Dress Off: Bryony vs. Maria

However, and this had been the extra catch that had made Maria dizzy at the prospect, solving clues and finding objects wouldn't just earn her points towards the final tally, it would also mean that Bryony would suffer a penalty. A shiver had gone down her spine at the thought that of course the reverse was true too. Penalties were associated with their playing uniform and the voice didn't shirk away from the fact that for the ultimate loser, defeat would be final, absolute and deeply, deeply embarrassing.

When the date of the game had been announced, both women had instinctively known where the organisers were leading to when they said "deeply embarrassing". The game would happen on Graduation Day - tomorrow as a point of fact, so as to give them little time to reflect on what they'd be signing up to - the day that both Bryony and Maria had been steadfastly and relentlessly working towards for the past four years. The combination of graduation day, a warning that their playing outfits would at some point lead to severe embarrassment, and the promise that one of them would be looking for a new life afterwards, had left them in little doubt. Tomorrow, either Bryony or Maria would need to collect their graduation certificate either naked or at the very least severely compromised in the matter of their personal attire.


At that point, they'd both taken a business card that had been sitting on the small coffee table in the hotel room, and then found two sets of contracts that had been discreetly shoved under the door while the voice had been explaining the game.

Bryony and Maria had read them in total silence, re-reading several sections two or three times as their mouths went dry at what was being proposed. Finally, they'd looked at each other. No words were spoken, but their eyes said everything. This would truly be final, and there would be no means of escape. The contracts even stipulated that any contestant who pulled out of the game or who failed to graduate on the day, would owe the organisation an amount equal to their student debt. And for both Bryony and Maria, that was already an eye-watering amount that didn't bear thinking about.

After some hesitation both women had independently reached the decision that neither of them would be the first to back down, even with stakes so high. The tension between them was so high that they needed some form of permanent life-changing resolution, and the raw anger at recent events removed any sense of perspective. So the contracts were signed, the women had left the room wrapped up in their own thoughts, and the business cards that also held the hand-written locations of where they were to go were now their most prized possessions.

Maria looked back down the street at the retreating back of Bryony Richmond, who was now only partly visible in the throng of pedestrians going about their daily business. Pursing her lips, she relaxed her clenched fist and looked at the now-crumpled card. The location was nearby. They'd start the game tomorrow. She wouldn't sleep much tonight, she knew that, but with the game starting in the afternoon and her Graduation only an hour or two later, Maria knew without a shadow of a doubt that tomorrow was going to be a very, very busy day of closing out chapters in her life.

****

Bryony emerged into the corridor that ran the length of the top floor of the Economics Department, and gave a pensive look in both directions. Behind her, the door to the seminar room that had temporarily turned into a staging area slammed shut. Bryony did an involuntary and instinctive jump, gave a surprised squeak, and clasped her hands over her mouth so as to hold back any further signals that might otherwise betray her presence.

Not that she was dressed in particularly revealing clothing, mind you. Although in Bryony's experience of being a student in a fair few economics papers, she hadn't seen many of her peers dressed in a full blown cheerleader's outfit. She shivered with a sudden burst of nervous energy in the corridor, wondering what her next move would be. Meanwhile, a small part of her mind that was altogether too focussed on her current outfit and not on the task at hand, was dwelling on the fact that indeed she'd _never_ seen a fellow student strut about the department in anything like this.

The cheerleader's outfit wasn't excessively skimpy. Not yet at least. A pleated frilly pink skirt-like bottom half billowed out, with the words "Class of 2010!" emblazoned across the back, although it reached half way down her thighs and a pair of vaguely-respectable smooth pink panties meant there was no danger of her actually flashing anything too intimate. That word "yet" once again bounced into her mind like an uninvited guest, and she tried to usher it sternly out of her imagination.

