After gym, the three teens found each other and began to compare notes about what they had learned. Neither Cynthia nor Ayame had showered; they said that their volleyball exercise had been so perfunctory that neither had broken a sweat, despite how hard the teacher had tried to push them.
“Say, did you hear anything about cameras in the locker room?” Roger asked. “No one said anything about them getting replaced.”
“No,” Cynthia said. “I saw the broken ones were still there.”
Then a group of kids passed going in the opposite direction, escorting a Program student, but they couldn’t see who it was.
“So you heard there were only eight?” Roger asked. “No wonder we didn’t see anyone before this. Since we have about 2000 kids here, eight is such a tiny number.”
“And about 500 seniors. Davis said they were taking eighteen of them a week. They’ll never get to select all of them, you know. There’s what—fifteen weeks left before graduation, less a break week. That means only a bit more than half can get picked,” Cynthia said.
Roger was thinking. “Also, you know, something like a third of the senior class must have been 18 last September and most of us will turn 18 during our senior year. I think maybe three-quarters of the seniors must be 18 by now,” he said. “If that’s right, then fourteen of the eighteen seniors they picked today will be older than 18,” he laughed. “None of them can be compelled to participate.”
The bell rang to start the period and they sat down.
“Yeah,” Cynthia agreed in a whisper. “I’m gonna text that to my friends. Even if their parents signed them up, when they’re 18 they can revoke their parents’ permission, I’d think. And the Supreme Court ruling about minors would no longer apply.”
They turned their attention to the teacher who was beginning the class.
After class, as they walked to lunch, Cynthia suddenly spoke. “Hey, I just thought of this. Ayame, you didn’t have a Program person in Civics, right?”
“No. I’m happy for that, too.”
“And in Anatomy there was that one girl who refused and Mary in gym; you had two in swimming. I forgot to ask Mary if any of her teachers asked about Relief. Let’s see if there’s anyone in the Program in the lunchroom we can talk to,” Cynthia concluded.
They found two friends of Roger’s and Ayame saw Devin on the lunch line, but no naked kids, so the six found a vacant table in one corner. After a few minutes, Roger felt someone tap him on the shoulder and he turned around. There were three naked girls holding trays standing there.
“Roger and Cindy, right?” one girl said. “Could we please sit with you guys? I want to talk to you if it’s okay.”
The group at the table shuffled themselves around to make room.
“I remembered that you were in this lunch,” the girl said. “Last week I saw you guys sitting with the other Program kids and you were very nice to them. We’re all upset about this and don’t know how we’ll get through the week. You’re Marine family kids, right? I wish my parents would have fought to keep me out of the Program,” she said. “Oh, my name is Robin. I’m a senior.”
“Hi, Robin,” Cynthia said. “Roger and I were talking—we were wondering in classes whether the teachers asked you about Relief at the beginning.”
“Ugh. Yes, but like I would really do that?” Robin said. “Sue, did your teachers ask?”
“Yeah, they did. I’m Susan, everyone. Also a senior. There was a Program boy in one class and he had a hardon but refused Relief too. Hell, he was soooo embarrassed! Andy, were you asked?”
“Yeah, I was. What a turn-off. Not only do we have to display our bodies, they want us to display solo sex acts? This Program shit is the best anti-arousal experience I could possibly imagine, and I can’t wait till it’s over. A whole week!” she groaned.
“Say, you’re a senior... are you 18 yet?” Cynthia asked.
“Yes, my birthday was in January.”
“So you know you can’t be forced to be naked? You’re an adult now and your privacy is guaranteed by the Constitution,” Cynthia continued. “Even if your parents agreed, it’s up to you now.”
“Oh, wow, I never thought of that!” she exclaimed.
“Neither did I,” both of the other two girls chorused. “I was 18 in November,” said Robin.
“I was 18 last September,” Susan said.
“What do you want to do, girls?” Robin asked. “You want to get dressed?”
“YES!” one exclaimed and the other said, “Me too, but our clothes were taken away until after school...”
Roger said, “Let’s see if we can help. Hey guys, do you have any extra clothes these gorgeous chicks can borrow? I hate to see you gals cover your beautiful bodies, but I’m a gentleman and I’m trying not to stare—too much, anyway.”
Susan giggled, “You’re sweet. I feel so exposed, though. My boyfriend’s been trying to get me to go to the nude beach. I refused, and then this happened. Life is so unfair.”
Meanwhile, Roger’s friends had pulled several tee shirts out of their backpacks. “These two are clean,” one of the boys said.
