The Nerd Ascension Pt. 01

"She'll be dealt with?" Brooke asked. "How so?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Mark said. "Emily will bring you up to speed on all that. You'll be paid double what you earned at your other job, and you can go back to teaching any time you want."

"I'll take the second option," Brooke said. "Without a doubt."

"Hold on," Mark said. "The second option comes at a price."

"A price," Brooke responded nervously. "What kind of price?"

"Well," Mark said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You participated in Janice's games in college. You helped her humiliate several other guys and me too if I remember correctly."

"Yeah," Brooke added. "You already know I did that to help my father. I helped you too."

"I do know that," Mark agreed. "Your motivation was beyond reproach, but that doesn't mean your actions were without consequence."

"Consequence?" Brooke responded. "You want to punish me. Is that it? I helped Janice humiliate you, and you expect me to pay."

"I want justice," Mark corrected. "It wouldn't be equitable for us to ask Janice to make things right if you're not willing to do the same. Would it?"

Brooke looked down at the floor. Her skin was burning under the plush white robe. "What do I have to do?"

"Tomorrow night," Mark answered. "You're going to have some friends over, and you're going to put on a show for them."

"What friends," Brooke asked. "What kind of a show?"

"Emily will go through the details with you," Mark said. "Unfortunately, I need your answer right now. You can go back to your teaching job tomorrow, or you can start working for me the day after tomorrow."

"But if I come to work for you," Emily clarified. "I'll be humiliated in front of my friends?"

"I'm afraid those are your options," Mark said. "And you have to decide right now."

"Can you at least tell me who'll be at this party?" Brooke asked.

"Sorry," Mark answered. "I can't tell you that, and I hate to press you like this. I do need a decision now, though."

Brooke dropped her head into her hands. Her temperature was rising. "Okay. I'll do it."

Chapter Three

Brooke sat at her kitchen table flipping through her phone. She was mortified by what was about to happen even though it was something she had agreed to and had even helped plan. Despite her hopes to the contrary, she already had several confirmations to her social media invitation. She was about to host a house full of guests who would be in for more than they ever could have expected.

As part of her agreement with Mark, Brooke had sent out online invitations to all the teachers at the multiple schools she used to teach at. The message only said that she was hosting a retirement party celebrating her exit from the teaching world. The notice gave no indication that she intended to humiliate herself in front of her former friends and co-workers.

Brooke's life had changed two days earlier when she was laid off from her fourth teaching job in ten years. She knew Janice, a former friend from college, was behind the termination. In fact, Janice had been tormenting Brooke since their time together at the university.

For better or worse, Emily and Mark, two other college acquaintances, offered to help Brooke not only regain employment but also put an end to Janice's torment. However, their support came with a price.

Before Mark would help Brooke with her Janice problem, he insisted that Brooke make amends for her role in humiliating him while they were in college together a decade earlier.

According to Brooke's agreement, she would host a get-together with her former colleagues. At the gathering, she was expected to put herself through the same sort of humiliation she helped thrust upon Mark. He didn't give her any specific guidelines for the event but instead warned that she would have to try again if she went too easy on herself. With no intention of enduring a second evening of humiliation, she intended to make this party count.

"Fifteen," Brooke whispered to herself as she looked at her phone again. She was flabbergasted that so many of her former co-teachers were planning to attend her party. Several of the RSVP's were from people she barely knew or hadn't seen her in years.

Brooke slammed her phone on the table and started pacing around her kitchen. She was having second thoughts. She considered the consequences of reneging on her arrangement with Mark. Could she fend off Janice without his help? Would dealing with Janice be worse than going through her evening of humiliation?

With almost two hours left before her party was set to begin, Emily knocked on Brooke's front door. Emily was certainly there to ensure that the former teacher followed through with the plan and that she was adequately humiliated before night's end. Brooke's opportunity for backing out had passed.

"Emily," Brooke said nervously as she greeted her guest. "You're awful early. Aren't you?"

"Is that a problem?" Emily responded coldly. She looked up and down her host making a mental note of Brooke's blue jeans and tank top. In contrast, Emily was wearing a professional blue skirt suit with a light blue blouse. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"I will," Brooke said. "I have almost two hours. What's the hurry?"

