Her True Self

1


Amy always felt out of place at these parties. She came because Hannah had begged her, pleaded to just get out of the house and do something. So she gave in, because she always gave in to Hannah. They'd been best friends since they were little girls, having grown up across the street from each other. They had grown into wildly different young women, but nothing could overcome the bond of all those years together.


Hannah had always been popular and pretty, with long blonde hair and a different boyfriend every school year since seventh grade. This year, their final year of high school, was the first one where she hadn't found a new boy and stuck with the one from last year, Travis. Amy didn't really like Travis, but Hannah was obsessed with him, so she put up with it. This party was at Travis's parents' house, since they were out of town for the weekend. He'd even gotten his older brother to buy beer.


Amy watched from the couch as Hannah laughed and flirted with her boyfriend, touching him gently on the chest as he made a joke. Amy had never had any kind of contact like that with a boy, and doubted she ever would. She didn't like the way she looked, and didn't have the confidence of a pretty girl like Hannah. Amy's breasts were too small, and her ass was too big, and she had to wear glasses. Hannah kept telling her to get contacts, but the idea of literally touching her own eyeball was a no go.


She scanned around the room, and saw Maggie with two other boys. Maggie was a little taller and a lot rounder than Amy, but somehow she got boys too. Amy didn't understand it. Just as Amy looked over, Maggie grabbed one arm of each boy and placed their hands on each of her breasts. Amy blushed at the very idea of it and looked away in embarrassment.


"We're going to the pool," Hannah said. "Come on Amy, I'm not letting you sit it out. I know you brought a bathing suit because I made you."


Amy didn't like wearing her bathing suit at big gatherings, but she hung her head and acceded to Hannah's will. She grabbed her bathing suit and towel out of the bag she'd left by the front door and headed to the bathroom to change.


First things first, she made sure the door was locked. She tested the knob, turning it and pushing and pulling on the door to make sure that it definitely couldn't open. Once satisfied, she hesitantly took off her shirt and pants. She always felt awkward getting changed in a new location. She looked around cautiously as if she was going to find a hidden camera or something, but after a deep breath, she continued and unhooked her bra.


She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, with her breasts completely visible, and shivered. Her nipples were too pink and too pointy, and she was reminded again that they were just way too small. She only wore a B cup, compared to Hannah's D, and had always been jealous since puberty. She looked away from the mirror and slipped her panties down, then quickly positioned her one-piece at her feet and started pulling it up.


After the bathing suit was on, she repositioned the bottom portion to make sure it was completely covering her vulva and her pubic hair, then stretched it out as much as she could to try to avoid any camel toes. She adjusted the top with the same rigor, and then took another look at herself in the mirror.


"You're taking forever," Hannah said from the other side of the door. "How long's it take to put on a bathing suit?"


"Sorry," she said. "Just coming out now."


She put her clothes away in her bag as Hannah changed, then met her at the bathroom door. Hannah was wearing a ridiculously skimpy bikini, showing off her whole ass as if a tiny string covered up anything at all. At least the cloth spread out in front, but the top was essentially just two triangles held on by string.


Well, maybe it was a little more decent than that, but by Amy's standards Hannah might as well have been naked. Hannah always told Amy she was too boring and prudish, and that she should be proud of her body. Amy couldn't understand what there was to be proud of, and didn't want to go through that conversation again, so she just didn't say anything.


When they made it outside, the sun was already down and there were flood lights illuminating the pool area. Two boys and a girl were already in it, splashing around. Amy had her arms folded across her chest and squeezed her legs together. She hated drawing attention to herself, and didn't want anyone sexualizing her in this borderline too lewd outfit. If she had to be here, it was probably for the best if she just got in the water right away so no one could see anything.


Amy went over to the stairs and lowered herself in, too quickly, and recoiled at how cold the water was. It didn't matter, though; she knew she'd get used to it and the quicker she made it in, the quicker she was hidden from view. She bit her lip and forced herself to keep descending until her shoulders were submerged and only her head was visible.


Only then did she notice that both boys in the pool were wearing swimming goggles. Of course. They'd be able to see her from underwater, and she wouldn't even know because she couldn't see which way they were looking through the refraction on the surface. She backed herself into a corner, folded her arms and crossed her legs, and stood there.


