Mark and Debbie, Naked in School

by Arty

Saturday

"It's me." The voice on the other end of the line was a warm contralto that I knew better than my own. I smiled at her usual greeting.

"Hello you." She giggled, I loved to make her laugh; her laugh was cute - hell, she was cute. I loved everything about her. I loved her.

"Guess." It was going to be one of those calls. I sighed in mock exasperation.

"I may be a near genius, but I need more of a clue than 'guess'." The sound of a raspberry being blown down the 'phone was all the extra information I was going to get. "I swear someone has reversed your entropy arrow and you're getting younger instead of older. Okay, okay I'm guessing." More laughter. "Let's see now, what are the available clues?" I ticked them off one by one, it was a short list, "A strange girl rings me up, says 'it's me' and then 'guess'," I paused dramatically, "oh yes and then blows a raspberry down the 'phone. Nope, I can't guess; you've stumped me."

I'm Mark, by the way, and the mad girl on the other end of the line is Debbie, the love of my life. She's also my very best friend and I'd like to think that she loves me as more than a friend, but I'm too scared to find out for certain. For now I'm content with what we have, and what we have is a fantastic friendship. Perhaps part of the reason I'm afraid to tell her how I really feel, is that I'm frightened of losing the friendship.

"Oh all right then, since you're going to be mean about it, I'll tell you." It was her turn to do the dramatic pause thing. "The Programme is coming to our school."

"The Programme? You mean, like, 'the Archers'?" I knew what she was talking about, now it was my turn to be obtuse and teasing. There were the forms to be observed, after all: tease and tease about.

"Har bloody har! It's coming to school and it starts next week."

"Are you sure?"

"Is the Pope catholic?"

"So, you're not that certain then?"

More giggles. "Don't be mean. I have it on the highest authority."

"Oh, you mean Andrea told you? Why didn't you say so?" Andrea was her older sister and she was the PA to some sort of trouble-shooter type in the Local Education Authority. I had a question. "Why us? Did she say anything about that?"

"The usual reasons: we're a magnet school, get all the best equipment and so on. The same old bullshit." Our school was always the first to have the latest fads and fancies in education thrust upon us. Now, it seemed, we were going to try another, albeit more interesting, one. I asked an obvious question.

"I wonder who will be first?"

"First to get naked?"

"Sharon…"

"… McAlister would be a…"

"… popular choice."

We laughed, most of our conversations degenerated into a sort of monologue in two voices. We rarely argued about anything; one more reason to love her.

"So that's the boys taken care of…"

"… the heterosexual ones anyway…"

"… what's the girl's vote going to be?"

The line went suddenly quiet and I wondered if we'd been cut off, and then Debbie spoke quietly.

"Well this girl's vote is for you."

To say I was surprised is to say that Everest was tall, true, but not quite getting the scale of the thing across.

"Why me?"

She ignored the question and asked one of her own.

"How would you feel about it?"

"I don't know. After I got over the initial embarrassment I'd probably be OK. Mum and dad have never made a big thing about being or not being dressed. Half the time I'm at home one or more of us is naked. I guess I'd be okay about it. What about you?"

"We're a bit more prudish, underwear is all right, and some of ours is a bit risqué, but outright nudity never seems to happen somehow. I think I'd be okay about it. Actually the thought of it is quite a turn on." I groaned to myself, Debbie in a bikini was awesome. One of the reasons that I went swimming every Sunday was that occasionally she and her family would go too. Debbie in her red bikini made my heart stop, the thought of seeing her naked was mind-blowing. I tried to get the conversation back on track.

"Hey! No fair, you can't just put images of you, naked, into my mind without warning me. How will I sleep tonight?"

"If you saw me naked, it would only be fair," she giggled nervously, "I've seen you a couple of times. When I've been waiting for you to get ready."

"You never said."

"I didn't want you to be embarrassed." Her voice became quieter, "you have nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

I looked at the clock; it was getting late.

"Are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Shall I come to you, or do you want another shot at seeing me naked?"

"Hmmm, decisions, decisions. I'll take another shot at you, I think."

"See you about ten-ish?"

"Yeah. Good night."

"Night."

I put the 'phone down and fell back onto my bed. The vision of Debbie in her red bikini was fresh in my mind's eye and then I was peeling off the top and pulling her bottoms down and off. I groaned and succumbed to my right hand as imagined licking her and kissing her all over. The sound of her laughter filled my ears and the vision of her smiling face, filled my imagination and I came. As always after I masturbated while thinking of her I felt slightly ashamed. But after the conversation I'd just had there would be no way I would've got to sleep and then I'd have been tired and cranky tomorrow and no fun.

Having thus convinced myself I was doing it for her ultimate benefit - yeah right - I fell asleep.

Sunday

I woke the next day vaguely aware that I'd been dreaming of her all night. I dragged myself out of bed and into a shower. I was half asleep and forgot to wait while the water heated. The unexpected feel of the tepid shower felt like ice water to my sleep-warmed skin. Somehow I suppressed a scream. After the first few seconds it felt refreshing, so I turned the water heat down and finished my shower in lukewarm water. The cold had shrunk my morning hard-on - so that was one less thing to do - and I felt refreshed and awake.

When I got downstairs my parents were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee, eating croissants and reading the Sunday paper. I grabbed a mug and poured myself some coffee.

"The croissants are warming in the oven, they should be done."

"Thanks, mum." I opened the oven and juggled the hot serving dish from the oven shelf and onto the table.

"If you burn yourself, I'll have no sympathy and if you drop it and break it you can buy another one." I grinned; she always complained that I had asbestos fingers. I grabbed a croissant from the dish; it was warm, flaky and buttery. Tearing one end off I dipped it in my coffee and ate it.

My father scowled in mock horror at what I was doing and muttered something about me being corrupted by my aunt. "Ridiculous French habit, ruining perfectly good coffee and pastry!" I stuck out my tongue and continued eating my croissant. I consumed a second croissant by tearing off pieces and slathering them in butter. He watched me do this and shuddered. "Think of your arteries, they'll be stopped up with cholesterol before you're thirty!"

I looked at the remains of his muesli. "At least I'll have enjoyed what I ate. How can you eat that rabbit food?" It was a standing joke that one day I would switch the rabbit food with the muesli and he wouldn't notice. The rabbit certainly didn't - when we ran out of real rabbit food, which was fairly often, we would feed him muesli and he was happy to eat it. I remembered my conversation with Debbie and decided to broach it with them.

"I heard something interesting from Debbie last night," there was no obvious response apart from a non-committal grunt from dad. "Andrea told her that the Naked in School Programme was being inaugurated at our school." They looked up, interested in spite of themselves. "Apparently it starts tomorrow." Mum was the first to say something.

"I did overhear something while I was on a break last week. Marcia and Steph were talking about it. They seemed a bit shocked. I didn't like to tell them that I wasn't sure I understood what all the fuss was about."

"Me too, I've always thought that the rest of Europe has the right idea about nudity. The less inhibited you are then the less problems you have with sex and nudity." He warmed to his subject. "I mean look at the Victorians and the Edwardians, they were so bothered about it that they covered table legs for God's sake…" he wound down, suddenly aware that mum and I were mouthing the words, silently, along with him. "Okay, so it's a pet peeve, what do you think, Mark?"