"That's up to you," Emily said. "I just hope you take tonight seriously. We don't want to go through this again. Do we?"

"No," Brooke agreed. "We don't."

"All right, then," Emily insisted taking a seat at the kitchen table. She grabbed an orange from a fruit bowl and dug her nails into its skin. "You better go get ready."

"What do you think?" Brooke asked. "I mean what do you think I should wear?"

"That's up to you," Emily said. "Just make it count. I can't caution you enough against trying to half-ass this thing. Mr. Griffin is expecting something dramatic."

"You can't give me any ideas?" Brooke begged. "I don't want to disappoint Mark. What will it take to make him happy?"

"I can't say," Emily replied. "Mr. Griffin will make up his own mind. If you need my help at some point, I'll be here. Just know that Mr. Griffin will be the final say on whether your performance is acceptable or not."

Brooke thought about arguing with Emily but understood that Mark, or Mr. Griffin, was making the decisions. In a way, Brooke was glad he wouldn't be attending her party. In another way, his absence, along with the lack of clear direction, made her very nervous.

Brooke left Emily alone in the kitchen and headed to the master bedroom. As much as she needed to prepare for her evening, Brooke wanted a few more minutes of alone time. The thought of someone else lording over the event didn't sit well with her. This was especially the case considering that Mark had the final and only say as to whether her humiliation was adequate. Emily's presence was superfluous at best.

Brooke closed the door to her bedroom and stared at the shopping bag on her bed. She had invested the better part of her morning purchasing accessories for her performance. She had never used most of the items she had purchased. It didn't feel right that her first time would be in front of an audience, let alone a gathering of former co-workers.

While Brooke had a basic plan for her eventual performance, she wasn't sure how to greet her guests. Since many of her invitees were simply work acquaintances, they would hardly be expecting her to answer the door completely naked or even in some skimpy lingerie.

Brooke had initially been leaning toward greeting her guests in a black lace thong and bra. As zero hour approached, she worried about starting her evening out in such a risqué outfit. She decided instead to adorn a red velvet bodysuit she had purchased the year before but never had the courage to wear. She figured it was sexy enough to make a statement but would leave something for her grand performance.

Realizing she had to get moving, Brooke jumped into the shower to wash her hair and get ready for the party. She reminded herself that, while it was going to be a terrible evening, she would finally be able to put Janice in her rightful place. The idea of getting even a little revenge would make all the suffering and humiliation Brooke was about to endure worth it; at least, that's what the former school teacher was telling herself.

Brooke let the shower run through her straight blonde hair then down her back and legs. The warm rushing water soothed her body and relaxed her mind; it was as if time was standing still, as if she had hit the pause button on her life. The last couple of days were some of the toughest she had endured, and she was facing what would likely be the most humiliating night of her life. At the very least, her shower's privacy provided momentary solace.

Brooke knew she couldn't stall too much longer. It would only be a matter of time before Emily would pound on the bedroom door. Brooke gave herself another minute to enjoy the warm water then forced herself back to reality. It was time to get ready.

Brooke wrapped herself in a large white towel and proceeded to dry her hair. Unlike the rest of her house, the master bathroom was a mess. Typically, with company visiting, Brooke would worry about the clutter; tonight was hardly a typical evening, however.

After brushing her hair, Brooke put on some makeup. In contrast to her days in college, the twenty-eight-year-old never wore much in the way of cosmetics. She would generally apply a thin layer of foundation, some eye liner, and a muted tone of lipstick.

"Brooke," Emily yelled through the bedroom door with a not-so-subtle knock. "Brooke, are you ready? Your guests'll be here any minute."

"Just a second," Brooke yelled with more than a hint of attitude. "I'll be there in a second."

"Okay," Emily returned. "Just hurry up."

Brooke shoved her bag of props under the bed and picked up the red velvet body suit. Nervously, she loosened the towel's fold around her chest and let it fall to the floor. Even alone in her room, she felt exposed and on display. "You can do this," she promised herself. "Just a few more hours, and this'll all be over."