The skirt was actually connected to the top as part of a single dress, with a thin silver metal belt that seemed more ornamental than functional and that was complemented by two similar silver bracelets on each wrist. The white and pink top half of the dress covered both her front and her back and rolled a few inches down her arms as well. The single word "cheer!" was plastered in a stylish font over her chest, and there was a pattern of pink and white diamonds that was displayed over the tummy region. It was tight, and the organisers had apparently felt it surplus to requirements that she also be provided with a bra, so the dress clung to her athletic curves and accentuated her womanhood. However, she'd worn tight clothing before, and the dress was just thick enough that her nipples were only slightly visible poking through. Still, Bryony tried to think calm thoughts as she fought the urge to be aroused by this crazy situation she'd managed to get herself into, fearing that a pair of rock-hard diamond-like nipples might cut a hole through the clothing and cause an entirely unnecessary sensation.

Nor was it common for students in the Economics Department to carry bright red pom poms with them, and yet Bryony had two and was currently holding them in her hands, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do with them. She wasn't going to give whoever was watching over her the satisfaction of seeing her wiggle or jiggle or give them a shake. Instead, she looked down irritably at them and considered simply ditching them.

Still, the organisation had been pretty clear in their rules - any contestant who messed with or modified or made any special efforts to cover up the outfit would suffer a penalty, and a penalty meant further exposure. By extension, a penalty meant being one step closer to having to streak across the graduation stage to the hooting laughter and catcalls of an audience that grew larger in her imagination with every passing second. Still, the pom poms would be a pain to hold while she searched the campus, so it was with some relief that after a moment's inspection she realised that each pom pom had a clip on it that could be used to attach them to her belt. Gratefully, she connected one to the belt by each hip, paused momentarily as she briefly feared that a particularly pedantic overseer might consider such an action a punishable infraction, and then let a long sigh of relief as the earpiece remained silent.

Standing still, she tried to control her breathing and calm herself, while she waited impatiently for the first clue. However the breathing had little effect other than to remind her that she was standing still in a public corridor, precious seconds ticking by, dressed as a cheerleader in an outfit hyped by its manufacturers for its unreliability in providing any semblance of modesty. She may be dressed now, however Bryony had no desire to find out just how skimpy this thing could get. Much better for Maria to find that out for both of them, what with her interest in technology.

"Come on." Bryony said, hopping from foot to foot in nervous excitement. She was kept in this agitated state for a full minute longer before the voice finally broke the silence.

"Ms Richmond, your first clue is rather straightforward, so as to get you both warmed up. 'People lap up the chance to crawl, your means to stay the same is in the place where they change.' Please be aware that Ms Higgins is now aware of the clue as well and is undoubtedly figuring it out as we speak. I would recommend you do likewise. The first to solve the clue and find the target will have the pleasure of knowing their opponent will be the first to find out how imaginative our clothing engineers can be..."

Bryony didn't need to be told twice and screwing up her face in thought, she spun the clue around in her mind as she tried to find an angle from which it made sense. Then, turning on her heels, she began to hurry towards the elevators. Wherever this clue was going to send her, it was doubtful that it would be on this floor of the Economics Department. Maria would be elsewhere right now - probably the Computer Science department if the game masters were going to place Maria somewhere familiar to her like they had Bryony - and Bryony knew her luck wouldn't extend to the game masters being so kind as to start her practically on top of the first target. No, she'd be forced to go across campus like this, of that she was sure. And if she was going to have to do that, she might as well start now and get it over with.

****

Bryony was a keen swimmer and that fact was now something she was more grateful than ever before. As she'd descended down the elevator, her mind had jumped on the word "lap" in the clue and had latched onto two possibilities: the swimming pool and the athletic track. However two key insights had quickly convinced her that the swimming pool was her actual target. Firstly, "crawl" was another name for "front crawl", which was in turn the most common type of swimming stroke, even if most people erroneously referred to it as "freestyle" instead. Secondly, the swimming pool on campus was between the Economics Department and the Computer Science Department, and if indeed Maria had been started at the Computer Science Department as she suspected, then the Pool Complex would be a destination that gave both women an even chance if it came down to a sprint.

