Stripping the Salutatorian

Author's Note: This story contains forced exhibitionism, humiliation, and nonconsensual acts. All the characters are eighteen years of age or older.

Ace, Emerson, Diego, Sam, and I were all eating dinner after our last day of high school. We had decided to celebrate the occasion by going to our favorite burger place. It had amazing cheese fries, and there was a lot of outdoor seating, which was great for the early-June heat.

We were a bit of an odd bunch. I knew that other people must wonder what connected us when they saw the various members of our social group. Truth be told, we hadn't chosen one another; we had just fallen into place. Some of us had met through our parents, while others had been in the same elementary school classes years earlier.

Ace, whose real name was Alexander, was the free-spirited wannabe anarchist of the group; he hadn't met a social convention he didn't rebel against. Diego was the well-mannered, industrious type that you knew was going to have two-point-five kids one day. Sam was the raucous horn-ball athlete who was always hooking up with at least three different girls from our school. Finally, Emerson was my socially-inept, nerdy cousin.

I had always thought of myself as the bridge between the various personalities. I didn't hesitate to question authority when warranted, but I was still well-liked by all of my teachers. I was on the school's wrestling and football teams, and I managed to get straight A's. I didn't see myself as anything all that special at the time, which I think must be common for someone who has just crossed the threshold from adolescence to adulthood when they turn eighteen.

We had been talking about the commencement ceremony scheduled for the next day. Diego was discussing how his grandparents had flown in from Santiago, Chile so that they could celebrate the occasion. Ace was expressing his disdain for Jane Weston, who would be reading a poem she had written about "the issues facing today's youth." I'd had to agree that it sounded like the height of tedium.

My cousin Emerson was still brooding. He was upset with the final class rankings; he'd dropped from valedictorian to third in our cohort. He kept talking about how it was "the worst" ranking since both the valedictorian and salutatorian were recognized in the ceremony, whereas the person ranked third wasn't even mentioned. To make matters worse, I was the person who had edged him out for the title of salutatorian. He had always thought of me as a stereotypical dumb jock; I could tell he was embarrassed that his supposedly less-intelligent cousin had bested him.

"The ceremony is going to be so fucking boring tomorrow," Ace said. "It's going to be a whole bunch of cliches about how this is 'just the beginning' and how we should 'cherish the time we spent together.'"

"And we'll have to listen to the school band," Sam chimed in. "I never know what they're trying to play, but it always sounds like the noise a cat would make if it fell into a garbage disposal."

"It won't be all bad, guys," Diego countered. "Think about how happy our parents will be to watch us graduate."

I supposed that he was right. I knew that my parents would be attending, as well as my older brother, who was home from college. My mom kept bragging about my achievements to her friends. She kept introducing me as "the athlete who is also at the top of his class."

"I think we should do something crazy to celebrate tomorrow," Emerson said. "Something that we'll remember when we're old and boring."

"You're already boring," Sam joked.

I was slightly nonplussed; Emerson wasn't usually the one to suggest that we do anything carefree and wild. I wondered if maybe it was his attempt to distract himself from thinking about how he wouldn't be getting honored for his academic achievements at the ceremony.

"What were you thinking?" Ace asked.

"So, hear me out," Emerson began. "I figure that the ceremony is going to be a snooze. What if we do something that will make it more exciting? You know how they take the large group photo of all the graduating seniors in stadium bleachers after the ceremony? I think we should moon the camera."

Ace and Sam started cracking up. I wasn't as excited about the prospect; I was actually looking forward to the being able to be with my friends and parents without anything crazy happening.

"Fuck, yeah!" Ace exclaimed. "Think about all the parents getting the photo in the mail and seeing five asses in the top row of the bleachers when they go to search for their precious little kids in the crowd."

"The best part is that it will take months for the photos to arrive in the mail," Emerson added. "So, there won't be anything the principal can do if they find out it was us."

It did seem a little funny, to be honest, and it wouldn't be until after the ceremony was over. I was starting to think maybe it wouldn't derail the entire event; it could be a silly prank at the very end of the graduation. My group of friends did love a good prank.