"Leave it to you to find the most boring possible way to be in a pool," Hannah said, standing outside the pool just next to her. "Go swim or splash or something. Have fun."


"I'm fine here," Amy said.


Hannah shrugged and went off to find Travis.


Amy was feeling a bit cold, and knew she'd feel better if she moved around more in the water, but really didn't want to give up her safe spot. She endured it for a few minutes, before she heard some commotion coming from towards the house.


"No one told me it was a pool party!" Maggie said, walking up to the edge of the pool. She sounded drunk. "I didn't bring my bathing suit."


"You don't need a bathing suit!" one of the boys said. "We're all friends here."


"Fuck yeah!" Maggie cried, and tore her shirt off, revealing her bra. Amy watched in horror as the girl unhooked that and threw it into a bush as well. Seconds later, Maggie was completely naked, and a half dozen boys were all cheering. Amy saw the cleft of her vulva, utterly hairless, and the swaying of her large breasts and dark nipples. She did a cannonball into the pool, splashing even Amy at the far end.


She must have kicked off the bottom hard to surface, because she breached the top like a whale, skin and body parts exposed everywhere, and came down on top of one boy, dragging him into the water with her.


Amy tried to look away, but her safe space in the corner forced her to face the pool, so instead she watched in horrified fascination. Maggie was completely comfortable nude in a group of boys and other girls, and didn't seem fazed in the least. After a few minutes, it maybe started to feel a little bit normal. Like instead of wildly inappropriate, it was just a little weird. Amy couldn't take her eyes off Maggie, though. She'd get out of the pool and jump back in like it was no big deal, breasts and vulva on full display to any who cared to look.


"Enjoying the show?" Maggie asked her.


Amy looked away and blushed.


"You've been staring all night, no use hiding it now. Come on." Maggie walked over to Amy and held her breasts up and wiggled them around. Everyone laughed, and Amy's face turned even redder.


"Leave her alone, Maggie," Hannah said. "You know how she is."


"Yeah, stuck up," Maggie said. "No fun!"


Amy couldn't think of anything to say, so she just tried to shrink even further into the corner of the pool. At least Maggie left her alone, then, laughing and returning to the other party attendees.


"Man, I'm surprised you ever wear clothes anymore, Maggie," one of the boys said. "You know that new law they passed?"


"What law?" Maggie asked.


"Public nudity is legal now. Something about first amendment rights," the boy said.


"Oh yeah, I heard about that," another girl chimed in. "Freedom of religion. They like sued the government and it went all the way to the Supreme Court. Said that being naked was like sacred for them or something. Gross."


"Hey, nakey is natural!" Maggie said, and they all laughed.


"Maybe you should join up, then," the first boy said.


"Fuck yeah I should," Maggie said.


The attention was off Amy, so she took the opportunity to slip out of the pool unnoticed and head back into the house, where she quickly changed back into her normal clothes. She sat back on the couch where she had been before Hannah dragged her outside, and poked around on her phone for information about what she'd just heard in the pool. She didn't want to participate, obviously, but she liked learning about things and keeping up with the news, so she was surprised she hadn't heard about it before.


It turned out to all be true. There were a few "religions" that banded together to sue for freedom of speech and freedom of religion to allow nudity nationwide, as long as it was for religious reasons. Sexual acts were still outlawed in public, but simple nudity was fine as long as you were registered to one of the named religions. There were four of them, and one even had a temple one town over from Amy's hometown.


She was still reading interestedly when the rest of the party came inside, laughing and joking with each other. Maggie had clothes on again, thank goodness, and after a few minutes the others were all dried and changed back into their regular clothes as well.


It was getting late, nearly ten at night, although Amy supposed that probably wasn't so late for these people more into the party culture. Hannah had driven her here, so she couldn't go home by herself. She had to wait for Hannah to give her a ride, so she was in for the long haul. Unfortunately.


The next activity was truth or dare, and just as Amy tried to extricate herself, Hannah came over and insisted she stay. Everyone saw that she wasn't interested, and she quickly found herself overwhelmed with demands to participate.


"Okay, fine," she said.


