The Nude Pioneer

"...therefore this court finds that Constitutional protection of freedom of speech extends to clothing, or the lack thereof," Justice Baxandall said, reading the majority opinion of the Supreme Court. "The rights guaranteed to all United States citizens in the First Amendment include the right to be nude."

And with a bang of the gavel, the United States of America became a clothing-optional country.

Of course, the 5-4 ruling changed American life not a whit. Decades earlier, top-freedom became a right for all women in New York State, but this didn't lead to swarms of busty young college girls baring their breasts on Coney Island. Life in this country went on as usual. Very few people exercised their rights on public beaches. Oh, rumor had it there were some beaches in California and Florida where a few odd characters would strip off. Naturist groups established several beaches and parks where public nudity was customary, but this was always done with the greatest of sensitivity towards the "prude" population at large.

The United States was just as conservative as it had always been, but an entire generation of Democrat presidents (Hillary, then Obama, then Gyllenhaal) had stocked the judiciary with liberal judges. Ironically, this was seen as part of the legacy of George W. Bush: Americans were frightened for decades of putting another Republican in the White House. As far-out as the courts were, however, the people hadn't really changed. Social pressure kept the U.S. from turning into the European Continent, just as social pressure kept women's bikini tops from coming off in New York back in 90's and 00's. Without pioneering souls willing to expose themselves to potential public outrage and ridicule (and simply to expose themselves), these new rights would exist in theory only.

I certainly was not going to be the one to put them into practice. Or so I once thought.

About five years after that famous Supreme Court ruling in Harper Valley Township vs. Doe, I was a senior in high school. My name is Julie Johnson, or J.J., as my friends call me. Five foot eight, auburn hair, glasses, and a slender but curvy body I kept hidden under loose clothes. It wasn't really the style at the time, but I was more interested in being noticed for my mind than for my body. I had a 4.0 GPA, had applied to Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, and nearby Wisconsin (as my fallback), and wasn't about to let boys or sex sidetrack me on my road to success. My ambition was to go to law school and make millions of dollars as a corporate attorney.

It was an unusually warm March evening (thank global warming for that) and I was celebrating my eighteenth birthday with my best friends Lana and Sarah. Lana was five foot four, just a bit chubby, with brown hair and blue eyes. Sarah was a knockout, about my height but much thinner, with long, straight, black hair and dark brown eyes, contrasted with pale skin. She had a tiny nose and thick, full, pouty lips. I always envied her looks, despite the fact that I wasn't bad to look at, either. Looking back, in those days I equated beauty with thinness, not understanding the appeal of a large bust and round, full ass. I was the last of the three of us to turn eighteen.

It should go without saying I wasn't much of a social butterfly in those days, only having two friends over for my eighteenth. Sarah, very much the popular girl but a loyal friend since kindergarten, offered to round up a bunch of her friends for a "real" celebration, but I actually preferred a more intimate time with a couple of close friends to large group of people.

Running out of stuff to do at home, we decided to take a walk around our sleepy northern Illinois town.

"J.J., I'm bored," Sarah said. "We should do something wild and crazy. Get you out of your shell."

"I don't know what," I replied. "Not really a whole lot you can do in this town."

"Well... there is the titty bar over by Main and Union."

Lana and I both looked at Sarah like she had sprouted a third arm. "Why the hell would I do something like that? I AM straight, you know," I said.

Sarah mumbled something under her breath; I think it was "not that anyone can tell."

"Look, I like boys, but I'm going off to college soon. The last thing I need is to get tied down with a boyfriend right before leaving home."

"I wish I had a boyfriend," Lana said quietly.

"Anyway," I said, "why on earth would I want to go to the nudie bar..."

"Titty bar," Sarah corrected.

"...titty bar," I continued. "I have absolutely no interest in seeing a bunch of skanks shake their boobs at sad, lonely, dirty old men."

"Because you can! You're eighteen; you should take advantage of it! What else can you do at eighteen these days that you couldn't do at seventeen? Buy cigarettes? No, they're illegal. Drink? No, we'd have to drive an hour to Wisconsin, and none of us can afford the gas."

"I REALLY don't want to go to a girlie bar," Lana said. "My dad would kill me if he knew I went to a place like that."