"I had another idea, too," Emerson said. "We should just wear our boxers under our robes. It will make the boring ceremony a little more exciting. And it will be hilarious. We can pose for pics where we hike up our robes and show our legs, or we can unzip the front a little to show our chests."

"I don't know," Diego said. "I want some normal pictures from graduation too."

"That's the best part!" Emerson exclaimed. "When the robes are zipped all the way, nobody will be able to see anything. They zip up to the collar bone and extend down to the shins. We just need to wear some dress shoes and black socks pulled up over our calves."

"That's pretty funny," Sam added. "It will be like a final inside joke that only the five of us will know about."

"What do you guys think?" Emerson asked. "Are you in?"

"I think it sounds like a riot!" Ace replied.

"Me too," said Sam.

"Sure, let's go out with a bang," I said half-heartedly.

Diego looked a bit more tentative. He was biting his lip, as if he had to show that he was mulling over the idea. Eventually, he nodded.

It looked like we were all set for commencement. Not only would the ceremony allow us time to celebrate with our families and friends, it would give us another opportunity to bond over an epic prank.

"Hunter, my mom has your robe at my house," Emerson added after devouring another communal cheese fry. "She told me that your mom asked if she could grab it from the school when she picked mine up."

That was news to me, but it wasn't a surprise. My mom would often ask my aunt to help with school-related errands when she got too busy. I knew that she was working on a new account for her job.

"Cool. Should I come pick it up tonight?"

"Are you doing your usual Saturday morning workout at the school's gym tomorrow?"

"Yep; it will be the last one."

"I have to be at school tomorrow morning before commencement to help set up the audio. How about I just stop by the gym and give it to you then? It will save you from having to drive over to my house tonight for no reason."

"Thanks, cuz."

We all sat around chatting for another hour or so, picking at what was left of our meals. We were feeling more amped up about the next day's ceremony after devising a daring secret to entertain ourselves. Ace was joking that he might flash the elderly spinster librarian if he got bored. Sam was talking about how being shirtless would allow him to flex his biceps in his pictures. We all rolled our eyes; all he ever wanted to do was show off his "guns." We finished up and headed to our respective homes.

The next morning, I woke up at around 7 a.m. I was feeling stoked about finally graduating. I couldn't wait to start college in the fall. At the same time, it was all beginning to feel more real; I knew that day was likely the last time I would be seeing many of my teachers and classmates.

I decided that I would shower after my workout at the school gym so I would be refreshed for the commencement, which was scheduled for 10 a.m. I quickly put on some green boxers, black nylon shorts, and a white T-shirt; then I went downstairs to grab coffee and something for breakfast. I was hoping that my mom was around. Since it was a special occasion, I figured she'd offer to make me an egg sandwich. They always taste better when somebody else makes them.

I entered the kitchen to see my twenty-two-year-old brother, Dirk, eating a plate of bacon and eggs, as he sipped coffee from a mug. He looked like he had just woken up; his hair was still in a state of disarray. He was only wearing a pair of white briefs. He nodded towards me while he looked at something on his phone.

"Where's Mom?" I asked. "Is she making breakfast?"

"She just left. She said she was going to a drop-in yoga class."

"Okay," I said, a little surprised that she didn't stick around to wish me a happy graduation day.

I made my way over to the coffee pot; it was empty. A discarded bag of coffee grounds was crumpled in the garbage can next to the stove. There was a small note on the counter: Happy graduation to my youngest son! Sorry I'm not there this morning but I really needed a yoga class. Hope you enjoy the breakfast I made for you. I'll see you in a few hours. Love, Mom.

My brother chuckled as I read the note. I looked over to see that he was smiling as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"You snooze, you lose, bro," he said.

I rolled my eyes at him as I started to rummage through the cabinets, looking for more coffee grounds. Of course, there weren't any left. I felt myself begin to get more frustrated; my brother was such a tool. I gave him a look that was the nonverbal equivalent of "go fuck yourself."

"Ahhh, love you too, bro."