"I'm not sure. Like I said to Debbie, our family has never had a problem with nudity - at least in the home - and I thought once I got over the initial embarrassment I'd probably be OK. That's if I was to be chosen, of course. If it was just seeing other people I don't think it'd be any big deal. I mean, I'm sitting here talking to you and you're naked."

At this the two of them started to laugh. I couldn't understand this; I didn't think I'd said anything that funny, had I? After a while they got themselves under control.

"What's so funny?" My mum answered me.

"You are. You're naked too and you didn't even realise it."

I looked down and I realised that she was right. Mum continued.

"See? We're not particularly strange as families go, I'm not sure what they hope to achieve by importing The Programme?"

"Better sex education?" This was my dad, "They can hardly do worse than they are at the moment." He was right. The UK had the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe and had, had them for decades. I excused myself and went to get ready for Debbie.

I opened the door for her as she rang the doorbell. She made a moue of disappointment.

"You might have slept in, so I could see you get ready for me."

"You only want me for my body!"

"Well it is a very nice one."

With that she linked her arm in mine and we started on our favourite walk. We chatted about this and that. I told her about my conversation with my parents. She laughed. "You mean, there you were telling your parents how good you were being, treating them as normal even though they had no clothes on and you were naked too?" She cracked up again.

"Hey, what can I say? Like I said, being naked at home is no big deal."

"So you'd have no trouble with the 'outreach' element of The Programme then?"

"Obviously not."

"What about me?"

"How do you mean?"

"If I was naked in school?"

"Slobber, slobber, drool, drool! Try keeping me away from you." Debbie blushed, this was as close I had ever come to admitting how I really felt about her. I took a breath, now was the best chance I would ever have of telling her how I felt about her.

"Debbie?" She turned to look at me a speculative smile on her face. And all at once I just couldn't do it. I smiled in return, trying to mask the searing anguish that I felt as, once more, I felt the opportunity slipping from my grasp. The silence grew as I struggled with my insecurities. "Did Andrea tell you anything else about the how The Programme was going to work?"

Jesus! How lame can you get? Still Debbie didn't seem to notice anything, just widened her smile into a grin and teased me. "Mr. Nonchalant-I'm-okay-with-nudity isn't getting worried is he?"

"Nah, just wondering if your big sister let anything slip, that's all."

"We didn't spend the whole time talking about The Programme, she just slipped it in at the end of the conversation. Sort of, by the way you know that Naked in School thing they have in the States? Well it's coming to England and your school will be first to try it in this area. Oh and it starts next week. By the time I'd processed what she'd said I was listening to the dialling tone." Debbie grimaced at me, "I really, really hate it when she does that, and I know she just does it wind me up."

We walked for a while in companionable silence, stopping occasionally to admire the view. After about half an hour or so we reached a clearing in a small copse, that stood on a wide ledge just below the ridge of an escarpment. We sat back to back and looked through the gap in the trees at the flood plain below. The fields made a patchwork of greens of various hues. Occasional pastures were dotted with sheep or cows. The sun was well on its way to noon and the morning was pleasantly warm. We sat in dappled sunlight. Debbie sighed in contentment.

"This is just so…"

"… peaceful …"

"… and the view is …"

"… stupendous."

"I suppose it would have been different if I'd have been naked and surrounded by everyone else wearing clothes. I seem to remember reading something about Anglo-Saxon cultures …"

"… having a very strong nudity taboo. Wouldn't it be better if we could separate nudity from sex? Naturists have always said that they're two different things …"

"… but when people make money out of nudity, it's in their interests to link it with sex as …"

"… sex sells!"

I looked at my watch, Sunday lunch beckoned. We stood together and ambled back to our road via a short cut that knocked about an hour off the time that we had taken in getting to our vantage point. We reached Debbie's house first, not for the first time I wanted to spend more time with her, "Do you want to have Sunday lunch with us?"

"Will you be naked?" She smiled broadly.

I blushed, but stared her in the eye. "I will if you will."

It was her turn to blush. We held each other's gaze and she laughed. "It's tempting but I have an essay to finish and I haven't eaten a Sunday meal with my family for weeks, mum and dad reckon I'm only a weekday daughter." Reaching out she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Usual time tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you then." And with that she turned and went into her house. I wandered, disconsolately, back to my house and an afternoon spent staring morosely into space. I couldn't believe that I hadn't said anything! I was dimly aware of the 'phone ringing, but I ignored it. Mum must have answered as she shouted to me that I had a call. I picked up and waited for the sound of the downstairs handset being replaced.

"Mark, speaking."

"Hello Mark, this is Anne Thomas," her voice sounded familiar and I was just about to place where I'd heard it before when she continued with, "I'm Mr. Edwards' assistant." D'oh! Of course!

"Hello, how can I help you, Mrs. Thomas?"

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I have to read you an official notice, don't worry it's nothing bad, at least it's nothing of a disciplinary nature, but it is official and I have to read it to you. Can you wait until I've finished and then you can ask questions?" I felt a terrible yawning sensation as I linked the news of The Programme and then this strange, to put it mildly, 'phone call. I blurted out what I was thinking.

"You're putting me in The Programme aren't you?"

"How did…" she stopped herself. "It's better if I read the notice and you ask questions."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it difficult for you."

"Well, anyway, here goes: Mark Thomas, I am informing you that from 8:45 on Monday, the 24th of June, and for the following six days you will be required to be naked while on school property or during school activities wheresoever the said school activities take place. You must make no attempts to cover yourself during this period, such attempts will be penalised by extensions to the original seven-day period. You will be required, while you are naked or on school property, to undertake to perform reasonable requests from other students and from members of staff. During this period you will, at all times, use the female changing facilities and the female toilets. Do you understand the notice that I have just read?"

While she spoke my mind was racing and I almost didn't realise that she had asked me a question.

"Sorry, do understand what you just read out? Yes, yes I understand."

"Good. We want you to come to a meeting for 8 o'clock on Monday. Everyone who's in The Programme will be there and we'll try and answer your questions and you will see that you aren't the only one in this situation. Until then, please don't tell any of your friends or other students about this."

"What about my parents?"

"Oh, I didn't mean them, just don't tell anyone else at school."

"Can you tell me who else us in The Programme?"

"Sorry, but you'll find out before everyone else though, because you will be at the meeting. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, but I think I might as well wait until tomorrow."

"That's the best thing. I'm sorry to spring this on you like this, but this is as new to us as it is to you. Cheerio." Yes, but you won't be naked tomorrow will you?

"Uh, bye." I sat and listened to the dialling tone; almost catatonic as a million half-formed thoughts and questions vied for my attention. All I could think was: 'I'm gonna be naked in school! I'm gonna be…' round and round. Zombie-like I replaced the handset. In a daze I wandered downstairs and found mum and dad sharing the rest of the wine as they cleared away the evening meal and chatted about this and that. My appearance must have been worse than I thought because mum immediately pulled out a chair and sat me in it.

"Sit down, Mark, before you faint. Are you all right?"

