Sofia's Public Self Tie

Sofia tried to ignore the shiver that went up her back at the thought as she rummaged through her desk where she had hidden her summons, which spelled out her crime and punishment. She planned on letting Tony read it, so she didn't have to admit her punishment out loud.

She slipped on her flip flops and went out into the hallway. Tony lived two floors down. The university would never admit it, but there was a theory they put the men on the lower floors to make it harder for peeping Toms to see into the women's dorm. Sofia wondered if that was actually a serious problem.

She entered the stair well and headed downstairs. Walking down the hallway, she nodded at the lone guy walking down the hallway. She couldn't remember his name, "Tim, maybe?"

Tony's door was already partially open. She knocked and pushed in at the same time, confident that his roommate wasn't going to be home since he almost always stayed with his older girlfriend off campus.

"Hey," she said, entering.

Tony was laying on his bed with his computer on his lap. He was Latino, too, in fact, they had met at the university's Latinx club. He had short black hair and was in black gym shorts and a white t-shirt that he had cut the sleeves from, displaying his muscled arms.

"What's up, mi cielito?" he said, using his pet name for her. Tony pushed his laptop aside and sat on the side of his bed.

Sofia approached him and stood between his legs, kissing him, "Is Danny gone for the night?"

Tony smiled, "Yeah, he already said he's not coming home tonight. The weekend started a day early for him, I think."

"Good, there's something we need to talk about."

Tony's face turned to concern. That was a classic phrase to worry men everywhere.

"No, it's not that. It's embarrassing. Just read this."

"What is it?" he asked, as she thrust the folded Judicial Summons into his hands.

Sofia turned away to let him read it. She didn't want and could only imagine his face turn to anger as it hit him, terrified he would break up with her from jealousy when he realized so many people would see her naked.

"What did you do?"

"Don't worry about that. It was something stupid from before I came to school."

A few seconds later he must have had a revelation, "Wait, what is going to happen to you?"

"Please don't make me say it," she answered pathetically, "It's pretty clear."

She turned around and he was looking at her with pity. "At least he doesn't look mad."

"When?"

"Um, tomorrow, after I get out of Bio lab. Are you mad at me?"

Tony tilted his head, "I wish you would have told me sooner, but I'm not mad. I might have been able to support you."

"I'm sorry. I thought you might be jealous and break up with me."

"No, not for this. It's not something you want to do. I'll be ok," Tony replied as he got up from the bed and opened his arms.

Sofia embraced him and buried her eyes in his chest. She started to cry as relief flooded her. She'd imagined everybody was going to be either mean to her or angry at her. That was why she had only told other people caught up in the Judicial Punishment system.

"You're going to be ok," Tony whispered into her ear, over and over as she hugged him.

A few minutes later, Sofia started to get control of herself and she got up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Is there anything I can do?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I have a favor."

"Anything."

"Don't come to Griffith Square tomorrow. I don't want you to see me like that."

Tony frowned, "Are you sure? I might be able to protect you if somebody is being a dick."

"No, that could get you in trouble. There's a Punishment Center guy who's going to be out there as a witness. He can prevent people from touching me."

"Are you sure? I want to make sure nothing happens."

Sofia thought for a second but decided to stay firm, "No, I really don't want people I care about to see me."

"Ok, but is there anything I can do tonight? Do you want to stay here tonight? Danny's gone."

Sofia thought he would be furious at her, so she hadn't let herself believe that was a possibility, but it was what she really wanted. "Yes, thank you so much." She hugged him tightly again. "I'll go take a shower and get my clothes and stuff."

"Ok."

As she walked upstairs, she thought about what staying with him would mean: showing him the ropes and stakes that she would use to bind herself. The freshman supposed she could keep it hidden, but that didn't feel right. She wanted to be open with her boyfriend who was being so great to her, when he really didn't have to. Ultimately, she decided she would show him in the morning since she just wanted to cuddle tonight.

When she got to her room, she took a towel and her shower kit to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she had washed, dried and gotten back into the same clothes she was wearing before. She packed her clothes and makeup that he was planning to wear tomorrow and then stuffed her punishment supplies into her bookbag with her laptop and Bio lab notebook.