I left the house in a huff and rushed over to the gym. I probably should have stopped somewhere to grab some breakfast to go, or at least coffee, but I was too distracted. My mind wandered from topic to topic: feeling pissed at my brother, thinking about moving away to college at the end of the summer, and wondering how things would go at commencement.

I felt a mix of anxiety and joy when thinking about the last item. I was happy I'd get to celebrate with my friends and parents, but I was still tentative about the prank. I reassured myself that I was just being moody since I hadn't eaten. I forced myself to picture the five of us laughing as we posed for silly photos, hiking up our robes to reveal our bare thighs.

Nobody was in the gym when I arrived; it wasn't at all surprising. Every other senior was preparing for the ceremony, and the underclassmen were probably sleeping in after having stayed out late at various parties.

I was on the treadmill when I heard the door open. I looked at my watch; it was already 9:15 a.m. I must have lost track of time; I had the tendency to get into the zone when I was working out. I saw my cousin Emerson walking towards me. He had a to-go cup of coffee in each hand.

"Hey," he said. "I was trying to call you but it went to voicemail."

"Sorry. It's on vibrate and I haven't really been paying attention. It's been a weird morning."

"No worries," he replied. "I brought you a coffee."

"Thanks, cuz. I wasn't able to have any this morning since Dirk drank the last of it. What an asshole."

Emerson laughed; he had never really liked my brother. I turned off the treadmill and went to grab the coffee from his right hand.

"It's the other one," he said, extending his left hand. "You know how I get if I have real milk. That wouldn't be good for anyone."

I chuckled as I took the coffee from his hand. It was still warm, but it tasted less-than-amazing. It was as if they had used some chalky non-dairy creamer in it. I didn't want to seem ungrateful, though, so I drank it anyways.

"I saw that you were still working out," he said, "so I put your robe in your locker. It's less than an hour until the ceremony begins. Are you going to have enough time to get ready?"

I could feel the sweat soaking through my shirt. I definitely didn't want to attend commencement smelling like pungent body odor. I had been planning to take a shower; it just needed to be a little speedier after the extended workout session.

We both headed into the locker room. Emerson explained that he had just finished checking the audio for the commencement; he truly was a tech nerd. He told me that he figured he would just change in the locker room as well, rather than going home. After all, we were only going to be wearing boxers under our robes.

We talked about our plans for after the ceremony while I quickly undressed. I had to cut him off as I made my way to the showers. I started to lather up; the foam contoured itself around the pumped-up muscles on my six-foot-three frame. I was hurrying, but I was feeling distracted as well.

I finished my shower and hastily dried myself off, after which I wrapped the towel around my waist. I made a quick detour to the nearby bank of sinks before heading to my locker. I gazed at my reflection; I wasn't sure if it was a moment of vanity, or if I just needed a second to slow things down after feeling a new pressure to hurry up.

My pecs looked massive, and my abs appeared more defined than they'd ever been. I'd been putting a lot of work into both of them. I'd really cut back on the carbs and sugar; I knew it seemed odd to some of my friends, but I knew I'd only be eighteen once, and I didn't want to miss out on anything. Girls loved my abs, and guys wished they had them. Simply put, they unlocked some doors.

I slid my hand across my stomach; it was still smooth. I'd been debating growing out my body hair again. I'd fallen into the habit of shaving it, even though I wasn't exactly covered in fur when I just let it be. I flexed my right bicep, watching it pump up to its full potential. It may not have been quite as large as Sam's, but I'd focused on the whole package, while he just wanted huge guns.

My bright green eyes reflected back at me; my short blond hair was still dewy with beads of water. I had been told I had a "masculine" face by a former girlfriend. When I'd asked her what that meant, she'd referenced my sharp jawline, prominent nose, and wider chin. I looked good; my skin was clear and I had just a hint of a tan. I was confident that I'd photograph well that day.

In hindsight, yes - probably a moment of vanity.

I snapped back to reality, and I made my way back to my locker.

