Spokesman, as they said in Upper Danubia. There was hope she would be willing to help out. Sure enough, several hours later Kim responded, asking Cecilia for the list of questions. "Send me what you need, and I'll get my friends working on it. My husband knows a lot about our political situation, and he can help you out quite a bit." Kim then went on to suggest that Cecilia get together with her sister Cynthia to discuss her Master's thesis and the recent Danubian election. The tone of the e-mail was very clear. Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna saw Cecilia not as a music fan, but as a fellow university student and a person assigned to help her mentor during his visit to the US. It became apparent to Cecilia that Kim was somewhat relieved to have someone she knew in the U.S. available to facilitate Vladim Dukov's visit, someone she could trust. Over the next several evenings, life moved very quickly for Cecilia. In rapid succession e-mails from Kim and Cynthia with answers to her questions filled her in-box. She began organizing the responses into summaries and supplementing it with her own research from websites and her own suspended term-paper project. There were e-mails to Jim Halsey routed through Cecilia asking about the university's plans and what assistance Halsey's fellow economists could offer the Danubian Prime Minister. Cecilia even found herself helping arrange the actual details of the trip. As for a photographer, well, Cecilia knew a very good one who would work for a minimal fee. She called her friend Suzanne Foster, who was flattered at the thought of being the lead photographer of an official foreign delegation. When she was not writing, receiving, or organizing e-mails, Cecilia worked on preparing a presentation for Ruth Burnside and her co-workers about Vladim Dukov's government. With that she had help from Cynthia Lee, first by e-mail, and later in person. The two women finally got together the second weekend after Halloween, along with Jason's friend Mike. Cecilia, realizing he was the most level-headed person in Jason's group of friends, decided to ask him to help her. As soon as Mike began looking over Cecilia's research, she became impressed with his ability to organize information into talking points and provide real assistance with preparing a PowerPoint presentation. There were a few other details to be worked out. The Danubian embassy in Washington sent two Danubian flags to Dr. Halsey along with a music score for the Danubian national anthem. The university band had to learn and practice the music, but unfortunately there was no one available to sing it. Finding someone who could sing the anthem took up far more time than anyone had anticipated, but finally a student from the music department located a woman living in California who could travel to Chicago and perform for the delegation's visit. ---------- Cecilia and Mike became impressed with Cynthia Lee as they got to know her better. She was very informed about events throughout the world, especially about what was going on in Upper Danubia and other Central European countries. Cecilia realized another very important detail, that her new friend's visit to Upper Danubia the previous year was an example of how a single person can change history. Cynthia Lee never would have admitted it, but she was the person who set in motion a chain of events that handed Vladim Dukov's party the Danubian election. Cynthia originally had traveled to Danube City to conduct research about the political campaign consultants hired by the opposition GDPP (the Greater Danubian Progressive Party) and their use of modern U.S. election strategies. The topic interested her because she had wanted to do her Master's Thesis on the operations of U.S. political consulting companies in developing countries. Once in Danube City, Cynthia took a personal interest in the campaign and began advising Dukov and his assistants about the role and importance of political consulting in the U.S. and what foreign consulting could mean for the Danubian election. She provided Dukov's advisors with the knowledge they needed to counter much of the negative campaign advertising being aired on television by the GDPP. She then teamed up with a group of young Danubian nationalists supporting Dukov and trained them how to monitor and respond to negative campaign ads. Cynthia Lee's efforts turned out to be successful beyond her wildest dreams. Starting with a very wide lead in opinion polls, the GDPP watched their public support slowly erode as Danubian voters began to form a favorable opinion of the former defense attorney. As the campaign continued, it appeared likely that Dukov still would lose the election, but not by a very wide margin. That wasn't good enough for the GDPP, whose advisors wanted a clear victory. To avert the risk of having to form a coalition government, the "Progressives" launched a final personal attack. The attack was not directed against Vladim Dukov, but against his son Vladik, who had just resigned from the Danubian National Police over a sex scandal. It turned out the personal attack against Dukov's son was a huge mistake that miscalculated Danubian cultural values. The GDPP's campaign completely fell apart when the Danubian Church got involved and condemned the consultants' campaign tactics. Dukov's party won 58 percent of the popular vote as a result. Dukov's victory was a huge shock to the U.S. Administration, other European governments, and some major corporations that had bankrolled his opponents. It also was a huge humiliation to the political consultants who had traveled to the country with the blessing of the foreign interests. They had charged their clients millions of dollars, but were countered by a single political science graduate student who essentially was advising Dukov's supporters for free. What was worse for Dukov's opposition was the fact they had counted on paying for the consulting upon being able to access the Danubian National Treasury. With Dukov's party controlling 60 percent of the seats in Parliament, it was obvious the GDPP would have no access to the National Treasury and no way to pay off their debts. When finally Cynthia left Upper Danubia to return to her studies, Vladim Dukov was solidly in power, with an opposition that was discredited, ruined financially, and viciously divided. The story itself was becoming a case study in failed political consulting that would be analyzed for years by political scientists. And to think, the only direct benefits Cynthia Lee ever got out of the entire affair were some connections and a research topic for her dissertation, a lifetime Danubian visa stamp in her passport, and the heartfelt gratitude of her sister's friends. ---------- Vladim Dukov entered power with a very clear agenda. He needed to prepare his country to modernize, but at the same time preserve its cultural identity. He also wanted to ensure a fair and equitable society for the Duchy's citizens, one that was safe from crime, drug abuse, and AIDS. The people needed to be educated and drawn out of their traditional isolation, but in a way that did not threaten Danubian cultural values. In an era of globalization and aggressive corporate interests Dukov's goals seemed unrealistic, but he was determined to at least make the effort to modernize the Duchy on Danubian terms. Dukov was an ardent nationalist. Free trade, free markets, and globalization were not priorities for his government. If Upper Danubia could benefit from a trade deal, great. If the Duchy had to withdraw from trade agreements or international organizations to preserve some aspect of its society, identity, or independence, so be it. Dukov made it very clear from the first day of his government that he had no commitments to foreign interests or to the global economy. When he stated: "My commitment is to Danubia", he actually meant it. The new government started out by canceling any economic agreement that Dukov and his advisors felt was not in their country's interests. The Prime Minister gave a series of angry speeches in Parliament over the winter and worked to mobilize nationalistic pride among the public. However, Dukov's sense of nationalism was not blind. He knew that ultimately Upper Danubia would have to accommodate itself with the rest of the world, but he was determined to use his followers' nationalism to drive as hard a bargain as possible. The rest of the world would learn that Vladim Dukov's years as a defense attorney had made him a very stubborn and determined negotiator, but ultimately one who was willing to pursue and respect an honest agreement. There was one major crisis hanging over Vladim Dukov as he began his time in power, and that was repairing the damage from a huge fire that had swept across the eastern provinces of his country nearly two years before. The area was only partially rebuilt and thousands of Danubians continued to live in refugee camps. Until the situation of the refugees was resolved, there was no way Dukov could move forward with any other priorities. The eastern region of his country needed a coherent development plan, which was why he was traveling to Chicago to seek advice from leading economists such as Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey. Cecilia learned a detail about the Prime Minister's trip that offered a window into his personality and values. He and his entourage were arriving to Chicago in first class seats, but on a regular flight. The Danubian Parliament had provided the money for the trip, with the exception of the tickets for the Prime Minister and his daughter. Those two tickets he was paying out of his own pocket. ---------- Vladim Dukov was not the only person Cecilia had to prepare to meet in November. Another looming concern was meeting Jason's parents. Upon realizing that she had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving, Jason did something that was logical under the circumstances, he invited his girlfriend to spend Thanksgiving with his family. Cecilia really had no choice other than to accept. She had to meet his parents at some point and it seemed that she might as well get that taken care of as soon as possible. Cecilia knew that receiving the approval of the elder Schmidts was both the most important and possibly the most difficult obstacle she had to overcome to achieve her ultimate plans with Jason. As had been the case with his friends, Cecilia's goal was not to do anything that would separate Jason from his parents, but instead obtain their support for continuing the relationship. If Cecilia could get Jason's parents to like and approve of her, then it was likely there would be no further obstacles to impede her ultimate goal of taking complete control over his life. Cecilia carefully assessed the personal details that favored her and the ones that went against her. Her wardrobe no longer was an issue, given that she recently had spent nearly $ 1,000 on new clothing. She also realized that if she paid attention to how she spoke, she could keep her grammar under control. There wasn't much she could do about her accent, unfortunately. As for her personal life, well, as far as she was concerned she had two lives, the one before Chicago and the one she had lived over the past year. What was relevant was who she was now, not who she had been in New Jersey. There were plenty of details about her current life working in her favor, including her assignment as an RA and her role in helping to arrange Vladim Dukov's visit. Another factor Cecilia thought she had working in her favor was her talent getting people to talk about themselves instead of allowing them to find out anything about her. She would discover that her ability to turn a conversation's topic away from herself might work just fine with people her own age, but was not so effective with an older person experienced in matching wits against clients and business partners. ---------- Jason was very content by the middle of November, well aware of the benefits Cecilia had brought into his life. He had done extremely well on all of his midterms, getting an "A" in everything other than his exam with Ruth Burnside. He got an 89 percent on the Burnside mid-term, not bad considering it was the third highest grade in the class. He turned in his term papers with confidence, knowing that they were properly done and well researched. The term paper projects also had passed the inspection of Cecilia, whose judgment was every bit as harsh as any professor's could have been. Jason's papers were delivered ahead of time, giving him the opportunity to help Lisa and Ken with their papers. A couple of other classmates on the dorm floor asked him for assistance, which he provided. He became popular as he cheerfully provided help, and in doing so managed to get his fellow residents to think of him as something more than "the naked runner". As she watched him, Cecilia was very pleased with Jason's progress. He had come to the university expecting to relax and party, but instead he was pushing himself academically and already very close to passing one of the most difficult freshman-level classes on campus. Perhaps Jason's intelligence was only average, but she had forced her boyfriend to develop that part of himself more than anyone could have expected. That was one thing definitely operating in her favor as far as his parents were concerned; they never could argue that she was a bad influence on his studies. Cecilia continued to tighten her grip on her boyfriend's sexuality during the weeks following Halloween. She became more demanding of his performance and more insistent he learn how to better please her physical needs. As soon as her welts healed the couple went back to a full massage schedule, with him constantly experimenting with new techniques to relax her body. The nightly sessions of oral sex resumed, as did the somewhat less frequent sessions during which she allowed him to put on a condom and enter her. Following the midterms Cecilia rewarded Jason for his academic performance by allowing him to make love to her the way he wanted. On three separate occasions she fell into his arms and signaled with her expression that she was surrendering her body to his wishes. Jason's first reward was granted when he received the 89 percent on the Burnside midterm. When he got "A's" on two other midterms, she rewarded him yet again. Rewarding him when he performed to her expectations was every bit as important as punishing him when he failed to meet them. She had no desire to control her boyfriend only through fear and punishment. She loved him, and wanted to make sure he clearly understood that by pleasing her there was a real reward waiting for him, the pleasure of taking control of her body for a short time. The truth was that Cecilia enjoyed pleasing Jason and, as long as he behaved properly, was eager to show that she cared for him. The relationship was about much more than just discipline. The Freshman Ch. 16 Cecilia enjoyed the times she surrendered herself to Jason, much more than she cared to admit. Sometimes...to just enjoy the feel of her lover's hands on her body, to relax and not have to be telling him what to do, to just feel the sensations of the moment...sometimes that was what she truly needed. There were times she was frightened by how much she enjoyed letting him take charge of a love-making session, not a good thing for a woman who wanted to be the dominant partner in a relationship. ---------- The second Saturday afternoon following the Halloween party, Cecilia took a good look at herself in her bedroom mirror. She was naked, a habit that was becoming more normal for her. She was following the mental journey her boyfriend had followed years before when he was just starting high school. Several weeks earlier she had begun sleeping without any clothing. By the beginning of November she had learned what a pleasure it could be to simply hang out naked in her room with the warm air caressing her bare skin. She began studying in the nude and only got dressed if she had to leave the room. Starting during the days after Halloween Cecilia also began experimenting with not wearing underwear when she went out. At first she felt incredibly daring as she walked across campus in a long skirt with nothing underneath, feeling the cold autumn air blowing freely against her naked crotch. However, over time being without underwear simply began to feel more comfortable. During the final part of the semester the young woman's thongs and bras normally sat unused in her drawer as she savored a new freedom in life. The young Dominican reflected that both her African and her Caribbean ancestors understood the comfort of wearing as little as possible in their tropical environments. It was her Spanish ancestors, with their religious ideas and their Inquisition, who felt obligated to indoctrinate everyone else with the idea that the human body was evil. That original Spanish belief still held throughout all of Latin America, so deeply embedded in the culture that even non-religious people felt very uncomfortable with their bodies. As she stood looking at herself, stretching her arms and enjoying the sight of her attractive figure, Cecilia Sanchez realized that she had managed to shed yet another part of the emotional baggage she had carried with her since her childhood. She also realized that it was her boyfriend's comfort with being naked that had made her appreciate the beauty of her own body. In that aspect of her life, it was Jason's values that had changed her own. The RA reluctantly put on a dress and walked down the hall to patrol her floor. She sat with a resident who was suicidal over having failed several midterms and comforted her until the immediate crisis passed. Finally she prepared to put the girl in contact with the university mental health clinic and worked to convince her to seek counseling. The crisis took up an unexpected amount of time and forced her to call Jason and cancel the plans they had for going out that night. When she finally was free, she called her disappointed boyfriend and escorted him back to her room. She actually was happy the plans for going out had to be canceled, given that it was a very cold, wet, dreary night outside. It was so much better to enjoy the warm, dry indoors than to brave the Chicago elements. Once they were safely in her room, Jason quietly looked at Cecilia to see what she wanted him to do. She nodded towards the closet, indicating she wanted him to undress and hang up his clothes. He kicked off his shoes and stripped off the only two items he was wearing, a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a casual shirt. He obediently hung the items on hangers and neatly set his shoes in the closet. He would retrieve the items when she gave him permission, until then he was to remain naked. She hugged him and gave him a passionate kiss. She then ran her fingers over his chest and gently brushed his penis with her fingertips. He reacted immediately, but knew that it would be a long time before he could expect any relief from his burning desires. She had taught him to wait. She gave him a seductive look with her dark eyes, and then pressed down on his shoulders. He understood what she wanted; pressing on his shoulders was her signal to him that she wanted him to kneel. Once properly on his knees, Jason put his arms around her while she gently stroked his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair. Jason felt immensely happy at that moment. He was where he wanted to be, under the protection of the one woman on campus who seemed to understand him and his needs. She was guiding him, disciplining him, giving him immense pleasure, and teaching him. Most importantly she loved him. In her own way she loved him much more than he had ever been loved by anyone else. "Take off my clothes and hang them up please." He got up and gently undressed her, enormously pleased to see she was not wearing any underwear. He put her dress on a hanger and placed her shoes next to his in the closet. He then approached her, partly expecting to be instructed to get back on his knees. Instead she passionately kissed him as the warmth from her attractive dark figure pressed up against Jason's body. The separated and she sat down on her bed. She reached out her hand, smiling mischievously. Jason realized what she had in mind; he needed to go over her lap. With no hesitation he settled over her thighs, trying to position himself so that his bottom was relaxed and slightly bent. He had surrendered himself to her, but was unsure what she planned to do. There were nights she was content to simply caress his buttocks with her fingertips and the palms of her hands. There were other nights when she lovingly spanked him, although she rarely spanked him more than once every 10 days or so. Jason figured that tonight he was due for an erotic spanking, since he had not had one for several weeks. Cecilia took her time. She sensuously caressed Jason's pale skin, and even bent down to gently kiss both bottom-cheeks. She ran her fingers up the middle and gently touched the backs of his testicles, but then returned to caressing the tempting mounds of his lovely backside. She gently spoke to her lover, emphasizing that he belonged to her and that his bottom was hers to do with as she pleased. She reminded him that he needed both her love and her discipline, which he realized was very true. Slowly the anticipation began to build, those exciting minutes before the first slap landed. The waiting was a part of the discipline that both Cecilia and Jason treasured, a part of the spanking ceremony both sought to drag out as long as possible. Finally Jason sighed and tilted his bottom up, silently begging her to start spanking. That detail was not lost on the young woman. "You naughty boy. If I wasn't mistaken' I'd say you was askin' me to spank you." She stopped and left her hand resting on his bottom. "So, is that it? You think you're naughty enough to have a good spanking from me?" "Yes...Cecilia. I'm naughty and I need you to spank me." "Now, don't be so rude to me, amorcito. You need to ask me right." "Cecilia...please...spank me on the bare bottom." "A good, hard, bare bottom spanking? That's what you're askin' from me?" "Yes, Cecilia...please give me a good bare bottom spanking." With that she leaned down and gently kissed his bottom yet again, and then stopped, leaving her hand in place to let him know where the first slap was going to land. "You're such a naughty boy, and I'm gonna fix that naughty bottom of yours." Jason's desire to be spanked was overwhelming long before he felt the first sharp smack from his girlfriend's hand. When the first SLAP finally did mark his unprotected bottom, it was more of a relief, the final breaking of the tension that had been building up as he lay over her lap. The pain was just right, sharp enough to break the tension and arouse his senses. It hurt, but at the same time felt really, really good. He gasped: "Spank me...spank me." Cecilia was a bit surprised, but very pleased. She had trained him well, trained him to the point that he wanted her to discipline him. To submit, to expose his soul and his body to her, and to feel just the right amount of pain in his tender backside, was what he needed to experience real pleasure. She had known that about Jason from the very beginning, but now he knew it as well. She spanked him very slowly, with sharp slaps spaced well apart. She struck hard, studied the handprint from the swat, gently laid her palm on the other side of his bottom to let him know where the next slap would land, and laid on another crisp SMACK! The minutes went by and sweat trickled down Jason's body as both the pain in his bottom and the arousal in his soul mounted. All of his senses were at their peak. Never had he felt as alive as he felt at that moment, torn between wanting to experience ever-more severe pain and wanting relieve the intense sexual desire burning in his crotch. His penis was very, very hard, with a throbbing erection that pressed into his lover's thigh. He was so turned-on that he almost had trouble breathing, as he lay gasping over her lap. It was Cecilia who finally made the decision what to do about Jason's state of arousal. That erection was for her, for her to enjoy, for her to feel inside her body. She suddenly stopped spanking and pushed him up. A condom was sitting handy on her nightstand and within a couple of seconds it was out of its package and safely covering his penis. Cecilia then did something that surprised not only Jason, but also surprised herself. The young woman's own lust pushed her to get on her elbows and knees on the bed instead of making him lie on his back so she could straddle him. She submissively spread her backside and presented herself to her lover, in what she knew was his favorite position. He entered her, grabbed her thighs, pressed into her desperate vagina, and thrust very hard. Yes...that was what she wanted...very hard thrusts. Sweat trickled down her body as she gritted her teeth and pushed back into him, wanting him to get as deeply inside her as possible. They climaxed right at the same moment, two lovers whose needs matched each other and whose bodies clearly understood the balance between pain and pleasure. A short time later they were lying quietly in her bed, Jason asleep in her arms as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Cecilia reflected that even when he was awake Jason looked very young, but asleep he seemed even younger and almost child-like. She was only a year older than he was, but in many ways, on the inside, she felt much older than that. Certainly she was much older than he was when it came to having endured negative experiences in life. As she lay quietly stroking Jason's hair and feeling the pleasant ache between her legs from her recent sexual exertions, Cecilia's thoughts drifted from her boyfriend to herself. Yes, it was obvious that she had him completely under her control, but she now was beginning to wonder whether she really had herself under control. There were times she seemed not to be able to withstand her own instincts, when her body demanded she set aside her plans and surrender to her sexual cravings. That worried the Dominican, because whenever she lost control over her body and her physical actions she felt very disconcerted, the same way an overly confident teenager might feel when he has his first close encounter with mortality. Cecilia Sanchez thought she had everything figured out. It had seemed that she knew exactly what she needed. It had seemed that she understood everyone around her. Hah! What a bunch of nonsense! She now realized she didn't even understand herself, let alone understand anyone else. The Freshman Ch. 17 Chapter 17 - Mr. Schmidt Cecilia was so busy during the month of November that she did not realize how quickly the days were speeding by. Thanksgiving week came, along with the chaos of hundreds of freshmen trying to get out of Huntington Hall to see their families. Mike and Lisa left early in the week to travel to California, flying out for a rather frantic couple of days to spend time with his parents and later with her father in Reno. Ken was gone as well, off to visit his family, minus the tattoo he had been planning to have on his body by now. Perhaps that was just as well...one less thing to fight over with his father. Cecilia felt very nervous as her trip to meet Jason's parents and his sister Cassie loomed. From what she had managed to learn from Jason about his family, it seemed they were typical upper class people with typical upper class problems. They had a very nice house in an affluent area just across the state line in Wisconsin. However, it seemed that his parents had a lot of problems in their marriage and there was tension between both parents and Jason's sister. The trip to Wisconsin began on a cold, dreary Wednesday afternoon when Jason's father came to the university to pick them up. A large, imposing, well-groomed man shook Jason's hand and then greeted Cecilia. He was dressed in jeans and a University of Wisconsin sweatshirt. Mr. Schmidt's casual appearance surprised her somewhat. Cecilia felt very uneasy, as Jason's father looked her over with a somewhat disapproving expression. She was dressed in a nice business outfit, but that was part of the problem. The rich tended dress casually and to Mr. Schmidt, Cecilia's outfit looked out of place. Her dark skin bothered him as well, although he realized he could not make an issue out of that. This wasn't 1950, after all. Cecilia was perceptive enough to know that she had not made a good first impression on Jason's father. She wondered what to do next, and realized something important. She had been planning to watch her grammar and pay close attention to keeping her accent under control. Suddenly she had second thoughts about doing that. To hell with it, she thought, I'm going to be who I am, and they're just gonna have to deal with it. I'm not gonna try to be someone I'm not. Cecilia's decision turned out to be a very fortunate one, because had she gone with her original plan to try to artificially change her speech, Jason's father would have seen right through it and turned her efforts against her. The car Mr. Schmidt stepped out of was a new BMW. Jason had previously explained that his father was partial to BMW's and bought a new one about once every two years. As she pondered the expensive, well-kept vehicle, Cecilia thought bitterly about her own mother's car, a huge, very beat-up 1972 Chevy that only somewhat worked. Her brother briefly had a flashy convertible, but it was seized by the police when he was arrested, and later sold at auction. Cecilia began to wonder; if Mr. Schmidt replaced his own car once every couple of years, why Jason did not have a car. That seemed rather strange. He had everything else, but why not a car? She would have to ask him about that the next time she was alone with him. They set out, taking a major road to the west to bypass the main part of Chicago and then proceeding north through the city's western suburbs. The trip itself was rather tense. Jason's father pummeled him with questions about his studies, only to be pleasantly surprised to learn that he was doing well in college. The conversation topic moved to his social life. Jason talked about his three friends and his relationship with Cecilia. As he talked, she wondered if he might mention her dominance over him. Fortunately Jason did not bring up that aspect of his relationship, nor did he mention anything about his strange notoriety from the Tri-Alpha 10-K run. Mr. Schmidt's sudden interest in Jason's studies was another mystery to Cecilia. Jason had made no mention of any contact between his parents and himself since the beginning of the semester. It seemed that Cecilia was the only person who really took an interest in Jason's studies and over-all well being over the three months that she had known him. Now it seemed that Mr. Schmidt was trying to make up for lost time. Cecilia badly wanted to blurt out "Mr. Schmidt, I was the one who got Jason to study and kept an eye on him over the last three months. I was the one who kept him out of trouble. How come he hasn't heard from you, and how come you're now askin' him all these questions?" However, she held her tongue, not wanting conflict to ruin this trip any sooner than necessary. They crossed the state line. It was the first time Cecilia had seen Wisconsin; in fact, it was the first time she had traveled outside Illinois since arriving nearly a year and a half before. As they drove along back roads over the pleasant countryside, Mr. Schmidt began talking to Cecilia, probing her to find out as much as he could about her. She recognized what he was doing; he was probing her in the same way she was used to probing people when she was getting to know them. She responded in her usual evasive manner, turning the questions back to Mr. Schmidt to try to get information out of him instead. He seemed irritated, but answered her questions: talking about his time in college, relating how he met Jason's mother, and explaining why the family had settled in Wisconsin instead of Illinois. Seeing Jason's neighborhood was a bit of a shock, even though he already had shown her pictures of his house and his high school. Cecilia had thought that Dr. Burnside's house and neighborhood was nice, but the development where Burnside lived was nothing in comparison with the area Jason's house was located. Enormous flashy residences with vaulted entrances and fancy yards passed by Cecilia's eyes. There was an expensive SUV, BMW, or sports car parked in each driveway. There were attractive carved signs pointing to golf courses and country clubs, and other signs announcing that a particular lake or park was restricted to residents only. Cecilia was impressed, but not in a positive way. She looked around at what seemed to her a sterile, alien environment. She had entered another world, a landscape that was appealing to the eye, but at the same time a world that was very cold and hostile. What struck her the most about the neighborhood was the absence of people. The yards and sidewalks were almost completely empty. She saw an occasional middle-aged jogger and one older man riding a lawn mower picking up leaves. That was it; no children, no younger people in sight at all. There is something very wrong about all this, she thought to herself. This place is just as bad as my housing project. Maybe it's bad in a different way, but it's just as bad. Finally they arrived at Jason's house. The family had an additional BMW (which was being used to teach Cassie how to drive), and a new full-sized SUV. The garage had a full workshop, although Cecilia could tell by the condition of the tools that it rarely was used. There were two living rooms downstairs, one of which Cecilia later learned was called a "sitting room" and was not used on a day to day basis. That's just as well, she thought to herself, that furniture doesn't look very comfortable to sit in. Not only were there two living rooms, there also were two dining rooms. There was a large table near the kitchen where the family ate on a day-to-day basis, but then there was a more formal dining room with antique cabinets and a very expensive-looking dining set. And to think, this huge house, with its two living rooms, two dining rooms, basement, den, five bathrooms, and six bedrooms, was the residence of four people, now reduced to three with Jason no longer living at home. Cecilia peeked out through the bay window of the "informal" dining room, to see an air tent covering the family's pool. She suddenly realized she had forgotten to bring a swimsuit, which was too bad, because a few minutes wading in the water might have relieved her stress a bit. She became more and more nervous. She clearly was out of her element, being in this over-sized house with its vaulted ceilings and impractical decorations. It seemed to her that a large portion of the house was not for living at all, but rather for show. This is totally ridiculous, she thought to herself. A house should be a comfortable place to live in...something practical, maybe like what Ruth Burnside has...not...this monstrosity. There was something enormously oppressive about the place and all its wasted space and resources. She had the feeling that even if she had grown up with too little space, perhaps Jason had grown up with too much. There was more unpleasantness coming her way. Mrs. Schmidt came home with Cassie and another teenager. All of them were dressed in expensive sweatsuits, all of them carrying tennis racquets. The woman and the two girls gave Cecilia a hostile dismissive glance. She still had not realized what the problem was, that she had over-dressed to meet Jason's family. The detail of her clothing gave her away as a poor person trying to be better than what she was. Things only got worse. While the three tennis princesses went upstairs, two Salvadoran maids arrived to begin cleaning the kitchen and the bathrooms. The two women stared at Cecilia with blatant curiosity as they began working. They spoke quietly to each other, careful not to let the guest overhear their conversation. They assumed, quite rightly, that she understood Spanish. Despair swept over her as the thought crossed her mind: "the only thing separating me from them two Salvadorans is my scholarship. If it wasn't for the scholarship, I'd be just like them, kneelin' in the bathroom cleanin' someone else's shit." But then another thought crossed her mind, which gave her the confidence she needed to get through the uncomfortable weekend: "the only thing separating me from them bitches upstairs is their money. They're not any better than me. They're not even smart enough to clean up after themselves." She then heard Ruth Burnside's voice, so clearly that she almost thought the professor was in the room with her: "You've got to be better than them. Way better. Now you use that head of yours..." With a new resolve to hold her own in this hostile place, Cecilia's thoughts turned back to Jason. She had come here partly because she wanted to see the world where he had grown up, so she could better understand him and why he was the way he was. When she met him, Jason seemed to have been adrift psychologically. Now Cecilia thought she understood why. Perhaps all this empty space, the oversized house and the depopulated neighborhood, had created an emptiness in Jason's soul. Perhaps it was the cold materialistic personalities of his family. Maybe it was the lack of any personal challenges while in high school, a life where he had nothing to worry about apart from doing well in his next track meet. She became even more convinced that Jason needed her and the life she was preparing for him. He needed a partner who loved him, but he also needed someone who could watch over him and be firm with him. He needed direction and discipline to focus his energies. He also needed a plan for his life, something that would provide a purpose for his existence. Just 10 minutes had gone by since Cecilia had stepped into Jason's house, but in that 10 minutes she clearly understood his situation. She also knew exactly what she needed to do. Her purpose over the weekend was not to get Jason's family to like her. That wasn't going to happen, no matter what. It already was obvious there never would be any warmth between Cecilia and Jason's parents. Instead what she needed to do was to stand her ground and get them to respect her. She needed to show them she was a person who was sure of herself and one who knew exactly what she wanted from life. If they said something with which she disagreed, she would speak her mind. She would take no crap from them. Cecilia had one big advantage working in her favor. She suspected the Schmidts were concerned that she had seduced Jason because she wanted his money. The truth was quite the opposite. Cecilia was completely uninterested in her boyfriend's money. In fact, now that she had seen the family's material life up close, she viewed it as a huge hindrance, something she wanted no part of. This house, this neighborhood, those cars, and that tennis club were weights around the necks of the Schmidts. Better just to get rid of them and start over. Were Jason's parents to die tomorrow, Cecilia would have insisted that he give his portion of the inheritance to Cassie. Let little Miss Tennis Bitch deal with all this shit. Mr. Schmidt decided to show Cecilia around the house, with Jason trailing behind. He was genuinely proud of the residence, but also hoped to intimidate his son's girlfriend by showing her what she truly was up against. They passed from room to room, each one professionally decorated. Everything was new, with the exception of some antiques, which had been purchased to supplement the décor. Cecilia only had one question. "You didn't get anything from your parents?" "Of course not. We got rid of most of my parents' stuff when my father died and we moved my mother to her condo. It didn't fit with the décor, so we threw it out." The only reaction was a slightly disgusted look on the young woman's face. Didn't fit with the décor, so we threw it out...give me a break. Jason's father, who noticed everything, caught Cecilia's expression. "So, what do you think?" "Mr. Schmidt, if this place makes you happy, I 'spose it's OK. To be honest, it'd be a bit much for me." "Well, I'm sure where you're from, you're not used to seeing anything like what we've got here." "I've seen some places, enough to know what I want, and what I don't." Cecilia's response surprised both Jason and his father. She had answered the older man's put-down with a put-down of her own. In doing so she let Mr. Schmidt know that his effort to use the house to intimidate her had not worked at all. She was quite unimpressed, and not shy about letting Mr. Schmidt know that. It was the first exchange out of many that weekend, through which the elder Schmidts and Cecilia would probe each other, verbally sparring and looking for weaknesses. The family ate a light dinner, with three guests. Cecilia was present, as was Cassie's tennis friend and a young, arrogant blond guy with whom Cassie had a casual relationship. Cecilia knew that undoubtedly he would be in a fraternity in a couple of years and be one of those drunken slackers that Ruth Burnside so vividly despised. Cecilia thought she could catch a whiff of marijuana smoke on his clothing. As she listened to the idiotic chatter of Cassie and her two friends, Cecilia became even more determined to extract Jason from this pathetic environment once and for all. Mrs. Schmidt chimed in, and then made a disparaging racist remark about the maids, a comment partly made to unsettle her son's girlfriend. Cecilia decided not to respond to that particular slight, but she was wound-up, like a cornered animal, ready to viciously strike out when the moment came. Jason became increasingly nervous. He could see the fight building up in his girlfriend's eyes as she continued to listen to his sister's inane chatter and his mother's quiet slights. The conversation turned to Cecilia's background. By then, some of her tension was seeping out. She freely discussed her time at the university, her duties as RA, and her constant efforts to keep drunken fraternity and sorority pledges under control. She took a thrust at Cassie and her two friends when she vented about the girls who did not know how to use dorm washing machines. "I can't believe how stupid some of those little princesses are. They can't even use the laundry room without puttin' a bunch of soap bubbles on the floor. It's like their parents never taught them nothin'. It's really sad to see someone that helpless..." Everyone knew the Dominican's comment was directed at the spoiled young teenagers sitting at the table. They were among the girls who had never washed their own clothing and had never learned how to use a laundry room. Unless someone set them straight over the next year, they almost certainly would be among the freshmen destined to have a housekeeping crisis during their first week on campus. Jason cringed in silent mortification as his girlfriend and his parents sparred with each other at the dinner table, regretting with every bit of his soul having invited Cecilia for Thanksgiving dinner. He desperately wished he could get someone to shut up, but he should have known that Cecilia was not one to back away from a fight. Her claws were out and she was fully ready to defend herself. A temporary calm returned to the table. Jason's father decided to find out what type of student she was by asking her to explain her studies. Cecilia talked about her research under Ruth Burnside and the impending plans for her to become a research assistant the following year. She talked at length about her economics classes and what she was learning. Mr. Schmidt was vaguely impressed. Whatever else was wrong with her, it was clear that Jason's girlfriend was intelligent and knew how to study. The line of conversation seemed innocent enough, as Cecilia discussed the economics department and the program she was majoring in. Then the topic of Upper Danubia and its new Prime Minister came up. Cecilia mentioned her research and the pending visit, scheduled to take place right after Thanksgiving Break ended. Mr. Schmidt sighed and rolled eyes upon hearing the name Vladim Dukov. "Oh yeah, that commie bastard. Some of my clients took a real hit on that one." "Took a hit, Mr. Schmidt?" "Yeah, Cecilia. Took a hit. A lot of people lost a bunch of money on that fiasco last year. I mean, you've studied it, you know what happened. I'll tell you, we had a real set-back with that screwed up election." "Who had a setback?" "Well, the EU, and my clients, of course. Especially Mega-Town Associates. They had a lot riding on the election. They had all kinds of development projects and investments pending, and that son-of-a-bitch Dukov got in there and canceled everything. I mean everything. And all that money the Embassy spent...and it was for nothing." "Mr. Schmidt, I don't think it was that simple. From what I read, I think what Prime Minister Dukov wanted to do was re-negotiate the contracts. He gave Mega-Town Associates and the EU a chance to make changes and they wouldn't do it. I don't think that was his fault..." "What the hell are you talking about? Of course it was his fault! You don't just walk up to Mega-Town and say 'screw-you' to their faces! No two-bit third-world leader does that to America's best company! And anyhow, what he wanted to do, change the rules mid-game, you just don't do it. It wasn't fair to the investors, and wasn't fair to the company!" "But was what Mega-Town wanted to do in Upper Danubia fair? Their subsidiary wanted to clear-cut the forests out of three provinces and then charge 'em for building a road. What was Upper Danubia gonna get out of it?" Jason's father gave Cecilia a very hard look. "That's irrelevant, Cecilia. We're really not talking about Upper Danubia, because as far as I'm concerned, Upper Danubia doesn't matter. What matters are American interests. The point is American investors got screwed. People lost money. Don't you get it? People lost money, just because the wrong guy got into that country's Parliament. And what's worse, I don't see how we're going to get him out anytime soon." "What do you mean 'get him out anytime soon'? 'Isn't that up to the Danubians? It's their country. Don't they get to choose who's gonna lead 'em? Isn't that what democracy's supposed to be all about?" The Freshman Ch. 17 "Not when it interferes with clients! Not when it hurts American business interests!" Jason's father looked hard at his guest, very offended that this pathetic 19-year-old was questioning ideas that were core to everything he believed, the ideals that had given him and his family so much. How dare she... "I have a question for you. Do you have any pride in America at all? Don't you care about American interests? Don't you care about our society's commitment to free markets? Doesn't any of that matter to you? Just whose side are you on?" That was the moment Cecilia snapped. Finally she had enough. She thought for a moment, not about what she was going to say, but how she was going to phrase it to make it as forceful as possible. "Investors lost money. Aww... That's just so sad...investors lost money. Well, I think those investors got what they deserved! Whatever they lost, they deserved to lose it! They thought they were so smart, tryin' to rig that election so they could rip up that country, and guess what? They got their asses beat! Yeah, Mr. Schmidt, they lost their dirty money, and that's what they deserved! That's what I think! And as for Vladim Dukov, I like him! I like what he stands for and I wish there were more people like him. I admire him, and I hope he keeps on screwin' your clients and messin' up their plans! And if there's anything I could ever do, to help him screw your clients, I'd do it, 'cause I hate Mega-Town and want 'em put out of business! That's whose side I'm on!" Cecilia's eyes were ablaze and her mouth was drawn tight. She looked like she was about to jump out of her seat. She was clearly ready for a good fight, prepared to argue all night if necessary to defend her position and a political figure she admired. Mr. Schmidt's face went white. For a few seconds he said nothing, then, not knowing how to respond, simply left the table. Jason's mother quickly followed, leaving Jason, Cecilia, and the three bewildered teenagers sitting alone. ---------- Jason's mother and father were both shocked by the Dominican's sudden combativeness, but their thoughts on how to deal with the matter were totally different. Jason's mother wanted to throw that arrogant little ghetto bitch out of the house immediately. That meant right at that moment, out the door at 9:00 at night. How she got out of the neighborhood and back to Chicago would be her problem, not theirs. It wasn't just Cecilia's arrogance that drew out loathing in Mrs. Schmidt; there was something much more deep-rooted. Her own husband had a nasty habit of seducing the maids, which fomented a deep hatred from the woman towards any young attractive female with a Latin American background. Cecilia Sanchez, the seducer of her own son, seemed to be the worst of all, with her pretty face, trashy background, and arrogant behavior. Subconsciously, Jason's mother had looked forward to Cecilia's visit, because it was to have been her chance to get back at all the women with whom her husband had carried out affairs. She planned to slowly humiliate Cecilia with slight after slight, drive a wedge between her and Jason, and by the end of the weekend break both her and the relationship. Instead what she ended up doing was setting off the girl's violent temper, to the point she actually was afraid of the Dominican and what she might be capable of doing. The girl was an obvious nut-case and probably very dangerous. Once he calmed his temper, Jason's father felt somewhat differently about the matter. At first he was speechless with anger that she had stood up to him, because it had been many years since anyone dared to openly confront him. However, as he thought about it more, Mr. Schmidt realized something important. The reason no one ever confronted him was because the people in his life either wanted something from him or were too afraid to speak their minds. Cecilia Sanchez simply had been telling him the truth, or at least the truth as she saw it. He realized that she had spoken her mind in his presence precisely because there was nothing from him she wanted or needed. The experience was unpleasant, but at the same time there was something refreshing about having an honest argument with a person who felt free to speak her mind. Whatever Cecilia was after in her relationship with his son, it was obvious that it wasn't the family's money. In their conversation during the afternoon she had made that blatantly clear. At the dinner table Cecilia expressed that she did have very strong ambitions, but they were the ambitions of someone who worked hard and was determined to make her own career and rise or sink on her own merits. Was there anything wrong with that? Perhaps that was why Jason, who at times really seemed so helpless in life, was drawn to her. The Schmidts had a rather heated argument in the master bedroom concerning what to do about Jason and Cecilia. While Mrs. Schmidt demanded she be kicked out of the house immediately, her husband surprised her by insisting that no, he wanted Cecilia to stay, at least through Thanksgiving dinner. "She's the first person I've talked to in years who's stood up to me. I don't like her, not any more than you do, but she's the most honest person I've spoken to in a very long time. Anyhow, there's Jason..." "What about Jason? You really want him being with that crazy bitch?" "Well...here's something for us to consider. At least that girl puts her cards on the table. You know what she's thinking, because she'll tell you. I'd rather have that then someone who's all-sweet to your face, but then, as soon as you drop your guard, stabs you in the back. To be honest, I was expecting Jason to bring home some sweet phony, and then we'd end up with another disaster on our hands, just like we did last year. At least this one lays it out for you and you know what's coming." "Look. I want her out of here, because, quite frankly, I'm afraid of her. With that temper, who knows what she's capable of?" "What she's capable of? She's capable of arguing. What's there to be afraid of about that? What would you rather have, an argumentative type with an accent, or a repeat of the Jones girl?" "I don't want either. I would've thought the Jones girl taught Jason a lesson, and that he'd use common sense in choosing his next girlfriend. Now he's got one that's even worse." "Common sense? With Jason? Yeah right. A Barbie doll has more common sense than he does. But I don't think that Sanchez girl is any worse than the Jones kid. At least she's a good student, and that seems to have worn off on Jason. Think about it. Were you expecting him to be doing as well in college as he's doing right now? I sure as hell wasn't. I mean, I was giving him a chance to go, just to say I tried. But really, I figured he'd flunk out by now and be back home. He seems to be doing fine, and that I wasn't expecting. I'm wondering if it's because of her." "I don't believe this. You're actually defending that piece of trash. She insulted you, at your own table, and you're defending her." "She didn't really insult me. She argued with me. Granted, it's a bunch of naïve bullshit from college, but...I can't say that she personally insulted me. And I'm not defending her. I just want to give it a bit more time to get some more information, and see what's really going on with Jason." "What's going on with Jason is that he's in over his head with that girl." "Have you talked to him? I mean, anytime during the semester?" "No, I was too busy. Besides, that's your job. You're the father..." "And I was working. Trying to support you three. So don't bitch to me about not having any time. You sure have a hell of a lot more time than I do. Anyhow, she's staying until tomorrow, because I'm going to talk to her and see what's going on." "I want her out of this house now, and I'm not kidding. I want her out that door immediately." "Well, what you want isn't happening, and that's final. I'm talking to her before she goes anywhere. If you have any further thoughts on the matter, I'm not interested in hearing them. You want your opinion to count, go get yourself a job and start paying some of the bills around here." Mrs. Schmidt clenched her teeth with anger. However, there was nothing more for her to do about getting rid of Cecilia that night. In that house, Mr. Schmidt had the final word. As he constantly reminded everyone, it was his job and his money that had bought and furnished the residence, and continued to pay for the family's expensive lifestyle. Her daily life, her luncheons with her friends, and her constant escapes to the country club and the area's local spas all were on his credit account. She had not worked for nearly 20 years so she could spend more time relaxing and entertaining. But, in exchange for her pampered lifestyle, she had to put up with quite a bit. She had to put up with a husband who was becoming more arrogant, more bossy, and more egotistical with each passing year. He felt that his career and his position in society entitled him to many things in life, not the least of which was women. His constant infidelity was an ongoing humiliation for Mrs. Schmidt, but unfortunately the cost of leaving would have been too great for her to bear. ---------- When Jason's parents left the table, Cecilia remained on edge for a good fight. Cassie and her two friends knew that she was perfectly willing to take them on if they dared say anything. Jason, meanwhile, was so stressed that he was directing all his energies to not throwing up. He should have known...he should have known... that his parents would be rude to Cecilia and that she would strike back. After several minutes of very tense silence, Cecilia stood up and tapped Jason on the shoulder. He dutifully followed her to the guest bedroom. He had no idea what to say to her. He was horribly embarrassed and mortified at the disastrous first encounter between his girlfriend and his parents. It was Cecilia who broke the silence. "I told you, Jason. I told you. I don't take shit from anyone, and I'm not gonna take it from your dad. Those two were diggin' at me all day and finally I had enough." "I...I'm sorry...I'm really sorry..." "About what? You didn't do anything. It's not your fault." "I just feel...I mean to have put you though..." "I can take care of myself. That's not a problem. You don't control what your dad says, and you don't control me. I don't want you apologizing for somethin' you don't have control over. Wait 'till you do something wrong, then you can apologize. But your dad and mom had better learn quick that I'm not takin' no shit from them." Jason sat quietly, not sure what to say. Cecilia continued. "What happened tonight's between me and your dad. It doesn't have anything to do with you, so I don't want you getting involved. I don't want you fightin' with your dad over me, but I don't want you takin' his shit either. I think that's your problem around here...your dad's got the money, so everyone's takin' his shit." With that Cecilia changed the subject. "Did you bring your textbooks with you?" "I brought a couple of books, but I'm kinda...not in the mood for that right now." "Jason, you gotta get in the mood. You just can't blow off your studies 'cause of your personal shit. They don't grade you on your personal shit. So get some work done tonight, before you go to bed." "What about you?" "I got work to do. A lot of it. I was wondering...if you got a place for me to plug in my laptop." "The guest room has a connection behind the lamp-stand. I'm sure you can use that." "OK, then I guess...it'll be goodnight. I'm checkin' your work tomorrow, so I want you doin' something before you go to bed." She kissed him goodnight and with that the tumultuous day ended. ---------- Mr. Schmidt stayed up late, watching football preview shows, as he normally did in the hours leading up to the games prior to Thanksgiving. He may have been a successful corporate lobbyist, but his fantasy always had been to play professional ball. He had played as a linebacker in high school and college in a sport suited for a large aggressive teenager used to having his way around people his own age. As a teenager and college player, Mr. Schmidt was fascinated by the thought that, through doing something he loved doing anyway, he could make a massive amount of money and have it all. In college he had seen it, been close enough to the NFL to see what having it all really was. Yeah, those pros had what he wanted, the big house, the fancy women, the nice cars, the trips... and the money to do whatever they wanted. Mr. Schmidt desperately hoped to be a part of that world. The only detail that set him apart from some of the others aspiring to the NFL was his realization that wealth from playing can disappear as quickly as it appears. He had seen that as well, pro players who went through their money within a few years of retiring, or even had gone through it by the time their careers were winding down. Linebackers especially, seemed to not do too well with their finances. To Mr. Schmidt having it all meant keeping it all, so he studied business while playing. He realized the business world was to his liking, the ideals of competing and winning every bit as important as they are in the NFL. In his junior year of college Mr. Schmidt had a horrible shock to his dreams. His coach leveled with him by telling him that he would not be quite large enough to be picked as linebacker in the NFL draft. He had to fall back on getting an MBA, and vented his frustration by doing well in his studies. His personality was suited for business school, so when one dream in life turned out not to be realistic, he had another one to fall back on. Yes, he still could have it all, but he would have to get it through the corporate world instead of the world of pro-sports. The ideal of competition and being the winner never was far from Mr. Schmidt's mind, which was why he was so aggressive in his work and why he always "went with the winning team". In his case "the winning team" meant supporting the manipulations of Mega-Town Associates. Whenever he went to work, he imagined himself as part of a row of linebackers running down and trampling the opposing team for that much-coveted touchdown. "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Jason had been a huge disappointment to his father. The fact that he didn't play football was bad enough, but what really got to Mr. Schmidt was his son's passive personality. He didn't have that killer instinct, that drive to be on top, no matter what. Yes, he ran long-distance in high school and won an occasional race, but running isn't a man's sport like football. He just didn't have it. Finally, at about 11:00 in the evening, Mr. Schmidt got tired of watching the same monotonous chatter about players and their statistics. He went to the basement to workout a bit to relieve his stress. Finally he decided to return to the Master bedroom, where his embittered wife was sleeping. He looked at her tennis player's figure, curled up under a blanket. Another disappointment. He studied the back of her head, briefly fantasizing about putting a bullet into it. Yes, it would be so quick and easy...a single shot and that bitch's brains would splatter out onto the pillow. Then there would be no more nagging, no more constant digs about his mistresses, no more useless middle-aged female friends floating around the house chattering about tennis. Just a single shot... Of course, shooting his wife was out of the question. A woman gets killed, and the very first thing the cops do is blame the husband. Perhaps that says a lot about marriage. No, everything would go normally, everything as planned. Tomorrow this house would be full of useless people, his mother would come over, there'd be the usual hypocritical prayers, and the usual catered dinner...and they'd all live happily ever after. Mr. Schmidt thought bitterly about the uselessness of his family. Jason was a wimp, and the two women, his wife and his daughter, were helpless country club ornaments. Worthless. His mistresses were no better...gold diggers...all of them. Dangle a piece of jewelry in front of them, and oh yes...they spread for you right away. They were all the same, white women, black women, Asians...show them the jewelry and they spread. Mr. Schmidt had been with so many women; he couldn't even remember them all. In the end they all looked alike, because they all wanted the same thing from him and were willing to do the same thing to get it. Over the years the man's soul had stewed in his extreme cynicism. Perhaps he had gotten to the top, or at least pretty close to the top, but in the end, what difference did it make? Mr. Schmidt was surrounded by people he couldn't trust: helpless weak individuals who doted on him because he was the one with the money. The only other people in his life were peers and rivals, men with similar personalities and similar tastes. They socialized, but none could trust any of the others. They kept each other at arm's length, to prevent any weaknesses from showing. Disgusted at the sight of his sleeping wife, Mr. Schmidt went back out into the hallway. He walked by the guestroom and noticed the light still on. Through a glass panel in the door he glanced at that nasty little Dominican, Jason's latest fiasco in life. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt, with her bare legs flattened out slightly on the desk chair. Her hair was pulled back and she was hunched over her laptop. There were several sets of stapled papers spread around her, along with a couple of books. It was obvious she was intensely at work, probably with some school project. Cecilia looked up briefly, not at the door, but off in the distance, thinking of how to phrase something. Even though she was alone, she still had that fierce look in her eyes that he remembered from the dinner table. Yeah that's right, you trashy little bitch, try to think about how to write a sentence without "gonna" in it. He shook his head as he stood in the darkness watching her. A real hellcat, this one was. Jason's latest disaster... But as he thought about Cecilia, his words from earlier in the evening came back to him. "She's the first person I've talked to in years who's stood up to me...She's the most honest person I've spoken to in a very long time...At least that girl puts her cards on the table. You know what she's thinking, because she'll tell you." Mr. Schmidt thought about the girl's blunt behavior. She had not gone out of her way to try to impress him, apart from her misdirected effort to be well dressed. He remembered his earlier observation that she had been honest with him because there was nothing from him she wanted or needed. That was refreshing, the idea of conversing with someone who didn't want anything from him. It was obvious the girl had character and guts, that she was firm in what she believed, and ready to defend herself. She was brave, recklessly so. She stood out in a life that was full cringing yes-men. His resolve to talk to her the next day came back to him, a desire to find out why she was with Jason and what that might mean for his future. He would talk straight with her, and expect her to talk straight with him. He would try not to pre-judge her. He didn't like her, but there was something...something that made him not dismiss her as quickly as he dismissed most women. ---------- Mr. Schmidt made the arrangements the following day to have Cecilia to himself. She helped his plans by getting up very early to continue with her work, typing out answers to the final questions from the list that Burnside had given her about Upper Danubia and the problems facing Vladim Dukov. Dressed in a warm sweatsuit, Mr. Schmidt approached the guest bedroom. Normally he would have just walked into the room, but this time, some slight hesitation in his mood forced him to knock. The Freshman Ch. 17 Cecilia immediately stood up, her eyes full of both apprehension and combativeness. Obviously she was concerned about a continuation of the confrontation from the night before, but she felt trapped by her promise to herself "to take no shit" from either of Jason's parents. Mr. Schmidt's first words calmed her down slightly. "Cecilia, you can put away your guns. I'd like to talk to you, but let's try to be a bit civilized about it. We'll keep Upper Danubia out of the conversation because right now I'm not interested in that topic." "So, what do you wanna talk about, Mr. Schmidt?" "Jason. I want to know what the score is on that. I'm his father, and I think I have a right to know what's going on between you two." "We're goin' out, Mr. Schmidt. That's what we're doing." "Yeah...you're going out with him. I think I had that part figured out. What I'd like to know is why." Cecilia thought for a moment, and then answered as honestly as she could. "I think we're goin' out because, right now, we need each other. I feel...I gotta be with him, and I 'spose he feels the same way about me. I like bein' with him. I...I don't really know what else to say. I like bein' with him." "OK. Fair enough, you like being with him. So, where do you think you're going with it? What's your next step?" "My next step is I gotta get my degree, my BA. And Jason's gotta get his. We won't be doing anybody any good if we don't get our degrees. Then we can figure out what we're gonna do next. Graduate school, I suppose. Just a BA isn't much good anymore, 'cause too many people got 'em." "I suppose you're right. You won't get too far on a BA these days. So you think you're headed straight to graduate school?" "Yes, Mr. Schmidt, as long as I keep up my grades and keep my scholarship, I'm gonna study. Dr. Burnside told me to start thinkin' about what I might wanna look at for my Master's Thesis, so I can think about how I'm gonna specialize. But then, I think I gotta do a Ph.D. too." "A Ph.D.? You're already thinking about that?" "I gotta think about that now. I gotta figure out how I'm gonna specialize and what I'm interested in. Dr. Burnside keeps pushin' me to think about my future and what I wanna do, so yeah, I'm thinkin' about it now." "So, where does Jason fit into all this?" "He's gotta think about his future too. I guess I'm helpin' him with that, 'cause, you know, I'm pushin' him to do good in his classes. To me that's important." "You're pushing him?" "Yes, I'm pushin' him. I want him to do good so I keep pushin' him." Mr. Schmidt thought to himself: OK, there's the answer to my question, why Jason's doing so well in school. No, it wasn't because he had any drive of his own. It was because of her. "So, just how is it that you're pushing him?" "Well, his biggest problem was Dr. Burnside's freshman economics class. It's a tough class and only about half the people in it pass each semester. Most of 'em flunk 'cause they fall behind. I've been makin' sure Jason doesn't fall behind. Every couple of nights I go into his room and look at his work. I make him talk to me about the class, to make sure he's got everything. Then he helps his friends, and I think that's helpin' him too, you know, havin' to explain it to someone else. And you know...he's done good so far. He's not dumb, and I think he thought he was before I started workin' with him." "You actually think he's smart?" "He's OK. He's smart enough. He's just gotta get motivated, and he'll do good." "Motivated. So, just how did you motivate him?" Cecilia paused, then decided to tell a portion of the truth. "Jason, you know, he started out with all these dumb ideas about college back in August. He was gonna party, and run around, and have fun. And I told him, college isn't like that. You gotta work. Then the first week I saw that he and his friends were all scared about the Burnside class and wanted to drop it. So I told him, 'you can't drop that class 'cause you need it for a bunch of other requirements.' So he says to me 'oh I'll just take it later', and I say 'if you take it now, I'll help you. If you take it later, you're not gonna pass 'cause you're not gonna have any help.' So he stayed in, and his friends stayed in. And they're all gonna pass 'cause they did good on their term papers. I saw their grades, and they'll get their papers back next week." Jason's father paused for a few seconds, as another question came into his mind. "OK, so now I'm curious. Why? Why'd you spend so much time worried about Jason if you got all your other responsibilities?" "Because he needed my help. I care about him and I wanna see him do well. And also, 'cause then he was able to help some the others. Not just his friends, but a couple of other students on the floor also. He likes helpin' people. He's not selfish, not at all, and I think helpin' the others made him feel really good about himself." By now the other members of the household were up. Jason's mother walked by the door and shot a look of pure hatred at Cecilia through the glass panels. Jason came by and peeked through with a worried expression. Mr. Schmidt chased both of them away with a very hostile stare. This conversation absolutely has to continue, he thought to himself. I've got this girl to open up to me, and if I keep her talking maybe I can finally figure out what's going on with Jason. "Cecilia, I want to step out with you for a little bit, if you don't mind. Maybe give both of us a chance to stretch our legs." A few minutes later Cecilia was changed and the strange couple went out the front door into the very spread-out neighborhood for a walk along the cold, deserted sidewalks. Mr. Schmidt, recalling Cecilia's reaction to the area from the day before, posed a question. "I'm sort of curious. You don't much care for our neighborhood, do you?" "No, Mr. Schmidt. I don't much care for it." "Why?" "It's too empty. It's like...there's nothin' here. This place...it just...it kinda scares me, if you want the truth." "It's one of the most exclusive neighborhoods north of Chicago. And you find it scary?" "Yes, Mr. Schmidt. There's somethin' about it...that just doesn't feel right to me. I guess everything's just too big. That's my opinion, since you asked me for it." "So what is your ideal neighborhood, since it isn't this one?" Cecilia described Burnside's neighborhood, an ordinary development of ranch-style houses built in the 1960's. The houses, in spite of not being very spread out, were private. Most of the back yards had fences and the houses themselves crouched quietly behind trees and hedges. The modesty of the houses contrasted with the showiness of the houses in the Schmidts' neighborhood, where structures sat out in the open and stuck high into the air, those vaulted ceilings pushing rooftops ever higher. "I like Dr. Burnside's neighborhood 'cause it's so quiet. I don't like a lot of noise, 'cause there was too much of it when I was growin' up. But there's stuff there, in that neighborhood: trees, animals, kids, people runnin' about...and that's what I'm lookin' for: a place to live, to be comfortable, a place to raise my kids and not have anyone mess with us. Maybe it's not all that much, but it's what I want." "At age 19 you think you have everything figured out then, career, neighborhood...?" "I don't have that much figured out, Mr. Schmidt. Right now I'm just figurin' out what I don't want out of life. Later on I'm gonna figure out what I do want." Mr. Schmidt thought about himself at age 19, when he was playing college football and was convinced the NFL was to be his immediate future. Like Cecilia, he had big ambitions, but not in the same way she did. The order in which they wanted things out of life differed between them. He knew what he wanted, the NFL lifestyle. It had never occurred to Mr. Schmidt to try to figure out what he didn't want out of life until he already was very successful. Among the things he now realized was the reality that he probably shouldn't have married, because marriage placed some restrictions on his personal activities that he hadn't expected. Other troubling thoughts were forcing their way into his consciousness. Deep down he was beginning, just beginning, to question whether or not he really had managed to buy happiness with his over-sized house. He bought it partly because he wanted to get his wife to shut up and push her off into the country club scene. Now she was about as useless as a person could be, never doing anything she could get a maid to take care of, and definitely not any happier. If anything she was more unpleasant than ever. As for all the fancy stuff they bought, the truth was that if it burned up the next day he really wouldn't care, as long as the insurance company paid for it. There was not a single item in the house to which he had any emotional attachment. Finally Mr. Schmidt responded, and in doing so subconsciously exposed his doubts about his own choices in life. "Well, maybe you got things in the right order: eliminate what you don't want first, and then you can concentrate on what you do want. Sounds reasonable." There was another long pause, as the pair watched a maid walk a couple of pure-breed dogs across a frost-covered park. One of the dogs dumped. The maid looked around, and upon noticing Mr. Schmidt and his companion, sighed and picked up the dump with a paper towel and put it in a paper bag. It was obvious she was disgusted having to handle dog poop, and only did so because there were people watching. Cecilia felt very uneasy as the thought of being so close to "cleanin' other people's shit" once again surfaced in her mind. Mr. Schmidt continued. "Alright, so I'm still curious. What is it that you see in Jason? I mean, you've got a very strong character and it's obvious you've been through some stuff in your life. So what is it that makes you want to share your time with him?" Cecilia thought about it, trying to figure out how to tell enough of the truth without telling the entire truth. She knew that she had to protect Jason, and thus talk more about herself than him. Finally she offered a partial confession about her own life. "I care a great deal for Jason 'cause he doesn't give me shit. He's always very nice to me because he loves me, and he doesn't try to boss me around, and he doesn't try to change the way I am. That's very important to me. I gotta be with someone who's not gonna try to boss me around, and he doesn't." "Why's that so important?" "I...'cause...when I was growin' up, all of 'em were tryin' to tell me what to do. I took a lot of shit when I was in school, just 'cause I wanted to get my degree and go to college. And they all made fun of me, 'cause I wanted to get good grades, I didn't cause trouble, and the teachers liked me. And now I think I know why, why they were all makin' fun of me. They were jealous, the girls, especially. They knew I wasn't gonna be like 'em...I wasn't gonna be havin' kids and gettin' my ass kicked by my boyfriend every night. They knew I was gonna get away, and that scared 'em. So they gave me shit 'cause it made 'em jealous. And my brother gave me shit 'cause I wouldn't hang out with his friends. And the guys at school gave me shit, 'cause I wouldn't sleep with 'em. And my mom gave me shit 'cause I was at the library instead of helpin' her. So I left, and I'm not going back, 'cause I'm not taking any more shit." "Yeah, I guess I see your point. I guess I would've been pissed too, had things for me been like they were for you, growing up. But are you so sure that someone like Jason is what you need? I still can't see how...with your background, you'd see anything in someone like my son." "Why? What's wrong with Jason?" "If you want the truth, he doesn't have any character. Let's face it, that kid's a wimp. I honestly don't see how you can have any respect for him." Cecilia paused, deeply offended that Jason's own father would say something like that. It was obvious that he held his son in complete contempt. Now she understood...if Jason's own father had such a low opinion of him, no wonder he was so disoriented when she first met him. There was plenty of anger in her voice when she made her next comment. "Jason has plenty of character, Mr. Schmidt. He's the best guy I've ever been with. If you can't see that, then the only thing I can say is, I feel real sorry for you." The fight had returned to Cecilia Sanchez. Clearly she was ready to defend him and her anger appeared genuine. The conversation took a sudden sinister turn when Jason's father responded. "Well, I think there's some stuff about him that you still don't know. I stand by my comment that he doesn't have any character. I stand by that, and if you don't believe me, then you talk to him. Ask him about Heather Jones." "Who's Heather Jones?" "You're an inquisitive person. Ask him and find out." It was clear to Cecilia that Mr. Schmidt had decided to stop the conversation at that point. Before he spoke with her again, he wanted her to find out about Heather Jones, whoever the hell she was... They walked in silence back to the house. The Freshman Ch. 18 Chapter 18 - Jason's Ghosts There was no question that Cecilia needed to talk to Jason about Heather Jones. However, that would not be until she had some time alone with him, which wouldn't be until after Thanksgiving dinner at the earliest. Thanksgiving dinner was the next hurdle everyone had to get past. Cecilia prepared herself psychologically to face the upcoming ordeal. She no longer was concerned about another fight with Jason's father. She knew that at least it was possible to talk to him in a civilized manner, presumably as long as the topics of Mega-Town Associates and Vladim Dukov were kept out of the conversation. Instead, she would have to worry about Mrs. Schmidt, and possibly Cassie. Cecilia's nemesis during the dinner would not be Jason's father, but Jason's mother. Having failed to get that nasty little Dominican expelled from the house, Mrs. Schmidt spent the day thinking about the various slights and embarrassing questions she could pose to make her unwelcome guest as uncomfortable as possible. She would show her, once and for all, that she was where she did not belong. Jason knew his mother well enough to know what was coming, and knew his girlfriend enough to know what was coming. He would be trapped, sitting helplessly at the table, while the two women went to war. Cecila also knew what was coming, but refused to let him talk about it. "Jason, just try studyin'. We got next week to think about and we're both gonna be busy, so worry about that instead of some stupid turkey dinner." Mr. Schmidt anticipated the dinner with glee. His cynicism and secret contempt for everyone in his life came out full force in his mind as he looked forward having a meal with a bunch of people whom he couldn't stand and watching them fight. This was going to be good, watching the two bitches go at it while the wimp sat and cringed. He encouraged Cassie to invite her boyfriend...might as well get those two losers in on the action as well. And the Old Lady...she always liked the wimp...well, maybe she'd feel a bit differently after dinner. A few minutes later Cassie and her boyfriend returned to the house with Jason's grandmother. She seemed nice enough, quietly shaking Cecilia's hand while Jason introduced her. She made a couple of pleasant comments about how well Jason was doing in college and that she hoped Cecilia felt at home in the Schmidts' house. Cecilia realized the older woman was actually being sincere; apparently she was too naïve to understand what was happening. The two Salvadoran maids were ready to serve the dinner, which had been special-ordered by Mrs. Schmidt. The turkey, as expected, was impressive and perfectly cooked. Cecilia looked longingly at the meal and planned to eat to her heart's content. Jason sat quietly with sweat running down his face while his sister and her boyfriend glanced at Cecilia with blatant curiosity. Mr. Schmidt gave a brief prayer and then directed the two maids to cut up and serve the meal. The opening salvo from Mrs. Schmidt came as soon as Cecilia's plate was set in front of her. In a tone of sweet sarcasm she asked: "I suppose a nice turkey dinner is something new to you, so I hope you enjoy. Have you ever seen turkey before?" "Yes Mrs. Schmidt. We used to go over to the YMCA and have turkey roll for Thanksgiving, along with all the homeless people. Mmm... I'll tell you, there ain't nothin' as good as hot turkey roll when you're starvin', 'cause, as you know, we don't have no Christmas dinners, 'cause we ain't got no supermarkets in New Jersey." Mr. Schmidt smiled to himself while Cassie was trying to figure out if Cecilia was being serious. Cecilia stared right at Mrs. Schmidt, ready to fight. Her expression clearly stated: "There's a lot more where that came from, rich-bitch, so you wanna hear it?" Jason began sweating all that much more. Mrs. Schmidt's eyes filled up with pure loathing. She glanced furiously at her husband, who just sat there with a smug look on his face. So that's it, she thought to herself, no support, huh? Fine, I'll take her on myself if you're not going to help me out. She stood up. "Just who the hell do you think you are? You don't talk like that to me! This is my house and you'll start showing me some respect, young lady!" "Then don't be sayin' stupid shit to piss me off, Mrs. Schmidt! Like I ain't seen turkey before..." Mrs. Schmidt tightened her lips and slammed her fork down on the table. Suddenly Jason stood up. "Mom! Let it go! Just let it go! Can't you say something, just once, without insulting someone?" Mrs. Schmidt stared at Jason, shocked at his sudden display of temper. She calmed down slightly and reluctantly sat down, disconcerted by the fact Jason was willing to stand up to her over Cecilia. She still planned to attack her son's guest, but with no support from her husband and facing the defiance of her son, she would have to think much harder about what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it. Cecilia was grateful that Jason was willing to stand up to his mother, but at the same time felt guilty. This was not his fight, it was hers, and she really did not want him to confront his parents. Mrs. Schmidt changed tactics, making some disparaging comments about the maids and then slipping a dig at Mr. Schmidt by criticizing men who slept with the hired help. Then there were some more digs at Cecilia, and finally additional questions about her family and background. The questions were not so much out of curiosity as intended to force the guest to discuss the more unsavory details of her life before college. At that moment something rather strange happened inside Cecilia. A transformation took place within her as she faced her hostile audience. She had never wanted to talk about her past before, but suddenly the deep-seated fear she had about her prior life being exposed evaporated. This woman wants to know who I am. Fine, I'll let her know. I'll give her the facts, and then she's the one who'll have to deal with 'em. Cecilia spent the rest of the dinner talking about her life. She left out very little, talking at length and in detail about the conditions at the housing project, her own struggles in school, her brothers' gang activities and arrests, her mother's boyfriends, her irresponsible cousin, and her neglected nephew. She talked about used needles and empty spray-paint cans littering the stairwells of her building, open drug dealing on the streets, and deadly turf fights between rival gang members who were not any older than Cassie. She went on, describing the formidable struggle she endured to get her high school diploma and her naps in the public library just to be somewhere she didn't have to listen to her mother's television. Finally she described her escape and her personal indebtedness to Dr. Ruth Burnside. As she thought about all the barriers she had to overcome, she became rather proud of her accomplishments so far. She had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. The dinner ended with Mrs. Schmidt not saying anything. She hated Cecilia more than ever, but that no longer mattered. As badly as she may have wanted to get rid of her, it simply wasn't going to happen. The girl had planted herself in her son's life, was quite capable of defending herself, and obviously wasn't going anywhere. Mr. Schmidt did not like Cecilia either, but knew that he had to take her seriously and grudgingly respect her. The respect he had for her was conditional and somewhat hostile, similar to the respect he might have for a talented and successful business rival. However, considering the man's overall contempt for humanity in general and for women in particular, for him the opinion he had of Cecilia was comparatively positive. Jason's grandmother finished the meal actually liking Cecilia. She had truly enjoyed watching the dinner guest match wits and temper against her son's odious, snobbish wife. Jason's girlfriend endured a battle she had not picked, but came out the winner. It was refreshing to see a girl with so much spunk and combativeness in her, one who was intelligent, worked hard, and could hold up in a good fight. Yes, she was just what Jason needed. ---------- Later that night the family dispersed, leaving the huge empty house to Jason and Cecilia. Mr. Schmidt took off in his BMW to get together and drink with some business partners, Mrs. Schmidt left to hang out with some of her friends and relay the horror of what happened at the table over Thanksgiving Dinner, and Cassie left with her boyfriend to take her grandmother back home. With the family members gone, Jason decided to take advantage of their absence to go skinny-dipping in the family pool. He invited Cecilia to join him, which she did with some reservations. She barely knew how to swim and never had gone into a swimming pool without a swimsuit. It was strange to see the empty pool, its smooth clean water beckoning from under the cavernous tent. The pool itself was quite large, almost as big as the crowded public swimming pool she visited occasionally while growing up. It felt very weird to be alone in such a large pool, and even stranger not to be wearing a swimsuit. Cecilia admired Jason's bare body as he stood on the diving board. Yes, he did indeed make a lovely sight, his athletic body strangely lit by the pool lights and reflected on the water. Cecilia thought that it was only proper that such a body always remain uncovered. It was really too bad Jason couldn't always be like this... As her boyfriend gracefully dove into the deep end, Cecilia waded out into shallow end. She went in far enough to allow the water to come up to her shoulders. She began enjoying herself...yes it really did feel better not to have to wear a swimsuit. Now she was quite glad to have forgotten to bring the garment because it had forced her to step away from her inhibitions. She enjoyed the feeling of the smooth cool water flowing over her body as she waded around and lightly splashed her arms in the water. Noticing her reluctance to take her feet off the bottom of the pool, Jason stepped out and got a training board Cassie had used years before when learning how to swim. He handed the board to Cecilia and gently coaxed her to take her feet off the floor. She followed his lead, learning how to kick as he guided her around the shallow end of the pool by pulling on the board. At first she splashed very clumsily, but within a few minutes she had the hang of it. A very strange sensation swept over Cecilia as her boyfriend gave her the impromptu swimming lesson. She felt almost like a child, splashing naked in the water and dependent on him for guidance and safety. He continued to gently guide her around as she improved the control over her legs. Eventually she splashed somewhat less and was able to propel herself forward. The test of the evening came when Jason suggested she flutter-kick herself to the deep end and back again, holding onto the board. Cecilia was terrified at the thought of not having the bottom of the pool close to her feet, but she trusted Jason enough to follow his suggestion. He swam alongside her as she slowly and nervously propelled herself across the pool. She gained some confidence as she made her way back to the shallow end, knowing he was there to rescue her if anything went wrong. Cecilia then sat on the edge of the pool resting, as she watched Jason dive a couple more times. From the diving board he admired her bare figure as she sat dipping her feet in the water. She really was quite pretty, he thought to himself. He swam up to her and began kissing the insides of her thighs. She reacted in her usual manner, the stimulation making her lie back and spread her legs, her uncovered vagina begging him to bring pleasure to it with his mouth. At first the only thing Jason could taste was the chlorine, but as she became more excited the familiar salty flavor of her body filled his mouth. She climaxed, and then slid into the water to join him. For a very long time they embraced and kissed. He stiffened and she became aroused again. They were just about to...when she remembered: "Jason, you don't have a condom on." "No." "And you don't have one with you either?" He shook his head. She backed away. "Cecilia, please..." "I can't. I can't risk it." "Please...it's almost the end of your month...Can't we...? "I can't, Jason. I'm not gonna risk it. I'm not gonna go through that again..." "Go through what again?" Cecilia's eyes filled with apprehension, as though she had just told him a dark secret she had not wanted him to know. She hesitated, then pushed him to the edge of the pool. "Get up. Sit up on the edge." When he obeyed, she pushed his thighs apart and began licking his penis. She gently encircled him with her lips and fingers while stimulated the tip with her tongue. It felt very good, but Jason knew that she did not much care for performing oral sex on a guy. What she was doing was changing the subject and diverting his attention from his last question. He quickly came, squirting semen into her mouth and onto the lower part of her face. She continued licking the tip of his penis, but he could tell she was disgusted by what she was doing. Still, it felt very good and relieved him tremendously. He could tell she was relieved as well, having safely disposed of his dangerous erection. She dipped her face into the water to rinse off and pulled him back into the pool. For a very long time the couple held onto each other, silently standing under the quiet tent as the pool lights gently reflected the moving water off the canopy above their heads. Cecilia placed her head against his chest, hugged him hard, and said nothing more. ---------- The following day Mr. Schmidt broke the news that he would not be available to take Jason and Cecilia back to Chicago until Saturday at the earliest. He justified the delay by claiming he had critical projects to take care of at work. That statement was only partially true. He did have work to take care of, but certainly nothing that couldn't wait until the following week. The truth was that he wanted to leave Cecilia in the house another day with the hope an open fight would break out between her and his wife. He wanted to give the two women every opportunity to make each other as miserable as possible. He also loved the idea of forcing his wife to deal with a rival who was capable of matching her jibes and hidden insults with sarcasm and jibes of her own. Cecilia never directly insulted Mrs. Schmidt nor said anything that could be construed as a direct insult, but her sarcastic responses to the older woman's constant comments drove her into despair. By the third day Mrs. Schmidt's insults were becoming more open, but Cecilia kept her cool and calmly continued answering by mocking her rival's most outrageous statements with irony. Sometimes she delighted in telling a short story or antidote that sounded straightforward enough, until the very end when she added a sarcastic conclusion. Another detail that drove Mrs. Schmidt to despair was the girl's bad grammar. Cecilia picked up on that and, whenever she was around Jason's mother, purposely spoke worse than normal. She even started highlighting her accent and inserting a few Spanish words into her speech, especially whenever the Tennis Queen made her disparaging comments about the maids or about Hispanics in general. Friday morning Mrs. Schmidt simply gave up, fleeing to her country club to get away from the odious trespasser who had so thoroughly contaminated her house. She couldn't handle dealing with the girl's hostile sarcastic behavior, listening to her grating accent, and hearing her constant use of "ain't". She would have the place fumigated and cleaned as soon as that Sanchez girl was gone. Undoubtedly she was unclean and probably had brought disease into the house. Yes, the place needed a good cleaning once that horrible deviant was taken out. As soon as Jason's mother left, Cecilia decided to spend the day finishing up a term paper and reviewing for finals, which were just three weeks away. Obviously Jason would have to study as well. However, there was a surprise coming to the young couple, a phone call from Jason's grandmother telling him that she had sent a friend to pick them up to have lunch with her. Shortly afterwards a jovial man about 65 years old came by and rang the doorbell. He was driving an old Chevy, just like the one Cecilia's mother had but in much better condition. The car either had been restored or had been properly taken care of, and it was interesting to see what her own family's car would have looked like when it was new. Jason invited his grandmother's friend to come in, but he refused. Instead, he said something Cecilia found very interesting. "You really think I'd want to go in there? Come-on, now. Your grandma says I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy. Now, let's get you two out of here." A few minutes later they were speeding out of the neighborhood and onto a public road. Cecilia breathed a huge sigh of relief at the thought of getting out of that oppressive place for a few hours and seeing something normal. Jason, too, for the first time in his life, also felt relieved to be getting out of his parents' house. He felt quite upbeat, but at first couldn't understand why. The trip took them through a couple of small rural towns to a condominium development. It was 20 minutes and a world away from the area they had left, condos occupied by older and middle-aged residents. The units were nice and kept up, but there was nothing ostentatious about them. As soon as they entered her condominium, the reason for the invitation from Jason's grandmother became clear. She was interested in getting to know Cecilia better and that interest was genuine. She was fascinated by the young woman who had matched wits with her obnoxious daughter the day before. Cecilia knew right away that, with Jason's grandmother, she could let down her guard and enjoy a normal conversation. Two generations separated the two couples at the table, but they were able to converse freely and casually. There was talk about how their university had changed over the years, some talk about cars, and finally some talk about the Schmidts' neighborhood. Jason and his grandmother's friend then decided to watch part of a college football game while the two women continued talking in the kitchen. With the two males now out of the room, the topic of conversation shifted to Jason's parents and the unpleasant experience at their dinner table the day before. What her hostess had to say about Jason's mother surprised Cecilia. "You know, she wasn't always like that. She was a really nice girl when I first met her, and even when they got married. I liked her a lot. What you're seeing now, that didn't happen until later. I hate to say this, but the truth is, it was my son who ruined her." Noting Cecilia's surprised expression, Jason's grandmother continued. "My son...I just don't know about him. I never really figured him out, 'cause he was always so different from me and Bob (that's my late husband). I guess he's always had this...'gotta win' personality. For him it's all about competing and winning. There isn't anything else. He can't be happy unless he's on top, and it's been that way ever since he was little. He's always had to be Mr. Big Shot...you know...never happy unless he was stomping on someone else. Everyone's afraid of him, and that's what he likes, everybody to be afraid of him. And my daughter became that way too. I guess she had to, if she wanted to keep her sanity around him. That part I can understand, but still, it was kind of sad to see it happen. She's become so obnoxious, she's now worse than he is. I honestly can't put up with being around her anymore." The Freshman Ch. 18 The conversation turned to Cecilia's life and interests. She talked at length about her research and preparing for the upcoming visit of the Danubian Prime Minister Vladim Dukov, and finally mentioned her correspondence with Kimberly Lee of "Socrates' Mistresses". "I love that group! But I haven't seen their music for nearly a year. So they're still around?" Cecilia explained about the breach of contract suit and the fact the band's music could only be purchased in Upper Danubia. Jason's grandmother responded by asking if Cecilia could get her a copy of the group's latest music. "I 'spose so, Mrs. Schmidt. I'll see if I can get Kim Lee to send you the band's CD's. They're pretty good about helpin' out fans who can't get their music." As the afternoon progressed, the two women found out they had a lot in common, in spite of their very different backgrounds. Jason's grandmother was deeply impressed by her guest and clearly signaled her approval of the relationship. "You're a good kid, and it's pretty obvious you're going far. I can see that in you. And I want to thank you for all the help you've given Jason this semester. I don't know if you realize how much it's helped him, and I, for one, am very grateful for the time you've spent with him. It makes me really happy to see it, because, as you know, his father was convinced he'd flop in college. I'm glad to see my son proved wrong. It's nice to see Jason straightening himself up and putting his life back together." The words "straightening himself up and putting his life back together" stuck in Cecilia's thoughts. She wondered if that comment had anything to do with Mr. Schmidt's "Heather Jones" remark from the day before. It became obvious there was something in his past that Jason had not wanted to tell her. ---------- Later that night Cecilia and Jason could feel the oppressive neighborhood close in on them as the older couple took them back. Jason's grandmother decided to accompany them back to her son's house, using the need to pick up a couple of dishes as justification for going. The truth was she felt it would be a good idea to go in with them and make sure everything was calm at least for the first few minutes they were settling in. She also wanted to signal her approval of Cecilia, and in doing so offset her daughter's vehement opposition. Fortunately it was quite late and Jason's mother already had locked herself in the Master bedroom. Jason's father was watching a football game in the living room. Seeing his mother walk in with Cecilia silenced whatever comment he might have wanted to make to either of them. He didn't have that much to say to her, but got up to retrieve the dishes she wanted. As soon as the older couple was out the door, he announced that he was planning to take Jason and Cecilia back early the next morning, so he expected them to be packed up and ready to leave as soon as he was awake. The next morning they left in the pre-dawn cold of a late fall morning. The reason for the early departure became evident as soon as Jason's father turned on the car radio, a big snowstorm was expected later that afternoon and it was very likely roads would start closing by sunset. Mr. Schmidt would drop off the two students at the university, and then head over to a studio apartment he rented near his downtown office and weather the storm there. The detail of the apartment added another mystery to the relationship between Jason and his father. Mr. Schmidt had not only his job, but also a second residence, in downtown Chicago, less then 20 miles from the university. However, Jason never mentioned anything about that. Had he even seen his father's apartment? Had he ever gone over there to visit? As she watched the fields of southern Wisconsin transform into the suburbs of northern Illinois, she tried to comprehend all that she had learned that weekend. She had some of her questions answered, but now there were others she needed to resolve. Something just was not right. Like separate pieces of a puzzle, Cecilia began to ponder how the clues she had picked up about Jason and his relationship with his parents fit together. There was the Heather Jones comment and Mr. Schmidt's insistence that Jason had no character. There was his grandmother's comment about Jason "straightening himself up and putting his life back together". There was the fact that Jason's father treated him with absolute contempt. He paid Jason's bills, but otherwise ignored him. And there was the fact that Jason did not have a car, never drove in Wisconsin, and made no mention to his parents of driving Mike's car during his first dates with Cecilia. She began to wonder if he wasn't supposed to drive. Cecilia had thought about asking Jason about Heather Jones, but decided not to. Mr. Schmidt had told her to ask, but she felt she couldn't trust anything Jason's father had to say. She decided to avoid his advice and not ask directly, but instead see if she could find out anything on her own. ---------- When Mr. Schmidt dropped the two students off at the dorm, he brusquely said goodbye and sped off to his own refuge, that studio apartment downtown. He planned to spend the night with an employee of his firm's coffee shop. He needed to get both her and their dinner safely settled into the apartment before it started snowing. Sunday the city would be shut down and Monday traffic would be completely disrupted. Not that it mattered to Mr. Schmidt. His work was a five-minute walk from his apartment. He would be at his desk on time Monday morning, ready to issue reprimands to employees who came in late due to the traffic problems. As he always put it: "The company's not paying you to sit in traffic. We're paying you to be at work on time." The fact that his subordinates didn't have money for an apartment close to work wasn't his problem. ---------- Words could not describe how happy Cecilia was to be back safely in her dorm room. She fought back the urge to get on her knees and kiss the floor. Oh...she would sleep well tonight, in her own bed, in her own small space on the planet, her own tiny, quiet refuge. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was hers. The first thing Cecilia did was get on the Internet. Four days of messages were waiting for her attention, including a couple of e-mails from Kimberly Lee. That reminded Cecilia to ask about CD's for Jason's grandmother. After she typed out her explanation about the need for the CD's, she decided to share her experience about the argument with Mr. Schmidt and his views about the Danubian Prime Minister. That led to an explanation of the complete difference between Mr. Schmidt and his mother and the entire dysfunctional nature of Jason's parents. She concluded with: "I can't believe how much hatred there is in that family, and what's weird is that they hate each other for no reason. They don't have any of the problems my family had when I was growing up, but they're just as miserable, or maybe even more miserable. The members of my family in New Jersey all got on each other's nerves because we were jammed together in that small apartment. I don't think anyone in my family actually hated anyone else, at least not until I got ready to take off for Chicago. We just got on each other's nerves, and that wasn't the same as what's going on with the Schmidts." ---------- As soon as she sent the e-mail to Kimberly Lee, Cecilia decided to try to find out about Heather Jones. She began searching the name on the Internet by itself, but of course came up hundreds of responses. She began narrowing the search by typing the name with local county names and the names of the towns close to where Jason lived while in high school. Finally she found something, a news article from about a year before. She read: Two teens charged after fatal crash Carterville Daily Press - Dec 10 10:34 AM The Carterville District Attorney's Office decided to press charges today against two teenagers involved in last week's fatal crash that resulted in the deaths of three local high school students. The teenagers, Matthew Fox, Heather Jones, and Kate Simpson were killed during a collision that local police believe was the result of drag racing. The two teenagers facing charges are William Davis and Jason Schmidt. Carterville County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Raymond Wright announced that the charges would include manslaughter, reckless driving, and driving under the influence. He added that the investigation was ongoing and additional charges were pending. He concluded that the Sheriff's office hopes to prosecute the two teenagers as adults. "There's a lot more to this than a simple drag racing incident. Those kids were driving under the influence, and it wasn't alcohol. We can't go into details right now because we're still investigating. We're going to be interviewing kids at the school next week, and we're asking parents to tell their children they need to cooperate with us. There's some serious stuff going on here, and we need everyone's cooperation and support." Detective Wright reminded the press that last week's tragedy was the third such incident resulting in a fatality since the beginning of the school year. "Let this be a lesson to the community, you've just got to watch your kids. A teenager is not an adult and..." The rest of the article did not directly talk about Jason, so Cecilia quit reading. She highlighted the text to copy into a blank word processing document and saved it. She was not particularly surprised or shocked, because she had known that something terrible must have happened to her boyfriend last year. So this was it, reckless driving that resulted in a fatal crash. It explained a lot, but not everything. Manslaughter, reckless driving, and driving under the influence. Pretty serious charges, and yet Jason was not sitting in jail. Just how did he get out of it? That was the next question she wanted to answer. She continued searching Within a few minutes she found a couple of articles about the wreck itself. Cecilia knew enough about life to realize the accident was the predictable result of rich kids with too much time on their hands and too little supervision. There was a group of teenagers who had taken over a back road to drag race, do wheelies in a nearby field, and play "chicken". The weather was relatively warm for that time of the year, so a group of about 20 students gathered to waste a Thursday night in the countryside. The teenagers did not have any alcohol, because they did not need it. Instead, they were using ecstasy. By midnight the group had expanded to about 40 students and already had wrecked one car. From that rollover there were no injuries, oddly enough considering the damage done to the car. But the dares were getting more outrageous. At about 1:30 Jason Schmidt and William Davis, at the urging of their respective girlfriends, decided to race. Both cars had sunroofs, so the two girls decided stand up through the openings, lit two flares, and held them up during the competition. So, two teenagers, high on ecstasy, with their two girlfriends, also high on ecstasy, barreled down the road. It was Matthew Fox who added the final touch to the impending disaster. He was coming down off his own high and had decided to head home after fighting with his girlfriend. He was unaware of the race as he incoherently turned out onto the road. The disaster happened in an instant. The two racing vehicles rammed Matthew Fox's car on the driver's side, killing him instantly. Heather Jones and Kate Simpson were thrown from their respective cars, their bodies tumbling across the pavement as Fox's vehicle burst into flames. The airbags in the two racing cars deployed, saving Jason and William from serious injury. In fact, Jason was not injured at all, because he was wearing his seatbelt. Acting on nothing but instinct, the two dazed racers stumbled out of their cars and away from the fire, which was fortunate. Moments later the two colliding cars burst into flames as well. The combined fire lit up the entire area with ominous orange light as the combined smell of burning gasoline, burning rubber, and Matthew's burning flesh permeated the air. There was nothing that could be done for either Heather or Kate. They were as dead as could be; their prostrate bodies lying horribly twisted and disfigured on the cold pavement. The girls' two flares continued to burn further down the road, having rolled a very long way from the crash-site. How fast it all had happened! There was nothing left to do except call Emergency Services. Many of the spectators panicked and fled, some of them nearly colliding with incoming fire trucks and ambulances. Jason and William, their minds addled with ecstasy, simply stood on the road watching the firemen douse the flames, wondering if this was real or just a bad trip. Shortly afterwards they were at the Carterville Community Hospital Emergency Room, being examined for injuries pending a trip to the police station. ---------- Cecilia calmly copied the text from the articles and saved it into separate documents. There were some pictures as well, including yearbook photos and mugshots of Jason and William Davis, as well as a couple of police photos of the crash site taken the next day. She tried to disassociate herself from the horror Jason must have endured as a result of his stupidity. Right now she was collecting information. The reaction would set in later, once she had all the facts. She continued looking, trying to find out why Jason had not gone to jail. Finally she came across the following: Drag racing teen indicted for drug dealing Carterville Daily Press - Jan 29 11:57 AM The Carterville District Attorney's Office announced indictments today against former Carterville Central High School student William Davis, 17 and his brother Mark Davis, 20, for their role in distributing ecstasy among students in two Carterville-area high schools. The District Attorney's Office announced that the charge of possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute against William Davis would be added to the charges of manslaughter, reckless driving, and driving under the influence, stemming from the crash last December that resulted in the deaths of three local teens. The DA's office also announced that Davis will be tried as an adult and prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law." Davis' co-defendant, Jason Schmidt, pled guilty to reckless driving and driving under the influence. In exchange for the plea and his testimony, the District Attorney agreed to drop the other charges pending against him, which included manslaughter. Schmidt will lose all driving privileges until he is 21, perform 200 hours of community service, and receive counseling until he graduates from high school. When asked about the difference between the treatment of the two defendants the DA responded. "I'm convinced the Schmidt kid was duped. He's basically a nice kid that just fell in with the wrong group, but he is going to need to think about where he's going with his life and get some counseling to get over this. "As for Davis, that's a different story because the group was getting the ecstasy from him and his brother. We got him with 130 doses of ecstasy and 8 ounces of marijuana, and he was on probation for a prior. The brother who got him the stuff was out on parole, so we're going to nail them both. "What gets to us in the DA's office is that these all kids are from good families. They're not a bunch of bums. But, you give 'em too much down time and throw in some drugs, and, well, you end up with a tragedy like what we had out on Miller Road..." Once again the article diverged into a moralistic lecture to the county's parents. Apparently the local officials liked to do that, preach to the community, but unfortunately they were right. Indeed, what was Jason doing out on a country road at 1:30 on a Thursday night? Of course, Cecilia knew the answer, because she had met his parents. Oddly enough, what angered Cecilia the most was not what happened, nor even the fact that Jason had kept it from her, but instead the detail about his driving. Throughout the semester he had placed both of them at risk by driving to their downtown dinner dates in Mike's car. The driving most definitely would stop, Cecilia would see to that. If it meant no more fancy dinners in downtown Chicago, well, that's the way it would have to be. Jason had no right to place them at risk like that, driving with no license, even if his goal simply was to make her happy. She pondered what to do with the information. She now knew Jason's secret. Yes, it was a pretty bad secret, but she no longer was sure she wanted to confront him over it. She badly wanted him to come clean and confess to her. She knew it would be extremely important that he work up the courage to do it on his own, instead of her having to drag it out of him. She knew that would be vital for their future as a couple, he absolutely had to face up to what he did and admit it to her. Cecilia Sanchez thoughts moved to her own dark secret, a horrid memory that came back to her when she was discussing her life with the Schmidts. There was one detail she left out, an incident that, more than anything else in her squalid life as a teenager, defined who she was and what she wanted from life. Her own secret was the second reason she was reluctant to confront Jason about the wreck. How could she attack Jason about trying to deceive her about his past, when she was doing the exact same thing to him? She turned out the light and stared out the window while she waited for him to call. As she watched the snow build up on the ground outside she thought to herself: I guess it's only fair that me and Jason end up together. Both of us got blood on our hands. The Freshman Ch. 19 Chapter 19 - Two confessions Jason was very happy to get back to his dorm room. Before he settled down to study, he decided to get cleaned up. He somehow felt unclean, contaminated by the extremely unpleasant three days he had just endured. The trip had badly unsettled him, because for the first time in his life he realized how dysfunctional and unpleasant his parents truly were. He was absolutely horrified at the grotesque way they had treated Cecilia. They certainly didn't care whether or not he was happy with her. They had made absolutely no effort whatsoever to be courteous to her, having dismissed her outright with hostile glances before she even had a chance to speak to them. Both his mother and his father, each in their own way, had hoped to humiliate her and break up the relationship. What caught them off-guard was his girlfriend's strong personality and her determination to strike back if she was offended. The Thanksgiving fiasco was the latest painful encounter he had endured at the hands of his parents. There had been plenty of others, especially since last December. His father made no effort to conceal his total contempt for Jason, and his mother simply ignored him. There wasn't much he could do however, because his father paid all his bills. He felt trapped by his situation or, as Cecilia put it, he constantly had to "put up with his dad's shit". He wondered if either of his parents really loved him at all, or if they were simply going through the motions of parenting. He wondered how much they really cared about his life. It didn't seem like they cared all that much, given the fact that neither of them bothered to maintain any communication with him for the first three months he was in college. They just paid his tuition and turned him loose to sink or swim. He now wondered if his father secretly hoped that he would fail his classes, and thus be able to remind him what a miserable, pathetic loser he really was. Oh, he heard that plenty at the end of last year, what a totally worthless person he had become, with his ecstasy use and drag racing and criminal record. Had he failed his college classes, he would have returned home to listen to that all over again. But he didn't fail during the first semester. He was doing much better than he possibly could have expected, likely to get a "B" in Burnside's class and "A's" in everything else. Who would have expected that? The answer was no one, except Cecilia. She was the one who knew he could do it. She also was the one who insisted he do it, the one who insisted he succeed. She knew how to make him successful. She didn't waste any time giving vague encouragement, but instead actually made him sit down, do the work, and acquire the knowledge he needed to pass his classes. She seemed to know his strengths and weaknesses, and was determined to make him use his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. She was harsh and demanding when she needed to be, and supportive and understanding when she needed to be. Most importantly, she loved him enough to spend whatever time she needed to make sure he did not fall behind. Whatever I've accomplished this semester, it's because of her, thought Jason to himself. ---------- That Saturday night, as the snow piled up outside and the empty dorm building sat eerily silent, Jason found it very hard to concentrate. He contemplated his father's utter contempt for his life and his actions, his thoughts wandering back to that horrible night when all his weaknesses caught up with him. As both his father and his counselor kept reminding him, ultimately he had no one to blame but himself for that fiery wreck and the deaths of three people. Had he just used some common sense instead of chasing after his emotions of the moment, it wouldn't have happened. None of it would have happened. The DA said that he had been duped. The plea bargain let him off with absolutely the lightest sentence that was politically possible, suspension of driving privileges for three years and 200 hours cleaning bathrooms at a state hospital. Jason had been duped, he had indeed fallen in with the wrong crowd, but really, whose fault was that? Yes, he could say that it was peer pressure, or even the resentment and hurt over his father's dismissal of his achievements on the track field, but ultimately it was his own choices that led up to the car crash. It was Jason who had decided to change his group of friends, it was Jason who decided to turn his back on the girl he had been dating for more than a year, and it was Jason who decided to chase after the elusive and difficult Heather Jones. Those were his decisions, no one else's. Prior to his interest in Heather, he had been dating Amanda Galloway, a fellow long-distance runner from the track team. The two seemed perfectly suited for each other, spending much of their time exercising and jogging together. Their lives consisted of their sport, but for Jason that became a problem. He started to get bored being with a girl who only seemed interested in running, and began to look for something different. That something different turned out to be Heather and the school's party crowd. Unlike Amanda, Heather was not an easy girl to get along with. The fact she was so hard to impress made her all that more attractive to anyone who wanted a challenge. She made life a living hell for any guy she happened to be with at the moment and ultimately ended up dumping whomever she was dating after a few weeks, but that seemed to only increase her desirability for many of her classmates. She went through numerous popular guys, including several football players and the valedictorian from the previous year's graduating class. When she showed interest in Jason, he jumped, at the time not thinking about the consequences of what he was doing. At the beginning of November he dropped Amanda, who was devastated when he broke up with her. With that he changed not only his girlfriend, but also his circle of other friends. After leaving Amanda he felt he really couldn't hang out with the track team members anymore. He ended up trying to ingratiate his way into Heather's clique and impress them instead. What Jason did not realize was that his new girlfriend was playing with his emotions. Heather's main goal had been to get him away from Amanda. Once she accomplished that, she toyed with his feelings and enjoyed watching him desperately try to please her. He started using ecstasy and smoking marijuana to be part of her crowd. He took her to a couple of raves, even though he had no desire to do that at all. At the end of November he tried his hand at drag racing for the first time, which was one thing Heather seemed to enjoy doing. Two weeks after Jason's first attempt to race, he tried it a second time, mainly because Heather had made a bet with her friend Kate Simpson. She gave him an ecstasy tablet to help him overcome his fear and make sure he was more likely to win. She took a tablet herself, waited for it to take effect, and pulled a flare out of the trunk of Jason's car. She stood up through the sunroof, lit the flare and started screaming. Jason and William took off. The crash that ended the two girls' lives happened less than 30 seconds later. The two months following the crash were an ongoing hell for Jason. The horror of multiple court appearances, the endless consultations with his father's attorney, the real fear that he might actually be going to jail for several years, the endless hours of community service, the constant insulting comments by his parents, and the ostracism he faced in school became the new realities of his life. The party crowd's existence was disrupted in a big way, as police and school officials descended on them in a huge ecstasy investigation. The county officials needed someone to scapegoat for the triple tragedy, but in the end William Davis and his brother turned out to be much better targets for blame than Jason. Both Jason's counselor and his father's attorney convinced him that he owed absolutely no loyalty to his new friends. Instead, he needed to save himself by testifying in court against William. He returned to his classes and did well enough during the final months to graduate. However, he spent the spring semester completely alone since no one in the school wanted to talk to him. He had betrayed two sets of friends and made himself a total outcast. The hardest part of it all was whenever he bumped into Amanda in the hallway. She quietly stared at him with extreme hurt and extreme anger, but what could he say to her? What could he say to any of his former friends? ---------- The weight of those memories pressed in on Jason. That was his dark secret, the thing he had wanted to put into the past forever. He thought he had succeeded, but the trip home had brought everything back as clearly as if it had happened just the day before. No, he would never escape. A new thought passed through his mind. What if Cecilia found out? How on earth would she react? When she was talking alone to his father...had he told her anything? For a very long time Jason sat immobilized in his room, completely tormented by the fear Cecilia might find out his secret from high school. His inner turmoil became worse as he realized that her finding out was not a matter of if, but when. She would indeed find out, there was no doubt about it, because it was part of her nature to find things out. She always had uncovered everything else about him. He drew a very deep breath. He...needed to tell her...she was going to find out anyway...better that he tell her himself. He was startled when his phone rang. He picked up, knowing that it was Cecilia. Who else could it be? "Jason, aren't you ready yet? It's 11:00 and I'm waitin' for you." "I...I didn't study...I don't...I was thinking about some other stuff...and I...just forgot." "What other stuff? I'm warnin' you, don't you be blowin' off your studies. You're almost done with the semester. You just got three weeks left. Do your finals, then you can think about that other stuff..." "I can't. Tonight I just can't..." He couldn't say anything else. For a long time he just sat in silence. Finally she got impatient. "Alright. I'm comin' over and I'll take you back to my room. Maybe if you can talk about it you'll feel better." A couple of minutes later she was at his door and escorting him to her room. She could tell right away he was very distressed, struggling with some internal issue. She suspected, or hoped, that she knew what it was. He was close to confessing. All he needed was the tiniest bit of encouragement. "You're still upset about your folks?" "I...yeah. I'm still kinda embarrassed about it." "Look. I'm not mad about the trip, Jason. I told you I'm not mad. It wasn't your fault. I don't want you worryin' about that. I can tell you, if I'd taken you to my place, it would've been just as bad for you. My brothers aren't all that nice, especially if you're not from the project." "There's...more to it than what I've told you. A lot more. Dad and Mom have their reason to be mad at me. What happened was they took it out on you." "How come they're mad? What'd you do?" Jason sat down and stared at the floor. He felt sick and his hands shook as he tried to figure out how on earth he was going to tell her. "What'd you do, Jason? Why are you all upset like this?" Finally he blurted out a confession, speaking so fast that Cecilia had a hard time following what he was saying. "My parents...I mean I...I mean...last year I killed someone...I killed my girlfriend...I mean like, uh...not on purpose...but I...I like...was on ecstasy and driving fast 'cause we were racing and crashed and she fell out and it blew up and she was all ripped up on the street I mean like, uh, her and her friend, they were all dead and stuff and the other guy was burning up and we were just standing there and everyone took off and I was stoned and I thought it was a bad trip...and she was just lying there all dead and busted up and blood all over the street and her jacket all torn open and...I...I didn't wanna tell you this...but...I..." She realized he was having a flashback by the tormented look on his face and his incoherent speech. Nevertheless, she was enormously relieved. He had done it! He had confessed, and mostly on his own. Cecilia's mind moved to her next two tasks, getting him to calm down and getting the complete story out of him. She already knew most of the story, but what she did not know was what was on Jason's mind as the consequences from the accident ran their course through his life. She pretended to be surprised. She took his arm. "Jason...Jason. You gotta calm down! Please...you gotta calm down! Now...what are you talkin' about? Who got killed?" Over the next hour the story came out in pieces, but the details matched what was in the newspaper articles now saved on Cecilia's hard drive. Because she already knew what had happened, she was more interested in knowing what was going on in Jason's mind instead of hearing about the crash itself. She became especially interested in learning the details of his relationships with Amanda and Heather and in finding out why his father would have accused him of having no character. She also wanted to know how he had changed since the crash. As always, she was interested in finding out as much as she could to expand her control over his life, but she also wanted to help him get past the incident and perhaps finally break free from his guilt. Jason confessed, convinced that Cecilia would leave him as soon as he was finished talking. He was sure that he had disgraced himself and that no woman who knew about the accident could ever stay with him. Now Cecilia knew, and momentarily she would be telling him to get out of her room. Once again, he would be alone, ostracized because of his stupidity. Her next words surprised him. "I got a question for you. You're telling me that you're not 'sposed to drive 'till you're 21, right?" "No. I'm not supposed to drive." "Then how come you're drivin' Mike's car? When you take me out, I mean?" "I...kinda wanted things to be, you know, like, normal between us when I took you out." "Well they're not normal, are they? You're not 'sposed to drive, and you got no right puttin' yourself at risk like that. What'd happen if the cops stop you?" "I'd probably have to go back to court and get re-sentenced, 'cause it's a violation." "You'd get re-sentenced 'cause it's a violation. You get re-sentenced, and what good's that gonna do me? I don't need you sittin' in jail, so you're not drivin' any more! Get it? You're not drivin' any more! Don't you ever let me catch you drivin' again, 'cause if you do, I'll whip your ass so hard you'll be bleedin' when I'm done! I mean that, so don't try me!" For a long time Jason was silent. Ironically, he felt a huge burden lift from his soul. He realized, precisely because of the threat to punish him, that she had no intention of leaving. She now knew, in detail, his darkest secret, and yet she was not going to abandon him. He hugged her hard, as tears ran down his cheeks. Words could not have described the relief he felt at that moment. He had conquered his biggest fear, actually putting into words what had happened on Miller Road. Cecilia now knew about that part of his life, and to his surprise, actually accepted it. She loved him enough to actually accept something so terrible about him. ---------- Cecilia had her own ghost, one that she had carried with her since she was 15. It was because of her own inner torment that it was so important to her that Jason confess about his role in the death of Heather Jones. Now that Jason had confessed and conquered his fears, it was her turn. She separated from him and told him to sit down. She walked to the window and watched the snow continue to pile up for a few minutes, while Jason nervously watched her. Without looking at him she began speaking. "You know, that I...I'm not that nice of a person. I'm kinda bossy, I gotta be in charge, and when you're with me, I gotta have everything done my way. And I got this thing in me...that makes me...I guess, kinda get nasty whenever I think someone wants to give me shit. Your parents got to see that part of me up close, but it's even more true with guys. I can't take shit from a guy. That's why I love you, cause you're the first guy I've been with who doesn't give me shit." She looked back at him. Their eyes met and she continued. "There's something real important that you gotta know, that I gotta tell you. I'm warnin' you now, it's something about me that's never gonna change. No matter what happens between us, you're always gonna have to do what I tell you. It won't ever be any different, and if you wanna spend your time with me, you're just gonna have to accept it. I'm not tryin' to scare you. I'm just tryin' to be honest. I can't do it any other way...in a relationship, I mean. I'm gonna have to be in charge, and you're gonna have to live with that." Cecilia's blunt words scared Jason. He didn't know how to respond. She continued. "I'm tellin' you this...'cause I got my reasons...of bein' the way I am. It's 'cause of somethin' that happened to me four years ago. I haven't talked about it to anyone in four years, but...I'm gonna have to tell you, and the only reason I'm tellin' you is so you'll understand me. Right now there's only three people who know about it, a social worker, a doctor, and a nurse...and well, I guess a receptionist too. You're gonna be the only other person who'll ever know, 'cause I'm never gonna tell anyone else, and you aren't either." She struggled to catch her breath and continued: "You're not the only person in this room with blood on your hands, Jason. I got blood on my hands, too. That's why I don't have any right to be pissed about your car accident. I'm not any better than you." Cecilia's thoughts moved back in time four years. Four years! She couldn't believe it had been four years already. Instead of giving Jason the story piecemeal, she decided to start at the beginning and narrate through to the end. She told Jason not to interrupt her, that if he had any questions to please keep them until she was finished. She began by recounting a few details of her life during her earlier years of high school that she had omitted at the Schmidts' dinner table. She had been a good student throughout her childhood, but as adolescence loomed, she faced the same pressures as other girls her age to find a boyfriend and dedicate her time to him. There were several guys who attracted her, but at age 14 she settled on Vicente Torres, who was a friend of her older brother Raul. At the beginning Vicente seemed nice enough, but within a year the neighborhood's social pressures were closing in on his life. Raul was pressuring Vicente to join his gang. He worked on Cecilia as well, placing pressure on his sister to use her relationship with Vicente to help him control his friend. Cecilia found herself at odds with her brother, because she did not want Vicente in Raul's gang. If Vicente joined the gang, then she would be pressured to join the girlfriends' gang, which was absolutely the last thing she wanted to do. Raul stepped up the pressure on Cecilia over the year she was dating Vicente, but she held on to her hope that both she and her boyfriend could stay out of the gang. Vicente finally gave into Raul's pressure. He started the initiation to join Raul's gang and began selling crack under Raul's direction. Cecilia knew that she had lost her fight for Vicente's soul when he began getting tattoos that matched the ones that Raul had. He was getting marked up, and if she stayed with him, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to start visiting the tattoo parlor herself. The Freshman Ch. 19 She interrupted her story to remind Jason about her anger over the tattoo incident the month before. "Tattoos bring back a lot of bad memories for me, Jason. Now you'll know why I'm never gonna let you get a tattoo." The problem for Cecilia was that she continued to do well in her studies and did not want to give up that part of her life. She also saw what was happening to some of the other girls her age, who already were beginning to fall into abusive relationships and quitting school. One by one her old friends were disappearing from her classes. Some were already using crack, and some were already pregnant, but none of them was leading a life that she found appealing. The more the others were leaving school, the more determined she was to stay. During Cecilia's sophomore year, Vicente's character changed dramatically. He was becoming much more aggressive and more demanding about sex. The sexual part of the relationship, something she had enjoyed at the beginning, became more and more onerous as Vicente's sexual appetites changed. To her horror he began experimenting having sex with mixtures of Viagra, ecstasy, and cocaine. When the drugs did not give him the results he wanted he blamed her. Several times he slapped her over his frustration from his own sexual performance. By the beginning of the second year of the relationship Vicente was regularly using cocaine as well as helping Raul sell it on the streets. Cecilia became afraid of his mood swings and the constant threat of being punched or slapped. She felt horribly trapped. As for the community, the rules were very clear; she did not have the right to complain. She was his property, and it was her duty to keep him happy. Vicente became even more bossy and demanding as the weeks went by. Cecilia's life at home was becoming increasingly unpleasant. Her only escape was school. She spent more and more time at school, hanging out with teachers and studying in the library. To her school was the only place that made sense. The world on the outside didn't make any sense. When Cecilia learned that Vicente had another girlfriend, she confronted him about it and ended up with a bloody nose. With that she had enough. I'm getting out of this, she thought to herself. I've had it with Vicente and Raul. They can take their drugs and their gang and all the rest of their shit and stick it up their asses. Using Vicente's other girlfriend to justify what she was doing, she broke up with him. Vicente got violent and smashed several things in the Sanchez' apartment, which set off a fight between Cecilia's mother, her mother's boyfriend, her brother, and Vicente. The issue that set off the fight was the broken items in the apartment, not Cecilia. In the end it turned out to be very fortunate that Vicente did break all that stuff, because it precipitated a vicious fistfight between him and Raul . The fight gave Cecilia her chance to slip out of the relationship with Vicente without having to confront her brother. When she went to school the next day, Cecilia enjoyed a real sensation of freedom. She had done it, she was free! No more Vicente, no more bloody noses, no more cocaine-induced sex demands, no more pressure to join the girls' gang! She was done with all that! She was free! The euphoria only lasted a couple of days. Before long, Vicente was back at the apartment, having made up with Raul and also expecting to make up with Cecilia. She fought the urge to take him back, sticking to her disgust over the fact he had another girlfriend. Her resolve not to take him back became even stronger when she found out that the other girlfriend was pregnant with his child. After a week of arguing it finally seemed Vicente was ready to give up, especially since Cecilia's mother still was furious about what had happened to her apartment and ordered Raul to keep him out. Again Cecilia breathed a huge sigh of relief, except there was one problem. She had missed her period. So, it turned out that she hadn't broken free after all. Now she was stuck with having Vicente's kid. A month passed, and several pregnancy tests confirmed the news, Cecilia was pregnant. What on earth was she going to do? Vicente already had another kid on the way and his behavior was becoming more erratic than ever. She couldn't go back to him. What the fuck was she going to do? During that first month of being pregnant she made a significant decision. She decided not to tell anyone about the pregnancy until she could figure out how to deal with it herself. Of course her family would expect her to have the baby, no matter what. But did she want the child? She was consumed with hatred towards Vicente for what he had done to her, and now her hatred was focused against his child, the one that she was carrying. She went to Social Services for advice. The social worker pondered her options, none of which seemed particularly appealing. Finally, having exhausted all other possibilities, he made a suggestion, that she consider having an abortion. The thought went against everything that Cecilia's community believed and was a horrible solution, but it was the only choice that promised her the possibility of staying in school and returning to her prior life. For several days Cecilia struggled with the issue, but her hatred of Vicente finally pushed her to go ahead with the visit to the clinic. She asked the social worker to help her make arrangements, which entailed a trip into New York City. The procedure itself was grueling, humiliating, and left her in tears, but as she laid back and felt the instruments press into her, she kept reminding herself that it was her revenge against her ex-boyfriend. I ain't havin' your fuckin' kid, Vicente. I just ain't. Cecilia returned to school somewhat changed. She had made her deal with the devil, ending the life of the child she was carrying so she could have her freedom back. There were times she felt horribly guilty about what she had to do, but usually she was able to direct her guilt as blame against her ex-boyfriend. Had he treated her better, she would not have felt so driven to have the abortion. She became coldly focused on her studies. The guys remaining in school chased after her because she was so attractive, but she rudely rebuffed them. She spent the next three years of her life completely alone, pursuing a single mission in life. At all costs, she had to get her diploma and get out of the neighborhood. For the next three years, her obsession was graduating. She just had to get away. She looked upon the Salsa and Rap-induced machismo of her neighborhood with loathing. She made no effort to conceal her contempt of the messages being constantly blared out through the loudspeakers and stereos of her peers. She jeered at her classmates' sexist Rap lyrics and in doing so further alienated herself from the other girls still attending the school. Anyhow, that wasn't how she was going to live. She was determined that never again would she take orders from a boyfriend or submit to anything a guy wanted. Instead, she would have to find a partner who was willing to submit to her and obey her. Never again could she relinquish control of her life to someone else, no matter how much she loved that other person. When Cecilia finished her story she stood quietly at the window. Jason wasn't sure what to say. He had grown up in a community where abortion was not looked upon as much more than a simple medical procedure, but he knew that in the community from which Cecilia came, abortion was viewed very differently. To her, admitting to having undergone an abortion was a horrible confession. She had made a desperate decision that completely cut her off from the core values of her church, her family and her community. In Cecilia's mind, to keep her freedom she had to commit murder. He knew better than to try to argue with her or convince her that what she did was no big deal. To her it was a very big deal. There would be no convincing her otherwise. He did have a question. "I'm kinda curious about one thing. If you had to do it all over again, the abortion I mean, would you?" "Yes, Jason, I would've. I didn't have any choice, 'cause I didn't wanna be Vicente's bitch. That's what he kept callin' me, his bitch. I ain't nobody's bitch." Cecilia had opened the window of her soul to Jason, not out of any sudden weakness or vulnerability, but because she wanted him to understand her needs and what being with her would truly mean for his own life. He would have to surrender himself, because she couldn't have it any other way. There was no question that he would indeed submit to her. At that moment, following their night of difficult confessions, he became committed to accepting the life she had created for him. He had no choice, because the trip home and his memories of Heather Jones made him realize that, without Cecilia, the only thing he could look forward to in his own life was failure. He did not have a strong personality and without a partner who could force him to focus his energies, he would drift. He had the intelligence to succeed, but lacked the drive in his character. Cecilia, with her sharp commands and her willingness to use the belt on him, filled that void in Jason's life. He needed her every bit as much as she needed him. Not only did he need her help with his studies, but he also needed her discipline and her ability to help him focus. He needed the love she was offering, a love that demanded he make the most out of himself and overcome his weaknesses. Jason also knew, in spite of her assertion "I'm gonna have to be in charge, and you're gonna have to live with that," there were some things in life he would be able to teach her. Swimming was one example. Over time there would have to be more swimming lessons, because she absolutely had to learn how to swim. Another way he had influenced her was her increasing openness about her body. He noticed she was wearing underwear less and had begun sleeping in the nude. His goal next summer would be to get her to go to a nude beach and break away from her remaining inhibitions. Over time he would have the chance to change her in other ways, although he would have to do it quietly and on the spur of the moment. Obviously he could never change her by attempting to give her any orders. ---------- It was 3:00 in the morning, but neither Cecilia nor Jason was tired. Jason needed to go to the bathroom, so Cecilia escorted him out of he women's wing and waited for him to return to the commons area. When Jason returned, they briefly looked at the deepening snow outside through a bay window, and then went back to her room. As soon as she shut her door, she ordered him to stand still so she could undress him. She went slowly, gently caressing his body as she took off each article of clothing. Finally his shorts fell to the floor and he stepped out of them. As usual, he was not wearing any underwear. He continued standing still while she lovingly caressed his bottom and gently patted it. He sighed with arousal and some anxiety, because by patting his bottom she was letting him know that he was due for a spanking. That night there was no sensuous lovers' talk, nor was there any teasing about what a bad boy Jason was. She simply was in the mood to have him lie across her lap and spend the next hour studying, caressing, and spanking his lovely bottom. She kissed him, patted his bottom again, gave it a very light smack, and then quickly pulled off her own clothes. Jason understood he was to remain standing and not move until she gave him permission, but already he was fully erect. Cecilia could not have picked a better night to spank Jason. He was in the mood to be spanked. He was in the mood to lie across Cecilia's lap, surrender himself to her, and endure the moderate pain and intense pleasure that he always felt when she punished him by hand. She sat down on the bed and took his hand. She guided him over her lap and positioned him so that he was gracefully draped over her thighs. With her hand she gently pressed the insides of his legs to spread them slightly. She then instructed him to tilt his bottom up slightly so that he was spread and fully exposed. She gently brushed the backs of his testicles to tease him and then ran her finger up the middle, brushing past his bottom-hole. She tapped it with her fingertip and gave him a warning. "I wanna see this until I'm finished with you. I want this sweat bottom of yours to stay relaxed. If you try to tighten up, I'm gonna have to get up and use the belt. I don't think you're gonna like that as much as my hand. Do you understand?" "Yes, Cecilia." He shifted up even more, inviting her to explore and study his backside before spanking it. She spent a very long time lovingly caressing and kissing that bare bottom, occasionally teasing his testicles or circling his bottom-hole with her fingertip. He loved it when she gently touched her lips to his bare skin, which soon would be pink and hot from the sharp slaps that were only minutes away. He was desperate with anticipation, loving every second of it. She started gently at first, mixing soft slaps with caresses and kisses. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of helplessness and the sharpening physical sensations coming from his bottom. She took her time, enjoying the pinkish tone on his skin as it slowly darkened under her hand. She wished she could have him like this for days on end, because she really did enjoy giving him nice long spankings. SLAP!...SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP! After about 15 minutes, Cecilia's own excitement caught up with her. She began smacking him much harder and quit caressing his bottom. Her hours in the gym working out with Lisa were paying off, because now she had much more strength and endurance in her arms. She wanted Jason to feel the punishment, to give him a real spanking, not just a lover's playful pats. Jason bit his lip and gasped. The pain was more intense than the last time she had given him a hand spanking, but it was just what he needed. To be over his lover lap, to be under her control, to have her belabor his unprotected skin with harsh slaps...yes, it was what he wanted. And yet, as the pain in his bottom increased, he also felt safe and protected. She was in control, she was his keeper and his mistress. Cecilia watched the light shade of pink on Jason's bottom turn to a deep shade of pink. It was obvious that he was enjoying the experience. She too, was deeply aroused by the sight and feel of Jason's spanked backside, and by the sight of his bottom-hole that he dutifully kept turned up and visible. Yes, he was a good boy. She was training him well. She felt his penis pressing into her thigh and the familiar burning sensation between her own legs. He was sweating with arousal. He had behaved well, and there was no need to lay any extra swats across his bottom with the belt. Now it was time for the reward, for both of them. She stopped spanking, ordered him to stand up, tore open a condom package, and quickly slipped it on him. She then lay on her back and drew him to her. He entered her and started thrusting vigorously, the heat from his spanked bottom giving him that extra stimulation for a really special orgasm. Oh, this was good, it was really good. As he thrust into her, over and over, Cecilia gasped with pleasure, her body completely covered in sweat. She had her orgasm, but grunted "more...more...more". She dug her fingernails into her lover's swollen bottom; somehow knowing that would be enough to get another orgasm out of him. Again he pumped semen into the condom as he pushed in and out of her. The bed squeaked and tapped the wall as the two lovers burned out all their stress and energy in that exquisite round of love-making. Finally, just as it was starting to get light outside, Cecilia and Jason did manage to get to sleep. It was a quiet, snowy Sunday morning, perfect for sleeping in. Cecilia cuddled in Jason's arms and fell asleep. He stayed awake just long enough to think about how happy he was at the moment. For the first time he felt at peace with himself, his life in order, thanks to the one woman on the planet who loved him and understood what he truly needed. The Freshman Ch. 20 Chapter 20 - Jason's second speech Jason's life returned to normal that Sunday afternoon, when he and Cecilia woke up and he had to return to his room. He got cleaned up, and then, without bothering to get dressed, returned to his studies. He knew that Ken was due back mid-afternoon and that Lisa and Mike would be back late in the evening. He decided to help Ken get ready for class the next day, but it was obvious that Lisa and Mike would have to make up their studies later in the week. When Ken returned to Huntington Hall from his vacation, he decided to get cleaned up and head over to Jason's room. As had been normal for him since the beginning of the semester, he walked down the hallway to the bathroom naked, in silent protest against the university's inadequately small towels. From the bathroom he went straight to Jason's room, knowing that Jason probably would not be dressed either. The two freshmen relaxed for a few minutes as they talked about Thanksgiving and gossiped about Mike and Lisa. Jason gave Ken a very censored version of what happened in Wisconsin, concentrating on the one pleasant part of the trip, the visit to his grandmother's condo. The conversation then drifted to the more urgent topic of what still needed to be done to get ready for finals. Ken went back to his room to pick up his notebooks, and returned still completely nude, not bothering to get dressed. For the next several hours the two freshmen sat on towels on the floor, going over the material covered in the final two weeks of classes. For two college-age men, there was an unusual intimacy between Jason and Ken. They had been together constantly throughout the semester, ate together, studied together, worked out together, had gone streaking together, and had shared a lot about their lives with each other in general. They both enjoyed being naked and each was happy to have found a friend who also enjoyed being naked. Because of their closeness and casual attitude about not wearing clothing, they felt perfectly comfortable sitting together in the nude. However, from Jason's end at least, the relationship was completely platonic. Ken's interest in Jason was mostly friendship, but it also included an element of sexuality. At a time in his life when he was struggling to determine what he wanted from his personal relationships, Ken found himself somewhat attracted to Jason. He enjoyed looking at Jason's body and loved being naked around him. He always looked forward to the life drawing classes when Jason was modeling and having the opportunity to render his body to paper. Had the issue come up, he gladly would have exchanged massages with his friend and tried to increase the level of physical contact between them. Ken was not really sure what he saw in Jason. He was not even sure what exactly he would have wanted from his friend, even if Jason were gay and available. It was not exactly sex, nor romance: but rather intimacy. What was confusing for Ken was that, while he was vaguely attracted to Jason, he also was vaguely attracted to Lisa. Night after night he fantasized about those few minutes he lay naked over her lap, getting his bottom spanked while Mike and Jason watched. He totally loved that experience and was horribly jealous that Mike had Lisa in his life and he didn't. Once they finished reviewing the study materials for Burnside's class the following day, the two freshmen returned to talking about their personal lives and about Cecilia in particular. Jason was in a pensive mood, and decided to share a bit more about his life with his friend. He provided an abbreviated summary of the car wreck and the effect it had on him during his final months in high school. He then talked about how important Cecilia had become in his life and emphasized that she was the reason he had enjoyed a successful semester. As he continued thinking out loud in Ken's presence, Jason examined himself and why he had become so committed to submitting to Cecilia. He realized that when he was with Cecilia he felt safe. The more he submitted to her, the more protected he felt. He realized that before he met her, his soul had been full of fear: that he had been actually afraid of his own vacillating and self-destructive nature. Cecilia was important to him precisely because she refused to tolerate those weaknesses. Instead, she insisted that, whatever weaknesses he might have in his character, he was expected to overcome them. Jason moved on to talking about his sex life with Cecilia. He realized how much he loved striving to please her sexually, because when he brought her to orgasm he was rewarding himself by making her happy. There was plenty of pleasure in the relationship for him as well, because when she granted him permission to enter her, she always sought to ensure he had excellent orgasms. The detail he enjoyed the most however, was going over her lap. When she was spanking him, she was completely in control of his emotions and his physical sensations. Jason loved receiving a good spanking, which Cecilia always inflicted with love, firmness, patience, and the desire to bring him to intense sexual pleasure through moderate, but sensuous, pain. Jason knew that even the belt-whippings had an important role in his life. Unlike being spanked by hand, he hated the belt and was afraid of it. He also hated crying in front of Cecilia, but during a belt-whipping getting him to cry was an important part of the punishment. Still, even though he always hated receiving the belt at the moment, Jason understood the cruel whippings had helped him. He had entered the university consumed with guilt, partly because subconsciously he felt that he had not been properly punished for his stupidity from the previous year. With Cecilia there was no lingering guilt. If he did something wrong she punished him right away. The punishments always resolved any guilty feelings from a particular offense, because forgiveness and redemption were the ultimate goals of any whipping. Just as it was important to her that he was forced to cry during the whippings, it also was important that when the punishments were over, he understood she had forgiven him and still loved him. Unlike his parents, it never would occur to Cecilia to continue commenting on an offense that she considered resolved. When Jason finished talking, Ken thought for a few minutes about how much his friend had changed that semester. He had a question for Jason. "So, where do you think you're going with Cecilia? What do you think's gonna happen between you two?" "I'm...I guess I'm just gonna have to do whatever she tells me. We talked about it last night, and she sorta laid out our situation...and that's...what we agreed on." "...and it doesn't scare you? I mean, just to do what she says?" "No. It doesn't scare me at all. What scares me is what might have happened if I hadn't met her. That's what scares me." Ken sighed, somewhat envious of his friend. His own character was a lot like Jason's, but unfortunately for him there was no Cecilia in his life to force him to focus his energies. He remained emotionally adrift, completely unsure of his own sexual identity, and scared of having to face the future without anyone to give him guidance. He was spending the semester in absolute confusion, fantasizing about two friends, both of whom were dating other people, and not really knowing what he wanted from either. He badly wished that he could find someone, male or female, to take control of his life and give him some direction. ---------- Throughout the afternoon the snow continued to pile up outside. The university grounds crews desperately tried to clear the streets and the main campus in time for the deluge of students returning from Thanksgiving. After lunch, Cecilia's RA responsibilities intruded on her studies as she and the other RA's received calls from their supervisor ordering them to help shovel snow from the sidewalks surrounding Huntington Hall. The cold physical labor caused a lot of grumbling among the dorm staff, but it was the only way the building's manager could keep the sidewalks clear, given the fact the university maintenance crews were too busy clearing the streets and parking lots to worry about the dorm area. He ordered his employees to take snow shovels from a nearby shed and to spread out around the building. Cecilia's boss then picked up a snow shovel and started clearing a stretch of sidewalk alongside his staff, determined to set an example by letting them know he was not asking them to do something he wasn't willing to do himself. Cecilia was surprised when she realized she did not mind shoveling snow. She was horribly stressed from her unpleasant weekend at the Schmidts' house, her upcoming final exams, the pending visit from the Danubian Prime Minister, and her other responsibilities to Ruth Burnside. She took out her aggression on the sidewalk; clearing her own area quickly enough to later help one of the other RA's who was moving more slowly. She worked herself up into a real sweat as she thought to herself, well, at least I'm saved the hassle of having to go to the gym today. Once the snow shoveling was completed the dorm staff went back inside for a meeting and instructions for getting the residents through the final three weeks of classes. After a brief break, Cecilia and the other RA's had to meet with their residents for floor meetings. Jason and Ken were present, sitting together. Mike and Lisa were absent, presumably delayed getting back from California. Cecilia exhorted her residents to study for finals, although she could tell by the expressions of several residents that they already had given up on passing their classes that semester. Giving up...no that wouldn't do. She wrote down the names of students she felt might be in trouble. After the meeting she planned to talk to them, hoping to see which ones still had a chance of salvaging their semesters if properly motivated. That night Cecilia became the perfect picture of authoritarian bossiness, as she strutted around the hallway confronting her residents about their studies. She spent the next three hours talking to several residents and put them in touch with available tutors. When Lisa and Mike finally came in following a grueling flight from San Francisco, Cecilia immediately confronted Lisa to order her and Mike to report to Jason to receive information from the floor meeting they had missed and an update on Burnside's class. Jason and his friends ended up being drafted into their RA's efforts to salvage several students' semesters, as she ordered them to make themselves available to answer classmates' questions and go over coursework. Cecilia knew that in helping others, Jason and his friends were helping themselves by learning how to explain coursework in a clear, concise manner. Not only had Jason's group learned the material by heart, but also, over the next several nights they would have to learn how to explain it to others. By the end of the semester they would be more than ready to provide coherent, well-written answers in their final exams. After a very busy night, Cecilia escorted Jason to her room to receive her usual massage and round of oral sex from her boyfriend. She was exhausted from stress, shoveling snow, helping panicked residents, and finally from the orgasm she enjoyed as Jason's tongue explored her clitoris. He massaged her a second time as she fell into a very deep sleep. Jason was relieved. His life with his mistress had returned to normal. ---------- The following week was a hectic one for Jason and Cecilia. Jason received a second invitation to speak about the Tri-Alpha race to a Chicago clothing optional resort for the following Saturday. The sponsors of the event also hoped to invite Lisa and perhaps allow the organization's members a photo op session. To Jason's surprise, Lisa agreed, and Mike agreed to drive both of them to the event. Later in the week there was a problem, the nudist group's photographer got sick and there was no replacement. It seemed the photo session would have to be canceled, until Jason remembered Cecilia's friend, Suzanne Foster. He decided to see if she might be available to take pictures. Cecilia passed the request along to Suzanne, who agreed to participate. Ken, upon finding out about Jason's expedition, asked if he could go as well. In the end, what started out as a simple speech turned into a full-day event for Jason and four classmates. Jason's speech was part of an all-day symposium on nudism and physical fitness. The day would start with features about the origins of nudism in the 1920's and its beginnings as a fitness movement. The event sponsors wanted to emphasize that tradition and bring exercise and over-all fitness back into the nudist lifestyle, to counter the stereotype of a bunch of overweight old people sitting around trailers and swimming pools. Jason was asked not only to give a speech about the Tri-Alpha race, but talk about running in general and lead a panel discussion of exercise and what the resort could do to encourage physical fitness among its members. In exchange for his efforts, he would be rewarded with a year membership and a pass to bring a guest. Jason had wondered how Cecilia was going to handle being at a large full day event at a clothing optional facility during which the speakers and most of the audience would be nude. That issue, however, never came up. Cecilia got a phone call from Ruth Burnside Friday night instructing her to report to the Economics Department first thing the next morning. Burnside wanted to give Cecilia some final instructions concerning the Danubian visit and have her attend a meeting with the other members of the Economic Department's student delegation. Cecilia was both disappointed and relieved. She was disappointed at not having the opportunity to see Jason speak in public, but relieved that she didn't have to face the issue of whether or not to take off her clothes in front of Jason's friends and a bunch of other people at the resort. After Mike drove the group to the resort and they checked in, the students went into a coed locker room and undressed. To everyone's surprise Suzanne undressed along with the others. She seemed to have such a quiet, conservative demeanor that it was hard to picture her comfortable being nude in public. However, once she had her clothes off she seemed quite at ease, her pale voluptuous body reminding her companions of a Greek goddess statue or a Victorian painting. The photographer loaded herself with her camera equipment, looking quite strange as she walked down the hallway with several camera bags slung over her bare figure. Jason was busy the entire day, jumping from one event to another and barely having time to prepare his presentation. Suzanne, as usual, spent her time setting up her photography supplies and checking lighting. Lisa only had the photo op session to worry about, while Mike and Ken had nothing at all to concern them. They needed to attend Jason's speech and the symposium he was moderating, but apart from that they could relax. The three freshmen spent some time in the pool and the sauna while Jason talked to the event's organizers and finalized his presentation about the race. When Jason spoke, his friends were impressed with his ability to express himself with confidence in front of an audience. He was a dynamic and entertaining speaker, capable of using just the right amount of humor and antidotes to amuse the audience and draw their attention. It seemed that he was a totally different person when standing at the microphone. The nervous 18-year-old the others knew from their daily lives was completely absent from the person standing up on stage. Following Jason's speech there was a presentation by a representative of the Tri-Alphas to discuss the fraternity's attitude about nudity and the history of the race Jason had won. There was a banquet dinner and finally the photography session, which actually was a fund-raiser for a member of the resort who had to pay for a cancer operation. As they posed in the nude with one resort member after another, Jason and Lisa experienced an odd feeling of nostalgia as Suzanne's flash continuously went off in their faces for the next couple of hours. After the photo session ended, Mike and Jason were hoping to head back to the university before it got too late. However, Suzanne was talking to several resort members who wanted a photographer for an upcoming wedding, and Ken was talking to the Tri-Alpha representative. It seemed no one was going anywhere for quite a while, so finally Jason approached the director of the resort to see about getting a couple of rooms to stay overnight. He called Cecilia to ask her permission to stay at the resort until the next day. She thought about it, not happy that her boyfriend would not be returning to the university that night. However, he needed to stay because of Suzanne and Ken, not because of himself. In the end she gave him the permission to make the room reservations, pleased that he was smart enough to check in with her before making the decision to stay at the resort. ---------- Ken's talk with the Tri-Alpha representative went very well. He realized that the fraternity's spirit of adventure, sexual openness, and experimentation might be just what he needed. Perhaps joining the Tri-Alphas would help him figure out what he wanted in life. As he learned more about the fraternity he realized he probably would enjoy being a pledge. The prospect of being naked in public for an entire semester, submitting to sexual servitude to both men and women, and being constantly spanked and paddled appealed to him. He liked the Tri-Alphas' emphasis on discipline and their focus on academic success. It seemed the fraternity gave its members a very strong sense of identity and direction, something in his life he felt was lacking. Yes, that was indeed what he wanted to do, to pledge with the Tri-Alphas. The Tri-Alpha representative added a detail that made joining even more appealing to Ken. He related that each year there were a few pledges that joined during the summer, in a sort of pre-pledge program. The vast majority of members pledged in the fall. However, there was an advantage of being a summer pledge, because at the end of the August the fraternity normally selected and trained a "pledge leader" to handle the group of incoming freshmen pledging the following September. Being a pledge leader had several advantages and disadvantages. In some ways being a pledge leader amounted to pledging twice, because the pledge leader was expected to complete a full summer as a pledge, and then submit again as a pledge along with the new freshmen. The pledge leader had to spend a second semester living in the nude alongside the new pledges. He also was subject to the same sexual servitude and punishments from upper classmen and sorority members that an ordinary pledge had to endure. However, the pledge leader was the undisputed ruler of the other pledges. His role was to guide the others through their various ordeals and challenges, which included the fall 10-K run. His duties included training new members to open themselves to new physical experiences, ranging from yoga and massage to various sexual practices and techniques for sexual stimulation. Another role of the pledge leader was to make sure any contact between the upperclassmen and the other pledges adhered to the fraternity's rules. If someone crossed the line he had the authority to report any violations directly to the Tri-Alpha National Directorate. The pledge leader had the discretion to punish the other pledges as he pleased, within the general fraternity guidelines for pledge discipline. The Tri-Alpha representative brought up the detail about the fall pledge leader position because he sensed right away that Ken might be a good candidate for the job. It definitely seemed he had what it took to be an enthusiastic Tri-Alpha member. Assuming he worked out as a pledge, there was a very good chance the fraternity had found its pledge leader for the fall. By the time the evening was over, Ken had set up an appointment to visit the Tri-Alpha Fraternity for preliminary interviews and to fill out paperwork needed to join. If everything went according to plan, he would begin his arduous journey to becoming a Tri-Alpha at the beginning of June. The Freshman Ch. 20 ---------- While Jason and his friends were spending a pleasant day at the nudist resort, Cecilia was spending a stressful day at the Economics Department with Ruth Burnside snapping at her. The university's Danubian guests were due to arrive in Chicago that following Monday. At the last minute the president of the university and Burnside's think-tank associates decided to move all reception ceremonies from the airport to the university, where the guests could be received in a more controlled setting. The change of venue shifted the pressure to the university to handle the visit, which in turn forced Burnside and the other hosts to frantically call their assistants. The rush had started, and would not end until the following weekend when the Danubians were scheduled to fly to Washington and then back to Europe. Fortunately, Cecilia was not alone in the scramble to get ready for the visit. Cynthia Lee from the Political Science Department was present, along with several other graduate students. The University Memorial Center's reception area was cordoned off as caterers began setting up for the upcoming formal dinners and conference refreshments. Burnside, her lover Jim Halsey, and several other leading economists from the Chicago area set up in the conference areas, as their administrative assistants and student aides prepared copies of presentations and conference packets for distribution. The Prime Minister was planning to give two public speeches and a press conference, which required the preparation of the university ballroom. There was a horrible scare when the two flags sent by the Danubian Embassy went missing, a crisis which sent several graduate students scrambling around the university to find them. Finally Cynthia Lee remembered seeing them in a box at the Music School, and made herself the hero of the moment by triumphantly returning to the Economics Department with the folded flags in her hands. ---------- That Sunday night Cecilia and Jason finally had a few hours to themselves. Shortly she would have to return to Burnside's office, and he would get ready for his Monday classes. She escorted him back to her room. As soon as the door was shut he dutifully took off his clothes and hung them up. Then he turned to see her quietly standing, with her eyes quietly giving him his next command. Still, he had to be sure: "Do you want me to undress you, Cecilia?" "Please." She closed her eyes as she felt the articles of clothing slip off her body one by one. It felt so good to get all that stuff off. Yes, Jason was right. The human body really was not designed to be enclosed in clothing. It was so much better to feel the cool air of the room against her bare skin... She issued her next order: "Please pull down my bedspread and blanket. Then you can get the massage oil out of the drawer. I've been sittin' all day, so I'd appreciate some extra work on my upper shoulders and butt." "Yes Cecilia. I'll try to get you relaxed." Normally he started massaging her feet and working up to her neck, but that night he decided to massage her bottom and shoulders first, then give her a full normal massage, and then return to her bottom and shoulders. He could tell as he began on her lower neck that she really was tensed up, and that night he would have to put some time and effort into getting her relaxed. He moved to her bottom and massaged it thoroughly, then gently kissed both bottom-cheeks with a series of sensuous kisses. Cecilia liked having her bottom kissed, especially as part of a massage. Jason then moved to massaging her feet, working each toe individually before moving on to the soles and heels. He slowly used several techniques on the muscles of her calves and thighs, waiting until her legs seemed relaxed before returning to her bottom. Cecilia's lovely dark bottom received yet another complete deep-tissue massage before Jason worked on her lower and upper back. Once again he massaged her upper shoulders and neck. His hands were getting tired from his efforts, but it seemed her muscles finally were relaxed. He helped her roll over on her back. He was about to start massaging her feet from the front and work up fronts of her legs, but she lifted up her arm and pointed at her vagina. That was her sign to her lover that she wanted an orgasm before he continued massaging her. He dutifully moved his head between her legs and began kissing her inner thighs and labia. He realized how much she was stressed, because she was not yet wet and seemed far from having an orgasm. Not that it mattered. He would continue kissing, teasing, and licking her most intimate regions until either she climaxed or she directed him to stop. He changed tactics several times and began lightly massaging her with his fingertips. That seemed to work. She moaned faintly and finally some wetness appeared. He returned to teasing her clitoris with his tongue. Finally she tensed up and her body shook slightly as she came close to climaxing. He continued, licking her entire vagina and occasionally returning to her clitoris. His mouth was sore and his tongue stiff from his efforts, but only one thought was on his mind, ensuring she had a proper orgasm to help relieve her stress. Once she climaxed, he would return to massaging her. Finally his patience paid off, as he teased her clitoris with the tip of his tongue, she climaxed, gasping and filling his nose with the scent of her arousal. By the time he finished, Jason's mouth was painfully stiff from the prolonged effort to arouse his mistress, but he experienced a deep feeling of fulfillment. Even though it had been a struggle, once again he had succeeded in performing his duty to her. They both knew that his purpose in life was to make her happy. Tonight, she was very happy and very satisfied, proud of her beloved Jason. She reached up and drew him to her, her eyes full of pleasure and gratitude. She reached for his penis, gently massaging it to let him know that tonight she would reward him by granting him permission to enter her. He went stiff immediately and she gently slipped a condom on him. When he entered her she climaxed again as the stress from both their lives melted away for a few exquisite moments in her modest dorm room. ---------- When they finished, they relaxed for a bit. They were tired, but both were in the mood to talk. Jason summarized his trip to the nudist resort, discussing his speech and the panel discussion, Suzanne's photography, and Ken's sudden decision to pledge with the Tri-Alphas. Cecilia agreed that pledging with the Tri-Alphas probably was a smart decision on Ken's part, given that it was obvious he currently had no direction in his life. However, secretly she was relieved he was pledging for a much more personal reason. Throughout the semester she had worried about Ken's possible influence on Jason, especially after the tattoo parlor incident. Now it seemed that the problem of Ken was about to be resolved on its own, without her having to take any action. If he pledged with the fraternity, all of his free time would be taken up with his duties to the Tri-Alpha upperclassmen and their sorority girlfriends, leaving him no time to socialize with Jason. Ken's absence would open up a gap in Jason's life that she could fill with her own demands, and thus allow her to continue tightening her control over him after the Spring semester. The Freshman Ch. 21 Chapter 21 - A problem, a question, and a solution The following day the reception area of the University Memorial Center was reserved for conferences and the visiting Danubian leaders. The university president, the governor, and several local politicians and union leaders awaited the foreign delegation, while Cecilia Sanchez and Cynthia Lee stood waiting with the group of graduate students. A large banner hung in front of the building with the inscription: Doc-Doc Danube! -- Our university welcomes our Danubian guests The Danubians arrived in a convoy of cars owned by the university. There were no limousines, because the Prime Minister was concerned that riding around in a limousine on an overseas trip while many of his own citizens still were without adequate housing would not be appropriate. Prime Minister Dukov and his daughter Anyia got out of the university president's car together, followed by about 20 other members of the party. Dukov's appearance was not imposing at all. He was dressed in a very ordinary business suit. He looked like he was in his mid-50s, average height and stature, his hair closely cropped, and very ordinary features. Still, even at a distance, Cecilia could tell there was something about him...something in his character that set him apart. As previously instructed, a student from the Music School unrolled one of the Danubian flags, clipped it to a staff, and passed it to the Prime Minister's daughter. Anyia was wearing a traditional Danubian dress and had her hair braided in the traditional Danubian style. However, being only 17, she looked somewhat uneasy standing in a foreign university in her formal attire. Anyia took the flag, briefly knelt, and then stood up facing eastwards holding the staff to the side at a 45-degree angle. Then she did something that shocked the US audience: she let out an ear-piercing whistle. The delegation immediately faced to the east, placed their right fists against their left shoulders, and shouted: "DOC-DOC DANUBE!" That was the cue for the university band to start playing the military prelude to the Danubian national anthem. There was a pause, and then Anyia crisply tilted the flag upright while the band played an ancient-sounding tune which was sung by the guest singer from California. Dukov and his party stood at attention with their fists pressed against their left shoulders while his daughter continued to hold the flag upright. The U.S. anthem was played next. The Danubians stood quietly at attention while their hosts sang. The exchange of anthems was followed by several welcoming speeches by the university president, the state governor, and the director of Burnside's economic foundation. Dukov then stepped forward and thanked his hosts in accented, but very correct English. He introduced the members of his cabinet who had accompanied him. His Minister of Finance and his Minister of Foreign Relations stood behind him, but also present was the Danubian Minister of Education and the Minister of Health. Each minister had a translator and two assistants. There were no relatives on the trip, just members of the government. As for the Prime Minister's daughter, even her presence had an official purpose. Danubian tradition mandated that during an official ceremony the national flag had to be presented in the hands of an unmarried young woman, preferably either a member of the Danubian Royal Family or the daughter of the most important public official present. Although Dukov's visit officially was a private trip, his reasons for travelling to Chicago were not private at all. He knew that a systematic effort to rebuild the fire-damaged regions of his country could not wait much more than a few months, since many of the fire victims still were living in temporary housing two years after having been burnt out of their homes. However, he also knew that a reconstruction plan not centered around a solid economic development policy would be a huge waste of money and in the long run do more harm to the region than good. A "quick fix" had been the campaign strategy of his opponents in the previous year's election. He had dismissed a "quick fix", but he knew the people of the eastern regions had waited long enough. The area's economic infrastructure needed to rebuild, and the rebuilding would at least have to be well underway by the end of the next summer. Prime Minister Vladim Dukov had chosen to visit Chicago for a specific reason. Ruth Burnside, Jim Halsey, and several other leading economists at Cecilia's university were members of a major national economic think-tank called the Greater Mid-Western Foundation for Economic Development and International Cooperation. Because of the institution's cumbersome name, everyone simply referred to it as "the Foundation". What set the Foundation apart from most other US economic think tanks was the organization's cautious approach to globalization and its members' rejection of purist Neo-Liberal philosophies. Dukov wanted to develop an economic strategy for his country that would assure that modernizing the Danubian economy would not undermine the country's famed social stability. The Foundation's philosophy matched the overall philosophy of the new Danubian government, and Dukov came to Chicago looking for advice that he could apply in his own country. His Minister of Finance was an economist, and prior to his current assignment, had been the Director of Economic Studies at the National University in Danube City. He was ready to discuss economic theory with his hosts, with the hope there would be a follow-up meeting later in the spring between Foundation members and a delegation from the Danubian Ministry of Finance. It turned out that Dukov's visit was more ambitious than his hosts had envisioned, because he wanted to address much more than the redevelopment of his country's fire-damaged regions. He approached the mayor of the city with his Minister of Health, asking that the official, his translator, and his two assistants be given a complete tour of the city's drug zones and briefings about what local officials were doing to reduce Chicago's drug problem. He then approached the president of the university and separated the Minister of Education from his group, asking the two officials to discuss the prospects of a student exchange between his hosts' institution and the National University in Danube City. With his Ministers of Finance and Foreign Relations, Dukov approached the faculty members of Economics Department and asked about the meeting schedule. He passed copies of the schedule to his two ministers, translated some of their questions into English to clarify what actually would be happening at the meetings, and asked his hosts to try to expand the range of topics to be covered over the next week. Burnside and her associates looked at each other in surprise. Dukov obviously was a man on a mission. There was nothing rude or abrasive about his behavior, but he was making it clear to everyone that he was taking his visit very seriously and wanted to get the most out of his week in Chicago. He was not interested in socializing; he was interested in getting help and advice for his government. However, Dukov's humble origins became clear as he made it a point to greet everyone present, professors, graduate students, and assistants alike. Cecilia and Cynthia Lee were standing in the group of graduate students. Dukov greeted the graduate students right after he shook hands with the professors. He very warmly greeted Cynthia, obviously holding back the urge to give her a big hug from one close friend to another. Then he greeted Cecilia. "I understand you are Kimberly's friend Cecilia Sanchez?" Cecilia's heart jumped at being referred to as "Kimberly's friend" and at the simple fact the Danubian Prime Minister already knew who she was. "Y...Yes, Prime Minister Dukov...I'm Cecilia." "I am quite pleased to meet you. Kimberly informed me that you have been of considerable assistance to her musical endeavors, so I consider your presence here an honor." Again Cecilia's heart jumped. "Th...Thank you, sir. I'm very honored to meet you as well." "Very well, Cecilia. I would be pleased if you could accompany Cynthia to have dinner with us tomorrow night. Also, Kimberly entrusted a package to me, which she asked me to deliver to you. You may retrieve it from Anyia...my daughter, you will understand." "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." With that he passed her a card, an invitation to a formal dinner the next night. He warmly shook her hand, and moved on. Ruth Burnside, who had overheard the exchange, glanced at her with a completely perplexed expression. Her little sophomore scholarship student, who just two years before had been living in a New Jersey public housing project, had been invited to have dinner with the leader of a nation. For several long minutes Cecilia had a very hard time getting her breath back, she was so excited. ---------- That night Dukov gave a press conference, facing down hostile reporters who asked critical questions about his government's independent foreign policy, his confrontations with Mega-Town and other major trans-national corporations, and Upper Danubia's human rights record. He was asked about his government's widespread use of forced public nudity and periodic corporal punishments to discipline convicted criminals. He responded: "My nation's attitude towards punishing criminals has remained the same for many years. Life for a convicted criminal in our country is not pleasant, but a pleasant existence is not the goal of our judicial system. The goal we have for the criminal is learning respect, learning how to reform, and learning how to lead a useful life, even while serving a sentence. We do not place people in cages. We do not cut them off from their families and from all usefulness to the community. Instead we strive to re-incorporate our criminals into society and return them to their families the day after they are sentenced. And is what you are suggesting more humane? Think about that. The Danubian nation is the only country in the world that has no jails or prisons. Before you critique our judicial system, I would ask you to compare how many criminals in the Danubian nation re-offend, and how many in the United States re-offend. I believe those statistics speak for themselves. Because of those statistics, I believe that our judicial system is far superior to yours. The United States criminal justice system has failed to protect your society, and its failure is evident for all of us to see quite plainly. If you still wish to condemn my country's judicial system, may I suggest that you are doing so based on your cultural preconceptions, and not on the facts? " The more she heard Dukov speak, the more Cecilia admired him. He proved himself to be very hard-headed, but when he countered another person's argument, he made sure he understood the other person's opinion before giving his own. It became quite clear why Jason's father hated him so much, because he was not willing to give an inch unless he felt doing so would benefit the people who had elected him to be the Prime Minister of his country. What was worse for people like Mr. Schmidt and his clients was that Dukov combined his hard-headedness and shrewdness with strong personal values and idealism. He was surrounded by equally idealistic, shrewd and hard-headed traditionalists determined to defend their nation's society and values. If they stood in the way of some foreign company wanting to make money, that did not concern them in the least. After the press conference Cecilia and Cynthia sought out Dukov's daughter, who seemed a bit overwhelmed by her first trip overseas. Cecilia approached Anyia about the package, after Cynthia greeted her and talked to her for a few minutes in Danubian. Anyia spoke only a little English, not being nearly as fluent as her father. Dukov's daughter dug into a document carrier and handed over a cube-shaped package. Through the language barrier she struggled to explain: "Geemberglee, she say me, I give music to you, Cecilek. Then you give music to boyfriend grandma. Please give to boyfriend grandma, and she listen to music." The package was a box of CD's with a note on it. It read: "For Mrs. Schmidt. This is a complete collection of what our group has put out so far. I am happy that our music has brought pleasure into your life, and I hope you enjoy our latest CD's. -- Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna # 98945". ---------- The next day Cecilia realized how important Dukov considered Cynthia Lee as the graduate student accompanied him from meeting to meeting. Cynthia found herself in the awkward position of relaying requests and orders to the professor hosting the conference, essentially being tasked by the Danubian Prime Minister to tell the sponsors what changes he wanted in the meeting venue as some of his questions were answered and others arose. The professors were somewhat irritated at having to take orders from a graduate student, but Cindy's importance in Dukov's life was undeniable. Without her, he would not have won the previous year's election. As they got ready to have dinner with Dukov and his daughter that night, Cynthia relayed some interesting news to Cecilia, information that directly affected the road dispute between Upper Danubia and the EU that she had researched for Ruth Burnside. Kim's sister had gone over to Dukov's hotel the previous evening to have a private dinner with the Prime Minister and his daughter. Dukov confided that the reason his government had waited to begin reconstruction in the east was because he was hoping to resolve several problems simultaneously, of which the fire damage was only one. Dukov's most important ambition was to formalize his country's southern border, and then form an alliance with his southern neighbor to re-negotiate the proposed commercial road on terms far more favorable to both countries at the expense of the rest of the EU. Because of its desire to secure its territory and obtain an ally, the government of Upper Danubia's southern neighbor was willing to negotiate a permanent border treaty that offered very good terms to the Danubians. The problem Dukov faced in formalizing the country's border was not the southern neighbor, but his own people. The Danubians had never fully accepted the loss of Lower Danubia to the Ottoman Empire in 1502. What complicated the country's territorial claims on the former Lower Danubia was a treaty signed with the Ottomans in 1896 that ceded a portion of Lower Danubia back to the Duchy, even though the territory in question no longer was under Turkish control at the time. What arose from that questionable treaty was an unrealistic hope of regaining Lower Danubia, even though no Danubians had lived there since the early 16th Century. Dukov was willing to formally cede most of the territory in question to his southern neighbor. In exchange for abandoning the land claims, Upper Danubia would reclaim some actual territory and extend its southern border slightly. Included in the transfer would be some archeological sites, a couple of historic villages that had ancient Danubian architecture, two towns on the other side of the border that still were inhabited mostly by ethnic Danubians, and some surrounding farmland. Dukov hoped to exchange historical claims on a large area to regain a much smaller area, but one with significance for his country. He calculated that the Danubian Parliament would grudgingly accept the new treaty, if it meant actually returning the two towns and the historical sites back to Danubian control. Dukov planned to sign a second treaty with his counterpart upon signing the border treaty. The second document would be an agreement for both leaders to jointly negotiate the planned trade corridor with the EU. Then, with the backing of the neighboring government, Dukov would re-open negotiations to build the road through eastern Upper Danubia. With the support of his neighbor as an ally, he then planned to drive as hard a bargain as possible for allowing construction of the road. There was a single issue that had held up Dukov's plan. That concern was a 10th Century church, castle, and cemetery located on a hilltop in a small town called Sumy Ris, nearly 100 kilometers south of the border. Sumy Ris was of huge historical significance to the Danubians, because its church was the first Christian church built in the Danubian kingdom and the cemetery contained the remains of several kings and bishops from the Middle Ages. No treaty that excluded regaining the site would be acceptable to the Danubian Clergy, but attempting to negotiate extending Upper Danubia's border that far south was completely unrealistic. Dukov was not particularly concerned about reclaiming the church given all the other problems he was trying to resolve, but he could not afford a confrontation with the Danubian Clergy. Cindy Lee was totally disgusted at the problem. "I can't believe how stupid people can be. The Danubians need that treaty. It's gonna give them almost everything they really want, but all they can think about is that stupid church. It's really a good treaty for them, and if they don't take it, the country's gonna get screwed later on." ---------- That night Cecilia's heart pounded when she saw the arrangement for dinner. There were four large tables for the four Ministers. Each Minister was to be seated at a separate table, with his assistants, translator, and the members of the Foundation or university faculty with whom he had been working throughout the day. As for Dukov's table, there were only eight seats. He would eat with his daughter and an administrative assistant, with Cynthia and Cecilia as his guests. The only other people at the table were a translator and an older couple who seemed to be close friends of the Prime Minister. Cecilia later learned they were Alexi Havlakt, who was a retired defense attorney with whom Dukov had worked many years, and his wife. The purpose of the dining arrangement was to allow Dukov to talk privately with Cynthia, but also to allow him to talk to Cecilia. Upon learning Cecilia's life story he became interested in getting to know her better. Cecilia began by discussing her scholarship and her on-line relationship with Kimberly Lee, but soon she realized that Dukov was much more interested in hearing about her life while she was growing up. He discussed his thoughts about the US judicial system and wanted to know how Cecilia felt about her brothers' gang activities. He also was interested in knowing what set her apart from her peers and what drove her to graduate and escape from her neighborhood. As she confided her life story, Cecilia eventually realized what he wanted, as a former defense attorney he wanted her perspective on why US society had failed her family and her neighborhood. The Prime Minister never had met anyone like Cecilia Sanchez before. She stood out, and her experiences in life could give him a different view of the United States and an opportunity to learn more about the society's strengths and weaknesses. The conversation shifted to Cecilia's research and the road-building dispute with the EU. Cecilia talked about Jason's father and what she knew about Mega-Town Associates. Dukov probed Cecilia's knowledge, trying to get her perspective on the corporation that had attempted to take over his country. The conversation then shifted to the election and Cynthia's research for her dissertation. There was a lengthy discussion about Cindy's work, to which Dukov made several suggestions to help her improve the project. Cindy was interested in talking about the negotiations on the border and the impasse over the church. As she previously had mentioned to Cecilia, Dukov was perfectly willing to leave the historical site out of the treaty, but the Danubian Clergy would not allow it. He sighed. The Freshman Ch. 21 "You will understand that I have discussed the political dilemma with my counterpart, and of course, he has his own concerns that he shared with me. There are many people to the south who do not wish to surrender any territory to the Danubian nation, so he faces as difficult a situation surrendering territory as I face relinquishing our land claims." Cindy then made an off-handed remark about a consulate located in Upper Danubia's southern neighbor, a sizable compound located in a provincial capitol Sókut Tok that had just relocated to better service Danubians traveling by land to visit places like Turkey and Greece. As desert was served, the idea of the consulate stuck in Cecilia's mind. Finally she had a question: "Prime Minister Dukov, I was curious about somethin'. What would happen if you moved your consulate to that place where the church is...you know, like, buy that land and put your consulate there? Then you could put up your flag, but they wouldn't be givin' up any more land. Wouldn't that solve everybody's problem?" Dukov froze; a fork full of dessert cake suspended in his hand. He looked at Cecilia. "No one ever considered that. I have spoken to many people on this issue, but no one ever mentioned incorporating the church as part of a consulate. Yes indeed, that would allow us to regain sovereignty over the property with minimal sacrifice from our neighbors." He translated Cecilia's question to Alexi Havlakt. The older man's face lit up. He looked over at her. "Doc-doc harash dumalesh, Cecilek. Doc-doc harash dumalesh." Cindy translated. "Mr. Havlakt thinks that's a great idea." "So...sir...you mean, that no one ever thought about that?" "No, Cecilia. The closest we ever came was suggesting a sovereign enclave in Sumy Ris, which, of course, was not acceptable to our neighbors. Our consulate in Sókut Tok is rather large, and I do not perceive there would be much difficulty surrendering its land for a piece of land in Sumy Ris that would be comparable in size, but of much greater importance to us." With that Dukov told his assistant to fetch his Minister of Foreign Relations. He stood up and spoke to the Minister in Danubian, but Cecilia could make out the words: "consulatokt", "Sókut Tok", "Sumy Ris", and "Doc-doc". The Foreign Minister nodded and glanced at Dukov's guest with an approving expression. The two men then saluted each other. The Foreign Minister then returned to his table to excuse himself and left the room to make some phone calls to Foreign Ministry Office in Danube City. The dinner ended only a few minutes later, but the Prime Minister had some final words for Cecilia. "I have been very pleased to have you sit at my table, and share our time and knowledge. I would ask one more favor of you, that you honor us with your presence at the closing banquet Friday night. I will supply an invitation that you may retrieve from Dr. Halsey, for you and for a guest." Cecilia, her eyes wide with excitement and her hands shaking slightly; bade goodbye to the Danubian Prime Minister. Once again she struggled to catch her breath as the Danubians withdrew from the room. ---------- The next morning Cecilia sat in Burnside's office as the two women discussed the dinner the night before. Cecilia summarized what had happened at Dukov's table and the apparent enthusiasm over her suggestion about moving the consulate from Sókut Tok to Sumy Ris. Burnside commented: "I think that idea will fly. The reason I say that is the other side has a bunch of problems, including another pending border dispute. They need to get the Danubian border settled and move their troops, ASAP. They need to get Dukov on their side, and I think your consulate idea will give everyone a way out. The Danubians owe you one." Burnside paused, and then leaned forward, looking intensely into Cecilia's eyes. "Prime Minister Dukov likes to think outside the box. He's always looking around for new perspectives and experiences to bounce off his own knowledge, which is why I think he wanted to talk to you. And, you delivered. You came up with something that never occurred to anyone else. Move the consulate...what a simple solution; and no one thought of it. All I can say is I'm impressed with you, and I'm not shy about admitting that." "I...I don't know what to say Dr. Burnside, except I do hope they get their problem solved, but anyhow, thanks for...what you said about me..." Burnside gave Cecilia a somewhat ironic smile. "Well, don't let it go to your head. You did your good deed for the moment and now we'll be moving on. We do have a semester to finish up, don't we?" With that Burnside, her TA, and