“I have a clean extra, too,” the other one said.
Then another said, “Hey, I have some gym shorts in my locker but they might be big for you.”
Susan said she had some safety pins, so he ran out to fetch them.
Then Cynthia said, “If you don’t mind wearing my gym shorts—Ayame, yours too—we had a real easy gym period so they’re still clean, you can take them.”
Between the whole group, the girls were able to get tops and shorts to wear for the rest of the day. The clothing was handed over and the girls quickly slipped the garments on. Someone must have noticed what was happening at their table because less than ten minutes later an angry Cirota appeared at the lunchroom door, looking around the room.
His eyes lit on the Denisons and he stormed over to their table.
“I heard a rumor that some Program students were getting dressed. Yes! You were in the morning group. And you!” He pointed to two of the girls. “You’re in violation of the Program rules, young ladies. Get those clothes off, and you’re punished by having an extra day added to your week.”
Susan retorted, “No sir, I’m 18 years old and remembered that as an adult, I can’t be forced to be in the Program, no matter what permission my parents gave nor what that law says. Also, if you touch me, I’ll charge you with assault. You can’t physically touch an adult without their permission.”
Robin added, “I’m an adult too, and so is Andy. We’re not in your Program any more.”
“You just can’t leave it,” he cried. “You have to complete it. You won’t graduate.”
“Like I care about that,” Andy said. “When school’s over, I’m spending a year in Europe and thinking of going to university there. I speak German and want to study international relations.”
Susan put in, “I’ve been accepted in college already. You don’t know where, either, and you can’t stop me from going.”
Cirota was beet red by now. He turned to look at Roger.
“Denison, this is all your doing. And your MPs arresting me, and your interfering with the Program on the swim team, and fighting me last Monday. Oh, your little cousin here, you also thought that she’s exempt from the Program. Well, I took care of that, and we’ll make sure she participates too,” he growled.
Ayame covered her face with her hands as Roger instantly leapt to his feet and grabbed Cirota in a judo hold.
“You deliberately added her name to the list, didn’t you?” Roger snarled. “The selection is supposed to be random, but you used your position to subvert the rules. Listen to me. If anything happens to any of the kids in the Program, Ayame included, you’re a marked man. If I get to you first, I’ll castrate you personally, got that? But I’d have to get on line behind a lot of actual Marines who will hurt you even worse. Now go crawl back under the rock you came from, you hear? Get outta here!”
Roger pushed him away and glared at him. “I’m waiting...”
“You’ll be punished too. You think you’re so important, an international judo champion. You’re no match for the power of the federal government,” Cirota spat. He turned and left.
“Guys, I’m not dropping this. He’s a loose cannon,” Roger exclaimed to the others. “I’m happy that you girls decided to resist the Program; that takes a different kind of bravery than the kind you showed when you first got naked in public. That took a huge amount of courage, you know. Maybe more than I have, I think. So never forget how you made yourselves do that, you hear? What you’re doing now, resisting, shows that you care for your honor and morals as highly as your sense of obedience. And following your sense of honor will never lead you astray. That’s what my dad always says.”
The three girls just grabbed Roger and hugged him, thanking him and telling him how much he had helped them in making their decision.
Roger said, “I’m going to see Davis about Ayame’s being on the Program list now. Cyn, if I don’t show up in about a half hour, contact Dad and tell him what happened, okay? See you later,” and he strode out of the room.
Roger got to the office and asked to see Davis; the secretary told him that he wasn’t in his office just then.
“Then please contact him; this is urgent.”
Several minutes later Davis came in. “Oh, Denison. Are you the urgent call?”
“Yes sir. Have you spoken to Mr Cirota in the last fifteen minutes?”
“No... I take it you have a Program problem, then.”
“No sir, not me. You do. Can we go into your office, please?”
When they got into the office, Davis sat down and Roger took a seat too. Davis told him to continue.
“Cirota came into...”
“Mister Cirota.”
“Sir, the man lost the right to be referred to using that title. I will give respect to those who respect me. He came into the lunchroom, why doesn’t really matter, and began talking to me. He told me that he holds me responsible for his arrest last week, for the students’ resisting cooperating with the Program, with my interfering with the Program in the swim team, and with my own resisting too. Of course I accept full responsibility for my own resisting, obviously, but you know from our conversation last week about the general resistance among the students. And he brought on his own arrest by making that incredibly stupid decision to bring in his own police force.