Brook stepped into the bodysuit. She had originally purchased the red velvet outfit on a whim a few years earlier. She had planned to wear it with jeans but, ironically, decided it was more revealing than she felt comfortable with in public. The bodysuit had long sleeves and a plunging neckline. If her marginal tits were any larger, the v-cut would never contain her cleavage. The suit fit snugly between her legs but covered most of her ass. Fortunately, her body type was perfect for such an ensemble.

While the bodysuit hardly left Brooke exposed, it would be enough to capture her guests' imagination as they filled her house. She expected some questions and comments about her lack of clothing but planned to laugh them off—at least initially.

Brooke took one last moment to inspect herself in the mirror. She looked sexy, slutty even, but her key parts were, for the time being, completely covered. She couldn't hide away in her bedroom anymore. It was time to face Emily.

"Wow," Emily said as Brooke stepped out of her bedroom. "Don't you look cute?"

"Thanks," Brooke replied. Her hands instinctively wrapped around her body. "You think this'll be okay?"

"That's up to you," Emily responded. She took Brooke by the hand and escorted her into the living room and to a console table by the wall. Emily pointed out a black decorative globe by a stack of books. "I've set up hidden cameras around your house. Mr. Griffin isn't going to be here tonight, but he'll be watching from his office. If he's happy with your performance, he'll meet with you tomorrow and discuss his plans for dealing with Janice."

Brooke looked nervously into the globe. As she leaned down, Brooke held her bodysuit's neckline in place to prevent her boobs from spilling out. "And if Mark's not happy?"

"That's up to you," Emily said resting a comforting hand on Brooke's crooked back. "Then you can try again or give up."

"Why can't you just tell me what to do?" Brooke begged while straightening her body and turning to Emily. "Wouldn't that be easier? It's not like I could deny you anyway."

"That's not how this works," Emily answered. "You have to show Mr. Griffin how far you're willing to go. I could tell you what to do, but there's no guarantee Mr. Griffin will be okay with it."

"Whatever," Brooke said stepping away from Emily. "He's just fucking with me. That's all."

"Frankly, it doesn't matter," Emily responded following after Brooke. Emily wrapped her arm firmly around Brooke's shoulders. "Mr. Griffin doesn't worry himself about whether or not people approve of his methods. If he believes it's the right thing to do, that's all that matters to him."

Brooke opened her mouth to protest but realized she had nothing to say.

"Buzz, Buzz," The grinding doorbell sounded off. It was still fifteen minutes before the party was to begin, but someone was already requesting entrance.

Emily smiled and let go of Brooke. "It sounds like your first guest is here. It's show time."

Brooke's throat tightened; her bare feet felt heavy against the shag carpet. She forced herself to walk out of the living room toward the front door. She reminded herself that this would all be over in a few hours and that Janice's comeuppance was still to come. Brooke intended to keep Janice in mind as she fought through her humiliation.

Brooke looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Thomas Riley. He was a quiet, skinny guy who wanted to be a college professor but couldn't quite cut it. He settled instead for teaching grade school English. During their time teaching together, she hardly said ten words to him. In addition to being socially awkward, he was in his upper forties and didn't have anything at all in common with the younger teachers. Yet here he was at the front door.

"Hi, Thomas," Brooke said forcing a smile. She tried to hide behind the door as much as possible. Even though she wasn't naked, she didn't want any of her neighbors seeing her dressed like this. Having Thomas see this outfit was degrading enough.

"Uh, hi," Thomas returned. Perhaps thrown off by Brooke's wardrobe, the forty-something teacher couldn't make eye contact. Instead, he just stepped past his host and made his way to the living room.

Brooke followed behind Thomas and sat quietly on the sofa beside Emily. Neither woman made any attempt to talk with the older man who was fiddling with his phone on the recliner.

After almost ten minutes of awkward silence, the doorbell buzzed once again. Brooke was happy to get out of the living room even if that meant more participants for her upcoming exhibition.