So here she was, hurrying along a broad path under the bright afternoon sun with people wandering around and not-so-secretly sneaking quick looks at her as she passed by. Bryony was feeling tense, not so much at the state of her outfit now but at the thought that the outfit had been booby-trapped to reveal her body in unknown ways should she fail to acquire her target first. If Maria had figured it out at the same time as Bryony - or worse, earlier - then this was going to be a straight race that went down to the wire.

She was slowly getting accustomed to being outside in her cheerleader's outfit, but still blushed slightly when she happened to pass by two members of Grant's football team, neither of whom made any attempt to hide their smirks. She had no intention of stopping to try and defend her honour, and simply powered on, as she tried to convince herself that she was absolutely on the right path. She was two thirds of the way to the Pool Complex when she caught sight of another woman in the distance, also dressed up as a cheerleader, and hurrying off to the south. Bryony realised with a jolt that the woman was Maria, and that she was carrying the two pom poms on her belt too.

Bryony slowed down and watched on as Maria ran down a path that would lead her towards the athletics track. So Maria had either not thought of the pool, or had thought the track was the better of the two options. For a few seconds, Bryony felt a wave of sorrow for her ex-friend. There had been plenty of good times between the two women before the troubles. As much as a cheerleader's outfit was a little alien to Bryony, it would be nothing compared to how Maria would feel. Her once-friend now-enemy was more used to over-sized t-shirts, pants and sweatshirts, and had never been one to voluntarily break out a top that accentuated her naturally large breasts. A cheerleader's outfit, especially one with no bra, would probably be causing Maria to have panic attacks.

Then the wave of sorrow broke on the rocky shores of Bryony's deep anger and resentment at what Maria had done, and the wave retreated. Bryony remembered Grant's angry words and snarling rejection, words that had stung so deeply and that had come about because of the video he'd been sent. She also remembered the bitter fight between her and Maria that night, where "best friends forever" had turned out to be rather more time-limited than first believed. Then she remembered the photo and the website, and her resolve stiffened even further. Maria would go down and go down hard, as justice demanded. Bryony's eyes narrowed as she watched the receding figure of her opponent, and then picked up her pace again. If she was right about the swimming pool, then any minor panic attacks Maria might be having over her current outfit would soon turn out to be mere warm up acts to the main event.

****

Bryony ducked into the women's changing rooms by the pool and quickly surveyed the room. White wooden benches ran along the edges of the room, and there was a wider bench in the middle as well. There were still small pools of water on the floor where swimmers had dripped while drying, and a couple of discarded and forgotten towels still lay strewn across the benches or hanging up off hooks. To the right there were a series of shower cubicles and around a corner in the far left ran a short corridor that led to a small toilet block.

Happily, there was no-one else in the changing rooms, and even though her clothing had prompted a few looks and raised eyebrows, nobody had openly challenged her yet. As her eyes settled on a small plastic box sitting in plain sight on a bench in the right hand corner of the room, she gave a fist pump in mute celebration and made directly for it.

The plain blue box simply had "DE" inscribed on each of the six sides of the cube, and was otherwise completely devoid of any other decoration. "DE". "Decider Enterprises" was the name of the organisation who had formed this game and given them their contracts, Bryony thought, quickly making the obvious connection between the cube and the game masters.

It didn't seem to open up to reveal any kind of stored artefact, and as she delicately picked it up and turned it over in her hands, Bryony gave a startled jump as the voice in her ear broke the silence.

"Congratulations Ms Richmond!" The voice said smoothly. "You have found the first target and have taken an early lead! Of course, while the game is still far from over, I'll know that you'll take some well-earned confidence from the fact that you'll be hunting for the second clue while still wearing your perfectly modest and ordinary outfit. Ms Higgins on the other hand, will not be able to say the same!"

How the organisers knew where they were, or how they were seemingly able to witness what Bryony or Maria were up to, Bryony did not know. But right now that wasn't important either - the only important matters were the clues, these cubes, and the very real fear that someone was graduating naked today, and it would be a disaster of immeasurable proportions if that someone was Bryony Richmond.

