Her True Self

"Okay...but why are you, uh, you know."


"Naked? Well, I'm a member of True Selves."


Amy's father nodded, as if that explained everything. It switched to shaking in confusion. "I'm not sure what that means."


"No worries, Mr. Gardner. I'm just glad to see Amy home. Good bye, Amy!"


Amanda turned and walked back to her car. She wasn't flaunting her ass, necessarily, but her natural gait did make it sway back and forth seductively. Once she'd driven away, Amy's father turned to her.


"Why are you wearing a robe?"


"I'd rather not talk about it," Amy said, pushing past him into the house. She went right upstairs to her room, got dressed, tossed her phone on the desk and sequestered herself to her bed to watch Netflix for the rest of the night.


4


For the next few days, life resumed mostly to normal. Amy mostly tried to forget about her weird Sunday afternoon at the True Selves temple, and surprisingly, Maggie never brought it up again. Hannah asked her how her dare went, and Amy just shrugged.


Wednesday afternoon, though, Amy got a text from Amanda.


"You want to join our service tonight? I'll pick you up."


"No thanks," Amy texted back immediately.


"Think about it."


Amy took the text literally. She did think about it. She thought about how she had felt when she first stripped off her clothes in the initiation room. She thought about how she'd first felt when she stepped out of that room, in the moment before Maggie opened her mouth and ruined it.


"Okay, I'll come," she texted back, about an hour later, during her bus ride home from school.


"Great! I'll pick you up at 4:30." Amanda texted.


Amanda immediately didn't understand why she did it. It was like she was a different person moment to moment. When she thought about it rationally, the True Selves seemed to make sense. She understood what they were about, and she wanted to be a part of it. But when she stopped and just let her instincts take over, it sounded insane, like she was a crazy person for even considering it.


When she got home, she still had almost an hour before Amanda would come pick her up. She had a snack and then headed up to her room. When she was up there, she quickly undressed herself, to remind her what it felt like. It was kind of freeing, but it was also kind of awkward, even just by herself. Even when she masturbated, she always had panties on. The only time she was ever usually naked was when she showered.


She stayed that way for what felt like only a few minutes, but she must have lost track of time. She heard her mother yelling her name from downstairs, with quite a lot of urgency and maybe a bit of fear in her voice.


Amy threw her clothes back on as fast as she could and went down to see what was the matter. Amanda was standing in her living room, nude head to toe as usual, and her mother was pacing around nervously.


"Amy, what is going on here? This lady says she's bringing you to some place where everyone's naked all the time?" Amy's mother was hysterical. "Obviously she's at the wrong house, right?"


"Hi, Amy," Amanda said, waving and smiling.


"Amanda," Amy said.


"You haven't told your parents?" Amanda asked.


"Told us what exactly?"


Amy blushed and looked down.


"Well?" her mom demanded.


"I think it would be easier for her to communicate with you if you calmed down," Amanda said. "I would imagine she feels like you're judging her, which will make it much more difficult for her to present herself openly and honestly."


"Thanks for the mothering advice, you pervert," Amy's mom said. "Put on some fucking clothes."


"Amy, would you prefer to come with me now?" Amanda asked.


"Yes, please," Amy said.


"You're not going anywhere, young lady," her mother nearly screamed at her.


"Ma'am, I believe Amy here is eighteen years of age, and legally allowed to make her own decisions. If you prevent her from leaving of her own free will, I would hate to be forced to contact the police about a potential hostage situation."


"Are you threatening me in my own home?"


"I'm just trying to be supportive of this young lady as she faces a new hardship in her life," Amanda said. "Amy?"


Amy strode past her mother and out the door without looking back. Her mother was screaming, and Amy was crying a bit. She got into Amanda's car and leaned back with her eyes closed. Amanda started the car and drove away before either one said anything.


"I'm so sorry that your mother reacted this way," Amanda said. "With time, I hope that she will come to understand that you are your own person, and that you have chosen your own path in this life."


"I hope you don't hate me for not telling them," Amy said.