They cheered, and the game began. It started innocently enough, with people asking questions about how many people you've kissed, and daring them to dance. Maggie was dared to flash her boobs, and she did, of course. Then it was Amy's turn.


"Truth," she said.


"Does the carpet match the drapes?" one boy shouted out.


"I, uh..." Amy stammered. "I don't like this game."


"Simple question," he said. "Answer it."


"Uh...yes," Amy said.


They all shouted, but they moved on. The dares got riskier, and the questions got more personal. Hannah had to kiss another girl, and did it with a quick peck much to the chagrin of the boys. One boy was dared to get his dick hard, and he showed it raised through his pants, but didn't actually reveal it.


Amy's turn came back up too soon.


"Truth," she said again.


"Boring!" Maggie chided her.


"Oh, let me ask," another girl said. "Who in this room would you most want to fuck?"


Amy looked at Hannah pleadingly, but Hannah leaned forward, eagerly awaiting her answer.


"Well," Amy said. "I haven't really thought about it."


"She's asexual, I think," one boy said, and they all laughed.


"Uh, him, I guess," Amy said, pointing at one boy who she found rather attractive. She didn't even know his name.


"We could make some arrangements," he said, and the whole group laughed as Amy felt her face burn.


She couldn't believe they kept playing after this. She saw a boy's penis for the first time in her life that round, and barely remembered anything else that happened before it came back up to her again.


"Truth," she said.


"Baby!" Maggie cried.


"Come on, Amy, you have to do at least one dare."


"Truth," Amy insisted.


"It's actually in the laws of truth or dare that you must do at least one dare," one of the boys said, and a few others sniggered.


"Is that true?" Amy asked, and now everyone laughed.


"Fuck yeah it's true," Maggie said. "And the longer you wait, the bigger the dare gets. So, you really want to stick with truth?"


"Yeah, truth," Amy said. She could wait them out. She would just keep picking truth and eventually they'd get bored and then she'd never have to do a dare.


"What were you doing on your phone when we came in from the pool?" Hannah asked, before anyone else could get a question in. She'd lobbed her an easy one. A good friend.


"I was reading about that public nudity thing you guys mentioned in the pool. It's actually real. There's a temple one town over where you could go to register, and then go naked anywhere in the country. I'm actually kind of surprised it took this long for a law like this to get passed. It seems like a pretty natural reading of the first amendment..."


"Okay, okay, little miss teacher's pet," Maggie said. "Moving on..."


Amy blushed again. She hated when she got made fun of for something she actually found interesting. She finally tries to open up and participate and just gets shut down right away.


"Okay, final round!" one boy proclaimed, staring right at Amy. "Anyone who hasn't done a dare yet, this round it's got to be dare."


Amy shrank back into the couch and tried to pretend she didn't exist. She was barely aware of what was going on around her. There may have been actual intercourse, but she wouldn't know about it, because she was just dreading what they'd make her do when her turn came up.


"Okay, Amy, truth or dare?"


"Truth," she squeaked out.


Maggie made a buzzer noise with her mouth. "WRONG ANSWER. You have to pick dare, remember? Guys, I got this. Truth or dare, Amy?"


"Uh...I really want to stop playing."


"We're all following the rules here. Don't be a spoilsport."


"I don't want to say it," Amy said.


"Say it," Maggie insisted.


Amy hesitated.


"It's just for fun," Hannah said. "They're not going to hurt you, and no one here will talk about whatever it is. Just let go for a few minutes."


Amy felt emboldened by Hannah's words, but could only just barely slip out the word. "Dare," she whispered.


"Sign up for that nude religion thing you found!" Maggie said.


"I don't think they're open right now; it's the middle of the night," Amy said, thinking of the practical side before ever even realizing the implications. Then it hit her. She'd be registering officially as someone who liked to go around naked, which couldn't be further from the truth. "Wait, I can't do that."


"I'll cut you a deal, since you're such a scaredy pants," Maggie said. "I'll go with you, and I'll sign up too."


"We don't even know their beliefs," Amy said, pulling out her phone.


"It's not like you're going to have to go nude," Maggie said. "Just sign up with me. We'll go tomorrow morning right when they open"


The boys seemed disappointed in the dare. Amy knew they were hoping to see her body, so actually this seemed like a good compromise. Plus, Maggie made a good point. Just because she signed up somewhere didn't mean that she had to do anything with it. And Maggie was so drunk, she'd probably forget.