When she went back downstairs, there were a few more guys in the hallway and self-consciousness about her thin shirt returned. Sofia felt her heart race at the idea of people seeing what she didn't want them to see, but quickly she was back at Tony's room and the feeling dissipated. "It's going to be a lot longer tomorrow," she realized.

Tony tried to pamper her the rest of the night. He suggested massages or that he could go out and get her junk food or anything else she wanted. Really, she just wanted to feel loved. She made him just sit with her in the bed against the wall, with pillows tucked behind them. They watched funny videos on the internet and cuddled until it was time to try to sleep.

They flipped off the light as Tony stripped down to his boxers. They climbed under the covers and he held her as they drifted off. Sofia didn't know if it was going to help her tomorrow, but the night was about as perfect as she could imagine.

***

Sofia woke up early. As her wits returned to her and she realized what day it was, her nerves prevented her from going back to sleep. She stayed still in Tony's arms and let him sleep until an hour before her class. In about two hours she would report to Griffith Square and her punishment would begin.

She climbed out of the bed and her movement roused Tony. "Good morning," he muttered as he sat up.

"Morning," she answered trying to summon a sunny disposition. She thought she failed, but he didn't say anything.

"What time is it? Do I have time for a shower?" he asked.

"Yeah, probably. I have to be in lab in an hour."

"Alright, I'll go fast," he said as he climbed out of bed, got his stuff, and headed into the hallway.

Sofia thought about getting dressed now while he was gone. Somehow being waxed down there still made her anxious, but he was going to see it eventually anyway. Deciding to wait for him to get back, she sat down at his desk.

Pulling her phone out, she checked the weather. It was the middle of October, so she feared that it was going to be cold out today, even though the forecast had predicted unseasonable warmth for the last week. It hadn't changed. It was going to be seventies and sunny during her punishment. There were rules that would allow her to change the date if it was raining or if it was too cold, but there wasn't going to be any respite today.

She spent the next few minutes flipping through her email and social media as Tony showered. When he got back, he was wrapped only in a towel around his waist. She loved his body. He worked out a lot and was very muscular. She kept her eyes down as he turned away from her and dropped his towel, though she couldn't help but glance at his ass before it was hidden under his red and blue checked boxers. He pulled on a clean version of his usual attire. Gym shorts and a shirt with the sleeves cut off, this one had the logo of the school's football team.

Now was the time, she took a deep breath before speaking, "Hey, Tony. I need to change."

"Oh, I'll leave the room," he interrupted.

"No, there's something you want to see."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he turned toward her, "What is it?"

"You'll see." Sofia got up and pulled off her shirt. He'd seen her breasts plenty the last month, but his eyes were still drawn to them like a magnet. Then it one motion she lowered her shorts and panties at the same time.

Tony's eyes dropped down and then his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do you like it?" Sofia asked.

"Um, yeah, but I didn't think you would do that?"

"It's part of the, um, punishment."

"Oh," he was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry they made you do that."

"It wasn't too bad. I went to a waxing salon for the first time. I think I would kind of like it in different circumstances."

"Yeah, well that's good."

Tony looked like he didn't really know what to say, but it was just nice to have him here. It was better than doing all this alone. "Pass me my dress, it's in my backpack," she said, pointing.

He unzipped it and tossed her a forest green dress that was wrinkled from being in the bag all night. She pulled it on over her head. It was wool and hung down to her knees. She had chosen it to be warm because it was the only thing she would be wearing today, no panties, no bra, no sweater. She wanted to take it off all in one go, like ripping off a band aid. "You should look what else is in there," she told him.

Sofia watched as he went through her bag, wondering what he would think.

"Why do you have this stuff?"

"I have to tie myself up."

"What? That seems wrong."

"That's how it is. I've had to practice how to do it the past week."

Tony frowned and thought for a second, "Well, I'm sure you'll be ok."

"Yeah," she muttered frowning now. Sofia didn't know what else he could say. He'd been great so far, he didn't have to say everything perfectly.