"Your dad probably DOES go to a place like that," Sarah replied.

"Sarah, that was really mean," I said.

"Sorry," Sarah said. She could be a real bitch, but I always seemed to have a way of engendering her kinder side.

"It's all so stupid anyway," I said. "You can be nude in public all you want. Why do they need a special bar for it?"

"What?" Lana said.

"Yeah, what do you mean," asked Sarah.

I wasn't sure I should have opened my mouth about it. I had a bad feeling this was going to backfire on me, especially the way Sarah was acting that night. I thought it was common knowledge that freedom to be nude was the law of the land, but then I had to remember that not everyone was an aspiring lawyer.

"Haven't either of you heard of the Harper Valley decision?" I asked.

"Where's Harper Valley?" asked Lana.

"I don't know, some place down in Arkansas, I think. Anyway, the point is that the Supreme Court ruled that nudity counted as free speech."

"Dad always complains about the 'liberal activist judges,'" Lana said.

"Wait a minute," said Sarah. "You mean to tell me it's perfectly legal to be nude anywhere? Like right here in this park? Because of freedom of speech?"

"Technically, yes. Well, they can make you dress for hygiene reasons. You know, 'No shirt, no shoes,' that kind of thing. But yes, we could get naked, right here in this very park, and there's nothing the law can do to stop us. So it strikes me as kind of stupid to have a bar where girls dance around wearing a g-string when you can be totally naked outdoors anyway." Why did I have to open my big mouth?

"I see..." said Sarah, making that face she makes when she gets one of her ideas. "I might be able to forget about the titty bar. If..."

"I don't think I want to see you naked, Sarah," Lana said.

"Not me. I'M not the one who's an expert on legal nudity."

Lana and Sarah both looked at me.

"Oh, no," I said. "No way. Absolutely not."

"Why not," Sarah said. "You got naked in front of us when we played strip poker that one night.

"We were TWELVE!" I shouted. "And besides, I hid most of my body under the table."

"Alright then," Sarah said, "we'll go to the titty bar."

"I'm not going to that sleazy place," I said.

"I don't want to go either. I don't really need to see J.J. naked, but she did bring it up," Lana said with a smile. She could be sneaky and devious, especially when influenced by Sarah.

"Here's the deal," said Sarah. "You take off your godawful flannel (and just between you and me, you're better off without it, know what I'm saying?) AND your bra, walk to the other side of the park and back, and I'll stop pestering you both about the titty bar."

I looked at Sarah, giving me that playful and reassuring look, the one that said "trust me, you're my friend and I want you to have fun!" And I looked at Lana, nervous but slightly pleading: she'd much rather I give the world a show than go to the girlie bar, and I can't say I blamed her. And I looked around me. It was night. The moon was filtering through the trees, but the park was deserted, and it was highly unlikely that anyone would see me. Besides that, I had to admit, the idea of being even just topless, out in the open, with the air moving around me, was strangely exciting. I started to unbutton my flannel shirt.

Sarah's jaw dropped. "So you accept?"

"I accept," I said as I finished undoing the last button of my shirt. I stood facing away from my friends, with my shirt hanging open, revealing part of the underwire bra underneath. Could I actually go through with this? Only one way I knew of to find out: I shrugged my shoulders back and let shirt slide off. I grabbed it and held it against me, still facing away from Lana and Sarah. My heart pounded in my chest as I thought about what I was doing.

"Well?" Lana said. She seemed to be enjoying this, oddly enough.

I turned around and handed my shirt to Sarah. "Since this was your idea, you get to hold my clothes," I told her. It was time to stop thinking and time to start acting: the only way I was going to get through with this. Still facing my friends, I reached behind my back and unhooked my C-cup bra, handing that immediately to Sarah, who took it with a smile.

My breasts now hung free. Exposed. Out in the open air. My nipples immediately hardened, jutting out a full half-inch. This detail didn't escape Sarah, who was quick to point out my "high-beams," but Lana just shyly averted her eyes. I suddenly became hyper-aware of the sights, smells, and sounds around me. I could hear cars driving by on the street a short distance away, and wondered if they noticed me.

"Well?" Prompted Sarah. "Get going. You need to walk - WALK - to the other side of the park, step foot on 5th street, then walk back to us."