"Fine," Amy said. "But Hannah, can we go home now?"


2


The next morning, after Amy showered, she got really nervous. She hoped Maggie and everyone else forgot about the stupid dare, and by lunchtime she started to get hopeful. But it was not to be.


The knock came on the door right after she'd finished cleaning up lunch. Amy was home alone, since her mother and older sister were out shopping together. She went to the front to answer it.


Maggie greeted her.


"Sup, bitch. Let's do this."


"We don't have to. You could just tell them I did it."


"That's no fun," Maggie said. "I'm doing you a favor. Live a little. I'm driving, but you need to tell me the address. You said you knew a place."


"Yeah," Amy said, and pulled out her phone.


The drive was only around twenty minutes, and they took it mostly in silence. Maggie and Amy had never really hung out much, and she was shy anyway. They didn't have anything to talk about, and if Amy had to guess she thought that maybe Maggie was a little nervous too. She couldn't think of any other reason that the girl wouldn't be yapping on incessantly.


That theory died when they pulled into the parking lot. Maggie let out a holler so loud Amy jumped. "This is going to be fucking awesome," she said.


Amy did not agree.


The building looked like a church, with a tall steeple and everything. The words "True Selves" were put up in large plastic letters on the brick wall, but Amy could see that there used to be other words up, revealing it as a former Presbyterian Church. That made sense.


"We don't..." Amy started, but Maggie cut her off.


"Get out of the car and not another word from you about backing off or I'll tell the whole group you didn't do the dare. You know the punishment for that?" Maggie asked.


"No. Are there rules for that?" Amy asked.


"I have no idea, but we're here now. Let's go in."


Amy begrudgingly got out of Maggie's car and followed her into the church.


"Welcome," a man greeted them from behind a desk. Amy could already see that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and hoped that the desk was hiding his pants instead of his penis. "How can I help you young ladies?"


"We're here to sign up," Maggie said, before Amy could get a word in.


"Okay, wonderful. What do you know about True Selves?"


"Only that signing up will let me get naked whenever I want," Maggie said.


"Well, that's true, but that's not really getting to the crux of why we do it," the man said. "I'd be more than happy to start your initiation process, but I think for your sakes that you might want to know what you're getting into before you start?"


"Yeah," Amy said. Her curiosity always got the better of her. "I'd love to know more."


"I guess," Maggie agreed.


"Wonderful. True Selves is a religion focused on self-improvement. We believe that our bodies are our selves, and that to truly know your body, you have to embrace it in its fullness. Let everyone see who you are, so that you can truly come to know yourself.


"So yes, there is an element of nudity, because you can't truly know yourself if you hide yourself. But the nudity isn't in and of itself the point. The nudity serves a greater purpose, to help you understand why you are on this planet, and to grow and decide what you want to do with the limited time you've been given here. You need to treasure every moment, and there's no better way to do that than by joining True Selves and discovering your own true self."


"I feel like you've given that speech before," Maggie said.


"I haven't memorized a script, if that's what you mean," the man said. "I truly believe it, as do the others here. If you don't, then maybe True Selves is not for you, and I would harbor no ill will if you turned around and left now. Although I believe that our ideology would benefit everyone, I do understand that some people may not be ready for it yet. It's an unfortunate side effect of our restrictive modern social conventions."


"So are you naked right now?" Amy asked.


"Of course," the man said. "Many members of True Selves are perpetually naked, only dressing as weather and other circumstances require. For example, I do put on an apron when cooking bacon. You don't want that hot grease splattering any sensitive areas!"


Amy blushed, but Maggie laughed.


"My name is Thomas," the man said, reaching out his hand. "I apologize for forgetting to introduce myself earlier."


"I'm Maggie, and this is Amy," Maggie said. "And you can't deter us. We're joining."


"I'd like to hear from Amy herself, if you don't mind," Thomas said. "We also value independence and autonomy, so we would certainly like to ensure that anyone who joins does it of their own free will. I actually have to follow some procedure real quick, in order to start the initiation. I just have to ask each of you one question. Maggie, you first."