They passed the next few minutes in awkward silence. Sofia figured he was still trying to come to terms with what was going to happen to her. At first, she wished he would just comfort her, but she reminded herself that he was a person with feelings too.

She got the gold earrings she had worn the night before and put them back on her ears. Jewelry above the neck was the only thing she could wear and somehow it helped to have something on, even if it did absolutely nothing to defend her modesty.

Then she put on makeup, using Tony's standing mirror. She covered up a couple blemishes that had developed on her chin, "Probably stress," she told herself. Then she applied bright red lipstick, which she loved. Some of the girls at USSJP had said that they liked feeling confident when they were headed to their punishment, so Sofia wanted to wear her favorite color.

"Alright, let's go get a quick breakfast," she said, breaking the awkward silence. She slung her bookbag over her shoulder and the two of them headed toward the student cafe.

Sofia didn't have much of an appetite, so she just grabbed a pastry and a mini carton of orange juice and the two of them headed toward her class. On the way, Sofia asked, "When this is over, are you going to feel different about me?"

"No," he assured her, "I'm still going to be your boyfriend and I'm still going to love you."

They had never used the L-word before, so Sofia was surprised and didn't answer immediately.

"Um, emotions are high. We don't have to say love, if you don't want to," Tony said, with a look of fear etched on his face.

"No, it's fine," she said, "We can talk about it later. It makes me feel good."

They walked the three quarters of a mile to her class building which was just off Griffith Square. When the university was built it had been far outside the city, but in the last century the city had grown toward campus. While her dorm was a more utilitarian tower, the old part of campus was much more stately. There was a lot of green space with the biggest space being Griffith Square. Dotting the well-maintained common areas were much older looking buildings that tried to communicate the gravitas of high education.

The couple ducked into a secluded area under a tree. "Look," Sofia said, "I love you, too. I'll message you as soon as I'm done. Just please don't come to the square. I don't want you to see me."

"Ok, I won't if you don't want me to. I'm going to go to the gym and then I'll be nearby, but I promise I won't come look at you."

"Ok, that's fine. Thank you so much for not being mad at me," Sofia checked her watch, "I have to get to class. Bye."

"Ok, love you."

"Yeah," she answered, and she went up on her tip toes to kiss him before she turned and walked to her biology lab.

The next fifty minutes were spent in nervous anticipation. She didn't bother to take notes since she couldn't really pay attention anyway. She'd ask somebody for help if she couldn't figure it out.

When the instructor released them, there were fifteen minutes until Sofia had to meet the Punishment Center witness. She had plenty of time since she might as well already be on the quad, but she still hustled to the bathroom. Shutting herself in a stall, she sat on the toilet and relieved herself, another suggestion from the USSJP. One girl had a horror story about her public exposure that Sofia didn't want to think about.

When she was done, she stayed in the stall and went through her bag, making sure she had everything. She went through her mental checklist: ID, Judicial summons, four stakes, hammer, blanket, and four coils of rope. "Yep, everything."

She took a deep breath and tried to collect herself. When she got out, there were two other girls at the sink. They smiled at her politely. Alarm bells rang, "Do they know?" she tried to smile back, but thought she probably just grimaced at them as she fled the room. "Get ahold of yourself, Sofia," she told herself as she walked onto Griffith Square.

The quad was a long rectangle with sidewalk all around it and three sidewalks that crossed it, splitting it roughly into quarters. She walked hesitantly around the square looking for somebody dressed like a guard. After a few minutes of ambling, she finally found him. "Of course, it's a man," she thought as the reality of her situation started to hit her.

He was dressed in a gray shirt and pants that were cut like a police uniform and he wore a baseball-style cap. He looked middle aged and had a thick moustache that was still black despite the white hair that poked out from underneath his hat.

"Hello, are you from the Punishment Center?" she asked the man who was standing on the grass, just off the side of the concrete.

"Yes, miss. Are you Sofia Alonzo?"

"That's me."

"Ok, you can call me Mr. Stone or sir. Can I see your ID?"