her scholarship student headed off to the lecture room, carrying presentation supplies and a stack of pop-quizzes for the surviving freshmen remaining in the class. ---------- The regime of nightly massages and nightly orgasms continued throughout the week in Cecilia's room. No matter how late she got back from her duties at the conference, she expected Jason to be ready to come over, get undressed, and give her a lengthy massage followed by an orgasm. Following the orgasm she promptly went to sleep, forcing him to leave the room with his own sexual urges unfulfilled. Jason was disappointed, but he reminded himself that his purpose in life was to make her happy and to satisfy her needs. As for his own needs, he needed to learn self-discipline and appreciate the sexual satisfaction she was able to give him. Thursday, however, Cecilia was in the mood for something different. During her lunch hour she went to an adult toy store to look at their selection of restraints and discipline items. She did not have very much money on her, but she was determined to buy something with which she could experiment on Jason. She got into a conversation with a young woman working at the store. She confided about her relationship with Jason and how she was able to excite him by putting him over her lap. The store clerk showed her the store's selection of punishment implements. The clerk obviously was a masochist and had first-hand knowledge of how each of the implements felt on her unprotected bottom. As they conversed about the physical sensations each implement inflicted on its victim, the clerk gave her customer short lessons on how to use a cane, a crop, and a flogger. She gave Cecilia her personal perspective as a masochist as she discussed her own experiences at the hands of her lover, emphasizing the importance of balancing fear, anticipation, pain, and pleasure. Her client listened intently, realizing that the clerk's personality and needs were very similar to Jason's personality and needs. Finally Cecilia settled on a leather paddle. The paddle was oval shaped and not large at all. It was about as long as a Ping-Pong paddle but slightly narrower. She liked the feel of the implement in her hand and the way it swung. It was just the right size to cover one bottom-cheek at a time and mark it with a pink oval. The implement seemed versatile, designed to either put a comfortable warm heat or a fierce sting in a sub's bottom, depending on how hard it struck its target. She hoped that it could be used both to arouse Jason and to punish him, depending on how hard she chose to hit. The clerk commented: "I love that one; it's one of my favorites. I always get turned on when he spanks me with it. It puts a really nice heat in your ass without too much bruising. I think your boyfriend will like it too." "So, I'm kinda curious...if you like it so much, what does your boyfriend use if he's pissed off at you?" "The cane. If I do something that really pisses him off, he'll use the cane on me, and that I don't like at all. But, I try to be good, and he knows that, so I don't get the cane all that much." ---------- That night was the first night Cecilia told Jason to kneel while she went over Burnside's coursework with her. As he knelt on the floor nervously looking up at her, she gently brushed his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair. She then placed one hand on his shoulder and ran her other hand down his back, gently rubbing and patting his bottom to let him know that tonight he was due for a spanking. Before she sat down to begin questioning him about the evening's coursework, she made an announcement that set his heart pounding. "Jason, there's a reason I'm havin' you kneel tonight, 'cause I wanna try somethin' new. I'm gonna spank your cute bare bottom, but we're gonna do it a bit different. I'm not gonna put you over my lap, 'cause instead I got a leather paddle. And, 'cause we're using somethin' new, I'm gonna want to take some pictures, so I'll borrow your camera before we go back to my room." "Y...yes, Cecilia." He was very nervous, but also very excited. As she questioned him about Burnside's work, a furious erection pointed straight at her the entire time he knelt trying to answer. Shortly afterwards they went back to her room, Jason only wearing a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting shirt. Once he was in her room he stripped off his clothes and dutifully hung them up. Cecilia took off her clothing as well. She didn't wait to have Jason strip her, because she was eager to try out the new paddle. She ordered Jason to position the room's armchair in the middle of the room and stand with his hands placed on the back. She instructed him to arch his back slightly and stick his bottom out. When he complied, she ordered him to turn his face to her. She took a picture of her lover with his digital camera from the back, then moved to the front to get him with his very erect penis sticking out in anticipation of the spanking. She gently brushed his penis and testicles with her fingertips, and then picked up the paddle and showed it to him. She touched it to his trembling bottom and slowly moved it around in circles. "It feels kinda different from my hand, doesn't it?" "Yes, Cecilia." "So you think you're a bad boy? Bad enough for the paddle on your bare, naked bottom?" "Yes, Cecilia...I'm a bad boy and I need the paddle. Please spank me." "You're askin' for it, so you must be very naughty. But then, that's why you have such a cute butt, for lots of hard spankings. I'm gonna spank that naughtiness right out of you." Cecilia positioned herself, tapped his left bottom cheek, and smacked it with a loud POP! The sensation was different from either the belt, which was much more painful and concentrated, or her hand, which was somewhat less intense. Instead, the smack covered Jason's bottom-cheek with a hot tingling that, to his surprise, he really enjoyed. A second hard smack on his right bottom cheek matched the burning on the left side. It hurt, but at the same time was quite enjoyable. Cecilia spanked on alternate sides: left...right...left...right...left...right. As always, she took her time, making sure he could feel each swat separately and appreciate it. After delivering 10 blows, she stopped to take pictures of the pink glow on Jason's bottom and the intensely excited expression in his face. The hot burning only increased with the next 10 swats, which in turn were followed by another set of pictures. Cecilia wanted to document the progressive reddening of Jason's bottom and the impact the spanking was having on his emotions. What she really liked was the even color the paddle was leaving on his bottom...there were no welts or stripes, just a solid, even, deep pink completely covering both sides and sharply contrasting with the unpunished skin of his back and upper thighs. Cecilia stopped after the 40th swat. She took some final pictures and then ordered Jason to stand with his feet spread and his hands behind his head for even more pictures. He was very, very aroused. He couldn't believe how much that intense burning sting excited him. She then ordered him to lie on her bed on his back. His furious erection bobbed up and down as she tore open a condom packet and positioned the condom over his penis. Then she mounted him, pinning his hands above his head as she impaled herself on his very stiff organ. She clenched her teeth as she looked into his eyes and dug her fingernails into his wrists. He pushed up into her as hard as he could, totally aroused by the hot sting still burning in his punished bottom. Oh...this was good...a perfect combination of physical sensations. This was really good... When they were finished they cuddled as usual. They were exhausted and spent, she from the grueling conference schedule, and he from tutoring his friends and other students. He also had been tensed up from not having been allowed to have sex with her, but now he understood what her reason had been for making him wait. As usual, she seemed to know how to give him truly exquisite pleasure, by making him build up his desire by being patient throughout the week. She then brought out his desire as she worked up his emotions with that wonderful spanking. He was surprised himself that he would find a spanking from a leather paddle so enjoyable, but then, that was why Cecilia had taken charge of his life. She knew him better than he knew himself. ---------- The following evening was the final reception of the Danubians before their departure for Washington DC. Cecilia wore her Danubian formal gown and had her hair braided in Danubian style. Jason accompanied her, properly dressed in a dark gray business suit and conservative red tie. She took his arm and led him around the room, introducing him to the people with whom she had worked over the last couple of weeks preparing the visit. When Cecilia talked to Burnside and Halsey, she still had Jason's arm locked in her own. The professor glanced at Jason, and then gave her scholarship student a knowing look. With a single look at the young couple she had figured it out. So the Sanchez girl had a partner, one who was submissive to her. Good job, Cecilia, she thought to herself. Way to go. That night the Prime Minister was busy talking to everyone in the room, so the intimate dinner table conversation he shared with Cecilia on Tuesday was not going to be repeated. Cecilia and Jason sat with the other graduate students while Jim Halsey and a couple of other Foundation representatives spoke about their hopes for Upper Danubia's future. The Danubian ambassador to the US spoke next, thanking the university for its hospitality and announcing Dukov's pending speech to the National Press Club for the following Monday before flying back to Europe. Finally Dukov himself spoke, thanking the university, the city of Chicago, and the State of Illinois for the hospitality his group had received. He did not speak for very long, but he concluded with the hope that the "unpleasantness" between his government and the US government would pass, and that the two nations could enjoy warm relations in the future. Cecilia heard Jason mutter: "not if Dad has his way..." There was dinner, some slow dancing afterwards, and finally a long series of good-byes. When it was Dukov's turn to say goodbye to Cecilia, he commented: "Again I wish to express my gratitude for your insight. Perhaps it will please you to know that I will travel to Sumy Ris next Thursday to meet with my counterpart, to discuss your suggestion. I have hope for our success, and I owe you my appreciation." Cecilia heart pounded as she shook the Prime Minister's hand for the final time. At age 19, without even having completed the first semester of her sophomore year, she had managed to change the course of history with a single question. The Freshman Ch. 22 Chapter 22 - Finals week The Danubians departed Chicago late Saturday afternoon for Washington. There was a brief formal ceremony at the university marking their departure, followed by an unceremonious trip to the O'Hare Airport and a quick flight to Washington. In the US capitol there would be no official welcome from any Administration officials. The Danubians would go straight to their country's embassy for an official dinner, then spend one day touring the US capitol before Dukov gave his presentation on Monday. Immediately after the National Press Club appearance, there would be an overnight stop in Ottawa before the flight to Europe. Cecilia was very sorry to see the Danubians leave Chicago. Although she had only talked three times to the Prime Minister, she felt a real affinity towards him. She enjoyed watching him as he spoke and interacted with his US hosts. She especially liked the way he interacted with his fellow government officials, people who until very recently had not been his subordinates, but rather his co-workers. Apart from the mandatory exchanges of salutes, there was absolutely nothing in Dukov's behavior indicating that he saw himself as superior in any way to the other members of his delegation. In fact, when speaking to Alexi Havlakt, Cecilia could tell that Dukov addressed him with a great deal of respect and that he relied on the older man's insight to supplement his own. The members of the Foundation and even some reporters marveled at the modest demeanor of the Danubians throughout their visit. The only luxury they afforded themselves during the entire trip was a day of sightseeing in Washington DC, and even that was simply because it was a Sunday and there really was very little else for them to do. As for where they stayed, that would be in the Danubian Embassy. The Prime Minister had no desire to spend money on hotels if it was not necessary. ---------- Cecilia wrote at length to Kimberly Lee about Dukov's visit and the impression the delegation had left on her. She asked some questions about Alexi Havlakt and asked Kim to fill her in about the historical site in Sumy Ris. She also thanked Kim for the CD's for Jason's grandmother, mentioning that she already had sent them by overnight mail to their final recipient earlier in the week. The online relationship between Kimberly and Cecilia took off after Dukov's visit. Cecilia wrote extensively about her current semester at the university and her studies to major in economics. Kim responded by talking about her own studies and the overall lifestyle of the members of "Socrates' Mistresses". The band still was producing music, but now that they no longer could sing outside of Upper Danubia, its members had decided to pursue other careers and keep singing as a hobby. "I think that's actually helped us a lot, because last year, when we were touring, I was seeing the beginnings of tension between our members over money and musical direction. I know that when our contract got canceled, Dima (my singing partner's husband) was happy about it. He didn't want the money. What he wanted was for us to sing what we felt, and he thought that the contract and the touring and the pressure were starting to get in the way. It wasn't fun any more. Now we're back where we started, at the Socrates Club. I think it's a lot more enjoyable for all of us, because singing is our chance to get together and escape from our other responsibilities in life." Cecilia was aware that whenever "Socrates' Mistresses" sang, they always performed in the nude. The band's website had several uncensored pictures from recent concerts which clearly showed the five singers wearing nothing but their criminal collars while on stage. Performing as criminals had become the group's trademark: it was where they had started and what they had returned to. That decision by the popular group had influenced how Danubians looked upon criminals in general and how people currently serving sentences saw themselves. The music originating from the Socrates Club had become more influential than ever and a source of real national pride among the Danubians. The Danubian music scene was becoming popular throughout Europe and it seemed that Danube City was well on its way to being an important destination for tourists interested in buying CD's and attending concerts. Hotels and concert halls around Danube City were full to capacity, so much so that some of the concerts were moving to provincial towns. "Socrates' Mistresses" could count on any concert they gave to be sold out, so, even with their international contract canceled, they could not complain about the income they received from their singing. The online conversation shifted to Upper Danubia's criminal justice system and Kim's goal to become a Spokeswoman for the Criminal specializing in representing convicted foreigners. Kim was able to answer Cecilia's questions about the Danubian system and the country's unique way of punishing criminals. She wrote at length about her ambition to follow in Vladim Dukov's footsteps and pursue a career in the Danubian courts. She already was in her third year of studies at the Law School at the National University in Danube City and recently had been certified as a Court Apprentice in Full Standing. Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna explained that in the Danubian judicial system the Spokesperson for the Criminal took the place of both the public defense attorney and the parole officer in the US system. The Spokesperson was an extremely important position, because the moment a suspect was placed under arrest, he or she was placed under the legal custody of a Spokesperson, who had duties and rights similar to those of a parent of an underage child. The Spokesperson presented the suspect in trial and explained the case from the suspect's point of view. If the suspect was convicted and collared, it was the Spokesperson's responsibility to ensure the client was gainfully employed, living a lifestyle that would ensure no further criminal activity, and properly adjusting to the harsh conditions and demands placed on the convicted criminal's daily life and activities. The Spokesperson had final say over anything a client did or decided. In Kim's case, although she was only an Apprentice, she already held legal custody over six convicted criminals, all of them foreigners arrested in Danube City for drug violations. It surprised Cecilia to learn that Kim was rather strict with her six clients, very insistent they show her proper protocol at all times. As Kim explained: "I'm not their friend. I am their custodian and their mentor. It is my duty to watch over them, and it is their duty to obey me. If they question what I'm telling them to do, I always ask them to look at me and consider whether anything I want them to do is going to harm them in any way or help me at their expense. Of course they never have an answer to that question and so they end up obeying me." ---------- Kim wrote at length about her very first client, a young American called Tiffany Walker who was serving a 35-year sentence for perjury. Tiffany had been a close friend of Kim in high school and was traveling with her and another friend when the three were arrested in Danube City. By lying to the arraignment committee, she and the other girl narrowly escaped being charged with marijuana possession by the Danubian government. They left Danube City, abandoning Kim to her fate. The following week the two girls' drug use caught up with them when they got sick with hepatitis while sharing a needle in a Prague nightclub. Tiffany survived, but returned to the US and drifted for nearly two years. She spent her time experimenting with various drugs and working as a prostitute, her self-esteem totally shattered by her disastrous trip to Europe. Finally she ended up back in her hometown as a stripper supporting the habit of a methamphetamine addict. The strip club was where Kim found her former friend when she returned to the US for a brief visit after completing her sentence. Tiffany had started using methamphetamine when Kim confronted her, but fortunately her addiction had not yet severely damaged her health. Although she was well-aware of what was happening and that she was ruining her prospects for having a decent life, Kim's former friend lacked the will to extricate herself from her situation. The responsibility of saving Tiffany fell to Kim. It was Kim who convinced her to return to Upper Danubia, face sentencing, and live as a convicted criminal under her supervision. Leaving the US with Kim would be Tiffany's final chance to break away from her addictions, the final opportunity to save herself that fortunately she took advantage of. Kim's new client spent a month in a Danubian rehab program, and then was convicted of perjury and sentenced by a Danubian court. Kim had a comment: "I think Tiffany's story shows just how bad meth really is. We both knew that no matter how bad her life would be serving as a convicted criminal in Danube City, it was the only realistic alternative she had to slowly killing herself on meth. And she's still addicted. She hasn't used anything for a year and a half, but she still gets those cravings. It's a very rough life, the one she has now, but she did manage to get away from the old one. Just having gotten away, and not having the choice available to kill herself anymore has made her very happy, in spite of all the crap she has to put up with as a criminal." What made Tiffany's existence in Danube City truly unusual was her personal life. In spite of being a convicted criminal, she was the fiancé of Vladik Dukov, who was a police officer and the Prime Minister's son. Eventually Tiffany and Vladik would get married, but getting married, even to the Prime Minister's son, would not affect her legal status as a criminal. Until she completed her sentence, Kim would remain her custodian. Tiffany would have to answer to her Spokeswoman, not her husband. There was a further detail about Tiffany's situation that Cecilia found totally astounding. In Upper Danubia, the arresting police officer was responsible for inflicting any corporal punishments assigned by the trial judge as part of the criminal's sentence. In Tiffany's case, the law meant that, because he had present during her initial arrest, Vladik Dukov was assigned to administer the yearly switchings. At the conclusion of her trial it was Vladik who switched Tiffany in court, and he switched her a second time the past summer. When Tiffany became engaged, Kim offered to have another police officer assigned to punish her. However, Tiffany insisted that no, she did not want anyone else to switch her other than Vladik. She felt that the yearly switchings were an important part of her redemption and it was important that the person punishing her was the man who loved her. Vladik was quite severe with the switch and showed no mercy, not even to his own fiancé. Still, Tiffany insisted that he remain in charge of her punishments. Kim concluded: "I suppose the situation between Tiffany and Vladik, and her whole attitude, must sound totally weird to you. You'd have to know what she's gone through in life to understand why she is the way she is. I'd guess none of this makes much sense to you, but here in Danube City the way people think is different from the way people think in the US. If you've ever seen anyone on drugs, you'll know that changes the way they think also." Cecilia knew, from her own experiences, that Kim's last sentence was very true. ---------- The concept of legal custody fascinated Cecilia, partly because of her long-term plans for Jason. She knew that in Upper Danubia, custody was a legally binding arrangement, fully sanctioned and codified under Danubian law. Cecilia asked Kim if custody arrangements ever happened between people other than Spokespersons and criminals. Her heart jumped when she received Kim's answer; most definitely there were many instances of non-judicial custody in Upper Danubia. The two most common were public penance and cases of identified substance abusers. A person performing public penance placed himself under the custody of the Danubian Church, for a period of time agreed upon by the sinner and a Temple Priest. The other most common instance of non-judicial custody involved people who were identified substance abusers, but had not been convicted of any crime. The philosophy of the Danubian government was that substance abusers had forfeited the right to control their own lives, but could not be subjected to the judicial system if they had not broken any laws. The solution was to award formal custody to a family member, most often a spouse. Kim concluded: "I'd guess that's why we don't have too many drunks in the Duchy. How many men are going to want to take orders from a pissed-off wife who's got legal authority from the government?" Kim's final comment got Cecilia thinking...hmm...a husband under the custody of his wife...legal custody. She wrote back: "I was curious about something. Does this whole custody thing apply only to substance abusers? Are there ever any cases that a husband is placed under the custody of his wife, because, maybe they both agreed that what's best for their marriage?" Kim answered: "Sometimes it happens that way. Most often it's for adultery or some other thing that one partner did to offend the other. Those cases are handled by the Church, and they fall under the rules for public penance. That means the person who is surrendering custody has to give up their clothing, wear a collar, and kneel before their partner. I have a classmate at the university who's doing that right now. She's engaged, but a year ago she went to Germany for a semester and had an affair while she was there. She came back feeling all guilty about it, so she confessed to her fiancé. I guess he was willing to forgive her, but she wouldn't forgive herself. Finally she went to the Temple and asked a Priest to collar her and write up a certificate of custody for her fiancé. She took the certificate and gave it to him, and insists on kneeling whenever she speaks to him. What's weird was that it was something she insisted on doing, not because it was anything he really wanted. And she's gotten used to living like that. She's been wearing her collar for over a year. They're getting married next month, but she says she wants to keep wearing her collar even after the wedding. I wouldn't be surprised if she stays that way the rest of her life." Cecilia's heart pounded and she could feel the wetness building between her legs. Jason...that was what she fantasized about doing with Jason. She wanted complete dominance over him and make him kneel whenever he spoke to her. Apparently if she were Danubian she could do it, become his legal custodian and control every detail of his life. To have him wear a collar, follow her around naked in public, drop to his knees whenever he spoke to her, and have him be legally required to do anything she commanded him to do...that was exactly what she wanted for her relationship with her boyfriend. If only she had some means of getting herself and Jason to Danube City... ---------- The semester was drawing to a close. The professors gave their final lectures, there was a two-day break for students to catch up on studying for their finals, and then the tests. Burnside had Cecilia proctor the examinations for the freshman classes, including the exam for the Theory class that had to be re-written because it had been compromised. Cecilia's heart pounded and her face turned red when the professor handed her a stack of re-written tests to pass out. However, true to her word, Burnside made no comment whatsoever about the unexpected extra work Cecilia had forced her to do. The matter between the two women had been settled during the Halloween party. The only reminder she ever would have of the incident would be a copy of the department memo ending her academic probation. The memo would be issued on the day final grades for the semester were posted. Cecilia quickly found out that Burnside was perfectly willing to bend the rules of her department when she felt it was necessary. In spite of being on probation and officially prohibited from assisting with grading tests, Burnside tasked Cecilia with helping Mark Gertz grade 50 essay exams. She ordered Cecilia to make photocopies of the essays, and then write corrections and comments on the copies to give to the TA. Cecilia felt the exercise was a horrible waste of effort and paper, but Burnside wanted to prepare her scholarship student to work as an assistant during her junior year. If Cecilia had any problems with her ability to grade other students' work, Burnside wanted to catch them early and use the following semester to correct them. Precisely because Burnside selected and prepared her assistants in advance, her grading always went smoothly. ---------- In addition to her own exams for her sophomore classes, Cecilia had to worry about the success of her floor in general and Jason and his friends in particular. She grilled them ruthlessly and demanded they spend as much time as possible helping other floor residents. As a result, Jason and his friends went into their exams confident that they knew the material, and were well-practiced in explaining it to others. Jason finished his first semester with four "A's" and two "B's" for final grades. Mike did even better, getting all "A's", including a very rare "A" from Ruth Burnside. Ken and Lisa each got three "A's" and three "B's". The four students thus had begun their college careers with solid academic averages. Jason, for the first time in his life, felt that he could face his father with confidence when he went home for Christmas. Whatever criticism Mr. Schmidt might have had in store would be muted by his son's academic success. Obviously his grandmother, who had argued with his father to let him study out of state, would be vindicated by Jason's performance. Perhaps there would be no warmth between him and his parents, but Jason could look forward to a peaceful Christmas break without having to listen to constant digs about what a failure he was. ---------- In spite of their academic success over the fall semester, Christmas would be a difficult time for young couple, because they would be forced to spend three weeks separated from each other. Jason could not stay in the dorm because the university required all freshmen to vacate over Christmas break. Only RA's could stay in their rooms, which was fortunate because Cecilia had nowhere else to go. The issue of her traveling to Wisconsin never came up, given that no one; not her, not Jason, not Jason's parents; had any desire to endure a repeat of the Thanksgiving disaster. As their three-week separation loomed, Cecilia and Jason felt very uneasy, almost scared. They had become so emotionally dependent on each other that each felt lost if the other was not nearby. Cecilia was even more affected by the pending separation than was Jason. The thought of being apart from him tormented her because she needed him. She was confused over her distress and became very angry with herself. She had promised herself that after Vicente, she never again would become psychologically dependent on a boyfriend. Because she needed Jason so badly, she had broken that promise. She asked herself, if she and Jason had agreed that she was the one in charge of their relationship, why should she be so upset at the thought of being separated from him? Shouldn't it be the other way around? The only answer she could find was that she felt safe when she was with him. He loved her with all of his being, and in her own way, she loved him in return. For the only time in her life she trusted a man enough to partially be able open up to him. The reason she was able to open up to him at all was because, as she said it, he didn't give her any shit. There was a second part of that reason: while he "didn't give her no shit", he certainly took it from her. He calmly put up with her demands, her controlling behavior, her foul temper, and her mood swings with patience and cheerfulness. He loved her enough to consistently withstand her quirks, day after day. She fully knew that she was as hard to get along with as a woman possibly could be, and yet he still loved her. The Freshman Ch. 22 At that point in her life Cecilia did not realize, by insisting on remaining in control of every aspect of her relationship with Jason, that she unwittingly had thwarted her lifelong goal of maintaining her own emotional independence. By living his life to suit her needs, Jason had made Cecilia emotionally dependent on him. She needed him to be present in her life and obey her orders, every bit as much as he needed her to prevent his own weaknesses from allowing him fail. At the end of their first semester together, it was Jason who actually understood the situation between himself and Cecilia better than she did. By coming together they had filled voids in each other's lives. Their souls, damaged and incomplete alone, fit together like two pieces of a puzzle into a bond that actually worked for both of them. Jason understood something else that was important. The Christmas of his freshman year would be the final time of his life that he would or could be separated from Cecilia. Over the spring semester the ties between them would only strengthen, to the point that neither would be able to go anywhere or do anything without the other. Perhaps the Danubians had the best way of saying it, the path of their lives already had been chosen, the only option they had was to follow. ---------- On their final night together, Jason invited Cecilia to dinner and a late semester musical recital at the Music School. As usual, they went well dressed, she in her Danubian dress and he in a dark suit. They both were much quieter then usual. They wanted to enjoy their final night of the year and feel each other's presence, but there really was no need for them to try to express themselves with words. It was a clear but bitterly cold night as they walked back to Huntington Hall. The campus was mostly empty because the majority of the students already had left. As they returned, she was very affectionate and very subdued, her normal demeanor totally lacking. Jason knew that night was one of those rare occasions it was up to him to take control of the evening. There was to be a final round of love-making in Cecilia's room. The distress from she felt facing the next three weeks without him showed very clearly in her face. Her normal bossiness was gone, replaced by a rare submissiveness and vulnerability. That night she wanted to surrender herself and have him take charge of their lovemaking. She signaled her desire by quietly standing in the middle of her room, quietly waiting to be told what he wanted her to do. Jason remained fully dressed, except for his coat, which he took off and hung up. He then gently unbuttoned and removed her coat, and hung it up next to his own. He undid the ties of the Danubian dress, loosening them as much as possible. He kissed her neck for a few seconds, and then motioned her to raise her arms. He pulled the dress up over her head and, knowing how important that dress was to her, carefully hung it up. Cecilia was left wearing nothing but her shoes and her usual thong. He decided to take off the thong first, knowing that she would feel much more naked if he left her shoes on for a few minutes. He ran his hands down her bare back, caught the skimpy waistband of her underwear with his thumbs, and proceeded to lower the thong to her feet. He motioned her to step out of it, and put the tiny garment in her linen bag. Cecilia's shapely dark figure, illuminated by the closet light and unencumbered by any cloth, beckoned Jason to explore with his eyes and with his hands. He relished the sight of her, looking so vulnerable and helpless wearing nothing but her shoes. As he foresaw, she looked and felt much more naked in just her shoes than she would have wearing nothing at all. Still completely dressed in his suit, he hugged her. As her bare skin pressed up against the layers of cloth still covering the body of her boyfriend, she felt even more vulnerable. She was in a very submissive mood and he would be able to enjoy her from his favorite sexual position, on her elbows and knees with her bottom spread, with her very wet vagina properly presented for his pleasure. He suspected that had he wanted to put her over his lap and spank her, at that moment she would have allowed him to do so. He took her hands and made her turn around. They were facing a full-length mirror, so he made her look at herself and the contrast of her naked body against his suit. She continued to stand facing her own image as he ran his hands over her breasts and kissed her neck. He had been right. The sight of herself, her bare body exposed and contrasting with her well-dressed companion, excited her. She felt the familiar burning and wetness between her legs as she continued to study her image and feel his hands explore her body. For a long time he played with her, lightly touching and kissing her, as she silently stood watching herself become more and more aroused. Yes...he knew her body. He knew how to torment her, tease her, and make her desperate. Tonight she would have to wait until he was ready to relieve her burning desire. Without saying anything out loud, that was what she had agreed, to surrender herself and let him take control of her body. He turned her around so that her bottom was facing the mirror. She looked back at herself as he ran his hands over her tender backside, exploring her bottom-cheeks and running his fingertips along the sensitive area in between. She was sweating and trembling with anticipation. He could feel her heart beating and hear her irregular breaths. He realized the moment had come. He pulled off her shoes and guided her onto her bed. Her instincts took over and she became desperate to be entered and satisfied. She arched her back, shamelessly exposing herself, placing her trembling bottom-hole and glistening vulva on full display for her love. For the moment she had forgotten about everything else in her life. What she needed was to be taken, to be entered, and to be fulfilled. He struggled out of his own clothing and threw everything on a chair. Seeing her lovely sweaty body so submissively presented made him very hard, and very desperate to get inside her. Still, he wanted to make her wait, just a little bit longer. He gently ran the palm of his hand over her posterior, massaging and lightly patting it. She reared back slightly, inviting him to explore the wet, sensitive area in between. He took out a condom and with unsteady hands pulled the protection over his very stiff penis. He kissed her sweaty bottom and then pushed into her. She reared back, gasping and pushing hard against him, desperate to get him as far inside her as possible. He grabbed her thighs and roughly moved back and forth. As he thrust and thrust, a thought passed through his head that made him very, very aroused. Her reaction to having her bottom caressed and patted had made him understand something important. At some point in the future he was destined to spank her. That night she would have allowed him to do it, but he knew better than to jump at the first chance. If he made her wait, later on she would actually want him to spank her, not just allow it. She would let him know that she actually needed to be spanked. She would beg him to do it. When that moment came he would place her over his lap and gently massage her trembling bottom. He would start slowly, going from massaging to gentle pats, from gentle pats to soft slaps, then from soft slaps to much harder slaps. It would be a very long spanking, with plenty of kisses and caresses mixed with painful swats. He knew it would happen someday, the way he envisioned it. He could read it in her eyes. But before that moment came he would have to spend much more of his own life meeting her needs and submitting to her discipline. He could only spank her when she completely and fully trusted him, and that moment of trust would not come until long after he had given himself over to her, fully and completely. He was well on his way to completely surrendering himself to her, but he knew he still had a long way to go. Still, as he continued thrusting into his gasping companion, Jason's thoughts were not focused on the further sacrifices in life he would have to make to ensure her happiness. Instead he was thinking about her lovely dark bottom, properly positioned over his lap, ready and waiting to receive the sensuous slaps of a lover's spanking. Her bottom filled his thoughts and fantasies as he continued thrusting and thrusting, as she squealed from a savagely wonderful orgasm. The Freshman Ch. 23 Chapter 23 - A photo shoot in Huntington Hall A very eerie silence settled over the university once all the students had departed for the holidays. A couple of coffee shops in the student center remained open to serve the handful of students living off campus not traveling, but the dorm area was totally deserted. Even most of the RA's had left. A couple of her co-workers were coming back right after New Year's, but Cecilia was the only RA who would spend the entire Christmas break in the dorm. The dorm's manager decided to make her duty RA during the break and give her the keys to the entire building. In the morning she had to unlock the service entrance to let the janitors in, but apart from that, she would have Huntington Hall to herself until after New Year's. Two days after Jason left there was a heavy snowstorm that blanketed the university. With the students gone and only the service entrance of Huntington Hall remaining open, there was no need to shovel the sidewalks. With the sidewalks buried under a foot of snow the dorm area became even more deserted, silent, and desolate. During the days she was snowed in, Cecilia was able to relax in many small ways she couldn't when the dorm was full of students. She greatly enjoyed the silence surrounding her. The only noise she would hear during those three weeks would be whatever noise she chose to make. Sometimes she played classical music or a CD from "Socrates' Mistresses", but more often everything was turned off and her room was as quiet as the rest of Huntington Hall. The quiet was very nice for a soul starved for tranquility. She remained busy, active on the Internet or preparing for the upcoming semester. She spent several days making major revisions to the website of "Socrates' Mistresses" and improving her knowledge of digital art and web graphics. She experimented with sound files, looking for the format that would best suit the band's Internet needs. She got caught up on the news by reading on-line articles and corresponding with Kimberly and Cynthia Lee. The days flew by in spite of the void Jason's absence had left in her life. For most of the break Cecilia didn't bother to get dressed. Under the influence of her boyfriend, during the fall semester she had become used to sleeping naked. With the heat turned up in her room, she also enjoyed not wearing anything while studying or relaxing. Even when she went to the bathroom she knew there was no need to get dressed, since there was no one else on the floor to see her. The first few trips she simply wrapped herself in a towel when she went to pee or take a shower. Later, as she became more comfortable walking around in the vacated building, she began leaving her towel in her room. As she walked down the hallway with the cool air blowing against her bare skin, she reflected how much like Jason she had become in being comfortable with her body. Three days after the dorm residents had left, Cecilia had built up enough dirty clothes to need to do a load of wash. She made a rather important decision; she would not get dressed when she took the dirty clothing downstairs to the laundry room. Why bother? There was no one to see her, and it would be nice to have every article of clothing in her room clean and put away, with no exceptions. With her heart pounding and the thrill of erotic excitement going through her thoughts, she walked down the stairs wearing nothing but a pair of flip-flops. Her heart continued to pound as she placed the clothes in the washing machine, turned it on, and went back upstairs. Naked, she made several more trips up and down the stairs to move her clothes to a dryer and later pull them out. She unfolded an ironing board and spent the next hour ironing and folding her clothes. She put the ironed clothes in a basket or on hangers, and then made several more naked trips up and down the stairs to move everything back to her room and put it away. By the time she was finished, she no longer felt that she was doing anything daring. She was becoming used to being naked outside of her room and found it quite enjoyable. From that point forward she began doing her building checks in the nude, wearing just her sneakers and carrying the dorm keys and her radio. She patrolled the deserted hallways several times a day to stretch her legs. She enjoyed walking around the empty floors and exerting herself going up and down the stairs. From doing her building checks in the nude, Cecilia progressed to exercising in the nude. In the director's office there was a treadmill. Because the environment outside was so bitterly cold, she had no desire to go out, not even to stay in shape. Instead she decided to exercise on the treadmill by walking and running, still dressed in nothing but her sneakers. She did not have to worry about her boss catching her naked in his office, because she had his dorm keys and he would need to radio her if he wanted in the building. So, twice a day she entered the office to spend an hour walking and jogging on the treadmill. By the end of Christmas break she had worked herself up to running two miles non-stop and walking an additional four miles. Cecilia's sexual urges did not diminish over her three-week confinement in the dorm. With Jason absent from her life, she returned to her old routine of self-pleasure. She spent countless hours masturbating and gently caressing her body with her fingertips. Usually she stayed in her room during her lengthy sessions of self-love, but not always. One of the best orgasms during her three weeks of solitude came one night in the commons area during a very heavy snowstorm. She sat in front of a bay window on a sofa, caressing and fondling herself in the open room as a layer of new snow blanketed the deserted university. What excited the RA was the fact the window was in plain view of the entire campus, but because she was sitting in the dark and it was snowing, she was invisible to the outside. She wondered what the dorm's freshmen would think if they could have seen their no-nonsense RA sitting naked in the commons area, sweaty and gasping, her legs spread to the world, giving herself an orgasm. ---------- For the second time of her life, Cecilia faced the prospect of spending Christmas alone. It was ironic that she had plenty of people in her life who cared about her, but their circumstances prevented them from being available to spend any time with her on Christmas. Dealing with being alone at the end of December was very hard on her. Christmas was the one time during each year Cecilia had good memories of her life in New Jersey. She knew that it was easy idealize those few pleasant moments that stood out in an otherwise very bleak life, but she couldn't help it. As hard as it was to believe, as Christmas loomed she even missed her family. Christmas always had been the one time during the year the Sanchez family could ignore their personal problems and set aside their disputes. Cecilia, her mother, and her cousin always spent a couple of days preparing traditional Dominican dishes, so the family always ate well during the last week of the year. Whatever money they had was spent on gifts and decorations. Neighbors always came over, and there were numerous invitations to visit other families in the housing project. There were Church services and midnight masses, traditional Spanish Christmas music to replace the ever-present Salsa and Rap that permeated the project, and Christmas pageants at school and at church. Cecilia did not miss very much of her life in New Jersey, but she did miss Christmas. She spent a lot of time corresponding with Kimberly Lee about Christmas in Upper Danubia. Kim also missed Christmas, but for a different reason. The Danubians did not have any major celebration of Christmas on December 25, but instead combined the celebration of Christmas with celebrating New Year's a week later. The tradition was to spend the hours before midnight with family members, then attend Temple services for an hour, and then to spend the following day and evening visiting friends and exchanging gifts. "Christmas used to be a bigger deal than it is now, but since the Danubians are getting back into their old religion, the Catholic holidays don't matter to them too much anymore. I miss my family and sometimes miss the way we do things in the US, so I feel for you about missing Christmas with your own family." ---------- On the morning of December 24, Cecilia got a call from Suzanne Foster. She was greatly surprised, because she had thought that Suzanne would be off-campus like most of the other dorm residents. She had indeed left for the holiday, but had to come back because of a fight with her father. Her dorm director, aware of her difficult personal situation, decided to waive the rule about having her stay out of her room over the Christmas break and let her back in. She would have to eat out of the dorm, but at least she could sleep in her room. Suzanne was very upset over her latest fight with her father. She had been forced to leave her family's house the morning before Christmas and faced spending the rest of her vacation alone on campus. Cecilia decided to get together with her friend, have lunch, and give Suzanne a chance to have someone to talk to. As bad as she felt for Suzanne, she was glad to have a familiar face on campus to alleviate her own loneliness. For the first time in over a week, Cecilia got dressed and nerved herself to face the bitter cold outside to walk over to Suzanne's dorm. The two women crossed the university to eat at a restaurant just off-campus, and then wandered around a bit until the stores began closing. During that entire time Suzanne talked about a disastrous end of the semester. In a three week period she had broken up with her boyfriend, been accused of cheating on a term paper by a professor, and had a vicious fight with her father. "The cheating hassle was why I never called you when the Dukov group was here. The ethics panel actually had me go to a hearing and I had to bring in all my research stuff. I mean...I had to go to the library and get all my books and take them over, dig up my notes...I even had to go through the trash to get some scraps of paper that I took notes on. Any you know why they accused me of cheating? Simply because the way I write is kinda like the way one of the professors here writes. I didn't even know who the guy was, but they said I was copying his work. I'll tell you, I'm mad about this...really mad, and I told them that. Anyhow, they cleared me, but I don't know if really they believe me or not. And, I don't know if the professors are gonna trust me after this, because the whole thing's gotten around the department. Let this be a lesson to you, keep your research notes for your papers." Suzanne vented her anger against her boyfriend, who was art major specializing in painting. The guy had not really done anything all semester except create a few very bad paintings. He had no job and Suzanne had been paying for their dates. On top of everything else he had flunked a couple of his classes at the university and was considering taking classes at the community college. Since he no longer was going to be student at the university, he would have to move off-campus and really had nowhere to go. Suzanne snapped when he told her he wanted to keep his stuff in her room and sleep there until he came up with something else. She was fully aware he would not be able to come up with anything else, and probably would want to stay indefinitely. Furthermore, by having a male stay in her room, she would be risking getting kicked out of the dorm. The answer was no. No stuff in my room, no sleeping in my room, no using my meal card to eat in the cafeteria. Go find someone else to support you, because I've had it. And by the way, you'd better change your major, because you don't know how to paint. What you call a painting is something I could have done when I was in kinder garden. Suzanne went home to her father's house in an irritated mood. She made the mistake of telling him and her step-mother about the final two weeks of her semester. He promptly used the cheating accusation and her most recent break-up to ridicule her, and heap his usual contempt on her life and her efforts in college. Suzanne, still in a rotten mood from the events over the past two weeks, simply left the house without saying anything and returned to the university. Cecilia was curious about the odious behavior from her friend's father and why she put up with it. "You know, you take a lot of shit from your dad, and I don't get it. I'm tellin' you, if I were you, I would've told him to go fuck himself a long time ago. There's no way I'd put up with what you're puttin' up with. So, how come you're doin' it? How come you're takin' his shit?" "I don't know, Cecilia. I don't know why I'm doing it. I'm always asking myself the same thing, but I keep hoping that someday things might be different. I keep hoping that he'll change, I mean, go back to the way he was when I was little, and we might be a family again...like before my mom left." "It's not gonna happen. You don't have any family, 'cause your dad's just a rotten person. You gotta deal with that. That's your reality, and you just gotta face it. That man's no good, and you know he's no good. He doesn't deserve you bein' nice to him." "I guess. I don't know myself why I'm this way...why I can't let go. Right now I just can't." Cecilia, upon realizing she wasn't going to get Suzanne to change her outlook on her relationship with her father, decided to change the subject and work on improving her friend's mood. She invited Suzanne back to her room to listen to the latest CD sent to her by Kimberly Lee and to look at the website draft she had prepared. Suzanne, who had more of an eye for aesthetic appeal than did Cecilia, made several suggestions to improve the over-all appearance of the webpages, including a change in the color scheme. A few mouse clicks accomplished those changes, and yes, the webpages did indeed look better with the new colors. Suzanne was in a quiet mood and ready to listen to Cecilia's adventures with the Danubians. She was impressed that Cecilia actually had sat for dinner with the country's Prime Minister and made a suggestion that perhaps salvaged an international treaty. Cecilia talked at length about the final week of the semester on her floor and her efforts to get her residents to pass their classes. While they were talking Cecilia burned an extra CD for Suzanne, figuring that her advice on the webpage more than made up for the fact she was giving a friend the band's latest music for free. Suzanne invited Cecilia back to her room to look over the photos she had taken in the art department studio earlier in the semester. It was strange to see her own body, completely stripped in a totally empty setting, her brown skin sharply contrasting with the white backdrop. She was surprised at the pictures' quality, and also at how attractive her own body appeared in the pictures. "Dang...I look good in these. They're really great." Suzanne handed over a folder containing copies of the entire photo shoot. It occurred to Cecilia that she now had at least one decent Christmas gift she could give to Jason; she could have a couple of the pictures framed and present them when he came back from Wisconsin. The photographer then announced that five of the photos would be included a city-wide exhibit of figure photography in January. That news both frightened and excited Cecilia, the knowledge that hundreds of photography fans would be studying her figure in detail. However, whatever reservations she might have had about being placed so prominently on display she would have to keep to herself, because she had signed a model release. Cecilia looked over some of Suzanne's other work, which included a black football player who had posed nude in different spots around the university gym and stadium, various models posing outdoors in parks and forests, and a lot of shots of the Tri-Alpha 10-K race. The strangest photo shoot of the semester was of an older professor posing in his office. The man was in his 60's and there was absolutely nothing attractive about his body, but somehow Suzanne had managed to make the subject intensely erotic. "I like this set, and I really don't know why. Anyhow, he's retiring in May, and he's going to let me do an art show with this project once he's safely out of the university. It's sort of funny, when you think about it. I've got my statement I want to make with these pictures, but he has one as well, which is different from mine. He told me it's going to be his way of saying goodbye to his life as a scholar." Looking at her friend's work had intensely aroused Cecilia. In spite of her nervousness about her images being presented in the art show in January, she secretly found herself wishing she could do another photo shoot. The photographer, who was very good at discerning the thoughts of her subjects, picked up on that immediately. "I got a question for you. You say there's no one else in Huntington Hall except you?" "Yeah, it's gonna be just me 'till after New Year's. Sometimes the janitor or the repair guy shows up and I gotta let 'em in, but that's always in the morning and just for a couple of hours. If they ain't around I always keep all the doors in the building locked." "You know, I was thinking about something. If you got that whole building to yourself, we could take advantage of that to do some more photo shoots over the next couple of days. I'd have plenty of time to set up and get the lighting right. If you're up for it, I think we could get some really great pictures, even better than the ones from the studio." Cecilia's heart jumped. She was indeed up for another photo shoot. After nearly two weeks of being without Jason, she was full of pent-up sexuality. A lengthy picture-taking session in Huntington Hall would be perfect way to release her emotions. As it got dark outside, Suzanne and Cecilia loaded themselves with her photography supplies and made the trek from Suzanne's dorm back to Huntington Hall. They had to make two trips, because Suzanne wanted to bring all of her lighting. Cecilia then offered to open a vacant room to her friend and get her a set of linens, so she would not have to return to her room at night. The offer also gave Suzanne a place to keep her equipment, which she gladly accepted. She added a toothbrush, a bottle of shampoo, and comb to her camera bag and with that the two women trudged through the snow to get back to Huntington Hall. ---------- Suzanne's plans turned out to be quite ambitious. She had a unique opportunity to take advantage of having an entire building available for nearly a week to do with as she saw fit. The first thing she did was tour all of Huntington Hall, including the rooftop and basement. She turned on and off all the lights, took measurements, looked out the windows, and explored the most secret areas of the dorm. She seemed particularly fascinated with a section of the basement, carefully looking at the pipes and several concrete pillars as she pondered the underground area. Suzanne let her model know that she planned to spend several days taking pictures and she wanted the project to be a serious artistic undertaking. She also let Cecilia know that while shooting, she would be in control, period. If Cecilia wanted the project to be successful, she had to follow the photographer's commands with no questions. "We're going to be doing some experimental stuff, and I'll be asking you to do some things that might make you nervous. But if you get nervous, that's fine, that's going to be what I want. The photos I'm planning are not just going to be about your body in this dorm, but also your emotions." The Freshman Ch. 23 She wondered what on earth Suzanne meant by that, but she still wanted to go through with the photo shoot. She was determined to see how far her friend could push her and what the artistic results would be. She knew that Suzanne's personality completely changed when she was taking pictures; that she became very demanding of anyone modeling for her. When Suzanne was behind the camera, she was the boss, period. She expected her model to follow her commands and put forth every bit of effort to make each frame work. It was Suzanne's job to take care of the lighting, camera angles, camera settings, and picture developing, but it was the model's responsibility to put forth the effort and emotion needed to provide acceptable subject matter. Suzanne was aware that over the past couple of weeks Cecilia had not worn any clothes while alone in the building. As soon as she was settled in her room she directed her model to undress. Cecilia returned to her room and pulled off her clothes. Her heart pounding, she stepped back into the hallway as Suzanne's camera flashed at her figure. Her friend now was in complete charge of her life, and would remain so until the photography session ended. The very first thing she told Cecilia was that would not be allowed to get dressed again until the photo session was over. "I want to get as many good shots of you as I can, and I don't want pressure marks from your clothes to show up in the images. Also, I want you to get used to running around in the nude, so it'll be something you won't be worrying about later on. This photo session is going to be all about you, not about what you're wearing." Suzanne began by directing her model to take whatever dirty clothing she had downstairs to the laundry room. Cecilia did not have much that she needed to wash, but she obeyed and walked down the stairs with a basket as Suzanne's camera clicked behind her. There were more pictures taken in the laundry room, pictures of Cecilia walking up and down the stairs, pictures of her moving around in the hallway, and pictures of her ironing and putting everything away. Suzanne spent Christmas Eve and the following day taking pictures non-stop of her model doing every daily activity imaginable, all of it in the nude. Cecilia was on the move the entire day doing housework, even though cleaning Huntington Hall was not her responsibility. She was ordered to clean a bathroom, mop the entire cafeteria floor, cook a meal, wash dishes, run a vacuum cleaner in the entire second floor hallway, and straighten the furniture in all the building's common areas. Suzanne ordered her to tidy up the building's reception desk and then sit down and do some work at the computer. She ordered her to go into the director's office and do some work at his desk. Then she ordered Cecilia to go upstairs, put on her tennis shoes, and use the treadmill. "You'll need to put some effort into your running. I want you sweating before you're done." Cecilia ran a full three miles, non-stop at a fast setting before Suzanne let her stop. She was covered in persperation and gasping for breath when Suzanne finally turned down the setting and let her slow to a walk to cool down. As the sweat continued trickling down her body, Suzanne took more pictures of her model walking: from the front, from the back, and from each side. There were pictures of her stretching, and then pictures of her taking a shower with the shower curtain open. Because water had spilled on the bathroom floor, Cecilia had to get on her hands and knees and clean it up with a towel while the photographer photographed her. The photographer directed to turn her bottom towards the camera and spread her knees and arch her back while she was wiping the floor, to expose herself as much as possible. She felt the bathroom's cool air blowing against her bottom and vulva as the camera flashed behind her. As Christmas Day progressed, Suzanne's pictures became more intimate and the camera more invasive. Cecilia no longer noticed, however. She was tired from all of the housework and by the end of the day had totally forgotten that she had spent the last 24 hours in the nude in front of her friend. She got on her computer and began reading and sending e-mails. She was able to completely ignore Suzanne and follow her normal routine. Being ignored was exactly what Suzanne had in mind, because she wanted the pictures to be natural. When it was time for Cecilia to go to bed, Suzanne continued documenting her friend's life. Cecilia took the bedspread off her bed and turned up the heat, so that she could sleep with no covers and be photographed throughout the night as she moved about on the bed. Suzanne dimmed the lights, adjusted her camera lens to maximize the limited lighting, and patiently watched her model while she slept. About three in the morning Cecilia woke up and heard the quiet clicks of Suzanne's camera. Half asleep, she walked down the hallway and into the bathroom to pee, with Suzanne following her. When she returned to her room, she still was half asleep but felt very aroused. Her sexuality surfaced, partly from missing Jason, and partly from the feeling of being submitting to Suzanne and being documented in every intimate detail. Ignoring the fact her actions were being captured on film, she began caressing herself, gently running her fingertips over her stomach and breasts. Slowly her fingers moved to her thighs, then ever closer to her clitoris. She spread her legs and gently massaged her labia and touched her vagina. She rolled over and ran her hands over her bottom, gently caressing her backside as she rubbed her front over the bed. She then flipped on her back to continue teasing herself up front. Suzanne very quietly moved about the bed with her camera, capturing everything in minute detail. Cecilia's expression changed as she moved closer and closer to climaxing. She became wet and began sweating as she teased and tormented herself, striving, as always, to delay the orgasm as long as possible. Suzanne took numerous pictures, quickly using up her film and desperately swapping used rolls of pictures for unused ones. This was her chance to document a real orgasm. Sure...there were plenty of pictures of women pretending to have orgasms, plenty of pictures that looked as fake as a three-dollar bill. This was different. This was the real thing, and when the pictures were developed it would be obvious that it was genuine, a real woman truly enjoying her own body. After Cecilia went back to sleep, Suzanne returned to her borrowed room to restock her film and make sure the most recent pictures were safely stored until they could be developed. She then took off her own clothes and slept for a couple of hours, but woke up at daybreak and got dressed to make sure she was in Cecilia's room when she got up. By the middle of the day after Christmas Suzanne had documented 36 hours of Cecilia doing every imaginable daily activity in the nude. She wanted to change her focus and take pictures of her model actually posing instead of just moving about naturally. There was no question that Cecilia felt perfectly comfortable with posing, so it was time to move on to more ambitious pictures. As she followed the photographer's lead, Cecilia's intense sexuality fascinated Suzanne. She decided to bring that out as much as possible throughout the second full day of shooting. Her ultimate plan was to seduce her friend. She did not want to make physical love to her, but instead have her subject to make love to the camera. Slowly she manipulated Cecilia's emotions as she gradually persuaded her to assume ever more revealing and submissive postures. Cecilia found herself under a spell of her own making, desperately wanting to surrender herself and be taken. She was wet and her eyes were glistening with sexual desire. For the entire afternoon her soul belonged to the photographer and her camera. Finally, at about 10:00 pm, Suzanne could tell that intense exhaustion was overtaking her model's intense arousal. She allowed Cecilia to clean up and get back on her bed for some sleep. As before, that second night she allowed her model no bed covers and absolutely no privacy. Cecilia ended the day desperate to relieve her burning desires. With her friend's camera quietly clicking nearby, she masturbated uncontrollably for a very long time before finally climaxing and falling asleep. At the end of the second full day of shooting, Suzanne was exhausted herself, but was exhilarated at the total success of the project so far. She wanted more. She knew that the next day she could get even better pictures out of her friend if she handled her correctly. She looked about the room to see what might truly arouse Cecilia, but at the same time scare her and test her emotional limits. She noticed the drawing of Jason, bent over, with belt marks covering his exposed backside. She peeked in the closet, and saw two very heavy old belts hanging just inside the door. It was obvious that Cecilia never wore those belts, because they were men's belts; too big, too weathered, and too thick to be worn by a young woman. Behind the belts was hanging a small black leather paddle. Hmm...so that's what Cecilia's into...OK, that's what I'll get her with tomorrow... Suzanne returned to the basement, where she would finalize the most important episode of the shared experience with her model. There was a thick cement pillar standing in the middle of the room. By sheer luck, it had several u-shaped pieces of metal imbedded in the concrete that must have been left over from when the building was being constructed. She looked at the concrete support beams above her head. There were additional u-shaped pieces of metal embedded in the beams. That was perfect. The next day she would used the pillar and support beams to tie Cecilia in different poses and photograph her in bondage. She needed some rope, which she knew would be somewhere in the building, because it was needed to hang banners. Finally she found what she was looking for, several long pieces of soft nylon rope rolled up in a box with some old cloth signs. She put one piece in her pocket and laid out the others near the pillar. Then she went upstairs to get her lighting. Once the lighting was set up and tested, the basement was ready. ---------- The next day Cecilia slept until late in the morning. The room was illuminated by the snowy-white weather outside, which allowed the photographer to get some very good pictures of her model sleeping. For a while Suzanne simply sat next to the bed, admiring the petite dark figure lying face down on the mattress. Her legs were spread slightly and her bottom was completely relaxed, leaving her bottom-hole and vulva exposed to the well-lit room and Suzanne's camera. She took a few close-up shots of the intimate dark area between her model's soft brown bottom-cheeks. She was surprised when she found herself tempted to reach out and gently caress that tender spot. She resisted that urge, angry at herself for having sexual feelings towards her sleeping friend. Cecilia finally woke up and looked into the camera with eyes heavy from sleep. She went to the bathroom and took a brief shower, once again leaving the shower curtain open so Suzanne could photograph her. She casually shaved her armpits and vulva as the camera continued capturing her every move. After drying off, once again she had to get on her hands and knees to wipe up the water with her bottom turned up, spread, and facing the camera. The day continued in the cafeteria kitchen. Suzanne photographed Cecilia cooking, eating, drinking, cleaning the dishes, and wiping down the countertops. The two women then sat together at a table and casually talked about what Suzanne had done so far and what she hoped to accomplish with the project. The photographer announced that if the day's shooting went well, probably she'd wrap up later in the day and take her equipment back to her dorm. She let Cecilia know that the past three days had been absolutely the best photo session she ever had with a female model, professional or amateur. However, the only reward Cecilia could expect for her efforts so far was even harder work before the project could be wrapped up. Suzanne wanted a climax to the photo session, an ultimate test of her model's desire to satisfy her artistic instincts. Cecilia shifted nervously, because she knew that Suzanne was about to intensify the demands she was making of her model. Suzanne pulled a piece of rope out of her pocket, as her companion's eyes opened wide with surprise and anxiety. "Put your hands behind you, please." Cecilia stood up and turned her back to Suzanne, obediently placing her hands in position so the photographer could tie them. She felt her wrists being firmly wrapped and immobilized behind her back. Suzanne finished off with a very firm knot, and then tapped her model's shoulder to direct her towards the door. As Cecilia moved away, Suzanne snapped several photos of her walking with her hands behind her back. Cecilia felt totally helpless and much more naked, with her front unprotected and inaccessible to her hands. Suzanne made her do a complete walk around the building, while she took pictures from all sides and angles. Finally they returned to Cecilia's room. Suzanne directed her subject to kneel, took a couple more pictures, and then asked her to describe what was in her closet. Cecilia looked up, breathing roughly, as she confessed that she was keeping two thick belts and a leather paddle. She explained what the items were used for while Suzanne took them out and tapped them in her hand. She took several photos of Cecilia's very nervous expression and uncomfortable posture. She then posed a question. "Have you ever had these used on you?" "No, Suzanne. I've always used 'em on Jason. I...I've never had 'em used on me." "That's being hypocritical. We need to fix that. Stand up, 'cause I'm going to take you downstairs." They left, Cecilia's hands still tied and Suzanne carrying the belts and paddle. The RA's heart pounded when she saw the set-up in the basement. The lights, the tri-pods, and the rope clearly indicated what Suzanne had in mind. She was scared, but had been well-aware that her companion had been planning a dramatic conclusion to the project. She walked up to the pillar, and without saying anything, silently awaited the next command. For the next hour Suzanne experimented by tying her model to the pillar in different positions and photographing her. She was not particularly interested in punishing Cecilia, but she did expect the model to keep a scared, nervous look in her face. Whenever her expression relaxed too much, Suzanne responded by giving her a couple of sharp smacks with the paddle. The photographer paused to secure the model's hands to the cement support beam above her head. She picked up the belt, doubled it and slapped it in her hand. Cecilia watched her in terror, wondering how much further this was going to go. Suzanne stepped in front of her. "Cecilia, I want to let you know I appreciate this, I really appreciate what you're doing for me. You've already done your part as a model, and whether or not we go any further is up to you. What I'd like is make you cry, and then get some shots of you with tears running down your face. I know that's a lot to ask. I promise I won't get mad if you want to end things now, but I think we could get some really powerful pictures if you let me continue. It's your choice." Cecilia struggled to catch her breath. She was trembling, her bare breasts quivering slightly and nervous sweat trickling down her body. But there was no doubt in her mind what needed to happen. She needed to do this project right, do it the way Suzanne wanted, and push her own limits. They would continue. If they didn't, she would always wonder... "It...it's OK...Suzanne...you can go on. It's alright." "You sure?" Cecilia nodded. She closed her eyes and shifted her bottom out slightly to receive the first blow. She heard the camera click and then there was a pause... CRACK! Suzanne landed a sharp swat across the middle of Cecilia's bottom. She gasped and twisted slightly as tears welled up in her eyes. She heard the camera click and then struggled to position herself to receive the second swat. There was a long pause, followed by a sharp CRACK! As the pain mounted from the first two swats, Suzanne carefully and viciously struck a third time with yet another sharp CRACK! Tears started flowing down Cecilia's cheeks. In rapid succession Suzanne laid two additional welts across Cecilia's backside, as her victim bit her lip and the tears started flowing in earnest. "Open your eyes and look at me please." Cecilia looked into Suzanne's camera, as the photographer captured a powerful image of her tear-stained face. "You OK?" Cecilia nodded and stuck out her bottom for the punishment to continue. CRACK! Suzanne struck hard, overlapping an earlier stroke and forcing her victim to squeal in pain. However, as soon as she could control her squirming, Cecilia positioned herself for yet another sharp swat. Suzanne ended up only hitting Cecilia a total of 10 times. By the tenth swat Cecilia was crying quite nicely and Suzanne felt no need to continue. She finished out a roll of film, set down the camera, and got ready to untie Cecilia and release her. However, the restrained young woman had become consumed with sexual desire. She needed not to be released, but to be touched, to be satisfied, and to be fulfilled. As Suzanne reached up to untie the rope, Cecilia jerked her hands away. Her eyes full of erotic desperation, she gasped: "Touch me! I'm gonna go crazy if you don't touch me! You gotta..." "Cecilia, I never do that with my models. I can't because it's not professional." "Look, I don't wanna hear that shit! That ain't fair! I did everything you wanted! Now it's your turn to do what I want! You can't leave me like this!" Cecilia's face was full of absolute desperation, an uncontrolled sexual fury. No, Suzanne couldn't leave her in this condition. She had just given her the best photo shoot of her life and she had no right to just walk away leaving her friend's sexual desires unfulfilled. Suzanne realized something else. She was actually attracted to Cecilia. It would be the only time in her life she ever would find another woman sexually desirable, but Cecilia's beautiful body, stretched and helplessly immobilized under the support beam, truly was a tempting sight. "I'll do what you want, but...don't you want me to release you?" "No! I don't wanna be released!" Suzanne took a deep breath and began gently running her fingertips over Cecilia's breasts. She gently kissed each nipple as Cecilia gasped from arousal. She gently cupped Cecilia's face in her hands and gave her a lingering kiss. She gently explored her vulva with her fingertips, teasing her labia and gently brushing her clitoris. Cecilia was very, very wet. Suzanne kissed her friend's breasts and slowly worked her way down her stomach. Cecilia's body was covered with sweat, the salty taste of which filled her mouth. Suzanne moved down to her friend's cleanly shaven crotch. She gently touched and kissed her entire vulva, intimately exploring another woman for the first time in her life. Cecilia gasped and thrust herself forward as Suzanne gently sought out her friend's clitoris with her tongue. She would have thought that tasting another woman's sexual arousal would be disgusting, but in the case with Cecilia, quite the opposite was true. She found the taste of Cecilia's arousal fascinating. She frequently had performed oral sex on two of her boyfriends and thus was used to it, but to do it to Cecilia was a new and intriguing experience. The Freshman Ch. 23 By now Suzanne was becoming aroused as well. After having studied and photographed her model in minute detail over the past three days, she was passionately attracted to her. She stood up and pulled off her shirt. She embraced Cecilia, gently rubbing their breasts together. She took Cecilia's head in her hands and fervently kissed her as she pulled against the ropes. Now that she was aroused herself, Suzanne wanted to feel Cecilia's hands on her body. She reached up and struggled with the rope, finally managing to free her captive's hands. Cecilia embraced Suzanne and desperately kissed her neck. She pushed her friend against the cement pillar, licked her breasts, and then cupped her breasts in her hands while she sought out Suzanne's mouth with her own. With a single movement Cecilia jerked Suzanne's skirt to her ankles. For some reason she was thrilled to see that her friend was not wearing underwear. Suzanne's pale skin and voluptuous thighs beckoned. She ran her hand between her friend's thick legs, relishing the feel of the soft warm flesh. Her hand paused over her friend's vulva, her fingers buried in her soft pubic hair. She paused to study Suzanne's aroused, but very nervous expression. "We gotta get upstairs...We can't be doing this in the basement." Naked, the two women scrambled up two flights of stairs. They stopped right outside the RA's room when Cecilia pinned Suzanne to the wall and began passionately kissing her. She explored her friend's body with her free hand and once again buried her face in her neck. Although in stature she was by far the smaller of the two women, it was Cecilia who took control of their love-making. She pushed Suzanne onto the bed and quickly plunged her face between her legs. She was determined to make Suzanne climax, after which she would expect Suzanne to return the favor. Cecilia took much longer to get an orgasm out of Suzanne than she had anticipated. She knew what she liked for herself and how to get Jason to satisfy her, but this was the first time in her life she had ever been with another woman. She was inexperienced, and on top of everything else her lover was extremely nervous. However, finally she did find the right combination of teasing, licking, biting, and kissing to get the coveted wetness and some high pitched gasps from her companion. Once Suzanne climaxed Cecilia climbed on top and pinned her hands to the mattress. Cecilia forced her lover to taste the juices of her own arousal as she pushed her tongue into past her teeth and deep into her mouth. With mounting concern Suzanne realized that her friend's sexual arousal had completely taken control of her and that she seemed not to be thinking straight. Cecilia moved over Suzanne's body, kissing and grabbing her thighs and breasts, running her hands over her stomach and returning to kissing her clitoris. The photographer was becoming more and more frightened as her sex-starved partner continued to dominate her with her unspoken demands. Finally Suzanne tried to regain control of the love-making by pushing Cecilia on her back and slipping her face between the Dominican's legs. Seeing and touching her friend's dark vagina and freshly-shaven crotch re-lit Suzanne's own arousal, but more than anything else she wanted to make Cecilia climax and then try to get her to calm down. She knew that some of her experience performing oral sex on her boyfriends could be applied to her session with Cecilia. Very slowly and sensuously she began kissing and licking the most intimate parts of her companion. Cecilia climaxed immediately. She moaned quite loudly and moved desperately on the bed, saturating the sheets with her sweat. Then she quieted down and Suzanne thought she was finished. She lifted her head, only to have Cecilia grab her hair and jerk her face back down. "Más...quiero más...quiero más..." Suzanne's heart was pounding and she was more afraid than ever. Her friend was so out of control that she even had forgotten which language she needed to speak. Still, she felt that she owed it to Cecilia to satisfy her, so once again she explored the dark flesh surrounding her clitoris with her fingertips and tongue. Suzanne was becoming tired from all of her efforts and wondered how on earth Cecilia could be so demanding and not be worn out. Had she known about Jason's nightly duty in the RA's room, she would have understood that, when it came to being sexually satisfied, her friend had become quite spoiled. Finally Cecilia climaxed enough to let her companion know that she was satisfied. The muscles in Suzanne's face were stiff and her entire mouth was sore from her efforts. The rest of her body was quite tired as well, partly from the strange orgasm she had enjoyed, but mostly from the extended effort to fulfill her friend's insatiable demand for sexual fulfillment. The spell lifted. Cecilia sat up on the bed with a bewildered expression, as though she had just woken up from a very strange dream. She glanced over at her naked friend to verify that, yes indeed she had just had sex with Suzanne. She had no idea what to say or how to react. For a long time the two women sat quietly, each trying to think of something to say to the other. They both would remember the incident as one of the most bizarre events in their lives, given that neither Cecilia nor Suzanne was gay. How on earth could the two women, each of whom considered the other a close friend, have ended up doing such a thing as making love? At first they both faced guilt over what had just happened. Cecilia's guilt was obvious enough: she had cheated on Jason by seducing her friend. Suzanne felt just as bad, because she betrayed ethics of her profession by having sex with a model. The women's self-confidence was shaken by the realization that their physical urges were quite capable of overwhelming their personal beliefs. That was especially true for Cecilia. She had just learned that she literally could not control herself if she was aroused. Suzanne sat back and looked at her friend. She was a very open-minded person, so the thought of having had sex with Cecilia did not bother her as much as the way it had happened. She blamed herself for having seduced Cecilia to make the photo shoot successful, pushing her for three days to explore her sexual urges and document them on film. There was no question that she was exploiting her subject's emotions, but she had no choice if she wanted to make pictures with any artistic merit. She saw the fierce arousal as it took control of Cecilia's soul, but pushed ahead because she was focused on getting the pictures she wanted. Finally, after three days, her friend snapped. Well, now Suzanne had the pictures, but they might well have cost her a friendship. Cecilia was absolutely scared. She was terrified of her seemingly uncontrollable urges. She realized she was going nuts without Jason. All she could think about was her desperate need for sex. It had gotten so bad that she practically assaulted her closest female friend. She wondered how on earth the friendship could survive such a bizarre afternoon. Finally it was Suzanne who broke the silence. "Are you OK?" "I...I don't know...I don't know if I'm OK. To be honest, what just happened...it kinda scared me." "You didn't enjoy it?" "Oh yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot. But it wasn't...I mean...I ain't that way, or...I didn't think I was that way. But I don't know, with Jason gone, it's like I'm not the same person, I mean, all I'm thinkin' about now is sex. Without Jason...all I can think about is sex." Suzanne saw the last comment as a chance to move beyond the sexual encounter and perhaps get Cecilia to open up a bit more about her own life. She realized that her friend's defenses were down and that she might be willing to share some details about her life and about her relationship with Jason in particular. So, for the next couple of hours she got Cecilia talk about how she saw Jason as a partner and why she treated him the way she did, what concerns she had for his future. She moved to talking about her own life and her efforts to take full advantage of the scholarship to make her final escape from the world in which she grew up. When Cecilia talked about Jason's father, Suzanne reflected that Mr. Schmidt seemed very similar in personality to her own father. Suzanne talked shared some details about her own life, and her frustration over her persistently bad luck with boyfriends. She always seemed to attract guys who were looking for someone to support them, constantly drawing weak individuals who couldn't fend for themselves. Cecilia pointed out that Suzanne always dated guys within the art department, and perhaps that was her problem. Suzanne pondered that thought, but it seemed, as was the case in the relationship with her father, she lacked the imagination to really change how she approached choosing potential partners. She couldn't picture dating someone without an artistic background. The conversation then shifted back to Cecilia's deepest fear, losing control over her own life. She haltingly talked about her early relationship with Vicente, telling Suzanne the full story, only leaving out the detail about the abortion. She then moved forward, explaining why she was so angry with herself. "I keep tellin' myself that I ain't never gonna let no one take over my life again, not after Vicente kept hittin' me in the face. But then, how can I even think about that when I ain't even got control over my own body? It's like, there's somethin' inside me that I can't control, and it really scares me. What...happened a couple of minutes ago...wasn't the first time, you know...when I wasn't thinking about what I was doin'. It's happened before. I hate that part of me, 'cause I know it's gonna fuck up my life someday." "Look. You can't be so hard on yourself. I was in on it too, just as much as you were. I didn't exactly push you away, you know. As I said, things just happen, and you learn from them. Anyhow, at least now you know yourself a bit better." Cecilia did not respond, so Suzanne continued: "Maybe, if you...like...if you, as you say, lose control over yourself...don't you think it was better that it happened with me, instead of someone else? Would you really have wanted to be stressed out about having had sex with someone you couldn't trust, and then be wondering how it was going to come back and hurt you later on?" "I 'spose not, but I'm still not happy it happened with you, 'cause, I don't know, I just wouldn't have wanted to mess things up between us. I would've rather it'd been with someone I don't care about...and..." "No, that wouldn't have been better. I can tell you from my own experiences that wouldn't have been better...and as far as I'm concerned, nothing got messed up. I still want us to be friends. That'd be very important to me, that we don't lose our friendship." "You really think after...?" "Can you tell me if there was anything wrong with what we did? Did we hurt anyone? No. All we did was share an experience. That's all that happened between us. We're both lonely and stressed out, and the result was that we shared an experience. It's nothing to feel bad about." Cecilia felt hugely relieved at Suzanne's common-sense approach to their sexual adventure. Suzanne's own difficult past allowed her to put at least some things into proper perspective. While Cecilia otherwise might have tormented herself with guilt and anger, Suzanne was able to make her see the sexual encounter for what it was, an experience in life that she had shared with a friend. ---------- It was dark outside by the time Cecilia and Suzanne finally got off the bed and made their way to the bathroom to get cleaned up. As she admired Suzanne's shapely body, a figure so voluptuous and so different from her own, an idea took hold in her mind. She decided that she wanted to document her appreciation of her friend's body on film. As they dried off, she approached Suzanne with her thoughts. "You know, I was wonderin', if maybe I could borrow your camera and your lighting, and we could change places. Me takin' the pictures and you bein' the model. It's somethin' I'd like to try." It was a request that Suzanne had not expected. She did not have a good opinion of her own body, but she felt that it was only fair that after three days of modeling, Cecilia should have the opportunity to experiment being on the other side of the camera. Suzanne agreed and helped Cecilia set up the lighting in the commons area. She gave an impromptu lesson on adjusting the settings of the two cameras and how to use the lights, and then quietly took her position in front of her own lens. Cecilia spent the next two hours photographing Suzanne. She was fascinated at the thought of changing places with the photographer, and only stopped when she used up the last roll of film. The Freshman Ch. 24 Chapter 24 - Jason's Christmas Vacation Jason spent what he hoped would be his final Christmas vacation separated from Cecilia. As he rode with his father across the open lands of southern Wisconsin to their final destination in his wealthy neighborhood, he was able to reflect on how his first college semester had changed him. He thought about how much he was moving away from the rest of his family in his values, ambitions, and what he wanted from his life. He knew that most certainly he had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps nor in any way associate himself with the world his father was a part of. His life would have to follow a different path, but still needed to determine what that path would be. Once he found out Jason's final grades for the semester, Mr. Schmidt had very little to say to his son. Jason's performance in college spoke for itself. He had passed one of the most difficult freshman classes on the first try with a "B", which removed a major obstacle blocking his continued progress. He now could take several classes that had Burnside's Theory of Economics as a prerequisite and had decided on a rather ambitious spring semester. It was quite clear to Mr. Schmidt that Jason had no intention of wasting time in college. He had performed much better than anyone in his family could have anticipated, assuring that he would be returning for a second semester in school. The silence in the car on the journey northward was fortunate, because Jason needed the time to reflect on his relationship with Cecilia. Already he missed her tremendously. Three weeks without her would seem like an eternity, because the truth was that he needed her to be in charge of his daily life. However intimidated he might be of her strong character and temper, she had saved him by giving his life a purpose and a sense of direction. In her absence, even for a few weeks, he felt adrift and unfocused. His thoughts wandered to questioning why Cecilia's role in his life was so crucial for his success. Why did he need her? Not just want her; but actually need her? He fully understood that it was not college that had changed him, but Cecilia. He now realized what would have happened to him that first semester, had he not met her. He would have taken a few easy classes, put forth a minimal effort to pass, and probably would have barely managed to stay enrolled for the spring. He had no ambitions, nothing he planned to pursue, other than living from day to day with as little effort as possible. He had entered college with a fatalistic attitude, simply taking for granted that he was a failure as a human being, and thus could not expect much from his time in college. To Cecilia, living like that was unacceptable. As soon as she became interested in him, she ensured that Jason's lack of direction and his subconscious desire to drift into obscurity came to an abrupt stop. She had absolutely no qualms about imposing what she wanted into Jason's life and mercilessly controlling him and his activities. However, not once had she ever been wrong about something she wanted him to do. Even the blow-up over the tattoo...yes, even about that she had been right. Did he really need to permanently mark up his body just because it was fashionable at the time to do so? Wouldn't it be better to save himself for the future and stand his ground against the whims of the moment? Jason's musings wandered to the next question: why did she need him so badly? As the semester drew to a close he came to realize that she needed him every bit as much as he needed her. He came to understand that what Cecilia needed was a partner she could both control and trust, because in reality she was extremely vulnerable. As tough and bossy as she seemed on the outside, he knew that she actually was quite scared of her secret weaknesses, every bit as much as he was scared of his own. Jason remembered the Eastern concept of Yin and Yang from one of his high school classes, the idea of the two parts that made a full circle. They fit together, neither able to exist without the other. Yin and Yang each left a gap that the other had to fill. Perhaps that concept explained his life with Cecilia. Jason's soul was only partially formed and had pieces missing. However, Cecilia's soul also was only partially formed and had pieces missing. If that were true, then perhaps there was the answer to Jason's question. Together he and Cecilia complimented each other to make a whole, but each of them, separated from the other, was incomplete. ---------- Mr. Schmidt and his son returned to their over-sized house and their empty neighborhood. There was a slight whiff of carpet cleaning solution and insecticide in the residence; a sign that true to her word, Mrs. Schmidt had the place fumigated after Cecilia left the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Jason's mother was in the kitchen working on a holiday cooking project and issuing commands to the two maids. As always, a wall of hostility poisoned the atmosphere as soon as Jason's parents found themselves in the same room. As always, Mrs. Schmidt vented her hostility, not at the man who paid her bills, but at another convenient target. "So, where's the little gang-banger, Jason? Slinging crack back in the 'Hood?" Jason walked up to his mother, slapped his grade sheet on the countertop, and walked toward the kitchen door. "Hey, I'm talking to you...I asked you a question! Where's your little gang-banger?" Jason kept walking, desperate to avoid exploding at his mother. "Jason!" "Mom, she's staying to watch over Huntington Hall, if you really gotta know. That's where she is." "Well I hope they fumigate before the students..." With that comment, Jason snapped, less than a minute being back in his family's house. He might have held his tongue had she accused his girlfriend of anything else, but the hypocrisy of that comment pushed him over the edge. How dare she, a woman who never did a moment of cleaning in her life, say such a thing? "Mom, the only thing that needs to be fumigated is your fucking mouth! Cecilia's a better woman than you'll ever be, and you know why? Because she doesn't play fucking tennis! She's got a hell of a lot better things to do than play friggin' tennis all day and bitch about everyone else!" The kitchen exploded into a savage shouting match between Jason and his parents. He caught them off-guard, because never had he stood up to them. The only time he even hinted at standing up for himself was at Thanksgiving when he snapped at his mother to "just let it go" when she was about to lay into Cecilia. This, however, was different because not only had he yelled at his mother, he had sworn at her. As much as he hated his wife, there was no way Mr. Schmidt would allow one of his children go as far as swearing at her. He snarled at Jason to apologize, but Jason retorted that she needed to apologize for her treatment of Cecilia and the fumigation comments. To that Mrs. Schmidt snarled: "I did have to have this place fumigated Jason, and I don't appreciate the inconvenience..." Jason snapped again, repeating his line that it was Mrs. Schmidt's mouth that needed to be fumigated. Mr. Schmidt again jumped into the fray, falling back on reminding Jason about his own worthlessness and how it resulted in the deaths of three people the year before. "Maybe it's true that your mother's worthless, but at least she never got anyone killed, not like some worthless people in this room." Mrs. Schmidt did not take kindly to being called worthless by her husband. "Well, at least I'm not screwing a bunch of diseased wetbacks and coffee shop whores like you two." "Of course not, 'cause you're too busy banging those god-damned fag tennis instructors instead!" Jason's mother went white, the blood draining from her face. It was obvious her husband knew more about her life than she had realized. She gave him a hostile, frightened look, then, not knowing what else to do, picked up a pot and slammed it into the expensive set of copper pans hanging above the stove. There was a loud clatter as several of the metal utensils fell onto the stove and then onto the floor. The maids backed away in fright, never having seen their bosses raise their voices at each other before. For the first time in quite a while, the sullen silence between Jason's parents had broken into open hostility. However, instead of continuing to battle, the three members of the Schmidt family quickly withdrew from the kitchen to nurse their grudges alone. The Schmidts were not used to openly fighting, so once the explosion took place they really did not know how to continue. The behavior of Jason's parents contrasted with the behavior of Cecilia's family during fights. No one in the Sanchez household ever walked away from a confrontation. The family frequently remained in the kitchen screaming at each other all night until they became exhausted or ran out of things to say. They fought, but then, the next day continued on with their lives as though nothing had happened. The difference was significant, because in Cecilia's family the constant fights didn't lead to any worsening of the over-all relationship between her relatives. The Sanchez's did not really like or get along with each other, but things in the household never got any worse regardless of whatever unpleasantness there might be at any given moment. An open fight among Jason's family was a much less frequent matter, but much more serious in its consequences. When the Schmidts had an open fight there was tense silence for weeks afterwards. When they finally did start speaking again, the emotional residue from the confrontation never disappeared. Every open fight was an event for Jason's family, a milestone in the slow but steady decay of the relationship each family member had with the others. The Schmidts stored their grievances, ready to use in the future for the constant digs and quiet insults that characterized their comments towards each other. Jason retreated to the pool and tore off his clothes. It was the first time he would go skinny-dipping while his parents were in the house and not asleep; but he thought to himself, screw them. I'm going to swim, and I'm going to swim the way I want. If they don't like it, then they can just stay out of the pool area until I'm done. For a very long time he did laps: back and forth...back and forth...trying to swim himself into exhaustion. Much later that night he got dressed and picked up his grade slip from the kitchen countertop, right where he had left it. What he had accomplished that semester in his studies meant nothing to his mother. That much was obvious because