ACADEMY GIRL - Book 3: Arrivals

Chapter 14


Amy sat in one of the seats in the demo room -- for the first time, she reminded herself. On both other occasions she'd been in the room, she'd had a special task to perform that had kept her standing throughout the event. She smiled, thinking how lucky she was to be sitting down this time. She'd only been able to start sitting again a few days before. The bruises on her butt had faded at last. Megan was beside Amy, holding her hand, her shoulder rubbing Amy's. Amy didn't feel any particular tenseness in Megan's grip -- as recently as a week ago Megan had inevitably displayed internal stress when surrounded by other students, as she concentrated consciously on throttling her previous instincts to belittle and humiliate them, and Amy found it a sign of progress that Megan seemed relaxed in this situation now.

Around them the other members of the First Year class were nearly all assembled, with just a last couple of stragglers now taking seats facing the empty area in which Susan had been hanged a month earlier.

Bridget finished checking off the last name on her list, and nodded to Gail, who stepped through one of the walkways between the two halves of the seating area and cleared her throat. In a few seconds the babble of students died to a murmur and then silence. All were listening as Gail started speaking, referring to and occasionally reading directly from notes so that she wouldn't leave anything out.

"Okay, your first party is coming up on Friday, so you've got three days to prepare for it. As you've been told, due to the size of the First Year class, only half of you will be needed to perform hostess duties. The other half of you will staff the video monitors to observe the activities and behavior of the hostesses. Those of you on monitor duty should keep in mind that you will have a number of different responsibilities. One, you'll be expected to protect the hostess you are observing, though in practice they are rarely in danger. Two, you'll write a short report later, summarizing your impressions of the hostess' performance." Gail smiled slightly. "We expect you to evaluate your hostess objectively, but if you do have some axe to grind and intend to grade your hostess unfairly, keep in mind there will be other people reporting on the same hostess, and the hostess can get even with you when you swap roles for the next party." There were some nervous titters at that.

Gail went on, "Three, and this is most important: you'll be expected to make your observations into a learning experience for yourself, just as the hostess will find herself in a valuable learning experience. As the hostesses learn by doing, those of you on monitor duty will learn by observing.

"The hostesses at this first party will be the students with the best grades, to this point, in your Sexuality class. Of course, in Sex class you have only responded in writing to questions about sexual theories and hypothetical situations. The parties are going to be your opportunity to show that you can perform as well in practice as you do on paper.

"Those of you who are hostesses: You have until Friday evening to get yourself ready for the party. I understand some of you have already scheduled appointments at the hair salon, and as usual there's been a rush on the cosmetics counter at the student store. Once you get your hair done and pick up your party outfits, I want you to stop by my room, in costume, so I can clear you for the party. All of our party costumes are sexy, but of course, not every costume is necessarily appropriate for every hairstyle or body type. Once I, or Bridget, give you clearance, you're good to go.

"Those of you serving as monitors should take the time over the next few days to familiarize yourself with the equipment. We don't like hearing while the party is in progress that you're having a hard time following your hostess partner with the camera, or can't hear what your hostess or any guest with her is saying. The time to be figuring out how to do all that is now.

"As you probably know, Sela Turner will be the student hanged at the party." Gail paused and looked around, seeing several solemn nods. "Her roommate Monique will be on monitor duty, but will be excused for the last hour to keep Sela company, and one of the Second Year students will fill in for her on the monitor. I know all of you will take some time in the next few days to say goodbye to Sela and give her some encouragement."

Everyone could see Sela sitting in the second row of seats, with Monique beside her, holding her hand. The girl on the other side of Sela patted her arm, and Sela smiled at her in return.

"Okay, now pay attention while I read out your assignments..."