I looked at them both they looked concerned, which made me feel better; at least I knew I had someone in my corner whatever happened. "Sorry, I just had a bit of a shock, that's all."

"Who was on the 'phone?" Dad was ever the practical one.

"Anne, I mean, Mrs. Thomas, the Head's PA. She rang to tell me that I'm in The Programme tomorrow and I have to go in early to go to some sort of meeting."

"Are you all right about it?" Mum asked.

"I don't know, I suppose in one way it's better than going all year wondering if I'm going to be next. On the other hand, I'm going to be naked in school all week!" I couldn't help it; I started to giggle, slightly hysterically. "It's going to be an interesting week." I said after I had calmed down.

"It's an old Chinese curse: 'May you live always in interesting times.'" That was my dad, a fount of useless knowledge; useless, that is, until it was time to enter the village quiz and then his team would romp home in first place. Suddenly I felt tired, it had been an emotional day and this news put the tin-lid on it.

"I'm tired, I think I'll turn it. 'Night, mum, dad." I trudged upstairs and got undressed, too tired to stick my clothes in the wash-basket I just let them lie in a heap by the door. Fuck 'em I'll do something about them tomorrow. Before I drifted off I reset my alarm an hour earlier, if I was going to this meeting and being naked for the rest of the day I'd better make sure I was squeaky clean! I wondered, vaguely, who else was in The Programme but I was too sleepy to think coherently and my thoughts scattered like frightened pigeons and the next thing I knew the alarm was beeping insistently and it was Monday.

Monday

I looked at the alarm and tried to remember why I had set it so stupidly early. Something about being clean... shit! I remembered the 'phone call from Mrs. Thomas I was going to be naked in school for the next week. I pulled the covers over my head and moaned. Why me? What had I done that was so bad that I deserved this? Oh well, lying in bed whinging about it wasn't going to make it go away and once I was awake I had never been able to loll about in bed anyway. I did the shower and shave thing, making a special point of ensuring that all my nooks and crannies were squeaky clean, even to the point of sticking a thoroughly soaped finger in… Well perhaps that's too much information, you can guess the rest.

Getting dressed was different, I was aware that all of my clothes were going to be on view at some point, so I made sure that my underwear was completely clean and hole-less. Luckily I'd bought some new only last week. I donned the obligatory year 11 uniform of jeans and a tee-shirt. I looked out of my window and though the sun was shining there was still some mist about, so I grabbed a sweatshirt just in case. I was too nervous to eat anything so I just drank a glass of milk. As I was leaving the house, I realised it was far earlier than I had intended. I shrugged mentally, Debs wouldn't mind and if she wasn't dressed she might think I was trying for payback.

To my surprise Debs was waiting for me, even though I was much earlier than usual. Had I not been preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming week, I might have made more of it. Debbie seemed excited, I made some comment - I can't remember what exactly, something inane, I wasn't on top form and she said something about the weather being nice. All too soon we had arrived at the main entrance. Strictly speaking we weren't allowed to use it - it was only for teachers and years 12 and 13, but because we were usually early no one ever said anything. Anyway, with exams over, we only had a couple of weeks before the end of term and then it would be official. Why was I thinking of this inane stuff, I wondered? Mrs. Thomas saw us and waved.

"I'm glad I caught you both, the meeting is in the old gym."

It took us a while and then we turned to each other and spoke simultaneously. "You're in The Programme?"

"Yes!" Then we laughed, delighted in the unrehearsed chorus. We walked towards the old gymnasium, a wooden building that should have been demolished seventy years ago and was now so old that it had a preservation order on it and hence we were stuck with it. Nowadays it was only used for meetings and a place for pick-up basketball games. Underlying my overall disquiet about being naked; was the fact that I would be unable to hide the consequences of my attraction for the girl next to me whose hand I was now holding. It was too late now for further thoughts we were at the meeting and Debbie gripped my hand as we found our seats.

An impromptu raised stage had been constructed and the headmaster, his PA and is deputy - Miss Moore made their way onto the stage. The subdued, but excited chatter stopped almost instantly.

"Right. You all know why you are here. No, it's no a bad dream. No, it's not a particularly convoluted end-of-term practical joke. Yes, it is real and yes, you will be naked when you leave this meeting." The silence was absolute at this point as it dawned on everyone what would be happening to us. "Anne here, has read you the official notice and a written version should have arrived in the post this morning, though most if not all of you would have left to soon to receive it; hence the 'phone calls. From today and for the next six days, that's this Sunday coming, for the calendrically challenged amongst you." There was a nervous giggle at this small sally, quickly stifled. "So until this Sunday you will naked at all times when on school property and during school activities, school trips, sports matches, that sort of thing. For today, as I said, you will strip here, to give you a chance to get used to things a little bit, but tonight and from tomorrow onwards, you will dress and undress outside in front of the steps up to the main entrance. There will be members of staff on hand to collect clothes boxes and to ensure that order is kept." A small sigh swept the audience; we'd all read horror stories from the US about mobs that had got out of hand. "This would seem like a good time for you all to get undressed. You will find clothes boxes by the wall bars."

The silence was absolute; for a while no one moved, then Debbie looked at me, stood up and walked to the wall bars. I followed. I had no choice really; she had my hand in a death grip. She whispered to me. "Help me out will you?" I nodded and slipped off my tee shirt. Then, with my hands visibly shaking I started to undo the buttons of her blouse. She smiled beatifically and mouthed 'thank you' at me. Once I had started it seemed churlish not to finish. And there before me was the girl of my dreams, naked. The reality was so much more arousing than in my imagination.

"Wow!" Was all I was capable of saying.

"My turn." Her hands went to he fastening of my jeans. Oh shit. Seeing her naked had given me the hardest erection of my life and she was going to see it! Too late, she skinned by jeans and underpants down in one motion. "Oh my, Mark, is that for me?"

"I don't see anyone else naked around…" for the first time since we started, I became aware that the rest of the meeting was shedding their clothes. She laughed as she saw my consternation. I shut up and slipped my jeans, pants, shoes and socks off in one motion. Yesterday I'd decided that I wouldn't be wearing shoes and socks, even though we were allowed to. After seeing pictures of naturist resorts I'd realised that there is nothing more ridiculous than a naked man wearing shoes and socks.

I put everything in the crate provided. Evidently the women on the management team had, had the same thought as Miss Moore spoke up as it became obvious that most people were dithering over whether to wear shoes or not. "There are a supply of flip-flops for those of you that feel, as I do, that there is nothing as undignified as a naked person wearing ordinary shoes and socks. That mostly applies to the boys, by the way." This comment decided the ditherers and almost to a man we stayed barefoot. The women were more evenly divided, but then I'd always thought that, the classic women's shoe was designed solely (hah) to fulfil the desires of men who liked their women naked wearing them.