she had not even bothered to look at his grades. ---------- The next day Jason decided to go to his grandmother's condo to get a sane perspective on the ugly homecoming he had endured the night before. He stayed in bed until his father went to work and his mother departed to the country club, then called the elder Mrs. Schmidt to see if her boyfriend could come over to pick him up. Oddly enough, Jason's grandmother seemed to know ahead of time that he would be calling her and would need to get out of the house. He wondered how she could have known that, because immediately after he hung up the phone his grandmother's friend was on his way to retrieve him. Jason spent the trip back to his grandmother's house talking to the older man about his semester. It struck him as very odd that a person who was not a blood relative took more interest in his life than did his own parents. When he entered his grandmother's residence she had several interesting items of news for him. She was not at all surprised about the blow-up in the kitchen the night before. Apparently things were not going well at all between Jason's parents, because their excesses were beginning to catch up with them. His father was spending ever more time with his job and his mistresses, and working on some sinister project related to Mega-Town Associates. Cassie was running wild and smoking pot. Meanwhile, Jason's mother was relieving her stress by having affairs with various staff members at the country club. Although she had been conducting her affairs for several years, her recent behavior had become much less discreet. In fact, her activities had become a source of gossip and already had cost her the trust of several of her friends. She had been involved a couple of scandals, including getting at least one physical instructor fired. "If she doesn't watch herself she's going to get expelled from that club, because she's a bit of a headache for the management. God help us all when she gets kicked out and winds up sitting at home...God help us when that happens. She'll go crazy and take everyone down with her." He learned his father had faced a sexual harassment suit from a waitress during the fall and decided to settle out of court. Unfortunately Jason's mother learned about the suit and its result, which encouraged her to pursue her own affairs at the club and become more abusive to the maids. "I'm very worried about your parents, Jason. I can see what's going to happen and there's nothing I can do to stop it. They're killing themselves, and if you and Cassie don't watch yourselves, you're going to go down with them." Jason wasn't sure how to respond, so his grandmother continued. "Actually, on that, I'm a lot more worried about Cassie than about you. I think you're going to come out OK, but I don't know about Cassie. Your mom has her so tightly wound up in all that country club nonsense that I don't know if she can handle losing all that." "But what do you think is going to happen? Do you think Dad's gonna lose his job?" "No, not the job. It'd be a blessing if he did, because I'm not proud of what he's become or what he's doing. I wish he'd lose his job, because it's that job that's destroying him. And now he's about to destroy everyone else around him. He's already destroyed your mother." "Don't you think you're being a bit hard on him? Do you really think he's that bad?" "I'm not being hard on him at all. I always wanted him to be happy, and he's not. He refuses to be. He's the most miserable person I know, and he can't figure out why. I think I do know why. He's so consumed with himself that he can't experience any joy out of life, and if you can't experience any joy, you're already dead. Already dead. That's how I see your parents, both of them. No joy and no love, just greed and selfishness, so what do they have to live for?" "But what makes you so stressed out about them now? They really haven't changed." "They've changed. It's just you haven't noticed it because you're too close to them to see what's going on. I can sit back, and watch them from a distance. I've been watching them for 22 years, so I think I can put their lives into perspective. They're sinking, and it won't be much longer..." "Much longer?" "They don't have much longer. I just have...this feeling. I can sense it, but I can't explain it. I can tell you that something very bad is going to happen to them. When it does, you'll need to be as far away from here as you can. Later, I'll need you to come back, to help your sister. It's going to be a lot harder on her than it will be on you. I think you'll be OK. Her, I don't know about." "But...what is it? What do you think's gonna happen?" "That's what I don't know, but I can sense it. All I can tell you is that your parents are going to destroy themselves. It's too late for me to do anything for them. All I can do is try to be here for you and Cassie." ---------- The topic of conversation changed, and the two talked at length about Mr. Schmidt as a child. Then Jason's grandmother talked about her own childhood. She went even further back in time as she talked about their distant relatives. Jason spent the next several hours listening to his grandmother's detailed account of the Schmidt family history. For the first time in his life he was ready to look back into the past and assess where he had come from, following the family story clear back to the 1840's, when several ancestors passed through New York and settled on the frontier. He spent a very long time looking through old photo albums and trying to understand what had made the Schmidts the way they were. That afternoon he learned another interesting fact. When his parents decided to replace the old family furniture with the expensive items currently decorating their house, his grandmother secretly rented a storage unit to keep the heirlooms his father had planned to throw out. Mr. Schmidt was unaware that the old family furniture had not been hauled to the dump, but instead was safely sitting in storage, waiting for Jason or Cassie to retrieve at some point in the distant future. Jason had never really thought about the old family furniture before, but suddenly realized he was enormously relieved to know it had not been thrown out after all. It had been saved for him, the family's past, which was being kept to be part of his own future. He did indeed have a future, one in which he would salvage whatever was left over from the disaster that was being predicted by his grandmother, and one in which he and Cecilia would continue to share. Once again he realized how much he missed her and how glad he would be to see her in January. Somehow Jason's grandmother perceived that her grandson's thoughts had drifted to his girlfriend. She decided to find out a bit more about the fiery little Dominican, which in turn gave Jason the chance to express his most recent thoughts about the relationship. He confided that it had been Cecilia who had pushed him to do his coursework and pass his classes, although he decided to leave out the detail that she had been disciplining him. He talked about her obsession that everyone on her floor do well and the fact that she had enlisted Jason and his friends to help several other floor residents with their studies at the end of the semester. He talked about his recent wardrobe changes, and then mentioned Cecilia's aversion to tattoos. He admitted that she had been the reason he had not gotten one like almost everyone else on his floor that semester. Knowing that Jason's girlfriend had stood between her grandson and a tattoo boosted the older woman's already high opinion of her. Jason went on to discuss his thoughts about the possibility of their personalities being incomplete and thus complementing each other. His grandmother responded with the following observation: "I think I know what's going on with that. Her problem is that she had to mature too quickly. When she was 15 she was thinking like an adult, and maybe, deep down, she wasn't ready. She matured too fast, and some things got left out. And you...since we're being honest here, never really had the chance to mature at all. You were never really challenged with life in school, and then it hit you all at once, last year with the accident. But I don't think the accident matured you, all it did was make you hate yourself and get everyone to point their fingers at you. So I think you're right. You and Cecilia do complement each other. She had to grow up too fast, and you didn't grow up fast enough, so each of you has something the other is missing." Finally Jason sat down to dinner with his grandmother and her boyfriend, dreading the thought of returning to his parents' house as soon as the meal was over. He was hugely relieved when she mentioned that the living room sofa was a sleeper-sofa that folded out, and...would he like to spend the night instead of going home? He gladly accepted the offer. He slept soundly in the living room, happy to be in a household free from tension and hostility. ---------- The next day Jason returned with his grandmother to his father's house. Cassie was in the back with a couple of her bitchy friends, the three of them hanging out in the pool area in rather revealing swimsuits. Jason's aunt on his mother's side also was present, along with her very over-weight son who was sitting in the family room playing video games. The Freshman Ch. 24 Looking at the collection of people in his house, Jason was able to step back and see his family for the dysfunctional group they truly were. He thought about Cassie, figuring that she was the one detail his grandmother had wrong about his future. How on earth could he ever do anything for her? She was as lost as his mother, wrapped up in a dead-end social life with a clique of very shallow princesses and a pot-head boyfriend. The other two girls got dressed and departed, giving Jason dismissive glances as they walked out the front door. The underlying tension between Jason and his parents, between Mr. Schmidt and his wife, between Cassie and everyone else, and between Jason's mother and grandmother, seemed to permeate the house when everyone gathered for dinner. On top of the tension between the members of Jason's immediate family was the total contempt Mr. Schmidt directed towards his wife's fat nephew. It was true that his son was a pathetic wimp, but at least he was in good physical shape, unlike that gross blob with the video console. At dinner Mr. Schmidt just couldn't resist digging at that ugly kid, which made him stare sullenly at his plate and elicited furious glances from Jason's aunt. Mr. Schmidt sat smugly at the head of the table, hoping his sister would say something so he could get some good sarcastic digs in on her as well. Jason's aunt couldn't say anything however. She was a guest, and knew that her sister would never stand up to her husband on behalf of someone else. As the women sat quietly, Jason's father continued to command the table and the evening, talking loudly and heaping subtle indignities on everyone present. Losers, he thought to himself. They're all a bunch of pathetic, useless losers. Jason managed to detach himself emotionally from the scene, since for once he was not the target of his father's unpleasantness. He had no desire to rush to his mother's aid, given her venomous treatment of Cecilia, so he just sat watching. Every so often he exchanged glances with his grandmother. Yes, indeed, things in the household could not continue this way much longer. His grandmother was right: something bad was about to happen to his parents. ---------- After the dinner, Jason's grandmother retreated from the house. She called her boyfriend, who showed up within a very short time to extract her in his old restored Chevy. He showed up so quickly that Jason suspected he had been waiting somewhere close by instead of coming all the way from the condo development that was a half an hour away. They were gone, very quickly, and Jason was sorry to see her go. His aunt and cousin also left very quickly, both in a very sour mood as he waddled after her with his hands full of game paraphernalia. Jason had mixed emotions about his father's treatment of his cousin, because unfortunately, as far as the kid's obesity was concerned, he was right. There was no way that kid should be in that physical state and no way his mother should have allowed it to happen. Jason knew that his cousin lived in a world of video games because his weight made his life on the outside very unpleasant. And, yet, precisely because of his constant effort to escape reality by sitting with his game console, the kid looked the way he did. It was obvious; however, that Mr. Schmidt's critique his wife's nephew had nothing to do with genuine concern over the boy. Instead he simply was taking advantage of an easy target to make the evening as uncomfortable as possible for his wife and his sister. Mrs. Schmidt and Cassie retreated to their rooms while the maids cleaned up in the kitchen and talked to each other in Spanish in their usual quiet, secretive manner. Mr. Schmidt went into the room he used as a home office, shut the door, and got on both the Internet and the phone. The family had broken up for the night, with absolutely no cheer or holiday spirit. ---------- Jason decided to put on his coat and step outside, in spite of the bitterly cold weather. It was a clear night with the full Moon casting its light on the recently fallen snow, so Jason had plenty of light as he made his way over the frozen landscape of the empty neighborhood. He walked into a park and up a small hill that overlooked his street, turning back to contemplate his family's house from a distance. He suspected the house and its contents soon would disappear from his life, if his grandmother's prediction about his parents came true. The house would be gone, and he would not miss it in the least. Knowing that he didn't care about the impending loss of that monstrosity gave him a real feeling of liberation, knowing he was not attached to that horrible property like his mother and his sister. Whenever the foreclosure sign was posted in front, he would just walk away. He would leave this neighborhood and never come back, not even for his high school reunions. Cecilia had told him that under no circumstances did she want to live in a house like the one Jason's parents had bought. Instead she wanted something smaller and more common sense, just a typical ranch-style house in a typical middle class neighborhood. She had a very clear idea of what daily life in that modest house would be like. She was adamant that there would be no maids and no gardeners; no strangers paid to wander around her property. Whatever work needed to be done to keep the place clean, she and Jason would do themselves and keep their living space private. And her house would be clean; there was no doubt about it. When it came to her living space, Cecilia was immaculate to a fault. She couldn't stand dust, dirt, trash, or any disorder in any area she occupied. She vacuumed the floor of her dorm room and washed her sheets no less than once every three days. She would never even think about wearing an article of clothing more than once without washing it. Any dorm resident caught leaving a mess in the women's bathroom could expect a nasty lecture from the RA and an order to clean up. Jason's dorm room had to be every bit as immaculate as her own, because she expected him to conform to her craving for order and neatness. Once she assumed control of an entire house she would become even more obsessive about cleaning up. She had insinuated that if they got married she and Jason would evenly divide the work related to their home. They would not exactly share their work, but instead each would have specific responsibilities. She would take care of the inside of the house and he would take care of the outside. He already knew how she would handle the yard work issue. She would tell him what she wanted done and he would do it to her specifications. She then would come out to inspect and tell him what she wanted corrected. However, as he complied with her orders to keep up the yard and the exterior, he knew she would be diligently working on the inside, keeping the interior spotless. Even more than cleanliness, what Cecilia wanted was peace in her household. After growing up in her noise and conflict infested housing project she wanted a place where she could shut the doors and listen to the silence. It made sense, what she wanted. He realized that she was right. Apart from the swimming pool, was there really anything in that huge house of his parents that brought any pleasure to his life? Was life really any easier with strangers doing all the housework? As he stood quietly in the cold, Jason caught a glimpse his own future. The vision of the foreclosure sign in front of his father's house returned to his mind, as clearly as if it already had been posted. It was as though someone had handed him a snapshot from the future, but with no explanation of when the picture was taken or what it meant. He wondered how it would happen, what mistake his father would make that would force the family off that property. There were signs all over of the impending crisis, which really could come from any direction. The possibility that his father could be taken down by a business rival was a constant reality, but Jason suspected it was not a rival who was going to destroy him. Mr. Schmidt would self-destruct from something that he did to himself, not something that someone else would do to him. Another scenario played out in Jason's mind, the possibility of his mother's increasingly erratic behavior creating a crisis. What if she did get kicked out of the country club? Yes, that indeed would be a disaster, having her sitting at home, day in and day out, going crazy from boredom. Even Cassie's behavior could bring about a crisis, because she reminded Jason of...she reminded him of Heather Jones. Yes, she was a lot like Heather Jones with both her personality and her social group. He wondered if she already had tried ecstasy. If she hadn't, she would soon enough. ---------- Christmas dinner seemed like it would bring a temporary truce to the household. Jason's parents had said their piece about Cecilia, he had struck back, and there was nothing more to be said about her. Jason had done well academically and had not put on any weight, so there was nothing left for his parents to criticize. The elder Schmidts were not speaking to each other, but that was not particularly unusual. Jason's aunt had decided not to come over for Christmas dinner and would eat with her son alone. Jason's grandmother was the only other relative coming over. Cassie decided to have her boyfriend over, because she had a vague idea of irritating her parents by forcing them to have dinner with someone they clearly disliked. That was fortunate for Jason, but would be very unfortunate for her. Whatever deficiencies Jason might have, between his accident, his ecstasy use, his nude swimming, and his psychotic criminal girlfriend, tonight was not a night he would feel the brunt of his father's hostility. It was Cassie, or rather her unsavory partner, who was destined to get the full treatment from Mr. Schmidt. When he sat down with Cassie, the normally arrogant guy seemed a bit out of it, probably from having smoked a joint or two before coming over. He certainly smelled like he had been smoking, a detail not lost on anyone else sitting at the table. That night Mr. Schmidt finally decided he had enough of smelling and looking at the stupid pot-head. As a Christmas present to himself, he would do something about it. He by began telling jokes and stories about stupid marijuana smokers. When Cassie and her boyfriend didn't laugh, he commented: "Come-on, what's wrong with you two? That was a funny joke. It's not as though you're smoking, right?" As the two teenagers shifted uncomfortably in their seats, her father talked about his days on the high school football team and how he and his friends used to beat up "pot-heads" and "fags". "Of course, all the fags were smoking pot, 'cause I guess that's what ass-men like to do. Yeah, we busted them up pretty good. Those pretty boys weren't so pretty when we got done with them." Both Jason's mother and grandmother signaled his father to shut up, but that was not about to happen. The sight and smell of his daughter's pot-head partner, along with the corrupting influence he was having on her, put him in a belligerent mood. He wanted to pick a fight with his daughter's wasted boyfriend. He would have been perfectly happy to pound that obnoxious punk into a bloody pulp, but he wanted his target to throw the first punch. "Funny thing, how pot can do something like that, make you into a fag, make you into one of those bitches that runs around with their pants down and their underwear sticking out. You know, in jail that's what the prison bitches do, run around with their pants down, 'cause they're letting everyone know they're waiting for some good dick up their ass." Cassie snapped. "Dad, shut the fuck up! The only fag in here is you!" "Aw, come-on, Cassie. What's wrong with a little high school reminiscing? I had fun in high school, and I thought you'd want to hear about it. I mean, it's not like anyone in here is smoking pot, is it? So what's there to get so upset about? Why get so offended?" Mr. Schmidt had backed Cassie and her boyfriend into a corner. To continue arguing would force her to admit she was smoking marijuana. For her boyfriend to say anything would be to acknowledge Mr. Schmidt's comments were being directed at him. Then he would have to get into a fight with an ex-linebacker that he was sure to lose, continue taking the older man's verbal abuse, or suffer the indignity of having to flee the house. Mr. Schmidt smiled to himself. He had everyone right where he wanted them. He had all night to bring this to a head. He would get rid of this drug addict, one way or another, and teach Cassie never to try to use a boyfriend as a means to rebel against him. He told several more stories about how he and his teammates beat up pot-heads and fags, insinuating that one group was indistinguishable from the other. He jeered at the fashion trends of the moment, while Cassie's boyfriend shifted in his seat trying to get his pants pulled up. That gesture signaled to Mr. Schmidt that the young punk was not going to stand up for himself. Good. He pushed ahead with even more offensive comments to humiliate him as much as possible. As rotten a person as Mr. Schmidt might have been, on the issue of Cassie's boyfriend no one in the family was going to argue with him. No one liked the teenager nor approved of the influence he was having on Jason's sister. The guest was on his own, pushed into an impossible situation by his girlfriend's father. The muscles bulging under Mr. Schmidt's sweatshirt and his host's aggressive posture made him realize he was in actual physical danger. He began sweating, and then, still somewhat incoherent from his most recent joint, panicked. With a jolt that surprised his hosts, he simply jumped up and ran out the front door without saying a word. He jumped in his car and gunned the engine, as Cassie ran out the door after him. It was too late. He drove off, fishtailed on the frozen street, sideswiped the neighbor's parked SUV, swerved around the corner, and disappeared. Cassie ran upstairs to her room, and slammed the door. She was crying, first alone and later on the phone to one of her friends. Mr. Schmidt had nothing more to say to the three members of his family still sitting at the table. He simply took his plate to the TV, sat down, and turned on the sports channel to watch a preview of the next day's football games. Cassie had learned her lesson, so he was done for the day. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing he needed to discuss with the others. Jason's mother quietly got up and went upstairs to her room, carrying a bottle of wine with her. His grandmother got up as well, and grabbed the phone in the kitchen. She dialed her boyfriend. "Come get me. I need you to get me out of here, right now." A short while later she left, and with that Christmas at the Schmidts' house drew to a close. Jason put on his coat and stepped outside, to walk alone in the bitter cold of a clear Wisconsin winter night. He glanced at the huge dent in the side of his neighbor's vehicle, and kept on walking. Every open fight was an event for Jason's family, a milestone in the slow but steady decay of the relationship each family member had with the others. That night the family had passed yet another milestone. The Freshman Ch. 25 Chapter 25 - Two freshmen and two mistresses Jason spent a very bleak New Year's Eve, sitting alone in the house. His parents and sister went to the country club to celebrate New Year's, in a bizarre façade of family unity. Jason couldn't stomach spending a night at the country club play-acting with the other members of his family, nor did he have any desire to risk running into someone from his high school. He would spend the night alone, since not even the maids would be in the house. At first Mrs. Schmidt wanted to insist that Jason accompany the rest of the family to the country club, but her husband was willing to let the teenager have his way. As he put it: "That kid's a fucking embarrassment, and if he doesn't want to come, that's fine with me. Let him sit at home and do whatever it is that he does when he's by himself." The elder Schmidts and their sullen daughter left the house at about 8:00 p.m. Jason, in his normal manner, immediately stripped off his clothes. He was very stressed and decided to calm himself down with some exercise. He put on his athletic shoes and went running on his father's treadmill for a full hour. He decided to run 10 kilometers and enjoy the feeling of the cool air of the workout room on his bare skin. Halfway through the run he stopped to open a window and turn off the heat to the room, to feel the cold winter on his unprotected skin. He enjoyed running in the cold, although he knew that as soon as he stopped he would want to shut the window and warm up. He stretched and then used the sauna and hot tub. He finished with swimming for over an hour in the pool, both to exercise his muscles from the run and relax. By the time he was finished it was past 11:00 p.m. He went into the main hallway, where there was a full-size mirror mounted on one of the closet doors. He studied himself, admiring his attractive body. He felt some regret knowing that as far as his health and attractiveness were concerned, this was it. He was at the peak of his health. It wasn't going to get any better. For the next 60 years he faced a slow steady decline, which at best he could delay if he took proper care of himself. He turned around to study his backside in the mirror. His bottom had received plenty of attention from his girlfriend over the past semester, ranging from loving caresses to savage swats of the belt. His naked backside also had been on display to just about everyone in the university, whether in the art classes, or during the Tri-Alpha run, or just running up and down the hallway of his dorm. He felt no regret or embarrassment that so many people had seen him, because he enjoyed being naked in front of other people. He especially enjoyed situations where he was the only nude person among a bunch of other people who were dressed. Before entering college he had constantly fantasized about that. The year before he had felt guilty but, having fulfilled part of his fantasy life, he now had accepted that part of himself. He ran his hands over his bottom, gently caressing his skin. It felt good, but of course it felt so much better when Cecilia was doing it. He thought about how much he loved submitting to her, presenting himself and his body for her to spoil or discipline, as she saw fit. He became erect as he thought about both Cecilia and the exposure of his body to public view. He became even harder as his thoughts wandered to her discipline. So Jason, are you a bad boy? Oh yes, I'm bad. And what do bad boys get, Jason? They get punished...punished on the bare bottom...the bare, naked bottom. That's right, Jason, and I'm gonna give you what you need. Yes, what he needed. He began massaging his penis with one hand and his bottom with the other, much in the same way Cecilia massaged him when she was getting him aroused. Over the past semester Cecilia strictly prohibited Jason from masturbating, because she wanted to enjoy his sexual energy in its entirety. As she put it: "I'm not sharin' you with a fuckin' toilet. You're keepin' all of it for me." However, it would be another 10 days before he would see her again and he just had to relieve himself. He continued massaging his bottom and stroking his erection in front of the mirror, as he fantasized about sex, nakedness, and punishment. His mind wandered from fantasizing about the erotic spankings she was giving him with the leather paddle, to the real thing, the very painful experiences he had endured submitting to her belt. At that moment he wanted the belt. He wanted to be on his elbows and knees on her bed, his bottom properly presented and the heavy leather fiercely biting into his sweaty, unprotected skin. He wanted to be properly punished so he could have a good cry. Then, after a good cry, he would kneel and put his arms around her while she gently stroked his hair and his teary face. She would tell him that everything was OK, that she had forgiven him; that he had been a good boy for having taken such a cruel punishment so bravely. Then she would reward him for being so brave, gently touching him and granting him permission to enter her. It had happened that way a couple times already, and he desperately wanted it to happen again. He finally went to the closet and got a towel. He returned to his spot in front of the mirror, laid the towel on the floor, got back on his knees, and proceeded with his orgasm. Again he ran his hand over his bottom as he stroked himself and watched his reflection. Yes...Yes...what he needed was another session with the belt. Finally he did climax, shooting jets of semen all over the towel. The orgasm spent itself as he stopped stroking and caught his breath. However, the fantasy, or rather the desire, of submitting a to belt-whipping remained in Jason's mind. He was determined to get his girlfriend to strap him as soon as he got back to Huntington Hall from Wisconsin. The dilemma Jason faced was that Cecilia would never whip him unless she felt she had a very good reason. At the same time he didn't want to do something deliberately stupid just to earn a punishment. Then, he figured out there was something that most certainly would get her to punish him. He remembered the CD of X-rated images saved from his hard-drive taped to the back of the drawer of his desk. All he needed to do was pull the CD off the back of the drawer, hand it to her, and confess that he had hidden it instead of getting rid of the images. He knew what would happen, she wouldn't exactly lose her temper, because he was confessing to something on his own. However, she still would discipline him, because he had deceived her. So, that was taken care of. At some point after he got back in January he would submit to his third severe punishment. The thought of another belt-whipping totally terrified him, but it was partly that terror that made the need to be punished so vivid and real in his imagination. He actually needed to have his bottom severely strapped; to feel real pain and be forced to cry. The experience would overwhelm him and allow him to could break free from the emotional contamination that had collected in his soul as a result of his time at home with his dysfunctional parents. He needed the release a good punishment could provide him from this hideous Christmas vacation he was enduring with his screwed-up family. ---------- The week after New Year's Day was anti-climatic for both Jason and Cecilia. For both of them the week was a period of down-time during which they simply waited for the university to re-open and to be able to get back together. Jason spent most of the time alone at home, exercising and swimming while his father was at work, his mother was at the country club, and his sister was at school. In spite of spending New Year's Eve together, Jason's father, mother, and sister were not speaking to each other. If any of them had anything to say to one of the others, they relayed it through Jason. However, there was little for him to relay. He could not imagine his parents communicating very much after the confrontations in December. Even more worrisome was what had happened to Cassie. Before being so thoroughly humiliated by her own father she had been outspoken and boisterous. She never had been a very nice person because the influence of her clique, but she was someone who was easy to talk to and could express what was on her mind. Christmas changed her. She became very quiet, looking at everyone with side-long glances of sullen resentment. Something in her died that night, and Jason did not see how whatever it was that she had lost could be brought back. Cassie's relationship with her boyfriend had indeed ended, not so much because Mr. Schmidt had insulted him, but because he simply ran off. She couldn't respect him after his display of cowardice, so at one level her father had accomplished what he wanted, getting rid of that pothead. However, because he had so brutally stamped out her effort to rebel by humiliating her, his daughter now was lost to him. Never again would she want to talk to either of her parents nor have any trust in them. Instead of rebelling to their faces, she would rebel in secret, not letting anyone else in the family know what she was doing. As for the boyfriend, he was replaceable. It was not as though the world lacked pot-smokers and useless guys. She would find another guy just as useless within a few days and continue her downward spiral. ---------- Cecilia and Suzanne never repeated their sexual encounter. The opportunity to do anything outside the RA's room disappeared with the return of the dorm director and the other dorm staff members the day after New Year's. The privacy the two women needed for the unique mood that had spurred them to make love had come and gone, so their moment of experimentation was over. In fact, Cecilia spent New Year's Eve alone, because Suzanne went to a party with a guy from one of her classes. Out of courtesy the photographer had invited her, but she could tell that her friend was secretly hoping she would not accept. Fine, let her get mixed up with yet another loser, thought Cecilia to herself. Anyhow the party was one of those art department get-togethers and she really could not stomach the art crowd. Suzanne was OK, but the others... Like Jason, Cecilia spent New Year's Eve masturbating alone. As badly as she wanted to call Jason and talk to him, she decided not to, because hearing his voice without being able to see him would only make things worse. Ten days...ten more days to go before she would see him again; and she was going nuts. After New Year's Day, Cecilia continued to model for Suzanne. The nude forays around Huntington Hall came to a stop, because the dorm director returned to work on January 2. Other RA's began trickling back, so Cecilia's last day as duty RA was January 5. Instead of modeling around Huntington Hall, Cecilia put on her workout clothes and went with Suzanne to the gym to sweat and have her pictures taken while working out. Apart from a few pictures taken in the women's locker room, Cecilia kept her clothes on while Suzanne was photographing her. Suzanne gave her friend some impromptu lessons about picture developing and explained what she was after in her photography. She was searching for the sexual soul of the ordinary person, attempting to find the inner sexual being of her models. She was not interested in photographing anyone who had undergone plastic surgery or who was wearing makeup. She wanted to natural, uncovered individual, because what she wanted was to capture personality and emotion. Cecilia suspected the blatant eroticism in Suzanne's work was actually an outlet for her own sexual frustration. In some ways the photographer fit the description of the "tormented artist", because her chronic bad fortune in relationships was vented in her images. Cecilia wanted to point that out to her friend, but did not know how to phrase her thoughts to avoid sounding offensive. Besides, what Suzanne was putting out was extremely powerful. Cecilia knew that if she were at peace with herself the tension in her pictures would be absent. ---------- Cecilia thought about her own future, and what she wanted to accomplish in the spring. As various dorm staff meetings indicated university life shortly would be returning to normal, she decided that one issue she wanted to tackle was her grammar. There was nothing about her; not her manner of dressing, not the way she wrote, and certainly not her tastes in music and popular culture that would indicate where she was from. The mean streets of New Jersey were fading into a distant memory in Cecilia's mind after having been away for a year and a half attending college classes. However, as soon as she opened her mouth... A year and a half of reading and writing scholarly material in English had done little for the Domincan's manner of expressing herself when she spoke. She was becoming frustrated when she noticed snobbish people wincing at her strong East Coast accent and occasional lapses in her speech. She had hoped that classes at the university would change that, but the biggest improvement had been her vocabulary, not the way she spoke. If she really put her mind to it she could tone down her accent and grammar, but normally her speech remained stubbornly stuck with bad habits acquired from her years growing up. She decided to tackle the problem of speaking from another angle. If it was so hard to improve her English, then why not try improving her Spanish? Cecilia had grown up with Spanish in her household and spoke it on a daily basis, but if anything, her Spanish was even worse than her English. She had never taken a formal class in the language, so her speech was full of Dominican and New Jersey street slang and populated with anglicized words. What if she were to take a Spanish class at the university level and learn correct "Castillano", as they put it? It was worth a try. She brought up the issue with Ruth Burnside in an e-mail, asking permission to enroll in a third year Spanish grammar class being offered in the spring. The economics department had to approve any class Cecilia wanted to take as a condition of her scholarship, hence the e-mail. Burnside would have to justify allowing her student to take a class outside the department to the scholarship committee, but it seemed to her a reasonable request. Cecilia finally received the go-ahead to take the Spanish class. She would show herself no mercy, deliberately choosing a professor from Madrid who had a reputation for harsh grading. When she bought the books and saw what she actually would be studying, she had second thoughts about the language project. She rebuked herself, thinking no, I'm gonna see this through, even if I do have to bust my ass for a Spaniard. ---------- The day that Jason returned to the university there was another heavy snowstorm. Unlike the day after Thanksgiving when Mr. Schmidt managed to beat the snow and safely make it to his downtown refuge, during the January trip he and Jason were caught right in the middle of a white deluge. Jason's father was in a totally foul mood from having misjudged the weather and spent a good portion of the journey savagely cussing out the National Weather Service. The worst part of the trip was at the very end, when Jason and his father sat in a long line of parents trying to return their sons and daughters to the university. The fact the university's parking and driveways were restricted because they were only partially cleared compounded the normal beginning-of-the-semester traffic jam. Jason was hugely relieved to finally see the outline of Huntington Hall though the thick snow. His father cut off another driver to get a parking spot, exchanged insults with the other man, and told Jason to grab his stuff out of the car. Jason quickly complied, and with the briefest of good-byes, Mr. Schmidt began the arduous task of getting out of the university, after having spent so much effort getting in. As Jason struggled with his bags in the snow, he could see the RA's desperately shoveling the sidewalks. He thought he recognized Cecilia in the distance with a shovel, but knew better than to try to approach her. He would have to handle her carefully when he finally did get together with her that evening, because it was obvious she was going to be tired and not in a good mood. The hallway was full of wet freshmen loaded down with suitcases, backpacks, and boxes. In spite of the unpleasant trip and the chaos in the dorm, Jason was enormously happy to be back. He was free from the confinement of his father's house and the vicious tension between his parents. He would miss his grandmother, but she was the only person in Wisconsin he missed. As soon as Jason was back in his room there was a lot to take care of. He needed to get his things put away before Cecilia came by. That was priority. In contrast with his first hours in Huntington Hall during his first semester, his first concern was straightening his room. He called his girlfriend's phone to leave a message that he was back, then decided to go to the gym. After a very stressful trip, he had plenty of tension to work off. Ken was back as well, and happy to go work out with Jason. While working out, the two freshmen exchanged their vacation experiences. It turned out the Ken's vacation had gone extremely well in comparison with Jason's time in Wisconsin. Ken had spent a lot of time with his father and obtained his parents' approval to join the Tri-Alphas at the end of the semester. Ken also brought Jason a startling piece of news. "You know that Mike's not coming back." "What!? But why?" "He and Lisa split over Christmas. She'll be back tomorrow, but he's staying in Santa Cruz, and I guess transferring to Berkeley next year." Ken relayed what he knew about the break-up. Apparently Mike and Lisa's relationship, while working just fine in California, had become strained in Chicago. As the fall semester had progressed, Mike felt more and more out of place. Finally decided that he wanted to return to California, where he felt much more at home. Lisa, meanwhile, had adapted to the university just fine. Over the past four months their interests diverged, and by December it became hard for them to even hold a conversation. Mike decided that Chicago was ruining the relationship and that he wanted both himself and Lisa to stay in Santa Cruz during the spring. Lisa flatly refused, telling Mike that he could do what he wanted, but she was going back to the Mid-West. That left Mike in an impossible situation, because he had given Lisa an ultimatum; either stay behind in California or break up. Lisa called his bluff and Mike had no choice but to tell her she'd be going back alone. He was a proud and stubborn person, and was not one to go back on a threat. So, Lisa was coming back by herself, without the guy she had been dating since she was in high school. ---------- It already was well after dark with Jason and Ken returned to the dorm. Cecilia had left a note on his door, telling him that she was back in her room waiting for him. He went to the bathroom, suspecting he might not have the chance to go again for a while, and then called her. In a flash she was over to escort him back to women's side of the floor. She passionately hugged and kissed him, but said absolutely nothing other than "Come on, let's get to my room." As soon as she had the door shut she grabbed him and kissed him hard. She was hot with erotic hunger. Three weeks had gone by since she had last seen him and two weeks had gone by since her sexual encounter with Suzanne. The time she had spent making love to herself just didn't satisfy her anymore. She unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants to his ankles. As usual, Jason wasn't wearing any underwear, so he now was completely nude from his waist to his ankles. Cecilia continued to kiss him with complete desperation as she ran her hands over his bottom. She pulled at his shirt and looked at him with a wild expression that clearly stated, "get this shirt off or I'll rip it off myself." Jason quickly complied, pulling the shirt over his head. The Freshman Ch. 25 Again Cecilia pushed him against the wall. She grabbed his hand and guided it up under her skirt. She wasn't wearing any panties. As his fingers brushed up against her, he realized she was very wet. He became hard himself, in spite of the rather shocking assault he was experiencing. She passed him a condom. He would have liked a bit more foreplay, but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. She needed him inside her, immediately. She hopped up on the bed, pulled her skirt up, and waited for him to get the condom on and get inside her. As soon as he was inside of her, she gasped with delight. She pushed up as she dug her fingernails into his back and bottom. He thrust for a long time, working himself up to his own climax. Then he remembered his secret plan to get her to give him another belt-whipping. As the thought of submitting to the belt flashed through his mind, Jason's own arousal took off. He thrust vigorously, dripping sweat onto her blouse as that strange fantasy returned to his mind, that vivid image of his agonized bottom struggling under the uncompromising strokes of that cruel belt. Spank me...spank me...spank me... Finally he finished, or so he thought. Normally after a vigorous session of lovemaking Jason and Cecilia lay together resting for a few minutes, but not that night. Her desperate mood was only slightly diminished from the first round of sex. He owed her a lot more. She grabbed a damp washrag and wiped herself off while he pulled off his condom. She then grabbed his hand and told him to stand still while she cleaned his penis with the cloth. Quickly she pulled off her blouse and skirt and plopped back on the bed. "Jason, get over here!" It was time for him to pay homage to the Temple of Venus, to bow his head and worship the tiny goddess between her legs. She grabbed his hair and guided his face into position, making it very clear that he would stop when she told him to stop, not a moment sooner. The smell of her arousal hit his senses full-force as he began moving his tongue over her very wet vulva. As he had been trained, he very slowly worked his way around her labia, teasing her and making her desperate. When the moment came, he gently touched his tongue to her clitoris and immediately was rewarded with a desperate gasp. As he continued licking, she shuttered with the first of several orgasms he would have to give her before being allowed to stop. She was in an uncontrolled sexual frenzy that he could only satisfy with a lot of patience and hard work. Jason's mouth was sore and he was exhausted by the time she allowed him to stop licking. However, she still wanted more. She studied her partner. His face was tired, but what about the other end? She gently rubbed and kissed his chest and thighs, subtly teasing him. She massaged and patted his bottom until she noticed his penis stiffening. Then she did the one thing that was sure to get him aroused, got into the submissive posture on her elbows and knees, spreading herself and shamelessly exposing her most intimate areas to the gaze of her lover. Sure enough, that did the trick. He put on a condom and entered her, thrusting vigorously and thoroughly enjoying himself. He pushed hard, grabbing her thighs as she gasped with the faint high-pitched groans of extreme pleasure. The second time was much better for Jason, because he had been able to take his time getting properly aroused. The first time had been a bit too rushed because of Cecilia's desperate mood. As always, her needs came before his own needs. However, if he was patient enough, she usually saw to it that his needs were taken care of as well. That was the unspoken agreement between them. Much later, with that sarcastic smile that had so captivated him back at the beginning of September, she asked him: "So, you glad to be back?" ---------- Lisa came back the next morning, in a foul mood because of her recent break-up with Mike and an extremely unpleasant trip into Chicago. It was Ken who picked her up, given that he was the only person in the group that had a car. Lisa saw Ken as harmless, so she unloaded her frustrations on him, giving him the details of the fights the preceded the final ultimatum from Mike: either you stay here in Santa Cruz or we're through. They were through. "It's weird, before we broke up, I kinda thought I'd be totally fucked-up about it, but I'm not. What I felt was a huge relief. I don't know, I guess he was just getting too serious...maybe, getting old a bit faster than me. It wasn't fun anymore." Ken confided some details about his own life and talked at length about his vacation as they neared the university. He helped Lisa get her things upstairs and then the two decided to go back out. The original purpose of their trip was to buy some textbooks for their spring classes, but they ended up having some coffee and looking into some of the novelty shops around the university. Their explorations took them into a sex shop, which prompted Lisa to confide that her sexual relationship with Mike was part of the problem that existed between them. "Mike has absolutely no imagination when it comes to sex. He always wanted to do things the same way, every fucking night. He wouldn't even try any new positions. And what pissed me was that he knew I was getting bored. He'd ask me what's wrong, I'd tell him, but nothing ever changed." Lisa and Ken went over to the S&M implements and examined them with vague curiosity. There were paddles of various shapes and sizes, floggers, light canes that seemed too dry to really make much of an impact, and a couple of replicas of the Danubian police switch that were much lighter and flimsier than the real thing. Lisa picked up one of the leather paddles, an item that did seem like it would deliver a nice sharp sting. Absent-mindedly she made a joking comment that made Ken's heart jump into his throat. "You know, when you and Jason lost that poker game last fall, this is what I should've used on you. What do you think?" Ken's face was white and his eyes wide. "Uh...Yeah..." His heart jumped again as she smacked the implement in her hand a couple of times and then hung it back up. He had a furious erection under his pants, which he tried to hide by putting his hands in his coat pockets and positioning them to cover his front. Lisa glanced at him. What was going on in his mind was obvious from his expression and...his posture. What are you hiding, Ken? Suddenly she realized that was indeed what she should have done to him. He wanted to be spanked. Her thoughts went back to when she had him naked over her lap and could feel his very stiff penis poking into her leg. She also remembered how much she enjoyed that night, first feeling his body over her lap and then making him do all that embarrassing stuff with Jason. What had spoiled the fun was Mike's unpleasant behavior and then the blow-up with Cecilia. Of course she had been terrified that Cecilia would turn them in and then...wait a minute... Lisa suddenly understood what was really going on with the RA in her room that night, after she had caught Jason and Ken streaking near the library. She was just pretending to be so indignant! That was all an act, so she could get Jason under her control! Cecilia never had any intention of turning them in! What she wanted was Jason! So, the other three had stressed-out over nothing! That little bitch... Lisa's thoughts returned to Ken. She felt a huge desire to "finish the job" with him and see where that might lead. She decided that he was destined to go back over her lap. Later that night his bottom would be bared and bouncing as his skin reddened under her hand. Of course the obvious way to do it simply would be to tell him to buy the paddle, walk him back to the dorm, and then spank the hell out of him. However, that was too straightforward. Lisa wanted to have some fun with Ken and not just start belaboring his bottom right away. She wanted to set up the right mood first, and then spank him. They left the sex shop, with Ken moving uncomfortably as he walked with his hands trying to puff out his coat and hide his erection. Lisa suggested stopping at a fraternity store and walked up to a wall that displayed various fraternity paddles. She absent-mindedly speculated about how much the fraternities actually used the paddles, whether the spankings were given bare-bottom or over clothes, and whether women were present during the punishments. "Of course, it's not really a spanking unless it's on the bare, and I think if there's guys getting paddled and women aren't watching, that's wrong. What's the point of spanking a guy if women can't watch?" She glanced over at Ken's pale face. She thought she could actually hear his heart pounding as he struggled to catch his breath. "Well, what do you think?" "Uh...yeah, you're right. They...shouldn't be doing it unless they got women watching." "...and always on the bare, right?" "Yeah..." With only a few of the textbooks they originally had planned to purchase, Lisa and Ken made their way back to Huntington Hall through the bitter cold and salt-covered sidewalks. Their conversation drifted back to their vacations and the time they spent with their parents. Ken mentioned getting together with some of his high school friends and playing some Poker with them on New Year's Eve. He did relatively well, winning some money off the others. Lisa responded sarcastically: "You actually beat them? Then they must be pretty awful, unless you've gotten any better." "Actually I have. One of my brother's friends taught us some stuff, so I can hold my own." "That's bullshit, Ken. You don't just get better over a Christmas break. It takes years." "I'm just saying I play better than I did last fall. That's all I'm saying, Lisa." "And so now you think you can keep your clothes on if you play me?" "I know I'm a lot better than I was last fall. The next time we play, you'll be losing some stuff as well, not just me and Jason. That I know for sure." "OK, let's test that. I'll bet you that I can strip you and not lose anything more than my shoes. If I'm right, then you do what I say for the rest of the night. If you can hold out and get anything off of me besides my shoes, then I'm taking you out to dinner. Deal?" "Uh...OK...deal." They got back to Huntington Hall. Ken dropped off his coat and books in his room and then accompanied Lisa back to her room. Without directly saying it, Ken had told Lisa that he desperately wanted her to spank him. Without directly saying it, she had responded that was fine, she would indeed put him over her lap and put some color into his bottom. The Poker game, something both of them knew Ken was sure to lose, was the pretext for the spanking. There was another unspoken agreement between them. Although Ken was sure to lose, Lisa expected him to play as well as possible and make an effort to win. She wanted a challenge, not just have him meekly forfeit so he could go over her lap. They set up a nightstand as a card table and Ken brought in a small chair from the commons area to sit in. They counted articles of clothing. Both were wearing winter shoes, socks, jeans and underwear. Lisa had on a sweater and Ken was wearing a sweatshirt. Lisa was not wearing a bra, so they were evenly matched. The game's arrangement seemed to favor Ken. He only had to win three rounds to get his free dinner, while Lisa had to win seven times to get off all of Ken's clothing. However, Lisa was by far the better player. She passed the cards to Ken. "Deal." She had him deal first, because she wanted to see how easily he shuffled the cards. That would let her know if he really had improved over Christmas break. Ken's clumsy handling of the cards answered her question. Whatever improvement he might have made would be minimal if he hadn't even learned to shuffle properly. In quick succession Lisa won four rounds and her opponent gave up his shoes and socks. She lost the next round, not because he played well, but because his hand was unbeatable. Two more rounds cost him his jeans and sweatshirt. Then, sitting in nothing but his underwear, he played his one good round of the night and won another shoe from his partner after a long fight. Ken lost the next round and Lisa ordered him to stand up. She moved in front of him, pretending to be indignant. "Look, you need to stop wasting my time! You told me you learned how to play over Christmas, but what you played wasn't Poker, it was shit! Alright, loser. Now you're ass is mine, and you're gonna pay!" She jerked his underwear to his ankles and ordered him to step out of it. He was embarrassed, even though they already had seen each other naked several times before. However, being embarrassed made him very aroused. Lisa still wanted to build the mood for the spanking by establishing her dominance. As she had the previous fall, she took a bunch of pictures of him in almost every pose imaginable. His penis was hard and was displayed prominently in many of the pictures. The only part of the fun missing was that he had to stay in her room. As much as she wanted to have him go out into the hallway, that night she couldn't because it was too early. Her fellow residents were still running up and down the corridor with their suitcases and backpacks. She made him stand with his legs spread and his hands behind his head, gently stroking her fingertips up and down his body. She touched his penis and explored his testicles, satisfying her curiosity to feel someone else's body besides Mike's. Finally she moved to caressing and massaging his bottom. When he tensed up she slapped him hard. "Don't you tighten your butt up on me! This is what you deserve! You've earned this!" She took another look at his face. He was both very nervous and very aroused. Perfect. That's what she wanted, the right mood. Lisa sat down on her bed and ordered Ken to lie across her lap. She gently massaged and caressed his bottom, much more intimately than she could the first time when she spanked him with two witnesses present. She admonished him for being aroused, telling him that it was completely inappropriate for a bad boy who's about to be spanked to be so excited. She reached down and grabbed his penis. "You know, when bad boys get like this, that just means they gotta be spanked a lot harder and a lot longer." Of course, the only thing that happened was his penis became even stiffer. She patted his bottom one last time, and began spanking. Lisa knew how to spank, because she had fantasized about it over the past year and had studied technique on the Internet. She knew that Cecilia was disciplining Jason, and would have given anything to be able to have that kind of relationship with her ex-boyfriend. There was no way, however, because it was not in Mike's character to meekly go over a girlfriend's lap, even in fun. Oh, well...his loss. SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... Lisa began spanking much harder, but took frequent breaks to study the changing color of Ken's bottom. She lovingly passed her hand over his sweaty, pink skin, exploring the deep color and swelling forming over his buttocks. When he tensed up she pinched him hard and viciously twisted her fingers. "I said don't tense up! Keep yourself nice and spread for me! If you wanted to be modest, then you shouldn't have gotten yourself in this situation!" Lisa began picking up the pace of her swats as she neared the end of the spanking. She spanked fast and hard, trying to break Ken with an unbearable barrage of solid pain. He was gasping, and groaning, not from the pain, but from intense sexual arousal. The erection never had gone away. Lisa decided to put her companion's hard-on to good use. It had not been her intention to have sex with him, but she had become aroused herself during the spanking. She stopped slapping and concluded with a couple of very painful pinches that were sure to leave bruises on him days after the color from the slaps faded. She ordered him to stand up, hands behind his head and facing the wall, while she rummaged through her closet to get some scarves and pull a couple of cloth belts off some dresses. She threw a scarf over his eyes to blindfold him, then tied another scarf around each of his wrists. She ordered him on the bed on his back and tied his hands to the bedposts. She then took a cloth belt and tied his feet together. She stripped off her clothes and gave his erection a couple of strokes to make sure it was as hard as possible. Then she positioned herself over him and mounted him, carefully lowering herself over his penis. For a very long time she rocked back and forth as he pumped semen into her. Oh, this was good. Lisa climaxed, and then on pure inspiration she decided to try something. She pinched his nipples hard and twisted. "Ow!" She felt his penis stiffen inside her. So, that was it...she now knew what he needed. "I'll tell you something, bad boy! There's a lot more where this came from! You think I'm done with you? You think I'm done whipping that ass of yours? You think I'm finished?" She tugged hard at his nipples. "Answer me!" "No, you're...you're not done...whipping my ass." "Your ass is mine, bad boy, get it? Mine!" She untied the scarves from his wrists and the belt from his ankles, but did not untie the scarf covering his eyes. "Roll over! Get your butt up!" He heard her rummaging in her closet and then heard the distinct clink of a belt buckle. Then he felt the leather lightly touching his already sore skin. Fear swept through him, but with that fear came very intense arousal. He had just spent himself when Lisa was straddling him, but it seemed that erotic fear recharged his drive. He started becoming erect. It wouldn't be long before he was ready for another round of sex. CRACK! A sharp pain tore into Ken's backside as Lisa laid a fierce belt swat across both bottom cheeks. CRACK! She struck again hard, as he squirmed from the blow. She studied the two deep reddish stripes laid across the pink skin of his spanked bottom. She tightened her lips and struck again. He squirmed to the side, showing her his very hard erection. Lisa thought to herself, screw the spanking, I want him back inside me. She grabbed his penis and used it as a handle to roll him on his back. "You fucking little pervert! You actually like this, don't you?" "Yes...I like it!" With that she dropped back on top of him, enjoying the feel of his organ as it pumped yet another batch of semen into her. She climaxed, for the second time that evening. ---------- Ken spent the night in Lisa's room. The couple had finalized a discovery they had begun to make about each other back in September, that he liked being spanked and she enjoyed giving spankings. It turned out that pain was the button that unleashed the sexual fury in Ken's soul, and that inflicting pain was what set off Lisa. His bottom was tender from the spanking and he was sore in the spots where she so cruelly pinched him, but he couldn't have been happier. He was sure that the confusion over his sexuality had ended. Now he knew what he needed from a sexual partner, to submit and feel real pain. And to think, of all the people he knew, it was his friend Lisa who best understood his most secret desires. Lisa was shocked at her own behavior with her new lover. She became a totally different person, an uncontrollable, savage, all-consuming jungle bitch. The veneer of courtesy and culture was stripped from her, leaving an uncontrolled fury that not even she knew existed in her soul. Well, perhaps she knew it was there, but not to that extreme. Unlike Cecilia, Lisa's inner animal did not scare her. She liked that part of herself, the wild, domineering, she-bitch. It was something left over from the savage past, a portion of her animal instinct that had not been refined out of her personality by her wealthy liberal upbringing. She welcomed that part of herself in the same way she would have welcomed a long-lost relative. As weird as it was to have Ken in her bed instead of Mike, she was very grateful to him for helping her find that lost part of her soul. The Freshman Ch. 25 She had come back from California with starting a new relationship the very last thing on her mind. Ken seemed about the last person on campus that could interest her. And yet, just a few hours after having stepped off the plane at O'Hare, she had enjoyed the most intensely satisfying sexual experience in her life with someone she never could have imagined as a sexual partner. She hoped that Mike could find happiness in Santa Cruz, or Berkeley, or wherever he ended up, and above all find someone else to go out with. Lisa had moved on with her life and hoped that her former boyfriend would be able to move on with his as well. The Freshman Ch. 26 Chapter 26 - Cecilia's façade On the first day of classes Jason returned to his job modeling for the art department. Although he no longer needed the credits, he enjoyed modeling so much that he decided to do it for the remainder of his freshman year. Because both Cecilia and Ken had completed their humanities requirement, Jason did not expect to see any familiar faces in the spring semester life drawing classes. However, but it turned out there would be a familiar face in one of the classes; Cecilia's friend Suzanne Foster. Although Suzanne already had been at the university for a year and a half as an art major, she had not yet taken life drawing, which was an art department requirement. So, this time around it would be Suzanne's turn to study his body in detail and render it to paper. Suzanne enjoyed looking at Jason's body and thought about various photography projects she night want to try with him as her model. She approached him about modeling, which he readily agreed to do. He warned her that he could only model the nights Cecilia was duty RA, because he did not want to take any time away from the relationship or his studies. Also, his girlfriend had to approve of any modeling projects ahead of time, so it would be best if she were to approach Cecilia directly about anything she wanted him to do. However, Jason enjoyed Suzanne's work and was flattered that she wanted to feature him in her next project. He knew that her work would be part of a major spring art show and later possibly published in a nationally published photographers' magazine. Appearing in a widely distributed magazine appealed to the exhibitionist in him, because he would have the chance to show off his body to a large audience of photography enthusiasts. Jason's public appearances in the nude extended beyond his modeling sessions for Suzanne and the drawing classes. A European news magazine approached him about doing an interview for a feature that concentrated on US college students who were nudists. During February he was also scheduled to speak on behalf of two nudist organizations in Indianapolis and St. Louis. He was to be among several speakers at symposiums in Indianapolis, and would address a college crowd in St. Louis. Ken, Lisa, and Suzanne had promised to accompany him to the Indianapolis presentation. Cecilia also had promised to go, but secretly was hoping that Burnside might come up with some tasking that would make it impossible for her to break away from the department. ---------- Jason, Lisa, and Ken began their second semester of classes without having Burnside's Theory of Economics class hanging over their heads. Having taken and passed that class cleared the way for enrolling in classes in several departments, making it easier for the three freshmen to think seriously about what majors they might want to choose. Jason decided that he wanted to double major in Political Science and International Affairs, while Lisa decided to major in business administration. Ken, still trying to figure himself out, decided to double-major in psychology and education with the eventual goal of becoming a counselor. As he put it: "With as screwed up as I am, I'm sure I can see eye-to-eye with everyone else who's screwed up." All three students had gravitated towards departments with classes that had the Burnside class as a prerequisite. Even the psychology and education departments had started using Burnside's class as a means to cut down on the number of students pouring into their programs, using the justification that anyone able to pass that class was a serious student as opposed to a dilettante. ---------- Cecilia's future was much more set by her circumstances than were the futures of Jason and his two friends. She had to complete the requirements to get a Bachelor's degree in economics within a four-year period. She had some flexibility with taking electives, but not very much. For the humanities requirement she had thought about taking another art class, possibly with Suzanne as a classmate, but her decision to tackle Spanish changed those plans. She had decided to exchange an easy credit for one much more difficult. Cecilia's Spanish professor turned out to be every bit as harsh as she had heard. It turned out he was the Spanish department's version of Ruth Burnside. Even worse, he epitomized the stereotype of the snooty Spaniard who looked down upon the variations of the language that had developed in Latin America, visually cringing when he heard Cecilia speaking for the first time with her rough street accent. In response she quickly snapped in her street Spanish: well, if I knew how to speak properly, I wouldn't need to take this class, would I? Over the first month of the semester Cecilia earned the respect of her professor by demonstrating she truly was interested in improving her Spanish and that she had taken the class solely with the goal of bettering herself. Her attitude and background contrasted with most of her classmates, who of course, were non-native speakers enrolled because it was a department requirement. The class was perfectly suited for her immediate needs because it gave her the proper structure she needed to express herself in both speech and writing. Besides giving Cecilia proper structure, the instructor also corrected numerous errors she made that were not normally made by a Spanish-speaker with formal education. For example, she confused the letters "b" and "v", using them interchangeably when she wrote words in Spanish. Her professor drilled her on that mistake, forcing her to memorize which letter went with which words and putting huge red circles around her spelling mistakes. As the semester progressed, Cecilia noticed fewer and fewer red circles on her papers as she memorized the lists of words her professor had typed out for her to study. She also noticed her speech improving as she began editing out the slang and anglicized words from her childhood. As was true for her English, her Spanish street accent was stubbornly resilient, but it seemed that in everything else she showed marked improvement. By her fourth semester in college, Cecilia already was taking junior-level classes with the economics department. Burnside's ultimate goal was to get her scholarship student to take a couple of graduate-level classes before the end of her senior year and get a feel for what she might expect as a graduate student. She knew that Cecilia really had no choice but to continue her studies upon graduating, since there was little she could do with a BA in economics. She would have the choice of pursuing an MBA or perhaps work towards a future in economic development, but, unless she had something in her background that made her stand out, she would have a hard time getting the financial help she needed to pursue the next level of her education. Burnside hoped to give her that something extra and get her through the MA program with some assistance. Although Cecilia's probation had ended and the exam crisis from the previous year was forgotten, Burnside was her usual unpleasant self when dealing with her student on a day-to-day basis. At least once each week Cecilia had to stand in Burnside's office justifying why she had not mentioned some famous economist in a research project, or why she did not have a formula properly memorized, or why she had not properly applied some theory to a real life situation. In addition to her own work, there were endless tests and essays Cecilia had to grade, her ongoing duties as RA, and her self-appointed project to fix her Spanish. At the end of each day she relieved her stress in the gym, and then relied on Jason to massage her and give her an orgasm to settle her nerves. She reflected how reliant she was on her nightly routine; without her nightly massage and orgasm she really would be going nuts with all the pressure she was under. At first it seemed that the relationship between Cecilia and Jason would continue during the spring as it had during the fall, as least on the surface. It still was Cecilia who was telling Jason what to do most of the time. It would remain his responsibility to attend to her needs, to massage her body, give her shoulder and neck rubs, satisfy her clitoris with the gentle caresses of his tongue, hold her, and comfort her. When she needed him to be there for her, he would be there for her. He was taking another Burnside class during the spring, and spent hours standing at attention in the nude, answering her questions about what he was studying. Whenever he did anything to offend her, it was clearly understood he would bend over to receive the belt. As for his outside activities, he would ask her permission before making any commitments. However, as she interacted with Jason and watched him running around the dorm and hanging out with his friends, Cecilia reflected that he was changing. He certainly seemed more self-assured than he did in the fall, which was something she had not expected. During the fall she had forced him to be successful in his studies, but that very success made him more willing to stand up for himself, defend what he believed in, and also defend his relationship with her. Jason had started growing up. ------------ During the second week of classes Cynthia Lee got together with Cecilia. Cynthia had spent New Year's in Danube City celebrating with her sister and brother, and came back with some good news. The Danubian government of Vladim Dukov and the national government of his counterpart to the south had finalized a border treaty that incorporated the idea of moving the Danubian consulate to Sumy Ris. The consulate itself would be a compound enclosing the disputed church and graveyard, along with two buildings built in the 18th Century that would contain the offices for the Danubian diplomats. However, what was really exciting was that the nearby castle and several other ancient buildings in Sumy Ris would be sold to a private group of Danubian investors who were planning a restoration and tourism project. If the project went ahead as planned, Sumy Ris would become a major destination for Danubians making pilgrimages to the church and traveling south to other parts of the Balkan Peninsula. As for the rest of the border, the negotiations had gone extremely well. About 40,000 ethnic Danubians would be re-incorporated into the territory of their native country as a result of the border changes. There would be customs agreements and several internationally managed nature preserves. Most importantly, there would be a bi-lateral agreement to de-militarize the border region in exchange for better cooperation between the two countries' police forces. For the first time in its history, Upper Danubia would have completely secure borders and a formal ally. The arrangement also would affect all criminals who were ethnic Danubians incarcerated in the country's southern neighbor. Once the new border between the two countries was demarcated, about 400 criminals of Danubian descent would be transferred by bus to the Duchy. On the Danubian side of the border there would be judges and police officers waiting for them. The criminals would be granted Danubian citizenship and then re-tried under Danubian laws. Those who still had time left on their sentences would have to finish their terms under the Danubian justice system, which meant they would be assigned a Spokesperson, collared, switched, and forced to live in the nude. It was a convenient way for Upper Danubia's southern neighbor to rid itself of 400 prisoners. The arrangement could not have come at a more crucial time for the government of the Duchy's neighbor. Even before the treaty was finalized, Dukov's counterpart was forced to move troops away from the Danubian border to deal with another border dispute that was not going nearly as well. Had Dukov been less trustworthy, his government could have taken advantage of the troop withdrawal to grab the land in question. However, the treaty had been negotiated in good faith and awaited approval by both parliaments before the Danubians would take possession of their new territory. Cynthia confided that she was worried, in spite of the amiable arrangement between the two leaders. "The commercial attaché at the US Embassy tried to undermine the negotiations, and no one can figure out why. Also, it seems that Mega-Town Associates doesn't like it and they're trying to get the World Trade Organization to stop the treaty. I don't get it. You'd think that one less border conflict in Eastern Europe would make everyone happy, but it hasn't. Something weird is going on behind the scenes, and whatever it is, I don't have a good feeling about it." ---------- The final two weeks of January passed by very quickly, but at the same time were hectic for the residents of Huntington Hall. Cecilia had to choose her spring semester research topics for Burnside, which took time away from her efforts to learn correct Spanish. She and Lisa continued to work out together, more out of habit than anything else. Cecilia was in much better physical shape than she had been during the fall and knew as much about using the gym equipment as Lisa. Of course, among the things that interested Cecilia were the latest details of Lisa's love life, because the Californian had given up a boyfriend the RA respected for one who she thought was a total idiot. Cecilia made no effort to hide her disdain for Ken and clearly expressed that she felt Lisa had made a very poor exchange. Lisa, in trying to justify herself, gave up more about her relationship with Ken than she had intended, giving her friend a full account of Ken's desire to be punished and the real satisfaction she felt having him over her lap. "I don't know how I can say it so you'll see where I'm coming from. The truth is I totally love punishing him. When I have him tied up and I'm hitting him...I don't know...I just feel really good. It's a total adrenaline rush. And he likes it too. As soon as I do anything to him, spank him, slap him, or best of all, give him a really good pinch...it's like flipping a switch. He's as hard as a dildo. And it's total, you look in his face, and you can tell he wants it so bad..." "OK, that's real nice. So he likes you whippin' his ass and you like whippin' his ass. And what else is goin' on between you two, besides his sore ass?" "You make it sound like there ought to be more. Why? Why should there be more? Right now I'm having fun. He's got a lot of imagination and he's willing to try anything, which was something Mike absolutely refused to do. It's fun, and that's what I want. I'll tell you, I've never had sex like what I'm having with Ken." Lisa's relationship with Ken was very different from Cecilia's relationship with Jason. The level of personal commitment between Lisa and Ken came nowhere near the commitment Cecilia and Jason had with each other. Outside her room Lisa saw Ken as her equal, so she was not trying to raise him or influence his personality like Cecilia was trying to do with Jason. Lisa never disciplined Ken with the goal of influencing his behavior. Her viciousness was a manifestation of her sexuality, nothing more. Unless they were building up the mood for a sexual/discipline encounter in her room, Lisa never told Ken what to do, what to wear, or how to behave. There was no hint that she wanted to control his life or form his personality, so the punishments she inflicted were just for sexual stimulation and had no larger purpose. In contrast, in Jason's life a belt-whipping served a completely different purpose from an erotic spanking. Cecilia felt that she was finishing the job of raising her boyfriend and was trying to form his personality. She wanted him to behave responsibly and used the threat of the belt to keep his weaknesses under control. She threatened him much more than she actually punished him, one example being her insistence that he quit driving. If she ever caught him behind he wheel of a car she really did plan to flog him to the point of drawing blood, but she also expected never to have to carry out that threat. She had warned him, and if he knew what was good for him, he'd obey her. A second difference was that Ken wanted a more intense experience that focused on pure pain. He enjoyed being tied up, slapped hard, savagely pinched, and cruelly humiliated. During their sexual sessions, "fucking little pervert" was only one of many insults Lisa hurled at him. As serious as Lisa might be at the moment, both she and Ken knew that her insults were not what she really thought of him, they simply were part of the mood they needed to make his punishments truly satisfying. As for Lisa, the punishments gave her a way to vent her anger and frustrations, as well as satisfy her craving for combining cruelty and dominance with physical stimulation and sex. She loved attacking Ken by jumping on him, digging her fingernails into his skin, slapping him hard across the face, and above all, viciously pinching him. All that was on top of punishing his bottom, photographing him, and telling him what a little pervert he was for getting so aroused. The savage animal in Lisa's being had escaped its cage and now roamed freely in her room whenever Ken was there. The inner tension in Lisa's soul was gone now that she had a partner who could satisfy her. She was much happier than she had been in a very long time. With that Lisa concluded her response to Cecilia's doubts. There was no question that Mike was smarter, more worldly, and had a stronger character than Ken, but none of that mattered. It was Ken who satisfied her needs. It was Ken who was feeding her inner animal. Cecilia shook her head. Most of that stuff Lisa was doing to Ken she couldn't even imagine doing to Jason. Her boyfriend did enjoy being spanked, but what Jason considered erotic paled in comparison to what Ken wanted. During an erotic spanking, the moderate pain from the smacks of her hand or the leather paddle were only one out of many ingredients of a much more complicated experience, which also included caresses, sensuality, foreplay, and love. The raw meanness Lisa inflicted on Ken was absent from the sessions during which Cecilia spanked Jason. ---------- Jason's public responsibilities took him to Indianapolis the second Saturday of February, where there was yet another conference for naturists concerned about increasing the appeal of nudism to college-age people. The conference not only emphasized the idea of nudism as a fitness movement, but also its philosophy and perceived conflicts with organized religion. It was a far-reaching conference that also sought to address some of the moralistic arguments being used in the US to keep the movement as restricted as possible. Jason's part of the presentation would be to discuss his love of exercising in the nude, and how, without any prompting from anyone else, he had become accustomed to being naked at home while he was still in high school. The point he was making was that he considered himself fortunate because his privileged upbringing allowed him to have the privacy to pursue his beliefs. His argument was that other young people should have the choice of exercising naked regardless of social class or privacy and society needed to accommodate that need. He would conclude by citing research about Danubian high school students who exercised nude in their gym classes. The research clearly demonstrated that the typical Danubian high school student led a lifestyle that was far healthier and free from vices than the lifestyle led by a typical student in the US and did not have the same sexual hang-ups. When Jason informed Cecilia that a representative of the Danubian Clergy was planning to be present to discuss traditional Danubian values and the Church's attitude towards nudity, her interest in going was sparked. She was curious to see a Danubian religious leader in real life, given the Church's importance in the society of the Duchy. She dropped her idea of trying to get out of going, instead asking permission from Burnside to be excused from any duties to the economics department that weekend. She would go, partly out of curiosity about Upper Danubia, and partly because she wanted to see why Jason was becoming such a popular speaker at nudist events. The two couples piled into Ken's car and drove into Indiana towards the state's capitol. Suzanne, who originally had planned to travel with the group, had a contract to take pictures and already was at the conference site getting set up. The Freshman Ch. 26 The conference was at a rented country club, which made the entire affair surreal to Cecilia. Outside there was nothing unusual about the entrance; it was just a parking lot full of cars like anywhere else. Inside was a different story. There were lines of people checking in, still dressed in winter clothing. However, beyond the check-in there was a sign that read: Nudity required beyond this point Beyond that sign, not a single person was wearing anything except shoes. It was when Cecilia saw the sign it hit her that she would have to surrender her clothes and, for the first time in her life, appear naked in front of a bunch of people, most of them much older, who did not know her. She struggled to catch her breath, thinking: what the fuck have I gotten myself into? It was too late to reconsider; now she had to go through with it. As Cecilia nerved herself to go into the women's locker room, she saw Suzanne off in the distance, loaded down, as usual, with her photography supplies. Apart from the black camera bag straps crisscrossing her shoulders, she was as naked as anyone else in the corridor. Cecilia called out to her, and she waved back. Suddenly Cecilia became more concerned about talking to Suzanne than anything else, so she rushed into the locker room and quickly pulled off her clothes. As the cool air hit her bare body, she felt extremely exposed and vulnerable, but she quickly ran out to greet her friend. Cecilia posed for a snapshot with Jason and Suzanne, the three students standing completely naked arm-in-arm. Only later would Cecilia see a huge irony in the photo, standing as she was between her boyfriend and her one-time lover. Lisa and Ken stood together for another picture, her fit, deeply tanned body contrasting with Ken's somewhat lighter skin. Fortunately the couple had toned down their sexual adventures prior to coming to the event, so Ken's skin was unmarked. Cecilia noticed Ken glancing at her body, and then remembered he had never seen her without her clothes before. The closest he came was that night he saw her in her underwear during the Poker game when she had battled Lisa and narrowly won. Cecilia's initial unease diminished after a few minutes. While Jason took off to meet with the group organizers, Suzanne recruited her friend to help her with her equipment, carry camera bags, and reload film. Cecilia stuck close to the photographer, grateful to have something to do that kept her mind off the fact she was naked for the first time in her life in front of hundreds of strangers. It also helped that Suzanne was equally naked, looking perfectly at ease as her statuesque body moved about the main conference room. It was mid Saturday afternoon when the first of two presentations that interested Cecilia was given, the speech by the Danubian Clergy. A severe-looking older man, accompanied by a somewhat younger but equally severe-looking female companion, entered the room. Both were dressed in their religious outfits: a long black robe with a tall hat for him, and a long black dress for her. The dress looked like a typical Danubian formal gown, except the color. Cecilia later learned that the Danubian Clergy had to wear their religious garb whenever performing official duties or representing the Church. That was why, even at a nudist conference, they had to stay dressed. Cecilia then had the shock of her life. Cynthia Lee followed the priest and priestess onto the stage. She was completely naked. The two representatives of the Danubian Clergy stood at attention while she moved in front of them, knelt, and touched her head to the floor. Then she stood up. The two Clergy members saluted her and she saluted back. It turned out that Cynthia was a convert to the Danubian Church. She really was taking Danubia seriously. Cynthia and the Priestess took their position at the main podium, while the older man stood behind them. The purpose of the arrangement became evident when the woman started speaking in heavily accented English. Cynthia was there to make sure she could be understood and translate any questions posed by the audience. The Priest was there to back her up if she had any theological doubts, but the presentation would be mainly her show. The Priestess gave a brief history of the Danubian Church, but quickly moved to the topic of interest to the conference, the role of public nudity in Upper Danubia and how it was viewed by the Clergy. It turned out the Danubian Church was accepting of nudity under certain circumstances. People performing religious duties such as public penance or ancestral remembrance marches used nudity as a way to distinguish themselves from people living everyday lives. To the Danubian religion, to be naked was to humble oneself before the Creator and the Spirits of the Ancients. The Priestess was well-aware that the attitude of the Danubian Clergy horrified many foreign religious leaders who viewed the uncovered body as something shameful and definitely not something to be openly incorporated as part of the believer's personal atonement. The Danubians, on the other hand, were horrified by other cultures that had placed such a huge emphasis on the fashion industry and the "evil worship of cloth". To emphasize her point the Priestess held up several glossy fashion magazines. "This how we the Danubian view the Sin! This the real Sin, the material worship of thing no made by Creator! No made by Creator, but capitalist say we must give much money to company, and we must worship the cloth, no worship the Creator. This...the capitalist Sin!" With that the Priestess tore the magazines and threw them to the ground. It was a rather shocking display, the Danubian version of a fire-and-brimstone sermon attacking the fashion industry and its materialistic values. The leaders of the conference had invited the Danubian Church representatives to encourage the conference attendees and reporters covering the event to see the issue of religious morality in a different light. The Priestess's angry tearing of the fashion magazines to emphasize her point certainly caught the attention of the audience and of several reporters filming her. The Danubian priestess was presenting a moralistic and philosophical counter-argument to much of what was being preached in the US about the human body, which was why she was there. She wanted to get her audience to urge the people of the US to re-assess their priorities. ---------- Jason was at the podium shortly afterwards, with a much more light-hearted portion of the presentation. He was an excellent and very likable speaker. Cecilia watched him with intense interest, wanting to see her boyfriend in action. He commanded the stage and the room, surprising her with his on-stage charisma. He joked with the audience, told amusing antidotes, and confidently moved back and forth between serious thoughts and humorous ones. Dang...he's good, thought Cecilia to herself as the audience chuckled and clapped. Jason continued with some jokes about the Tri-Alpha run and gestured to his fellow-runners Ken and Lisa, who were sitting in the audience. A light shined on them as they stood up and waved to the group. Jason's presentation concluded shortly afterwards, to much cheering and applause. There were other presentations, but Cecilia missed them. Suzanne quickly drafted her to help move some lighting, pulling her away from Lisa and Ken. As she walked down the hallway following her friend, she had time to reflect about how much Jason really was changing. She had known about his changes since the beginning of the spring semester, but now she had actually witnessed it, seeing him perform so well in public. Jason was completely self-confident and clearly enjoyed himself on stage. For half an hour he had captivated a room of nearly 400 people. It was at that moment, as she walked down the hallway studying Suzanne's bare backside, Cecilia had an awful realization...Jason isn't gonna belong to me after all. It just isn't gonna happen. I'm not gonna be able to have that kind of relationship with him, not with the way he's goin'. The relationship she had envisioned, where he would be kneeling and meekly obeying her commands...there was no way he would be able to give that to her. His character was too strong. Cecilia had to reflect on her situation alone. She excused herself from Suzanne and looked for a place she could think in peace for a few minutes. Finally she found an indoor tennis court that was empty and poorly lit. The court reminded her of Jason's mother and the Schmidts' moribund lifestyle, but she pushed that thought aside to deal with her own inner turmoil. Cecilia realized she was very frightened. She had promised herself that never again would she allow a relationship to take over her life, but now, with Jason, that was precisely what had happened. She had wanted to change him, and indeed did change him, but not into what she had anticipated. The changes in his character were because of her, because she had forced him to overcome his weaknesses and stop hating himself. She had made it impossible for him to fail, because she wanted to create a partner who would not be a loser. She had created a person whom she could respect, showed real potential for success, and could contribute to the world. But in doing all that, she had lost her control over him. What a huge irony. In trying to control him and mold his character, Cecilia had ended up setting Jason free from his own failings. In setting him free from his own failings, she had made him much more difficult to control. He had accomplished too much, and there were too many other people and events influencing his life, for him to become the meek servant she had wanted back in September. And yet...and yet...she knew that he still desperately needed her. Without her, he would not be asking the big questions about his life and reassessing the values he had grown up with. Without her, he still would be tormenting himself over the death of Heather Jones and the fact his father held him in such disdain. Without her, he still lacked the drive to pass difficult classes on his own. Without her, his inner inertia would take control of him and make him do nothing. He still needed her. She knew that if anything were to force them to break up he would be devastated. Not just devastated, but broken. His weaknesses and character flaws, stronger than ever, would return to take over his life and ruin him. She couldn't leave him. She was committed to the relationship and committed to him. She also realized she was committed to changing herself to accommodate her life with him. She had to accept the fact there were things he could teach her and ways over time he might influence her own life and values. Yes, in fact he already had changed her, much more than she previously had realized. The question she now faced was; how could she let go of her obsessions and fears? How could she accept her life, now that her original plans were so completely undermined? Would she find happiness with him, even though he wasn't going to be the partner she had envisioned? Could she face down the inner terror that had been the root of everything she had done since she was 15, the fear that she once again would have to relinquish control of herself? I ain't got no control, she kept thinking, I ain't got no control over my life, and that ain't what I wanted. It just ain't what I wanted. She began having flashbacks, thinking back to a time when she really did feel that she had no control over the direction of her life. I ain't your fuckin' bitch, Vicente. I just ain't... Jason burst into the room, looking for her. Seeing her standing alone with a terrified look on her face made him assume that perhaps she had become intimidated by the conference and by being surrounded by so many naked people. However, the conference was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. She made it very clear that it wasn't the conference that was bothering her. When he asked if there was something he could do for her, she thought for a minute, and finally responded. "You can hold me, Jason. That's what you can do for me. You can hold me and don't never let go." For a very long time he did hold her, assuring her that he would be there for her, no matter what. He didn't bother to ask her what was wrong, because he knew she couldn't put it into words. There were things about her he would never understand, but he didn't care. Finally, she pulled out of her strange mood and kissed him. She gave him that loving look and sarcastic smile, kissed him again, and with that they went out to find the other members of their group. ---------- The following morning the group headed back to Chicago. They studied during the afternoon, but Jason asked Cecilia to come to his room at 7:00. Cecilia wondered why he would want her over there so early, but she decided to satisfy her curiosity and show up at his door at 7:00. When she walked in there was a loud "Surprise!" She looked around and noticed a banner reading "Feliz Cumpleaños" and a small cake sitting on Jason's desk, with 20 lit candles burning on its top. Lisa, Ken, and Suzanne, each holding a small gift, accompanied Jason. Cecilia had forgotten that she was turning 20 that day. It had been such a long time since anyone had celebrated her birthday that she barely noticed the passing of the years in her life. Her birthday simply was another day that came and went, another date on the calendar indistinguishable from any other day. Tonight, on her 20th birthday, that pattern was to be broken. It turned out that Jason had learned her birthday by sneaking a peek at her student ID several weeks before and had told the others, thus allowing them to prepare a small surprise. It wasn't much, just a cake, a banner, and four gifts, but it was more celebrating Cecilia had been given for a birthday since she turned 15. She was overcome with emotion, because the surprise had been total. Because she never thought about her birthday, she figured no one else would think about it either. She had been wrong about that, since there were four people in the dorm who did care about celebrating her 20 years on the planet. Jason's gift was something Cecilia actually wanted and had been planning to buy for herself, a Danubian shawl to go with her formal dress. The shawl was made of expensive linen and imported from Upper Danubia. Upon seeing it, he could tell that she was genuinely excited about it and eager to see how it would look with her dress. Lisa cut up the cake and passed it out, Suzanne took some pictures, Cecilia said thank you to her companions and hugged them, and with that her first birthday party in five years concluded. She escorted Jason back to her room so she could model her new shawl with her dress. To him it was very strange seeing her in her Danubian get-up, because she looked so different in that dress than she did in her normal knee-length skirts and tight blouses. Cecilia carefully took off her dress and hung it up with her new shawl. Only her thong remained covering her body, and she approached Jason, signaling he would have the honor of lowering it that night. He did so, admiring her flawless dark body. He stood up and hugged her. She pulled back slightly, so he could see her dark eyes and sarcastic smile. "I'm in my birthday suit, and it's my birthday, and maybe I've been just a bit naughty. So, what are you gonna do about that, Jason? What are you gonna do about it?" She was breathing heavily and he could feel her heart pounding. She was in a very strange mood, but was obvious what she wanted. She wanted him to celebrate her 20th birthday with a birthday spanking. The moment Jason had waited for had come, the moment she would go over his lap. To make absolutely sure he understood what she was asking from him, he ran his hands down her back to her bottom. He gently rubbed and patted both sides, very softly mimicking a spanking motion. A sensuous sigh gave him his answer. Yes indeed, she wanted to go over his lap. He sat down on the bed, reached up, and grabbed her hand. He pulled her across his thighs and positioned her so that her backside was nicely displayed, with her bottom cheeks relaxed and her legs slightly spread. He ran his hand over both sides and gently explored the sensitive skin in between. She sighed again. There was no tightening of her muscles and no hint she would try to resist. She was ready to be spanked. The only doubt in Jason's mind was how hard she wanted her bottom to be slapped. He already had decided on the number of slaps: 20, since it was to be a birthday spanking. He continued exploring her right bottom cheek with the palm of his hand, but began building up the tension