My head was spinning as I started to take my walk, completely bare from the waist up but dressed in cargo pants and hiking shoes, to the other side of the park, a full two blocks away. The moonlight shone through the bare trees onto my milky white breasts, dappling them with shadows as I took step after sensual step. I couldn't stop looking down at them. I almost walked straight into a tree. The cool air and the excitement were keeping my nipples at full attention, and I was starting to get goose bumps from the slightly chilly air. As I continued my walk, I became more comfortable with myself and confident in my half-nudity. The gentle bounce of my breasts felt much more natural than having them restrained in a bra.

I reached the edge of the park and walked through a hedge onto the sidewalk of 5th street. I don't know why, but I suddenly found it disappointing that there were no cars going by, no people out on foot, to see me. I should have felt relieved, but I felt almost as though I wanted to be seen there, exposed and on display, with my shirt and bra well out of reach, two blocks away.

Still, I thought better of waiting around to be spotted, and ducked back inside the hedge. I looked across the park and could see the dark figures of Sarah and Lana waiting for me. Clearly they would have been able to see me keep up my end of the bargain. I started walking back, but had a strange and impulsive idea.

I found the nearest large tree and ducked behind it.

My heart, which had been calm, began pounding in my chest as I thought about what I was going to do. The cool night air blowing over my chest, the moonlight dappling my pale skin. I wanted more of it. It was intoxicating, even after one brief taste. Not really believing what I was doing, I reached for my belt and unbuckled it. I unbuttoned and unzipped my cargo pants, and then in one swift motion, pushed both them and my panties down. They pooled around my ankles, leaving the rest of my body stark naked. I was standing naked, outside, behind a tree. No one could see me from where I was, with the hedge in front of me and the tree behind me, but I was totally exposed.

I pulled my pants and underwear off over my shoes and lay them on the cool, damp grass. Stepping forward from the tree, I felt the night air caress my body. I looked down at myself. My full bush of reddish-brown pubic hair contrasted starkly with my pale skin; anyone looking at my from a distance would know immediately I was nude. Nude. Naked. Completely exposed. Except for my socks and shoes, which was an odd sensation in and of itself.

Leaning back against the tree, I felt the need to feel myself. I don't know why. Maybe to make sure it all was real. That I myself was real. That I really was in this place, so brazenly disregarding the conventions of society. I rubbed my hand against my rock-hard nipples and a delightful shiver went through me. With both hands I cupped them and played with them and felt their weight. I tried to imagine it was a man standing behind me doing this, while his erection pressed into my ass. I had no idea at the time what it felt like to have a man's thing pressing into me, but I always prided myself on my imagination.

Continuing my exploration, I ran my hands down the front of my body until my right hand found my bush. I ran my fingers through it and then down to my slit, which I was surprised to find was wonderfully slippery and slick. I usually had to play with myself for several minutes to get that wet. I let my middle finger slide up and down inside my lips, and then back up to rest on my clit. By now I was starting to sweat, despite the chill in the air, and my heart was pounding in my ears. I started rubbing my clit in earnest while pressing my ass into the rough bark of the tree behind me, all while tweaking one of my nipples with my other hand. I knew just a few more rubs would send me over the edge, but I also knew how strongly I would smell if I let that happen, and I certainly didn't want Sarah and Lana detecting THAT!

Reluctantly, I withdrew my hand and, crouching down, rubbed it clean on the grass. Now, what to do about my attire. I was feeling so amazingly hot and turned on, I was tempted to stay as naked as I was. As I thought about it, I figured if I made it across the park topless, I could make it back fully nude. I even thought of leaving my clothes behind the tree, strolling back to Sarah and Lana to show them how brave I was, then walking with them back to the tree to get dressed. I wasn't quite that brave; instead I simply balled up my pants and undies and cradled them in one arm.

Now to step out from the tree and show my friends how far I had taken things. They were probably wondering what I was up to behind the tree (if only they knew!). I emerged from the tree and started my walk back. There they were, the two of them, watching me. As I approached them, I could see their realization of my naked state. Lana gasped and pointed. Sarah's jaw dropped.