Mr. Edwards cleared his throat noisily, so we all hurried to sit down and the hall was filled with the barely suppressed gasps of shock as our bums hit the cold seats. "I see you've discovered one of the disadvantages of nudity. When you leave we will provide you with your kit. In it, you will find The Programme booklet, flip flops and a small towel for you to sit on." His voice grew serious. "Don't use the towel to cover up. To remove the temptation, put it in your kit bag when you are not sitting on it. Which brings us to covering up in general, you will be tempted, but don't. Each witnessed incident of covering up will result in one further day in The Programme for the offender. There are suggestions in the booklet on how to combat the temptation, but to summarise, the main suggestion is that when you are not carrying something or doing a reasonable request, then you clasp your hands behind your back. You don't have to do it, but it might help. This brings us to 'reasonable requests'. In keeping with the original US version of The Programme, we're being deliberately vague. You might think that this is unfair, but if you think about it beyond the superficial, you will see that if we try and impose restrictions on what is reasonable all that this will do is encourage the 'barrack room' lawyers to try and find loopholes and ways round the restrictions. If we allow everything, then you will find that, common sense will usually prevail. Anyway a member of staff will be on hand to adjudicate disputes. This brings us to the question of 'relief'. Unlike the US version we will not be introducing this bureaucratic notion, if you can't manage to find relief during your normal break-times then you are sadly lacking in initiative." There was a ripple of nervous laughter at this. "Finally, since The Programme is so new and we are almost at the end of term anyway, programme members are excused from having to do coursework and homework this week, you still have to attend the lessons, but you don't have to lug your bags with all your books around with you." He looked around at us and finished with the usual plea, that guaranteed total silence from an audience. "Any questions?"

Miss Moore stepped forward. "The later versions of The Programme in the US introduced the concept of 'buddies'. We have adopted this idea and have made pairings. Where possible we have paired up people that know each other and that are in many classes together. If you have a problem with the pairings speak to me at lunchtime and we will see what can be done. We've started by pairing boys with girls, beyond that I'd like to see the older pairs taking a younger pair 'under your wings'." I listened with half an ear to some of the pairings in the lower school, "Mark and Debbie." There were a few knowing catcalls, someone heckled, "Like that's a surprise." Miss Moore smiled at the interruption then continued reading. Then she looked at her watch and wound up the meeting. "It's just before quarter to nine, so collect your kit as you leave and good luck."

With enormous trepidation, but less anxiety than I'd have thought we all filed out. More than one of the pairs was holding hands, taking a leaf out of Debbie and my book. For some reason, even though we weren't the eldest, Debbie and I seemed to have been elected the unofficial leaders of The Programme and so we were the first out of the entrance and into the waiting throng. The first few minutes were frenetic with many requests to touch and to stroke. After a few minutes Debbie and I were separated, I looked over at her but she seemed okay as she caught my eye and winked at me.

Soon it was time to get to classes and the crowds lessened and eventually disappeared.

"Wow. That was different." I looked at Debbie she was flushed and her nipples were erect. Her pussy lips were swollen and looked very moist. She looked adorable. "Do Programme participants get to make 'reasonable requests' of other Programme participants I wonder?" I followed her gaze as she stared at my erection and I blushed at the intensity of her stare.

"You're very cute when you blush, you know." She shook herself and grabbed my hand. "Time to get to class."

Classes were a mix of normal boredom and excruciating embarrassment. Traditionally during this three or four week period after the public exams had finished we all took the timetable of the year-group above us. For our year this meant choosing which subjects we would like to take for our IB and then trying to see what classes were available. It was all a bit hit and miss. Since everyone knew that there was no real work being done the teachers would take advantage of the naked students to try and encourage a bit more interest in the classes.

I didn't see Debbie after lunch and we met when school had finished, as we got dressed. She seemed preoccupied. We talked of this and that, shying away from our experiences so far. As we parted I saw that she was looking particularly attractive, her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were slightly flushed. I commented on it.

"The Programme seems to suit you, I don't think I've see you look this good in, well, ever really."

"Umm, yeah."

"Penny for 'em."

"Oh sorry, I'm just trying to come to terms with it all, I suppose." She leered at me to emphasise the pun. I groaned.

"Got to go, see you."

"Yeah, bye." I watched her as she hurried to her house. I really, really loved the way that she walked.

Later I realised that we hadn't agreed a time for tomorrow, I wondered if she wanted to go in at the same time or maybe wait a little later to minimise the time we spent naked outside school hours. Surprisingly her 'phone was engaged and stayed engaged for a couple of hours. I shrugged mentally, I wasn't her keeper and she was entitled to a life away from me - still, it was intriguing. I fell asleep wondering what tomorrow would bring.

Tuesday

I was late, Debbie had cavorted, naked, through my dreams and I'd missed the alarm going off. There was no time to 'phone and to take my extended shower routine. Still there was no reason to suppose that we weren't meeting up. Apart from illness, we'd walked to school together from almost the first day. I slipped on any old jeans and a tee-shirt I almost skipped underwear, but old habits die hard and I'd put some on before I realised it. I grabbed a couple of slices of toast for now and a bottle of orange juice for later and I was out and jogging to Debbie's house. I checked my watch; good, I was late only by a couple of minutes.

I said 'Good morning' to Debbie's mum as she opened the door for me. I could see Debbie in the kitchen, she was just putting the 'phone on the hook. I wondered vaguely whom she had been talking to. The half-formed question died on my lips as she walked through into the hallway and picked up her bag. She looked as good as she did last night. Who'd've thought that Debbie would be so turned on by The Programme?

"I see you're still enjoying The Programme? Who'd've guessed that you'd like it so much?"

Unusually, she didn't rise to the bait, but just smiled a Mona Lisa smile. Then she stuck her arm through mine and dragged me from the house. Shouting a cheery 'cheerio' over her shoulder. She remained eager and I found myself hustled through the more than usual numbers of school students. The Programme looked like it would, at least, reduce the level of lateness. Of course the reason they wanted to be early was to witness the grand unveiling. I felt my heart race at the thought. Yesterday we'd undressed with only other Programme members as witnesses and, as I discovered, most of us would have been too preoccupied to take much notice of what the others were doing. Today would be different; today we would start as one of the throng and end up naked. It was thrilling and scary and it loomed in my mind, bigger with each hurried step that took me nearer to the school.

All too soon we were standing in front of the steps and I watched as one of the lower school pair walked up the steps and through the main entrance. One of the benefits of being naked was being allowed in through the main entrance. The idea was to give Programme members a small respite after the ordeal of undressing, or being undressed, which appeared to be the theme for today. An impromptu queuing system seemed to have been introduced, with each pair being dealt with separately. Even though there were a couple of other pairs in front of us, when the crowd became aware that Debbie and I had arrived, the cry went up for us to be next. Debbie dragged me into the space, boy was she eager - who'd have thought it?

I watched as some year-thirteen boy, that I didn't know all that well ask Debbie if he could undress her. She smiled at him and eagerly agreed. I tried to think of his name. Steven something, he'd transferred in a couple of years ago. I'd not had much contact with him. It felt strange watching her being undressed by him and for a while I couldn't identify the feelings that I felt, and then I knew.

I was jealous.

Absently I agreed to a request to be undressed, but my whole attention was on Steve and Debbie as a burning, all-consuming jealousy filled my thoughts. I hated the boy, Debbie was my friend, my love, and it should be me undressing her. I became aware that a skilful hand was bringing me to erection despite myself. I looked at the girl who had undressed me for the first time. Good grief, it was Sharon McAlister!