by patting her soft dark flesh. "So, are we keeping count, Cecilia?" "Uh-huh..." SMACK!... "One!" SMACK!... "Two!" Jason had landed a crisp slap on each side, and paused to gently caress his target before spanking it again. SMACK!... "Three!" SMACK!... "Four!" SMACK!... "Five!" SMACK!... "Six!" He paused to let the sting sink in and change over to a comfortable warm burning. With loving attention he absorbed every detail: the feel of her beating heart, the first smell of her arousal, the sight of her sweaty skin, the sound of her tensed breathing and very faint groans. She was scared and excited, wanting to experience first-hand what Jason was feeling when she put him over her lap. Now it was her turn, and she was loving it. SMACK!... "Seven!" SMACK!... "Eight!" SMACK!... "Nine!" SMACK!... "Ten!" He noticed a reddish tint in her brown skin as he gently rubbed her and waited for the stinging to fade into that wonderful burning that so many spanking enthusiasts seek as the fulfillment of sexual desire. He was gentle with her, but firm with his slaps. They had to sting for the experience to be real for her. "So, how's it feel to be the naughty birthday girl?" "...Mmmm..." She smiled slightly and wiggled her bottom to let him know she was ready to continue. SMACK!... "Eleven!" SMACK!... "Twelve!" SMACK!... "Thirteen!" SMACK!... "Fourteen!" He continued gently massaging, now expanding his explorations to the very wet region between her legs. He teased her clitoris, but just for a second, just long enough to force her to turn her bottom up in a desperate effort to make contact with his fingers. She was nicely spread, her bottom-hole on full display. SMACK!... "Fifteen!" SMACK!... "Sixteen!" SMACK!... "Seventeen!" SMACK!... "Eighteen!" "Well, it looks like we've gotten you through high school. But you know that college has been a lot harder. It's the last two years that really count, don't you think?" "Uh-huh..." She sighed as he again brushed her clitoris with his fingertips. Once again she pushed her pelvis upwards, desperately seeking his fingertips with her vagina. Oh...she was so aroused... SMACK!... "Nineteen!" SMACK!... "Twenty!" By the twentieth slap she had a nice reddish color in her bottom, which looked truly sexy as it contrasted with the unmarked brown skin of her thighs and back. He kissed the sweaty, warm, swollen skin and was rewarded with a gasp. "Jason! Take me! Please take me!" "Not quite, Cecilia. You know good things come to those who wait." With that he very gently brushed her entire vagina with his fingertips, and then leaned down to kiss her bottom. He made her get up and swept her up in his arms. He gently laid her back on the bed and again brushed her vagina with his fingertips. It was with total desperation that she watched him take off his clothes and slip on a condom. He kissed her, and finally gave her the long-awaited reward, thrusting as she groaned with delight and moved about furiously underneath him. She gasped as the soft burning heat in her bottom warmed her entire soul and filled her with sexual desire. She climaxed, but Jason stayed in long enough to climax a second time. By the time he finished, both of them were completely exhausted. The Freshman Ch. 26 She cuddled up to him and fell asleep. For once it was not Jason's bottom that was sore but Cecilia's. He was immensely happy, because he understood that something significant had happened that night when she went over his lap. She had opened herself up to him and, for a few minutes, however brief they might have been, submitted to him. He was well-aware that she had never intended to surrender herself at the beginning of the relationship, but things between them were changing. She had learned that she would need to trust him, and in trusting him would discover the real meaning of love and happiness. ---------- February ended with another public appearance for Jason in St. Louis. Unlike his previous appearances, Jason was dressed, since he was addressing a college crowd in an auditorium on campus, and his presentation was part of a symposium titled "The Philosophy and Practice of Fashion in Modern America." Jason's audience was a very mixed group, ranging from students who were receptive to public nudity to ones who were downright hostile to the idea. Jason was dressed in one of his better suits and struck a very dignified image for an 18-year old. However, the truth was he felt much more at ease speaking in the nude than he felt speaking wearing a suit. Given that he was not speaking to an audience of fellow nudists, and that he was standing before the harsh judgment of people his own age, he realized that the St. Louis presentation would be by far the most difficult one he had given so far. Jason's presentation was restricted in other ways. He knew many of the jokes that drew laughter from fellow nudists would fall flat to an audience not familiar with the quirks and inside humor of the movement. In the end Jason realized that he had better set aside any attempt at humor and give a straightforward appeal to the idea of accepting nudism as a lifestyle. To prepare his speech he decided to draw upon the experience of the one country where public nudity was a part of daily life, the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. He was able to cite the Danubian Church's view on the matter and the sect's hostility towards the fashion industry, incorporating much of the sermon given the previous week by that Danubian Priestess. He was able to draw upon the fact that swimsuits were actually illegal in the Duchy and that families spent their summers at public beaches in the nude and thought nothing of it. He decided to leave out the fact that criminals also were punished be being denied the right to wear any clothing during their sentences, because he wanted to play up the positive aspects of nudity in the Duchy, not the negative ones. However, he anticipated being questioned about that, and asked Cecilia to write Kimberly Lee and get her perspective on the Duchy's use of mandatory nudity to punish criminals. Kim wrote back that the reasoning behind forcing criminals to be naked throughout their sentences was two-fold. First of all, it made them easy to identify. It also was a useful means to reform petty thieves, because upon being sentenced they had no clothing in which they could conceal weapons or stolen items. Much of the temptation to continue stealing disappeared because it was so difficult for a naked person to take anything and not be noticed. The second reason behind the sentencing practice was the Danubian religious concept of humility. The Danubians believed that most criminals acted out of selfishness, which was the logical outcome of an over-developed sense of pride and entitlement. The criminal's sentence was designed to strip the criminal's soul by stripping his body, and in doing so force him to accept the fact he had no reason to be proud and was not entitled to anything. Jason gave his speech, dividing his time on stage between his personal experiences and the collective experience of the Danubian nation. At the end of his speech, sure enough, he was questioned about Danubian sentencing practices and was prepared with an answer. When his critic interjected his objections to Jason's comment about the Danubian justice system, he responded: "The Danubians have their way of looking at the world and doing things that has kept that nation going for 3000 years. They still have the lowest crime rate in the world, so obviously there's something they're doing right. What is it that makes your values superior to theirs? What is it that makes them wrong and you right?" Jason surprised himself with his response, which threw the hostile question right back into his critic's face and silenced him. Jason won that small confrontation and succeeded with his goal, to get his audience to re-examine their own values about clothing, fashion, and the human body. He left St. Louis with his reputation as an effective public speaker enhanced and his own self-confidence boosted even more. ---------- Since the beginning of the year, the Jason pondered what he should do about the CD of pornographic images taped to the back of the drawer of his desk. Although he had fantasized about presenting the CD to Cecilia and getting her to punish him over it, he realized that perhaps the time for doing that had passed. She had not given him a belt-whipping since the fall semester, and Jason sensed that she really had no further desire to do so. The relationship was changing and slowly Cecilia was becoming his equal. More and more she was letting down her guard and exposing her vulnerabilities to him, more and more she wanted to be held and re-assured. Jason realized the relationship was becoming much more "normal" than it had been when they were starting out. Finally he did take the CD off the back of his drawer and spent a long time sitting with it, fingering its blue surface. Then, suddenly, he held it over his trash can and bent it with both hands. It shattered with a loud crack, exploding into plastic shards that shot into the can. There...it was done. Jason's final secret from his girlfriend now was nothing more than a bunch of sharp pieces of plastic sitting in the trash. Even though the CD no longer existed, for some reason he felt the need to tell her about the incident. With the CD broken and the relationship changing, he doubted she would lose her temper, but still, he was curious to see what would happen. On the very first day of March he told her, and even though he had not known what to expect, was surprised by her response. "Jason, I don't have any right to be pissed at you over that, not if you don't have that CD any more." "No, I busted it in the trash, and I didn't make any other copies, and now I'm telling the truth." For a long time Cecilia sat looking at the floor, obviously struggling with something she was trying to decide whether or not she should tell him in response. Without looking up, she began speaking: "Well then, it's my turn to confess somethin' to you, which is why I don't have no right to be mad about a CD. Last fall, there was somethin' kinda important I hid from you..." Cecilia took a deep breath and continued. "Do you remember, them days after Halloween, I wouldn't let you see my ass? That I didn't want any massages and I blindfolded you when we had sex so you couldn't see me? Do you remember that? "Yes, I remember that. I thought you'd gotten bored with the massages or something." "No, that's not it. I...I didn't want you seeing me 'cause...my butt...it was all marked up. I did something...something just plain stupid...and I...I got in a lot of trouble with the department...I mean like...a lot of trouble...and Dr. Burnside had to go up in front of the ethics committee, and beg them to let me off, and she got me out of it, and she fucked herself doin' it. Afterwards she was really pissed, and I was all scared, but she got me out of trouble..." "But what was it? What'd you do?" Cecilia explained how she accessed the midterm on Burnside's computer and how the university's examination tracking system caught her. Then she continued: "Anyhow, after the ethics committee said they weren't gonna kick me out...what Dr. Burnside told me...was that she was gonna whip my ass, 'cause I got her in so much trouble. She wanted to punish me, but she didn't want it goin' in my record, so she found another way to do it." Cecilia then admitted that, right under Jason's nose, she had endured two physical punishments at the hands of her professor, including the severe switching she received on Halloween. She described it in detail along with the party that followed, and concluded with her efforts to keep him from finding out about it. "I feel bad about all this, 'cause that's when I was tryin' to make you think I was perfect. I wanted you to think I was fuckin' perfect, and here I was, nearly gettin' my ass kicked out of the university. I wanted to fool you...and I did fool you, and now I don't feel good about it." Jason paused for a long time, trying to think how he should respond. He was shocked by how quickly Cecilia's defenses were coming down, how quickly her vulnerabilities were being exposed to him. He knew that he was seeing the real Cecilia Sanchez, the very flawed, frightened young woman who was hiding behind the fearsome façade she had used to protect herself for the last five years. She had given him peek behind that façade, and in doing so had placed herself at his mercy. "So, I guess we're still even, then, aren't we?" He took her hand. She nodded, trying to force a smile while holding back some tears. "I guess so, Jason. I guess we're just even." The Freshman Ch. 27 Chapter 27 - Lisa's hard lesson Cecilia remembered that Mardi Gras was coming up, which was one out of three occasions throughout the year Burnside held one of her infamous BDSM costume parties. The other two times were Halloween and the 4th of July. Burnside deliberately picked holidays people normally dressed up in outfits or costumes. The 4th of July was pushing it a bit on the costumes, but it fell about half-way between the other two holidays and was a convenient time to have a summer party. Cecilia's nude servitude during the Halloween party in the fall was not at all unusual, because for each party Burnside needed at least two hosts or hostesses to help set up and serve drinks. If she could get four, that was ideal, but normally the number was two or three. As Cecilia learned the hard way, Burnside normally used students who were in academic trouble. That gave her the opportunity to punish the students beforehand, which was something she intensely enjoyed doing. Using punishment as a pretext for getting hosts also allowed her to assign the outfit she most enjoyed for her servants, spending the night completely naked except for a collar and bondage cuffs. Burnside herself could not have explained why she liked that arrangement so much, but for every party she always managed to have the students she needed for her hosting. The early midterm usually provided the recruits she needed. Invariably there was some idiot who tried cheating on the test or turning in a plagiarized term paper. Either offense was a serious violation of the University Student Code of Ethics and was viciously punished by the institution. Not only did the student face immediate expulsion from the university and receiving failing grades for all classes taken during the semester, but the university made sure that every other academic institution knew about the cheating. A student caught cheating essentially was blacklisted from all major universities nation-wide. Burnside offered her cheaters an alternative to having their lives ruined. They could work as a host for her party and submit to a physical punishment. As was true for Cecilia, they had to sign an agreement to submit to discipline. They faced a very unpleasant night, but once that night ended, they could return to class as though nothing had happened. During the spring semester the early midterms went unusually well. For some reason the students did somewhat better than normal, which prompted the professor to comment the test had been too easy and she would need to fix that for the next time. The relatively easy test left her with another problem. For the first time in her career she did not catch anyone cheating, and just a few days before her Mardi Gras party did not have anyone to host for her. Of course she could try to hire someone, but some of the flavor of her party would be lost if she could not get someone to host in the nude. When Cecilia was in the professor's office, she noticed Burnside calling several staffing agencies to see about getting help for the party. She didn't even bother to bring up the issue of what the host or hostess should be wearing, but even so, upon finding out the nature of the party, it seemed that the temp agencies were reluctant to send anyone. Burnside's problem gave Cecilia an idea. It would give her an opportunity to do a favor for her professor and perhaps try to get in the woman's good graces. If she were to do Burnside a personal favor, she knew that she could expect somewhat better treatment in the future. Anything to lighten her daily responsibilities was worth a try. The professor hung up with a frustrated expression and began thumbing through an underground newspaper to see if she could recruit help from one of the adult services that advertised in the back. She was getting desperate. That was when Cecilia decided to speak up. "Dr. Burnside, if you're havin' problems gettin' someone to host for you, I 'spose I could do it." Burnside looked up. "I mean, I really don't mind...you know...I'll even wear the cuffs and whatnot...I wouldn't mind helpin' you out...and I'll get my boyfriend to help too. I know he'd do it, 'cause if there's somethin' he can do without his clothes, he's there in a heartbeat." "Well, it would certainly solve my problem. If you could do that for me I'd really appreciate it." "Sure. Just tell me what time you want us there, and we'll be there to help out." Later that night Cecilia broke the news to Jason that she had volunteered both of them to host at Burnside's party. She had decided to go the full route, they both would host wearing nothing but collars and bondage cuffs. The only thing missing from their outfits would be welts on their bottoms, since obviously the professor had no reason to punish either of them. Jason was surprised, and Cecilia herself was surprised, that she no longer thought anything of running about completely naked in a house full of 200 people dressed up in fetish outfits. Of course she knew the experience would be something Jason would enjoy, which was why she had no hesitation volunteering him. However, only recently had she become comfortable enough with her own body to pose for Suzanne, let alone do something like be a naked host at a party full of people who would mostly dressed. Cecilia felt truly liberated as she openly told Jason about her experience at Burnside's house the previous fall, including the switching demonstration and what was expected from the servants. She discussed the whole atmosphere and the tension among the guests over how real the party was. Cecilia concluded that it was mostly a fantasy and costume party punctuated with real punishment. The commitment took an even stranger turn later that night, when Jason got together with Ken and Lisa for their nightly study session. When the couple asked him what plans he and Cecilia had to celebrate Mardi Gras, he told them the truth, that he and Cecilia would be working as hosts for Ruth Burnside's springtime BDSM party. They were very curious to know the details, which Jason shared. The only thing he left out was the fact that Cecilia had hosted in the fall, but he did explain Burnside's normal procedure for recruiting hosts and that this semester she failed to get anyone. Then he mentioned Burnside's Danubian police switch. Ken and Lisa looked at each other. It was Lisa who spoke up. "You mean she's got a Danubian police switch? The real thing?" "Yeah...Cecilia told me she used in on her TA in the fall. She gave him a full 50 strokes, right in front of a whole bunch of people. She said she had him crying like a baby and that he was totally humiliated." Jason noticed from Lisa's expression that she was deep in thought, as though trying to figure out how to say something. However, they did have a class to prepare for, so Jason told the other two to drop the subject and open their books. Later that night Lisa approached Cecilia about the party. "I was wondering if there was any way you could get Ken and me to come." "I don't know. Usually that party's just for graduate students and older people. I don't think Dr. Burnside wants a bunch of freshmen runnin' around her house." "I mean to host. We're willing to be hosts and help you guys out." "...you know what we're gonna be wearing?" "Yeah." "And you still wanna do it?" "Yeah." "OK. I 'spose she's not gonna turn down two more hosts, if that's what you guys wanna do." Lisa took a deep breath, and then continued with the second part of her strange request. "There's something else I want to ask. Jason told me that Dr. Burnside has a Danubian police switch. The real thing, from Upper Danubia." "That's true." "And that last fall, when she switched that guy with it...right in front of the whole group..." "Yeah..." "...I mean I...like...uh...I want to do that to Ken. I want to tie him down and give him a full 50 strokes, right in front of a bunch of other people." "Lisa, you're fuckin' crazy! You can't do that to Ken! There's no way Dr. Burnside's gonna let you do it, 'cause you wouldn't know what the fuck you're doin'! That thing's fuckin' dangerous! You can't just go hittin' people with it! It's somethin' you gotta learn how to do!" "I understand that. The point is that if me and Ken are willing to host for her, that's how she could repay me. Teach me how to use that switch and then let me have a go at Ken." Cecilia was dumbfounded. For one thing, it seemed to her that Lisa was being extremely arrogant. She was expecting Burnside just to do what she wanted. That was totally unrealistic, the idea that a freshman would set conditions to a tenured professor. She wanted to crash someone else's party, and then use it to pursue a personal fantasy with her boyfriend. For another thing, Cecilia knew that wielding a Danubian police switch took training. The goal of a stroke with the switch was to deliver as painful a blow as possible without breaking the victim's skin. It was a very delicate balance that Danubian police officers spent several weeks perfecting during their training at the National Police Academy. Cecilia suspected that neither Ken nor Lisa understood how extreme a full punishment with the switch would be. Lisa brazenly asked Cecilia to make an appointment with Ruth Burnside the following day so she could volunteer herself and Ken for hosting her party, and then bring up the issue of the switch. Cecilia felt bad about the imposition on the professor. The next morning Cecilia was in Burnside's office, nervously explaining the situation with Lisa and Ken, somewhat apologetic about Lisa's straightforward attitude. She fully expected that one of two things would happen. Either the professor would tell her to tell Lisa to get lost, or she would have Lisa come into her office and give her a nasty lecture about respect. However, Burnside did neither. Instead she commented: "That's fine, have her come in here at 12:30. I want to hear this directly from her. Now, a question: are you free tonight?" "I guess so, Dr. Burnside. I was gonna study and review with Jason..." "Well, I want you to forget about all that. Unless I give you a call with a change of plans, I want you to bring Lisa over to my house at 6:00, and I'll show her what she needs to know about using that switch." "But...I mean, just like that? Don't you think she's bein' a bit..." "Arrogant?" "Yes, that's the word, arrogant. I mean just demandin' that you..." "That's not a problem. I like young women with an attitude. Gives me a bit of a challenge. I'll teach her how to use that switch, all right. But I'll be doing it my way, and there's some other stuff she'll be learning as well." Cecilia left the office, wondering what Burnside had in store for Lisa that night. She knew the words "other stuff she'll be learning as well" were significant. She knew that Lisa's experience at Burnside's house would have some unpleasant surprises. Oh well, Lisa. You got yourself into this. ---------- Cecilia escorted Lisa into Burnside's neighborhood that evening. It was bitterly cold, but fortunately there was still some light outside, an indication that the dark, cold days of winter would be coming to an end shortly as the spring equinox approached. Lisa had a light-hearted "I told you so" attitude about the impending get-together with Ruth Burnside. Cecilia was quiet on the matter, suspecting that by the time they left Burnside's house Lisa would be wishing that she had worn a looser pair of jeans. Burnside opened the door dressed in a sweatsuit. Standing next to her was an old friendly-looking mixed-breed dog she called "Maynard". Cecilia was struck by the contrast between the harsh professor and her quiet dog. When she bent down to pet the animal the professor explained that Maynard had been with her since she was starting her Master's degree, which would make him about 15 years old. Cecilia thought about the changes that must have taken place in Burnside's life during that time. She wondered what things would have been like when Maynard was a puppy and Burnside was only a couple of years older than Cecilia was now. She reflected: 15 years...what will I be like in 15 years? Burnside offered her two guests some tea. The women sat down in a surreal prelude to what was going to happen in a few minutes. Burnside questioned Lisa about her discipline sessions with Ken, asking her what she used, how hard she struck him, and how they had begun their sadomasochistic relationship. Lisa chatted confidently, still blissfully unaware that anything was going to happen other than the professor would do her bidding and teach her how to use the Danubian switch. Cecilia knew better. Ruth Burnside does not take orders from a freshman... When they finished their tea, Burnside asked Cecilia to take Lisa into the spare bedroom and carry out her infamous punishment bench or "horse", as she sometimes called it. While the two young women struggled with the heavy piece of furniture, Burnside collected the other items needed for the lesson. These included the switch and the police instruction manual, a set of leg and ankle cuffs attached to short chains, and a sturdy pillow that would be strapped to the punishment horse that Lisa would use for target practice. Cecilia glanced at the cuffs. They confirmed her suspicion that something else besides that pillow was destined to feel the switch that night. For the next half-hour Burnside gave Lisa a straight-forward explanation about using the switch. She showed the student how to stand, how to hold the implement, and how to swing with the goal of maintaining control before, during, and after the stroke made contact with her victim. Cecilia flinched as Burnside savagely struck the pillow with an ominous...whoop! Burnside casually explained: "Now, after each stroke the Danubian cop usually waits for a minute or so, to allow the criminal to feel the full impact. There's also the visual effect of watching the welt rise and turn dark, and it makes it tough for the criminal to not scream. I've been told that usually the criminals break between 20 and 30 strokes. That's normal. The really tough ones can hold out to maybe 40 or so." Burnside sat down with Lisa and pointed out various details in the police manual. The manual was full of line drawings and also contained some black and white photos of naked men and women lying across the switching table, their bottoms marked up to varying degrees from painful strokes. "So these people are Danubian criminals?" "No. They're police cadets. That's part of their training. The Danubian National Police makes all cadets take a couple of switchings themselves before they're certified, because they want their police officers to know what a switching feels like. It's also an issue of avoiding hypocrisy. The Danubians are real big on avoiding hypocrisy. Every criminal who's facing the switching table is aware that the cop who's beating him knows what it feels like from first hand experience. That's only fair, don't you think?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I suppose that's true." "OK, good, now let's see you try it out. Imagine that's Ken's butt over there on that horse. Let's see how you do." Lisa struck hard and struck well. She laid a series of parallel lines across the pillow, slowly working her way up from the bottom to the top. After about 20 strokes Burnside stopped her. "Good. It looks like you got the hang of it. Let me have the switch please." Lisa handed her the switch. "Now get your clothes off. Cecilia, please hand me those cuffs." Lisa was not sure she had heard the professor's last statement correctly. She gazed dumbly at the older woman as Cecilia bent down to pick up the cuffs. "What did you say, Dr. Burnside?" "I told you to take off your clothes. Just fold your stuff up and put it on the coffee table." "But...but...why do I gotta take off my clothes?" "Because I'm going to switch you." Lisa went pale and her face froze with a strange expression, more bewilderment than fear. "But...I...it's Ken who's getting it...not me..." Burnside gave Lisa a very cold look. "Lisa, what we're dealing with here is a very severe experience. Something that is very painful, and very traumatic. I have no problem with you punishing Ken at the party. However, I'm not letting you do it unless you clearly understand what you're planning to put him through. I don't believe you can understand that, unless you experience the same thing yourself. So, that's what we're going to be doing right now." "But...that's not..." "I understand that wasn't what you expected. You came over to my house expecting me to give up my evening, teach you how to how to use my switch, and then give up time at my party so you can pursue the fantasy you got with your boyfriend. You expected to have everything your own way and to not have to submit to anything yourself. It's not going to work like that, Lisa. You need to know what this switch feels like on your own body, before you use it on someone else. The Danubian National Police is very adamant about that, and so am I." Lisa was immobilized. Burnside walked up to her and coldly stared into her eyes. "You will either get your clothes off and let Cecilia cuff you, or you will get out of my house. I do not appreciate this hypocritical attitude of yours, and I don't think it's becoming of a woman with your intelligence." "I...I..." Lisa glanced over at Cecilia, silently pleading for help. The Dominican gestured back by shrugging her shoulders. Hey, it's your choice, Lisa. Cecilia was amazed by how quickly the mood in the room had changed. In less than a minute Lisa went from seeing herself as an equal exchanging favors with her professor to a very inferior young person about to be punished by an older authority figure. For the first time that Cecilia knew her, Lisa was very frightened. She was shaking slightly and struggling to breathe. Something inside of her, that seemed to rise up from within and take control, prevented Lisa from fleeing to the door. Was it extreme curiosity? Was it her desperation to really use that switch on Ken? Was it her pride, not wanting to look like a coward in front of the other two women? Was it a secret desire to be punished? Whatever it was, Lisa did not leave. Instead she gave Burnside a frightened look, and, after a very long pause, slowly began taking off her clothes. As instructed, she folded everything and placed it on the coffee table, except for her shoes, which went underneath. Once she was finished, she stood quietly, her arms at her sides, with her attractive tanned body on display to her professor and her RA. She knew better than to try to cover herself. Anyhow, she remembered that Burnside had seen her during the Tri-Alpha run, so there was no point in being modest. The professor motioned Cecilia to put the cuffs on Lisa. She began with her friend's wrists, encircling her arms with the leather and buckling the restraints into place. The short chains hung loosely, but Burnside planned to hook them to the legs of the punishment horse momentarily. Cecilia bent down to repeat the process for Lisa's ankles, encircling her legs with the leather straps and buckling them into place. Burnside sharply tapped the punishment horse with the switch. Lisa directed another frightened glance towards Cecilia and reluctantly approached the bench. Burnside placed her hand in the middle of Lisa's back and pressed her forward. As she draped herself over the punishment bench, letting her arms and legs hang freely, Lisa was dumbfounded by what was happening. Why...why was she letting the professor do this to her? Cecilia began to feel a familiar warm burning and wetness between her legs as she watched the overly confident Californian gracefully draped over the punishment bench. She had long, beautiful legs and a truly lovely bottom. Her shapely bottom-cheeks were quivering slightly, making them all that much more sexy. The Freshman Ch. 27 Burnside badly wanted to rub Lisa's bottom and tease her between her legs, but figured that she was pushing the girl hard enough as it was. She quickly clipped Lisa's cuffs to metal rings welded to the legs of the punishment bench, and thus immobilized her. Burnside moved in front of Lisa, cruelly slashing the air with the switch. "Lisa, my understanding is that you wanted to give Ken a full criminal's punishment of 50 strokes. Is that true?" Lisa shook with fear. Yes, that was indeed what she was planning to do. She struggled to catch her breath as she nodded. "Please answer me properly. I don't accept you moving your head around as an adequate response." "Y...yes ma'am. I...I was gonna...h...hit him 50 times." Interesting, thought Cecilia. She's never called anyone ma'am before. Burnside slashed the switch through the air as she continued: "My...my...my... Fifty times. A bit extreme, don't you think? Maybe, now that you face 50 strokes instead of him, perhaps that might be a bit severe?" "I...I...'spose so, ma'am." "Well, the deal is, whatever I'm giving you is what I'll allow you to give him. You're not doing anything to him that you haven't experienced first. Do you understand me?" "Yes...M...ma'am." "You're calling me 'ma'am' now, aren't you? How fascinating. You weren't calling me that a few minutes ago. I suppose our changed circumstances has made you re-assess how you should address me?" "Y...yes...M...ma'am." "Very well. Here's a few more facts about punishment in Upper Danubia. Criminals get 50 strokes when they're over 18. Minors, people under 18, also can get the switch, but the maximum punishment for a minor is just 25 strokes. I think that's what we'll do. We'll start you out as a minor and I'll stop at 25 strokes. Then I'll give you the choice of whether or not we shall continue." Burnside stepped off to one side and measured her distance. Then she calmly and expertly drew back and laid a fearsome blow across the base of Lisa's bottom, marking both sides with a straight, even line that quickly darkened. "Uh...uh...oh...my God..." "Kinda hurts, doesn't it? Now I don't want you making a bunch of noise. If you want to play the Danubian criminal, you will make it a point of honor to stay quiet. We got 24 to go...or 49, if you so desire." Even after just one stroke, it was obvious from the expression in Lisa's face that she'd be damn lucky to make it to 25 strokes. 50 strokes was out of the question. Burnside twisted back and laid a second harsh blow, very close to the first stroke. Lisa gasped and grunted. Already she was clenching her teeth and tears were flowing down her cheeks. The professor paused, waited for the line to darken, and struck again. She leisurely struck Lisa a fourth and fifth time, each stroke laid perfectly parallel to its predecessor and almost, but not quite touching it. By the end of the fifth stroke, Lisa had a solid band of pain, about two inches wide, crossing the lower part of her unprotected bottom. Her legs were shaking and her buttocks were quivering. Burnside stopped to take up position in front of her. "What you will notice is that I'm laying the strokes perfectly parallel and not crossing them. When you use the switch, you have to be very careful to minimize crossing the strokes so you don't make your victim bleed. You have a lovely bottom, and I wouldn't want to do anything that would permanently mark it, right?" "Uh...Ahh...Uh...Yes ma'am." "Very well. We're pausing a bit to let what we've done so far sink in. I want you to feel the punishment, so I can break you with fewer strokes. I think that's a misconception about a severe punishment like this. I plan to break you, but I want to do it with as little injury to your body as I can. That's why I need to spread out the strokes, to make each one count and let the passing of time, not additional blows, wear down your resistance. I'm under the impression you didn't understand that when you were planning to switch your boyfriend. Now, I'm going to continue. You've got a nice red strip across your bottom. I'm going to be adding strokes above in the same pattern: parallel, very close together, but not touching each other." Burnside slowly worked her way up Lisa's bottom to the top of her crack. She took nearly 10 minutes methodically laying 10 strokes to cover all of Lisa's backside with cruel reddish lines. Sweat trickled down Lisa's body and her voice was breaking as she desperately tried to breathe without screaming. Burnside stopped for a minute to admire her work. Then, tapping the switch in her hand she addressed Lisa again. "OK. That's the first part of the punishment, covering your entire butt with one layer of welts. Now comes the fun part, the strokes that'll break you. The way I'll be doing that is going to be to start with a nice severe stroke at the very upper part of each thigh. The next stroke will be in that tender spot where your thigh ends and your bottom-cheek begins. From my experience, that's the one that usually gets a girl screaming, because there's a lot of nerve endings there. It's a sensitive area. Then I'll have six more strokes to distribute around your sore bottom." Burnside had read Lisa perfectly. She struck hard at the tender skin that joined the girl's left thigh with her bottom, setting off a high-pitched scream. The scream died down to desperate sobbing. There was another scream when Burnside struck the other side in the same spot. There were only six strokes to go, but Lisa now was broken. She screamed each time the switch landed and sobbed loudly in between. Cecilia's feelings about the entire affair were complex. On the one hand her heart went out to Lisa, who was suffering horribly and undergoing a very traumatic experience. Her self-assuredness was gone, along with the over-confidence that landed her into her situation in the first place. She had learned the hard way that no, just because the professor was a fellow dominatrix did not mean Lisa could treat her as an equal. At another level Cecilia was glad to see Lisa being so humbled. The Californian's arrogant attitude had irritated her, and it would be nice to see it go away for a while. Also, Burnside had saved Ken from Lisa's unreasonable expectation that he could tolerate 50 strokes. There was no way Lisa could withstand anything more than 25 welts, so that would be the maximum that Ken would have to endure. Burnside laid the final six welts across the middle of Lisa's already marked bottom. The new welts, laid on top of old ones, quickly turned dark and looked very painful. Lisa was sobbing uncontrollably, but Burnside showed no sign of being ready to release her. Instead she walked around the punishment bench in circles, slashing the switch through the air. "OK. That's the punishment a minor gets in Upper Danubia. Is that going to be good enough for you, or would you like to continue with a full adult's punishment?" "Ahh...Uh...Please...ma'am...I...I'll stop...please...enough...it hurts so bad...Ah..." "Then you understand that'll be the cut-off when you punish your boyfriend. 25 strokes. That's it. You understand that, right?" "Yes...ma'am...I understand." "OK, Cecilia. You take it from here. Go ahead and release her. She'll need you to comfort her, so please hold her and be patient." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." Cecilia unclipped the hooks that attached Lisa's cuffs to the punishment horse, and then grabbed her arm and helped her stand up. Lisa truly was broken, her face distorted with misery and pain. That switching was more painful than anything she could have imagined and left her completely traumatized. The Californian fell into Cecilia's arms, still sobbing uncontrollably. Burnside went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, which she brought out and set on a buffet in Cecilia's sight. As soon as Lisa stopped crying Cecilia would try to get her to drink, which would help calm her nerves. Cecilia thought that Lisa's sobbing would go on forever, as she struggled to support the weight of the taller woman leaning against her. Finally she managed to calm down. The glass of water calmed her down even more. Burnside directed Cecilia to take Lisa to the guest bedroom and let her lie down for a few minutes to recover. Once Lisa was safely deposited on the bed, lying face down, Cecilia took a better look at her badly marked bottom. The final strokes, crossing the earlier ones, had left brutal-looking dark red lines across the middle of her backside. Cecilia flinched at the sight of the cruel marks and decided to offer Lisa the opportunity to exchange her skirt for freshman's tight jeans to ease the pressure on her welts when they left Burnside's house. Cecilia returned to the living room. Burnside offered her another cup of tea, which she nervously accepted. She was not sure what to say to her professor. There was nothing about what had happened to Lisa that particularly surprised her, but still, it was very unnerving to actually witness it. Burnside's mood had shifted. She calmly talked about the upcoming party, signaling her gratitude that Cecilia and Jason had offered to help out. Of course Lisa and Ken were still welcome to help as well. Burnside promised that she would give Lisa a half hour to punish Ken, starting at about 1:30. "She's earned it, and I'm not one to go back on my word. If she shows up, I'll set aside the time for her." A few minutes later, Cecilia returned to the guest bedroom to wake up Lisa and get ready to go back to Huntington Hall. At first Lisa sullenly refused Cecilia's offer to lend her the skirt she was wearing, but the moment she felt her tight jeans pressing on her welts, she changed her mind. Cecilia took off her skirt and passed it to Lisa, and then put on the jeans. She had to roll up the legs to accommodate the long pants on her own short legs. Fortunately Lisa's waist was only slightly bigger than her own, so the pants did not look too bad on her. The two women left Burnside's house and made their way back to the university. Cecilia had a comment: "You understand that Dr. Burnside had to do that to you. You didn't give her any choice, 'cause she's not takin' attitude from a freshman. You understand that, don't you?" Lisa gave Cecilia a hostile look, but didn't say anything. Cecilia continued. "So, anyhow...you still bringin' Ken to the party and whippin' his ass?" "Oh yeah, I'm bringing him. I didn't go through all that for nothing." ---------- Two days later the students prepared to return to Burnside's house. Cecilia took control of the expedition, sharply explaining what was going to happen and how, since there were four of them, they would divide the work. The guys would take care of anything having to do with moving heavy items at the beginning and the end. Lisa and Ken would serve drinks to the crowd, while Cecilia and Jason would concentrate their efforts in the kitchen. There was another detail that Cecilia decided to take care of before they left Huntington Hall; the shaving of their pubic hair. She told the men to go to the bathrooms and shave, while she snapped her fingers at Lisa and ordered her into the women's shower for the same thing. The two women stood next to each other in the shower as they shaved off their hair. They inspected each other to make sure neither missed any spots. Of course Lisa's backside still was badly marked from the welts she had received two days before, but to Cecilia the marks complemented her friend's attractive body. Lisa was very sexy, especially with the added detail of the purplish lines crossing her shapely bottom. Lisa, on the other hand, was not at all thrilled about the pending public display of the markings. She didn't know what to make of the RA's comment: "those markings look good on you." Cecilia called all three freshmen into her room. Then she ordered them to stand straight and listen up. "OK, tonight's gonna be a bit weird, but I think we can have some fun with it. But there's somethin' I want you three to understand. As far as you're concerned, I'm the one who's runnin' the show. I'm takin' orders from Dr. Burnside and then passin' them along to you. You got any problems, you're tellin' me, not her. And if any of you don't do what I tell you, I'm gonna fuck up your night, and I guarantee that. You three get it?" Jason and Ken immediately responded "Yes, Cecilia." Cecilia gave Lisa a cold look. "Lisa?" "Yes, Cecilia, I get it." A few minutes later the four students were on their way to Burnside's house in Ken's car. As soon as the students entered, Cecilia took charge. She asked Burnside for paper bags to put their clothing into, and then casually undressed along with the others. The Dominican then ordered Lisa and Ken to carry the bags to the back bedroom, while she picked up the bondage cuffs from a coffee table they were laid out on. Burnside watched saying nothing. Instead she quietly enjoyed Cecilia's display of confidence and dominance. The scholarship student directed Jason to put the cuffs on Lisa and Ken, and finally on herself. Then she put the final set of cuffs on Jason. She then asked Burnside what items she wanted to remain in the living room and which ones needed to be taken to the back bedrooms. Upon getting the professor's response, the two guys began moving the furniture. The three women stood watching them for a few minutes, enjoying the sight of the muscles in their bare bodies straining and their penises jiggling as they moved one heavy piece after another out of the living room. Cecilia and Lisa set up in the kitchen, but ultimately Cecilia wanted Lisa to serve the guests so that everyone could see her punished backside. She would keep Jason in the kitchen with her to assist in preparing drinks and organizing serving trays. She also would have him wash dirty dishes as they came back in, in order to cut down on that task once the party ended. The four freshmen hung up Mardi Gras streamers and various glittery decorations while Burnside changed into her favorite fetish outfit, the one that looked like a leather two-piece swimsuit from the front, but left her almost completely exposed from the back. Dr. Halsey showed up in an outfit that looked like a leather police uniform. He handed the hostess a gift, gave her a very sharp slap on the bottom, and asked how his naughty birthday girl was doing. Cecilia thought to herself, hmm...naughty birthday girl. I wonder if that's gonna mean anything later on... As the guests started coming in, Cecilia directed the three freshmen to gather up coats to take to the back rooms. The students made a very strange sight, three freshmen, all of them wearing absolutely nothing but metal collars and bondage cuffs, being directed by an equally naked sophomore. Another detail that made the sight so strange was the fact that Cecilia was by far the smallest in stature of the four students, but clearly the one in charge. Once the guests were safely accommodated in the house, Cecilia and Jason went to the kitchen, leaving Lisa and Ken to shuttle trays of drinks and empty glasses to and from the living room. With ruthless efficiency Cecilia took charge of mixing the drinks by jumping from blender to blender, quickly distributing the contents into waiting glasses, and reloading ingredients for the next batch. Meanwhile she kept Jason very busy loading trays and cleaning dirty glasses. Burnside later would comment that Cecilia ran the most efficient operation in the kitchen she had ever seen at one of her parties. ---------- Burnside and her lover Jim Halsey commanded the evening, obviously enjoying themselves in their roles of mistress and master of the strange group of fetish enthusiasts gathered in the house. They always provided some form of pain-related entertainment, as well as directed guests experimenting with Burnside's large collection of discipline implements. Cecilia did not have the chance to see Burnside in action that night, because she had chosen kitchen duty for herself and her boyfriend. However, Lisa got a chance to see Burnside close-up. She was impressed by the older woman's charisma, but even more impressed by her ability to balance play-acting with maintaining tight control over 200 adults. Burnside set the mood in the over-sized living room and somehow, just through her presence, made the party what it was. She knew how to distinguish between wanted and unwanted sexual degradation and kept a close eye to make sure no play-acting crossed the line. Above all, she was concerned about safety and quickly intervened in any situation she thought might risk injury to a guest. That was to be expected, but the way she did it, using the subtle force of her personality to avoid offending anyone truly impressed her student. At about 11:00 p.m. Dr. Halsey took his lover's hand, led her to a raised platform, and called out to the group. "Attention! Attention!...As most of you know, Ruth's birthday is coming up. She'll be 38 years young next week." There was a loud cheer from the room. "So, ladies and gentlemen, what do you propose we should do about it?" "Birthday spanking!" shouted several people in the room. Suddenly the entire room began shouting: "SPANK!... SPANK!... SPANK!... SPANK!... SPANK!..." Halsey placed his hands on his lover's shoulders and gently turned her around, placing her uncovered backside on display. "Yes, indeed. I would say the owner of this lovely bottom has been quite naughty over the past year. I don't know. 38 swats...doesn't seem like too much for this lovely bottom. Perhaps...perhaps we should make it a double-dose...38 nice sharp spanks on each side instead?" The room started chanting "DOUBLE DOSE!... DOUBLE DOSE!... DOUBLE DOSE!..." Cecilia and Jason, upon hearing the chanting of "SPANK!... SPANK!... SPANK!..." left the kitchen to see what was going on. They pushed their way through the crowd, who stepped aside to let the student hosts slip by. Then they saw their professor, her attractive bottom on full display and the crowd chanting its approval of the upcoming discipline session. From the reaction of Burnside and the interaction with the crowd, Cecilia could tell that the birthday spanking was an annual event. Ever since they started their relationship, the two professors publicly spanked each other close to their birthdays. Burnside got her spanking in March, while Halsey got his in July. In both cases they were relatively mild over-the-lap hand spankings, although this year Halsey had decided to give his lover a double-dose to put some color in her bottom. Of course paybacks are hell, and there was no question he would face a double dose in July. The older man sat down in a wooden chair and drew the middle-aged woman across his lap. The room fell completely silent. Burnside closed her eyes, but from the expression on her face Cecilia could tell that she was enjoying the experience. Halsey began a spanking Burnside with a double-slap, one swat on each side, which counted for one year of Burnside's life. SLAP!...SLAP!... The crowd began counting: "ONE!" SLAP!...SLAP!... "TWO!" SLAP!...SLAP!... "THREE!..." Cecilia watched the entire affair with absolute fascination. She never could have imagined her fearsome professor meekly going over anyone's lap, much less enjoying it. She also had not really noticed how attractive Burnside's body was. For a woman who was 38, the professor had done a fantastic job keeping herself in shape. Cecilia felt the wetness and burning building between her legs. Her heart pounded and she began to sweat as she realized that she was intensely aroused by the scene that she was witnessing. Somehow, the sight of her professor submissively lying across her lover's lap, her red bottom on display to a room full of cheering spectators, drove her sexual instincts wild erotic desire. She badly wanted to be on that platform, but couldn't figure out whether she wanted exchange places with Burnside, or exchange places with Halsey, with Burnside's body draped over her lap and the woman's firm red bottom bouncing under the vicious slaps of her hand. The Freshman Ch. 27 Cecilia desperately resisted the urge to slip her fingers between her legs. That would only make things worse, and, even though the room was dark, certain to be noticed. Instead she grabbed Jason, noticing that he seemed aroused by Burnside's spanking as well. SLAP!...SLAP! "THIRTY EIGHT!" Finally the spanking ended, with Burnside's bottom deep red from having endured 76 full-force slaps. She stood up, turned her back to her cheering spectators, and bent over. Dang, thought Cecilia to herself. That woman sure isn't shy. She's as bad as Jason... The hot burning between Cecilia's legs only intensified. She wasn't going to be able to go back to the kitchen, not in that condition. There was only one solution, however risky it might be. She grabbed Jason's hand and led him to the spare bedroom. The bed was piled high with coats, which she dislodged with a huge push that sent them tumbling to the floor. She ripped back the cover and jumped on. Without saying a word, she reached up and grabbed Jason's hair, forcing his face between her legs. Jason knew better than to second-guess his duty to her. When she was this uncontrollable, there was only one thing he could do. He had to make her climax so she could calm down. He dutifully began cleaning the wet juices of her arousal from around her vulva. He then inserted his tongue into her vagina, massaging and cleaning her, before finally moving on to her clitoris. She gasped with delight, but grabbed his hair and pulled on it as he continued licking her juices and striving to satisfy her. Jason pulled his head up to catch his breath, and noticed a box of condoms sitting on the dresser. He spoke to Cecilia with a voice of authority that slightly unsettled her. "Cecilia, I want you on your elbows and knees, properly presented to me. I want your bottom up and completely spread. Now it's my turn." Seeing Burnside spanked and then tasting Cecilia's arousal in his mouth made Jason totally hard. He had a condom on within seconds, and then paused to enjoy the sight of the Dominican's exquisite bottom before entering her. He ran his hand over her lovely brown skin for a few moments, but then grabbed her thighs and pushed in. He thrust and thrust, as she squealed with delight and their sweat dripped onto the sheets. Finally they calmed down and separated. Cecilia suddenly remembered their abandoned service in the kitchen. "Shit! We gotta get the drinks going!" Reeking of sex, the two naked students pushed through the crowd to get back to the kitchen, where Lisa and Ken were waiting for them. "Where the fuck have you..." Suddenly everyone's eyes went to Jason's crotch. He still was wearing his condom. Definitely it was not one of his most dignified moments... ---------- About an hour after midnight came the final public event of the Mardi Gras party. Burnside, still dressed in her revealing outfit, took the stage to announce Lisa's punishment of Ken. It was a bizarre turn of events for the guests, because never had any student hosts ever actively participated in the fetish demonstrations. Also of interest were the remnants of Lisa's two-day old welts, which contrasted with Ken's unmarked body. Ken and Jason moved the punishment bench into place on the platform, while Burnside and Lisa stood in front. Burnside introduced Lisa and announced that she would be giving a demonstration with the Danubian police switch. The professor briefly described the Danubian justice system for the benefit of the guests who had not seen her demonstration back in October, and added the detail that minors were only punished with 25 strokes instead of 50. She then ordered Lisa to turn around and present her bottom for the guests to view. She explained that the welts on Lisa's backside were administered two days before but still were visible. The moment came for the introduction of Ken. He seemed reluctant to present himself to the view of the crowd. His posture indicated what was wrong: he was hunched over, trying to hide an erection. It was obvious that he was horribly embarrassed. It was equally obvious that Ruth Burnside had no patience for people who, through their own actions, had landed themselves in humiliating circumstances. This idiot is going to face the music, she thought sourly. She stepped back, grabbed his arm, and shook him to force his hands away from his penis. "You got yourself into this, and we don't have time to deal with your bullshit," she snarled into his ear. "Now you are going to stand up straight and show yourself to the guests. I think everyone here has seen a boner before, and now they'll get to see yours." Ken stood before the cheering audience with his face beet-red, and his penis sticking straight out to the amusement of everyone present. Burnside added to his misery by calmly explaining to the room that for some masochistic men, fear is an aphrodisiac. Ken's misfortune worsened as his intense humiliation made him even harder. When Lisa slashed the switch in front of his face, his penis began bobbing up and down, to the delight of the spectators. There was a final indignity awaiting him when Burnside forced him to turn sideways, to allow the crowd to admire his erection from the side. In spite of her own situation, Lisa's internal desires and the pending fulfillment of a longtime fantasy began to release the inner animal in her soul. She grabbed Ken's collar and jerked him over to the punishment horse. He had a hard time positioning himself because of his intense erection, but finally he managed to push it to the side enough to be able to scoot forward and turn his bottom up. Lisa hooked his cuffs to the legs of the bench, immobilizing him and forcing him to spread his legs. She gently massaged his bottom, enjoying the feel of his sweaty, trembling skin. You're gonna get it, Ken, she thought to herself. Lisa stepped aside and cleared her mind as she tapped the switch against the base of Ken's bottom. She planned to use the same technique on Ken that Burnside had used on her. She would start with fifteen even parallel strokes going from the base of Ken's bottom to the top, then lay the four strokes across the extreme upper part of his thighs to break him, and distribute the final six strokes across in the center to drive home the lesson. She laid on the first stroke, striking hard and leaving an even reddish line across the base of both bottom cheeks. The room was absolutely silent as she struck again and again, slowly widening the red band of solid pain marking her victim's backside. About 10 minutes and fifteen strokes later, Lisa paused to study the rising welts on her boyfriend. She had struck as hard as Burnside would have struck, but so far Ken had managed to stay quiet. We'll see about that, you little bastard, thought Lisa to herself. She still had 10 stroke to go, and those were the ones that would cross the strokes she already had given him. The pain Ken felt was far more intense than anything he had previously experienced. He was enjoying the experience however. The pain was so absolute that he felt like his soul was being cleansed, and felt that he could clear his mind of everything except the intense physical sensations of the moment. He also was faced with the challenge of not screaming, which was something he had set as a personal goal. No matter how hard Lisa hit, he was determined not to scream. It would be a victory over both her and his own weaknesses if he could take such a savage beating and not make any noise. In the end, it was Ken who got what he wanted out of the beating, not Lisa. His bottom was in bad shape, crisscrossed with ugly purplish lines and blood blisters, but throughout the ordeal he managed to stay quiet. Lisa landed the 25th stroke and felt despair at the fact that her opportunity to break him had come and gone. He was not broken, and when she released him and they bowed to the crowd, it was him, not her, who they were cheering. There was an intense sexual rush he was feeling at the moment that he desperately needed to satisfy. As soon as the cheering died down and they left the platform, Ken grabbed Lisa's hand and led her to the spare bedroom. The searing heat in his backside aroused him tremendously. He just had to take her. His senses out of control, he desperately kissed her. She quickly responded: her own instincts blocking out the recent humiliation of not having managed to force him to cry. She passionately pressed into him and ran her hands over his welt-covered bottom cheeks. As soon as she squeezed that sensitive area, his erection hardened. He pushed her on the mattress and enjoyed one of the best orgasms of his life as the searing heat from the switching pushed him to continue pumping semen into her. Burnside knew what Lisa and Ken were doing, but was willing to excuse them for a while. She knew what it was to be caught up in a passionate high from the mixture of pleasure and pain. The sexual desire could be all-consuming and blocked out everything else in life. She knew that reality from her own experiences, so she actually was pleased to see how something as simple as a punishment could bring such intense erotic excitement into the lives of the two freshmen. Let them have their break and their fulfillment as a couple. Anyhow, it was time to wind down the party, so the professor informed Cecilia that she was not to mix any more alcoholic drinks. Jason took the place of Lisa and Ken, moving about the living room with non-alcoholic beverages and collecting used glasses. Shortly thereafter Lisa and Ken re-appeared, just in time to help pass out coats to guests as they departed. With four people to do the job, the cleanup went relatively quickly. Cecilia's efficiency continued to serve the group as she organized the others into an assembly-line to clear out the living room and then attend to the dishes. She stayed behind in the kitchen to finish cleaning it while the three freshmen moved the furniture back to its proper place. They were dressed and out the door by 3:30, the earliest that any group of student hosts had managed to make it out of Burnside's house after one of her parties. ---------- Cecilia noticed, over the following week, that her efforts to help her professor at her Mardi Gras party had paid off. The change in Burnside's attitude her was subtle, but it was real. Cecilia was relieved. Anything to make her life easier... The Freshman Ch. 28 Chapter 28 - A playbook for the opposing team The following several weeks passed uneventfully for the residents of Huntington Hall. Cecilia continued telling Jason to push Ken and Lisa in their studies, and made herself available to various residents who were having problems with their midterms. Of course, there were the inevitable crises over panicked freshmen and failed tests, but the RA's tight grip over her residents ensured that the 2nd floor had the fewest academic problems of the entire dorm. Lisa and Ken were forced to take a break from their sexual adventures for a week while they waited for their welts to heal. However, the party changed both their characters and how they treated each other. As a couple they had endured a very strange, but very powerful experience that drew them much closer together and intensified both their personalities. Lisa now understood why Ruth Burnside had wanted her to undergo a switching herself before inflicting a punishment on Ken. The pain they both had endured became a shared experience that made them much more serious about their relationship and about life in general. It greatly strengthened their feelings toward each other and brought about a psychological commitment that neither felt prior to the beginning of March. The change was especially noticeable in Lisa, who was forced to respect Ken after he made it through a 25-stroke switching without any noise or crying. Cecilia and Jason noticed Ken and Lisa spending much more time together during the weeks following the Mardi Gras party. The most obvious change was their workout schedule, because Ken dropped working out with Jason and Lisa dropped working out with Cecilia. Instead, they went to the gym together. Both the RA and her boyfriend felt a bit put-off by being ditched, and the only solution was for Cecilia to start working out with Jason. The change in the workout routine led to another change in their relationship. Jason was determined to teach Cecilia how to swim. Now that he had her in the gym to himself, he told her that after working out, they would change into swimsuits and meet at the pool. When Cecilia hesitated Jason commented: "Look, this means enough to me that I'm willing to buy a swimsuit and actually wear that stupid thing in the pool. I need your cooperation on this, because I don't want to see you drowning. I think that's reasonable, to not want you to drown." Cecilia complied, reluctantly showing up at the university pool in a one-piece swimsuit. The first time she saw Jason in swimming trunks, she thought he looked a bit odd, given that she was so used to seeing him naked. However, she quickly set that thought aside as he handed her a swimming board and continued the lengthy process of teaching an adult how to swim. The swimming lessons became an important part of the over-all change in the relationship between Cecilia and her boyfriend. She had to struggle with a deep-seated fear of taking her feet off the bottom of the pool, and at the same time make herself completely dependent on another person to avoid any mishaps in the water. As long as she did exactly what he told her, she was fine. If she deviated from what Jason was telling her to do, invariably she found herself struggling in the water and her boyfriend immediately grabbing her and guiding her back to the edge of the pool to catch her breath and calm down. The water taught her a hard lesson; that she was not to disobey him while they were in the pool. Over time the helpless child-like feeling Cecilia suffered while in the water diminished, as she slowly learned how to stay afloat and not panic the moment her hands or feet weren't touching something solid. Then, right before Spring Break, Jason gave her a major test. She had to swim the entire width of the pool on the deep end, taking no breaks and not touching anything. He swam alongside her, but offered no assistance other than being there to help her if she panicked. She didn't panic. She made it all the way across and didn't panic! When they made it to the other side she hugged him, because she had just overcome one of her biggest fears. She still had a long way to go, but for the first time in her life, at age 20, Cecilia finally was swimming. ---------- Spring Break came just a few days after Cecilia's successful first swim. For most students Spring Break meant fun and a break from classes. However, for Jason and Cecilia, Spring Break meant nothing more than being separated for a full week. For him it meant a bleak sojourn at his parents' house in Wisconsin. For her it meant a long week trying to get caught up in her studies and night after night of lonely sessions masturbating in her room. When Jason got back to Wisconsin, the mood in his family's house was more sinister than ever. Cassie did not look good at all and was completely uncommunicative. Mrs. Schmidt didn't look good either, but Jason almost didn't see her at all during the entire week. She had quit overseeing the preparation of the family dinners and now spent all over her time at the country club, right up until it closed. No one in the house was speaking to anyone else...at all. The changes Jason noticed in his mother and sister were nothing in comparison with a subtle change Jason noticed in his father. The change was not something that was obvious on the surface; Mr. Schmidt was as overbearing and belligerent as always, but still, something was not right. There was something odd about his father's behavior, a weird vindictive look in his expression, as though he were concealing some evil secret. It almost seemed as though the secret was something Mr. Schmidt really wanted to brag about, but couldn't. It seemed as though...as though there was some crime or awful deed he was about to commit. Jason was intimidated by the cruel satisfaction radiating from his father every time he talked to him. He presumed that Mr. Schmidt was about to strike at some business associate, which certainly would not be the first time. Mr. Schmidt already had ruined several people's lives and always felt deep satisfaction whenever he managed to incapacitate a rival or, better yet, take down someone stupid enough to trust him. Jason knew something evil was coming. ---------- On a pleasant Saturday afternoon, the first full day of his Spring Break, Jason stepped outside to contemplate how thoroughly his family was contaminated. The lives of Cassie and his mother were ruined. Even his father's life was ruined. Whatever was good in Mr. Schmidt's soul had long since drained out, leaving behind nothing but greed, not just for money, but also for the ability to control as many people as possible and ruin their lives. Greed and meanness, that was all that was left in the soul of Jason's father. Mr. Schmidt had become a sociopath, a cruel caricature of the American Dream that had turned into the American Nightmare. Jason went back inside, his thoughts in turmoil over the psychological poisoning of his family. They had arrived all right, not to any state of happiness or security, but quite the opposite. He felt as though Hell had surfaced to engulf the oversized house and the four miserable people trapped inside. He yearned for a happier time, or at least for a time when he had the illusion of happiness, when the future seemed open to him and he could enjoy the other people in his life. Jason's thoughts drifted to his junior year in high school and that wonderful summer that followed, a time before the events that ruined his senior year began to unfold. He thought about his high school memorabilia, wondering what he might still possess that he could take a look at. He went into the basement and dug through a couple of boxes he remembered packing the previous year before going to college. He found some certificates from his time as a track team member and his high school annuals. He opened the annual from his junior year, and several photos and cards fell out. A pain shot through his heart as he opened up the picture from his junior year, a prom portrait of himself and Amanda Galloway. There were various holiday and birthday cards from her, and several small studio portraits. He thumbed to the page of his annual she had written into, forcing himself to read her message. The words from his old high school partner were the words of someone who thought the relationship would be permanent, written about four months before Jason began pursuing Heather Jones. Amanda...she was gone...completely gone from his life. There was no way he ever could face her again, nor any way he ever would want to. What a waste...but that was the reality he had created for himself. He had lost Amanda due to his own stupidity, and as a result had ended up with Cecilia. There was an irony in what had transpired over the past year. Amanda, as nice and affectionate as she had been, could not save Jason from his character flaws. Cecilia, not so nice, never tolerated the weaknesses that had destroyed his relationship with Amanda. Thus, it was Cecilia, not Amanda, who was destined to share her life with him. As Jason consolidated the items he wanted to keep into a single box, he heard his father's voice through the air duct. Hmm...that was interesting...so the air duct in the basement seemed to carry sound directly from his father's home office. He was vaguely curious to know what his father was doing; spending all that time on the phone behind the room's locked door. He moved closer to the duct and listened... "Look...I'm telling you we've got it covered here in DC. That shit-bag and his crew don't have any friends here at all, except for a couple of Liberals in Congress. Well...and the Foundation, but who cares about that fucking batch of welfare-state shitheads? We'll handle all the press releases and the news items...we'll just run it all through our friends and that's the story everyone will be hearing...Look, I'll send you the drafts and then you can see for yourself that we're ready to roll...No, I'm telling you we've got it taken care of...we're defending free markets, that'll be the party line. Who's going to argue with that, except for the Foundation's fag professors, and who gives a shit about them?" There was a long pause, then another call. "Alright Cutter, I think we're good to go on the press stuff. We've got our people ready on this end, once the shooting starts. Now, you're sure you know where their Prime Minister is going to be on the 23rd...you're totally sure? Damn...so you're taking out his kids as well? The kids, huh? Fuck...and I thought I was ruthless...OK, I'll write that in... What about Dukov...so he's still going to Athens? You're still good to go on the plane crash? OK...good. Good. Let me secure fax you what we have so far, and then you tell me if we're not ready....OK...OK...Great! The 23rd baby, the 23rd...I just wish I could be there pumpin' rounds myself. Yeah...we'll show them. By the way, how many people do you think you got storming their capitol? Sounds good...Danube City...OK...OK, Cutter, that's great!" Jason stood in the basement in a stupor. What the fuck...was there going to be some sort of attack on Upper Danubia? All his father's talk of "everything being ready" and "the plane crash" and "people storming the capitol" and "Danube City..." Jason's father picked up the phone again and began talking in German. Unfortunately Jason did not understand German, but the tone of his father's conversation was similar to the two English conversations. He thought he could make out several place names related to Upper Danubia or its southern neighbor. Yes, most definitely Mr. Schmidt was up to no good. Jason was faced with a dilemma. If his father's associates were planning something evil, wasn't it his duty to try to stop it? But then, wouldn't that entail betraying his father? Fortunately Jason did not pause long to ponder the moral dilemma he was facing. He could worry about that later. What he needed was to find out exactly what was going on. He sneaked upstairs and passed near his father's workroom, but couldn't hear anything through the door. He would have to return to the basement and put his ear near the air vent. Then, he had an idea. He didn't understand German, but his grandmother did. Would it be possible to get a tape recorder and record what his father said, then have his grandmother translate it? He had an old casette tape recorder in his room that was pretty sensitive, so perhaps the idea of recording his father's conversations would work. Jason grabbed the tape recorder, checked to make sure the batteries were still working, and carried the device back to the basement. He followed the air vent to find the spot where his father's voice was the loudest and keyed the machine to start recording. For the next half-hour Mr. Schmidt chatted confidently in German, blissfully assuming no one could hear him. Even if they did, no one in his family would understand what he was saying. He hung up and there was a very long silence. Then he picked up the phone yet again, and started talking in English about his work as a lobbyist and discussed several payments being made to various re-election campaigns for congressmen. There was another long pause, and some more talk about Upper Danubia. Then Jason heard the following: "You know, my idiot son's little crack-whore girlfriend actually likes that fucking commie bastard. You should've heard her last Thanksgiving...it was kind of funny to listen to her, when you think about it..." Imitating Cecilia's voice he continued: "'Isn't that up to the Danubians? It's their country. Don't they get to choose who's gonna lead 'em? Isn't that what democracy's supposed to be all about?' Well, at any rate, it's gonna be a hoot looking at that little cunt's expression when you guys have things wrapped up. I'm gonna have to get my moron son to bring her back just so I can see that little bitch's face." With that comment Mr. Schmidt resolved Jason's moral dilemma. He was sick of being referred to as an idiot and a moron, and he certainly did not appreciate his girlfriend being called a "crack-whore" and a "little cunt". He no longer owed any loyalty to his father. Whatever it was that his father's associates were planning, he would try to stop it. Jason went into his own room, put the tape recorder under his blanket, and turned it on. Sure enough, it had recorded his father's voice. The recording was barely audible, but if turned up to maximum volume it was possible to make out what he was saying. Jason wrote the date and time on the tape's label and put it in a tape box. He then made sure he had several more cassettes and extra batteries. Whenever his father was on the phone, he would be in the basement trying to record what he was saying. He would be patient, gather as much information as possible, share it with his grandmother, and then figure out what to do. Jason spent the next three days watching his father. Whenever he went into his office, Jason was at his post in the basement with the tape recorder. When his father was not at home, he spent time on the Internet and with an atlas trying to learn as much as he could about Upper Danubia and its neighbors. His father was mentioning a bunch of place names that seemed important. Very quickly Jason educated himself about the politics and geography of various countries, to be able to recognize names and places that came up in his father's phone conversations. By Tuesday morning Jason had six cassette tapes full of his father's ramblings in both English and German. During the entire time he was making the recordings he kept his eye on the office door, wondering if there was any way he could get in. The door was always locked, whether Mr. Schmidt was in the room or not. However, the very fact that it was locked hinted that items were in there that might solve the mystery of what exactly was going to happen in Eastern Europe on the 23rd. Jason absolutely had to get in and see if there were any papers to supplement what he had recorded. Then, he had an extraordinary piece of good luck. The house was totally empty except for Rita, one of the Schmidt's two maids. Jason slept in, after having been up most of the night in the basement with his tape recorder. When he woke up, he wanted to see if his mother was still at home to ask her something. He went into the Master bedroom and saw Rita standing at the dresser, next to one of his mother's jewelry boxes. The box was usually locked, but she must have picked it open. He quietly moved up behind her, curious to see what exactly she was doing. The maid was looking over several items, apparently trying to see if she could take something that would not be missed. Rita squealed in terror when she realized her boss's son was standing right behind her. "Mr. Jason...I just clean...I no..." A large batch of keys tumbled to the floor; the keys Mr. Schmidt had given her to be able to access the rooms to the house. The keys, and the maid's terrified expression, gave Jason an idea. "Rita, about those keys. Do you have a key to my father's office?" "Cómo?" "Do you have a key to that office? Can you get in there?" "Yeah...I got key, but your father, he say me, you no open door." "You let me in there, and we're even." "I open door? But your father, he say no." "You let me in there, and I won't say anything about the jewelry box. If you don't let me in, I will." With a very nervous expression Rita unlocked the door. "You no say...?" "I won't say anything about the jewelry box. And you won't say anything about me being in this room. Get it? You won't tell anyone I was in this room." "Yes, Mr. Jason. I no say nothin'. Thank you." Jason set about exploring the room. He was careful to remember how everything was arranged; concerned that when he left the room would look exactly as it had when he entered. He calculated he had about four hours before his mother or sister might return. His father would not be back until much later, so Jason had plenty of time to go through the office and see what was going on. The first thing he noticed was a box of passports. The passports were not Danubian, but instead from its southern neighbor. Each passport had multiple stamps and visas, including Danubian visas that Jason suspected were forged. He went into Cassie's room, grabbed her digital camera, and began taking close-up pictures the front page of each passport. There were folders of documents in various foreign languages, including Danubian. Jason did not have clue which ones were important, so he spent an hour scanning them in Cassie's computer and then saved the images to a temporary folder in her hard drive. When he returned to his father's office, the next thing he noticed was a box of floppy diskettes sitting near the folders. He took the diskettes into Cassie's room, and, without opening any files, simply copied the contents of each diskette into a new directory created for that purpose. He transferred the passport photos as well, burned everything to a CD, and then returned to the office with the camera. Jason found maps of several cities, full of handwritten notes, times, and other markings. Jason scanned the maps and burned a second CD. Then, he found what he was looking for, printed drafts of several press releases concerning a coup in Upper Danubia's southern neighbor, covered with his father's handwritten notes. The press releases were dated April 23. There were some drafts of official correspondence, apparently intended for various diplomats and US congressmen, explaining the setting up of a provisional government and justifying the shooting of several officials and their families. There were other documents, including drafts of future contracts between Mega-Town Associates and several Eastern European officials. Jason recognized some of the names, but none of them were people currently in power. The Freshman Ch. 28 The question about Vladim Dukov's trip to Greece was answered when Jason came across several papers related to a water-conservation conference to be held in Athens. Dukov and several other Danubian officials were slated to attend and were planning to fly home on the 23rd. Apparently that trip was the reason April 23rd had been chosen to launch the coup. Jason did not find anything specifically discussing a plane crash, but he suspected that Dukov's plane would be targeted as the delegation flew home. After about three hours Jason stopped collecting information. He burned a final CD with the newest scans and decided he needed to quit. Undoubtedly he was overlooking plenty of important items. He knew better than to try to turn on his father's computer, or even touch it. Perhaps what he had was incomplete, but most certainly it would be of tremendous value to both the Danubians and their southern neighbors, should he chose to turn the information over to them. He carefully put everything back in order. He went through Cassie's room to make sure no papers or other items from his father's office remained, and finally checked the office to make sure nothing was out of place. Then he locked the door and shut it. His next step was to clean up Cassie's computer as best he could. He deleted the history files and logged onto a couple of her book-marked websites to over-write his own recent activities. Then, he checked the camera's video card to make sure none of the pictures he took were still on it. He put away the camera and shut off her computer, just in time. He stepped out of his sister's room as he heard her coming in through the garage door. Jason looked over what he had: three CD's and six cassette tapes. He sat in numb horror as he contemplated what his father's associates were planning to do: assassinate a Prime Minister and overthrow his government. He knew why: his father's partners in Mega-Town Associates still were hoping to log Upper Danubia's forests and build that road. There were some other contracts pending as well, if he understood what was in the documents from his father's desk that now were scanned onto his three CD's. It was time to call his grandmother. He told her that he needed to go over to her condo right away, that he had something important that he needed to tell her. For the next hour he paced nervously while he waited for her friend to come get him. Carrying his cassettes and CD's in a backpack he left the house, suddenly very fearful Mr. Schmidt might come home and find him with the evidence. That evening Jason and his grandmother sat listening to the tapes. The German conversations confirmed Jason's worst fears, that there was a pending coup being organized against not only Upper Danubia, but also it's southern neighbor. The plot would begin with the killing of Vladim Dukov's delegation by blowing up his plane. The plane crash would divert everyone's attention and be the signal to launch military operations in Upper Danubia. The assault would begin in Danube City with the seizure of the National Parliament and the National Police Station, as well as the King Vladik International Airport and Danube City's port and railroad station. The operations would be deliberately bloody and violent, to destroy the Danubian government and scare its people into submission. Once Upper Danubia was secured, a second operation would land mercenaries into the country's southern neighbor, where several paid-off local officials would be waiting with their own supporters. The double coup would place the plotters in direct control of both countries within a 24-hour period. The assumption was that, with Dukov, his advisors, and most of the National Police officers dead, there would not be much organized opposition in the Duchy. A German subsidiary of Mega-Town Associates was planning to provide much of the logistical support and fly in mercenaries. Jason's father was in charge of everything having to do with communications, public relations, and assuring the new governments received quick recognition from the US and other countries. From the German conversations Jason's grandmother learned that Mr. Schmidt's lobbying firm apparently was not directly tied to the coups. The project was a private matter between Jason's father and several executives from Mega-Town Associates. It was something of a rogue operation, but if it succeeded as laid out in the conversations, it would leave the company in complete control of two countries in the center of Eastern Europe and allow the executives to then launch a hostile takeover of Mega-Town Associates. The project would not end there. The takeover would place the largest corporation of the US under the control of the plotters. Using the company's wealth and influence, they would bankroll congressional and presidential candidates and try to take control of the entire United States. Jason's grandmother was devastated as she sat listening to the tapes. In her mind there was only one option for her grandson. He had to get the information to the Danubian government immediately. There was no doubt about it whatsoever. The Danubians had to know. Jason hesitated. "You're not worried about Dad, that maybe..." "No. I could care less about him. If this is the way he wants to be, then he's not my son anymore. He's dead, as far as I'm concerned. Dead. I don't want to see him again." She blinked back some tears and continued. "Do you know anyone... who you can get this to?" "I...maybe Cecilia might know..." Jason's grandmother immediately grabbed the phone and passed it to Jason. "Call her. Now. You've got only three weeks to stop it." It was late, and Cecilia was asleep. Even though she was trying to wake up, she seemed very glad to hear from him. "Jason...oh...you don't have any idea how much I miss you...I'm goin' crazy here..." "I miss you too, but I...we've got a big problem. A really big problem. I need to get some stuff to Vladim Dukov right away." "What do you wanna send?" "I can't tell you over the phone, but it's important. It's some stuff I gotta get to him, and he's gotta take a look at it. It's not something he can sit on. He's gonna have to look at it right away." "But we're startin' up next week and then..." "It can't wait that long. It'll be too late. Is there any way you can get up here?" "You fuckin' crazy? I can't get up to Wisconsin! I ain't got no car!" "Well, I can't leave." "What about a bus? If you come on a bus to Chicago?" "I can't. I can't leave here because..." "Your dad?" "Yes, my dad. There's no way I can try leaving on a bus, 'cause I think he'd figure it out." There was silence on the other end. "Cecilia..." "Jason, you're tellin' me your dad's up to somethin'..." "Exactly." "Shit." "...and it can't wait." Jason emphasized his last point "It cannot wait." Cecilia thought about her options. The only realistic one was to call Cynthia Lee and ask her what to do. She could only hope that Cynthia was at home. "Is it OK if I make a call, and get back to you?" "Yeah. I'll be at my grandma's place." Cecilia thought about that, and then figured it would be better to keep their phone conversations as secret as possible. "Look, I'm not callin' you there. You go to one of those convenience stores and buy yourself one of those cheap phones, you know, with a callin' card. That's what Raul always used so the cops couldn't find him. You get yourself one of those phones and you call me." Fortunately there was a convenience store within walking distance of the condominium, so Jason went over to pick up a phone and a calling card. Once he keyed in the service number and activated his account, he called Cecilia. "OK, so what's goin' on?" "I got some stuff I got out of my dad's office...some recordings and I scanned some letters and whatnot...I think there's gonna be a coup against the Danubians and their neighbors. I mean...like they're gonna be shooting a bunch of people and taking over. And, they're gonna kill the Prime Minister." "What? You're sure about this?" "I've got the tape recordings and papers. I actually heard my dad talking about it. There's some serious shit that's about to happen over there. I want Dukov to see what I got, and then he can figure out for himself what he's gonna do." Jason then filled in some of the details and convinced Cecilia the plans were both serious and well advanced. She replied that she had managed to contact Cynthia Lee, and would call her again to relay Jason's information. Fifteen minutes later Cecilia called back. "I'm not gonna be able to come up, but Cynthia's on her way." "On her way?" "She's leavin' right now. Can you meet with her?" "Sure." "She'll be at your grandma's place first thing tomorrow morning. She wants to see what you got. If it's important she'll take it and fly it out to Danube City herself." ---------- Jason spent the longest night of his life, unable to sleep as he waited for the morning and a phone call from Cynthia Lee. Words could not describe the turmoil going on in his mind. Why on earth was he doing this? Why was he risking himself to help a bunch of total strangers? The only answer he could come up with was that he did not approve of what his father's associates were planning to do and wanted to stop them. It was that simple. Finally Jason dozed off, his cell phone at his side. No sooner had he fallen asleep than he was startled awake by its ringing. He picked up. "Jason? It's Cindy. I'm in downtown Carterville. You got the stuff?" "Sure do." "OK, so where am I going from here?" Jason gave Cynthia directions to the condominium. While they waited for Cindy to show up, Jason's grandmother fixed breakfast and made coffee. A few minutes later the very tired-looking graduate student stepped out of her car. Cynthia gratefully accepted the cup of coffee Jason's grandmother offered her. She quickly laid out a laptop on the dining room table and began looking through the CD's. Jason nervously tried to justify himself. "A lot of this stuff I don't know what it is. I just scanned what I could, what I had time to scan. I kinda thought the passports would be important, so I did get most of those." Cynthia flipped through several files, and finally responded. "It's what you say, Jason. Exactly what you say. There's gonna be a coup on the 23rd. They're gonna take the Duchy and then move south. How many people know about these CD's?" "No one knows, except you, Cecilia, and Grandma." "And you won't say anything to anyone else?" "Of course not." "I can take these?" "That's why I called Cecilia. To get them to Dukov ASAP." "Then I'm going straight to Milwaukee and flying out as soon as I can get on a plane. If I'm lucky I'll be in Danube City first thing tomorrow morning. It'll be my Easter present to the Prime Minister. A pretty fucked up Easter present, don't you think?" "Yeah." "I'm...I don't know how to thank you. I...I mean to have the guts to do this for us...and go against your father. You're one of the bravest people I've ever met. No matter what happens next month, you remember that, what I just said. You were the one who had the courage to warn us." She hugged both Jason and his grandmother and then quickly drove off, turning towards the freeway to continue on her journey to Europe. Jason and his grandmother stood quietly in the chilly dawn as they watched Cynthia drive away. The enormity of what they had done struck home. She had betrayed her son, and he had betrayed his father, in an effort to change the course of history, save a bunch of lives, and thwart some extremely unsavory ambitions. Less than 24 hours after slipping into his father's office, Jason's part in preventing the coup was completed. Now it was up to others to finish the task: up to Cynthia to safely make it to Danube City with the CD's and cassettes, then up to Dukov and his people to analyze the information and act on it. A few minutes later Jason was on his way back to his father's house, his self-appointed mission completed. His grandmother's friend suspected that something very serious had just taken place, but did not ask. Instead he cheerfully bantered about restored cars and his latest project while Jason tried to pay attention. What he actually wanted to do was go to sleep. He returned to the house and passed his father's home office. The room was locked, and his father was at his job in Chicago helping his unsavory clients. Later that night Mr. Schmidt would be back in the office, on the phone and with the door shut. However, Jason knew there was no further point in taking the tape recorder down to the basement. There was nothing left to do but wait, and hope that within a day or so the Danubian government would be analyzing the information he had collected. He did go back downstairs one final time, to retrieve the box of high school memorabilia he was planning to keep. He vaguely suspected it would be the very last chance he would have to take anything out of that basement. ---------- The remaining days of Jason's Spring Break were rather anti-climatic. He went jogging through the neighborhood and spent hours in the pool, hoping to be ready to participate in several marathons over the summer, and perhaps even try to win the Tri-Alpha 10-K run a second year. He carried his anonymous cell phone with him, just in case Cecilia needed to call. Saturday morning, she did call. "Jason...good news. Cynthia just called me from Danube City." "So she made it OK?" "Yeah, she made it in yesterday mornin', and that poor girl hasn't had any sleep since she landed. They got a bunch of people lookin' over your stuff and she's been translatin' for 'em. It's the first break anyone's had in two days. That's why she didn't call 'till just now." "So they're taking it seriously?" "Takin' it seriously? Yeah, they're takin' it seriously. You saved their asses, Jason. They didn't know shit about what your dad was plannin' till they got those CD's." "So...did Cindy tell you what they're gonna do about it?" "No, she didn't tell me that. That's not something you talk about over the phone. I 'spose we'll know more, when she comes back next week. She did say the Duchy's gonna do what they can to keep your name out of it, cause those people from the company are mean. If they find out it was you who turned 'em in, they're gonna fuck you up." Jason's heart skipped beat. He hadn't thought of that. No wonder Cynthia Lee kept saying he was so brave... He drew a deep breath, but didn't know how to respond. "Jason...Jason? Are you still there?" "Yeah-yeah, I'm still here." "I got somethin' else to tell you." "What's that?" "I love you." It was the first time Cecilia had ever said that to him over the phone. She was not affectionate or loving when she spoke on the phone, so from her those three words meant very much. Hearing "I love you" from Cecilia gave Jason most of his courage back. He realized that no matter what happened to him, he already had defeated some of the most powerful men in the United States. They had been defeated, and nothing was going to change that, not even his own death. That afternoon, a day before he was scheduled to return to the university, Jason glanced at his father as he sat in the family room. He was watching a couple of football games from the previous season that he had recorded but never had the chance to see. The cheering of the crowd on TV and the chatter from the sports commentators reminded Jason of his father's constant use of football terminology to refer to his life and his relationships in the business world. Winning team...rush...huddle...goal post...fumble...play-book... Then, as he looked at the arrogant, abusive, domineering man sitting in front of the TV, Jason thought bitterly about all the terms his father used to refer to him: moron...idiot...wimp...loser... We'll see about that, Dad, he thought to himself. We'll just see. He resisted the urge to walk up to his father and announce that he had just given away his team's play-book to the coach of the opposing side. The linebacker had fumbled, without even knowing it yet. As soon as Cynthia Lee landed in Danube City, the defending team had taken control of the ball. The Freshman Ch. 29 Chapter 29 - The defense of the Duchy The following day, the first Sunday in April, Jason Schmidt went home. For him, home was not the house in Wisconsin, nor was it really his dorm room in Chicago. Instead home was a feeling, which he could only experience when he was with Cecilia. He desperately wanted to be with her, and anxiously counted the mile signs along the freeway as his father drove him south. Jason, as usual, took a ride from his father. He felt slightly guilty about accepting a ride from a man he had betrayed, but he really had no choice. He had no other means of getting out of Wisconsin. He promised himself that the ride he was taking would be the last trip he would need from his father. Somehow he needed to strike out on his own, because he felt that everything associated with his father was contaminated, tainted with blood and poverty. He needed to move on, which would be an issue he would try to resolve during the final weeks of the semester. Mr. Schmidt blissfully drove his son back to the university, his mind on other concerns. He needed to dump off the wimp and really get moving with his own ambitions. There still was a lot to take care of and he planned to spend most of the next couple of weeks at his office or his apartment in downtown Chicago. Big things were about to happen, and with a project as complicated as a double coup against two countries, invariably there would be last minute problems. Still, it seemed that the project was going as well as could be expected. Earlier that morning one of his associate sent him a coded message with some good news. An important element, the bomb needed to blow up Vladim Dukov's plane, already was safely assembled in Athens and ready to be loaded in a suitcase. The associate had hired a luggage handler to load it, and he would be paid $ 50,000 once the plane blew up. The plane was a commercial flight, so which aircraft it actually would be would not be known until shortly before it took off. It was true that probably about 130 passengers would be on that flight along with the Danubian delegation, but so what? What was a planeload of passengers in comparison with the big plans Mr. Schmidt and his associates had for their own futures? Sure, a lot of people would die in two weeks, but that was just too bad. The world would just have to learn not to stand in the way of Mega-Town Associates. ---------- When Jason got back to Huntington Hall, Cecilia was waiting for him. She rushed into his arms, thrilled to see him after a week of lonely nights in her room. There was a lot for the couple to take care of and discuss that night, but they did have their priorities. Less than 10 minutes after Jason got out of his father's car; he was naked in Cecilia's room, his face safely back between her legs, his tongue gently massaging her clitoris. That afternoon was a day she planned to reward him for good behavior. Once she climaxed from the oral sex, she got on her elbows and knees and wiggled her dark sexy bottom. Seeing her in that position had its usual effect on him. He just loved seeing her backside turned up and spread like that, a lewd invitation for him to enter. It was an exquisite homecoming for him, as he released of all of the tension from the past week into that lovely body of hers. ----------- Jason and Cecilia discussed in detail what each knew about the pending Mega-Town coup plot in Eastern Europe. Jason filled in the details about what exactly he did in his father's home office and what he found out. He discussed the strange chain of events that led him first to find out about the coup in the first place and then to be able to access the office to be able to copy all that information. How strange, that he happened to be in the basement precisely when his father was talking about the coup. How strange that he had caught Rita digging through his mother's jewelry box, thus