I felt like a goddess. Like I just stepped out of a renaissance painting, now comfortably strolling with no haste, not naked but merely unclad. I was incredibly turned on, but at the same time felt perfectly natural, as if this were normal for me. How did I become this way? A few minutes ago I was afraid to take my shirt off in front of my two best friends, and now here I was in my altogether, reveling in the elements and pleasuring myself out in the open. What just happened to me?

As I got within fifty meters of my friends, I could see them whispering to one another. Suddenly, both of them took off running, Sarah carrying my shirt and bra with her. Not thinking, I dropped the rest of my clothes on the ground and took off after them. I got as far as the park entrance before realizing I was about run out into the street stark naked! A car drove past; I had no idea whether they saw my fully illuminated form. I ran back to where I dropped my pants and undies and quickly, clumsily pulled them back on, falling on my bare ass in the damp grass in the process.

Now fully dressed from the waist down, I ran back after my friends. This time I had no choice but to step out in the open. Holding my bare breasts in my hands, I gingerly stepped out of the park. Another car went by. No indication as to whether they noticed me. I looked around for where Sarah and Lana had run off to, knowing that they were teasing me and were probably just out of reach. I spotted them a block away, Sarah holding my shirt in one hand and dangling my bra by one strap in the other.

"Hey J.J., I thought you said this was perfectly legal!" Sarah shouted at me. "If it is, then what's the big deal?"

The big deal was that even though it was technically legal to run around naked, there was nothing preventing a police officer from arresting me for it. Sure, I'd win in court, but not before everyone in town, including my parents and all of my teachers, knew about my adventure.

I took off after them, still holding my breasts in my hands, my hair trailing after me as I ran. I passed several cars during the chase, some of which definitely noticed me. Some honked, some flashed their brights at me. No one slowed down or said anything. The most unnerving thing was, this being nighttime, I couldn't see anyone in the cars. For all I know my calculus teacher might have been driving one of them!

It didn't take long to realize Sarah and Lana were headed towards my house. Oh no, my parents! They usually go to bed at 10 pm, and it was around 11:30 at this point. They ceremonially lifted my curfew for my birthday, as I was now an "adult," so hopefully they weren't waiting up for me. And hopefully my little brother and sister were tucked away in bed as well. I turned the corner of my street to find my friends waiting for me at my doorstep, Sarah still dangling my bra seductively.

"Come and get it!" Sarah shouted.

Just as I got to our front steps, Sarah and Lana both ducked inside the house and slammed the door in my face. I stood there, tapping on the door, my nipples standing out proudly in the rapidly cooling air. What a sight I must have been, my back to our street, obviously nude from the waist up, my auburn hair cascading down over the pale skin of my bare back.

"Let me IN!" I rasped in the loudest whisper I could manage. I certainly didn't want to wake my parents up.

Finally, giggling, Lana opened the door and I rushed in. Just then I heard the creak of footsteps upstairs and ducked into the downstairs bathroom.

"Hey, could you three be quiet, please. It's really late," I heard my mom say. "Where's Julie?"

"She's in the bathroom, Mrs. Johnson," Lana replied.

I heard my mom walk over to the bathroom and knock on the door. The sound made me jump a bit. "Julie, honey, just so you know, while you don't have a curfew anymore, I expect you and your friends to be quiet coming home if you've been out late," Mom said from the other side of the door. "Now you're an adult, so you need to start acting more responsibly and be more considerate of others. Just because we don't give you rules to follow doesn't mean you don't still have responsibilities. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mom," was all I could come up with in response.

"Great. I'm not mad at you, and I know it's your birthday and you want to have fun. Next time, just make sure you're a little more courteous."

I was relieved when she went back upstairs without waiting for me to finish up. I took a look in the mirror to see this wild woman staring back at me, with hair cascading down over her bare breasts. Not a girl, a woman. Once again, I felt like I had stepped out of a painting. My body was a work of art: something to be proud of, not hide inside of baggy clothes. I slipped off my socks and shoes and slid my pants and underwear down my legs, leaving me nude once more. I had to chuckle: it was my birthday and I was in my birthday suit.

Believe it or not, I had never really taken a good look at my naked body in the mirror. I stood on my tip-toes so I could get a glimpse of my crotch. I ran my hands seductively over my body and flashed my green eyes into the mirror. "Playboy ain't got nothin' on this shit," I said. I thought about getting myself off when Lana knocked on the door.