College Week 2

"Tomorrow when you're showering in front of the guys, think about how it would feel to have them just reach out and have their hands on your body" he suggested with a smile. I blushed, but took another bite of my sandwich so I wouldn't have to answer. "What are the most difficult things you've had to do?" Abhi asked me.
"Oh. I guess... taking off my clothes yesterday at first. Both days in biology were pretty hard."

"What about the best parts? I hope it hasn't all been miserable!"

"Well..." I tried to think about a positive side. "I guess... swimming in the pool was all right. I had a kind of nice conversation with a boy yesterday, after gym class." I smiled a little. "It was very nice getting dressed at the end of the day yesterday, too." He chuckled. The guys were both done with their lunches, and I didn't want any more of mine. Abhi took our trays to the trash bin, then we all walked toward the cafeteria door.

"Sunitha... stay still for a minute, okay?" Abhi told me. He moved close to me and pulled me against him, and gave me a hug. I was surprised, but it felt so nice... I hugged him back and buried my face in his shoulder. He didn't pull away until I let go. "T-thanks!" I told him. "I needed that."
"Want another?" Jaffer asked, and I nodded; he hugged me, too.

"Thanks..." I said, smiling at them. "Thanks to both of you!"
"So do we both get laid?" Jaffer asked, then immediately added, "Just kidding!"
I giggled a little. I still had to face the crowded hallway, but I felt better than I had for the two tough days.
The two escorted me to English class, then left me so they could go to their own classes. Mrs. Shradha, who must have been nearing retirement age, looked at me a little disapprovingly as I took my seat. The others in the class looked at me, too. I sat quietly through English class, and was happy not to get called on for her class.

Finally, it was time to head to Civics class. Once again, Mr. Hari, the young Civics teacher, didn't do a very good job of concentrating on teaching; he was trying to look at me and also teach at the same time. It didn't work; the class tittered again and again as he kept making mistakes that turned into crude comments. He was sweating from embarrassment, and it was also difficult for me.

But finally the class was done. I hurried out of class and out to the front door where the box was where I'd been required to leave my clothes.
"Miss Shenoy?" The principal called out, and I stopped at his office.
"How did today go?" he asked me.
"Oh... fine, mostly, I guess," I said hurriedly. I wanted to go get dressed!

"Are you having a good time doing it?" he asked curiously. "We do want you to enjoy the experience, you know."
"Well... no!" I told him, blushing and also astonished. "It's awfully humiliating to be singled out to go through college with no clothes, Mr. Suresh!"

He looked at me thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well, Miss Shenoy, I guess I'd say to you that no one promised any of us that life would be easy all of the time. The task of all of us, through our lives, is to learn to deal with problems and adversity, to succeed in addition to dealing with them, and to live good lives. I think this program will help you to do that. I call on you to find a way to make the situation into a positive, rather than concentrating on only the obvious negatives."

I thought for a moment, struggling with whether to just ask to be excused. "Positives?" I asked him finally. "What positives would those be?"

He looked surprised. "Well, for you personally, the main one is the opportunity to grow, I would think. Would you say you haven't learned anything in the last couple of days? Anything at all? You don't have to answer now. Think about that one."
I shrugged slightly.

"Then there are the other students. I think they're learning a lot from observing you. Most of the boys seem to be enjoying it a lot. It is worthwhile in itself to provide enjoyment for others, Miss Shenoy."

"I never expected the college system to require me to do it in this way," I told him uncomfortably.
He shrugged. "You can come to enjoy it if you want to," he stated matter of factly. "And if you don't want to, no one can help you at all. I suggest you think about that as well."
"Can I go now?" I asked, kind of defiantly.

He nodded, and I hurried out the front door, and was relieved to finally get dressed.
I thought about it a lot after I got home, though. My parents... the college principal... all thought this was a good thing. It seemed like they had usually had my best interests in mind in the past!

It is hard for a teenager to admit that someone else knows more than she does. I knew that, intellectually, but it seemed like it was time to try to really apply it.
When my parents got home, they came up to my room. "Got time to talk?" my dad asked.
"Yeah, come on in," I said, and they both did.

We talked about it for a long time. It was an uncomfortable discussion for me, but I tried to listen and understand what they were telling me.
They didn't think I should be so shy. They thought I should be proud of myself and my body. They thought it should be fun and exciting for me to spend a week in college in the nude, and wished I was enjoying it more.

"How about you, Mom?" I asked her pointedly. "How would you feel about doing the same thing at work?"
She blushed. "Oh. Well, that's different," she started out. Then she shook her head. "Not that different, I guess," she admitted.
"Your mother will get her chance soon enough," Dad said, smiling. She looked alarmed, but I could see she would ask him about it later on. I was also sure she'd do what he wanted.

We went downstairs for dinner, dropping the conversation. But I kept thinking about it, and so was quiet while we ate.
I asked a few further questions while Manoj was doing the dishes.

"Do you think I should be running around naked outside of college?" I asked my dad.
He settled back in his chair. "Hmm. At home, of course, you can do what you want. You haven't run around naked since you were a little girl, but you could if you wanted to."