"I have it here," she said, digging through her bag for her wallet, "I mean yes, sir." She handed the plastic card to the man as he read it, holding it up to compare the picture to her face. Instinctively she gave him an awkward smile as he stared at her.

"Ok, good," the man said handing it back to her. He fished a tablet out of a briefcase that lay at his feet and pressed the screen a few times. In a moment, he handed it to her, "Repeat this please."

"What is it?" she asked before hurriedly adding, "Sir."

"Standard oath that you are who you say you are and that you're cogent and aware. Every prisoner says it."

The word prisoner made Sofia bristle. She was standing here without handcuffs, after all, but the point stood. She wasn't really free when she was obliged by law to be here stripping off. She read the oath, "I am Sofia Alonzo, and, under the threat of perjury, I have not taken any substances that could change my mood or cognitive functions."

"Good," he said, taking the tablet back and fiddling with it again. "You can be wherever you want on the square as long as you are within ten feet of the sidewalk. No hiding out in the middle away from the walkway. The timer starts when you are fully tied. When you say you're tied then I'll check and then I'll hit the timer. Any questions?"

"You make sure nobody touches me right, sir?"

"Yes, they can't touch you or throw things at you, but they can take pictures and speak to you."

"Ok," she said, simply. She turned and scanned for a spot to get started. He didn't give her any new information. Sofia had already known that there would be lots of pictures of her floating around the internet after today. She just hoped that she could avoid them.

About twenty yards away there was a spot far enough away from the trees that she would be in direct sunlight. It might be warm out, but it would still be cold in the shade without any clothes. She approached the spot and looked at Mr. Stone, who nodded his approval. She dropped her bag and started to pull out her equipment.

When it was arranged beside her, she grabbed the blanket. It was soft, but not too plush. There were regulations about how thick it could be or she would have the fluffiest thing she could find. Laying on the ground was still going to be uncomfortable, but at least she wouldn't be itchy.

She laid down on the blanket and mimed how she would be laying so she would know where to put the stakes. "Does this look ok, sir?" she asked the guard.

"A little wider. It's supposed to be thirty-six inches at your ankles," he answered, "I have a tape measure in my bag."

Sofia spread her legs a little wider, the hem of her dress starting to ride up her thighs. "Of course, he wants it wider. Should have asked for forgiveness rather than permission."

"That looks right," Mr. Stone said.

She mentally logged how wide to spread herself and got up from her back. She grabbed the hammer and a stake and chose a spot a couple feet from where her right ankle would be. Pushing the sharp end of the stake down, she was happy to find it wasn't that hard. It was most of the way down before she felt the need to hammer it down so there were just a couple inches sticking up from the ground.

She repeated the steps for the stake that would go to her left ankle but when she moved up toward the stake for her right arm, she realized a man and a woman were standing on the sidewalk next to the guard.

As she hammered the third stake down, she tried to ignore them. However, the woman spoke, "What are you doing?"

Sofia stopped and looked at her, still kneeling on the grass. She was blonde and definitely a college student, although she looked a couple years older than Sofia. Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to lie about her punishment or her crime. "Um, I'm about to serve a public punishment."

The blonde's eyes got wide and she grabbed her boyfriend, "Oh, I'm so, so sorry. Come on John, we don't need to be here."

As they left Sofia went back to work, hoping that a lot of people would have the same sympathetic reaction.

In a minute, the last stake was in the ground. She sat with her legs crisscrossed on the blanket as she prepared the rope. Her heartbeat was starting to speed up again as she got closer to her exposure, plus she knew the more weird things she did, like playing with rope in the middle of the quad, was going to attract more eyes. "Not all of them will be as nice as that girl."

She doubled the ropes over themselves. Making a loop she connected each rope to its own stake and arranged them neatly so they wouldn't get tangled and she could tie herself as quickly as possible.

Finally, it was time to start to tie her ankles apart. Her plan was to have them tied and the distance approved before she doffed her dress. That was really the last possible moment because once she tied one of her arms then the rope would be in the way. Before she had planned to make sure that was ok with the guard, but she'd learned her lesson. She was just going to do it and make him stop her.