"With the way she reacted, I can't say I blame you," Amanda said. "But we are going to a safe place now, free from judgment."


"Thank you for sticking up for me back there," Amy said. "I really appreciate it."


"I'm sorry that I had to step in," Amanda said, smiling. "But let's not dwell on that too long. What made you change your mind earlier? You said you didn't want to come at first."


"You told me to think about it, and, well, I did," Amy said. "I'm still really nervous about all this. Is it okay if I keep my clothes on?"


"Of course, but you might find that you stick out more with your clothes on than off," Amanda said. "I heard from Thomas that you originally joined on a dare. But I'll tell you something. Our initiation weeds out essentially everyone who's not compatible with our beliefs. You wouldn't believe how such a simple test is able to bring out someone's true desires. I know that, deep down, you really want this for yourself. Don't be afraid to let go of the old you to discover your true self."


"Thanks," Amy said.


When they arrived, Amy did keep her clothes on, and she was the only one. Some people arrived naked, but the majority stripped off once they were in the foyer. There was a closet to the side with cubbies where they each stored their clothes. Amy got a good look at all of them. There were penises of all lengths, breasts of all sizes and shapes, dark nipples and pink nipples. Each person was unique and each person was confident in their appearance. The only thing that they all seemed to have in common was no hair down there. Amy figured it kind of made sense, since their whole deal was around being seen.


The service or meeting or whatever was scheduled to start at 5:30, so this was just a general social gathering among friends, kind of like the party Amy had been at a few days ago except all the participants were genuinely good people. The only thing Amy wasn't too keen on was that there was no one else her age. Everyone seemed to be in their thirties or older.


Many members came over to greet Amy, having heard that she was a new initiate. None commented for even a moment on her lack of nudity, or even seemed to notice. She'd never felt more welcome anywhere.


Amy sought out Amanda and got her attention by tapping her on the arm. Amanda turned around and smiled at her. "What can I do for you?"


"I think...I'm ready," Amy said.


"Honey, you don't need my permission."


Amy nodded and headed over to the closet. Many people had stripped right out in the foyer, but Amy didn't think that was going to work for her. The closet was spacious enough and had a light inside, so she stepped in and closed the door.


She steeled herself, reminded herself that she wanted this, and then took it all off. It was just like her initiation again. Left to her thoughts, she knew that this was what she wanted. There was a door between her and a room full of people, and stepping out there was going to be taking a stride into a new life.


A tear came to her eye, and she brushed it aside and opened the door.


No one looked over to her; no one even seemed to notice at first what she had done. She felt self conscious, of course, but she powered through. Someone who had come up and greeted her earlier saw her, and motioned for her to come over and join the conversation.


No one said anything about her nudity, as if it was completely natural.


Amy felt home, truly welcomed somewhere, for the first time in her life.


The meeting started shortly thereafter, in what used to be the chapel. There were still pews and a stage at the front and a pulpit with a microphone for the speaker. Amanda went up first, and just went over the True Selves tenets. Then she called for anyone who had any displays to make.


One man volunteered right away, and took the stage as Amanda sat. Amy wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but this wasn't it.


He just stood on the stage, pushing his chest forward and spreading his legs, and invited everyone to look at him. He stayed there for a few minutes, and then got back down into the pews and sat.


Amanda motioned for Thomas to take over the meeting, and he went up to the pulpit and called for any other displays. Amanda came over and sat next to Amy.


"This used to be the only way for us to really be seen, as the tenets intend," Amanda whispered to her. "With the new laws, there are many more opportunities, but it's become part of our tradition now. The meeting is just as much a social gathering before and after as it is a reading of tenets and these displays. The main thing to remember here is that there is absolutely no judgment. You are showing your true self."


The next person who went up onto the stage was a woman. She sat on a chair, facing the rest of the members, and spread her legs. She leaned back, and then spread her labia apart, showing deep into her vagina.


"Please, come," she said.


The members all stood and then formed an orderly line. One at a time, they approached the stage, and took a close look at the woman's vagina. Amy was one of the last ones up, but the woman made sure that she could get a good look. She'd never seen a vagina in such detail before, and probably lingered too long. It was beautiful, in a way. Amanda nudged her forward, and Amy came to her senses and moved back to her seat.