I nodded and desperately thought about how to phrase my question.
"Did he answer what you wanted to know, dear?" my mother asked.
I took a breath and shook my head.
"Go ahead," she told me, smiling.
"What about... other places?" I managed, blushing. "college is very... public. Am I expected to give up my clothes in other public places?"
"Is that such a terrible thought?" she asked me. I sat stiffly and listened but didn't say anything. "If it's safe enough... if it seems like fun... it'll surely make many young men happy to see you that way... so why not? Once in a while, anyway. Or whenever." 

"Also not so young men," my father added. My mother smiled.
"How about... other things? Sex?" I asked. "Do you want me to be more promiscuous?" I blushed harder.
"Do you want to?" my father asked.
I shrugged nervously.
"Things have changed a lot in the last few years," he told me. "I suggest you try lots of different things. Try everything you can. You're young."
My brother walked in about then. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

We evaded his question and changed the topic. After a while I went out for a walk, going down residential streets, then walking through the downtown.
According to my parents, I could just... take off my clothes and walk in the nude, right down the sidewalk on Main Street. I shied away from the idea, but walked along thinking about what I'd discussed with them.

I stopped in front of a store and gazed in the window looking at the bikinis, but really thinking about the unusual activities for the week. After a few minutes, I turned and continued walking.

I wasn't watching where I was going, and ran right into someone. We both fell on the sidewalk. I apologized profusely as I was getting up.
It was Vinod, with whom I shared gym class. "Oh. Hi, Vinod!" I said.
"I thought it was you. I just came across the street to say hello," he said, smiling pleasantly. "It, uh... it's different seeing you in clothes."
I blushed, then giggled. "I guess so!"

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, and when I shook my head, he walked along with me. He was nice enough not to bring up nudity for a while. In fact, he bought me an ice cream sundae, then suggested an out of the way spot to go so I could enjoy it without worrying about other college mates harrassing me.
I unloaded on him. "I can't believe this week in college!" I said. "My parents think it's great, the principal told me I should think of it as a positive... it's so humiliating for me, the one who actually has to do it, that I almost can't stand it!"

He listened, and I complained about the situation at length. But about the 4th time I said it wasn't fair, he shrugged. "I don't think it's quite that bad," he told me seriously.

"You... don't?" I felt kind of hostile toward him right then.
"Take it easy!" he cautioned me, then went on. "No, I don't. You've very pretty. It's not just me; everyone thinks so. What if you weren't? Then it would be pretty bad. What if you were that freshman girl who was so terrified she had to go to a psychiatrist? She's going to have to do it all over again another week, too. How about that? But she'll be all right, too. She'll get over her problem, and some day she'll be glad she did it. You're fine right now, Sunitha. Not that I think it's easy, for you or any of the girls; it's clearly not. But you're fine."

I blushed again.
"Done with your ice cream?" I nodded, and he disposed of my cup. 
We walked along a side street. He didn't say anything, just walked along, looking around at cars going by, houses we were walking past, and trees.
"Vinod?" I ventured tentatively. "I hope you're not mad at me."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I was hoping you weren't mad at me," he admitted. "I'm not the one who has to go to college with no clothes, after all."
"My parents think I should... try it in other places as well," I told Vinod, blushing.
"Going bare?"
I nodded.

"Maybe it would help you be more comfortable when you have to take your clothes off for college," he offered, looking at me cautiously.
"I guess... it's legal for me to do it anywhere." I blushed, looking at the street nervously.
"Yeah, they repealed the indecent exposure laws for girls and women," Vinod agreed conversationally.

I looked at him, reminding myself he'd seen me naked around college for the last couple of days, then took a deep breath and pulled my shirt over my head. I smiled weakly at him, but was committed; I dropped it on the sidewalk, then took off my bra. He was grinning at me, delighted. I kicked off my shoes, then slid my pants down and off, and finally, my underpants.

I sat on the ground and put my shoes on. "I guess I'm... getting bolder," I jittered as I stood up, naked from my calves up.
He chuckled. "You're amazing!" He looked me over. "Beautiful, too."
I forced another smile. "Thanks..."

"Let's just go for a walk for a little while," he suggested. "Around the block, then if you really want to, you can get dressed again."
"All right," I agreed.

We strolled around the block. I felt very nervous every time a car came past. The first time, I started to jump behind some bushes, but Vinod held onto my hand. "You're not doing anything wrong!" he told me cheerfully, making me stay in full view of the car. It slowed down, then drove off, and Vinod grinned at me.
Another car came by. "Wave at it!" he urged me. I didn't, but I didn't try to hide, either. I did wave at the next one, and giggled a little.

We finally got to my clothes. "One block is enough for tonight," I told Vinod apologetically, and hurriedly got dressed. He shrugged and grinned, watching me.
"Did you have a little fun with it?" he asked.

"Some," I admitted. It seemed a lot more tolerable now that I was dressed. Nothing bad had happened at all.