Chapter Text
The Proposal
“No, counselor, you don’t understand, he failed me because he didn't like me!” I pleaded.
It wasn't entirely truthful, in fact I passed that philosophy class. However, I passed that class with a B plus. Any other student would've called that a win, even with such a curmudgeonly professor as Mr. Nuenz. But he and I didn't exactly get along, for whatever reason I couldn't figure out. So, it came much to my surprise when I saw my end of year grades and saw that B+.
“I’m sorry Ms. Rodriguez,” my guidance counselor Claire Mormount sighed, “But Mr. Nuenz's grades are final. There's no way for you to change that unless you take his class again.”
“Are you kidding?!” I scoffed, throwing my hands into the air, “If I take his class again, he'll still give me a B grade!”
Claire shrugged, “I know he's a hard grader, but he is also fair, any other professor would've failed you considering how often you two argued in class.”
“If you call those discussions arguments…” I grumbled.
This was not something I was happy about. I was a grade A student, even through my sophomore year, and school valedictorian was an easy achievement. But now, entering my junior year of high school, I had to stare at that B+ with absolute disgust. One blip on my perfect record. I wanted that perfect record, it was something I craved! And it wasn't any mean feat. It was something no one in the history of my High School had ever done. Now that prospect was becoming more of a hassle than breeze. Well, I never saw it as a breeze, in fact it was that challenge that drove me forward. Some of my friends, few as they were, saw my drive as making me too wound tight.
Most of my classes at this point in my scholastic career were AP courses, and much like college they could be taken in any order. That was the opening I needed to retake courses if my grades weren't up to snuff. But now I was here, fighting for my perfect record.
“The only way for you to pick that grade back up is to take the class again.” Claire reminded me.
I leaned into my hands and groaned loudly, “Is there anyway I can make this class go easier?”
Claire mused for a moment, “Well, unfortunately you can't request a different professor, since Mr. Nuenz is the only one who teaches that class.”
“Besides that then?” I asked, my voice practically pleading.
Claire seemed to be silent for a moment, hesitant to even speak. I looked up at her, my eyes beading with the pleading of my voice. She seemed to mentally brace herself before matching my gaze, “There is the program…”
My heart skipped two beats and my breath caught my throat, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
“Now hold on Maria,” Claire retorted, “Let me explain.”
But I had shut out her words as I angrily thought about it. The Program, which is what students erroneously called an experiment between the school and several local perverted communities. Naturists they called themselves, a fancy word for Nudists, those who wanted to conduct their daily lives fully naked. Last year, the school started The Program, using the attractive factor of giving each student who took part a passing grade. The caveat: all students who took part must attend all classes in school naked. One student, Inez Quintero, took part in The Program's trial run. I remember seeing her about the school, and scorned her quietly every time I saw her. I saw her as nothing more as a student trying to gain an ‘Easy A.’ Something I thought I'd never do. But now that was being pitched as an out for me.
At first, I wanted to disagree completely. I think I actually rejected it outright. But as Claire kept speaking, trying to change my mind, a malicious thought entered my mind. If this was my only way of getting around Mr. Nunez and his arrogant B+, then what did I have to lose?
Quietly I looked up at Claire, “Do I have to be… naked… the whole time right?”
Claire nodded, “The point of the program is to help destigmatize the taboo of nudity by showing how positive it can be in social circles.”
“How!? It's…weird and gross…” I soured.
“Inez Quintero would disagree. And eight other students have agreed to take part in the program for this season. You'd be the ninth and unlike Inez, you wouldn't be alone.” Claire responded.
I sighed. At the very least I wouldn't be taking a gander at this alone. But then Claire mentioned something that made me make my decision.
“And if you take part, you'll still have to try in classes. I don't think you'll have to worry about that, but if you slip in any other class you'll be happy to know that being in The Program will keep your grades at a high level.” She told me.
A nice carrot, I had to admit that myself. Quietly I sat in my seat. An entire year, maybe two of being fully naked at school as a trade off for ensuring my perfect score. It would ensure my place in the Ivy League. And I won't be the only one who's part of this. So if I kept my head down, I'd be fine. Meeting Claire's eyes, I took a deep breath.
“Will that count if I retake Mr. Nuenz's class?” I asked.
Claire nodded.
Convincing my parents, tough yet fair as they were, was a lot easier than I had expected. My mother, a nurse practitioner, took a bit of explaining for my reasoning. Frankly I think she did it more for my sake than hers. I don't really remember what explanation I used on her, it must've been a good one because it convinced her. Dad was a lot more simple, only asking me if I was sure before agreeing.
“It's your body Maria. However you choose, I'll support you.” He told me.
He was, is, a sweetheart. I think they both were taken aback by my decision, I know they talked about it after I left the dinner table. What they discussed I don't remember, I don't think I wanted to know. My head was elsewhere. Was I really doing this? Just for A's? Certainly there were better ways of achieving this. I wanted that perfect record. It was the only way to validate myself. Otherwise, there wasn't a whole lot about me that was desirable. My body was very easy on the eyes, even back then. Yet I always found myself green when I looked at the cheerleaders or the pretty girls in school. If I had to rely on my looks, I'd get nowhere.
My brains were all that was about me. Up until last year, a perfect score in all classes, genius level intelligence, and none of the bad social works they turned into a joke on the Big Bang Theory. That was me. And yet, I was so desperate for that A in Mr. Nuenz's class that here I was, ready to strut my nubile body around the school. I must've been crazy. I was crazy. Standing in the bathroom meeting my own face in the mirror, I tried to convince myself.
This was for the greater good. After I did this for one year, I can quit the program and go back to clothes forever. Graduate high school with a 4.0, go to an Ivy League college, become an academia…! And then figure everything out from there! In fact, this moment would probably be nothing but a blip on my perfect record. A mere footnote in history. A smile crept onto my face as I thought about that. But, even then, I noticed something. It was hollow. I was stooping to the level Inez Quintero pulled to get herself out of flunking. What kind of student was I? What kind of student was she? I'm better than her! I'm…desperate.
Claire was right, there was no other way. This was my way in. Oh sure there were other ways, protesting, arguing the grade, getting Mr. Nuenz kicked out of the school. But, that was all petty stuff no better than a Karen, and worse than an Inez Quintero. At least she was smart enough to keep her nose in the books when she was in class that year. And that was another good point too. I wasn't simply going to walk into class, strut my naked body around, walk out, and get my A. No I was gonna have to study, answer questions, get good grades on tests, the works! The only thing this guaranteed was that if my grades did slip to the B average, The Program would boost it back up again.
Maybe the hollow smile wasn't needed. I was still good. This…this was just a failsafe. A fall back. Right? I wasn't convinced. Hell looking back, I'm not even convinced now. Yet I signed my name. And if Maria Rodriguez was anything, she was committed. I was committed. I had to be. For my own sake. Right?
As I changed into my pajamas and slipped into bed, I thought about something else regarding The Program. Inez Quintero did her steak alone. I wasn't. I was now one of nine. What were they like? Eight other students, eight other people. They all couldn’t be like Inez Quintero right? Were they all like me? How could eight other students be so willing to put themselves on display? Were they all perverts? Desperate? I guess I was going to find out. Claire told me there would be a meet up one week before school starts. And that was going to be tomorrow. Tomorrow I’d meet the other eight members of this Program. I was told that nudity wasn’t a requirement for this first meeting, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t on the table. I was going to have to get naked before these eight. Could I bear that? In fairness, I was going to be doing something far more extreme at school’s start. What are eight others in the sight of the whole school? I began to drift off to sleep, wondering what was coming next, wondering if it was all really worth it.