Brooke let Jessica and Tamara, two ladies who started teaching the same year as Brooke, into her house. Jessica offered Brooke an off-handed compliment about how cute her bodysuit would look with a nice pair of jeans. Rather than responding to the slam, Brooke led the ladies into her living room and set them down beside Thomas. She never cared for Jessica or Tamara but had to remain a cordial host nonetheless.

Bobby Jones and Marino Garcon, both veteran teachers in their late thirties, harkened impatiently at the front door. After the requisite pleasantries, they followed behind Brooke to the living room; the two guys made no secret of checking out her velvet bodysuit's rear view. As quickly as possible, Brooke offered the guys a seat and moved on. While exiting the living room, she still felt Marino's gaze tracking her slightly exposed ass.

As the guests continued to funnel into Brooke's house, she passed out drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The gathering forced together diverse personalities never intended to associate outside the schoolhouse. Even though the invitees were all teachers, hardly anyone mingled or chatted.

Over the next hour, another ten guests joined Brooke's party. Philip and Jeff, a couple of guys who had worked with Brooke at her first school, brought two of their friends who weren't invited to the party or even teachers. Susan and Jenny were recent college graduates who had worked with Brooke only a few months in her final teaching job. Meg and Tracy were about the same age as Brooke even though she hardly remembered them from her second teaching position. Seth, who knew Brooke from two of her jobs, was probably the only guest she would actually consider a friend. Unfortunately for Brooke, he brought his new fiancé, Jill, who insisted on accompanying him to the event.

About thirty minutes after the designated starting time and once most of her RSVP's were accounted for, Brooke assumed her audience was officially assembled. She excused herself momentarily and headed to her bedroom. She had to get her bag of accessories, but, more so, she wanted to minute to collect herself before beginning the toughest part of her evening.

Brooke sat on her bed and looked through her props and toys. Even after all her preparation, she wasn't sure she could go through with her plan. Brooke lay back on the queen-sized bed and rested her eyes. Through her bedroom door, she could hear her guests starting to socialize. As the group got to know each other and as alcohol served its purpose, the evening's initial awkwardness faded away. Her invitees were enjoying themselves, and for some reason, this bothered Brooke. The idea of her co-workers cooperatively joining forces to humiliate her was more than she could stomach. She lost track of time and would have drifted off to sleep if not for a polite knock on her bedroom door.

"Brooke," Emily whispered into the closed bedroom. "Are you okay? May I come in?"

Startled, Brooke sat up in her bed. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there. "Sure, Emily. Come on in."

Emily quietly entered Brooke's bedroom and shut the door behind her. She sat on the bed next to Brooke and wrapped her arm around Brooke's shoulder. "Everything's going to be all right," Emily insisted. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" Brooke responded. "Fuck nervous. I'm not doing this. Janice can go on screwing up my life. It can't be worse than this."

"You don't mean that," Emily consoled. She methodically turned around on Brooke's bed and looked at the trove of dildos, handcuffs, and other sexual devices. "Was all this for tonight?"

"It was," Brooke answered. "Not that it matters now."

"It does matter," Emily insisted. "You suck it up for the next few hours then you'll be free of Janice's bullshit forever. She'll finally get what's coming to her, and you'll have a new job working for Mr. Griffin."

"But I don't..."

"Get over it," Emily interrupted. "Don't forget everything Mr. Griffin suffered through in college. I played a part in his humiliation, and so did you. We put him through a hell of a lot more than what you're doing tonight. As far as I see it, you're getting off easy."

"That's true," Brooke conceded. "But I still don't know if I can do this. I just can't."

"No more negativity," Emily demanded. She stood to her feet with her hands on Brooke's shoulders. She offered a final word of encouragement. "You know what you have to do. I'll be by your side the whole way, but you have to do this. Just remember that your punishment is nothing compared to what Mr. Griffin has planned for Janice."

"That would be so sweet," Brooke responded. "I would so love to see that bitch pay for everything she put my family through."

"Good, then," Emily said. She grabbed Brooke's hands and pulled the former school teacher to her feet. "Use that anger, and get out there. Let's get this over with."

Chapter Four

"All right, everyone," Emily said to the group as she reentered the living room, Brooke in tow. "We have some activities planned for your entertainment. Gather 'round so we can get started."