As I'd expected, Emerson wasn't there anymore. I opened my locker and pulled out the robe. It was my first time seeing it; it was cheap fabric - a bit flimsier than I had assumed it would be - but the school was loaning them to us for free, so I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up that it'd be some fancy plush gown. I did like that there seemed to be at least some embellishment on it; there was a black velvet stripe down the entire length of each side. It seemed like an odd place to put a finishing touch, but it was better than nothing.

I removed the towel from my waist. I felt a slight vibration shoot through my dick as the cotton rubbed against it. What was that? I thought. I wasn't normally that sensitive to such minor stimulation. I could see my soft five inches starting to ever-so-slightly chub up beneath my trimmed blond patch. I chalked it up to the excitement of the day - adrenaline, not actual horniness.

I pulled my green plaid boxers from my locker and yanked them up my bulky thighs. They were tight, but not too tight. They were comfortable and looked good on me; I had a feeling at least a few photos would feature them. It made me chuckle thinking of the five of us with robes and caps from the waist up and boxers with dress shoes and socks from the waist down.

I found the small zipper on the front of the robe. I undid it and stepped into it. I could feel the scratchy fabric on my skin as I pulled it on. I was trying to line up the zipper when I heard the locker room door opening. I managed to zip it up right as I heard footsteps approaching me from behind.

"My grandma is so excited," Diego said. "She spent most of yesterday evening making empanadas. You'll have to stop by after graduation. I know they'd love to meet my friends."

I turned to see that Diego was talking with Emerson. Diego's smile was beaming as he spoke about his family. They reached the wooden bench behind me then lingered there without sitting down.

"Where did you head off to while I was showering?" I asked Emerson.

I pulled the coffee from where I had placed it inside of my locker before my shower. I took another gulp; it was lukewarm, but I needed the caffeine.

"I just stepped outside to take a call," he replied. "It's such a nice day."

Emerson and Diego were both dressed in their robes. I felt a small wave of exhilaration wash over me. I always had mixed emotions about doing pranks; a part of me would get excited thinking about the absurdity of them, and another part worried about what might go wrong. I tried to let myself lean into the excitement.

"We should probably head out there," Diego said. "The ceremony will be starting soon, so we should go join the line with the other students. I'm sure Ace and Sam already saved us a spot with them."

I appreciated that our school let students graduate with their friends. I knew that a lot of other ceremonies had students line up by last name. I really didn't want to spend that morning sitting next to people I hadn't gotten to know in the past four years.

"But Hunter doesn't know about the change in plans," Emerson said.

"Oh, right," Diego agreed.

I could feel my brow furrow; I wondered what they were talking about. I didn't think that they would bail on the plan to wear our boxers under our robes. It wasn't really our group's style to not follow through with a prank.

"Ace and Sam were talking this morning," Emerson said. "They got each other worked up about the prank. You know how they are always trying to prove that the other one is not as much of a badass..."

I did indeed. Sam and Ace were the two in our group with the biggest egos and the least amount of concern for things that could go wrong. I swallowed the last bit of the coffee and placed the cup on the bench.

"... so," Emerson continued, "they decided that it would be so much more epic if we ditched the boxers altogether."

What the hell? I thought as I felt myself get a little more nervous. I'd felt the underwear idea was funny, but going commando seemed excessive. I started to think about my family. It was weird imagining being around them completely naked under my robe after the ceremony. I could see that Emerson was staring at me, waiting for my response; I wondered if he could tell I wasn't feeling excited about the idea.

"I mean it's kind of funny," Emerson said, "but I think the more important part is that it will make it so much easier to moon the camera. We won't have to struggle with grabbing our boxers under our robes in a split second and yanking them down before they take the picture. We just have to turn around and pull up the robes. Nobody will be tipped off to what we are doing like if they see five of us all reaching under our robes at the same time."

I guessed what he was saying was true, but I still didn't feel great about having to be so close to being exposed as everyone lingered on the football field taking pictures with friends and loved ones. I was curious if Diego was feeling the same way, or if I was being paranoid. I knew he cared about the ceremony as much as I did.

"What do you think, Diego?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said. "It all seems stupid to me... but Ace and Sam were going on about how it will be our final high school prank together. I guess it's fine."