“Then he admitted, with witnesses present, that he personally added my Japanese cousin to this week’s Program list. You had assured the student body that the selections were made entirely randomly, yet this so-called official said he’s adding names himself and added Ayame’s to it in his own personal vendetta to try to punish me in some way. You know that Ayame isn’t a... um, she’s not registered to graduate? Matric something...”
“Matriculated. Go on...”
“Okay. She isn’t really a student here and she’s also a Japanese citizen. So she’s not really a student; you can’t withhold graduation since she’s already graduated high school, so why was she put into the Program? Was she on the list of students who could be selected, even?”
“No, and my assistant told me about her this morning, but I didn’t get a chance to check further. You’re right, she shouldn’t be on the list of students that the selection program uses.”
“That’s why I wanted to see you, sir. That man is dangerous and has already precipitated two riots here.”
“Oh yes, this morning’s incident. I’ve heard from several teachers how you broke that up. You’ve got several grateful teachers for that. I’m not sure of what to make of you, young man. You’re so opposed to the Program yet you come to the rescue of teachers who are trying to enforce the rules.”
“Sir, this may sound trite, even self-serving, but I’m not being deliberately oppositional. I try to do what I’ve been told is right, and the kids who went after those teachers weren’t right so I had to stop them, but man, were those kids so angry! Something about the Program here has caused such intense anger—oh, hell, yes—that’s what it’s about! You know, I think it’s about fairness! That must be it. Suddenly there are two new groups, like class differences, created in the school. The privileged and underprivileged. The kids from the Marine families who seem to be exempt from participating and all the rest who don’t have that protection. Isn’t that what triggered the French Revolution? A class divide? Maybe even the Spanish Civil War and all its atrocities too? Sir, if this is true, you’ve got a terrible problem. It’s a tinderbox and I think that Cirota’s lit the fuse.”
“Those are some serious charges, uh, Roger. I don’t know how to react, but I do feel the tension in the school and it’s affecting the staff too.”
“Also me in a way I don’t like. When Cirota threatened Ayame, I’m afraid that I overreacted, grabbed him, and actually threatened to cut off his balls if he hurt her. I’ve never lost my temper like that before and I’m ashamed that I did it. For that I apologize, but to you, not to him. He doesn’t deserve any apology. The man has no honor.”
Davis shook his head. “No comment about that. Roger, I need to ask you about the swim team. Mr Cirota told me that the Program students on the team won’t compete naked. I was going to ask the coach; perhaps you can tell me what happened.”
“Yes, sir. You know we have a good chance to repeat as State champions, right? Well, Coach saw two of our team members naked and flipped. We have a tough opponent on Friday and we need to practice hard this week to be up for them. If we lose against them, our chances to repeat would be so much tougher. If we had any more swimmers put in the Program after this week, we’d have zero chance.
“The problem is in swimming, streamlining the body is key. A naked swimmer has parts that stick out, okay? That causes drag, big time; it also causes balance and stroke rhythm problems. Drag is a big deal. Do you know that we guys shave off all of our body hair? We even trim or shave off our pubic hair, girls too, because too much hair at the groin pushes the suit out and that also causes drag. So Coach timed the two swimmers, first naked and then suited. There was almost a six second difference! In comparison, races are won by half-seconds, tenths of seconds, less even. And I won’t even mention what happens to a boy’s or girl’s body in a naked racing dive, okay? And don’t get me started about our divers.”
Davis winced. “Yes, I see. I didn’t realize. They said—the feds did, anyway—that doing sports naked was no different than clothed and pointed to the original Greek games and olympics.”
“Just shows what they know. I guess they never consulted with a coach, trainer, or sports doc. The Greek sports were nothing like today’s. And swimming was never an ancient sport either; there’s art which shows wrestling, running, javelin, discus—all military skills. Boxing, yeah, chariot racing too—never swimming. Also the competitions only included men. And with swimming, women have a special problem; they have that upper-body anatomy issue. And did they tell you that the ancient Greek athletes tied their penises up for some of their games? You can see that on some artwork. I read that historians figure it was done for protection. I learned about that stuff in school in Japan, where they teach about sports as academic subjects. Thanks for listening to me, sir. I guess I should get back to classes again.”
“All right, Roger. I’ll look into the problem with Miss... ah, Asano.”
“Thank you.”
The bell had rung as Roger was finishing his conversation, so he hurried to get to class and arrived with two minutes to spare. Ayame hurried to him.
“Sweetie, Davis said you aren’t supposed to be in the Program.” She sighed and hugged him. “It looks like he’s gonna see how your name got on the list and I hope he sticks it good to Cirota for that.”