making her an unwitting accomplice in his efforts to undermine what his father was planning to do. Cecilia gave the matter some thought, and finally commented: "Jason, I'm not so sure all that was coincidence. While you were gone, I was readin' about their philosophy in Danubia, and they think that everything happens for a reason. Maybe everything that happened last week was 'sposed to happen that way. I know that's what Kimberly Lee and her friends think, which is why they don't give a shit about losin' their singin' contracts. Kim thinks they're 'sposed to serve some other purpose, and I'm wonderin' if maybe you're part of all that." ---------- The following day classes started up again, which forced Jason to concentrate on the mundane details of his life. There were tests to study for, term papers to finish, formulas to memorize; all of which crowded into his thoughts and forced him to push the entire Upper Danubia situation to the back of his mind. There also was his project to finish teaching Cecilia how to swim, which took up a half an hour each day after working out. That Monday afternoon they were back in the university gym swimming pool, with him swimming alongside her as she continued to struggle to overcome one of her biggest fears in life. The Wednesday after classes started Cynthia Lee came back from Danube City. She was in a difficult situation, because she had to struggle to get caught up in her studies without being able to explain to her professors what it was that had forced her to run off for a week. However, in spite of her hectic schedule, she did make time to get together with Cecilia and Jason. She filled them in on what had happened during her week in Danube City. It turned out that practically everything Jason had scanned or copied had useful information. Jason had been right about photographing the passports, because they were to be given to various mercenaries slated to enter the country's southern neighbor and infiltrate the Duchy on the night of April 20th. Now the Danubian government knew many of the aliases of the conspirators. The plot relied on a large number of arms caches stored in several safe houses around Danube City and Rika Chorna. The majority of the mercenaries in the plot planned to travel first to Upper Danubia's southern neighbor. They would pass through the country's relatively unguarded southern border and then pick up their weapons at Danubian stash sites. The mercenaries would spend about two days setting up around the national capitols and several major provincial cities of both countries, coordinate with local armed groups, and wait for Dukov's plane to crash as the signal to start operations. Once they heard the plane had gone down, hit teams would immediately kill off military and political leaders in both countries, and then there would be a major land and air assault by heavily armed men to take over Danube City. Several Danubian collaborators would occupy the provinces with their own militias, freeing up most the foreigners for an invasion of the country's southern neighbor. Dukov would be dead, and by then hit teams would have killed off most of the members of his government. The plan was to have both countries secured by people friendly to the plotters within about three days. The Danubian phase of the coup would be the most difficult because apparently the number of trustworthy local collaborators was relatively small. Securing the politically unstable neighboring country would be less problematic, because there were plenty of armed gangs who opposed its government that had been recruited by the Mega-Town CEO's. Cindy did not want to discuss in detail how the Danubian National Police planned to counter the plot, but she did provide some general information. Dukov still planned to send the delegation to Athens to attend the conference, but would not accompany them. His brother Victor Dukov, with his hair cut short and his face made up to look like the Prime Minister, would go instead. The only problem was that Victor did not speak English as well as Vladim, but they would have to get around that somehow. Meanwhile Vladim would secretly travel to meet with the Prime Minister of the neighboring country. The two governments would launch a series of coordinated arrests on the 21st, the day most of the mercenaries were planning to cross over into Upper Danubia. As many of them as possible would be arrested on the Danubian side of the border, taken back to Danube City, and locked up in the Central Police Station. As soon as the arrests started, there would be raids against arms caches and safe houses in both countries. An important part of Dukov's plan was seizing the bomb in Athens before it made it on the plane. Because the Prime Minister was unsure which officials in Athens he could trust, members of the Danubian Secret Police would travel to Athens and try to locate the baggage-handler themselves. Once he and the bomb were identified, the Danubian embassy in Athens would notify the Greek government and it would be up to the Greeks to intercept it. Anyhow, to be on the safe side, the Danubian delegation planned to miss their flight on the 23rd. They would go to the airport, check in, wait in the boarding area, but not get on the plane. Following the 23rd would be the most difficult part of the operation, arresting the local conspirators in both countries who had coordinated with the Mega-Town executives against their own governments. Arresting foreigners was relatively easy, but it would be much more difficult to arrest local citizens, especially ones with any influence. Still, by the 23rd, hopefully the coup plot would be disrupted enough that it would not take place. "Now it's just a matter of waiting, and that's gonna be the hard part." Cynthia continued with another concern. "Jason, the Prime Minister is very worried about your safety. No matter what happens next week, the people launching this thing are going to be asking a lot of questions about what went wrong. You've already seen what they're capable of, and don't think that they won't come after you if they figure out that it was you who got us the information. I can tell you there is a lot of money riding on this coup project, millions of dollars. I mean, to hire all those mercenaries, pay off a bunch of locals, buy and ship all those weapons...that's a lot of expense, and some big wigs here in America are really rolling the dice on this. So, you can't be talking about it to anyone. Not anyone. You don't know anything about it. And that goes for you too, Cecilia. No research, no term papers, nothing about Upper Danubia. Ever. I know it's gonna mess you up academically, but I think your life is more important." "What about you?" "I'm finishing the semester and then I'm leaving. I have to go back to Danube City and stay there, because I was dumb enough to fly under my real name. My trip's now in a bunch of records, and sooner or later someone's gonna make the connection. So, I'm heading out in May, and I don't know when I'm coming back, if ever." There was a sad resignation in Cindy's voice that frightened both Jason and Cecilia. She didn't say it with words, but her message was clear. My life in the U.S. is finished. I am going to have to start all over, from nothing, in Danube City. That's my sacrifice, and it's just the way it's gonna have to be. ---------- The next two weeks passed uneventfully, as Jason tried to stay caught up in his studies and Cecilia dealt with both Burnside's demands and the looming crisis in the dorm over finals week and a floor full of nervous students. The weather got warmer and spring fever hit many of the residents, much to Cecilia's chagrin. She found herself continuously trying to calm down rowdy freshmen and began waging a personal campaign against loud music on her floor. There were drinking problems, overflowing toilets, petty vandalism incidents, and disputes between stressed out roommates. Cecilia sighed with despair as she ran around her floor, her radio crackling aggressively, as she tried to deal with one idiotic situation after another. On April 19, Jason decided to do something dumb and immature with Ken. He suspected that it might be the very last time in his life he could act his age, because he figured there was a very strong possibility that the serious side of life shortly would intrude on him and change him forever. He felt the urge to mark the change with one last irresponsible action. He and Ken decided to go streaking, in a repeat of their ill-fated adventure in the fall. Before going out, Jason flatly told Cecilia what he was planning to do. Oddly enough, she understood, and while not exactly approving, at least let him know she wouldn't try to stop him. She only had one comment: "If you gotta do that shit, I guess I kinda understand. Just promise me you'll stay out of the Student Center. Please don't go into any buildings." He kissed Cecilia and went downstairs with Ken and Lisa. As before, Lisa would stand guard at the door, holding the shorts of the two freshmen. The two young men stripped to their shoes and took off, running down the same dark path they had run during the fall. With the humid spring air gently blowing against their bodies, they circled to the library courtyard and heard the cheers and whistles of the handful of students milling about during those late hours. They continued along the dark trail to the Student Center, but did not go in. If that female security guard were in there, well, tonight there would be no risk of any encounters, because the run was more for fun, not because of any dare. As best they could, Jason and Ken would try to play it safe and not risk getting caught by Campus Security. They simply circled the Student Center and returned to the trail. There were more whistles and clapping as they crossed the library courtyard again, but this time the two freshmen continued uneventfully on their way back to Huntington Hall. Less than 40 minutes after leaving, they had safely returned to the back door. While Lisa waited, Cecilia had joined her with a camera. She took several pictures of Ken and Jason before allowing them to get dressed and Lisa to let them back in. This time she was not mad, nor even pretended to be. She understood the real world was about to close in on her boyfriend and that he needed one last night of acting stupid. He hadn't been caught, was now safely back in Huntington Hall with his shorts on, and on his way to take a shower. Once Jason got out of the shower, Cecilia escorted him back to her room. Both of them knew she owed him some quality time with the leather paddle. He meekly undressed and placed his hands on her dresser while she massaged his bottom and lectured him about what a bad boy he was for running around the university with no clothes on. Only bad boys who deserve good hard spankings on the bare bottom would do such a terrible thing. So, Jason, are you a bad boy? With that she began spanking him, not too hard but with enough force to put a nice warm sting in his backside. She watched as he became harder and harder, gently rubbing his warming bottom and massaging his penis between swats. However, even bad boys need love, and before long she was lying on the bed, groaning with delight as he entered her and thrust vigorously. Yes, she did indeed know what her bad boy needed... ---------- Twenty-four hours later Jason did a search on a popular Internet news website for the term "Danubia". Immediately he got his answer: Danubian Prime Minister declares State of Emergency as border arrests continue Danube City - April 21: 7:05 a.m. Danubian Prime Minister Vladim Dukov appeared on television to declare a National State of Emergency, following the arrest of at least 218 foreign nationals along the country's southern border. Along with the arrests, the Danubian Prime Minister claimed the seizure of three significant arms shipments and numerous caches of small weapons and ammunition distributed throughout the country. Officers from the National Police remained mobilized and were guarding every major intersection throughout the capitol Danube City and the eastern provincial center Rika Chorna. Meanwhile, military reservists and citizen defense patrols manned checkpoints between other provincial capitols while police officers conducted raids against multiple targets. All traffic in and out of Upper Danubia remains suspended and flights at the King Vladik International Airport have been grounded until further notice. The Danubian Prime Minister stated that all persons arrested so far were intercepted attempting to enter the territory of the country through various points along the southern border, and that many of them were armed. He added that more arrests were likely, but the focus of enforcement actions will shift to Danube City and Rika Chorna in the next few hours. Correspondents working for Griffin Independent Media report that gun battles between officers of the Danubian National Police and unknown assailants erupted near the main railroad station and the governor's palace in Rika Chorna at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time. However, the Danubian National Police later issued a statement that both buildings were re-taken earlier today and all assailants were killed or captured. The Danubian Defense Minister also reported combat operations at a landing strip 40 kilometers south of Danube City, during which at least 44 soldiers and an unknown number of foreign gunmen were killed. Five aircraft at the landing strip were disabled by the Danubian military and seized. There are unconfirmed reports of the loss of an army helicopter and a fighter jet in the vicinity due to hostile fire. In a related note, the National Parliament approved the Prime Minister's request for an arrest warrant against David Jones, the Commercial Attaché at the United States Embassy in Danube City for "Espionage in Furtherance of an Act of War", which, under Danubian law, is punishable by death. The United States Government vehemently denies the charge and has lodged an official note of protest at the Danubian Embassy in Washington DC. The whereabouts of Mr. Jones remain unclear at this time, although he is believed to be in the U.S. Embassy. The U.S. State Department issued a statement denouncing the arrests and the "wild accusations" of Prime Minister Dukov against the United States and American interests in the country. "Of particular concern to us is the detention of three high-ranking employees of Mega-Town Associates. The Administration unequivocally demands the immediate release of those three individuals." Jason downloaded the article and printed it. He then called Cecilia, who had news of her own. "They got the bomb! I just heard about it on the news! The Greeks are holdin' a press conference about it right now!" Jason quickly turned on his television. Sure enough, the cable news channel was running footage of a press conference in Athens, with several airline officials, uniformed members of the Danubian National Police, and Victor Dukov present. The Prime Minister's brother seemed visibly outraged, while the Greeks were staring at the device with incredulous expressions. The cameras focused in on a rather powerful plastic bomb placed inside an open suitcase. Jason thought the coverage of the entire affair was a bit odd. The U.S. news media seemed completely unconcerned about the drama unfolding in Danube City, but the moment there was mention of a bomb on a plane, that was headline news. Cecilia came over to Jason's room to sit with him and watch his TV. They cuddled in his bed as he flipped through various cable channels for re-runs of the press conference and dramatic footage of the ongoing arrests and arms seizures occurring throughout Eastern Europe. It was obvious the coup had failed, and failed quite spectacularly. The Freshman Ch. 29 ---------- The next day Jason's grandmother called with the news that his father had "gone berserk" at the house and had kicked his wide-screen television to pieces. Cassie had fled the house and was at the condo, totally terrified at her father's inexplicable display of temper. "He was sitting there watching the news, and suddenly he went nuts. He smashed up the TV, and then the phone rang and he grabbed it and threw it against the wall. Then he just started kicking stuff and screaming 'FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!' Cassie said to me: 'I don't get it...he was just watching the news...and then he went crazy'. Of course you and I do know why he went crazy..." Jason swallowed hard and tried to catch his breath. "Grandma, you can't tell Cassie about anything that's happened with you and me, you know that, right?" "You bet I know that. I'm not telling her anything. But anyhow, I'm glad it happened. Your father needed to get his comeuppance. Now maybe he can think about what's really important, and..." "I don't think so, Grandma. I don't think it's gonna happen like that. I'm kinda thinking he was in a lot deeper than we realize..." "What do you mean?" "Grandma, think about it for a moment. Dad's not a CEO from Mega-Town Associates. He's a lobbyist. Why would they take him in as part of their group? I'm now thinking it's because each of those guys put his own money into the operation, and the money's why he was in on it. If that's true, Dad may have gotten wiped out financially." Jason's grandmother was silent on the other end. She realized that her grandson probably was right. Mr. Schmidt was doing far more for the coup project than just writing press releases. He must have been one of the financial backers. Jason thought about Cecilia's comment last Thanksgiving about "dirty money". Well, this was about as dirty as money possibly could get. It couldn't get much worse. Now, with the mercenaries in custody, their weapons piled in the basement of Danube City's Central Police Station, and information just beginning to come out in the press about Mega-Town's involvement in the project, the "dirty money", including whatever his father had put in, was gone. ---------- There was only a week of classes after the 23rd and then a week of tests during the first week of May. Whatever consequences there might be from the coup, Cecilia figured they would not directly hit Jason's family until sometime during the summer. She had a common sense approach to his dilemma: there wasn't anything he could do for anyone for several weeks at least. What he needed was to concentrate on was passing his classes and doing as well as possible academically. Jason followed her advice and tried to focus on his classes. He needed to take care of the semester. When he got his grades then he could deal with the other problems in his life. ---------- During finals week Jason had lunch with Cynthia Lee to get an update over what was going on in Danube City that was not making the news. Cynthia, her sharp mind able to sort out what was important from what wasn't, gave Jason a concise picture of the ongoing crisis, a systematic analysis he had not been getting from watching cable. Jason had been following the US portion of the news and its impact on Mega-Town Associates, so on that part he was able to compare notes with Cynthia. On Wall Street and in Washington the failed coup attempt was morphing into a massive scandal that caught up several U.S. State Department employees, executives from Mega-Town Associates, arms dealers, and a couple of Danubian provincial politicians who were arrested in the Duchy as conspirators. Mega-Town Associates' reputation suffered a catastrophic blow and it's stock price fell nearly 15% in just two days. Five Eastern European governments ordered the company out of their territories, which essentially shut down its chances of expanding into that region of the world. As for the conspirators, they were finished professionally. The week following the coup attempt Mega-Town Associates held a chaotic emergency shareholder meeting over the fiasco, which resulted in the firing of all the executives involved in the project. The company elected a new board that immediately began a campaign of damage control that publicly excoriated the rogue operation. Certainly what happened in Eastern Europe did not reflect the values or goals of the employees and shareholders of this fine company as a whole... It was an exercise in absolute hypocrisy, but it assured that Mega-Town would lie low for a while and leave foreign governments alone until it repaired its public image. Cynthia then moved on to what Jason knew less about, the situation in Danube City following the failure of the coup attempt. A total of 153 National Police Officers, Army soldiers, helicopter pilots, military reservists, and citizen defense patrol volunteers were killed during combat operations, along with 78 mercenaries. Another 583 mercenaries and local conspirators were in custody, and that was just in Upper Danubia. Another 139 prisoners had been taken south of the Danubian border, and the Greek government was holding the people responsible for the bomb. There was a surge of militant nationalism in the Duchy, which was to be expected after such a traumatic event. The first priorities on the minds of the Danubian public were the "fallen heroes of the Ancients". The 153 Danubian fatalities were buried with honors on April 24th, the day after the coup itself was supposed to have been launched. They were buried together in a specially designated cemetery outside Danube City, each of them dressed in a black robe and holding a small mirror. That day the entire country was dressed in black robes in honor of the dead and the Temples were full of worshipers attending memorial services. Following the state funerals, Vladim Dukov faced a complicated problem, how to handle the nearly 600 prisoners captured on April 21st and April 22nd. They remained chained in the basement of the Central Police Station in Danube City and the Governor's Palace in Rika Chorna, while the Danubian government tried to figure out what to do with them. The problem was a complex one for the Prime Minister, because the prisoners pitted his own supporters against Upper Danubia's international image. The Danubian public was livid over the coup attempt and demanded the execution of everyone involved. Tens of thousands of outraged Danubians marched down the streets of Danube City waving hangman's nooses. Politicians and news commentators were arguing for the mercenaries to be shot in groups in front of the U.S. Embassy in full view of the American diplomatic staff. Then the crowd should throw the corpses into the embassy compound as a protest against the U.S. government. Dukov knew that no such thing as a mass execution was going to happen. He had to get rid of the mercenaries, but shooting them was not a viable option. Jailing them was not an option, because Upper Danubia did not have any prisons. To collar them and sentence them in the Danubian manner was not an option either, because the Danubian justice system was not set up to accommodate several hundred hardened foreigners. Dukov's only real option was to somehow repatriate the majority of the foreign mercenaries to their home countries and hope they would be prosecuted abroad, but with the public mood the way it was, to do so would risk a popular revolt if he didn't handle it right. While Dukov was struggling to calm the tempers of his citizenry, he also had to answer the angry demands of foreign governments asking what was going to happen to their citizens currently languishing in the underground cells. Dukov viewed the conflicting demands of the Danubian citizenry and the foreign governments as a possible opportunity to solve his problem. Being a skilled and shrewd negotiator, he had decided to play the Danubian public and the foreign governments against each other. He would extract concessions from other leaders in exchange for deporting the mercenaries, bring home real benefits to the country, and improve Upper Danubia's international standing in Europe. The prisoners, instead of being a problem, would be used as bargaining chips in a very complex game of international Poker. He would argue he needed meaningful concessions, or else his Parliament would not allow him to deport the prisoners, which was very true. While Dukov wanted to deport most of the prisoners, there were about 25 among them he planned to prosecute to the fullest extent of Danubian law. They included the three captured Mega-Town executives, several German and U.S. coup organizers, all of the field commanders, a Bulgarian arms dealer, the people who tried to plant the bomb in Athens, and last but not least, the U.S. Commercial Attaché, who was still holed-up in the U.S. Embassy. By threatening some of the lower-ranking foreigners with prosecution, the Danubians quickly got the confessions and information the government needed to identify the leaders in court. The lower-level mercenaries had been shown TV images of the angry crowds marching outside with nooses, and after several days, many of them were scared enough to tell prosecutors whatever they needed to know about the coup operations as originally planned. Dukov decided to allow the high-profile prisoners to hire their own lawyers and hold a foreign-style trial with real defense attorneys instead of assigning them Danubian Spokespersons. The reason for making that concession was that he wanted as much of the incident to become public knowledge as possible. He wanted the defendants to show themselves in court for what they were, allow them to turn on each other, and use the trials to humiliate Mega-Town Associates. The strategy was risky, because foreign defense attorneys would try to cover up the truth about their clients. Also, it was becoming increasingly obvious that the coup had been thwarted because the Danubians had prior knowledge of the attack, and any worthwhile defense attorney would demand to know how the Danubian government could have known ahead of time that a coup was about to be launched. The problem was how to handle that question: who tipped off the Danubians about the coup. Dukov couldn't tell the truth, because that would put Jason at risk. However, to claim the Danubian Secret Police somehow uncovered the plot would require police officers to commit perjury on the stand, which was a grave violation of Danubian values. Cynthia didn't know how the Danubians were going to resolve that problem, to obtain convictions that could not be challenged by foreign governments. Jason gave her words some thought. Then he sat up straight and took a deep breath. He knew exactly what he needed to do. As the Danubians always said, it was a question of honor. "Cynthia, the only solution is for me to go to Danube City and testify. You said it yourself; Dukov doesn't have any other options if he wants to nail those fuckers. I'm gonna have to testify." "There's no way, Jason, no way. You'd be dead within a week of getting back. Even now there's some really pissed off people running around trying to figure out who screwed up their plans, and..." "It doesn't matter. They're gonna find out anyway, sooner or later. Before they kill me, I want to tell my story. I want to stand up in court and say 'yes, I'm the son-of-a-bitch who messed up your precious plans.' I want the world, and I especially my father, to know what I did. I'm not ashamed of it at all, so why should I hide?" "I think you're wrong. They don't have to find out it was you..." "I want them to know. I want to look at those defendants and tell 'em it was me. When you go to Danube City, I want to go with you." "But...you'd be ruining your life...your college..." "That's over anyway. I think my dad just got wiped out financially, and anyhow, even if he didn't, I'm sick of taking his money. I don't want to go to college on his money anymore. I'll do it some other way. I want to stand up and do things on my own, and if I have to, I'll fail on my own." "But..." "Look. You need that information. Once I give it up, I really won't be worth killing, 'cause I won't have anything to hide anymore. It'll come out in the trial, and then, that's it. I will have said what I need to say." Cynthia took a deep breath. Unfortunately Jason was the one who truly understood his situation. Sooner or later someone would find out he was the one who got the information to the Danubian government and he would die, probably a horrible death. If he traveled to Upper Danubia, perhaps the Danubian government could protect him. "Maybe you're right. I suppose you really would be better off testifying and just be done with it. But if you do come with me, there's gonna have to be a condition. I'm gonna need you to stay in Danube City for a while. I think you'd be safer there than anywhere else. Maybe you could learn Danubian and study at the National University." "But I don't have any money." Cynthia gave him an incredulous look. "I think the Duchy can afford a scholarship. I also think that anyone in their government would open up their house to you and consider it an honor to have you sit at their table. You're the only reason they're not all dead right now." There was a long pause, while Jason thought of another detail in his life, the one person he could not live without. "There's something else, that's very important to me." "What's that?" "Cecilia. I can't leave her. She'd have to go too." "That goes without saying. She'll have to go, because she'll be in just as much danger as you." ---------- Later that afternoon Jason broke the news to Cecilia. She agreed that he really had no choice but to travel to Danube City and testify, and really no choice other than to stay there and hope the Danubian government could protect him. She also knew she had no choice other than to go with him. He needed her, as he had needed her over the past year, to encourage and inspire him. He needed her support, he needed her body, and he needed her presence. She would have to go. On the last day of final exams, Cecilia told Ruth Burnside about her decision. She explained in detail about Jason's role in preventing the coup plot and that he had one final contribution he needed to make, providing his testimony to ensure the plotters could be convicted. She explained that Jason's life was in danger, and the only hope he had of surviving the summer would be to stay in Upper Danubia. To that Burnside responded: "Well, you know that we're setting up an exchange program with the National University in Danube City. We won't be sending students until next year, but the program's going to need a counselor. We'll need someone to be the first student on the ground, a U.S. citizen who can deal with the quirks of the Danubians and help people get settled in. I had been wondering who we were going to send, but I think the candidate just chose herself." "You mean...me?" "Why not? You've proved yourself as an RA. I just got a phone call from the director of Huntington Hall. He told me you were the best RA he's had, ever. Since you're going to be stuck Danube City anyway, we'll just send you as our first student. Our trailblazer, so to speak. Get yourself settled in...you'll have a year to do it, and then you can put your old RA skills to use when we send our first batch of exchange students next summer." Cecilia's heart jumped at Burnside's proposal. So it really was her destiny to follow Jason and continue to be the mainstay of his life. Even Burnside knew that. They would be leaving together and they would stay in Danube City, however long that needed to be, together. However, another thought crossed her mind, a strange one, considering all that had happened to her over the past year. She felt pushed to share it with her professor. "You know, Dr. Burnside, in spite of everything, I'm gonna miss you." "I'll miss you too. A lot, maybe more than you think. We've had our rough spots, but it's not going to be the same without you around the office." ---------- Cecilia and Jason both had to say goodbye to the people in their lives. Cecilia got together with Suzanne just two days before it was time for her to leave. She wasn't one to talk about what had happened to Jason to most people, but she did feel she could share some of the details with her photographer friend. Suzanne was very sorry to see Cecilia departing from her life, but she knew that it had to be that way. Upper Danubia needed Jason, and Jason needed her. The path of her life had been determined, and she would have to follow it. Before they gave each other their final hug, Suzanne took one last picture of Cecilia. It was a simple portrait taken of her sitting at the university coffee shop, but once she developed the picture, Suzanne would consider the image one of her best. There was the need to say goodbye to Lisa and Ken, but both Jason and Cecilia knew that it would be better not to burden them with the serious situation of the upcoming trial in Danube City. Instead they listened to Ken talking about his upcoming pledge obligations with the Tri-Alphas, and Lisa talking about her recent decision to join the fraternity's sister sorority. They would spend the summer doing odd things for upper classmen and getting their butts paddled, and then in the fall Ken probably would be doing a repeat performance as a pledge leader. It would be a while before life would close in on them, but Jason was glad about that. They could still have some fun and just be ordinary students for a few more years. Jason hoped Ken and Lisa could stay together as a couple, but wasn't sure whether that would happen. There was one final goodbye, and that was Jason's grandmother. Her friend drove her all the way from Wisconsin to Chicago, in part so she could take some of the things he would not be able to ship to Danube City. She would store the items to give back to him at some point in the future. She talked about her hopes for him and Cecilia. As for Mr. Schmidt, she had no news about him whatsoever. Cassie had gone back to the house, but had told her that she had not seen much of either of her parents since her father's temper tantrum in the den back in April. Not that she wanted to see him. She was perfectly content having the house to herself. Jason's grandmother was proud of her grandson, even though he had been forced to turn his back on everything he had grown up with. He would leave and then return in a few years, irrecoverably changed. While he was absent the crisis about to strike down his parents would come and go, and later he would be called upon to salvage what was left of his family. Life had great things in store for Jason, even if he did not realize it yet. Jim Halsey was the person who took the three students to the airport. He stayed with them until they made it past the security screeners, his eyes watchful to make sure no one had followed them into the terminal. A short time later Cynthia Lee, Jason Schmidt, and Cecilia Sanchez were on their way to Frankfurt, where they would change planes and make the final short flight to Danube City. The Freshman Ch. 30 Chapter 30 - Americans in Danube City The three Americans completed the final leg of their journey about 10 hours after beginning it in Chicago. Only a short time after rising to cruising altitude the plane began its descent into Danubian airspace. Jason and Cecilia looked out of their window at a range of heavily forested mountains that gave way to open farmland punctuated with villages and crisscrossed by railroad tracks. There was a large lake off in the distance that must have been the Rika Chorna Reservoir. The plane banked to the west and briefly followed the Rika Chorna River westward as it descended towards the capitol. Finally it veered away from the river and passed over potato fields and some ancient-looking buildings as it approached the nation's only international airport. The arrival was a surreal experience because the airport was so primitive. The plane simply stopped next to a 1930's art-deco style terminal building that looked like a prop from a very old movie. Workers rolled two staircases on wheels next to the plane and the passengers stepped out into the open air. The final part of the journey into the building had to be completed on foot. It was obvious there still was a lot of tension because of the recent coup attempt. There were police snipers and anti-aircraft batteries on the rooftop of the terminal, and an over-all air of concern among the officials working the Customs lines. Jason knew the Danubians had reason to be worried because, until the situation of the mercenaries was resolved, there was the constant possibility of an escape or rescue attempt. Cynthia led the group through Airport Customs because she spoke Danubian and her companions did not. It was obvious the Customs officials knew who she was and simply waved her through. Jason and Cecilia noticed her exchanging salutes with several people in uniform. The person picking them up was none other than Vladik Dukov, the Prime Minister's son. He was in full uniform and accompanied by two lower-ranking police officers. Once their suitcases were retrieved, the three Americans and the three police officers traveled into Danube City in a van owned by the Danubian Police. For most Danubians, even riding in a police van was considered a luxury, since there was a very strict prohibition against personal vehicles of any type in the Duchy. Why that rule was needed became very evident as the van entered the Danubian capitol. The crowded streets and tightly packed buildings simply could not have accommodated anything other than trolleys, bicycles, and the occasional police or military vehicle. The fact that Vladik was the Prime Minister's son made no difference as far as his transportation was concerned. Cynthia explained that Danubians liked to keep things as simple as possible when it came to their daily lives. It was a cultural value that even politicians were expected to uphold, and certainly one that Dukov supported. Even the Prime Minister tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as he went about his business. For example, if Dukov needed to go anywhere, usually he just hitched a ride in whatever police van happened to be nearby. If his situation was urgent, or he needed to go to several places in a single trip, the cop driving the van might actually need to stay parked outside and wait for him. If it was something really important or a major trip by a Parliamentary entourage, then three or even four police vans might be needed. That was considered extravagant. Upper Danubia had no equivalent of Air Force One or the Presidential Limo. As they passed rows of well maintained solidly built houses, small street shops, attractive schools, and clean trolley stops, Cecilia was able to appreciate an urban environment that was totally different from the one where she grew up. The first thing that struck her was the complete lack of graffiti. There was none: not a single spot of spray paint on a single wall, anywhere. There was no trash on the streets and absolutely nothing that appeared broken. It was obvious the country was not rich, but what wealth it did have seemed very evenly distributed. There was one quirk of the Danubians that became evident right away, and that was their love of griffins, their national symbol. Griffins were everywhere; not just on the national flag, but also painted on any large wall throughout the city and in the form of numerous statues guarding the entrances of parks and public buildings. There were big griffins, small griffins, medieval-style griffins, and even abstract modern griffins. Every society has its oddities, and the obsession with depicting griffins was a major one of the Danubians. Cindy joked: "If you don't like looking at griffins, you're in the wrong country." The van passed an area where there were a large number of naked criminals moving around carrying musical instruments or other items needed to perform or record music. Cecilia couldn't decide what shocked her more, seeing a bunch of naked people on the street or seeing them with their instruments. Cynthia explained that the area was where the city's thriving musical recording studios was located and that the naked people in the street were musicians from various groups who were working on their music. "The Danubians have an expression 'to sing like a criminal', which falls back on their idea that only a criminal, a person who has gone through a lot of personal anguish, can really express themselves with true emotion. There's a belief in this country that only music that comes from criminals is genuine, that has that genuine feel of suffering that people here like to hear so much." The trip took the van around the Old City Wall, which was largely intact except several spots where openings allowed streets to pass through into the oldest section of town. Huge 600-year old stone watchtowers, which at one time looked out over open fields, now looked out over the old business district of the Danubian capitol. The group's destination was Danube City's largest hotel; an elaborate 19th Century building that overlooked the East Danube River. It was in that hotel where Cecilia, Jason, and Cindy would spend the next several nights, and where Kimberly Lee would meet with them later in the afternoon. Cynthia translated an explanation from Vladik. "The Prime Minister apologizes for not being at the airport to greet you himself, but he's down in Athens, 'cause they're getting ready to put that baggage handler on trial... you know, the guy who was going to load the bomb on their plane. Anyhow, he'll be back in a couple of days and in the meantime wants you guys to get settled in." Vladik checked the Americans into three adjoining rooms, but Cynthia explained that they actually would have only two rooms, because two police officers assigned to protect the group during the trial would have the third room. She added that Cecilia could either sleep with Jason or with her. It was obvious that Cindy was the one who would have a room to herself. Kimberly Lee, dressed in business attire and accompanied by a tall female criminal, showed up shortly after the three Americans were checked in. Like every other criminal, Kim's companion was completely naked except for her metal collar. The taller woman was attractive and couldn't have been much older than 21. It turned out she was yet another fellow American, Kim's client Tiffany Walker. Tiffany shyly shook hands with Jason and Cecilia, said hello to Cynthia, and then did something that totally surprised Jason. She knelt in front of Kimberly, touching her forehead to the ground. "Goodbye, Apprentice Lee, may the Ancients protect you on your journey home." "Goodbye, Criminal # 98946. You are released for the evening. May the Ancients protect you until we meet again." With that Tiffany stood up and hugged Vladik. They took off, a uniformed cop and a naked criminal, who just happened to be engaged to each other. Noticing the bewildered expressions on her guests' faces, Kim commented: "It's sort of an interesting story, how they got together. I'll fill you guys in on that later on, because I think it will help you understand this place a bit better." Cecilia's heart was pounding now that she finally was meeting the woman whose music had so profoundly changed her life. She had corresponded with Kim plenty over the past two years, but now, here she was, in Danube City, with Kimberly Lee right in front of her, and not able to say anything. She was just too overwhelmed. Kim understood that Cecilia had been through a lot, and perhaps needed a break from anything that required any thought or making decisions. She suggested a walk through the old section of the city, the heart of the place that would be their home for an indefinite period of time. It gave Cecilia and Jason a chance to just follow someone else's lead and not really have to worry about anything apart from seeing the city. They would need time to adjust to where they were and what was happening to them. Kim led them past the Old City Wall into the downtown part of the capitol. They walked through the National Parliament Building and exited into the Central Plaza, where they contemplated the National Cathedral and the sprawling headquarters of the National Police. It was weird to think, in the basement that very building, were many of the prisoners and nearly all of the weapons from the failed coup that had landed Jason and Cecilia into Upper Danubia in the first place. Several old tanks and military trucks guarding the main entrance, as well as the police snipers stationed on the roof, served to remind the four Americans of the continued tension the nation suffered because of the recent traumatic events. "It's a strange building, the Central Police Station. A lot of it's underground, which is why they got so much room. There's chambers and vaults down there that are over 1000 years old, and even a catacomb. It's a lot bigger than it looks, 'cause of all the parts you can't see. Anyhow, the Central Courthouse, where you're gonna be testifying, that's over there, opposite the Police Station. You guys want to see my office?" Of course Jason and Cecilia were curious to see where Kim worked, so they made their way into the main entrance and up two flights of stairs to the hallway of offices where Danube City's 20 Spokespersons and 17 Apprentices worked. They entered one of the doors and passed into the back room. There were two desks, because, as Kim explained, she shared the office with another Apprentice. Once she graduated and sworn-in as a Spokeswoman, she would have the office to herself. Kim added that the office where she was working was Spokesman Vladim Dukov's office before he became Prime Minister. Seeing all of the places she had heard about in Kim's music and correspondence greatly put Cecilia at ease, and allowed her to start asking her questions about her life and about Danube City in general. Gradually the conversation became more two-way, and Cecilia and Jason started relaxing enough to talk about themselves. They stepped back out into the Central Plaza. Off in the distance loomed King Vladik's Castle, but Kim announced there would not be time to see that landmark, because already it was getting late. Instead she had something much stranger and much more revealing to share with them. They returned to her office, where the two sisters changed into black prayer robes. They invited Jason and Cecilia to go with them to the Temple of the Ancients. "We've both converted to the Danubian Church." Kim explained. "If you guys don't mind, Cynthia and I need to go over to the Temple, and we'll take you to see it, if you're curious. After that I'm gonna have to head down to the river and meet up with someone." With that the four Americans walked past Danube City's 15th Century National Cathedral, which now was used mostly for ceremonial instead of religious functions. The real center of the nation's religious life was the Cathedral's predecessor, the Temple of the Ancients. The Temple was much older than the Cathedral; parts of it 3,000 years old, dating clear back to the mysterious origins of the Danubian nation. Before there was anything else in Danube City, there was the Temple. The building seemed fairly busy for a weeknight. There were no worship services going on, but plenty of people were present, praying in front of Priests or Priestesses, performing penance services, or getting counseling. Cindy took a candle and lit it, indicating she wanted a member of the Clergy to talk to her. She knelt and began praying while holding the candle. Within a few minutes a middle-aged man in a black robe approached and they stepped outside into the park behind the Temple. Kim explained a few details about the history of the Temple during Cynthia's absence, which lasted about 20 minutes. When Cynthia re-appeared, the four went down to the river. It was a warm late spring night. They silently walked along a very dark trail until they got to a sidewalk that paralleled the East Danube River. They turned upstream and walked until they got to a park bench, where a naked muscular young woman, barely visible in the darkness, was waiting. Kim and the other woman knelt facing each other, touched their heads the ground, then knelt upright and turned to face the Temple. They scooted closer together, placed their heads back on the ground, and began quietly praying. Cynthia motioned Jason and Cecilia to step back. "They're gonna be at it for a while, so we might as well go for a walk. We'll follow the river down to the Castle, then we'll come back and see how they're doing." They began their trek along the shore, their walk partially illuminated by the moon reflecting off the East Danube River. The Castle loomed ahead, looking quite forbidding, with its black shape silhouetted against the moonlit night. Cynthia glanced back in the direction of her sister to the spot where she was praying with the naked woman. Cecilia looked back as well, wondering what Kim was doing. "So, who's that woman Kim's with?" "Her name is Criminal # 99348. Before she was convicted, she was known as Officer Malka Chorno, and Kim, even though she's an Apprentice, still calls her by her former name. Malka Chorno's the cop that arrested Kim...four years ago. Hard to believe, it's been four years already. Anyhow, Malka Chorno was a person whose soul was very damaged, perhaps as much as Jason's father, but in a different way. She was really mean to Kim during the first year of her sentence. Then, while she was switching Kim a year after she arrested her, she lost control of herself and beat Kim so hard she cut her skin open, which is illegal. When Spokesman Dukov tried to stop her, she kicked him in the stomach, in a courtroom right in front of a judge. Well, that ended her career as a cop real fast. She was convicted of a bunch of stuff and became a criminal, no better than Kim. Ever since then Kim and Malka have trying to come to terms with each other, because they both know the path of their lives requires them to do it. Their souls are tied together. Each of them became a criminal because of the other, but each was redeemed as the result of her arrest." "That doesn't make any sense." "Yes it does. The path of each of their lives was to get arrested. It had to be that way, because each of their souls was damaged. Before she got arrested, Kim was getting heavily into drugs. Her arrest stopped that, dead in its tracks. As for Malka, she was obsessed with what happened to her younger sister. The girl disappeared with seven other Danubian girls because of a white slavery trafficking ring that hooked teenagers on drugs and then sold them in the Middle East as sex slaves. Malka became almost psychotic over what happened because she blamed herself for not watching her sister better. She became a real monster around criminals, and especially foreigners. Her arrest, and the way Kim handled it, made her realize hatred had consumed her and destroyed her completely. She changed, became repentant, overcame her hatred, and took back her life. Malka accepted herself for what she is, a criminal. Now the Path of her life is totally different. She's the city's most popular gym instructor." "Kim's had a very important role in Malka's life. Here's an example, just one out of a whole bunch. After she was sentenced, Malka met her husband Tuko at the Socrates Club, because Tuko was a friend of Kim. Then, last fall, Tuko (who's now a cop) went to the Middle East as part of an international police team trying to find out what happened to the victims of that trafficking ring who were still missing. Just before he left, Kim had a vision about where her body was buried and told him about it. He went to that spot, dug around a bit, and sure enough, there it was, the body of Malka's sister. Tuko came back to Danube City with her body and a couple of others. If nothing else, at least the girls had a decent burial in their own country instead of rotting out in the desert. So, ever since Tuko got back, Malka and Kim have prayed together, even though they don't really like each other. There's some sort of spiritual bond between them, something neither of them understands. And that spot where they pray, that's where Malka arrested Kim for smoking weed." Cynthia's companions were silent, not knowing how to react. The story of Kimberly Lee and Malka Chorno was strange and very frightening. It was a very Danubian story. Jason and Cecilia felt uneasy as they glanced off into the wooded park that seemed full of both the living and the dead. They could feel there was something in there: something ancient and mysterious. Cecilia asked why that relatively small plot of land was so important. "This spot is the holiest place in Upper Danubia," explained Cynthia. "They call it the Sacred Ground of the Guardian Spirits, and it's been important for 3,000 years. They have all kinds of beliefs about the Sacred Ground, but the one they're really big on is that it's the only spot in the Land of the Living where you can confront whatever you did wrong in your life. The Ancients are here, and they'll answer if you call out to them. So people come here at night to pray. What they do is go to the Temple first and explain to someone in the Clergy what's bothering them. The Clergy member gives their own perspective about what's wrong and what to ask the Ancients. Then the person comes out here to face their...sins, although that's not really a good way to translate it. Maybe 'damage to the soul' is a better way to say it." Cynthia glanced at her companions in the dark and continued. "It's sort hard for me to explain, but anyhow, the Danubian Church teaches that the soul is a living thing, something you need to maintain and protect. You suffer, and your soul suffers, but what you need to do is come to terms with your suffering, and above all, not pass it along to anyone else. You have to repair your spiritual injuries, and the wise person asks the Creator to help them come to terms with the pain in their lives. This is where they come to do it, this ground behind the Old Temple. I've had issues...a lot of things built up in me and a lot of hatred that I carried with me since I was a little kid...and it wasn't until I came here that I found a way to deal with it." "By converting to the Danubian Church?" "No. That came later. Not 'till last summer. There was a lot of stuff that came before I converted, and plenty of stuff that's come since. When I converted, that was just one small part of a very long spiritual journey I've had to endure." "So, how come you converted, anyhow?" "I think...maybe out of all the religions, this is the one that makes the most sense to me. The faith is all about repairing the damage to your soul and doing the best you can, so you can follow the path in life the Creator laid out for you. A path not for anyone else, but only for you. The point is, to follow your path in life, you have to meet the Creator halfway by understanding how your soul might be damaged, and how you have to fix it. You're not going to do anything perfectly, but the Creator wants you to do the best you can." The Freshman Ch. 30 "I like what they're preaching at the Temple because I see it in my own life. I mean...they do have a very strong idea about what's wrong and what's right. What's wrong is to inflict needless suffering on any living entity, and what's right is to try to make the world a more pleasant place for everyone and everything around you. They teach that a damaged soul is what destroys and hurts, while a soul on the right path of life does the opposite, makes everything better, or at least strives to make everything better. If your soul is damaged, then you will be a constant source of misery to yourself and everyone else around you." "Like my dad." "Yes, Jason, like your dad. From what I've heard about him, his soul is about as damaged as they come. Well, anyhow, to answer your original question, why did I convert? I think the thing that got me was the Clergy's view of the Afterlife. What the Danubians believe is that upon dying, you have to come to terms with the way you lived, and just as importantly, the way you were as a person. You face the Creator, you hold up a mirror that you're buried with. In that mirror you see your soul for what it truly was when you were alive. You see the Absolute Truth, the full truth about the path of your life. Every question you ever had gets answered. And then, except for the truth, there's no absolutes, no black and white, no Heaven and no Hell. Instead what you have is an afterlife in which your soul faces the consequences, good and bad, of everything you ever did. I like that idea, because it means that you have to take responsibility for the way you live, day to day, minute to minute. What's done in your life is done, there's no praying and just hoping it will go away. You do something, and the Creator will hold you accountable. All you can do is hope you can learn, and try to behave better in the future. A pretty strong incentive to do your best, don't you think?" "Yeah...a bit scary, when you think about it." "Not at all. It's very empowering. You can't make excuses to the Creator. You are responsible, and that's all there is to it. I pray a lot, but for the future, not for the past. I can't change the past, and I will face the consequences of the past when I die. However, I do control what kind of person I will be in the future. That's what I need to worry about. That's where I ask the Creator's help." A middle-aged couple passed them in the darkness. They were as naked as Malka Chorno and wearing collars, but Jason and Cecilia noticed the collars were not typical criminal collars. Instead they were smooth and lacked the prisoner's ring. "That couple's performing pubic penance," explained Cynthia. "I can tell, because those collars are from the Temple, not from the Ministry of Justice." Cecilia knew about public penance, but Jason did not, so Cynthia explained it to him. In some ways penance was like a criminal sentence, but it was a sentence a person imposed on himself instead of having it imposed by the Ministry of Justice. The goal of penance and a criminal sentence were similar, to strip away as much as possible from the person's old life to allow him to start building a new one. As Cynthia put it: "The Church considers penance important for anyone who wants to make any kind of change in their life. Penance places you on public display. The idea is that the public stripping of worldly items from your body will help you to strip the worldly contamination from your soul. You're also humbling yourself in the eyes of society, because a person performing penance has the same legal status and duties as a convicted criminal. You put on the Temple collar and expose yourself to everyone around you. You are announcing to the world 'I don't like who I've been up until now. I want strip my soul and rebuild it, because I need to change. Until I can clean my soul, my body will remain uncovered.'" "Cynthia, I'm kinda curious about something. Did you ever perform penance?" "Yes. I wore a Temple collar last summer for a couple of weeks before I converted. I'm planning to do it again after the trial. This time it's going to have to be more than a few weeks. I might be wearing a collar for several months, but I haven't decided how long yet. When the time comes, I'll talk to the Priest who swore me into the Church and see what he thinks." "But...how come you're gonna do it now? Did you do something wrong?" "I have my reasons. I can't really explain them, but it's important to me. I'm just waiting for the trial to be over, and then I'm getting collared. I have some issues I got to settle between myself and the Creator." Cynthia's explanation profoundly affected her two companions, for very different reasons. Jason was heartened by what Cynthia had told him. He desperately wanted to mark the end of the person he had been, and the beginning of the person he wanted to become in the future. He wanted to break from his past and demonstrate to himself and the world that he could be someone else than who he had been before he entered college. He did not want to be the helpless son of a wealthy American corporate sociopath. He wanted to be someone different, someone he could actually respect. Would performing penance give him that break he needed to separate his new life from his old one? Cecilia, meanwhile, suddenly felt horribly guilty about wanting to use a Danubian religious practice to pursue a sexual fantasy with Jason. Now that she understood the philosophy of the Temple and the seriousness of public penance, the thought of using it to make Jason into her personal servant seemed offensive, to say the least. She felt that if anyone needed to perform penance, it was she, for having such a sacrilegious thought, not Jason. An idea began forming that over the next several weeks would grow, crystallize in her mind, and ultimately force her to take action. She would need to confess to a Danubian Priest her secret fantasy of abusing public penance and accept the consequences. ---------- The group returned to the spot where Kim and Malka Chorno had been praying to find Kim standing by herself, looking out over the East Danube River. Kim was in a quiet, reflective mood, but seemed quite happy to see her companions return. The four Americans made their way back to the Temple and then out to the plaza in front, where Kim pointed out the café where her husband had worked during his sentence. "It's weird, how your mind plays tricks on you. Every time I pass that place I think I'm gonna see Sergekt with his waiter's tray, and of course he hasn't worked there since we finished our sentences." Kim suddenly became less reflective and more upbeat. "So, how tired are you guys?" "Not too bad." "OK, then let's get these robes off and I'll take you over to the Socrates Club." The four Americans briefly returned to the Central Police Station to allow Kim and Cynthia to get out of their prayer robes and put their street clothes back on. However, they would remain dressed only long enough to take a trolley to the Socrates Club, the famous criminals' haunt that was the core of the entire Danubian music scene. Then everything, jewelry included, would have to come off. The four Americans surrendered their possessions at the cloakroom and entered into a world unlike anything Jason or Cecilia had ever seen. There were hundreds of naked bodies on the dance floor, seated at the tables, and just running around with pitchers of beer or bowls of deep-fried vegetables. Kim found an empty table and ordered a large bowl of vegetables, which tasted something like salted Tempura, and a pitcher of very weak Danubian beer. It was amazing to see how at ease the Lee sisters were with their bodies, and of course Jason, who fit right in. Cecilia felt uneasy because her dark skin drew a lot of curious glances from the European crowd. The Lee sisters drew less attention because everyone in the room knew who they were. Shortly after they sat down, a young criminal who obviously liked Cynthia joined the Americans. He invited her to dance, leaving Kim and Cecilia to converse at the table. Kim talked at length about the club and its history, as well as her own time as a criminal when "Socrates' Mistresses" was just starting out. She added that the band would perform here the following weekend, and of course Jason and Cecilia were invited. Kim's husband Sergekt Dolkiv showed up, kissed her, and shook hands with Jason and Cecilia. Then, in Danubian he asked his wife to dance, leaving Cecilia and Jason with no choice but to get up and dance as well. They danced slowly to a very sad-sounding song coming from the stage in a language neither of them understood. They were dancing naked, in a room of about 400 other naked young people, all of them criminals or ex-criminals, in club that was legendary for its music throughout Europe. They were in Europe's most isolated country, with no hope of being able to leave anytime soon. And yet, already, on their very first night in Danube City, there was a "normal" feel to their lives, in spite of the strangeness of their situation. Cecilia had come into the club with a woman she idealized, only to realize that Kimberly Lee was a very ordinary person in a very ordinary marriage with an ordinary Danubian. The Lee sisters were both flawed young women whose most important contribution to Cecilia and Jason would be their friendship. Friendship was good enough for Cecilia. She and Jason would need some decent friends to get them through the difficult times that lay ahead. At about midnight the four Americans and Sergekt Dolkiv got dressed and left the Socrates Club. Sergekt and Kim accompanied the others back to the hotel, but then got on another trolley to go home. Tomorrow was another day with a very full schedule. Cynthia went back to her own room, while Jason and Cecilia decided to go down to the hotel swimming pool. The water looked very inviting. As they entered the pool area they noticed a sign written in various languages, including: Danubian: "Negátutk odyáckt nad pisinúkt tatúk. Jáku: $ 1,000." English: "Clothing prohibited in swimming pool area. Fine: $ 1,000." Spanish: "Se prohíben los vestidos de baño en la piscina. Multa: $ 1,000." Obviously their days of wearing swimming suits had ended. Jason and Cecilia took off their clothes and slipped into the empty pool. The swimming lessons had to continue, no matter where they were. He spent a long time encouraging her to become more daring when taking her feet off the bottom. Finally, Cecilia surprised both herself and Jason by swimming the entire length of the pool unassisted. They were making excellent progress with at least one part of their lives, keeping Cecilia alive in the water. After swimming, the couple returned upstairs. Although she was desperate for sex, that night Cecilia was not in the mood to have Jason spend the normal session with his face between her legs. She didn't even want a massage. Instead she briefly massaged him, and then assumed his favorite position on the bed, on her elbows and knees with her bottom turned up and on full display. She wanted to present herself and submit to him. He entered her and, as usual, thrust until both of them were gasping from exhaustion and pleasure. Later, when he fell asleep, she got up and opened the curtains of the hotel room. For a very long time she stood at the window, looking out at the moon as it slowly sank westward over the river. She quietly hummed Kim's song "The wall that divides my soul". Now there were two walls that divided her soul, the one that separated her life in New Jersey from the one in Chicago, and the wall that separated the life in Chicago from the one she was starting in Danube City. There was one important difference, however. However hard this second transition might be, she wasn't facing it alone. The Freshman Ch. 31 Chapter 31 - A criminal and a Prime Minister The next day Cynthia came by the room being used by Cecilia and Jason and knocked to wake them up. They had only slept for about four hours, but Cynthia was unsympathetic. That day, their first full day in Upper Danubia, would be a busy one for them. They had breakfast in the hotel and then walked past the Old City Wall back to the Central Police Station, where Kim already was waiting for them. Jason and Cecilia spent the entire morning at Kim's office. In that building they came face-to-face with the Danubian justice system, because they saw numerous naked criminals going in and out of the Spokespersons' offices. Some of the criminals had very painful-looking switch marks on their backsides. Whenever a criminal greeted a Spokesperson, invariably they knelt and touched their head to the floor, as required by the society's protocol for criminals. Jason and Cecilia had to push aside the sheer weirdness of their situation and concentrate on their task at hand. Kim spent hours briefing the couple on the Danubian system for trying criminals, how testimony normally was given in court, how to address judges and other court officials, and even much smaller details such as when to salute and when not to salute. She then told them to type out their testimony on the computer in her office and suggested corrections. She played devil's advocate, trying to make sure they understood clearly their roles in unraveling the coup and how they should answer questions from defense attorneys. Finally Kim had the two witnesses videotape themselves practicing giving testimony in the booking room downstairs to review the next day. Within a couple of days Kim planned to have Jason ready to fulfill his Path in Life and speak clearly to the world about what he had done to stop his father's ambitions. By the time they finished with the videotaping it was mid-afternoon. They had a late lunch and then returned to Kim's office, where Tiffany Walker was sitting at a desk going over a textbook. Upon seeing Kim she immediately stood up, moved in front of her and knelt. "Good afternoon, Apprentice Lee. I am pleased you have safely returned." "Good afternoon, Criminal # 98946. I too, am glad that the Ancients kept you safe through the night. Please rise, so we may serve our purpose in life." Tiffany's purpose in life became evident as soon as she was off her knees. It turned out that Kim and Cynthia would need to spend the rest of the afternoon helping translate the statements of several English-speaking mercenaries. It was quite likely that duty would take them well into the night. The departure of the Lee sisters drove home the stark reality that Jason and Cecilia would have to make their own lives in Upper Danubia as quickly as possible and not rely on Kim and Cynthia. Tiffany told them that she would escort them to the university, where they would meet their Danubian instructor and get their first assignment for studying the Danubian language. Oh yeah...that's right. On top of everything else, they had a new language to learn. Tiffany asked Jason and Cecilia if they wanted to walk to the university, which was about a kilometer north of the hotel, or take a trolley. They decided to walk and enjoy the pleasant spring weather. Tiffany walked alongside them, completely naked except for her collar. She had a backpack full of books with her, but was carrying it, not wearing it. "Sometimes I wish I could just put this on and free up my hands, but of course I can't, because a backpack's considered clothing. You know the rule, that us criminals can't wear anything except in the winter, when we can wear boots." Tiffany's statement about her backpack let Cecilia and Jason know that she was open to talking about her situation and available to answer their questions. At first the questions were general, about the university, how hard was Danubian to learn, what was the study schedule going to be like, but then gradually the questions shifted to Tiffany and her own life. Cecilia and Jason were a bit taken aback when Tiffany described her former life in the U.S. as a stripper and meth user. She really had hit bottom and was just beginning the slow process of the lingering death of a meth addict when Kim showed up at the club's dance stage. The shock was horrible; that afternoon when Tiffany saw the friend she had betrayed sitting right at her feet with an infuriated expression on her face and two dollars in her hand. Kim was absolutely cruel over the next few minutes while "Willow" finished her dance, but out of that cruelty came Tiffany's salvation. Less than a week later she was in Danube City in a rehab program and beginning the long process of recovering from two years of heavy drug use. Cecilia had a question. "I was wonderin' about something. Doesn't it piss you off that Kim wants you to get on your knees every time you say 'hello' or 'goodbye' to her? I mean, to see you do that, I just find kinda weird." "I'm a criminal. That's what we have to do. It's the way things are in this country and I've gotten used to it. But I'll add something, maybe to make you understand why I don't mind greeting Apprentice Lee like that. I've been off meth for almost two years. It's because of her that I got off, and for that I'd lick her feet if she asked me to. If you haven't seen meth, you wouldn't understand where I'm coming from." "I 'spose I do know. I haven't seen meth, but I have a brother who was sellin' crack when I was in school. I saw a lot of what that shit does to people, so I guess I know where you're coming from." After a pleasant walk along a tree-lined street the three Americans arrived at the university. Tiffany took Jason and Cecilia to the instructor from whom they would be learning Danubian. She knelt and placed her head on the floor when she greeted him, because a professor was public official. Tiffany took an assignment out of her backpack and handed it to him before introducing the two new students. With that another part of Cecilia's life in Danube City was finalized, because the language instructor was the man who would be organizing the exchange program with Cecilia's university in Chicago from the Danubian side. He would be setting up the orientation program and hiring the instructors to teach a crash-course in Danubian to new exchange students, the same program that Cecilia would be administering on a day-to-day basis. The first class was simply learning the Danubian alphabet and a few short words to go with each letter. Jason and Cecilia left carrying homework assignments; letters and syllables they would have to memorize for the next day's class. Upon stepping outside, Tiffany took the two newcomers to a cafe at the university's language school. The university was set up very differently from a typical U.S. university, because instead of a large student center, each department had its own cafe. The closest thing to a central plaza was the courtyard in front of an old church that still was used for worship services and formal ceremonies. However, the university's social life revolved around the smaller cafes, not any centralized location. Another significant difference was the lack of a stadium. There were no university-level sports teams per se, and the Danubian Olympic Team was not associated with the university at all. There was an athletic department, but its purpose was to run fitness classes for the entire university. All students had to exercise throughout their university careers by showing up for calisthenics sessions five days per week. Another difference was the complete lack of dormitories. Almost all students commuted from their homes or lived with relatives. The few students whose families were too far to commute normally lived with family friends, or if there were no other options, in hostels run by the Danubian Church. Tiffany emphasized that there was no such thing as "living together". Suddenly Jason and Cecilia had a sinking feeling. No "living together", huh? It was Jason who asked the dreaded question. "Tiffany, I think we're both kinda curious. Has anyone told you...what exactly our living arrangements are going to be?" "Cecilia's probably going to be living with Victor Dukov's family, which is where I'm staying. One of Victor's sons just joined the Army, and so his room will be opening up in a few days. In other words we're gonna be housemates, and I'll be helping her with learning Danubian. As for you, I'm gonna guess you'll be at Spokesman Havlakt's place, since their kids are all grown up and they'll have room for you." "But what about getting a place of our own, just us together?" "Nope. Not gonna happen. And especially not with you two, because of your visibility. You're gonna have to put forth a good public image and show proper protocol. They're very strict about that in the Duchy. I'll give you an example, me. I'm officially a member of Victor's household. My fiancée Vladik, even though he's a cop and Victor's nephew, still has to come over to dinner on Sunday afternoons and formally court me. Even though I'm just a meth head and a criminal, he's still gotta do it. I never did anything formal in my life before I left America. But, now here I'm having to do all that formal courting stuff, just like any one else." "Shit." "It's not that bad, really." "Well, it doesn't sound all that good." In a lot of ways their protocol makes things easier. The Danubians aren't as concerned about where you come from or what you look like as much as they're concerned about "haráshkt jettít", or "the proper way to live". They want you to play by their rules. They're real big on that. You learn their rules and protocol, and they'll treat you just like anyone else. Once again, I can give you my own example. When I was starting out in the drug rehab program...well you know, I was coming down off both meth and heroin. I wasn't a pretty sight and I had these horrible mood swings. About a week after I started rehab, I snapped at one of the doctors and cussed him out. I did it in English and I thought they couldn't understand me, which was dumb of me, because my tone of voice made what I was saying obvious. The intern confronted me, but I told him I never said anything to the doctor. What's interesting was that all of the other patients quit talking to me, because I broke protocol and then lied about it." "So what happened?" "I had to take a switching, and that was my first lesson about the values here. What happened was that at the hospital they switch you for stuff like disrespect, but in my case they were going to cut me some slack because they thought I didn't know what I was doing, you know, being a foreigner and not speaking the language. I thought about it and figured: screw it. Just 'fess up, take the consequences, and get it over with. Once I apologized and took the strokes, that was it. It was as though it never happened after I admitted I was wrong. That's all they wanted, just for me to say I was wrong." Once they returned to the hotel, Tiffany stayed with Cecilia and Jason to help them with their language exercises. Finally Vladik Dukov showed up to take Tiffany home, and also came with the news that his father was coming back the next day. The first trials would start within a couple of days, because the Prime Minister wanted to resolve the situation of the mercenaries as quickly as possible. Once Tiffany and Vladik left, Jason and Cecilia went to the pool for a swimming lesson, and then back to the hotel room. They spent a long time making love, first by massaging each other, then with a round of oral sex to bring her to orgasm, then a straightforward round of sex. Best to take advantage of the hotel room while they could, because they doubted they would be spending any time together in Victor's house. A very depressing thought... ---------- The next day Jason reviewed his testimony on video while Kimberly Lee suggested changes and other ways to improve making himself understandable to a Danubian audience. He would have to speak in English and she would translate for him. Cecilia and Cynthia also would have to testify, but Jason's statements would be by far the most important of the three. Cecilia would testify about relaying the phone call and Cynthia would testify about her trip. However, Jason would need to explain what set off his curiosity about his father's conversations, how he recorded the cassettes, and how he got into his father's office and scanned the information. He would identify the six cassette tapes and three CD's and state when he recorded each one. Identifying the recordings in turn would allow the prosecutor to use the items as evidence against the three Mega-Town employees; one of who was conversing with Mr. Schmidt while Jason was recording his voice. Jason did have one problem. He had to protect Rita, the maid who opened the door for him. To do that he would have to claim he got the door open without any assistance, but to that Kim countered: "Just don't say anything about how you got the door open. I bet that question won't even come up unless you bring it up yourself. You went into the office. Period. If they ask you whether the door was locked you'll tell them it wasn't, which is true. Precisely at the moment you went in, that door wasn't locked." ---------- Late that afternoon Kimberly Lee relayed the news that she and her sister, as well as Jason and Cecilia, were invited to have dinner at the Prime Minister's official residence. Vladik and Tiffany also would be there, to allow Tiffany fulfill to her social obligation to dine every so often with her futures. The dinner was going to be strange one, because so many things were going on at once. Dukov genuinely wanted to have a social gathering and get together with his family, the Lee sisters, and Jason and Cecilia to chat with them socially, but unfortunately, there was important business to resolve as well. Late in the afternoon Kim told Cecilia and Jason to put on their best clothes. For Jason that meant choosing which suit looked best, while Cecilia simply would wear her Danubian dress and shawl. The Lee sisters showed up in formal dresses accompanied by Tiffany who, as always, was completely naked. Shortly afterwards, five Americans, four of them formally dressed and the fifth completely undressed, made their way around the Old City Wall towards the Prime Minister's official residence. Kim explained to Jason and Cecilia that they would follow her lead and salute the Prime Minister and his wife when they came out. However, once the official greeting was over, they should expect Dukov to converse with them just like he would with anyone else. Maritza did not speak any English at all, while Vladik and Anyia spoke it badly, so there would have to be pauses for translating. The residence was a very pleasant 18th Century Mansion, full of antique furniture and portraits of past Dukes and Prime Ministers. Once they arrived, the guests stood at attention, waiting for the Dukov family to come out and greet them. Vladik opened the door and held it for the rest of his family. Once Dukov was in sight the others saluted him, with the exception of Tiffany, who dropped to her knees and touched her head to the ground. Dukov returned the salute and asked Tiffany to stand up. That was it for formality, and a few seconds later everyone was inside seated at the dining room table. There was the obligatory "how was your trip" part of the conversation, followed by the Prime Minister's description of his trip to Greece. He gave an update on the status of the prisoners and mentioned his negotiations with other foreign leaders in his efforts to get rid of the lower-ranking fighters through repatriation. Finally, Dukov discussed two important issues affecting the country. The Parliament of his country's southern neighbor finally ratified the border treaty negotiated earlier in the year and a signing ceremony was slated for then end of June. Teams of surveyors already were setting up markers along the areas were the border was being changed. The second announcement was the apparent capitulation of the EU over the trucking route destined to bisect the eastern part of the country. It turned out the coup attempt swung public opinion in many countries in favor of Dukov and other leaders felt forced to meet his demands. The road would be built, but paid for by the EU, not Upper Danubia. Only Danubian workers would be used in the construction, which pretty much would resolve the unemployment situation in the eastern provinces. What was even better, the EU had re-issued its invitation for Upper Danubia to join, but with several major concessions not included in the original treaty. It was clear that Dukov had played on a feeling of international guilt to obtain maximum advantage for his country. "There is one concession I needed to make to my counterparts," concluded Dukov, "and that was my promise not to execute any of the prisoners we convict from the coup. In the beginning it will be very difficult to explain that concession to the Danubian people. The citizens of this country are very angry and wish to paint the streets with the blood of our attackers, but now will be unable to do so. It is a dilemma for me, but perhaps one less than people think. Through our laws, I intend to resolve the dilemma to the satisfaction of the Danubian nation." Dukov moved on to Jason's situation. He was very grateful to his young guest and made that quite clear. Then he questioned the college student about what he knew about Mega-Town Associates and his father's role in the coup. Dukov did not understand what a lobbyist was, so Jason and Cynthia spent several minutes educating the Prime Minister about that aspect of U.S. political life. Jason's host was curious to understand his reasoning for turning against his father, since doing such a thing was not at all common in the Duchy. It was Cynthia who had to translate, not the English, which the Prime Minister understood very well, but the more intangible language of honor, fairness, and idealism. She explained that Jason felt his father had dishonored the Schmidt family by becoming involved in the coup plot. Jason's motivation for helping the Danubians stemmed from his belief that he needed to redeem his family's honor. Jason believed that his path in life was to restore the honor of his family, by undermining the dishonorable actions of a member whose soul had become damaged by greed. It was very strange for Jason to hear his own motivations translated to allow a foreign mind with a different way of viewing the world to understand them. Jason simply would have said "I didn't think what my dad wanted to do was fair." However, he realized that the words Cynthia used for expressing his motives were just as true as his own words would have been, just phrased differently. Jason realized something else at that moment. His concerns went way beyond his own family's "honor" and what he saw as "fair" and "unfair". He hated the corporate culture and ideology of greed that his father and Mega-Town Associates represented and defended. He decided to add another dimension to Cynthia's explanation about his motives, trying to use the Duchy's values to explain himself. "Prime Minister Dukov, there's more to this than just the honor of my family. I think we're also talking about the honor of the United States. I don't want the people of Upper Danubia to think that everybody in my country likes what's happening. I think that most people in the U.S. don't like it at all, what these corporations are doing to the world, but we don't know what to do about it. Corporations like Mega-Town...like you'd put it... are poisoning our souls and dishonoring our people. What I did was to try, as an American, to prevent something that would have made the whole country look bad...or...I guess as you'd say it, dishonor us...I mean like...dishonor America. And...I mean...when I go to court...I want to tell you...and tell the world...that we Americans aren't all like that. We're just not. We're not all like those Mega-Town CEO's. That's just not the way most of us think. I want you guys to get that..." The Freshman Ch. 31 "So you consider what you did much more than just an issue of your family's honor?" "A lot more, Sir. It's about all of us, all of us Americans who just are sick of the big guys always getting their way, and making the rest of the world think we support them." "Very well, Jason, I believe your thoughts are something our people should hear. You will honor us if you provide that statement in court. I think those words, coming from you, will help begin to heal the hurt and the anger of the Danubian people against the United States. To me you seem a person of great honor indeed, and I believe that not only the Danubian nation, but perhaps also the American nation, will ultimately be blessed by having you walk among us." The Freshman Ch. 32 Chapter 32 - The witness The following Monday, over the furious objections of their defense attorneys, the trial of Mega-Town Associates Executives Richard Moore, Joe Guerra, and Jeff "Cutter" Stern got underway. The Chief Justice of the Danubian Supreme Court announced that, no matter what the defense attorneys wanted, the trial would begin, because keeping the lower-level mercenaries confined much longer in their current condition was not acceptable. Before the trial, the judge issued a stern warning to the defense attorneys that, in Upper Danubia, a defense counsel was not permitted to commit any act in court with the intention of deceiving the judge. Evidence could be challenged only if its veracity could be called into question, and the same went for witnesses. There was no such thing as a motion to delay due to technicalities. Also, the sole purpose of a trial was to determine guilt or innocence of the defendants. The judge had a final statement to the lawyers: "I want you to understand we are conducting this proceeding to find out the truth about your clients. You will make no attempt to conceal that truth or construe the facts to allege untrue events or motives. Perhaps such things are acceptable in the courts of your country, but they are not acceptable to the government of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. If I catch you making any effort to deceive me, I will prosecute you for perjury, which in the Duchy carries a 20-year sentence as a convicted criminal. We have 549 cases to resolve, and no one in this country has time to listen to any deception." Of course, the judge's instructions to the trial lawyers neutralized many tactics they would have used in other countries. There would be no trial delays, no omitting of evidence unless it was proven to be false, and above all, no efforts to deceive the people running the proceedings. A trial that in other countries might have lasted for months would be resolved in Danube City within a few days. The government's plan was to prosecute the Mega-Town Executives first and make and example out of them. To legal experts following the trial, the strategy seemed rather odd, given that the normal strategy was to prosecute lower-level members of the conspiracy first, get them to testify, and then work up to collecting evidence against the organizers. However, the participation of Jason Schmidt removed the need to conduct the trial in the normal manner. The documents Jason provided the Danubian government, plus his father's recorded conversations to someone he called "Cutter" on the phone, provided the evidence of both their actions and their motives needed to convict the Mega-Town executives of several serious charges. These included attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to wage war against the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, insurrection (because they were planning to be in Upper Danubia during the coup), and the illegal importing of weapons and explosives into the Duchy. The conversations and documents from Jason's three CD's and six cassette tapes would be the main part of the case the prosecutor was presenting against the CEO's. Jason's role in the trial would be to verify that he was the source of the evidence and explain how and when the CD's and cassette tapes were created. Cecilia would verify that she placed Jason on contact with Cynthia Lee, who in turn would verify that she was the person who transported the evidence to Upper Danubia and helped translate the contents. Vladim Dukov and several officers from the Danubian Secret Police would describe how they reviewed the information and used it to intercept the coup's participants. Finally, the officers arresting the CEO's would present additional evidence seized from them that matched the information Jason had provided. Under Danubian law, the evidence was enough to convict "Cutter" Stern and Richard Moore of capital offenses. Guerra's chances in court were much better, because the direct evidence against him was not nearly as strong. However, upon being convicted "Cutter" and Moore would be offered a choice, either face the firing squad or testify against Guerra and get life terms. Assuming that Stern and Moore were not particularly courageous men (which they weren't), the hope was they would provide information about the coup not included in Jason's documents to convict Guerra, and in doing so save themselves. The next phase would be to resolve the bulk of the cases of the lower-level participants in the coup. Dukov already had promised to extradite the nearly 300 foreign participants to their home countries, but they had not been told about that arrangement and were terrified. Many of them were providing valuable information that would be used to prosecute the field commanders and coup organizers, whose trials would take place immediately after the Mega-Town convictions. The Danubian government hoped that the easy conviction of the top-level conspirators in the case would scare everyone else involved into cooperating. The message would be very clear: we don't need to make any deals with you, because, as you can see, we even had the evidence we needed to convict your bosses. We got them, and now we'll get you. Tell us what you know about the coup, and maybe we'll be lenient. ---------- Jason Schmidt, Cecilia Sanchez, and Cynthia Lee, accompanied by their police escort, left the hotel and walked past the Old City Wall to get to the Central Courthouse. It was a beautiful May morning, a harbinger of plenty of nice hot summer days the three college students could expect to enjoy in that peaceful city. At that moment the world seemed to open up to them, as each step towards the courthouse was a step closer to fulfilling a very important part of their Path in Life. For the first time in several years, Jason felt completely at peace with himself. Today was the day he would make the final break with his corrupted past. The wall in his soul, the barrier that separated the person who he had been from the one he would become, already was in place. Once he left the courtroom in the afternoon, that wall would be complete. He could never go back to who he had been just a few weeks before. The three college students and their police escort made their way past the security cordons and tanks guarding the Central Courthouse. The two cops seemed relieved once they actually made it into the building, because their duty to safely deliver their witnesses was completed. Kimberly Lee and Vladik Dukov approached the three Americans and led them into the main trial chamber. Kim took them directly to the witness box, because she expected that at the very least Jason would be giving his testimony later in the day. Knowing how important his evidence was to the entire case, the trial judge had no intention of letting Jason out of his sight until he had given his crucial statement about the CD's and cassette tapes. Jason felt a tug at his arm. Cecilia, with her usual sarcastic smile, grabbed his tie and straightened it. She brushed off his jacket and then squeezed his hand as they sat down. As always, she wanted her man properly dressed and looking presentable, not looking like some MTV groupie. "DOC-DOC DANUBE!" The judge entered the courtroom and stood at his desk. The entire room, including the witnesses, saluted. Three arrogant looking middle-aged U.S. citizens, dressed in black robes and restrained by chains, entered the courtroom with their police escorts. They were visibly infuriated. Mega-Town Associates' CEO's simply are not treated this way by a country as pathetic as Upper Danubia. They made that quite clear even before their lawyers had a chance to greet the judges. It was obvious they were not off to a good start, and equally obvious they did not realize the seriousness of their situation. Of course they were going to get out of these ridiculous charges... The judge began with reciting the facts of the case. All three men, along with their personal bodyguards, were picked up in their hotel suites by uniformed officers of the National Police Force of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia early in the morning on April 21. From the rooms of Moore and Stern, the police officers recovered multiple documents indicating the two men's prior knowledge and participation in a planned armed insurrection against the government of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, to be followed by a similar such insurrection against the government of the country's southern neighbor. The Prosecutor presented the documents into evidence, following the statements of the police officers making the arrests. The chief of the Danube City precinct testified next, relating that, on April 16th, he had received direct orders from the nation's Prime Minister to locate the defendants and detain them on the morning of the 21st. The defendants entered the country on April 17th via the King Vladik International Airport, and were placed under surveillance pending their arrests four days later. Vladim Dukov spoke next. Even though he was the Prime Minister, he had to salute the judge as a subordinate, because the judge was the boss of the courtroom. In this trial Dukov was a witness, just like any other, and had to address the judge as such. He described drafting the arrest warrant as part of a major security operation aimed at disrupting an armed insurrection against the Duchy. He described what he knew of the plot at the time, but with emphasis on explaining why he decided the three defendants needed to be detained. For the record, the judge had a question: "Prime Minister Dukov, you are stating that your actions against the defendants were based on prior knowledge of their intentions?" "Yes, your honor. My decision to detain the defendants was based on information I obtained on April 7th of this year." "Would you please describe this information to the court?" Dukov cited numerous scanned documents, calling out the items by their assigned document number. As Dukov cited the documents, the Prosecutor displayed them on a screen from a projector attached to a laptop. The laptop contained copies of all the files scanned by Jason. Rage and horror swept through the faces of the three defendants. So the Danubians did have someone working for them on the inside! Then, "Cutter" Stern, the man who had talked to Jason's father, glanced over and recognized Jason. Holy shit! That's Schmidt's kid! What the fuck is he doing sitting in the witness box of this courtroom?! Dukov continued testifying, citing enough documents to convince everyone that the arrests certainly were justified given the circumstances. Then came the question: where did you obtain these documents? To answer that, Dukov to ceded the witness stand to the American Cynthia Lee. Cindy described how she found out about the CD's and cassettes from the Cecilia Sanchez, how she drove to Wisconsin to retrieve them from Jason Schmidt, and finally her trip from Milwaukee to Danube City. She handed her plane ticket stubs to a court assistant to enter into evidence. Jason's "little crack whore girlfriend", as Mr. Schmidt described her, testified next. She did a very good job toning down her accent as she described getting a call from her boyfriend Jason Schmidt during Spring Break. Jason had informed her that he had obtained information about a possible assassination plot against Vladim Dukov and coup attempt against the country's southern neighbor. She relayed how she contacted Cynthia Lee and how she convinced Cynthia that she needed to drive to Wisconsin to retrieve the CD's and tapes to give to Dukov. Jason was up next. Given that he was the Prosecutor's star witness, on other countries the Mega-Town defense attorneys would have attacked him statement by statement, but in this trial, no such interruptions were permitted. Jason would tell his story uninterrupted, with a translation provided by Kimberly Lee from English to Danubian. Jason identified himself in court and began by explaining what he knew about his father's relationship with Mega-Town Associates. He admitted that he was not very familiar with what his father did, but then went on to quote various comments his father had made throughout the previous year indicating his opposition to the Dukov government. Finally discussed his father's strange behavior during Spring Break that alerted him that something was not right. He moved on to describing the events that first night in the basement, the night he made his first recording. He quoted what he remembered his father saying that sparked his interest, and then what led him to record his first cassette. The prosecutor held up a plastic bag with a cassette tape. "Mr. Jason Schmidt. Is this exhibit the tape you recorded?" After Kimberly Lee translated the question, Jason examined the cassette. "Yes sir. This is the first tape out of the six I made. This date and time is my handwriting, what I put on it so I wouldn't mix it up with any others." "Why did you make this recording?" "I made it, at first I mean...because I wanted to know what was going on. I mean...my dad was talking about shooting, and pumping rounds himself, and killing kids, and the airplane crash...I mean, I was curious to know what he was doing." "Do you remember the moment your thoughts moved beyond curiosity and you decided to take action to undermine your father's intentions?" "Yes sir. I remember the exact moment. It was the moment my father attacked my girlfriend's honor on the phone. When he did that, my thoughts about him changed and I decided to see what I could do to stop whatever it was he and his group were planning against your country." "Is that comment recorded?" "Yes sir. I asked the Court to key the first tape to that part of the conversation, because that's what got me pissed off...I'm sorry...I mean offended, and it's kinda important for understanding why I did what I did." That was the signal for the court assistant to play the following comment. There were a lot of cracks, background noise, and static, but the words were quite recognizable: "...you know, my idiot son's little crack-whore girlfriend actually likes that fucking commie bastard. You should've heard her last Thanksgiving...it was kind of funny to listen to her, when you think about it. ''Isn't that up to the Danubians? It's their country. Don't they get to choose who's gonna lead 'em? Isn't that what democracy's supposed to be all about?' Well, at any rate, it's gonna be a hoot looking at that little cunt's expression when you guys have things wrapped up. I'm gonna have to get my moron son to bring her back just so I can see that little bitch's face...." The Danubians were quite shocked when they heard Kim's translation. Under no circumstances would parents in the Duchy ever refer to their son's girlfriend in such terms, even if they did not like her. Jason continued: "My dad's like that. His soul is damaged because he hates everyone. It's not just