"I wondered when you'd notice me."

"Sorry. It's all a bit stressful."

"Let's see if I can relax you a bit then."

I moaned as her ministrations began to make my hips flex. Her touch was both firm and teasing, she slipped my foreskin backwards and forwards across the sensitive ridge around the head of my cock and extracted more vocal sounds of approval. Her free hand came up to my chest and she circled her fingers lightly around my nipples.

"Oh God! What're you doing to unnggg me?"

"It would seem I'm driving you crazy. You like?"

Just as I was about to answer the sounds of female passion filtered through the pre-orgasmic haze that Sharon had placed me in. I looked across to see Debbie being skilfully fingered. She cried out again and looked across at me, her expression was beatific, her face was flushed and her breasts heaved delightfully as Steve drove her relentlessly to her first public orgasm of the day. Then my thoughts were scrambled as Sharon extracted the same response from me. She caught some of my semen in her hand and, when she saw that she had my attention again, she dipped a finger in it and placed some in her mouth.

"Mmm! Delicious." Then she leant forward and kissed me, for all her reputation the kiss was surprisingly chaste. "Thank you, I've wanted to do that for you, for a long time."

There was a light smattering of cheers and the next pair of victims was ushered forwards. I looked around for Debbie, but she must have gone on ahead of me and so I climbed the steps on shaky legs and pushed my way through the doors.

"So you got to live the dream of every boy in the school?"

"I guess so."

"What was it like?"

This was embarrassing; talking to one girl about how another girl had just masturbated me. I struggled to think of something to say. "It was very… um… exciting."

"Come on, time to re-enter the lion's den."

After that start, the rest of the day was a bit of an, if you will excuse the pun, anticlimax. The younger girls seemed to have had their fill of just looking and now wanted the full 'hands-on' experience, as a result I was a little sore by the time that school was over. However I didn't really take much notice of what happened to me, as I seemed to spend most of the day with thoughts of Debbie on my mind. Visions of her in the throes of orgasm kept invading my thoughts.

Eventually I made a decision. Ironically being naked for the last day and a half had banished a lot of my timidity and I was determined to tell her how I felt about her. Once my decision was made I felt happier and I looked forward to the end of the school day. I'd just finished getting dressed when Debbie arrived.

"Everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah, just chatting."

"Can I help you dress?"

"Is that a reasonable request?"

"If you want it to be?"

"Okay, it'll make a change I suppose." She grinned at me and leant forward to let me slip her bra on. I had a few problems with the bra hooks, to which she expressed the opinion that it was obvious I was no Casanova.

"Look I have experience in undoing these things, not doing them up."

"I can tell."

Once we had negotiated the bra, the rest of the dressing went swimmingly and I experienced for myself the erotic potential of dressing a beautiful girl.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

We walked home each preoccupied with our own thoughts. Not that this was unusual, just that in my heightened state of awareness I realised that she was slipping away from me. I grasped the nettle of opportunity and broached the subject just before we reached her house.

"Can I see you later? I have something I need to talk to you about."

She looked at me pensively and then came to a decision. "I'll call you, in about an hour, we'll go for a walk and we'll talk?"

"Yes, see you."

Once home I changed and paced in my room until the 'phone rang, it was her.

"I'll meet you. We need to talk."

It was obvious that she felt that things were coming to a head; perhaps I needn't be so apprehensive after all? We met halfway and turned, by common consent, up the short cut to our vantage point. The silence was almost absolute and we sat, each in our own cocoon of deep thought, then she turned and spoke to me, and for the first time I began to doubt.

"I think you have something to say to me."

It's now or never. That was the title of the song, I reached back to the courage that I had felt not so long ago and blurted out the words that I had longed to say for so many years.

"Debbie, I'm desperately in love with you. There isn't a night that goes by when I don't dream of you. You fill my every waking thought." I looked at her and was surprised to see a mixture of tenderness and sadness there, but I carried on regardless; the pressure of my emotions once released would not be stemmed. "I'm sure that we could be happy together. I've felt like this for years, but I was too scared that I might lose your friendship. Today at school I realised that I needed more than what we have. I need to make love to you, to show you how much I adore you…" I tailed off there were tears in her eyes and they weren't tears of happiness.

"Oh Mark, I'm so sorry. I guessed how you felt and I do love you, but not that way. You're the brother I never had." Her tears were infectious and I cried with her, numb with the pain that her words were inflicting on me. She drew a shuddering breath. "There's no easy way to say this, but there's someone else. It's been so quick, but I know that he's the one."

"Steve." I knew with certainty.

"Yes."

"Oh Debs…" I couldn't say more. I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. Breathing seemed difficult; there was a lump in my throat that prevented further speech. And then we were together, sobbing, in each other's arms. Somehow we were kissing; a frantic solace for the hurt that we had inflicted. She moaned into my mouth and then we were tearing the clothes from each other. Her nipples were solid nubs of arousal and they rubbed my chest leaving trails of fire wherever they touched. There was little finesse in our coupling; just the desire to assuage a deep emotional wound. Finally we came and then we rolled apart and I knew then that my years of desire were an illusion and I cried, great heaving almost, silent sobs wracked me, what had we done?

"Oh God, Debs. I'm so sorry."

"Mark, it's okay. We needed to do this, otherwise we would always wonder." Her speech degenerated into wordless comforting sounds and eventually the storm of emotion subsided for both of us. It was late.

"We have to get home, or our parents will be worried."

I nodded unable to speak. I couldn't think. We'd made love and it had been the worst mistake of my entire life. I was lost; the centre of my existence for three years had turned out to be just a dream; a nightmare. What was I going to do? Even as I thought these things, the selfishness of my thoughts appalled me and I sank deeper into the blackness.

We parted and there was no joy in our parting, no expectation. In my room I wept for the lost years. Sleep came and there was no peace. All too soon it was morning and the day ahead was bleak and unwelcoming.

Wednesday

I hadn't arranged a time to meet Debbie last night and, for the first time in almost five years, I walked to school alone. Shit I missed her. I missed the banter; I missed the closeness; I'd give anything for last night not to have happened, but it did and, somehow, we'd have to get past it. Only right now, this instant, I couldn't see how. I arrived at the undressing area and all I could see was the spectacle of Steve and Debbie in deep conversation. Even from here I could see that she was crying and the pain that I felt was a physical thing, tying my chest in knots. She smiled and suddenly her tears didn't matter and if anything I felt worse. Then they hugged and kissed, I couldn't stop watching, and the stuff that I'd scoffed at, the stories that I'd read where someone dies of a broken heart; I knew then that they were all true.

I watched Steve approach and there was nowhere for me to hide. He held out his hand to me and smiled engagingly. Automatically I took it and he shook it, all the while looking at me in a concerned fashion. It was all too strange and for the second time in my life I learnt another literary truth. The truth about the phrase 'struck dumb'. It became obvious that I wasn't going to say anything and Steve continued to hold my hand and led me over to a convenient wall slightly away from the crowds.

"Hey, Mark. It's a tough break, I know and I'm sorry." I shrugged unable to force the words past the enormous tennis ball sized lump in my throat.