“Rog, those girls are just in love with you,” Cynthia said. “They sent their thanks and they’ll return the borrowed clothes tomorrow. I also texted Dad about Ayame and he sent back to watch out for her.”
Their English class was uneventful and during their walk to Psychology, they didn’t see any Program students.
“I think the week’s down to just five participating now,” Cynthia chuckled. “You think we can come up with anything to lower that number even more?”
“You’re the brains of this here outfit,” Roger grinned. “Let’s see if you come up with something.”
Their psychology class also didn’t have any Program students, either naked or resisting, and soon the class was over.
“Say, let’s go to the main doors and see just how many kids are left, okay?” Cynthia said as they left the classroom.
They rushed to the entrance and saw just four students getting dressed, protected by a small cordon of determined-looking students. The twins walked closer, trailed by a very hesitant Ayame.
“Oh, look, it’s the twins!” one girl called out. “Hey guys, please come over here.”
They walked over to the group getting dressed.
“Hi again, Cindy. We’re the lonely remnant of this week’s Program group,” she continued. “I’m Mary,” she said to Roger and Ayame.
“Hi, Mary. And hey, Tom, Jessica. Still hangin’ in?” Roger asked.
“Yeah, still here,” Jessica scowled.
“So there’s only four of you left?” Roger continued.
“Well,” Mary said, “there were three senior girls who were in it but before you got here, they came out dressed and got their clothes. They said they were 18 and were quitting the Program. There was a whole bunch that never came to the conference room in the first place. Mike, there, was pulled out of his classroom.”
“Yeah,” Mike said, “I chickened out of resisting. I’m a frosh and decided I didn’t want this hangin’ over me for three more years. But I’m not doin’ anything humiliating either.”
“I’m Tom, and a senior,” he said to Cynthia. He was dressed now. “Roger knows me from swim team and I’ve seen you cheering for us at all our meets. My folks and I are nudists—naturists, so being naked in public is no big deal. It’s weird, though, being naked when everyone else is clothed. And I don’t do the masturbating crap—but I sprang a boner in class today and that was awful. It happens in nudist resorts, especially to us teens, but we carry towels around to sit on and use them if we feel an erection coming. It’s considered very rude to be seen walking around with a boner. You can get ejected from our resort for that.”
Roger asked, “What will you do if they want to use you for a demo?”
“I hope I won’t get asked. I don’t have bio, health, art, or some other class where displaying the body seems to be the object. I’ll be in a suit for swimming, but I don’t plan to go to my after-school computer club this week. So I’ll probably be cool. I’m glad for the escorts so the Reasonable Requests shouldn’t be a problem.”
Jessica had finished dressing now and came over to Cynthia. “Hi, Cindy. I’m Jessica and a soph; on the swim team too. I’ve seen you in the stands at our meets; it’s nice finally meeting you. You did so much for us by resisting. I don’t know what I’ll do this week because, well, I’m allergic to the Shot. And Cindy, I don’t know if you know how a girl feels before her monthlies, but mine is going to start tonight or tomorrow. And I can’t use a tampon, because, well, you can figure out the reason. So I need to wear a pad. I’ll be soooo embarrassed! No one should have to go through that embarrassment.”
Cynthia thought a few seconds. “Well, wear shorts too, and tell anyone who asks that your flow is large and unpredictable. Use the biggest pads too. I think you should be able to get away with that. You can stretch it out for four days, right?”
Jessica grinned at the thought. “Yeah, and that gives me some ideas about other stuff, too. Thanks, that was a great idea! I’ll need to figure out what to do for the pool, though.”
Mary had a hopeful look. “I’m a soph too and can’t get out of this. Do you have any suggestions about making things any easier?”
Cynthia asked her, “What are your biggest concerns?”
“Well, of course I hate the exposure but there’s thousands of kids who get through that, since the Program is all over the country.”
“You’re doing way better than I could do myself, Mary,” Cynthia said. “I freaked out when I heard that I was supposed to strip. I couldn’t do that at all.”
“Well, you didn’t have to.”
“Actually that wasn’t so clear last week, since Davis told us then that participating had been made mandatory. So I think you’re really brave for doing it,” Cindy responded.
“Whatever. I’m most afraid of the classroom demonstrations. I don’t want anything stuck inside me and don’t even want anyone touching me either. Why would someone need to see a teenager getting sexually stimulated? Anyone can get whatever kinds of porn they ever want to see on line,” Mary said bitterly.