me and Cecilia that he talks like that about, it's everyone, my mom, my sister, my cousin, everyone. I guess...that night, I just got tired of it. I got tired of him and his stupid scams and his idea that money is more important than people. I just got sick of it." One by one Jason identified the other cassette tapes as the court played excerpts to demonstrate their relevance to the case. Finally Jason described how he made the three CD's. He discussed his reasoning for scanning what he scanned, how long it took him to load the contents to each CD, and the steps he took to clean up his sister's computer after he finished. He emphasized that even though he had used her computer, Cassie had absolutely no knowledge about what he had done, nor did anyone else in the household. The Prosecutor continued: "So when you finished recording the CD's, what did you do next?" "For a few minutes I didn't do anything. I mean, when you discover something like that, it kinda takes a while for it to sink in. I felt totally sick...I mean to know my dad's capable of doing something like that...it kinda blew me away. Then, I went over to my grandma's place and called Cecilia. I told her what I had found out, and she told me she'd call Cynthia Lee and ask her what to do. Cynthia came up to Wisconsin the next morning and picked up the CD's, and that was it as far as what I did. A couple of weeks later Cecilia and me spent the night watching the news when the cable channels were showing the press conference about the bomb." "But, Mr. Jason Schmidt, your participation did not end when you gave the American Cynthia Lee the recordings. You decided to come here to the Duchy and appear in front of us to explain this evidence. We, in the Duchy, were very concerned about trying to process this case in a way to protect your identity, but you ignored our concerns and chose to come anyway. We believe that you have placed your life in danger by standing up like this and presenting yourself to this court and the world. I commend your courage, but I think our people are curious to know why you came here. What was it that motivated you to come here and help us?" "I came here because Cynthia Lee told me that she wasn't sure you'd get convictions against some of the defendants, unless you could present the evidence that allowed Prime Minister Dukov to stop the coup in court. In other words the stuff I got for you. You were in a dilemma about how to prosecute without making your cops commit perjury. So, I felt I needed to finish what I started. I want to make sure the truth about all this comes out. I want to make sure that the people of Mega-Town lose a round or two and maybe get forced to take their hands off your country for a while." Jason waited for Kim to translate, and then continued. "The other reason I came here is because of, as you guys would put it, honor. My honor, my family's honor, and my country's honor. My father has dishonored himself all of his life with his greed, and I have dishonored myself by living off his money. I came here to redeem my honor, and to redeem my family's honor. What my father and his partners wanted to do to your country was dishonorable, and I didn't want to be a part of that. What I ask, on behalf of the other members of my family, is that you can forgive us, because my dad doesn't speak for the rest of us. None of the rest of us knew what he was doing." There was another pause while Kim translated, and then Jason repeated what he had told the Prime Minister the week before. "There's a lot more to this than just the honor of my family, because I'm also talking about the honor of the United States. I don't want the people of Upper Danubia to think that everybody in my country likes what's happening. I think that most people in the U.S. don't like it at all, what these corporations are doing to the world, but we don't know what to do about it. What I did was to try, as an American, to prevent something that would have made my whole country look bad, or, as you say it dishonor us; dishonor America. I'm doing this, I'm testifying for all of us Americans who just are sick of the big guys always getting their way, and making the rest of the world think we like what they're doing. I don't support what Mega-Town has done to the world. I don't like the corporation and I'm opposed to the values people like these three defendants have promoted." With that Jason returned to the witness box and squeezed Cecilia's hand. Then he exchanged glances with "Cutter", who was staring at him with pure hatred. Jason sat back and looked at the prisoner with complete calm. It doesn't matter anymore, "Cutter", 'cause I'm done. I've told my story, and now you're gonna get convicted. Hah! So you were wondering who turned you guys in. Had a bunch of private investigators running around all over the US trying to find out who it was. Well, now you know. Surprising, huh? The Schmidt kid...who would have thought that? The idiot Schmidt wimp and his "crack whore" girlfriend. We were the ones who fucked up your plans, and now you're goin' down. The Freshman Ch. 32 ---------- There was a brief break for a very late lunch, and then the trial continued with the speed typical of the Danubian justice system. Several lower-level mercenaries were brought into the courtroom to identify the three defendants and verify some of the information on the maps that Jason had scanned. It turned out that Jason's CD's were the gift that kept on giving, because many of the scanned documents matched or complimented documents seized from various mercenaries during their arrests. The noose tightened around the three CEO's as the evening progressed and more and more witnesses confirmed what they were doing in Upper Danubia. The first day of the trial adjourned at 10:00 p.m. nearly 14 hours after the proceedings started. There would be just enough time for everyone to go home, get eight hours of sleep, and return the next day to continue. During the second and third days of the proceedings, Jason and Cecilia could just sit back and enjoy watching other witnesses come forward to confirm the details about the testimony presented on the first day. Jason felt deep satisfaction from knowing that even if he was killed, no longer would his death do anything to avert the looming fate of his father's associates. Hour after hour he sat with his eyes glued to "Cutter" as the testimony dragged on. ---------- In the end the defense attorneys did not have many options when their time came to counter the Prosecutor's case presented during the week of the trial. Because of Danubian property law, they could not challenge much of the evidence, in spite of the fact that Jason had recorded the documents without his father knowing about it. In Upper Danubia personal property always belonged to the entire household, never to any particular individual within the household. Danubian law mandated that, because Jason was a member of his father's household, anything that went on in the house was fair game as far as collecting information was concerned. The same was true for entering his father's home office and using his sister's computer. There was nothing illegal or questionable about what Jason had done, because the Danubians considered those resources communal property of all four members of his family. None of the evidence collected during the arrests in April could be challenged without good reason, nor could any of the mercenaries' statements identifying their superiors be thrown out. In such circumstances, a Danubian Spokesperson would not seek to challenge any evidence, but instead try to find circumstances to mitigate the alleged motives of the defendants and have the charges reduced. The problem was, there were no mitigating circumstances. There was no doubt whatsoever why Richard Moore and "Cutter" Stern had traveled to Danube City. There simply was too much evidence, real and circumstantial, that proved their intentions. The evidence did not directly implicate Guerra, but the Prosecutor already knew how to address that issue. More testimony would be forthcoming very quickly, the statements needed to convict the third defendant. Thursday afternoon of the following week, just ten days after the trial began, it ended for two of the defendants. Richard Moore was found guilty on all counts, while "Cutter" Stern was cleared on the weapons charge, but convicted of everything else. Guerra's case would not be adjudicated that day. The verdict? Death by firing squad, to be carried out Saturday morning at sunrise in the courtyard of the Central Police Station. Suddenly the entire courthouse, as well as the crowded Central Plaza outside, began shouting: "DOC-DOC DANUBE!... DOC-DOC DANUBE!... DOC-DOC DANUBE!... DOC-DOC DANUBE!..." ----------- That night, as reporters converged on the Central Courthouse and filmed the jubilant crowds outside the National Parliament Building, frenzied negotiations were taking place between the attorneys of various defendants and the Prosecutor's Office. Dukov's cold calculation was paying off as suspects stepped forward to plea and testify to avoid the death sentence. Police video cameras rolled and translators stayed up all night as defendant after defendant confessed to his part in the scheme and named his associates. Of course, the defense attorneys of Moore and Stern were desperately trying to save their own clients' lives, and in doing so played right into the Prime Minister's hands. Sure...your clients can avoid the firing squad...if they talk... And talk they did. Moore and Stern turned on Guerra that Friday. Guerra struck back and further implicated the other two, as well as giving up information on the U.S. Commercial Attaché who still was trapped in the Embassy. Moore and Stern then turned on each other and offered additional testimony to convict the field commanders and CEO's back in the U.S. Saturday came and went with no executions, but during that time the Danubian nation listened transfixed to TV's and radios as one revelation after another came out about the details of the coup. Throughout the following week the foreign defense attorneys attacked and undermined each other as the entire proceeding degenerated into a massive fight between various defendants and their councils. The capitol's newspapers printed everything their reporters could get their hands on by press time. More and more unsavory details came out about Mega-Town Associates and the cowardice and ruthlessness of its leaders. As the revelations continued pouring out in court during the third week of trials, the Danubian National Police quietly began deporting lower-ranking mercenaries whose home countries had promised to prosecute them. By the end of the week the number of low-ranking foreign suspects still being held in the country had dropped to under 100. The remaining prisoners would be leaving the country as soon as their home countries promised to put them on trial, not before. By the end of the fourth week yet another 50 would be gone. Meanwhile, the prosecutions against 23 higher-ranking defendants continued. In the end, they showed themselves for what they were, men with absolutely no concept of honor or loyalty, not even to each other. They became nothing to the Danubians, pathetic shells of human beings with broken souls. The public demands to execute them died down, because they were too contemptuous even to warrant the dignified death of a formal execution. Let them live out their lives, in absolute disgrace. Unfortunately for the defendants, there was such a sentence under Danubian law, a lifetime of absolute disgrace, or "life without honor". A sentence of absolute disgrace ensured that Dukov could keep his promise to foreign leaders not to execute any of the prisoners, but at the same time satisfy his own people's thirst for revenge. In Upper Danubia "a life without honor" was the lowest a person could sink, a lifetime of insult even worse than death. After three weeks of trials and sensational revelations, 26 naked, chained defendants crossed the Central Plaza with their police escorts one last time to receive their final sentences. The group included the three Mega-Town CEO's and 23 other higher conspirators. When they entered the courtroom, the judge gave a short speech to the defendants. They had proven themselves greedy, bloodthirsty thugs and cowards, incapable of demonstrating any kind of loyalty, even to each other or their bosses at Mega-Town Associates. They had chosen to live in dishonor, and thus would continue to live in dishonor. "We gave you the opportunity to end your lives in dignity, but you proved afraid to face the Creator with your actions. Instead you chose to continue dishonoring yourselves with your betrayals of each other. In this country, no matter how heinous a criminal you may be, we expect you to at least uphold the trust of your peers. You failed to do even that. I therefore have no reservation of implementing our harshest punishment, a life without honor." An ominous silence settled throughout the courtroom as the criminals were collared, one by one. While the collaring continued, workers spread out several tarps along the edge of the room and erected fencing normally used to corral animals. Why the tarps and fencing were necessary would become evident momentarily. Once collared, the criminals were forced into a kneeling position by several cops threatening them with electric cattle prods. Meanwhile, 26 young and middle-aged women lined up at the foot of the judge's desk. One by one they signed a contract and each was handed a police switch. None of the women had kind expressions, because each one was the widow, the sister, or the mother of a soldier or police officer killed in combat the month before. The contracts allowed each woman to continue receiving her loved-one's salary in exchange for taking responsibility for carrying out the pending sentence against one of the criminals. The women saluted the judge, who stood up and saluted back. The rear door of the courtroom then opened and two cops wearing pigs' masks stepped in and saluted the judge. The crowd started laughing, and laughed even harder upon hearing the following announcement. "The mistresses have arrived, your honor." "Very well, show them into the courtroom. Our defendants shall be honored to meet their new custodians." The crowd started chanting: "NÁK SVINIÚKT POKCHÚKT VÁSHU! HADNÁSH ONÁCKT HARÁSH!" Cynthia leaned over to Jason and Cecilia to translate: "They're chanting, 'the pig is your mistress, serve her well.'" As the chant grew louder and louder, 26 young sows suddenly ran through the backdoor into the courtroom. The animals grunted and squealed as they ran along the fencing and clustered into a makeshift pen near the judge's bench. Obviously they were scared, being in a strange place with hundreds of people chanting in the room. However, the 26 sows had nothing to be scared of. They were destined to enjoy very pampered lives as a result of the pending sentences. The sentencing judge assigned each criminal to a "mistress": one of the breed sows. Each animal was issued a certificate of custody that obligated the criminal to spend his life catering to her needs. The conditions of care were very exacting and strict, forcing each criminal to maintain his "mistress" in pristine condition at all times. To enforce the conditions of the sentence, the National Police had hired the 26 women, paying them their dead husbands' full salaries. All day, every day, each woman's only duty was to stand over her assigned criminal with a switch and make sure his pig was properly cared for. She was free to beat the convict as much as she wanted, since the normal restrictions protecting criminals did not apply in a sentence of "life without honor". The dishonored criminals would not be allowed to roam freely within a collar zone, but instead would be restricted to wherever the pig was being kept, which in most cases would be a rural police station. Wherever the sow went, the criminal in charge of her had to go. The criminal could not let the pig out of his sight, ever, not even at night when the animal went to sleep. Police officers quickly separated sows, chained criminals, and enforcers. Each group was led them out of the courtroom and into the plaza, where the angry crowd continued to chant: "NÁK SVINIÚKT POKCHÚKT VÁSHU! HADNÁSH ONÁCKT HARÁSH!" As police vans took the coup leaders away to live out their bleak lives scattered about the country, Cynthia commented: "Sometimes dying isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person. The foreign governments thought they got themselves a deal, by forcing Prime Minister Dukov to promise them he wouldn't let the police shoot the coup leaders. But he had to do something to 'em, 'cause this country had to have its revenge. You do something bad in the Duchy, and you're gonna suffer for it. That's the way people here think. This just isn't a 'forgive and forget' society." ---------- Later that night, Prime Minister Vladim Dukov watched the tanks and Army trucks move out of the Central Plaza. The capitol would be returning to normal, now that the trials had ended and the convicted conspirators had been shipped out to the provinces. The other foreigners were gone as well, quietly deported while the nation's attention was focused on the sensational revelations coming out over the last two weeks. Dukov was relieved. He was grateful to the Ancients that the world did not have to witness the spectacle of mass executions that seemed inevitable just two weeks ago. He had managed to settle the entire matter in a way that satisfied everyone except the 26 men who most deserved to be punished. In the eyes of the Danubian nation, their humiliating sentences overshadowed the deportations of the others. In the eyes of foreign governments, the deportations of their citizens overshadowed the 26 sentences. Now everyone could move on, because the crisis had passed. Once the Plaza was cleared of military equipment, Dukov re-entered the Central Police Station to watch the sorting of the impressive collection of weapons and ammunition seized the previous month. A wealthier country might have simply destroyed the arms in a public ceremony, but Upper Danubia could not afford such wasteful luxury. Instead, the chief of the Danube City Precinct of the National Police would have to distribute the weapons to various police stations around the country to replace their aging arsenals. Hundreds of Danubian police officers would be getting new issues, courtesy of Mega-Town Associates. Much later, Dukov excused himself and walked alone through the quiet entryway of the National Police Station. He stepped outside, and proceeded to the middle of the Central Plaza. The Plaza was completely empty after having been packed over the last month with soldiers, police officers, and demonstrators. The only other person within sight was a single street sweeper, and she was too far away to recognize the lone figure as the nation's Prime Minister. A new day was coming. Dukov could see it: a faint lightening of the sky to the east. A new day for Upper Danubia. A new hope for the Danubian people. The defeat of the nation's enemies, a secure southern border (which would be finalized in just two weeks), jobs for the restive eastern provinces, the safeguarding of the nation's natural resources, and a re-negotiated entry into the European Union. The Ancients had blessed the country after all. It's been a very hard two years since I took office, thought Dukov to himself, but I think we will succeed and take our proper place in the International Community. I think we will be able to join the world on our terms, not someone else's. But of course, we must not be complacent. Another thought went through the Prime Minister's mind, his next idea for bringing his country's ambitions in line with its reality. The name of our country, the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, is a lie. We are not a Duchy. We haven't been since 1942. And there is no such place as Lower Danubia. That hasn't existed since 1502. The only Danubia is the one that exists today. There is no other, and if the Creator is willing, never again will we have to change our borders. I want our people, and the world, to understand that reality. As the pre-dawn sky brightened, Dukov began pondering a proposal to officially change the country's name. He mulled over several possibilities, but finally two stuck in his mind: the Republic of Danubia, or simply, Danubia. As soon as things settled down in Parliament, he would address the nation and suggest the change. Many people would not like it, but the country needed to have the debate as a nation. The symbolism would be extremely important, because the best symbols are always the ones that reflect reality, not wishful thinking. Dukov noticed more people milling about. It was time to leave, because certainly people would find it strange to see the Prime Minister standing alone like a statue in the Central Plaza. It just wouldn't look right. He entered the Parliament Building to get a few hours of sleep in his office. The Freshman Ch. 33 Chapter 33 - Cassie's ex-boyfriend Throughout the trial Jason wondered about his father, while he was taking this, knowing that at least some of what was going on in the courtroom would be making it to the international news services. Undoubtedly his father would fly into a blind rage, but then, what would he do next? The answer to that question was...nothing. A dead man does not react to bad news, at least not in any way that is perceptible to those of us still in the land of the living. ---------- Mr. Schmidt may have been a greedy heartless sociopath capable of doing anything to further his ambitions. However, there was one flaw he definitely did not have, and that was the temptation to surrender to defeat or to despair. Despairing over his circumstances was not in Mr. Schmidt's character. When faced with adversity, he always managed to pull out of whatever situation confronted him at the time and push ahead with his ambitions. The events of April 21st and 22nd were the largest setback in life that Mr. Schmidt ever suffered. He was horribly in debt because of all the money he had borrowed to invest in the coup project. He would have to start over, and start over very fast, if he did not want to have to declare bankruptcy and sell his house and other holdings. His associates were ruined and faced ostracism from their beloved Mega-Town Associates. "Cutter" Stern, the closest person in his life he had to being a friend, now was chained up in a holding cell in Danube City and faced being shot. He wondered if "Cutter" could get out of his situation, but more importantly, hoped that the prisoner would have no reason to bring up his name in court. If "Cutter" kept his mouth shut, many of the secrets the two men had shared would be blasted away by a Danubian firing squad. Too bad for him, but maybe it was just as well. Mr. Schmidt spent the last week of April and the first two weeks of May working on damage control and a recovery plan. The shareholder meeting that ended his associates' careers came and went without his name coming up. It seemed that he would escape being identified by his company as a participant in the disastrous coup project because he managed to hide most of his contacts with the other coup plotters. That piece of luck led him to suspect there was a very good chance he could find new clients and indeed start over. He would quickly rebuild his finances through both honest and dishonest means. The rest of the year would be crucial. As long as he could at least make interest payments on his debts for the next six months and replace his clients, he should be OK. Of course that meant that the wimp's college expenses would have to be cut, along with the Chicago apartment and...wait a minute. Screw cutting the apartment. I'll cut the house instead and dump everyone. Really start over. No house, no family, no overhead. Get rid of everyone and everything and just start over. Why not? When they come after me...guess what? Sorry...no money...if you don't believe me, check my bank statements. You're on your own... During the second week of May, Mr. Schmidt managed to set aside some cash for day-to-day living expenses as he prepared to sell the house and cut loose his family. While doing that, he continued to work for Mega-Town Associates, assisting the company's campaign to repair its public relations. He became the most likely candidate to actually head the new lobbying project, because he certainly seemed to have done his research about the recent disaster in Eastern Europe. There was another secret project in which he was participating, and that was finding out who had provided the information to the Danubian government. In spite of being broke, he contributed money to a team of private investigators determined to find out who had given the information to the Danubians. He and the others were genuinely interested in finding out the truth, and if possible, retaliate. At the same time he wanted to be in on the project so he could keep his eye on the other conspirators and not get hit with any nasty surprises. The first week of the investigation pursued a dead end, the Danubian Embassy in Washington. It was a logical place to start, and a hefty payment to a Danubian diplomat assured the investigators a list of everyone who had contact with the embassy during April. Several promising leads led nowhere, which prompted the investigators to look at the Mid-West Foundation and its contacts with the Dukov government. An economics professor called Ruth Burnside seemed to be cozy with Vladim Dukov, but there was no indication that she knew anything about the Mega-Town coup project. Then they hit upon something. The Foundation had a graduate student called Cynthia Lee as one of its members. It turned out Lee was the sister of that singer from the banned group "Socrates' Mistresses", that she had traveled frequently to Upper Danubia, and currently was nowhere in sight. Further investigation revealed that early in April she had bought a ticket at the international airport in Milwaukee to go to...Danube City. She had gone for just a week, came back to finish the semester, and then took off again. Suddenly Cynthia Lee became the investigation's main target. It looked like they were closing in... Then, Mr. Schmidt remembered Jason mentioning something about knowing someone called Cynthia, a graduate student. The wheels of suspicion ran in the man's mind as he suddenly realized he had not heard from the wimp since the semester ended. So, just where was he? A call to Jason's dorm director verified that yes; he had gone traveling with his girlfriend Cecilia Sanchez, to Europe, if the man recalled correctly. That was as far as Mr. Schmidt got. ---------- The day "Cutter" was scheduled to go on trial, Jason's father returned home to his oversized house to clean out his home office. The place was eerily quiet. Something didn't feel right, but he decided to shred some papers and then take out several boxes of folders from his desk. Later he'd have to dismantle his computer and load it into his car as well. As he re-entered the house, that eerie feeling returned. Weird. He decided to go upstairs to see if anything was wrong. As he climbed the stairs he noticed the sound of a hairdryer coming from the Master bedroom. That figures. It's nearly noon and that lazy bitch probably just got out of bed. Blow-drying her hair for her tennis undoubtedly. Well, you dumb cunt, you won't be playing tennis on my dime much more. What was odd was that the hairdryer sound was steady, not the normal whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of his wife moving it about her head. She must have left it on and gone out. Of course. Fucking useless bitch can't even flip a switch anymore. As Mr. Schmidt went towards the bathroom he noticed blood seeping into the carpet next to the door. What the hell? He moved closer and saw his wife's foot lying in a pool of blood on the floor. As he moved towards the door the rest of her body came into view. Her head was a shapeless mass of hair and blood. There was a red splatter pattern on the far wall indicating that she had been killed by a single shot to the head. The hair dryer, hanging by its cord over the floor, gently swung back and forth. Instinctually Mr. Schmidt turned off the device, but realized that was a stupid thing for him to do. He should have left the crime scene intact. Mr. Schmidt realized right away that his own life was in danger. He knew that it was not his wife they were after, but him. He needed to get out of the house and call the police. Yes, the cops would suspect him of killing his wife, but he had no choice. Unfortunately he did not have a gun with him, but there was one in his home office. He rushed out into the hallway... "Hey, faggot!" As he turned around, all he saw was a flash. He felt a tremendous crushing blow to his chest. He was flung against the nearest wall, bounced off and tumbled to the floor. He felt another shattering blow to his right leg, a shot that splintered the bone and sent blood splattering out the other side. "So, faggot, you gonna beat me up? Huh? Still think you can do it? Come-on, ass-man, try it. Beat the fuck out of me!" Breathing suddenly became very difficult for the ex-linebacker. He began feeling cold. With difficulty he turned his head in the direction of his assailant. Standing over him was Cassie's pothead ex-boyfriend. It was obvious he was high on something. He had that weird, wild look in his eyes. He pointed his gun right at Mr. Schmidt's head. "Yeah, we fucked up those pretty boys real good. Fucked 'em up. They weren't so pretty when we got done with them. So how about it, ass-man. You gonna fuck me up?" "Uh...you're still...uh...uh...a fuckin' faggot...shot me...no guts...couldn't take me...uh...man to man...uh...uh...faggot...that's all you are...faggot." Mr. Schmidt saw one final flash, the one that blew his head apart. It was the last thing in his life he would ever see. ---------- The bloody drama in the Schmidt house was far from over. The young man fired a couple more shots into Mr. Schmidt's body, just to get the satisfaction of watching the blood splatter out of the wounds. He popped another ecstasy tablet and reloaded his gun. He wasn't finished using it. Fucking bitch Cassie...I'm takin' her out too. But I wanna see her fuckin' face when she sees what I did to her fuckin' dad. Fuckin' bitch...she's goin' down. Just like her fuckin' old man...fuckin' bitch...I'm drilling her fuckin' head... Unfortunately, the next person showing up at the house was not Cassie, but the Schmidt's maid Rita. Unaware of what had happened upstairs, the young Salvadoran rushed into the kitchen, worried that she had missed her bus and was running nearly 40 minutes late. It was not the first time she had been late to work, and Mrs. Schmidt had warned her that if she ever was late again, she would be fired and a formal complaint filed to her maid service. Rita was very stressed, hoping to enter the kitchen and quietly start cleaning before Mrs. Schmidt noticed anything was amiss. She noticed something strange, the home office door was open and piles of files were stacked on the floor. That worried her, because Mr. Schmidt absolutely never left that door open. Her mind immediately jumped to that morning she let her boss's son into the office, making her even more concerned that her job might be in jeopardy. On any other day Rita's instincts would have warned her that something in that house was very wrong and that she needed to get out, but on that day the eerie silence only made her more focused on getting set up in the kitchen without anyone noticing she was running so late. She began quietly at first, arranging items to make it look like she had been working for a while, and then deliberately started making enough noise to let Mrs. Schmidt know that she was cleaning. What she could not have known, without going upstairs, was that her bosses no longer were alive to hear her. The clatter of pans in the kitchen and the sound of the dishwasher alerted the teenager that he no longer was alone in the house. He staggered down the stairs, reeling from his latest dose of ecstasy, which was just starting to take effect. The loud hum of the dishwasher and Rita's preoccupation with the pans masked the sound of the killer's steps and condemned the young woman to the same fate as her employers... The teenager rushed into the kitchen and wildly fired into the figure standing at the sink. As several bullets tore into her back, Rita's body bounced off the counter and collapsed on the ground. The young woman lay motionless as blood poured out of her chest onto the kitchen floor. The killer gloated over what he had just accomplished as he incoherently stared at the body. Then slowly it dawned on him that the person lying at his feet was not Cassie. What he felt was not regret or horror at the thought of killing someone completely innocent, but instead intense anger at his latest victim. He landed several kicks at the corpse and fired a shot into her head, just to be sure... Fucking stupid maid. So he wasn't finished after-all. Still had some shooting to take care of... He went back upstairs, emptied his pistol into Mr. Schmidt's already mangled body, and reloaded. Fuckin' bitch...now I'm gonna get her...really get her...shoot her in the fuckin' stomach...yeah...that's what I'll do...shoot her in the fuckin' stomach...fuckin' bitch...just wait 'till she gets here...shoot her in the fuckin' face... A few minutes later Cassie did show up, with her latest boyfriend. She found it strange that both her parents' cars were at the house at that time in the day, but maybe they weren't around...or her dad was in that stupid office of his, doing God knows what. As she passed the office she noticed two strange things. First the door was open. Second, all of the files were lying on stacks on the floor, as though they were about to be taken out. "Dad? Mom? Anyone home?" She turned to her boyfriend. "This is weird. Something's going on..." "You stay here. I'll go upstairs and check it out." With that he slowly walked up the stairs. "Mr. Schmidt? Are you up here? Anyone...FUCK!" Three quick shots rang out, shattering the teenager's head and chest. His body came tumbling back down the stairs. Cassie got a glimpse of his face, partially blown away by high caliber bullet. She started screaming. Then she saw the murderer, his gun pointed right at her... He hesitated, as incoherent drug-addled thoughts caused his brain to stall for a second. That second saved Cassie's life. She ran like hell towards the kitchen, only to be confronted with the horror of Rita's body lying in a pool of blood. The girl screamed, but a crash in the hallway made her start running again. She tore open the sliding glass door and ran into the back yard. The assailant chased her down the stairs, but tripped over his latest victim's body and tumbled to the hallway floor. He dropped the gun and it slid to the other end of the entryway. He struggled up to retrieve it, but the sudden exertion, mixed with the chemicals swirling around his brain, completely disoriented him. Cassie...Oh yeah...she wasn't dead yet. He staggered to the kitchen, just in time to see her figure disappear through a gate in the back fence. Cassie ran around to the front side of the neighbor's house and into the open garage. Her neighbor was painting a birdhouse with his grandson. "HELP! HELP! HE'S KILLED 'EM ALL! THEY'RE ALL DEAD! HELP!" "Cassie! What..." "HE'S GOT A GUN! HE'S GONNA KILL ME! HELP ME!" "Get inside! Both of you!" As Cassie and the child ran into the house, her neighbor hit the remote to close the door. Down...down...down...yes! Just in time. Suddenly there was furious banging on the outside. "OPEN UP! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T OPEN UP!" The older man ran inside and grabbed a shotgun off his living room mantle. He screamed at his wife to get Cassie and the grandkids upstairs while he struggled to load it with shotgun shells. He cocked the weapon and waited. So...how's he gonna get in? The shattering of glass at the front door answered his question. Sure enough, a glass pane was broken and a hand was reaching through to unlock the door. The experienced duck hunter pointed his weapon and waited... The door flung open and the older man pulled the trigger. Clear shot to the chest...good. A nice clean kill. That'll fix that little punk. The Freshman Ch. 34 Chapter 34 - A night in the Temple of the Ancients Following the trial, Jason and Cecilia faced the reality of having to live their lives as a normal unmarried couple in Danube City. What that meant was staying with families in two separate houses and adhering to the social norms of one of the most conservative countries in Europe. They could see each other whenever they wanted, were free to travel about Danube City and to any other part of the country, and could spend their time as they pleased. What they could not do was sleep together. Sleeping together came to an abrupt halt the day they checked out of their hotel room. Vladik Dukov came by in his police van to pick up the three Americans from their hotel rooms the day after the trial ended. They had different destinations: Cynthia would stay with her sister Kimberly and her husband Sergekt Dolkiv, Jason would stay with the Prime Minister's friend Alexi Havlakt and his wife, and Cecilia would stay with the Prime Minister's brother. Both Jason and Cecilia knew that they could expect to be treated kindly by their host families and that the arrangement was necessary to make sure they lived in houses of people the Prime Minister could trust. He valued their contribution to his country and wanted to safeguard their lives. He also wanted to make sure their difficult transition to a life in the Duchy was made as easy as possible by people guaranteed to treat them well. There was another issue that concerned the Prime Minister, and that was the public image of Jason and Cecilia. Like it or not, the Americans now were public figures in the Duchy. They were unofficial representatives of the United States and would serve an important role in helping to soothe the anti-American sentiment now sweeping the capitol. They absolutely had to lead honorable lives that satisfied the social norms of the country and present themselves to the Danubian public as living proof that not everyone from the U.S. was a money-grubbing degenerate. Following the trial Jason and Cecilia would have to follow daily routines typical for any unmarried young Danubian. In spite of their huge contribution to the country, the special treatment Jason and Cecilia received from their hosts would be rather modest. They were given what Dukov considered necessary to lead secure and productive lives, including full university scholarships and student visas, free study materials, a small weekly allowance for entertainment, and free room and board. They were expected to use those resources to move ahead with their career goals, but also they were expected to fit into the culture of Danube City. Their moment of notoriety came and went, and now it was time for them to live normally and settle into the society as ordinary citizens. They had been assigned their place in Danubian society, which would only change if they got married or left the country. They would move in with Danubian families and be subjected to the expectations and restrictions typical of most "proper" households. Before the newcomers had a chance to balk at their situations, Kim was quick to explain the Danubian concept of "household". A person who lived in a Danubian household was considered a full member of that family, even if he or she was unrelated. Being a member of a household was crucial to ensure that the newcomers were respected by everyone around them. "The household" was an important part of every person's identity under Danubian protocol. Over time, as their ability to speak the language improved and they settled into a daily routine, which household Jason and Cecilia belonged to would be more important in the minds of the Danubians than the fact they were foreigners. Kim cited her own life as an example of what was expected of the two newcomers. When she was first sentenced and placed under the custody of Vladim Dukov, the Spokesman faced a very difficult situation about what to do with her. Finally, since she had nowhere else to go and was under his custody anyway, he simply decided to make her a member of his household. At first he did not tell Kim that her arrangement with his family was likely to be permanent, just in case it did not work out. However, over time Kim learned that she had entered into an unspoken, but official agreement with the Dukovs. The agreement allowed Kim full use of anything in the house, but at the same time imposed responsibilities very similar to those imposed on Anyia Dukov, who was 14 at the time. Whatever objections the couple might have to the restrictions, their situations did give Jason and Cecilia an immediate feeling of belonging. Being members of households also kept them busy. The Havlakts expected Jason to help with gardening and house repairs. Alexi Havalkt never asked Jason do anything by himself, but if he was outside in the yard or working on the house, he expected Jason to drop what he was doing and go out with him. Cecilia, as a member of Victor Dukov's household, had to go shopping with Tiffany and help her carry groceries at least three times a week. On top of the shopping, there was always the intense cooking required for the weekly Sunday dinners for Vladik and Jason. There was a final detail about their lives that Cecilia and Jason would only discover much later. The Prime Minister and several of his cabinet ministers, along with the members of "Socrates' Mistresses", had pooled money out of their own salaries to support them and finance their university enrollments. As much as he wanted the country to express its gratitude to the two young Americans who had saved his government, Dukov felt it was inappropriate to take money out of the national budget for what he considered a private matter. He did not want the young couple to feel obligated to the Parliament, nor did he want any Deputies to question why Americans were getting public money that could have been used to help Danubians. Instead he and the people close to him made their own arrangements to help Jason and Cecilia set up their lives in Danube City. It was a question of honor, for both the Prime Minister and his guests. ---------- Kim addressed another issue that had been in the back of Cecilia's mind, but had been afraid to bring up to anyone. She had been wondering how she might be received in a society that was the most isolated country in Europe and had seen very few non-Europeans. Somehow, Kim had picked up on Cecilia's unspoken anxiety and decided to bring it up herself. Kim admitted that the Danubians were very closed minded about the outside world. The country felt besieged by foreign influences, which was why foreign music and entertainment were very much frowned upon. There was only grudging acceptance of any foreign fashion influences, and Kim speculated that the society never would accept any clothing such as swimsuits that directly manifested foreign values. The Danubians were especially hostile to any perceived threats to their traditions, such as being told their legal system was deficient or that they needed to change their faith. That embedded hostility explained why recently passed laws prohibiting the proselytizing of non-Danubian religion were very popular among the public. "They're totally adamant about the whole religion thing. You have these foreign missionaries coming into the country, telling people here that they're going to Hell because they're following beliefs that are 3000 years old, and yes, they get offended. Really offended. It's not something they're interested in hearing, so they made it a crime to promote any foreign religion in Upper Danubia. Even the Prime Minister, who's probably about as open-minded a person as you're going to get in this country, puts his foot down when it comes to religion. On that he's as intolerant as anyone else." So the question remained, how was it that Kimberly Lee, who was not from the country and not even European, could find herself fully accepted by the Danubians? The answer was that she had become one of them in her habits, her outlook in life, and in the way she carried herself. During her two-year sentence she had internalized Danubian values and morals. Her friends and her lifestyle were Danubian, and she usually wore Danubian clothing. As for her hair, it always was done up in traditional braids. "If you really want to fit in, do your hair up like I got mine. If you do that one simple thing, you'll be sending a signal that you understand this country's values and are willing to accept them in your life. As long as you don't challenge the way people here think and make that clear to everyone, they'll accept you. They don't care about your skin. They care about what's in your heart." Cecilia sighed. She was not thrilled about the closed nature of Danubian society, but at the same time was relieved that she would be judged depending on how she behaved, no so much on how she looked. She felt somewhat reassured that she controlled the extent to which she would be accepted. She took a chair and sat down, allowing Kim to braid her hair. It turned out that her friend was right about the hairstyle. When Cecilia went back out on the street with her hair braided, she noticed far fewer curious looks from passers-by. ---------- Cecilia heaved a sad sigh as she got off the van and let Victor Dukov and Jason help her unload her suitcases. Jason could not follow her in. He would be invited over for dinner Sunday afternoon. It would not be proper for him to enter the house anytime before the first formal dinner. Tiffany Walker helped Cecilia get her suitcases upstairs and set up her room. Cecilia's room was nice, with solid furniture and plenty of room to hang her clothes and keep her things. The room had a radio but no television. The window overlooked a tree-lined street that led westward to the National University, which was only about five blocks away. Tiffany helped Cecilia unpack and put away her clothes. Cecilia noticed Tiffany looking at her clothing with interest, as the naked young woman asked what kind of clothing had become popular in the U.S. during the two years she had been living in Danube City. Tiffany then invited Cecilia over to see her own room. Tiffany had a computer and several shelves of books. There were study materials on her desk and pictures of herself and Vladik Dukov on her dresser. There were also a bunch of pictures of her family members in the U.S. and of several young women, who she explained were co-workers at the strip club where she had been working before coming to Upper Danubia. What struck Cecilia about her housemate's room was the complete absence of any clothing. The closet was empty, even of hangers. There was only a single item Tiffany was ever permitted to wear during the summer, and that was a pair of orange tennis shoes when she rode her bicycle. If she wasn't on the bicycle she had to take them off. Another thing about Tiffany's room that struck Cecilia was that her bed had a sheet covering the mattress, but no covers. Tiffany explained that as a criminal she was not supposed to cover her body, not even at night. As best she could, she adhered to that condition of her sentence. Except during the coldest part of the winter she slept on her bed completely uncovered. Tiffany talked about her daily life, which actually did not seem all that bad. She had a fairly normal relationship with Vladik, in spite of being a criminal engaged to a police officer. She went on to explain that he had been performing public penance when she met him. Essentially penance gave him a social status no better than that of a criminal and not much better than her. She comforted him during a very difficult time in his life, while he helped her adjust to the reality of her sentence. When he ended his penance Vladik flatly told his parents that he wanted to become engaged to her. He proposed the previous summer and gave her the three engagement presents that always accompanied a formal proposal. Tiffany talked about their social life and their frequent evenings in the Socrates Club. Cecilia was curious: "So you're always goin' there? Just to dance and listen to a bunch of people talk about their lives? Doesn't that get boring after a while?" "No. That's not all we do, Cecilia. Most nights we go upstairs, you know, to the intimacy rooms. I think Vladik would go nuts if we couldn't go upstairs." "What's upstairs?" "The rooms, you know, for making love." "They actually got that?" "Sure. I mean it's just for members, but that's one thing out of a bunch of things they do to try to make our lives a bit better. You know, it's tough being a criminal, but in some ways I think our lives are easier than most people here. The society doesn't have the same expectations of us, and we don't have to be so stuffy in our day-to-day living. We can hug each other, show our emotions, make love when we want...in a lot of ways our lives are a lot more natural than average people. Kim can tell you...she and Sergekt were a lot different when they were criminals than they are now." "What about Vladik?" "When he's on the street, he's a cop. When he's in the club with me, he's my guest and no better than anyone else. And, that's good for both of us. If it weren't for the club, we'd have a real hard time finding a place we could spend time with each other...you know, like alone..." Cecilia's heart jumped. She had dreaded the possibility of being forced back into a life of celibacy, even though her emotional relationship with Jason was stronger than ever. So there was a place where people could go to make love... "What do you gotta do, to be able to use those rooms?" "You have to be a member of the club, or the registered guest of a member. But you gotta remember the club is mostly for criminals. To be eligible for membership you have to be collared. If you're not collared they'll let you onto the main floor, but you can't use the upstairs rooms or the gym, not unless you're the guest of a member who is collared." "So you gotta be convicted of something, right?" "Or performing public penance for the Temple. The club considers a person performing penance a criminal as far as membership is concerned, because they're officially wearing a collar." Cecilia was quiet, as she contemplated that interesting piece of information. The two Americans then heard a voice calling them from downstairs. It was Mrs. Dukov. "Deevonay étek Cécilekt, yahúk hochtúckt yeestesh dék?" Tiffany answered back. "Doc-doc. Nam dék idém." She turned to Cecilia. "Lunchtime. Let's head downstairs. After lunch we'll go out and I'll show you around the neighborhood." ---------- While Cecilia was getting to know Tiffany, Jason was struggling to communicate with Alexi Havlakt and his wife. He quickly settled into his room and joined them for lunch, then sat for a long period of time while they showed him a bunch of pictures of their kids as they were growing up. Of course, because of the language barrier, Jason did not have a clue about who were the people in the pictures. Sometime in the future he would have to see the pictures again, when he could figure out what on earth the older couple was saying. Seeing the pictures reminded him of something. He needed to call his grandmother and ask how she was doing. As he thought about that, sitting in the living room looking at a bunch of pictures of people he did not know, the doorbell rang. Mr. Havlakt answered it and let in Cynthia and Kimberly Lee. The two women did not have happy expressions on their faces. Kim briefly talked to Alexi Havlakt, whose expression suddenly changed and became very serious. It was Cynthia who took Jason outside. "Jason, I got a question for you. Have you...ever talked to...talked to anyone in your family since you got here?" "Uh, no. I've been kinda afraid to, you know, 'cause everyone's been saying I'm in so much danger and I didn't want to get anyone in trouble." "You're grandma called this morning...she called my parents, and then she called me at Kim's place. She's gotta to talk to you, like...right away." "About my folks?" "Yeah." "Are they OK?" "No. They're not OK. They both got shot last Monday...I mean Monday of last week." "Shit...I...didn't..." "It wasn't because of anything you did. From what your grandma told me, Mega-Town had nothing to do with it. What happened was that some ex-boyfriend of your sister showed up at the house completely stoned and just started shooting...first your mom, then your dad, then one of your maids, and then one of her friends. What's weird is the police think that what he really wanted to do was kill Cassie, but it seemed she was the only one he didn't get. She got away, ran next door, and when the guy followed her, your neighbor shot him." "And they're all dead?" "I'm afraid so." "What about Cassie?" "She's in the psychiatric ward at the Carterville Community Hospital right now. I mean, she saw her friend's head get blown off and his body come down the stairs. She actually saw that guy get killed. And then seeing your maid shot up in the kitchen...and with your folks dead too...and her ex-boyfriend...she's pretty messed up. I suppose I'd be pretty messed up too, if I saw all that." Finally Jason nerved himself to call his grandmother. He expected her to be distraught, but she seemed perfectly calm. She spent the next hour filling in the awful details about his parents' deaths. Jason was surprised when he found himself much more upset over Rita's murder than over the shooting of his own parents, and only later would understand why. Even in death, his father had managed to destroy the life of someone totally innocent. Mr. Schmidt's actions had managed to take one final person to the grave with him. Jason's grandmother told him another detail, which made him understand why she did not mourn the death of her son. She had gone through his papers and realized how he was planning to deal with his financial problems, by cutting his ties to his family. "You have to realize your father was a very sick man, Jason. I'm not surprised by anything that's happened. I knew it was coming. And as for your father, I stopped grieving for him a long time ago. He's been dead for years." Jason's grandmother went on to describe the funeral of his parents. The only three people present were herself, Jason's aunt on his mother's side, and his fat cousin. No one else attended, not even Cassie. She was too distraught to even think straight and spent the day under sedation. None of Mr. Schmidt's business partners attended, nor did any of his co-conspirators. He was dead, thus his usefulness to them had ended. In contrast, Rita's funeral had been attended by nearly 200 friends, relatives, and co-workers from her maid service. The conversation moved on to Cassie. She had calmed down enough that she would be released from the hospital the following week. Jason's grandmother already had a room in her condo set up for her, since the girl had no where else to go. It would be very hard, because Cassie was completely withdrawn and uncommunicative. "Grandma, do you think there's anything I could do for her?" "There will be, but not yet. When the time comes, when it's safe for you to come back and she's ready, I'll need you to come get her. But that's not going to be for a while. I'll tell you, when it's time." Jason heard his grandmother sigh over the phone. "I've got a very hard summer ahead of me, dealing with what's happened to your sister, but right now there's nothing you can do about it. Just be thankful you got away when you did." By the tone of her voice, Jason knew his grandmother was not finished relaying bad news. She drew a deep breath and continued: "There's more, Jason. Do you remember when you told me that you thought your father put his own money into the coup and you thought he got wiped out financially?" The Freshman Ch. 34 "Yeah." "You were right. It turns out he took out several mortgages and was nearly four million dollars in debt. Your house just got seized and the banks are still fighting over it. They grabbed everything: the property, the cars, even the furniture. That includes whatever you might have had there. It's all gone. They wouldn't even let me on the property to get any of Cassie's things." Jason was glad about the house. Good riddance. He was more convinced than ever that it was the house that had destroyed his family. As for the fancy furniture, he was glad that would be gone as well. Whenever he went back, there would be nothing to remind him of the hellish existence his family had endured during the final year of his parents' lives. Jason thought of something else, the neighbor he barely knew who had saved his sister's life with his shotgun. He was curious: "Grandma, I know this is kinda a dumb question, but what's gonna happen to our neighbor? You know, the guy who saved Cassie?" "Him? Nothing. They're not gonna press charges. How could they? It was self-defense. That kid was breaking into his house with a loaded gun. He had just shot four other people and was trying to kill your sister. I don't think there's a jury in Wisconsin that'd convict him. I sure as hell wouldn't." ---------- The following Sunday Jason went over to Victor Dukov's house for dinner for the first time. He was dressed in his best business suit, the one he had worn on the first day of the trial when he testified. Alongside him stood Vladik Dukov. The two men were there to "sit at the table" of Victor Dukov, the head of the household in which Cecilia Sanchez and Tiffany Walker were staying. The dinner was an important occasion for Jason, because until he had sat at Victor Dukov's table, the society dictated he did not have the right to visit Cecilia at the house during the week. Cecilia was dressed in her formal Danubian gown, while Tiffany stood beside her completely naked. She was wearing Vladik's engagement jewelry, which was the only detail from her normal appearance she could change. The dinner, with its fancy dishes and formality, came and went. Once the dinner ended, Victor Dukov granted Jason permission to start seeing Cecilia, something he already had been doing in the U.S. for nearly a year. It was an absurd situation, but they were in Upper Danubia, and protocol came before anything else. Jason invited Cecilia to go for a walk and work off the large dinner. They had to change out of their formal clothes because of the hot late afternoon sun. Cecilia changed into a simple one-piece sundress that was in fashion in the capitol, while Jason changed into a very old pair of pants and a short sleeved shirt. They spent a long time walking along the shaded sidewalks along the East Danube River. They passed several river beaches full of nude swimmers and sunbathers, but neither had any desire to go swimming, in spite of the heat. Instead they walked quietly, as though something was compelling them to make their way towards the Old Temple. They passed their former hotel and the outer watchtower of the Old City Wall on their way to the Plaza of the Ancients. They passed the entrance to the Temple and decided to stop at the café where Kim's husband had worked years before when he was a criminal. By pure chance they ran into Cynthia Lee, along with her sister Kimberly and her brother Sergekt. All three were dressed in black prayer robes. Pure chance...or was it? It turned out that Cynthia had decided to pursue her plan to perform public penance. She was very nervous, because her intention was to perform penance for at least the duration of the entire summer. She added that she probably would perform penance much longer than that, perhaps through the end of September of the following year. "I'm kinda nervous, because once I start, I'll have to keep my collar on until the Ancients give me a sign I can take it off. I have no idea when that's gonna be, but I'm gonna have to wait for a sign." "What kind of sign?" "I don't know. That's what's so scary about what I'm about to do. I'm gonna be surrendering control over my future to the Ancients, and I don't know when they'll give it back to me." The thought of public penance stuck in the minds of both Jason and Cecilia. Neither was aware the other had secret thoughts on the matter, but that was about to change. It was Jason who asked the first question. "You know, I'm...kinda curious. Do you think...maybe I could...could talk to one of the Priests about penance? I got some questions...and I...with my dad...and my family...and the whole coup thing...I don't know how to handle all this. I'm curious...just kinda got some questions..." "Sure, they'll talk to you. If you want, I can translate." Cecilia looked at Jason and drew a deep breath. "I'm gonna want talk to one of those Priests too." Kim and Cynthia looked at each other with bewildered expressions. It could not be a coincidence that Jason and Cecilia would just happen to show up in front of the Temple of the Ancients a few minutes before Cynthia was about to be collared. Their two friends had been brought to them as part of their Path in Life. It was obvious they were destined to go into the Temple, and in some way or another come out changed before the night was over. It was Kim who took charge of the group. "Cecilia, I want you to come with me. Jason, you're going with Cynthia. Start thinking about your questions, and we'll translate for you." Kim turned to her husband, and in Danubian asked him to go into the Temple and find the Priest who had converted Cynthia. He would need to explain that there were two foreigners who were seeking counseling. As Sergekt entered the Temple, Kim turned back to Jason and Cecilia. "There's something I gotta tell you about the Temple before you go in. Whoever you talk to is going to try to see into your soul and figure out what you need. If they think your soul is damaged, they're gonna tell you what they think you should do about it. You don't have to be a convert for them to talk to you, but you are going to have to take whatever they say seriously." Jason and Cecilia nodded. Sergekt came back out and summoned the others with a loud whistle. ---------- Kim led Cecilia to a Priestess who had a particularly severe demeanor. It turned out she was the Priestess who had given the rough sermon at that nudist conference in Indiana back in February. Kim knelt, touched her head to the floor and then stood up. The Priestess saluted her and she saluted back. Kim began speaking to her in Danubian, but the Priestess stopped her. "I speak to young woman in English. Maybe my English no good, but I listen her word and look at her eye. She talk, I listen." She turned to Cecilia and asked her a question that surprised her: "Why you come to Danube City? Why you here in Duchy?" "I...'cause of the trial...'cause I had to testify..." "No...that no reason...you say me why you here. Say me real truth, why you here." "I...I 'spose I came here 'cause of my boyfriend, Jason. I...didn't want him to have to be by himself, you know...alone...dealin' with..." "No...that no reason. Truth is YOU no want to be alone. You no want to live without Jason. Jason come, you come. Because you need Jason, no?" "I...I 'spose that's true. I didn't wanna live without him." "So you love Jason?" "A lot. A lot more than he knows..." "Now we find truth. You need Jason. You love Jason. You come to Duchy to be with Jason. That why you here." "Yes, ma'am. That's why I'm here." "Good. Now you say truth. So say me about Jason. Say me truth about Jason." Cecilia spent a very long time talking about her strange relationship with her boyfriend, and in doing so revealed much about her own life and personality quirks. It turned out the Priestess was an excellent judge of character. Somehow she knew that Cecilia would find it very difficult to talk about herself, but would find it much easier to talk about Jason. The Priestess looked hard into Cecilia's eyes and interrupted her whenever she became vague or evasive with a severe: "You no say me truth. Say me real truth." It was only after the Priestess had a good feel for Cecilia's personality that she began asking direct questions about her own life. She knew that Cecilia's soul was severely damaged, a detail about the young American that became more evident as she began confessing some of her inner thoughts. The Priestess began closing in on the events of Cecilia's life when she was 15. She drew out of her the stories about her brother Raul and his relationship with her boyfriend Vicente, their criminal activity and drug use, and lastly, the story about the abortion. Cecilia was terrified at having confessed such a thing to a religious person, but the Priestess was not interested in judging Cecilia for her past. Judging was the duty of the Creator, not the Clergy. It was the Creator to whom Cecilia would have to show her mirror, not the Priestess. Instead what the woman wanted was to get Cecilia to put into own words the deep-seated fears she had about losing control over her life, and her insecurity over the fact that was precisely what had happened in her relationship with Jason. "So now we find out truth. You scared." "Yes, I'm scared." "Now I scare you more. I ask you, and you say me truth. You think about..." The Priestess turned to Kim and quietly asked her a question in Danubian. Kim answered: "Slov nák anglalís, 'custody'." The Priestess responded "doc-doc" and turned back to Cecilia. "You think about custody for Jason? Maybe use custody tell him so he no tell you?" Cecilia's heart stopped. That Priestess knew. Somehow she had figured out one of her most secret fantasies, the one she had about collaring Jason. "I...I...yes, ma'am. I...thought about...usin' the Church...'cause I had this fantasy..." Cecilia explained how she found out about the concept of custody from her correspondence with Apprentice Lee and how she had thought about using it to control Jason. Kim gave her a very offended look, obviously displeased over what her friend had been thinking. The Priestess did not seem any angrier however, because from the beginning she had suspected Cecilia had harbored a fantasy that was offensive to the Church. The frightened young woman would have to atone for her fantasy, but that was why the Creator had brought her to the Temple. "Now I know truth. Now I know why you scared." "Yes ma'am." "You want fight scared? Make right with Creator?" Cecilia nodded. "You do what I say?" Again Cecilia nodded. That was not good enough for the Priestess. She stared coldly into Cecilia's eyes and repeated the question: "You do what I say?" "Yes...I'll do what you say." "You give me hands." Reluctantly Cecilia stuck out her hands and the Priestess grabbed them. The woman then closed her eyes and stood very still for several minutes. When she opened her eyes, she let go. One final time she asked the question: "You do what I say?" "Yes." The Priestess then reached up and put her hands around Cecilia's throat. She was terrified, thinking that the Priestess was about to choke her, but what she was doing was measuring her neck. She wrote down a measurement on a small piece of paper and handed it to a Temple Attendant. Then she grabbed Cecilia's hand and took her to an outside patio that overlooked the Sacred Grounds. Cecilia found herself facing a small stone platform. Off to one side there was a stone pit enclosing a fire burning from coals. "You no move." The Priestess produced a pair of very sharp scissors and cut the shoulder straps of Cecilia's dress. She gasped as the cloth fell off her body and bunched up at her feet. Before she had time to react, two more quick snips cut the waistband of her thong. Within a second, Cecilia was completely naked except for her shoes. Her heart pounded as the Priestess moved in front of her. "You put cloth in fire." Struggling to catch her breath, Cecilia did as she was told. She stepped out of her ruined dress, picked it up, and reluctantly tossed it into the fire pit. There was a brief flash as the cotton caught on fire, but quickly the flames died back down. The Priestess grabbed Cecilia's shoulders and pushed her into a kneeling position. "Hold out hands" Cecilia stuck out her hands. The Priestess held a metal collar in front of Cecilia's face, and then laid it in her hands. By that time she was shaking badly from fright. The Priestess moved behind Cecilia and placed her hands on her shoulders. She prayed out loud in archaic Danubian while the trembling American continued to kneel and hold her collar. Oddly enough, when the Priestess finished, Cecilia's nerves had calmed down considerably. She now was ready to accept the collar. The Priestess took the collar from Cecilia's hands and placed it around her neck. She inserted a key and locked it. Now it was official. Cecilia Sanchez, just three weeks after arriving in Danube City, had begun performing public penance. ---------- A short while later the Priestess released Kim and Cecilia after reciting a final series of prayers and handing her a sheet of paper explaining the proper protocol for a person performing public penance. Among other restrictions, she no longer could salute a public official. She would have to kneel whenever a public official greeted her and wait to be given permission to stand up. Even before she left the Temple grounds, Cecilia felt very exposed and vulnerable. It wasn't just the thought of having to remain completely naked into the foreseeable future, but she also was experiencing a much deeper feeling of her soul having been stripped bare for the whole world to see. Everything Cecilia had been to that point was gone, burned up in that fire along with her dress. She suddenly felt very free, very liberated as the warm late spring breeze gently reminded her of her exposure to the word. Yes, let them see me. I'm starting over. I'm leaving my psychological baggage behind and I'm starting over. Cynthia and Jason were waiting for them in the Plaza as they left the Temple grounds. Both were naked and wearing collars. Cecilia rushed into Jason's arms and hugged him, excited at the thought that they would be performing public penance together. It felt good to be outside like this, to feel the warmth of his body and the springtime air on her bare skin...this really felt good. ---------- Cecilia and Jason returned home not really knowing how their host families would react to seeing them naked and with collars around their necks. They were surprised that there was not much reaction at all. There was absolutely nothing dishonorable about public penance, as long as the person performing it understood and respected the proper protocol. The Danubians in Jason's life actually approved of his decision to wear a Temple collar. It seemed a logical thing for him to do; given the fact his father had committed so many evil acts in his life and now was dead. The Danubians interpreted Jason's penance as a public effort to redeem the honor of his family. Without knowing it at first, Jason was performing a ritual that any young Danubian under similar circumstances would be expected to perform. The fact that Cecilia was performing penance alongside Jason also made sense to the Danubian way of thinking. She was Jason's partner, so it was quite appropriate that if he were to publicly humble himself, she should as well. The naked young couple would become a familiar sight around Danube City over the summer as they went about their business and struggled to learn enough Danubian to enter the university as regular students in the fall. Sometimes people asked one or the other how long they planned to stay collared, but they always provided the most accepted answer: that they really weren't sure. At some point one or both of them would receive a sign to turn in their collars and resume normal lives, but they neither knew nor really cared when that would be. It was up to the Ancients to make that decision for them. ---------- There was one pleasant irony in the lives of Jason and Cecilia that resulted from their decision to wear collars. They applied for membership in the Socrates Club and were accepted as full members by the management. Within a very short time Jason and Cecilia had established their social group at the Club. Normally they sat with Tiffany Walker and Vladik Dukov, along with Cynthia Lee and a young Danubian who also was performing public penance. As the summer progressed Cynthia's relationship with him became more serious as he visited Sergekt and Kim's house and sat at their table. Their membership in the Club also meant the intimacy rooms were open to them, along with the renewed chance to enjoy each other's bodies. The nightly visit to the intimacy room became a welcome part of the routine of Jason and Cecilia. The time they spent together continued to be a very important part of their lives: whether it was massages, or Jason's tongue gently caressing Cecilia's clitoris, or Cecilia waving her bottom in the air to tempt her boyfriend. No matter what else happened during their day, the time they could spend together always awaited them. Those precious moments were crucial for helping them get through their first summer in Danube City. The Freshman Ch. 35 Chapter 35 - Tiffany's third punishment As the summer progressed, Cecilia realized that she was destined to become much closer to Tiffany Walker and Cynthia Lee than to Kimberly. The reason was the lives of Tiffany and Cynthia were similar to Cecilia’s life, while Kim’s life was very different. Tiffany and Cynthia were single and continued to be very American in their outlooks, while Kim was much more Danubian in her thinking, only a year away from becoming sworn in as a public official, and nearly two years into her marriage with Sergekt Dolkiv. When Cecilia got together with other women, she was with Tiffany and Cynthia much more than she was with Kim. During July Cecilia witnessed an event in Tiffany’s life that made her understand her fellow American much better. In the end, the incident also would help her to understand some details about Danubian culture and thinking. On July 12, Tiffany was scheduled to receive her annual switching. The punishment was to be a full 50 strokes, delivered with severity. What astonished Cecilia was Tiffany’s resignation to her punishment and the way she casually discussed it. It turned out that Tiffany had absolutely no resentment about enduring such a cruel ordeal, nor any indication she was really afraid. Instead she was quite stoic. Her attitude was that the annual punishment was a necessary part of her life, something that she deserved and had to deal with. The switchings were an important part of the sentence Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna had negotiated with the Prosecutor during her trial, something she fully accepted. Tiffany explained that July 12 was the date that, four years before, she had been indirectly responsible for the death of a high school friend while using heroin in Prague. The other girl died of hepatitis resulting from sharing a dirty needle at a nightclub. Her friend’s death, coming only ten days after the two girls had abandoned Kim to her fate in Danube City, was the final unhappy event that sent Tiffany into a downward spiral of depression and drug use. Tiffany Walker felt very guilty over her actions, which was why the annual whippings were such an important part of her life. She needed to suffer for what she did, to be forced to remember and atone for behavior that ruined the life of one friend and ended the life of another. She felt that the intense pain she had to experience every July 12 helped keep her soul clean. It was an annual ritual she endured, and endured quite willingly. There was a detail about the punishments that struck Cecilia as very odd. Tiffany’s fiancé, Vladik Dukov, was the cop responsible for punishing her. It was Tiffany herself who insisted that only Vladik should be the officer administering her switching. At first Cecilia assumed that Vladik was assigned to punish her to administer less severe strokes, because he was always very courteous and respectful every time Cecilia ever saw them together. It was obvious that Vladik and Tiffany loved each other and were very committed to their relationship. However, during the hour that Criminal # 98946 was strapped to the switching table, Vladik Dukov was a police officer, not her fiancé. During a punishment he showed her no mercy whatsoever. He struck very hard, in a slow methodical manner that left a full minute between each stroke, the legal maximum. To experience intense pain was what Tiffany expected, and what she wanted. Every July she expected Vladik to punish her severely. “July 12 means a lot to both of us. That’s the one day I have a chance to face what I’ve done, and really suffer for it. I have a lot of bad memories, stuff that sometimes keeps me up at night…and when he’s finished whipping me, I don’t think about all that shit. All I’m thinking about is how much it hurts. I’m just thinking about the moment, and nothing else. Anyhow, when I’m on the table I’m only getting what I deserve. I don’t know if you’re going to be able to understand this, but the day Vladik is switching me is the one day I don’t feel guilty about what I did to other people. I’m suffering, and especially on that day, on July 12, I want to suffer.” Knowing Tiffany’s past, Cecilia understood that part of her thinking, but she couldn’t understand why Vladik was the one punishing her. Tiffany continued with her explanation. “Vladik’s the one whipping me, because he’s the one who loves me. He understands me. He knows my story, and he knows about all the crap that I did before I got sentenced. He sympathizes, but he doesn’t let me make any excuses. He loves me enough to punish me the way I need to be punished. It’s a special understanding that we have with each other. He’s the one who loves me, so he’s the one who’s making me atone for what I’ve done. And when he’s finished and I’m lying on the recovery table, he holds my hand and comforts me, and stays with me until I can get up. He understands. I need him to hurt me, but then I need him to comfort me and tell me that everything’s gonna be fine. I need those moments with him, because it’s the only way I’m able to face what I did with my life before I came back to Danube City.” “What you did was really that bad?” “Yes. It wasn’t just Kim and Susan. It wasn’t just the drugs. There was more…a lot more. If you’d seen some of my clients, and some of the shit they wanted me to do…and I did it ‘cause I wanted their money…I mean…I still have flashbacks. Vladik’s the only person who understands that part of me…he knows how he needs to treat me. He’s always very worried about my honor. He’s the kindest boyfriend I’ve ever had. But he also understands one day out of the year; things between us gotta be very different. His kindness wouldn’t mean anything to me if he didn’t make me suffer when I’m on the switching table. That’s just the way I am. I can’t appreciate pleasure unless every so often I feel real fear and real pain.” As strange as Tiffany’s logic might have sounded to someone who didn’t know her, Cecilia realized that what she was saying did make sense, given her past and her circumstances. The criminal’s needs simply were a more extreme version of what Jason needed during the first couple of months she was disciplining him in her dorm room. Tiffany’s punishments were much more ritualized and much more painful than anything she ever did to Jason, but the basic need was almost the same. ---------- July 12 came and Tiffany was up early. The young criminal was scheduled to present herself to the Central Police Station and be strapped to switching table at 9:00 a.m. If everything went according to plan, she would be finished by 9:50. Kim would then escort her to her office to recover. Vladik would stay with her until she was well enough to leave the building. Cecilia also woke up early, because she had volunteered to be go with Criminal # 98946 to the Central Police Station as a witness for the Court. The previous evening Tiffany had surprised her by asking if she wanted to watch her punishment. She explained that a punishment had to be officially witnessed, and that if the witness was someone related to the criminal, so much the better. Cecilia also realized that her housemate wanted her to see the punishment so she could better understand her situation. It was as though Tiffany wanted to entrust her with a very intimate secret. Cecilia agreed, partially because she was genuinely curious to see a Danubian switching first-hand. Cecilia accompanied Tiffany as she ate a very light breakfast and drank some water to calm her nerves. She called Jason to tell him to pick up her assignment from their language instructor, since she would not be going to the university that day and would have to miss classes. She told Jason to tell the professor the truth about why she would be gone, that her housemate was being switched at the Central Police Station and she had agreed to serve as a witness. Both young women stepped outside at about 7:30, along with Victor Dukov and his wife. Vladik Dukov and Kimberly Lee showed up a moment later. Tiffany and Cecilia dropped to their knees, as customary for two collared women greeting public officials. Kim ordered Cecilia to get on her feet and stand at attention. “Cecilia Sanchez, I understand that you have agreed to witness the punishment of Criminal # 98946 for the Court?” “Yes, Apprentice Lee. Tiff…I mean…Criminal # 98946 requested that I serve as a witness and I told her I’d do it.” “Very well, Cecilia Sanchez. You will present this certificate to the presiding judge before the punishment begins. I will translate and relay any directions from the judge to you. Please remember your obligation to exercise correct protocol as required for a person performing public penance.” With that Cecilia went back on her knees to take the certificate from Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna. Kim then addressed Vladik in Danubian. She saluted Vladik and he saluted back, signaling the transfer of custody. For the next couple of hours, Tiffany’s fiancé also would be her legal custodian. He sharply spoke to her in Danubian. Immediately she knelt upright and put her hands behind her back. He quickly put on a pair of handcuffs and helped her stand up. Because Vladik and Kim had shown up at her residence, the beginning of Tiffany’s annual atonement ritual was not typical. Ordinarily a criminal took a trolley to the Central Police Station on the day of a scheduled switching. He went directly to his Spokesperson’s office and waited for the police escort to show up, handcuff him, and deliver him to the punishment room. Tiffany did not like to do it that way. Instead, about 90 minutes before her scheduled appearance in court, Officer Vladik Dukov and Apprentice Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna showed up at Victor’s house and formally transferred custody. Vladik then handcuffed Tiffany and made her walk with her hands behind her back from her home all the way to the Central Police Station, which was nearly two kilometers away. When he walked with her he carried his switch, so there was no doubt to any bystanders what was about to happen to Criminal # 98946. To Tiffany it was very important that she be marched in such a manner through the busy streets of the capitol. On her annual day of suffering and personal atonement, she wanted the entire city could see her for what she was, a criminal facing a severe punishment. Most other criminals would have found what she was doing horribly humiliating, but Tiffany took a strange pride in announcing her situation in such a public manner. Although it was by Tiffany’s own request that she be officially escorted to the Police Station, Vladik treated her as though she were an ordinary and slightly uncooperative criminal. He grabbed her hard by the arm and brandished the switch in front of her face to let her know that he was in charge. Then, with her arm still very firmly in his grip, he marched her onto the sidewalk and in the direction of the Central Police Station. Kim and Cecilia trailed behind, while Victor Dukov and his wife went back inside their house to get ready to go to work. For the next forty minutes the police officer, the Apprentice, the criminal, and the penitent made their way downtown. They were a strange sight and caught plenty of curious looks as they approached the Central Plaza. They walked around the Parliament Building and continued across the open square to the main entrance of the police building. From there they went down one flight of stairs and entered a large room that had a judge’s desk at one end and a switching table at the other. The table was turned so that the bottom of the criminal being punished was facing towards the judge. There also was a video camera set up to record the punishment, which was a standard part of a routine switching. The videotape would be added to Tiffany’s criminal file to document that she had complied with that portion of her sentence. Tiffany and Cecilia dropped to their knees when the judge entered the room. Cecilia heard Kim addressing the judge in Danubian and then telling her to stand up to give him her witness’s certificate. The judge then directly addressed Cecilia in Danubian. Kim translated: “The judge is letting you know that your need to comply with the protocol expected for public penance is suspended during your time in this courtroom. Your primary duty as a witness is to keep your eye on Criminal 98946, and that overrides your responsibilities to comply with public penance. Also, along with me, you are responsible for counting 50 strokes and making sure Officer Dukov does not strike Criminal 98946 to the point of drawing blood. You are authorized to raise your hand if you think Criminal # 98946 risks serious injury. You will consult with me, and I will determine whether or not the punishment may continue on that part of her body. If you agree to all that, please say ‘doc-doc’ to the judge.” Cecilia turned to the judge and very nervously got out: “Doc-doc.” “OK, keep your eye on me. When I salute the judge, you’ll salute him too.” The judge asked Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna about Criminal # 98946’s custody in Danubian. Kim responded that she already had transferred custody at the criminal’s house, because of a prior agreement between herself and Officer Dukov. Because of that, there was no need to transfer custody in the courtroom and Tiffany was spared the indignity of having to kiss her fiancé’s shoes before the switching. However, before the punishment could begin, there was the obligatory exchange between the Police Officer and the Spokeswoman: “Apprentice, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to know about?” “No, Officer, no special restrictions.” The judge then spoke directly to Tiffany in Danubian, asking her if she understood the conditions of the sentence about to be carried out. Without raising her head she responded that she understood. The judge then ordered Tiffany to stand up and position herself over the switching table. The punishment table was a very sturdy metal table that looked like it could have been taken out of an industrial shop or hospital and converted to its current purpose. Several sets of thick leather straps were attached to the metal surface and another pair of leather cuffs was attached to the legs on the side facing the judge. Tiffany quietly bent over the table and extended her arms to allow her wrists to rest near the straps. Vladik buckled the straps, checking to make sure they were as tight as possible without cutting off the circulation to the criminal’s hands. He then wrapped her waist with another thick strap, buckled it firmly, and moved to immobilize her ankles. Once her ankles were secured Tiffany’s legs were widely spread and her shaved pubis on full display to the judge. Although he loved the woman he was about to punish, Vladik did not say anything to reassure her. He would later stay with her and comfort her, but that would be in the privacy of Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna’s office after he released her back into Kim’s custody. In the punishment room he had a single purpose in life, and that was to properly administer the switching of Criminal # 98946. In spite of her inner need to have this happen to her, Tiffany was very scared now that she was actually strapped to the table and awaiting her first stroke. Her legs were trembling slightly and her breathing came in irregular frightened gasps. Her eyes were closed and beads of sweat already were forming on her face. Vladik did not delay administering the first stroke. He stepped back, tapped the base of Tiffany’s bottom with the switch, and glanced back at Kim and Cecilia. Then he twisted back and delivered a fearsome blow across the very base of Tiffany’s tightly stretched bottom. The criminal jerked slightly and clenched her fists. She gasped from the mounting pain of the blow, struggling to catch her breath as she involuntarily pulled against the restraints. Vladik waited about 45 seconds to make sure Tiffany felt the first stroke in its entirety. Then he lightly tapped the unmarked skin immediately above the darkening weal, and once again twisted back to deliver a cruel stroke against his lover’s unprotected backside. Again Tiffany gasped and struggled to catch her breath as the searing pain from the second stroke mounted into an unbearable burning. Cecilia’s duty was to keep her watch over Tiffany’s bottom to make sure that Officer Dukov did not draw blood, but she was far more interested in seeing the criminal’s expression. Even at the very beginning Tiffany’s face was beaded with sweat, and as the punishment progressed her entire body became covered in perspiration from her ordeal. It was clear from her expression that the only thing on the criminal’s mind was horrible burning on her backside, which only increased as the minutes slowly wore on. The tears were flowing from her eyes and her face grimacing from the pain, but she was determined not to cry out as long as possible. She had her honor as a criminal to maintain. Cecilia and Kim flinched in sympathy each time Vladik’s switch made contact with Tiffany’s shapely bottom. Kim knew exactly how such a punishment felt, having endured it three times herself. Cecilia had an idea of how a blow from the switch felt, but the punishment that Ruth Burnside had given her the previous year was nothing compared to what Tiffany had to endure. Vladik slowly worked his way up to the top of Tiffany’s backside, laying on new strokes as the older ones at the base of her buttocks began to swell and darken. He aim was excellent, because each new stroke was perfectly parallel to its predecessor, almost touching it. Vladik was able to cover Tiffany’s bottom with a solid band of welts, laid so close together that they formed a solid stripe of dark reddish color on the skin. Vladik managed to lay 20 welts on Tiffany’s bottom during the first part of her punishment without allowing any of them to cross or touch each other. He would continue by striking the backs of her thighs, and then return to her bottom with the strokes that would overlay the welts already present. The final blows undoubtedly would break her silence. It was during the second set of welts that the Spokesperson had to be especially vigilant, because it was towards the end that there was a much greater risk of breaking the already swollen skin. Officer Dukov touched the switch to the middle of Criminal # 98946’s thighs to let her know that the backs of her legs would receive the next part of his punishment. He struck, leaving a cruel weal across both legs. Tiffany grit her teeth and grunted from the pain. She was shaking badly but still was not openly crying. He moved up her thighs, striking with methodical strokes as he closed in on that very first line at the base of her bottom that marked where the punishment had started. As the strokes landed Tiffany groaned through her clenched teeth, her resistance finally beginning to break down. Once he had worked his way to the very tops of Tiffany’s thighs, Vladik paused to tap the narrow strip of unmarked skin that remained at the precise spot where the fold in her skin divided her bottom cheeks from her legs. Vladik struck especially hard at that tender area with three strokes in rapid succession. The pain was so intense that Tiffany was left breathless for a couple of minutes. When she finally caught her breath her voice cracked as she started crying in earnest. Her body heaved with sobs while Vladik waited for the strokes to take their full effect. He continued by striking hard at the main part of her bottom, crossing the first set of welts with new ones and leaving very painful-looking dark marks across the center of her buttocks. Tiffany’s resistance finally vanished. She had done very well by not crying until the 40th stroke, but she couldn’t resist any more. Her body was shaking violently and she screamed as each stroke cut across her already very sore bottom. Between strokes she struggled to catch her breath, but then cried uncontrollably. The Freshman Ch. 35 At the 47th stroke Kim raised her hand. The second set of lines was rapidly swelling and some of the weals looked like they were just about to break. Vladik stopped, with an irritated look on his face as Kim examined the welts to see if any were oozing blood. So far, so good, thought the Apprentice, but better to be safe than sorry. She pointed at the criminal’s shoulders, directing the police officer to finish the strokes on her upper back to spare her bottom any further damage. Vladik tightened his lips, because he did not like striking a criminal on the back. However, in that one detail of the punishment he was obliged to follow Kim’s direction. He obeyed, repositioning himself to quickly lay four cruel lines across his sobbing victim’s shapely shoulders. Finally Cecilia counted the fiftieth stroke, immensely glad to have made it to the end of Tiffany’s whipping. She exchanged glances with Kim and the two women raised their hands simultaneously to conclude the punishment. Vladik was breathing heavily, but Cecilia could tell that he also was glad to be done with Tiffany’s yearly switching. In spite of the importance Tiffany attached to the punishments as part of her redemption, he did not like hurting her. It had to be done and he was the one who had to do it, but flogging Tiffany was not something that he enjoyed. Criminal # 98946 continued to tremble and sob as Officer Dukov unbuckled the straps. He freed her legs first, then her hands, and finally, keeping a hand on her waist to steady her, he unbuckled the large strap that immobilized her torso. He spoke quietly to her and she seemed to nod. She struggled to push herself off the table as Vladik and Kim each took an arm to help her get upright. She was still crying as the other two turned her backside to the judge to allow him to verify she had taken 50 strokes. He signed the certificate, and with that Tiffany’s third switching came to an end. As directed by protocol, she knelt and kissed Vladik’s shoes. Between sobs she managed to get out: "Spakeebo dakub moigu." She kissed Vladik’s shoes and then put her forehead to the floor. Kim and Vladik saluted each other to signal the transfer of custody of Criminal # 98946 from Officer Dukov back to her Spokeswoman, Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna. Vladik then approached the judge’s desk to sign several papers verifying he had administered the punishment in accordance with the sentencing conditions of Criminal # 98946. Tiffany continued to remain crouched on the floor crying, her entire world reduced to the cruel burning tearing at both her body and her soul. The pain was her annual penance, the yearly cleaning out of her memories and thoughts by the intense biting pain that forced her mind off everything that had tormented her over the past year. He mind was cleared, ready to start a new year with new challenges. As horrendous an experience as the switching might have been, it was what she needed. The judge told Apprentice Lee-Dolkiva that she needed to clear the room for another criminal’s punishment. After saluting the judge Kim directed Cecilia to take one of her client’s hands to help her get the sobbing criminal out of the room. Officer Vladik Dukov looked on in sympathy, but he could not touch Criminal # 98946 because doing so would violate courtroom protocol. He could only watch as Kim and Cecilia struggled to get the taller woman through the doors and up two flights of stairs. As soon as they approached Kim’s office, Vladik grabbed the door and held it open. As soon as the women passed through, he closed it behind them. The normal custom following a switching was for a punished criminal to lie down for several hours on a recovery table until she had recuperated enough to get up and walk out of the office. However, instead of settling down on the recovery table, Tiffany reached out to Vladik and collapsed into his arms. Now they no longer had to be Officer Dukov and Criminal # 98946, but instead could return to being Vladik and Tiffany. He did what she needed him to do, hold her and not say anything. She needed to have plenty of time to cry, and she needed to be held and reassured. And cry she did, leaning against him as her tears stained his shirt. Kim silently tapped Cecilia’s shoulder and walked out of the office. Cecilia gladly followed, suddenly feeling very uneasy about what she was witnessing. The two women left the police station and made their way to the parkland along the river. Tiffany’s suffering had put both of them in a very pensive mood, which prompted Kim to suggest going to the park bench where she had been arrested four years before. For a long time the two Americans gazed out over the East Danube River, while they talked about Tiffany. The relationship Kim had with Tiffany was very different from the one Cecilia was having with her. To Cecilia, Tiffany was a housemate and somewhat of a friend. The fact that both women were wearing collars made them social equals, and that was how Cecilia saw Tiffany, as a fellow American and a fellow college student in a foreign setting. Because Tiffany was a recent acquaintance, Cecilia had not seen her before the chaotic events that so completely changed her over the past four years. To Kim, Tiffany was very clearly a subordinate. The two women were close, but they were not friends in a way that most people would define the concept of friendship. Kim realized that Cecilia felt uneasy about how she treated her client and that she needed to explain the purpose of their relationship. “I got a question for you. I guess you find it kinda weird how I treat Tiffany?” “Yeah, Kim, I do. I mean, you’ve been friends with her since you were 13. How can you treat a friend like that?” “I’m her Spokeswoman and the Path of her Life is to obey me. I treat her that way because I have to.” “…and so she’s not your friend any more…” “No. I care for her and I want the very best out of life for her, but no, we’re not friends anymore. We can’t be friends, because I am responsible for her. I’m her custodian and I’m sworn to watch over her. It is my Path in Life to protect Tiffany from her addictions and her tendency to self-destruct. To do that, I have to be strict with her. She knows that, and it’s what she expects. She needs to obey me, because it’s the only way I can keep her from killing herself.” Kim gave Cecilia a chance to think over what she was saying, and continued: “Anyhow, the Tiffany you’re looking at is not the same person I hung out with when we were in school. In my life there have been two separate Tiffanies, two women who share the same body and the same name, but who are two totally different people. The girl I knew in school is dead and there’s nothing left of her. That friend simply doesn’t exist anymore. She’s totally dead, and in my own life I’ve had to come to terms with that. Someone else took over her body, someone who’s only about three years old and needs me to guide her. Criminal # 98946 is not the Tiffany Walker I went to high school with. That’s how come I can look at her as my client instead of my friend. She’s not the same person.” “So, what’s gonna happen when she marries Vladik?” “Nothing, if you mean any changes in our responsibilities to each other. Vladik and I talked about Tiffany’s future when he asked my permission to propose to her. He understands how things will have to be. He knows, even though she’ll be his wife, I’ll always be the one telling her what to do. For example, they can’t set a wedding date until I say it’s OK for them to get married, and that won’t be until the Ancients tell me she’s ready. After they’re married, I’ll expect him to come over to my office every so often and talk about how things are going. I’ll need to hear his opinion about how she’s doing and what she needs in her life. In the end, however, if I tell him I want things done a certain way, I’ll expect him to respect my authority and comply with what I want.” “Dang…so you’re even gonna be runnin’ their marriage?” “Yes. I’m her Spokeswoman and that’s my job, to control her life. To be honest, Vladik’s happy about that, because this way he can just relax and enjoy his time with her. He won’t have anything to worry about, because legally she’s my responsibility, not his. The Path of my Life is to watch over her behavior. The Path of his Life is to love her and comfort her. I get the hard part, and he gets the easy part, but in the end we both want what’s best for her.” ---------- That night Cecilia and Jason went to the Socrates Club to watch “Socrates’ Mistresses” give a concert to the members of club. The songs being performed were all completely new, because the band felt most comfortable presenting their most experimental material in the safe environment where they first started out. Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna no longer was a hardened public official on stage, but instead a naked ex-criminal performing with other naked ex-criminals. The Club was where she had come to terms with her life as a criminal and where she had found friendship with the four other women singing on stage with her. She was home on that stage: she was where she needed to be. Jason took Cecilia home very late that night, after the musical presentation was over and the couple had spent their nightly hour of lovemaking in one of the “intimacy rooms”. They returned to Victor’s house on the last trolley of the evening, unable to take seats because of the restriction against collared people that forced them to remain standing on all public transportation. They walked the short distance from the trolley stop to Victor’s house, and with that Jason kissed her goodbye. He had to get on another trolley by himself to go to his own home, but Cecilia was not worried about his safety. Assaults and muggings were almost completely unheard of in the Danubian capitol. She returned to her room to take a shower and brush her teeth before going to bed. She was careful to run a dry washcloth under her collar, a standard precaution among criminals and Temple penitents to prevent the skin on their necks from chafing. She decided to check in on Tiffany and see how she was holding up following her punishment. Not surprisingly, she was lying on her stomach. She was still awake, given that the pain from her welts was still too intense for her to be able to sleep properly. As for the marks themselves, they had darkened and were clearly visible, even in a room barely lit by moonlight coming in through the window. As Cecilia sat down on the bed, Tiffany asked about the concert at the Socrates Club and commented that she was sorry to have missed it. That comment struck Cecilia as rather strange. Had she been so severely punished and lying in her bed in such pain, missing a concert would have been the last thing on her mind. She asked Tiffany if she was OK. The criminal’s answer was “Yes”. By the tone of her voice Cecilia could tell that she was very serious about that. She was fine, now that the dreaded annual punishment had come and gone. Criminal # 98946 had endured her allotted dose of suffering for the year and now could look ahead to enjoying the rest of the summer. She would be returning to her job at the city’s largest music store the next morning, and would be getting together with Vladik in the evening. She would move ahead, largely free from the crushing guilt that had so much tormented her before she was sentenced. Tiffany had found happiness, in spite of knowing that she faced another 32 years of harsh restrictions resulting from her conviction. She never would be a free woman, at least not in the way that most people would define freedom. However, the sentence had freed her from herself, freed her from own weaknesses and self-destructive personality. She had been liberated from the certainty of dying at an early age from drug abuse, freed from her psychotic tweaker boyfriend, freed from dancing in a smoke-filled strip club, and freed from servicing her unsavory clients. She was a meth addict, would always be a meth addict, and if left to herself would spend all of her time, day in and day out, pursuing her addiction. The price of her existence in Danube City was nothing compared to what she had been able to reclaim in her life. She had her health, she had her studies, she had her friends, and most importantly, she had her relationship with Vladik. In spite of the ongoing punishment and restrictions, Tiffany was much freer than she ever could have been in the United States. She was actually proud of her collar. The collar was an important symbol to her; the sign that in exchange for the harsh sentence, she had taken her life back, a life that now was worth living. The Freshman Ch. 36 Chapter 36 - A summer of Public Penance Jason and Cecilia spent their first summer in Upper Danubia with their days divided between learning the Danubian language, their household duties, and relaxing. The first priority, of course, was learning how to communicate in a city where very few people spoke English. The daily routine included six hours of intensive language instruction that started at 9:00 and ended at 4:00 with an hour for lunch. As the summer progressed, the couple realized that Prime Minister Dukov had enlisted the best language instructors in the country to pursue a single goal: to try to have them ready to attend university classes in the fall. They wrote endless exercises, memorized lists of words, were put through conversation drills, and studied grammar. They read everything ranging from children's stories to simple newspaper articles, in addition to their preparing exercises and doing endless speech drills. By the end of August they had a working knowledge of Danubian, although they knew that taking regular classes at the university level still would be a struggle. Cecilia actually found herself at a slight advantage over Jason because she was bilingual. Her mind, already accustomed to the differences between Spanish and English, was able to grasp some of the grammatical concepts of Danubian faster than Jason. As for reading and writing, they seemed to progress about the same, but by the middle of the summer, Cecilia was slightly better at conversing in Danubian than was Jason. During that first summer there was much more to their lives than language classes during the day and the Socrates Club during the evenings. Their activities included traveling and getting into better physical shape. Sightseeing in the provinces surrounding Danube City became an important part of the adjustment to life in Upper Danubia and vital for relieving the intense stress from the couple's other responsibilities. They began traveling around Upper Danubia on the weekends with Cynthia Lee and her boyfriend. They made it as far east as Rika Chorna and spent two very pleasant weekends at the famous reservoir. They even went hiking in the mountains overlooking the lake, exploring the thick forests that had been the object of so many corporate ambitions over the past several years. All of their explorations over that summer were in the nude. While traveling they obtained a permit from the Temple to wear orange courier shoes at railroad stations and wear hiking boots when in the forests. However, shoes, shampoo, toothbrushes, small towels, and cameras were the only items they took with them on their trips. As long as they wore collars, Jason and Cecilia had to comply with their vow not to cover their bodies, so they traveled completely naked. Very quickly their inhibitions vanished, and to them it felt like the most natural thing in the world to jump on a train wearing nothing but a pair of shoes and jump off an hour or so later to explore a new town. Exercising became a regular part of their routine, because they were officially enrolled as students in the university and subject to participating in the institution's fitness program. Each morning before seeing their language instructors they had to perform rigorous calisthenics and run 5 kilometers in groups that were segregated by sex. The exercise program was the one time each day that Jason and Cecilia's nudity did not set them apart from anyone else, because at the university, gymnastics classes meant just that, exercising in the nude. Along with swimsuits, most athletic clothing was prohibited, the only exception being clothing specifically designed to prevent injury. The only items the students wore during their fitness sessions were track shoes during the runs. A few of the larger-breasted women were permitted to wear sports bras while running, but to do so they had to obtain a doctor's waiver. As soon as the daily run ended the bras had to be taken off immediately. Rigorous exercising was nothing new to Jason, who was used to keeping fit. He loved the runs, because running nude on a regular basis had been a lifelong dream for him and finally he was living that dream. His ability caught the attention of his fitness instructor, and soon he found himself committed to joining the North Danube City track team and practicing to run for inter-provincial marathons to be held in the fall. Towards the end of the summer he began practicing with the track team instead of the regular fitness group, which opened up new friendships with Danubians who were athletes instead of people who either were criminals or associated with the Lee sisters. The old self-confidence Jason enjoyed when competing in high school came back to him after a two-year absence. As he prepared to compete in long distance running, his thoughts began to move past the trial, his parents' deaths, and the tumultuous events that brought him to the country. In contrast, for Cecilia running five kilometers was a struggle. For several weeks she always trailed the other naked, sweaty, college-age women of her group. When she started out she despaired over ever improving, but slowly she did get better over time. She was fortunate that Tiffany and Cynthia were part of her group and gave her encouragement. Cynthia began the summer somewhat overweight, so in the beginning she ran at the rear of the group with Cecilia. However, within a couple of weeks constant physical activity put Kim's sister in much better shape, which in turn allowed her to improve on the runs. Once Cynthia improved with her running and could stay with the main group, Tiffany's encouragement became even more important to Cecilia. If Tiffany noticed Cecilia falling behind the others, she dropped back to run alongside her fellow American. Once that happened, Cecilia knew she had to catch up to the others very quickly. If she didn't, Tiffany started landing hard slaps on her bare bottom to make her pick up her pace. As strange as it seemed, Tiffany was actually doing Cecilia a favor by spanking her if she ran too slowly. It was customary at the university that during a group run, the slowest member of the class was subject to discipline from the instructor. By running with her, Tiffany spared Cecilia the indignity of having her bottom smacked by the fitness teacher. However, by the end of August Cecilia was running as well as the other women in the group and no longer faced the threat of in-class discipline. Another improvement in Cecilia's life was that, at age 20, she finally began to enjoy swimming. It was in the pool at the National University where Cecilia finally learned how to swim properly. With Jason still watching over her, Cecilia began swimming more and more on her own and learning various strokes. By the end of August she no longer needed Jason's help and could even go under water for short distances. Cecilia's ability to swim meant she and her partner could go to the river with their friends and swim at the beach just like anyone else. ---------- There was a big surprise waiting for Cynthia Lee at the end of August. Just two days before classes were due to start, Cynthia and Kim went to the Temple with Tiffany and several members of Kim's band. Upon seeing her, the Priest who had collared Cindy immediately approached her and took her outside. He prayed and then talked to her at length about her Path in Life. When the interview ended he told her that she needed to conclude her public penance. He unlocked her collar and handed her a prayer robe. Her face still reflecting surprise and bewilderment, she quietly got dressed and returned to the main chamber of the Temple as a normal citizen. When she returned to her sister's house that evening, she found out why her penance had ended. There was a letter from the National University offering Cynthia a position of Academic Apprentice, which was the Danubian equivalent of a non-tenured instructor. She had not finished her doctorate, but her knowledge of the United States and its political system far surpassed that of anyone else in Danube City. While she finished researching the relationship between the Danubian government and Mega-Town Associates for her dissertation, the university wanted her to teach undergraduates about U.S. political history and social development. It was an opportunity for Danubian students to find out about the United States from an American who had proven herself intellectually and was well-respected by everyone in the capitol. She knew more about the U.S. than anyone else in Danube City, so it made sense for the university to put her knowledge to good use in the classroom. It had been the rector of the university who contacted Cynthia's Priest and asked him to end her penance so she could accept her new position. The job offer was the sign from the Ancients that both she and the Priest had been waiting for. The path of her life had been determined by the Ancients and they had spoken to her. She was destined to be an instructor at the National University in Danube City and was on her way to becoming a Professor in full standing. The following week Cynthia Lee's life changed dramatically. Like her sister, she started braiding her hair to better fit in, one detail out of several that reflected the change in her appearance and her outlook on life. She assumed the formal title of "Apprentice" when sworn in at the university. To her students she had become a Danubian Public Official. They had to address her as Apprentice Lee in class, and any collared criminals among them had to kneel when speaking to her. Like her younger sister, Cynthia Lee's Path in Life was to become a full member of Danubian society. That path was confirmed by another event towards the end of September. Her boyfriend concluded his public penance the day after the Day of the Dead Ceremonies and left the Temple wearing a prayer robe. The following evening he proposed to her. From that point forward Cynthia Lee wore her engagement jewelry whenever she appeared in public. ---------- September started without any sign that Jason and Cecilia should end their public penance. As a result when classes began, they remained collared and restricted from wearing any clothing. The fall semester started and the two Americans, along with fellow American Tiffany Walker, went to the university completely uncovered. It became apparent that the earliest the couple might take off their collars would be towards the end of September, after the Fall Equinox and the Day of the Dead ceremony. It was obvious that they would have to participate in the march along with Tiffany. At first their situation made them feel very uneasy, but there were some big advantages to living without any clothing. They discovered that their lives were simplified in many ways, because in the mornings there was nothing they needed to do to get ready to go out apart from brushing their teeth. There was no getting dressed, and for Cecilia, no putting on any makeup. The only permitted concession to vanity was their hair. During the weekends the only item they had to wash was their bed sheets, so their nude lifestyle eliminated one time consuming task in life, having to keep a bunch of clothing clean. When classes started in the fall Cecilia decided to take a semester of first-year economics classes. She calculated that she already had learned most of the course material from Ruth Burnside. However, she reasoned that by studying concepts she already had learned in English, she could much more quickly become proficient in the Danubian language and learn the vocabulary of her field. After the first semester she could by-pass the second year courses and go straight to third-year classes, but she needed to know how to speak and conduct research in Danubian before making such a leap. Jason, on the other hand, simply enrolled in a mixture of classes that came closest to what he would have had to take during his sophomore year had he stayed in Chicago. His strategy differed from Cecilia's. While she would drop her language tutoring and concentrate on learning vocabulary in class, he would keep language tutoring and get outside help on a daily basis. On top of the formal tutoring, he could rely on help from Tiffany Walker because he shared two classes with her. ---------- The first weeks of September passed uneventfully as Cecilia and Jason struggled with a full load of classes in a difficult foreign language. Both were drawn into informal study groups of Danubian students and both faced the harsh pressure of being held accountable to their peers. During the first month of classes the reality of Danubian social values dominated the lives of Jason and Cecilia. The country may have been grateful over what they had done to save the government, but the way that gratitude was expressed was for their peers to accept them as equals, no better and no worse than anyone else. Their classmates and professors did not grant them any special treatment apart from trying to make sure that they understood what was needed from them. The Danubians were convinced they would be rewarded for what they had done, but whatever reward they were due would come from the Creator in the Afterlife. In the meantime, life had to be lived day-to-day and it was the obligation of the two Americans to work hard and make themselves useful within the society. It was for that reason, in spite of her notoriety, that Cecilia's fitness instructor had shown her no sympathy as she struggled to keep up with the other women in her running group. For Jason the pressure was nothing new, because it was very similar to what Cecilia had put him through the previous year. He actually was very happy, enjoying his study group and his new friendships with the fellow runners in the North Danube City Track Team. He worked hard during the day and treasured the hour or so he could spend with Cecilia each night. As the semester began Cecilia struggled to come to terms with her situation. She had to humble herself somewhat, because she no longer was an RA in charge of a floor full of freshmen and no longer in charge of Jason's studies. He still struggled in his classes, but now it was up to his Danubian classmates, not her, to push him to succeed. Cecilia found herself drawn into study groups of her own and pressured by Danubian women to perform well. Tiffany Walker was a member of one of Cecilia's groups, and put pressure onto her to do well in her studies. Cecilia actually found herself taking directions from Tiffany, because her lack of experience and limited language ability made her dependent on her housemate. ---------- During the days leading up to the autumn equinox and the Day of the Dead, the country began its preparations for the most important holiday of the year. The 36-hour vigil was celebrated with special foods and recipes, all of which were red to represent blood, or black to represent death. Nearly every stove in every kitchen was occupied by pots of boiling blackberries, which would be used to make the special blood-red punch and other unique foods that were mandatory for the ceremonies. Other recipes included a type of fruitcake that was dark red on the inside and covered with blackberry frosting, dark-red tomato stew, and plates of black noodles in red sauce. Before the cooking began, any cooking utensils to be used in food preparation had to be blessed. Two days before the ceremonies, Cecilia and Tiffany lugged several pots to a nearby Temple along with hundreds of their neighbors for the official permission to use the utensils as part of the preparation. Once the pots were blessed (something Cecilia thought was rather stupid), they returned to Victor Dukov's house to help with cooking. Cecilia's stomach turned upon seeing the black noodles, especially after they were covered with blood-red sauce. In the middle of the afternoon before the first night, Tiffany led Jason and Cecilia to the Plaza of the Ancients. Because all three were wearing collars, they would be participating in a two-day march around the capitol. Waiting for them in the Plaza was a fourth member of their group, Vladik Dukov. Vladik was standing out in the open as naked as anyone else in the Plaza, wearing a Temple collar so he could march alongside his fiancé. Cecilia already was familiar with the importance of the march, having read about it when she was helping Kim with her band's website. How strange...she had read so much about this ceremony, and now here she was, right in the middle of it, standing naked in the open air and about to be covered in body paint just like 2,400 others. Just like any Danubian criminal, she and Jason would spend two nights walking along silent country roads as part of the yearly national quest for atonement. The group went through a Temple assembly line set up in the Plaza, first getting covered in white body paint, then getting painted with black highlights. They received their torches and shoulder slings, and finally were given instructions how to carry the torches safely and minimize the strain on their arms. As the sun went down there was a rather lengthy worship service in the Plaza. When the service was over it was dark. Completely dark. There was not a single light illuminating Danube City, because all electrical power had been shut off. Nothing, with the sole exception of the Emergency Services at the National Hospital, was operating. The silence of Death had descended over the entire country. The marchers slowly moved out of the Plaza, in single file towards the river. Vladik moved in front of Tiffany, who was followed by Jason and finally Cecilia. For the next two nights the only thing any of them would see would be the painted backside of the person in front, and the long line of flames extending out in either direction as far as the eye could see. Everything else was pitch black. As they moved inland away from the water, the only reality in the lives of the marchers was what they could see: the line of fiery dots stretching off into the distance and the illuminated back of the marcher in front. As they moved through the darkness, everything else from the world seemed to disappear for existence. They moved in a trance, through a world of dreams and spirits, through the darkness of an Underworld that suddenly seemed all too real. The throngs of kneeling worshipers along the sides of the roads, reduced to shapeless black figures by their prayer robes and barely visible in the darkness, seemed only to add to the feeling that the marchers had left Earth and now were moving through the Underworld of the Dead. Every two hours there were breaks, as the marchers stopped to drink blackberry punch, go to the bathroom, and exchange their spent torches for new ones. Vladik dribbled some of the punch down his painted chest to make it look like it was covered in blood. He then dribbled some more punch on his three companions, adding to their already ghoulish appearance. The breaks were very short, just enough to recharge for the next portion of the march. It was as though the marchers were surfacing from the Underworld, only very briefly, before plunging down even deeper. They couldn't have explained why, but after each break Cecilia and Jason were becoming ever more apprehensive as they plunged back into the darkness. Soon they even forgot about their physical sensations as their only reality became the line of lights they had to follow. They had the feeling that if they got separated from the trail, they would be forever lost in darkness and despair. Both of them breathed a huge sigh of relief when they noticed the sky lightening in the east. They approached the campground where they would get a meal and sleep during the day as the torches from the second group of marchers became visible in the distance. The marchers had resurfaced from the darkness, hugely relieved to be back on Earth and blessed by the sun. They ate some black noodles and hot stew, went to the latrine, and collapsed on cots set up under several large Army tents. The marchers were exhausted and most of them went to sleep immediately. The Freshman Ch. 36 Jason briefly slept, but woke up after just a couple of hours. He got up quietly to not disturb his companions and worked his way through the rows of cots to get to the exit. He stepped outside. The day was dreary and overcast, but there was a hint the sky might clear up before sunset. Jason wandered around the silent tents for a few minutes. Then he noticed the Priestess who had collared Cecilia, the one member of the Danubian Clergy who spoke some English. He approached her. She looked hard at him, for a moment not recognizing him because of his body paint. Then she realized that standing in front of her was Jason Schmidt, the unlikely hero of the coup and the boyfriend of the young woman she had collared at the beginning of the summer. Jason was not sure what to do. He needed to talk...talk to someone about the weird feeling he had experienced during the first night's march. The Priestess, astute at reading other people's emotions, picked up on the needs of the young man standing in front of her. "You want say me?" "Uh...yes...I kinda want to talk..." "We talk, yes. You kneel, I salute, and we talk." Jason went to his knees and touched his head to the ground. The Priestess told him to get up and she saluted him. He saluted back, in the ancient exchange between a member of the Danubian Clergy and an average citizen. Slowly, very haltingly, he talked about what had happened during the march and his strange feeling of anxiety. He began to ramble, but the Priestess cut him off. "So, you afraid. No?" "I guess...kinda..." "You no guess, Jason Schmidt. You say me if you afraid." "Yes. I got scared last night. And Cecilia did too." "So you scared. Why you scared?" "I don't know. Maybe 'cause...you know, it kinda felt like we weren't here..like we were somewhere else. It just didn't feel right..." The Priestess thought about Jason's statement for a moment. "Maybe you say me truth, Jason Schmidt. Maybe you no here. Maybe you some other place." The Priestess told him to stick out his hands. When he complied, she grabbed them, held them very tightly, and closed her eyes. Not knowing what else to do, Jason closed his eyes as well. Jason felt the Priestess's hands shake as they continued to hold his in a painful vice-like grip. Then she said "Doc-doc" and released him. Jason opened and closed his hands to restore the circulation, surprised that a woman could have squeezed them so hard. The Priestess then looked him hard in the eye. "You say me truth. Last night you afraid." "Yes, Priestess. I just told you that. I wasn't lying." "Tonight you more afraid. Tonight you see truth. You see truth, and you find me in Temple tomorrow." "But..." "No 'but', Jason Schmidt. Tonight you scared. Tomorrow you see me." The Priestess abruptly turned away; making it very clear she had nothing more to say to him. He was not reassured in the least. If what she was saying was true, a very unpleasant night awaited him. He returned to his cot, glanced at Cecilia's sleeping body, and lay down. For a while his eyes watched the tent's canvas as it slowly moved with the wind, but finally managed to fall asleep. ---------- A few hours later a Priest woke everyone up with a shrill whistle. The sun was low in the horizon and there was a lot for the marchers to take care of in the next two hours. They had to drink, go to the bathroom, get their body paint touched up, and finally attend a worship service before collecting their torches and setting out. Jason reluctantly took his torch, glancing with increasing anxiety at the ever-darkening sky and the black ribbon of road that led back into Danube City. Tonight you more scared, Jason Schmidt. Tonight you more scared. The darkness descended on him as ominous feelings surged through his body. Perhaps he was just imagining things, but he thought could actually feel the dead entering and leaving his body. It was at that point that he began having visions. The first he had was not frightening at all. It simply was an image of Cecilia, standing in an American-style kitchen, cooking a pot of rice and beans. She was somewhat older, her face thin and lines beginning around her eyes and mouth. The beginnings of gray already were forming in her jet-black hair, which was cut much shorter. The vision ended when Cecilia turned around, smiled at him, and handed him a plate. There was a final detail he noticed before the vision faded to blackness, that she was wearing a Danubian engagement necklace. Jason realized he had seen a moment from his own future, a future he was destined to share with her. The marchers stopped for their first break, two hours after walking through the throngs of silent worshipers. With a new torch and his stomach full of blackberry punch, Jason descended into the darkness again. His mental wanderings took him through the lives of his parents and the slow deterioration of their marriage over the years. His thoughts jumped back and forth through time as he saw his parents' house, first for sale and unoccupied when they first bought it, then for sale and unoccupied as it sat following his parents' deaths. He saw his father as he worked in his office and his mother at the country club. He saw Amanda Galloway's face morph into the face of Heather Jones, and then the face of Heather Jones morph into a crushed skull. He relived the accident that killed her, seeing it in intimate detail from the perspective of someone watching from the outside. Then he saw himself, scrubbing toilets in the state hospital while several mental patients stared at him. The visions continued as Jason saw the world from the perspective of Cassie's boyfriend. The world swirled around in a pot and ecstasy-induced stupor. He listened to his father's insults and experienced the breakdown that led to the final drug-induced rage in May. He watched his mother blow-drying her hair in the bathroom and the horrified expression on her face just before her head blew apart. Then he exchanged places with his father, lying helpless but still defiant in the last moment of his life. His mind then shifted to the world from Cassie's point of view. He saw in vivid detail her boyfriend's body tumbling down the stairs and the horror of his mangled face. He relived her flight to the neighbor's house, and watched her crouch in terror in her neighbors' bedroom as the shotgun went off downstairs. He watched as the street filled with police cars, ambulances, and reporters. He watched as his sister came completely undone, as horror and panic took over and she began screaming incoherently. Finally, he saw her in the state hospital, in a catatonic state curled up under a table, with the psychiatrists and his grandmother trying to coax her out. His grandmother was holding an old stuffed rabbit, Cassie's favorite toy when she was little. "I brought Bee-Bop, Cassie. I brought him, just for you. Don't you want to come out and hold Bee-Bop? You can come out, Cassie, no one's gonna hurt you..." There was a final vision, of Cassie sitting curled up in an armchair in the guestroom of his grandmother's condominium. The curtains were closed and the room was dark. In the darkness Cassie was holding Bee-Bop the rabbit. ---------- That night Cecilia experienced three visions. The first was of Jason. She was cooking dinner in her kitchen, an old Dominican recipe of rice and beans. She had endured several years of life in college without rice and beans, but now that she had her own kitchen, she would cook rice and beans, whether Jason and the kids liked it or not. Fortunately Jason was flexible when it came to food, so he gladly took the plate she had given him. He was somewhat older, but very wiry because he had not given up running. Even now he was still running marathons so he always had a healthy appetite. As for the kids, well...maybe they wanted junk food, but that wasn't going to happen. Jason was even more of a heath nut than Cecilia, so the kids had to eat healthy as well. That's just the way it was, rice and beans and lots of exercise to work it off. She had a comment for Jason Junior, or J.J. as he was called in the house. Don't you argue with your father about the beans, J.J., 'cause you know that isn't gettin' you anywhere. Cecilia took her first break very relieved, thinking, if that's the future; that's what I want. She smiled at Jason as she picked up her replacement torch. The next part of her journey was not nearly as pleasant. Her mind traveled to the penitentiary in Camden, where Raul Sanchez was exiting the facility with a bunch of other released prisoners. Raul had been let out on parole, but he had no intention of complying with the conditions of his release. He had some scores to settle and then he'd pick up where he had left off. Vicente Torres and Cecilia's younger brother were there to pick him up, along with Raul's girlfriend. Vicente passed Raul a cell phone and Raul immediately started making calls to let everyone know he was back on the street and ready to roll. He called his supplier and then stopped off at the bank to get some cash that the girlfriend had been keeping for him in her safety deposit box. He counted $ 20,000 and the group headed across the river to pick up two kilos. The $ 20,000 was a down payment; but the supplier knew Raul was good for the rest and fronted him the kilos. Hey, no problem... As they went down the stairs, Vicente suddenly had a feeling something was not right. He had this feeling; something wasn't right. He told his companions to get in the car right away and passed Raul his pistol. As they opened the doors to get in the vehicle, the young woman dropped her purse. She bent down to pick it up, but suddenly dropped to the ground. A burst of automatic gunfire shattered the car's windows and sprayed glass around the car. The young woman lay flat on the ground until the glass stopped flying. The Sanchez brothers and Vicente Torres were slumped in their seats, still alive, but not for long. They were bleeding heavily and gasping for breath. The young woman pulled her own gun from her purse and quickly pumped a finishing round into each of their heads. She reached under the seat and grabbed the two kilos. Then she jumped into another car and the driver sped off. Raul's gang had dominated the project for several years, but now it was time for another group to come in and take over. Raul's girlfriend had been smart enough to see it coming and had teamed up with the winning side. Over the next month there would be a total of 14 additional shootings in the project. By the end of the year control of the area would change hands and a new set of faces would be passing out bags of crack on the sidewalks. Cecilia was shaking badly when the marchers got to their next break station. She was stunned, unable to think or react. Was it possible? Were her brothers and her ex-boyfriend really dead? She wanted to talk, to find out the truth, but at that moment there was no one to turn to. Jason had a completely stunned, vacant look in his face. Obviously he was dealing with his own terror, and was in no condition to help Cecilia with hers. As for Vladik and Tiffany, she was in his arms, shaking violently and crying. Suddenly she heard the voice of that Priestess echoing in her head. "Now you see truth. Now you see real truth." The marchers set off again, for the final stretch of walking through the streets of Danube City. There was only one vision remaining for Cecilia that night. She saw a four-year old boy, wandering among the needles strewn about a bunch of dumpsters in her housing project. She called out to him, and recognized him as her cousin's son. The boy lifted up his arms and the vision faded to black. Slowly Cecilia's conscience returned to the real world, the long line of fires extending as far as the eye could see in either direction. The throngs of kneeling worshipers began chanting out loud, after having prayed in silence for two full nights. Suddenly every church bell started ringing and the crowds began singing the ancient hymn that marked the end of the Day of the Dead. Cecilia noticed the sky was getting light and realized that she already had passed into the Plaza of the Ancients. As she and her companions walked around the Temple she could see the glare of the huge bonfire near the river that was consuming the torches, all 2,400 of them, that had been carried by the marchers during the final leg of their journey. A Priest directed the marchers to move up-wind from the fire so they could get close enough to throw their torches onto the massive pile of burning wood. With a grunt Cecilia threw hers as hard as she could and it landed about halfway up the side of the pile. Jason and Vladik managed to get theirs clear to the top. The marchers now had just two more obligations, to wash off Death in the River and to gather for a final hymn in the Plaza. Cecilia forced herself into the cold river, trying as best she could to get the paint off the lower part of her body and her face. She was about to step out when Tiffany admonished her. "You gotta do your back too. They want you to get all the paint off before you go to the Plaza." Cecilia sighed and forced herself to drop into the water. Jason helped her wipe off what was left on her back. Shivering in the pre-dawn cold, Cecilia and the others stepped out of the water and made their way back to the Plaza. The criminals gathered, pressing their bodies together for warmth as they sang the final hymn of the ceremony. Afterwards they quickly dispersed to get cleaned up and then go to the Central Police Station to pick up their winter capes and boots. Vladik led the others into the Temple. He had to go back on duty shortly and needed to get his collar off so he could go to the police station, shower, and put on his uniform. A Priest quickly unlocked his collar and the naked couple departed the Temple. Cecilia was dead silent, too stunned by what she had just seen to speak or react. She stood in the main chamber of the Temple, shivering from cold and fright. She did not have a clue what she should do about her visions. Had she seen something that already had happened? Had she seen the unavoidable future? Had she seen something she could prevent? Jason was every bit as badly shaken as Cecilia. However, he did know what they needed to do: find that Priestess and talk to her. Without saying a word, he grabbed Cecilia's hand and led her around the Temple. The Priestess was waiting for them, standing elegantly in her severe black dress and wearing an equally severe expression. Jason immediately knelt and touched his head to the floor, with Cecilia following his lead. "Now you stand up." Jason stood up and saluted, with Cecilia once again following his lead. The Priestess saluted back. "Now you say me what you saw. You say me truth, and I ask Creator what you do." Jason went first. He briefly mentioned the visions of his parents, suspecting that the visions that really mattered were the ones of Cassie. He took it for granted that if the Priestess thought the stuff about his parents was important, she'd interrupt him, which she didn't. When he finished, all she said was. "Your father dead. Your sister not dead. You remember, that your path in life. Your sister not dead." Jason was bewildered by that statement, but stayed silent as Cecilia talked about her own vision. The Priestess made her concentrate on her first vision, the one with Jason, and her final vision, the one about her cousin's child. She seemed not at all interested in the middle vision, the one of her brothers getting double-crossed and killed. Cecilia wanted to return to that middle vision, but the Priestess kept cutting her off. Finally Cecilia became exasperated: "Priestess, how come you aren't worried about what happened to my brothers? I just saw them fuckin' get killed and you..." The Priestess drew her fist across her chest, the impolite Danubian way of saying "shut up!" "You say me, what you do about brothers? How you help dead brothers? That not your path in life!" "But are they dead?" "Yes. They dead, and they dead with broken soul, no?" "I 'spose. I 'spose you could put it that way. I 'spose all of their souls are broken. All of 'em. The whole fuckin' project." "No. No all soul broken, Cecilia. Your brothers dead. But little boy no dead. He no broken. That your path in life." The Priestess gave that thought a chance to sink in. It was true that when Cecilia left her family, the one thing that filled her with guilt was having left her cousin's son in that dysfunctional environment. She was the only one in the household who had given him any care at all, and fortunately he was off the bottle just before she left. She was the one who had gotten him to the point where he could walk and feed himself, because her cousin was never around to take care of him. She had to abandon him to save herself. Now, with her family decimated by the local gang war, perhaps it was her destiny to go back and extract him from the dying neighborhood. As badly as she wanted to ask the Priestess that question, Cecilia realized she already knew the answer. The Priestess grabbed a hand from each of them and clamped down in a painful vice-like grip. She closed her eyes and her arms started to shake. Cecilia and Jason gave each other frightened looks, but then the Priestess opened her eyes and quickly released them. She pulled out a key from a pocket in her dress and unlocked both of their collars. "Now you go on path. Your sister and your little boy. Creator give you power fix soul. You go and you come. When you go, you say me and I say professor. You go and you come." Jason interjected: "Priestess, are you saying we're supposed to bring them here? To Danube City?" "You go and you come. That your path in life." The Priestess handed them two prayer robes to wear home, a clear sign their penance had ended. Their days of wearing the Temple collar had passed, and now it was time for them to fulfill an obligation they had towards two other people. Two trips, to journeys into the past, and two lives to save. They quickly went to their homes, got cleaned up, and for the first time in nearly four months, got dressed. The Freshman Ch. 37 Chapter 37 - Four days in the United States Two days after the Day of the Dead Ceremonies ended, Jason and Cecilia boarded a plane to go to Frankfurt and then another to continue to Chicago. They were traveling with their U.S. passports, but with special Danubian diplomatic visas that gave them de facto rights as Danubian diplomats. Were either of them to run into any problems in the U.S. it was guaranteed they would have the full weight of the Danubian government backing them. Before they left, Prime Minister Dukov called Dr. Burnside and notified her that the two students were returning to Chicago for a few days. He explained they were traveling to take care of some urgent family matters and that they needed transportation. Burnside quickly arranged for the Foundation to use two of its own drivers for the students. She calculated that they were less likely to run into trouble if they had employees of her institute responsible for transporting them to wherever they needed to go. Anyone wanting to harm them would have to confront both the Danubian government and the famous Chicago think-tank, which was the best that could be done for their safety. After she hung up from calling the Foundation, Burnside then called Jason's grandmother and let her know that he was coming back to the United States. He would return to Wisconsin immediately upon touching down in Chicago. "Oh thank heavens! Yes, Ruth, I need him back, because I need him to get his sister out of here!" Jason's grandmother explained that Cassie's initial trauma had subsided due to the intensive therapy she was receiving, but that she still had a severe problem with post-traumatic stress, which seemed to be set off whenever she saw anything that reminded her of her parent's neighborhood. That literally meant anything that had been in her sight the day her parents were killed. Seemingly random items such as SUV's, tractor mowers, shotguns, garage doors, police cars, yellow police tape, popular teenage fashions, and various rap songs set off a spell of panic that canceled out days of efforts to calm her nerves. As a result of her problems with the flashbacks, Cassie had withdrawn to her room. The condo's guestroom was furnished with older items that she could not associate with anything that had happened the day her parents were killed. She couldn't watch television or listen to the radio because a song or commercial might remind her of something that had happened that day. Her only entertainment was listening to her grandmother's records or reading. Throughout the summer she refused to leave the room and even kept her curtains shut. Over the summer she had gone pale and gained weight, due to her complete lack of exercise. Cassie's psychiatrist speculated that what she needed was to go to some place where nothing would remind her of her parents' neighborhood or anything she had experienced in high school. If she could avoid seeing things that triggered her flashbacks, she could begin living a normal life and eventually overcome the mass of phobias that had taken control of her soul. Unfortunately, there was no such place in the United States. Modern life and pop culture intruded everywhere, even in the most isolated rural area. It seemed that the only solution to resolve Cassie's problem, to find her a life in a completely unfamiliar setting, was unworkable. However, it turned out there might be a solution. The same night Jason began marching with Cecilia to celebrate the Day of the Dead, Mrs. Schmidt and her granddaughter looked through an album of pictures he had sent from Upper Danubia. Two things struck Mrs. Schmidt. First, from the photos it seemed that the country looked absolutely nothing like Cassie's neighborhood in the U.S. Everything was totally different. Second, it was quite clear the pictures did not bother Cassie. She seemed genuinely interested in seeing them. That was when the idea occurred to Mrs. Schmidt to send Cassie to live in Danube City. In the Danubian capitol there were no SUV's, no U.S. pop culture, no low-rider jeans or rapper clothing, no oversized mansions with looming garage doors, no Sheriff's Department patrol cars, and most importantly, no drugs. Danube City offered Cassie the prospect of a life without constant reminders of that horrible day she lost her parents and her boyfriend. Both her grandmother and her psychiatrist were convinced, if the girl could live a normal life in the unfamiliar setting of the Danubian capitol for a while, she might start to recover. Ruth Burnside pondered the strange coincidence, Jason's return to the U.S. and Mrs. Schmidt's realization that Cassie needed to get out of the country to recover from her trauma. It was obvious that was why he had come back, to fulfill his destiny to help his sister in her hour of need. Burnside shook her head. The professor was a hardened atheist, so she quickly discounted the thought that Jason's timing could be anything other than a very fortunate coincidence. Still... As for Cecilia, Burnside knew that she needed to return to her former home in New Jersey and had arranged for a co-worker who owned a private plane to take her to Newark. The co-worker had business of his own to take care of in New York City anyway, so flying there with two passengers was not a problem for him. Once they touched down the driver from the Foundation would rent a car and take Cecilia wherever she needed to go. The driver was an ex-Marine originally from the south side of Chicago, so driving into Cecilia's blighted neighborhood did not intimidate him in the least. Jason and Cecilia held hands as they touched down in Chicago. After getting through Customs, they found Jim Halsey waiting for them. Halsey took the two students to his own car, and drove Cecilia to a regional airport where her plane was waiting. She kissed Jason goodbye and left with the man assigned to both drive her and protect her while in New Jersey. ---------- Jason traveled north with his driver in Jim Halsey's personal car, after dropping off the professor at his house. The car sped northward across the pleasant autumn landscape as Jason contemplated the complete upheaval that had transpired in his life over the past year and a half. The driver was an amiable man, willing to talk or not talk, according to the need of his passenger to either socialize or keep to himself. Jason was quiet throughout most of the trip, lost in his own thoughts and pondering the tragedy that had overtaken his parents' lives. As the sights, sounds, and smells of Wisconsin entered Jason's consciousness as reality instead of memory, what had happened to his family finally hit home. He realized in Upper Danubia he had been so separated from his life in the U.S. that he had not truly grasped the fact that his parents were dead and his sister changed beyond recognition. It had not yet struck him that now he was the one responsible for the future of the Schmidt family. His grandmother had done her part, first by encouraging him to get away and then by taking charge of Cassie. She had done her part, but now Cassie had to be Jason's responsibility, not hers. Just four hours after leaving Cecilia at the municipal airport, Jason watched the familiar streets of downtown Carterville pass by as he approached his grandmother's condominium. Mrs. Schmidt and her boyfriend met up with him as he dismissed the driver to find himself a motel room. Jason and his grandmother would spend a couple of hours getting caught up on each other's news, but with an emphasis on the events surrounding his parents' deaths and the effect they had on Cassie. It did not surprise Jason that Cassie's friends had disappeared on her as soon as the uproar from the shootings died down. The murders changed her personality beyond recognition, making her extremely withdrawn and serious. She no longer was a source of fun and entertainment. Subconsciously her friends saw her as contaminated and after an initial round of condolences kept their distance. Anyhow, the loss of the Schmidts' house meant that she no longer could remain enrolled at her elite high school. Instead, she faced finishing her studies at the much less prestigious public school in Carterville, not that it mattered. By the end of the summer Cassie had become so withdrawn that it was clear she would have to be home-schooled. Jason asked what he could and could not talk about when he saw his sister, thinking that perhaps she did not know about her father's activities against Upper Danubia or about his secret plans to ditch his family following the failure of the coup in April. Mrs. Schmidt told him that everything was fair game, because she had told Cassie in detail what had happened to her father during April and May. Following the shootings Cassie had been consumed with guilt, thinking that what had happened to her father was her fault. The girl's grandmother calculated that if she knew the truth about her father she would feel less guilty about his death. That was true, but the information left Cassie very suspicious and paranoid about people's intentions towards her. She couldn't trust her parents, which meant she couldn't trust anyone. There was, however, a faint hope that Cassie already had hit bottom and was beginning the long process of recovery. After a long summer of depression and psychological inertia, her curiosity about life was just starting to return. She began to ask her psychiatrist questions about post-traumatic stress, to better understand herself. Yes, Cassie had changed. At age 17, she already was thinking about the larger issues in life. The life that she had led as a teenager was gone, blasted away by her ex-boyfriend's revolver. It was apparent that she was ready to move on. Jason was shocked by his sister's appearance, even though he knew what to expect. Her old aggressive boisterous nature was gone, replaced by a personality that was rather shy and very serious. She had gained nearly 30 pounds, which was part of the reason she was ashamed to go out in public. She was wearing a sweatsuit, because none of the stylish clothing she had from the year before fit her anymore. She had absolutely refused to buy larger-sized clothing, so she stuck to sweatsuits. She was very pale and her appearance was unkempt. Her hair, although clean, was a mass of tangles because she never bothered to comb or brush it. Jason skipped asking Cassie about how her summer had gone, because he already knew. Instead he talked at length about his own summer, his studies at the National University, the hassle of learning to speak Danubian, and his preparations to run several marathons in October during the Harvest Festivities. At first he was cautious about mentioning anything about why he had gone to Danube City in the first place, nor did he mention anything about Cecilia. He stuck to general topics, figuring that he could move into more personal ones once Cassie felt more comfortable around him. The two teenagers realized how much they both had changed since they last spoke to each other. Cassie was amazed at Jason's self-confidence and how, without a hint of arrogance, he seemed to dominate the room. He knew his own mind and what he wanted from himself. It was clear that he had a clear vision of his life and no longer was intimidated by his failures. Had Cassie's former friends seen him now, they might not have liked Jason, but there was no way they could have so casually dismissed him like they did the year before. Quite likely it would have been the other way around, Jason would have seen the girls for what they were, shallow, uncaring princesses who did not merit his time or consideration. Cassie, on the other hand, was not sure about anything. When she spoke to Jason she did not look at him, but instead kept her gaze fixed on a spot on the wall. At first it was hard for Jason to get used to the idea that, even though she wasn't looking at him, she was paying attention to what he was saying. That vacant look in her face did not reflect what was actually going on in her mind, but it seemed that her inner thoughts were separated from what she was doing with her body. Her mind was responsive, but her body was not. As for who she had been in high school: her high school slang, her experimenting with boyfriends and drugs, her popular clique and obsession with having fun, as well as her self-assured attitude; that all was gone. What remained of her character was not much more than a bunch of psychological wreckage, from which a much more serious person was just beginning to form. She was haunted, not only by the memories of what had happened in May, but also by her trauma and deep-seated fear of flashbacks. In some ways her behavior was like a person who had suffered a massive heart attack and barely survived. She was obsessed with her own fragility and the prospect that anything at any moment could trigger a second, and this time fatal, relapse. Above anything else, Cassie seemed to exude a feeling of fragility. Fortunately one thing in Cassie's character had not been destroyed over the summer, and that was her curiosity. Without looking away from that spot on the wall, she began asking Jason questions about Upper Danubia, and finally questioned him about the trials in May. As her brother explained more and more, Cassie became increasingly interested about their father's role in the coup and what her brother thought about it. Jason just gave the facts at first; what he knew about the plans of Mega-Town Associates and what came out in the trial that was not covered by the press in the United States. Suddenly, Cassie became impatient. Without moving her eyes from that spot on the wall she snapped: "Look Jason, I don't give a shit about 'Cutter', and the pigs, and what they did with the guns. I want to know about Dad." Over the next hour Jason told Cassie everything he knew about their father's role in the coup, and finally brought up the comment about Cecilia that prompted him to turn the information he was gathering over to the Danubian government. Cassie surprised Jason by telling him about her own research, information she had dug up about their parents. Over the summer she became curious about her father's behavior and in understanding why he acted the way he did. She downloaded numerous articles off the Internet about the behavior of identified sociopaths. From studying the behavior of sociopaths, Cassie's research led her to explore what was known about people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. She shared a rather startling conclusion with her brother, the possibility that both of their parents suffered from narcissistic personality disorder. "I'm sure Dad had it. He would've had to. I mean, to do all that shit just to make himself happy...I mean you can't do that unless you're really fucked in the head. And I'm sure he was really fucked in the head. That's obvious." Jason interjected with his own thoughts on the matter, relaying what he knew about the Danubian concept of damage to the soul. Rather than contradict Cassie's research, Jason's comments seemed to complement what she had found out. Mr. Schmidt's soul had been damaged by greed, which in turn was the result of an over-developed sense of self-worth, in other words, narcissism. ---------- Over the next two days the surviving members of the Schmidt family talked in the condo's living room about the tragedy that overtook Jason's parents. Their grandmother took the two teenagers through a mental journey into the past as she tried to figure out if there was anything she might have done to contribute to her son's personality. As they listened to her, Jason and Cassie came to understand their father much better and also understand what had influenced them as they were growing up. Finally Jason was able to talk at length about the accident that had killed his girlfriend and the decisions that had led up to that incident. Cassie confided some of her experiences with her own clique, and finally had an apology for her brother: "You know, when you got busted and everyone was jumping on you, you know, like...telling you what an idiot you were and how fucked in the head you were...I...I never said anything. I just kinda sat there listening and was real happy it was you instead of me. I'm sorry about not sticking up for you...because I should've and I didn't...I'm really sorry about that." Cassie hugged Jason hard, as tears flowed down both their cheeks. The recovery of their lives, and of their relationship with each other, had begun. Finally the moment had come for Jason to tell his sister what he had seen during the Day of the Dead march, especially that second night. He went into detail about the march itself, and then described what he had seen of the lives of their parents. Their grandmother gasped, because Jason had described things early in their marriage that he would have been too young to remember. Then he got to the point, his visions of Cassie and what the Priestess told him afterwards. "I think the point of it all is that I'm supposed to take you to Danube City, and that's why I came back. To get you out of here, so maybe you won't be having all the flashbacks...'cause it seems that everyone thinks that's what's going on, you know, the flashbacks and everything." Cassie looked at her grandmother, and then back at Jason. Her gaze refocused at that spot on the wall while she thought it over. She nodded. Her voice was barely audible. "OK. I'll try it." Jason and his grandmother looked at each other, totally stunned. They had been expecting a crisis, or an argument, or having to spend a long time trying to reason with her. It turned out none of that was necessary. It turned out Cassie was aware that the only hope she had of regaining her sanity was to leave Wisconsin. As for what she would do upon getting to Danube City, she took it for granted Jason would help her get set up. "So...you're...like...OK with it? Going to Danube City with me?" "I said I'd go, Jason. I already told you that." Her eyes stayed fixed to that spot on the wall. She had nothing more to say, but she knew something that her brother and grandmother could not have known. Her departure would not be temporary. Once she left, she could never come back. ---------- Upon landing in Newark, Cecilia rode as a passenger into her old neighborhood. The area looked as bleak as ever. In fact, if anything it looked even worse than it had when she left. She noticed the bus station from where she had left now was a check-cashing place. Ain't that just great, she thought to herself. Just what we need, another fuckin' check cashin' place. A few more row houses leading up to the tenements were abandoned, either burned out or converted to crack houses. The tenement buildings rose above the bleak landscape, as grim and forbidding as ever. The hopelessness of the neighborhood quickly closed in on the young student, a feeling that the area was reaching out to grab her and suck her back into the abyss. There was one detail that struck Cecilia immediately. The graffiti was completely different. The area was under armed occupation by a rival gang, the same group of thugs who had murdered her brothers and were still killing off their associates. She looked around to see how permanent the change seemed to be, searching for clues such as the faces and colors around her old tenement building. Everything, especially the clothing and the symbols on the walls, was different. She did not recognize any of the young people floating around the complex. She knew that she had entered enemy territory. Cecilia's tough driver pulled up to the entrance of her mother's building and let her off at the entrance. She thought about going straight upstairs to her mother's apartment, knowing that she probably was not safe if she stayed in the hallway. If anyone recognized her as Raul Sanchez's sister there could be trouble for her, even though she had been estranged from him. However, she couldn't go up the stairs quite yet. Something pulled her to go through the lower level to the back door, where a group of young boys of various ages were milling around in the playground outside. There was one boy in particular that caught her attention. She walked up to him, to get a better look. The Freshman Ch. 37 All of the others stopped what they doing to stare at Cecilia, who was completely out of place with her clean-cut affluent appearance. Her clothing, her Danubian hairstyle, and the way she carried herself made it clear that she did not belong to the project. Ignoring the stares of the boys surrounding her, she focused on the child who drew her attention. He was slightly less than four years old and still had a rather innocent look about him. She carefully studied his features. He looked very familiar. Could it be...? "¿Pedro? ¿Eres tú?" "Sí señorita. Yo soy Pedro." He seemed rather scared, because of course, after two and a half years he did not recognize her. But as she squatted down to greet him, somehow he knew to come to her. Her mind flashed with the memory of that vision a few days before in Danube City. Sure enough, here he was, his arms open, as he walked across the trash and drug paraphernalia scattered on the ground beneath him. It was just as she remembered, detail for detail. Cecilia's heart stopped as she remembered the words from the Priestess: "No all soul broken, Cecilia. Your brothers dead. But little boy no dead. He no broken. That your path in life." She hugged him, but he still seemed a bit shy about being approached by a person he felt was a stranger. In Spanish she asked him where he lived, and sure enough, he pointed in the direction of her old apartment. She took his hand and they went upstairs. Now for the hard part. And hard it was. Her mother opened the door, stunned to see her daughter after such a long time of not hearing from her. What was equally surprising was the young woman's appearance, which made it clear that she no longer belonged to the world of her childhood. Mrs. Sanchez looked at her daughter with neither anger nor happiness, but bewilderment, as though she had come back from the dead. From the beginning it was clear that plenty of Mrs. Sanchez' hostility and bitterness remained. She stepped aside to let Cecilia in, partly because she had brought Pedro back up with her. However, there was no hug, nor any kiss on the cheek to greet the younger woman. Cecilia, in turn, was shocked by how old her mother looked, how shrunken and defeated. She then noticed candles lit in front of her brothers' pictures, realizing that she had just seen the first tangible proof that her brothers had indeed been killed. She glanced at Pedro, then at her mother's bewildered hostile expression, and finally at her brothers' pictures again. The candles would give her the opening she needed to start talking to her mother. She realized something else. Her reason for returning was not to reconcile, but instead to make sure Pedro could leave with her. Whatever her mother thought of her no longer mattered. What mattered was Pedro. There was no small talk, no talk about Upper Danubia or Chicago. Instead Cecilia wanted to know what happened to her brothers. The story Mrs. Sanchez gave matched what she had envisioned; Raul and his companions had been double-crossed by their supplier, who had switched allegiances and helped set up their murders. As for Raul's ex-girlfriend, another member of Raul's gang executed her the week following the triple murder. Her killer, in turn, was kidnapped and executed by the girl's brother during the rival gang's final takeover of the housing project. Mrs. Sanchez was aware, because she was Raul's mother, that she was in danger herself. She had decided to return to the Dominican Republic and was trying to make arrangements to leave. The problem she faced was that she didn't know what to do with Pedro. The boy's mother had disappeared more than two months before and no one knew where she was. The only option was to take the child to the Dominican Republic, but the woman was not thrilled about it because she had neither the desire nor the strength to raise her niece's boy. Cecilia had a question: "Mom, does Pedro have a passport?" "Yes. That's one of the things that kept me from getting out of here, because I couldn't take him unless he had a passport. I just got it a couple of days ago." "Then why don't you let me take him? I'll get him off your hands and that'll let you get out of here." Mrs. Sanchez seemed reluctant, but Cecilia pressed forward with her request. "Look, Mom. It's the only thing we can do that makes any sense. You told me yourself that you don't think you can take care of him. But you got to get out of the project. So why not let me have him? That solves your problem. It'll fix another problem, because I know that you're still pissed at me about running out on you. This is how I can make it up. I'll take Pedro, and that way you can leave here knowing he'll be safe. And you know that I'll take care of him." Cecilia paused, and then finished her argument. "Mom, what other choice do you have? Both of you staying here and getting killed?" The older woman sat silent for a few minutes, but finally she pulled Pedro's passport out of a cabinet and handed it to her daughter. Cecilia breathed a huge sigh of relief as she took it. She then stuffed Pedro's clothes and toys into two plastic shopping bags. Without saying anything more, Mrs. Sanchez found Pedro's birth certificate, Social Security card, and immunization records to hand over to his future guardian. Cecilia went into the room she had shared with her cousin. She went through her cousin's photographs, taking any that had her or Pedro in them. There were a lot of other pictures of miscellaneous friends, boyfriends, and gang members posing with weapons. Cecilia did not bother to take any of those. Most of those people were dead by now anyway, and no longer had any relevance to Pedro's life. She glanced at the collection of CD's of Rap and Salsa music. None of that had any relevance either. Pedro would not grow up listening to Salsa or Rap. He would grow up not knowing anything about Gangsta street culture. Cecilia would see to that. Less than an hour later Cecilia went down the stairs of her tenement for the very last time in her life. She was carrying the two bags of Pedro's possessions, some photos, and his documents. Her mother walked behind holding the boy's hand. The driver was still waiting out in front, his face reflecting relief at seeing his passenger returning. The tension caused by his presence on the street had been mounting and he would be quite happy to get the car out of the neighborhood. Cecilia threw the bags in the trunk and opened the door for Pedro to get in. Cecilia had hoped for closure with her mother, a gesture of mutual forgiveness or a promise that the two women might someday repair their broken relationship. However, that was not to be. Her mother continued to stare at her with a hostile, betrayed expression. Still, Cecilia had to say something: "Mom, when I get back to Danube City, I'll write you at Grandpa's place." "Great. You do that. Just like you wrote me from Chicago." Mrs. Sanchez said nothing more and abruptly went back into the building. Despair swept over Cecilia, in spite of having accomplished her purpose for coming. She felt a combination of resentment, hurt, anger, and guilt. Yes, she should have written, but then, her mother should have been more supportive. The reason she hadn't written had been because of that single word: "bitch". In Spanish the word was a much more serious insult than it was in English, and that was what her mother called her the day she insisted on leaving for Chicago. Bitch. Something inside Cecilia snapped when she heard that word one time too many. And yet...maybe she could have calmed her anger and written. She realized she had failed to keep her own emotions under control, and that failure had cost her any possible future relationship with her mother. The two women would be going their separate ways and probably never see each other again. Cecilia Sanchez knew that her life in New Jersey was over for sure. Within a few days her mother would be out of the apartment and on her way to the Dominican Republic. Everyone else she had known growing up was long-gone: dead, in jail, or just in a different location. The neighborhood was broken up and now taken over by strangers. After having seen her housing project one last time, Cecilia was leaving as well, never to come back. The young Dominican watched the dilapidated row houses pass by as she got on her cell phone to call the man who had flown her to Newark. It turned out his business was finished as well. If she wanted, he could fly everyone back to Chicago that night. She gladly accepted the offer. She wanted to get herself and Pedro as far away as possible, away from the drugs, crime, and despair that had engulfed the world of her childhood. She felt the neighborhood pulling at her, and worried that until she was on the plane headed to Chicago, there was a chance she and Pedro might not escape. Pedro quietly played with one of his toys as the driver made his way to the airport. The child was used to amusing himself, because no one had paid much attention to him after Cecilia left. Poor kid, she thought. I really shouldn't have left him like that. I've got some catching up to do. ---------- Cecilia and Pedro stayed at Ruth Burnside's house for two days while they waited for Jason and Cassie to return from Wisconsin. Cecilia went shopping for Pedro while she waited, since she did not like his clothes and wanted him to be more presentable. The second day he was in Burnside's house he cried a few minutes for "Tia", which was how he called Mrs. Sanchez, but it seemed that otherwise he made the adjustment to being with Cecilia fairly easily. She wondered if deep down in his memory he might have some recollection of all that time she had spent taking care of him. The child spent much of his time wandering around the professor's back yard and staring curiously at Maynard. He had never seen a dog up close before and shyly reached out to touch him. Maynard was the perfect companion for the child's explorations, because he was so placid and quiet. Burnside was busy, as usual, but she was able to make some time for Cecilia and talk to her about everything she had experienced in Upper Danubia. She was happy to have the student available for a few days to talk to her about the National University, some of the quirks of Danubian culture, and changes she would need to make to the exchange program before sending the first group of students. Just four days after they had entered the United States, Jason and Cecilia, along with their two companions, were ready to leave. Ruth Burnside and two other officials from the Foundation accompanied the four young people through check-in to make sure they made it as far as the secure area of the terminal before saying good-bye. For Burnside and Cecilia the good-bye was only a temporary one, because over the next year the two women would be in constant contact with each other as the exchange program got under way and selected its first group of students. Burnside may have been an important part of Cecilia's past, but she also would be a very important part of her future. Because of Cassie's problems with the flashbacks, Jason had decided to get a flight out of O'Hare in the middle of the night. Traveling at night would keep his sister from seeing too much on her way to the airport and hopefully prevent any flashbacks before she had a chance to get on a plane. Cecilia and Pedro met up with Jason and Cassie at the ticket counter. Once they were alone in the airport, there was the usual hassle getting through security and waiting in line, and an argument between Cecilia and Pedro over how many toys he could pull out of his suitcase and take with him on the plane. Cecilia struggled to conceal her shock at how much Cassie's appearance had deteriorated since the last time she had seen her. Not only was the girl very pale and overweight, but she had a vacant look in her eyes from having taken tranquilizers. Jason had her drugged up, hoping to get her to Danube City without any incidents. Once they arrived in the Danubian capitol, he would lock up his sister's medicines and force her to get some exercise and eat better. He would make her regain her health, which would be the first part of the very long journey of taking back her life. However, once the plane was airborne, Cassie and Pedro promptly fell asleep. Jason and Cecilia, their mission to the United States completed, interlocked their arms and spent the next eight hours talking about their most recent experiences at home and their hopes for the future. It was significant that neither of them talked about "my future". The couple took it for granted that it was "our future". For better or for worse, the Paths of their Lives had drawn them together. Now there was only one Path in Life, the path they were destined to share. The Freshman Ch. 38 Chapter 38 – Epilogue Cassie Schmidt never returned to the United States. In fact, for the rest of her life, she never left the Republic of Danubia. It was in the Danubian Republic where she would build her life, raise her family, and over time repair the damage to her soul. Cassie spent her first year in Danube City living with her brother in Spokesman Alexi Havlakt's house. She learned Danubian as she struggled to finish her diploma. She went to a Danubian high school, because there was no such thing in Danubia as home schooling. She spent her senior year at school slowly shedding her broken American identity and assuming a Danubian one. She came to speak Danubian quite well, better even than her brother. She soon made friends with several Danubian girls, whose personalities and interests were totally different from the group with whom she had been in the U.S. She wore a school uniform that she considered nerdy, but being in a school full of uniformed students helped keep her mind off fashions that might have reminded her of life in the U.S. Cassie had very little in Upper Danubia in terms of material possessions. She had two suitcases of clothing and memorabilia, and a computer lent to her by the Danubian government. Over time she accumulated textbooks from her school and pictures of her new group of Danubian friends. She had a modest room in the Havlakts' house to herself. When she celebrated her 18th birthday Jason bought her a Danubian bicycle. The months passed and the first winter came and went. Cassie did not have a single flashback during that entire time. Slowly her confidence came back as she found her place in school and worked out a new relationship with her brother. She came to deeply respect him, and from that respect came admiration. In the U.S. she had never been proud of having him as her brother, but in the Danubian Republic her attitude changed completely. At his very young age he already had accomplished great things in life. She knew that within a few years he would return to the United States and make a real contribution, perhaps even more significant than the one he already had made in Danube City. During the vacation after she graduated from high school, Cassie Schmidt went with her classmates on a summer work project in the forest reserve overlooking the Rika Chorna Reservoir. The students linked up with a group of students from Rika Chorna and spent the entire summer working and camping together. They maintained service roads and fire breaks, conducted wildlife surveys, and learned about forest management. Cassie felt real satisfaction as she worked to preserve the same forests her father's company had been hoping to clear-cut. She enjoyed the woods, cooking out in the open, getting dirty, skinny dipping with her friends in the cold mountain streams, and looking out over the landscape of seemingly endless rolling green hills and mountains. She loved the villages at the foot of the mountains and the quiet life of the area. When she left at the end of the summer to return to Danube City, she did so with great reluctance. The forest seemed to call her back. Just before she was scheduled to start university classes in Danube City, Cassie changed the direction of her life and answered that call. Instead of attending the National University in Danube City, she left her brother and the Havlakts to study forestry at the Natural Resources Institute in Rika Chorna. Within two years she was working as an Apprentice for the Danubian Ministry of Natural Resources. Four years after she first settled in Danubia, she was formally sworn in as a forest ranger at age 22. She became a valuable employee for the Ministry because she was the only forest ranger in the area that spoke English. As the years went by Ranger Cassie Schmidt guided countless groups of foreign tourists through the forested mountains overlooking the Rika Chorna Reservoir. She wrote several essays for travel guides and magazine publishers about the Danubian mountains. Later she would marry one of her co-workers and raise a family in the village that served her ranger station. She was content to stay there, at work along the trails with her husband or in the village with hers and kids. She rarely went into Rika Chorna, and was lucky to make it to Danube City even once a year. However, in her world she became well liked and found her Path in Life. ---------- The arrival of Cecilia's little nephew prompted big changes in several people's lives. At first it seemed that where he would be staying would present a dilemma, because Victor Dukov did not have any extra rooms in his house. The child spent several nights sleeping with Cecilia in her room, but no one considered that a permanent solution. He simply had to have his own room. Apprentice Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna resolved Cecilia's dilemma the week after she and Pedro got back from the U.S. Kim decided that Pedro's presence in Victor Dukov's house was the sign that she needed to grant her client Tiffany Walker permission to get married to Officer Vladik Dukov. Vladik and Tiffany would take up their residence at his father's former house, which in turn would free her room at his uncle's place for Pedro. Thus, not only was Pedro's situation resolved, but also Tiffany's. Pedro's presence in Danube City gave Prime Minister Vladim Dukov an opportunity to quietly taunt the U.S. Ambassador. Pedro was a U.S. citizen and thus, reasoned the Prime Minister, had the right to attend the exclusive English-speaking school where most of the foreign embassies were sending their children. In fact, if the English school did not welcome Pedro with open arms, the Danubian government would close it and require all diplomats to send their children to Danubian public schools and take their classes in Danubian. At first the Ambassador balked, given that Pedro was the nephew of a woman who had so badly disrupted the operations of Mega-Town Associates in Eastern Europe. Now here was this kid, straight out of one of the worst housing projects in the U.S., being thrust right into the elite preserve of the diplomats' children. However, in the end he had to relent, under pressure from not only the host government, but also from other embassies that had children attending the school. Within a month of arriving in Danube City, Pedro began attending pre-school with an international mix of English-speaking kids. Two school security guards, who were members of the Danubian Secret Police, watched the preschool to make sure he was treated with respect at all times. Whatever objections parents at the U.S. Embassy might have had to Pedro, those opinions they had to keep to themselves. Dukov made it clear that any disrespect whatsoever to Pedro would result in the immediate closing of the school. Over the next couple of years Pedro grew very quickly, going through several school uniforms even before making it to the first grade. He already knew how to read and do simple math by the time he was six and was beginning to play soccer. Whatever trauma he might have suffered during Cecilia's two years of being absent seemed not to affect him as he grew up in a quiet and normal environment. He made friends with the children of several diplomats and became popular among his peers. The only detail about Pedro's development that bothered Cecilia was that over time he completely forgot how to speak Spanish. However, she was consoled by the fact his English would be nothing like hers. By the time he returned to the U.S. Pedro spoke with an educated accent, the result of several years of elite schooling. ---------- Jason became a serious cross-country runner during the time he lived in Danube City. He ran various marathons and always finished among the lead runners in any 10-K races. A couple of races he actually won, including a long distance run around the Rika Chorna Reservoir. As was customary in the Danubian Republic, Jason and his fellow runners always competed naked, except for their shoes and socks. Jason thus was living his dream, sprinting across the open countryside with his body completely uninhibited by clothing. In the mornings he usually went jogging around the National University, and only during the coldest days did he wear anything. It took a while for Cassie to get used to the sight of her brother dashing out the front door and running down the street with nothing on, but this was Danubia, and things here were done differently than they were done in the U.S. Upon attending his sister's graduation from high school and watching her depart for her summer work project, Jason decided to return to the Temple of the Ancients and request permission to resume performing public penance. Jason's motivations were complicated and even he could not articulate why he wanted to return to wearing a collar. However, it was obvious to the English-speaking priestess that Jason's Path in Life, as long as he was living in the Danubian Republic, was to perform penance. For the second time in less than a year Jason watched the Temple fire consume his clothing and left the building with his body completely uncovered and a collar around his neck. Jason's decision to return to a life of public penance was his own and had nothing to do with the fantasy that Cecilia had for him the year before. In fact, because Jason's public penance was something that he alone had decided on performing; Cecilia understood that part of his life was not something she had any control over. Jason had taken the collar because he felt that it was necessary to come to terms with his own place in the world. By the second summer Cecilia knew enough of Danubian culture to understand that it would be inappropriate to ask her boyfriend any questions about what he was doing or how long he planned to stay collared. Jason never volunteered any information, but secretly he had taken an oath to keep his collar and remain undressed as long as he remained in the Danubian Republic. He packed his clothing into his suitcase, knowing that it would be several years before he would allow himself to wear any of it. With that Jason returned to the Socrates Club, inviting Cecilia as his guest. The couple became regular customers and always sat with Tiffany and Vladik, listening to the latest musical endeavors of "Socrates' Mistresses". The heart of the Danubian musical scene became a regular part of Cecilia's life, because of her boyfriend's membership in the club. In the fall, still completely naked except for the Temple collar, Jason continued his studies at the National University and within three years had his Danubian undergraduate degree. Through a special agreement with his university in Chicago his classes were recognized in the U.S. and applied to a degree there as well. Burnside wrote him to tell him that he would have to take one final semester of classes to get his diploma in the U.S., but that simply was because the university required any graduating student to attend the final semester on campus. The same rule would apply to Cecilia, but more than anything else in both their cases it was a formality. ---------- Cecilia Sanchez became the assistant program director for the exchange program between her university in the U.S. and the National University in Danube City. A year after she first set foot in the country she was at the airport to greet 30 students flying in from Chicago. Her old bossy demeanor from her days as an R.A. returned in force as she strutted in front of the bewildered group with her clipboard. Cecilia would be an important part of the lives of a total of four groups of exchange students: an ever-present mentor, translator, advisor, and intermediary for students adjusting to life in a place very different from what they were accustomed to. ---------- A total of five years went by before Jason, Cecilia, and Pedro finally returned to the United States. They hated leaving their placid home in Danube City, but they knew that ultimately the Path of their Lives had to be pursued in the U.S. They were driven to work and contribute, and the contributions they could have made to the Republic of Danubia were finished. Yes, they could have stayed, but to stay would mean they had no further ambitions in life. The three young people that stepped off the plane were very different from the ones who had fled the U.S. five years before. They had accomplished great things in their lives and had the confidence in themselves to continue their studies in Chicago. Pedro now was nine years old and ready to enter the fourth grade, while Jason and Cecilia would start immediately with graduate-level classes. As for getting married, that would happen, but not until they both had their Master's Degrees. Upon returning to Chicago, they realized many things had changed. Jim Halsey was the Chairman of the Economics Department and soon would become the dean of the entire School of Arts and Sciences. Ruth Burnside was in Washington investigating stock fraud cases and battling with several powerful companies, including Mega-Town Associates. The former professor had become a major headache for numerous CEO's and their friends in Congress, which was fortunate for Jason and Cecilia. The entire episode of the Danubian coup was long forgotten and no one in the company even noticed that they were back in the U.S. The corporate battle now had to be waged against Dr. "Ruthless" Burnside, not against two university students. Suzanne Foster's life also had changed completely during Cecilia's absence. The young photographer was quite famous after having published several books. She had quickly risen to the top of Chicago's cultural life as one of the city's most daring and well-liked artistic photographers. It turned out Suzanne no longer was single, because she had recently married a local lawyer who was quite a bit older than she was. Cecilia found that detail quite interesting, because she had foreseen that Suzanne never would have a decent relationship with anyone in the Art Department. It turned out Suzanne had figured out that reality for herself and ended up with someone totally different from any of the young drifters she had dated when Cecilia knew her. There was another change, this one in Carterville, Wisconsin. Jason and Cecilia attended an important wedding that just a few weeks after returning to the U.S. Jason's grandmother finally was getting married to her long-time friend after years of dating him. Cecilia was invited to be the maid of honor, a clear sign to everyone how much the older woman liked her grandson's girlfriend. Cecilia was indeed honored by her role in the wedding. It truly mattered that the one person in Jason's family who Cecilia respected had such a high opinion of her. ---------- After the fall semester started Jason went over to the Tri-Alpha house to see if Ken was still around. Sure enough, he still was there, now a graduate student and the chapter Pledge Master. It turned out he still was going out with Lisa, although they had a very strange arrangement that hardly could be considered normal. Seeing Ken and being in the Tri-Alpha house reminded Jason of the famous nude 10-K race that was held towards the end of September each year. "So, are you guys still doing the run?" "Oh yeah, in fact it looks like this year we're going to have our biggest turnout yet. We might be getting as many as 400 runners." "And you're still giving out that $ 1,000 prize?" "Yeah, but since you left our pledges have always gotten it. You know that it's our tradition not to lose. And with me running the show, they haven't." Jason smiled. The pledges always get the prize. Well, it looked like it was up to him to break Tri-Alpha tradition a second time. "Well, you just give me a sign-up sheet, because I'm gonna need that $ 1,000 for textbooks. It'd be a shame to waste that money on something stupid like a party for your pledges." "OK, you're on. I'll get you a form. But I still don't think we'll lose, because I've been making sure everyone is ready for the run. And anyhow, you're not 18 anymore." Jason smiled again. Poor Ken, dumb as ever, so it seemed. During his absence Jason had become a seasoned marathon runner and had every intention of completely humiliating his friend's pledges. Oh yeah, instead of a party, this year those young guys will be getting some quality time with the paddle. I'll give 'em a lesson about running... A week later, Jason went with Cecilia, Lisa, and several members from her sorority to the campus football stadium. Among them was a thin, shy, dark haired woman who had won the women's trophy for the past five years. Lisa introduced her as Kathleen and mentioned that she would be competing for her sixth trophy. Both Cecilia and Lisa had their cameras ready, knowing that, in spite of Ken's assurances to the contrary, Jason was sure to win the men's portion of the race. They wanted to document the moment he crossed the finish line and get pictures of him with his second trophy. Once the women found their seats, Jason and Kathleen pulled off their sweats and stuffed them into backpacks. Lisa and Cecilia accompanied their naked companions to the field and posed for a couple of pictures. The two women then returned to their seats, leaving their friends to stretch and get ready for the run. Jason and Kathleen joined the mass of bare bodies clustered on the track and calmly set out with the others once the starter pistol went off. The two seasoned runners paced themselves and began passing burned-out competitors who had started out too fast. Jason then sprinted ahead of Kathleen, passed a couple more male runners, and spent the final two miles of the route in the lead. Less than an hour after leaving the stadium he was the first runner back in, nearly fifty yards ahead of his closest competitor. This year there was no contest. From its beginning to the end, the race belonged to Jason Schmidt. He crossed the finish line and hugged Cecilia. A few moments later Kathleen crossed the finish line and got a big hug from Lisa. For the sixth year in a row she would claim the women's trophy for the Four-Beta Sorority. Once the other runners passed the finish line Jason took his trophy and posed for pictures. His triumphant return to the Tri-Alpha race would revive his role as a spokesman for college naturism and his notoriety among young nudists throughout the U.S. Over the next year he would give several interviews and numerous speeches around the country as he pursued his cause and fulfilled his Path in Life. Lisa, meanwhile, approached Ken to let him know that he was due for an extra special punishment that night. How dare he embarrass her like that, failing to have one of his runners win the race for his fraternity. Of course, upon hearing her words Ken's penis stiffened under his pants. Yes, he was indeed a bad boy and there was only one way to handle a bad boy. He had failed, and only Lisa knew how to remedy that, with plenty of painful imagination. ---------- Once the excitement from the race ended and Jason had given his last interview and posed for his final picture, he got dressed and cleaned up, and then invited Cecilia out to dinner. They returned to her apartment to take advantage of the fact that Pedro was spending the night at a friend's place. They hugged each other for a few minutes, and then Cecilia proceeded to undress Jason. Once his clothes were off he undressed her and they hugged again, enjoying the feeling of each other's bodies without the barrier of clothing. A lot had changed in the lives of the young couple and many more changes were on the way. However, there were a few important things between them that had not changed at all. As she embraced him, Cecilia began patting Jason's bottom, letting him know that in a moment he needed to go over her lap. She gave him one last kiss, but then sat down on the sofa and reached up to take his hand. She gave him a loving look with her dark eyes and her usual sarcastic smile. As always, his penis stiffened with anticipation of what was coming. Dutifully he settled comfortably over her thighs and surrendered his bottom to the woman he loved. The Freshman Ch. 38 She very gently ran her hand over both bottom cheeks, caressing him with sensuous touches of her palm and fingers. Occasionally she lightly brushed the intimate area in between, making him tingle with excitement as he felt her fingertips exploring his bottom-hole and the back of his testicles. He relaxed his backside as much as he could, to better feel and enjoy his lover's hand on his bare skin. She bent down to kiss his bottom, and caressed the unprotected flesh with her lips and tongue. His breathing shuttered with excitement, especially when she began speaking to him. She lectured him about his indecent behavior, running around the university with no clothes on, and then proudly posing for pictures. Who, but the naughtiest of boys, would do such a thing? Of course, as she was lecturing him, she continued to lovingly caress his waiting bottom: "So, Jason, are you a bad boy?" "Yes, I'm bad." "And what do bad boys deserve Jason?" "We need to be spanked." "That's right Jason, all bad boys need to be spanked. On the bare bottom, right?" "Yes, on the bare bottom." "That's right, 'cause that's the only way to spank a bad boy. On the bare, naked bottom. That's what bad boys need. Now you ask me nice, Jason, and I'll give you your spanking." "Cecilia, please spank my bare bottom. Please give me what I need." "OK, since you asked me nice, I'm gonna spank you good." She gently kissed his bottom one final time, and then slowly, sensuously began slapping. Yes, Cecilia Sanchez knew what her bad boy needed, and she was gonna give it to him, just because she loved him so much... The Freshman Ch. 39: Postscript Postscript - "The Freshman" - thoughts about my third novel "The Freshman" is different from my first two novels ("Maragana Girl" [2005] and "The Wanderings of Amy" [2002]) because it features a submissive male character and his dominant girlfriend. In part, I started this new novel to experiment a bit with my writing. The story starts out as a psychological novel, because I wanted to fully explore the relationship between Cecilia Sanchez and Jason Schmidt. For that reason the first discipline scenes in "The Freshman" come somewhat later than in my previous two novels. Before the scenes that describe sex and discipline, I seek to explore the psychology of the two main characters, as Jason surrenders himself to Cecilia. In writing this novel there are a couple of pitfalls I tried to avoid. I attempted to fully lay out Cecilia's personality and make it very clear why she needs to establish herself as the dominant partner at the beginning of her relationship with Jason. I also sought to explore the psychology of my other characters, in an effort to explain as clearly as I can what motivates my characters and why they do the things they do. In my novel I also strove to avoid the clichés I have seen in some other FemDom literature, for example, at no point did Cecilia try to feminize Jason, turn him into a child, or cut him off from the outside world. Cecilia started out as a dominant character, but unlike Ruth Burnside, she was never a typical dominatrix. Instead she was driven by the intense fear, imbedded in her during her childhood, a phobia of losing control over her life. As the novel progressed, I further explored Cecilia's changing obsessions while she worked through her second year of college and established her relationship with Jason and the other people in her life. "The Freshman" was longer than my first two novels, which was not what I intended when I started writing. As happened with my other two previous novels, the project took on a life of its own and demanded that I continue to explore the lives of my characters. That inner pressure even forced me to add four chapters after I thought I had concluded the novel at chapter 32. The reader will notice that the personalities of Jason and Cecilia and how they relate to each other are very different at the end of the story than at the beginning. Throughout the middle of the novel Jason's personality changes as he matures and Cecilia has to struggle to figure out how she can adjust to the changes in her boyfriend. In all of my fiction the characters and their personalities evolve and transform as events in their lives influence how they view the world. I think that tendency became especially important for Jason and Cecilia, because at the end of the novel, how they think and relate to each other is very different than how they related during their first several months together in the dorm. My third novel also gave me the chance to further develop characters and story-lines from my two previous novels, "The Wanderings of Amy" and "Maragana Girl". Rather than create and have to introduce entirely new secondary characters for "The Freshman" I re-used many of the characters that appear in the other two novels. By re-using older characters I used the project as a way to connect the previous two pieces of fiction I have created. In terms of the timeline of the three stories, plot of "The Freshman" begins shortly after the ending of "Maragana Girl", and ends (if you exclude the epilogue) about three years before the beginning of "The Wanderings of Amy". From "The Wanderings of Amy", my third novel includes the return of a somewhat younger Ruth Burnside, her lover Jim Halsey, and the future photographer Suzanne Foster as an undergraduate student. I enjoyed working with Suzanne Foster and Ruth Burnside in my first novel and wanted to develop some details about their earlier lives, before they met Amy. As for the characters from my other novel "Maragana Girl", there was a lot of material that I wanted to add to the story of Upper Danubia, but felt that it would not fit in the second novel as I wrote it. I was interested in exploring the struggles facing my character Vladim Dukov and the political development of Upper Danubia. I then used the Danubian political situation as a way to bring about a real crisis into the life of Jason Schmidt and the climax of the novel. As was true with my previous two novels, the characters developed in my mind as I explored their lives. Although the primary purpose of the story is for it to be erotic fiction, I feel that developing a plot and a context in which to place the erotic events is equally important. I think it is much more erotic for a sex or spanking scene to be part of a larger environment, than for it to be an isolated event in the bedroom, with no connection to what is going on outside. I also seek to create a world of fantasy in which the reader can escape, which is why many of my scenes have so much descriptive detail. The point of the plot (if you extract the erotic elements) is that Jason and Cecilia are the survivors of two very dysfunctional and self-destructive families. Throughout the novel I try to make the point that my two main characters come from backgrounds that on the surface seem very different, but deep down are actually very similar. I have tried to portray two families from opposite ends of the social spectrum that are equally dysfunctional and in the end meet the same fate. As for my two main characters, in the concluding chapters they have the opportunity to draw upon each other to salvage what is left of their old households and set about creating a new one. From the ruins of their old lives and devastated families, Jason and Cecilia will create something totally new and be redeemed. An important part of that redemption is for each of my characters to save the life of a survivor from their families. A final thought on what is going on with the spirituality aspect of my novel. In reality I don't believe in the supernatural or spiritual world, but under the right circumstances I think it makes for good and interesting fiction. Upper Danubia is a realm of fantasy, something I made up, and the country's religion is simply a part of that imaginary place.