"There's nothing I can say at this point to make you feel better, but just so you know, Debbie told me about last night. I understand, I can't say I'm thrilled, but these things happen and I'm not about to screw up the best thing that has ever happened to me with stupid jealousy. So I'll say this, she misses you, you're her best friend and I don't want her to lose you over a stupid mistake. Okay? I love her and I want the best for her and if that means having you as a friend I'm going to do my damndest to see that she gets you."

He stared at me for a long time and then nodded as I acknowledged what he'd said. Further conversation was precluded when the school bell rang and it was time to get undressed. Somehow I ended up with no clothes on, but I couldn't say afterwards if I'd undressed myself or if someone else had done it for me. I do know that I was fondled quite a lot, but for the first time that I could remember I didn't get hard. Perhaps it's true that sex is all in the mind, because the last thing on my mind was being sexy.

Afterwards though was much different, somehow, I don't know how, the whole school seemed to be aware that I had a problem, because I received less attention than I had on the first day and those girls that did, were soon the subject of whispered instructions to leave me alone. Perhaps it was just as well. I doubted that I would have been able to fulfil all but the most basic of requests. Lunchtime arrived unexpectedly and I couldn't remember a single thing that I had done that morning.

I sat at my table, my grief plain to see and stirred the food on my plate. I'd never felt less like eating. All at once I felt my face crack into the rictus that precedes the most helpless sobbing and I was unable to stop the pent up emotion. Not here! I couldn't breakdown here!

"Hey you! No blubbering. There is nothing that puts a body off their meal more, than watching a boy sob into his food."

I looked up through teary eyes and saw Laura.

"Laura, what are you doing here?"

"Taking you somewhere where you can cry and no one will notice." With that she grabbed my wrist and dragged my away from the table and towards the swimming pool. Once there she shucked her clothes and eschewing her costume she pushed me through the showers and the footbath and into the pool.

"Okay you can cry now, no one will notice your tears with all this water around." She put her arms around me and pulled my head onto her shoulder. It was too much like last night and I sobbed helplessly. She rubbed my back and crooned wordless comforting noises into my ear. Eventually the storm passed and she pulled away from me.

"Better?"

"Some"

"Let's swim then, the exercise will make you feel better." And with that she was off with an easy long-limbed stroke that was deceptive in its efficiency. I was a pretty good swimmer but I never came anywhere close to catching her. Afterwards in the changing room we sat and talked.

"I don't get it."

"What?"

"I haven't been touched all day. It's almost as if everyone knows."

"They do."

"What do they know?"

"That you've been in love with Debbie for the last two or three years and have been afraid to do anything about it. More importantly, Debbie has known too."

"But if she knew why didn't she do..."

"Exactly. It's been tearing her up that you might confess how you feel and she'd have to tell you that she didn't feel the same way. The whole school has been waiting for it to happen."

"How? Why would anyone care?"

"You're a very popular guy, Mark, and Debbie is a popular girl, and what makes it great is neither of you know just how well-respected you are."

"Well I know that most people like Debs, but me? Popular? You're having me on?"

"I rest my case."

"I suppose everyone thinks I'm stupid?"

"No way!"

"I think I'm stupid."

"You're a boy, being stupid comes with the territory." She hugged me and spoke softly to me, all seriousness now. "Most people just feel very sorry that one of the best-loved, couple of best friends had to get through this stage. It was obvious that both of you were going to get hurt. No one thinks that you're stupid. Don't worry, I can confidently predict that tomorrow, things will be different."

After the swim and the time in the changing room I was feeling better. The pain was still there, but now I could think that there'd be a time that it wouldn't hurt. As luck would have it I didn't see Debbie for the rest of the day. And the word seemed still to be out, so I was left alone when I got dressed. Walking home on my own really sucked and I knew I couldn't go through the rest of the week alone. But it did give me time to think about how I really felt and the things that Steve had said to me started to make a lot of sense. Time to see if we could fix things.

I picked up the 'phone and dialled the number I knew so well, that I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was: I dialled the number from muscle memory.

"It's me."

"Hello you."

"I'm sorry, Debs."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry for being a lovesick idiot around you."

"You were never an idiot."

"I've been clued in about how much you were hurting and all the time I was parading my own feelings to everyone and ignoring yours. That makes me an idiot."

"If you insist."

"I'd still like to be friends, if you think we can."

"I'd like to try, it sucks having to say everything to completion. I mean who else..."

"... would finish your sentences for you? I know what you..."

"... mean."

We laughed and I knew that we were going to be all right, eventually. I realised something else too.

"I'm going to tell you something and I want you to let me finish, will you do that"

"Yes."

"I love you," she gasped but held herself in check, "but I'm not 'in love with you', I realised that on the way home when I thought about what Steve said to me. He's a hell of a bloke by the way. Anyway because I love you, I want the best for you and the best for you at the moment is Steve. Okay?"

"Yes, I love you the same way, too. There is someone out there for you, Mark. I'm sure of it, just don't let opportunities pass you by. You did that a lot when you thought you were in love with me and that used to kill me. So don't do it any more right?"

"Yes, dear. Usual time tomorrow?"

"I suppose, don't you want to talk to me any more?"

"Yes, but you have a boyfriend and though he's a pretty special guy, you need to spend time with him, so go, ring your boyfriend and make sure you tell him I told you to. I need all the brownie points I can get with him after last night."

"Yes, dear. See you tomorrow."

I replayed the conversation in my head; I'd missed opportunities had I? I wondered who they had been. With this interesting thought bouncing around in my head I wandered downstairs to talk to my parents. One thing today had shown me, was that I was not as inscrutable as I had always thought myself to be and it followed from that, that my parents would have been worried about me. So I owed it them to let them know that things were getting better.

It was a good evening and we had a few hugs and a few tears. Afterwards I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my chest. I laughed; another literary cliché was shown to have some truth in it. I slept well and woke early the next morning feeling inexplicably happy. Perhaps my subconscious knew something that I didn't? Oh well I'd find out in good time.

Thursday

The contrast with yesterday served to mask any residual awkwardness between us. We'd never been ones for idle chatter, just to fill silences, so we walked to school in companionable silence. As we approached the turning for the road to the school, we were suddenly surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls, Laura chief amongst them. They dragged me away from Debbie.

"Help me, I'm being kidnapped!"

"It looks like a great way to go!"

"Some help you are, I thought we were friends again?"

"That's why I'm letting you go. See you later pal, if you haven't gone blind that is!"

The girls continued to hustle me along and we arrived at the undressing area much earlier than I had planned for.

"Why all the hurry?" I asked Laura, as she seemed to be the ringleader.

"We have a reasonable request, well a series of them actually. But first I want to undress you. May I?"

I nodded and Laura started by kneeling down and removing the sandals that I wore. They were more substantial than the flip flops and didn't make me look stupid when I wore them naked, as long as I didn't wear socks that is. Next she undid the snap to my jeans and pulled them down and off each foot, one at a time. She was careful to leave my underwear undisturbed. Then she stood up and lifted my tee shirt over my head. Before she took off my one remaining garment she ran her hands over my chest and stroked my nipples to hardness. I groaned at the unexpected stimulation and there seemed to be a direct connexion between my nipples and my cock, which grew in size and hardness as she finished by kissing each nipple in turn. Finally she knelt once more and slipped my underpants down and off. As she rose I was suddenly engulfed in a warm and willing mouth.