"You should try it," Amanda said, as the next woman simply stood still like the first man and let everyone look at her from afar. "Just go up, stand there for a minute, and come back to your seat. No big deal."


"How do I volunteer?" she asked.


"Just stand up and go when Thomas calls for any volunteers."


So she did. Her face was red, and she felt like she was getting hot flashes, as she walked up between the rows of pews. She knew all eyes in the room were on her. They could see her too-big ass waggle as she walked, but no one said anything. They could see her too-small breasts, her too-pink and too-pointy nipples, but no one said anything.


Amy climbed the stairs onto the stage, went to the middle where the others had posed, and just stood there. No one said anything. She looked around the room, and all eyes were on her. Some looked back into her eyes and smiled. Some looked further down her body, at her breasts or at her pubic hair. She turned around, facing away and letting them get a good look at her butt, then turned around again and struck a new pose with her legs spread a little. She wondered if her labia were visible at all, or if all the hair hid everything.


Then she went back to her seat, and Amanda put her hand on her shoulder.


"Well done. Amy, you are a beautiful soul, and I'm so glad you've joined us."


Amy had done it. She had never felt better in her whole life. She had an aura of confidence around her that was unparalleled to anything she'd ever experienced. Never mind how wet she was; her pussy was positively throbbing in excitement at what she had just done.


When it came time to go home, Amy was almost reluctant to put her clothes back on, but she did. It was one thing to be naked in a room full of like-minded individuals. It was entirely another to do it in the middle of the public with the general populace. Plus, when she got home, she figured it would be best to not stir the pot too much.


When they arrived at Amy's home, Amanda pulled into the back of the driveway, pulling up behind her mom's car.


"Do you want me to come in with you?" Amanda asked.


"No, I think it might be easier if I handle it myself. I'll explain everything to them, and I'll text you to let you know how it went."


"Good luck, Amy," Amanda said. "And I hope to see you again soon."


"I wouldn't miss it," Amy said.


"Before you go, I have one more thing for you," Amanda said. She reached into the console of her car and pulled out a card. It had Amy's name, birthday, and address on it, and identified her as a member of the True Selves. It had a brief description of the new law on the back, as well as some legal names and numbers Amy couldn't make heads or tails of.


"What's this?"


"It's an official True Selves ID. As part of the new law, the officially recognized religions can authorize these to members. If you are accosted by the police or someone else, you can use it to try to educate them on the new laws. I sincerely hope you never have to use it, but in our world unfortunately I think it might be inevitable."


Amy wasn't sure she'd ever have to use it anyway. She wasn't planning on strutting around the city with her clothes off, but she thanked Amanda and got out of the car. As she approached the front of the house, the door opened when she was still five feet away, and her mother was there.


"I've been worried sick about you. You just left with that naked woman and, well, I don't even know. You weren't answering your phone and I've just been so distraught."


"I'm sorry, mom," Amy said. "Amanda is the leader of the True Selves in the next town over. I was just going with her to a meeting."


"And what is this True Selves? Is it a cult? Why was she naked?"


Amy explained everything to her. It was hard to get out some of the details, but her experiences today had given her confidence. Her mother objected at points, but Amy tried to calm her down and continue her story. At the end, her mother seemed to be in shambles.


"But why naked?" she asked, and it was like she hadn't listened to anything Amy had said at all. Of course she'd explained why. Amy didn't have any more patience for it tonight.


"I'm going to bed," she said. "It's late, and I have school tomorrow."


"Okay, honey, but please, I want to understand you. I'm sorry for yelling before, I just didn't know what to do with myself. I don't care about anything more than I care about you."


"I appreciate it, mom," Amy said. "Maybe we'll talk more about it."


"What am I going to tell your father?" her mother asked.


"Tell him the truth," she said.


5


Amy masturbated before bed that night, and again when she woke up the next morning. She'd gone to bed naked, and the freedom of movement that afforded her hand down on her genitals really heightened the intensity of the orgasms.