“Tell the kids in your classes, those who help shield you in the halls, that you want protection in the classroom too. Last week we heard that many kids did great breaking up the demos. If you need to refuse something that’s too humiliating, just do it. And you can refuse all forms of penetration always, even your own fingers if you’re asked to do that. That’s in the rule book. No penetration.” Cynthia finished.
Roger mused, “I’m still wondering why no one has started a website to share advice like this on surviving the Program. Surely there’d be great interest—and on social sites too. Why haven’t we heard about any?”
Tom laughed. “That was a topic that was discussed over the holidays at the resort I went to with my family. Do you know that whenever someone tries to start a site, the feds get it shut down within a few days? They don’t want anyone sharing information. One of the college kids that was there said that they started the Program when he was a senior last year and he tried to get info about how kids were dealing with it from the web. He found a few sites but they went off-line almost immediately; then he heard that the feds were even shutting down sites that were on web servers in Europe. Looks like the U.S. has agreements with foreign governments so they can get to control the foreign operators too. He knew about someone who posts text messages and other social media messages that he sees about the Program on ‘Facepage’ and the feds keep trying to shut that down too but that guy’s page keeps popping up under different user names. But that’s not a good source of information.”
“Goes to show you—the Program is just plain evil,” Jessica said.
After exchanging their cell numbers, the twins told the four kids that they could contact them at any time for help if they needed it; then they parted.
“Sweetie, Cindy and I are going to the dojo, remember?” Roger reminded her. “You want to go home, hang out at the gym, or shop?”
“I think shop,” she said. “I saw some stores I want to look in.”
“Okay, we’ll find you with that app we used at the music festival when we’re ready to get you,” he said. “How ‘bout you ride in the front with me?”
They got in the car and set off.
Cynthia reached forward to her cousin, reaching over the seat, and touched her shoulder. “Ayame, you’ve really been quiet today. I know it was a shock for you this morning. Are you feeling any better yet?”
“Yes, I’m a little tired, I think. Every time someone mentioned that I should be in the Program it gave me a little shock, too. Why do you think I’m so sensitive to just hearing that?”
“I have an idea why, sweetie,” Roger said, patting her arm. “We were talking about this on Saturday after the pool. Remember in Japan about the onsen? You said you didn’t like them even though you would be bathing only with girls. You said that was because of your sensitivity about your scars.”
“Yes, that’s so.”
“I think that your getting a shock is almost like a reflex reaction, now. It’s a response you learned. So now you hear ‘Program’—that means ‘naked,’ then the Japanese zenra and hadaka pop into your head, then you remember the teasing and humiliation you suffered, and that makes you withdraw in shame. And shame is a terrible thing in Japanese culture. And each time you hear it, it builds more. You need to get more confident about yourself; you have a very pretty body, but these shocks aren’t helping you at all,” Roger explained. “Does that make sense, sweetie?”
“I think maybe so. Does a lot of shock make it get better? The book said the exposures help.”
“I wish I knew. I don’t think that’s the kind of exposures the book meant. Maybe we can ask our psych teacher tomorrow. I think that there are probably good ways of shocking and bad ways too. I think the shocks you are getting are bad because you’re more withdrawn now than you were this morning before this started. Do you feel different?”
“Oh, I don’t know! I’m... it’s like... maybe a big weight? Like I’m pushed on. It’s hard concentrating.”
“Cyn, doesn’t that sound like what one of those Program kids said last week? Wasn’t it anxiety her mother said she was getting?” Roger asked, really concerned now.
“Maybe. Let’s just chill tonight, listen to some music and maybe relax a little. See if it helps,” Cynthia suggested.
“I have another question,” Ayame said uncertainly. “The girl on Roger’s team...”
“Jessica.”
“Yes. She mentioned shot. That’s birth-control shot?”
“Yes, and it also prevents sexually transmitted diseases, too.”
“Well, if she can’t use a tampon, but she would take the Shot, doesn’t that mean she’s... uh... active? Doing sex with a boy? I don’t understand.”
“Oh, right. Part of the Program is that high school teens have to get the Shot now because when they’re in the Program, many do wind up having sexual intercourse. No one wants them to get pregnant. But some people are allergic to the Shot and many of them won’t take the birth-control pill because it affects hormonal balance much more than the Shot. And I haven’t had it either,” Cynthia explained.
“Oh, everything gets so complicated,” Ayame groaned.
“So you haven’t had the Shot too?”
“No, only girls who were active with boys wanted it. So I haven’t had it.”
“Here’s the shops. Drop you here, okay? We’ll find you later, honey,” Roger said.
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