"Oh God, Laura."

"Hey, no cheating!"

This last exclamation had more effect than mine and Laura reluctantly relinquished my cock. I felt my breathing return to a more normal cadence and was able to ask her.

"What are these reasonable requests then?"

"We want to hold a blow-job contest..."

"... with me as the judge I suppose?"

"Something like that." Laura grinned at me and she and the rest of the gang cheered when I bowed to the inevitable and agreed.

What followed was the most excruciatingly arousing thing I have ever experienced. For almost half an hour the girls kept me at the peak of excitement, as each of them seemed to be doing their best to make me groan out loud. As a judge I would have been rubbish, as I had no idea who was who, nor when one girl finished and another started. However, I gathered that the contest was simply: who could get the most reaction from me, and for that I didn't need to have all my faculties. Dimly I heard the school bell ring and I noticed that the quality of the blowjob I was currently experiencing changed. Startled out of my sexual stupor I looked down to see Laura at work on my cock.

"Laura, I'm…"

I was too late. I screamed my release and my prostate attempted to empty itself and the rest of my internal organs through my cock. My vision darkened and if I hadn't been leaning against a wall I would have fallen for sure. As it was, it was a very close run thing. After a while my senses returned and I became aware of a whooping cheering audience surrounding us. I looked down at Laura who was suckling on my rapidly shrinking penis. With a last lick, she relinquished it and stood up.

"I think I won."

"No, if anyone won, it was me."

She smiled beatifically at my remark and all at once I had my arms around her and I kissed her. I'd intended just a congratulatory kiss, but something changed and the kiss we actually shared brought me to a new understanding of the phrase 'soul searing'. After we had finished kissing, Laura's gang dragged her away before she could say anything. On shaky legs and, in somewhat of a daze, I made my way into school.

As Laura had predicted, today was a complete contrast to yesterday. All day long I was bombarded with 'reasonable requests'. At first it was just from Laura's friends but as word spread, other girls would join in. Not for the first time I was glad that I had instituted a 'squeaky-clean' policy for this week, as there was not a single part of me that was not examined, nor a single orifice that wasn't poked. The youngest were the worst, what is it about anuses that have a fascination for girls of thirteen?

It was lunchtime before I realised it and I collapsed at a table with Debbie and Steve, sighing with pleasure at the knowledge that my time was my own for an hour or so. Steve laughed at my expression of relief.

"Busy day?"

"I think there's a conspiracy."

They both laughed and I realised that I was happy for them both. I was also surprised to find that I had gone the whole morning without thinking about Debbie once. This confused me for a while, but Debbie and Steve didn't seem to notice and I gave myself a mental shake and joined in the banter.

"Hey, stop mooning over each other and eat something." Debbie grinned at me and stuck out her tongue at me. Steve pounced on it. I made fake retching sounds, "It's enough to put someone off their food." They stopped kissing.

"You and Laura seemed to be having fun this morning." This was from Steve.

"Hmmm." I wasn't sure what it was, but 'fun' was too mild a word. Debbie joined in.

"I noticed a definite shakiness in the leg department as you walked into school."

"Definitely, a distinct wobbliness I'd say."

It was my turn to stick out my tongue at them. I changed the subject a little, "How do you feel about this? Debbie being naked and everything?" Debbie frowned at me. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's just that it's something I always wondered when I read the reports about The Programme from the States."

"I can't say I'm overjoyed about it, but without The Programme, Debs and I wouldn't have got together, so I guess I'll have to take the rough with the smooth. Anyway the shoe may be on the other foot there's still a couple of weeks of term to go and I volunteered to help out as a teaching assistant, but I'm still a student so I may be picked."

Debbie spoke up, "I think that's a certainty, if they want a couple from each year group. Most year-thirteen's have gone, now that their exams are finished." There was a certain dreaminess in her expression and I knew that Steve was going to be enjoying himself when it was his turn. The thought did not provoke jealous thoughts and this surprised me, welcome though my new equilibrium was.

By now we had collected our plates and dumped them at the collection point. At this point in the term Thursday afternoons were given over to sports or free periods for the top three year-groups. So I grabbed my Badminton rackets and shuttles and made my way to the sports hall were I had a long-standing engagement to play with Laura. Usually we played mixed doubles together. We were pretty good, to the extent that we represented our county in various youth tournaments. But today it seemed that she had arranged for us to play each other. This was, necessarily, a handicapped match and, as usual, I spotted her eight points.

"I thought we'd play a match. I've booked the court for an hour."

We'd not played each other for a while and Laura had been steadily improving, it was going to be a tough match. Badminton is an interesting game; total beginners can play it with only a few minutes practise. The shuttle moves slowly enough, that novices can achieve rallies of ten or more strokes with little or no effort. Compare this with tennis, for example, where you need a reasonable skill level before you can even serve, let alone play a rally of more than a couple of strokes. However Badminton is also the fastest racquet sport in the world; hit properly, a shuttle can achieve initial speeds of 150 mph. Watch a match played at world championship level and the only time you will see the shuttle sometimes is when the server is holding it and when the loser of the rally is picking it off the floor.

Laura and I weren't that good, but we were amongst the best in the school and also in the county. The first game was a rout on Laura's part, I was still getting used to playing naked and she was shameless in aiming the shuttle at my exposed genitals. Each time I frantically covered up she laughed her socks off.

"Right, you little minx! This is where you get yours, the gloves are off now."

"Ohhhh, I'm so scared."

The second game was much more evenly matched and I ruthlessly exposed her weaknesses to lobs and high drives. Even so, it was closer than I remembered it being, the last time I'd played her seriously. The final score was 15-12.

"You rat-bag, you know I hate those driving lobs of yours." She grinned at me to show that she wasn't too upset.

"Oh, you want us to play pat-a-cake style? Just about your speed I'd say." She blew me a raspberry.

"Okay buster, prepared to be spanked."

We squared up to each other and started the final game. It was brutal. We gave no quarter and part of me was astounded at the sheer brilliance of the shots that we were forcing from each other. Laura was a total terrier, she chased down every shot, and nothing was left if there was even the slightest doubt that it was going in. Occasionally I was aware that the rest of the games in the hall had stopped and everyone was watching us, but such was the intensity of our game that I couldn't spare any thought over the matter. At one point, as she was replacing our third broken shuttle - a record in itself, I realised just how large our audience had grown. Any thought that it was because I was naked, was banished when I realised that Laura might just have well been, as her sweat-soaked sports kit was virtually transparent. In the end my superior stamina won the match and we collapsed underneath the net in complete exhaustion as my final drop shot crept over the net and Laura tripped and fell as she attempted to retrieve it. The hall erupted with a roar of approval and applause.

"32-30." I managed to gasp out the score line.

"Best of five?" She managed to get out between pants.

"In your dreams." We laughed exhaustedly.