Never mind her remembering back to when she'd been standing on a stage, naked, in front of a whole group of people staring at her. The thought of that sent a shiver down her spine, but she tried to suppress it. That wasn't appropriate. That wasn't what the True Selves were about. They weren't perverted like her.


During her shower that morning, she tried shaving her pussy for the first time in her life. It was pretty awkward, but she thought she did a pretty good job. She checked it out in the mirror and kind of liked how it looked with no hair. It was a lot neater, and the cleft of her vulva was very prominent.


At school, she could barely pay attention. All she could think about was the True Selves. It wasn't healthy, but it was such a huge deal in her life that she was willing to give herself some leeway. She always got this way about new interests, going all in on it for a while and then eventually moving on to something else.


There was one problem, though. For all the imagining she did, she couldn't really participate again until the next True Selves meeting on Sunday. Today was Thursday, and it felt impossibly long to wait. She texted Amanda asking if there were any other events.


"So eager! I'm glad you're so interested. Unfortunately, the Wednesday and Sunday meetings are the only ones in this area, but you are licensed now, so you can always practice any time, anywhere!"


"I'm too nervous," she texted back. "I don't know how people would react."


"You are on a journey of self-discovery, Amy. This is about how you feel, and you can't let others dictate your path to finding your true self. Start at home, and work your way up."


Amy considered her words, but still had her doubts. She couldn't just strip off in front of her parents and sister. It was unprecedented. No one in her house ever showed any nudity. Even going to and from the shower was completely covered up.


As she was thinking, another text came in from Amanda. "Remember, you wouldn't be asking all these questions if you weren't really interested. Do it for yourself."


That made up Amy's mind.


When she got home from school, she went right to her room, locked the door, and stripped off all her clothes. She sat on her bed, facing the door, for several minutes.


It was always doors, she thought. Every new challenge had always begun with her going through a door into a new world of self-discovery. She'd done it twice before. She could do it again.


So she did. Amy stood naked in the hallway outside her bedroom for the first time in her life. No one else was here, but it already felt strange and exciting.


Without giving her a chance to second guess herself, she went downstairs to get her after school snack. Someone would be there. Her mom, her dad, her sister. She didn't know who. Maybe all of them. And they would meet the new Amy.


It turned out to be her sister, of course. Grace was taller than Amy, and more fit. She was always popular at school, and had long brown wavy hair that she spent an hour styling every morning. She wore makeup and sexy clothes, and Amy had always been jealous of her.


She was the only one in Amy's family who had never met Amanda, had never even had a hint that this was something Amy might be moving towards. Amy braced herself for all kinds of disgusted comments and yelling and shaming.


"Holy shit, girl. You forget something?"


"Nope," Amy said. "I'm trying something out."


"Well, then, I hope you won't mind me saying that's pretty damn hot. You know, in a completely platonic, sisterly way."


"You don't mind?" Amy asked, sheepishly.


"You spend a few semesters at college and your worldview changes," Grace said. "I wish I had that kind of confidence, though. I never would have guessed you had it in you. Don't let mom and dad see you like this, though. They're prudes."


"I..." Amy started, but then hesitated.


"Girlie, I'm your sister. There's nothing we have to hide from each other. If you're doing this because of some trauma at school, let me know. If you're just exploring your sexuality, that's cool. I love you, girl."


Grace got up from the table and came over to give Amy a big hug. Amy started tearing up.


"Thanks," Amy said. "I needed that."


"So, really, though, what's this about? No judgment. I'm legit curious. Like, it's a kind of a 180 for you, you know?"


Amy told her everything, about the new law and the dare and the True Selves and Amy's decision to give it a real try.


"Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing," Grace said. "Just like you."


Amy laughed, reminded of the great show that quote came from. "Yeah, I'm definitely whole-assing it."


That got them both laughing.


"So what's your plan now?" Grace asked her. "You testing the waters out on me?"


"No, I actually didn't know you were in here," Amy said. "I decided that I'm going to be naked whenever I'm home, for now. And see where it goes from there."