"Come on," Bryony murmured, "give us the next damn clue!"

****

Bryony peered around the corner, and eyed up the expanse that was the lobby beyond. If she tried for the main door and got outside, she'd first have to walk past half a dozen freshmen students who were congregated around a table playing cards near the pool cafe. They hadn't been there when she'd arrived. Why they were indoors on such a nice late afternoon, with the sun blazing outside and so much outdoorsy stuff to do, was something that Bryony could only speculate about darkly. She muttered under her breath at the stupidity of some people, and briefly experimented with simply willing them to be gone. After a few seconds of this and realising they seemed to be staying resolutely in place, Bryony sighed and decided she'd just have to brave it. After all, her uniform was still perfectly intact so what was she really risking? She'd walked all the way here in the same outfit, after all.

However, winning the race to the first target had made Bryony really focus on the reality of what they were doing right now. Somewhere near the track, a mortified Maria would be suffering the consequences of her outfit's mischievous magic, causing all sorts of problems. That had suddenly given Bryony pause for reflection, and more than a little self-concern around the vulnerability and predicament that she'd let anger get herself into. After her first success (of many still to come, she was chanting to herself), the next clue had been swiftly delivered, with both a warning and a promise that Ms Higgins would also receive the clue, although only after she'd find her playing outfit somewhat harder to handle than it was before. That Bryony could be on the other side of such a conversation in the near future wasn't directly said, but the voice didn't need to. Bryony knew all too well that this was the case, and she knew Maria was smart and determined and wouldn't give up. Once upon a time, those same qualities had caused Bryony and Maria to really bond and form a tight friendship.

At least the new clue had been a refreshingly straightforward one to solve though, and it had only taken Bryony five minutes of deduction while sitting in the women's changing rooms to determine that her next destination would be the northern stands by the campus's main sports field. Which, if she was lucky, would be devoid of teams practicing, given the graduation event that was looming up large on her horizon.

Chiding herself for being silly and wasting precious time, Bryony arched her back in determination, gave the men at the table a steely stare, and strode out as calmly as she could manage.

It took a few seconds for them to notice her, as she quickly but smoothly covered the ground between the corridor she'd been in and the wide double-doors that represented her escape path. Although given there were undoubtedly others on campus, it wasn't clear that her supposed escape path wasn't simply a case of climbing out of a frying pan and landing herself squarely in a fire.

Nevertheless, she felt emboldened as she felt the guys quiet stares follow her across the room. Pressing her shoulders back and sticking her jaw out, she almost felt a sense of control over them as she moved and their heads moved with her.

Bryony was half way across the room though when her brief interlude of self-belief was rudely punctured by the voice in her earpiece.

"Ms Richmond. The game is well and truly on now, for Ms Higgins has made a vital discovery and squared us up at 1-1!" Bryony's eyes flashed with a mixture of dread and anger, and she froze on the spot as she found herself caught in two minds. The door was still ahead, however now the men's gaze was no longer something she felt control over, but rather the precursor to them witnessing something cataclysmic happening to her outfit. The sensation was made all the more worse for the fact that Bryony had no idea what would happen to her outfit, allowing her active imagination to begin to fill in the blanks. She could instead turn and beat a hasty retreat. If something was going to happen, best it happen in a nice secluded space where she could figure out a way to cope. In the middle of the lobby for the Pool Complex didn't exactly count as "nice and secluded".

Bryony unleashed a string of curses, and if her cheerleader's outfit hadn't guaranteed the full attentions of the students at the table, her outburst sealed the deal. Of course, she swore, if Maria had made a bad mistake in heading to the track for the first clue, she'd at least have had the satisfaction of realising that the second clue was leading to her directly to a spot only next door at the football fields. It had probably only taken Maria a couple of minutes to cover the distance and now Bryony was stuck in the wrong part of campus and with her lead evaporating in front of her eyes.