After a little while longer I managed to stand and I helped Laura to stagger into the changing room. I undressed her and pulled her into the shower. She stood listlessly as I washed her. As I did so I realised just how gorgeous she was. I'd known her almost as long as she had been at school. She'd accosted me after I'd played an exhibition match to demonstrate the range of sports that were available to the new year-nine intake, and demanded to be taught this 'cool game'. I'd obliged her and our mixed doubles team was born. When did she turn into a beautiful woman, I wondered? I looked into her eyes and was shocked by the burning need that I saw there. I pulled her to me and we exchanged another soul-searing kiss.

And then something snapped in me. Laura was my friend, was I making the same mistake twice? I groaned and pulled away from her. She looked upset. "I'm sorry Laura, I can't do this to you, it's a mistake." With that I scrambled from the shower and literally ran to the dressing area and out of the changing room.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was a complete blank to me. I found myself in bed with no recollection of how I had got there. I remembered the devastated look on Laura's face as I left the shower. I remembered how she looked in her sweat-soaked badminton kit. I remembered the kiss…

Sleep took me and I woke the next morning vaguely aware that I'd been dreaming, but of what, I couldn't remember.

Friday

"Penny for 'em?" It was Debbie's turn to make the traditional enquiry.

"Just thinking."

"About us?" Debbie looked concerned.

"A bit."

"I hurt you a lot, I'm so sorry. I just hoped and hoped that you'd fall for someone else. But while we were just friends, life was so good. I was being selfish I suppose." She looked anguished, "there's something else, that I'm not particularly proud of, and I'll understand if you hate me over it, but I enjoyed being the object of your devotion. It did me good to feel that there was someone that loved me like that. I should've told you earlier and saved you the hurt. I'm sorry."

I gave her a quick hug, not trusting myself to do more. "Debs don't beat yourself up about it, we both made mistakes. If I'd been braver I'd have found out sooner. It's done now and perhaps it's made us stronger, we'll see." She smiled, but still looked unsure and unhappy. Fuck that, she was my friend, my best friend. "C'mere." I gave her another hug; a proper one this time.

"Steve's a lucky guy and I'm not jealous. I told you I love you, and it's true. I want you to be happy and Steve makes you happy. If you're happy then I'm happy. Something'll turn up for me if, as you say, I've been ignoring offers. Anyway you're my best friend and a girl, to boot, so it's gonna be your job to get a girl for me!"

She laughed, almost back to normal. "I'm not your personal pimp!"

"Who says?"

I ducked a punch then we carried on walking to school, laughing and joking, like normal. Just before we reached the gates, Debbie stopped me one last time. "I meant what I said, you know, afterwards. I'm glad that we made love, I'm only sorry that it came with all the hurt." Then her mood changed once more and she dragged me towards the waiting crowd.

As we approached a cheer went up.

A tradition of allowing oneself to be undressed appeared to have been started and today was no exception. I was double-teamed by a couple of younger girls that I knew only vaguely. I looked across towards Debbie and saw that Steve had her in the throes of a highly vocal orgasm as he drove her wild with his lips and tongue. Unlike the last time I witnessed it, this time I was highly aroused. The girls that were undressing me were in raptures. But even as their gentle investigations were having their inevitable effect, I realised that I was missing Laura.

This thought was as surprising as it was unexpected. I drifted through morning classes distractedly, while I tried to come to terms with this revelation. Being the model in biology did little to affect my preoccupation, and not even when the teacher directed the girl helping her with the demonstration, in the finer points of the male sexual response was I distracted from my thoughts of Laura.

Could I do this again? Was it another mistake? I really needed to talk to someone but the only person I could think of was Debbie and our new temporary class schedule meant that we wouldn't see each other until after lunch.

As it turned out I didn't need to. I sat down at an empty table and started to eat the pasta dish, which was the normal fare for a Friday. Debbie had brought a packed lunch and I ate alone, the rest of the diners were careful to give Programme participants privacy if it seemed that they needed it. I'd just finished my lunch and drunk the last of my water when someone sat next to me. I turned to see who it was and I felt a rush of joy as I saw that it was Laura.

"Sit still and say nothing." I nodded and was rewarded with another of those soul-stirring kisses that seemed to be the only ones that we could share. And then there was nothing, but the feel of her lips and her tongue. We broke the kiss and the dining hall broke into a loud cheer. Laura blushed bright red then took hold of my hand and pulled me from the table. "We have to talk, come on." And with that she led me from the hall and out onto the playing fields and towards a secluded corner. We sat down and she turned to me, holding my hands in hers.

"I can't carry on the way we have been. I know how you felt about Debbie and I know what it feels like to be in love and not to have your love returned in the same way."

"How…" Laura continued speaking, unable to stop now that she had started.

"I've felt that way about you for almost a year. I've waited and waited for you to notice me, but you were too wrapped up in Debbie. I've been desperate to say something, but I didn't know how you would take it and so I've been willing to accept friendship, but since yesterday in the shower I can't carry on like that."

"But…"

"Look, I'll accept it if you say you don't love me like that, but I want more and I'll take any sort of relationship I can get as long as it's more than just plain friendship. God, I'll even be your 'fuck-buddy', anything…"

There was no way I was going to get a word in edgeways, so I kissed her. It was everything and more that our previous kisses had been. This time, since we were sitting, the effect was stronger and we fell backwards, still kissing until she was stretched out on the ground alongside me. Her hands stroked me and everywhere that she touched me she left a trail of fire. One hand came up the back of my neck and her fingers played with the hair there. And the feelings of being possessed and being loved just washed over me. I moaned into her mouth. I did the same to her and she pressed her body to me and I felt her groan. Eventually we parted lips and I stared into her eyes from a few inches and I drowned in them.

"I love you, Laura."

"I love you, Mark."

I remembered my dream and I shivered. Laura looked concerned.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I dreamt about this, last night. I dreamt that you said you loved me. I just remembered after you said it."

"Déjà vu."

"Yes."

"Do you remember anything else from your dream?" She placed her hand on my erect cock and began to stroke me gently, slowly building my arousal.

"Shall we take this somewhere more private? I know just the spot."

Laura stopped what she was doing and looked serious, "No. I'd guess that it's a place that you and Debbie use to go to." She paused as I nodded confirmation, "we'll find our own favourite spots, together, from now on. Besides, this is private enough for what I have in mind."

She sat up and started to remove her clothes. I stroked her breasts and generally did my best to distract her. She gasped and giggled, but did nothing to stop me as I explored the flesh that she exposed to me. Then we were naked together and kissing once more. She pulled away from me, pushed me flat on my back and straddled me. Once she was settled properly she leant forward and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Tomorrow, we'll make a fresh start."

I was about to agree when she drove all rational thought from my head and it was a long while before I could think of anything but the feel of her; the heat and the moisture. The silkiness of her skin, the bounce of her breasts and the way that she gasped and groaned as I rolled her nipples in my fingers. We came together, her climax inducing mine. As we lay with her weight resting on me all I could feel was joy.

"Oh, what a fresh start shall we make!"

Laura laughed and I looked forward to tomorrow, very much indeed.

-Fin-