Amy wasn't surprised to hear that both she and Megan would be on hostess duty. Wendy, a girl Amy knew vaguely, would be Amy's monitor, watching and listening electronically as Amy mingled with the guests and eventually took several to bed. Amy felt a thrill of anticipation as she visualized meeting some new people and getting to know them briefly -- and trying to read them, the way Miranda could. In Sex class, sensitivity to a guest's inner desires was indeed one of the topics, but it was understood that a special knack, such as Miranda had, was needed to become truly proficient at it.

Amy brought her mind back to the present, as Gail was reminding the girls about handing out their private-party chits. "You'll start out with three of them. As soon as a guest asks you to go private with him or her, give the guest one of your chits so the guest can use it to purchase a ticket, which we call validating the chit. Then lead the guest back to your assigned room, or he or she might meet you there. After your one-hour session with the guest, come back to the main party hall and mingle again. We know from long experience how many guests to expect, and most likely all of you will have at least two private parties. If you give out all three of your chits, tell any other guest who hits on you, very politely, that you've finished for the night. Don't worry about any guest getting mad -- they have to behave or they'll lose their membership. And they've all generally been to enough parties that they understand anyway."

Tammy asked in a puzzled voice, "Membership?" Amy blinked at the question, and was prepared when she felt Megan's sudden tight squeeze of her hand. There were a few muted snickers Amy could hear around the room, but no sound from Megan, nor any sign that Megan was incensed at a question no student would ask if she had read the student handbook in the expected degree of detail. Out of the corner of her eye Amy could see Jackie's head suddenly swivel towards Megan, watching, as she had lately, for any sign of the return of the old Megan.

Gail answered patiently, "Attendance at the parties is restricted to members of the Club, who have paid thousands of dollars for their membership, and that just gets them the right to purchase a ticket to come to the party -- and a ticket costs another thousand or so, so not all the members are going to come to every party. Validating a private party chit costs several hundred dollars as well, so you can feel very proud that one of the guests wants to spend time with you. Some, of course, will only be there to watch Sela hang."

Lucy said, "I guess membership is still cheaper than buying your own Hanging Girl, right? I was just thinking members kind of have a better deal than people who buy their own girl. They get to watch a lot of hangings, not just one, though the girls they see aren't fully-trained graduates, and they don't get to eat them."

Gail held up her hands. "Oh! I see what you're thinking. They didn't feel a need to make this point in the handbook, but anybody who buys a Hanging Girl also gets an automatic membership in the Club. So it really is a better deal to buy a girl..."

A roaring sound in Amy's ears drowned out the rest of Gail's answer, and she clenched Megan's hand so convulsively that Megan gasped in pain. Amy slowly became aware that Megan was stroking her arm, with a worried look on her face, whispering, "Amy? What's wrong? What happened?"

Feeling out of breath as if she'd just finished a practice hanging, almost shaking with the pounding of her heartbeats, Amy whispered back, "Later. I'll tell you later." Megan nodded and covered their interlocked hands with her free one, the first time Amy had experienced Megan trying to calm her down rather than the reverse. She could see a few more heads turned in her direction now, watching for a moment before turning back to Gail.

*   *   *   *   *

Safely back in their room, Megan closed the door and looked back at Amy. "Okay, what's going on? You're still whiter than your uniform."

Amy sank down on their bed, the recently acquired larger, shared bed, and wrapped herself with her arms, shivering. "I just... didn't know. My brother is a member. He can come to the parties." Since Miranda had been, technically, bought by Andrew, though with his father's money, his purchase of an Academy Girl would have bought him a membership in the Club.

Megan blinked. "You've got a brother? I didn't know that."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not like it's my favorite subject to talk about." She squeezed her eyes shut. "He never mentioned being a member. Well, we didn't used to talk much anyway, and by the time he might have said something..." She held herself more tightly and shuddered. "...he... he knew I was going to come here. I know... I know why he didn't tell me."

Megan came over to the bed and sat beside Amy, putting her arms around Amy. Amy began relaxing a little, and let Megan gently pull her head towards her until Amy's head rested on Megan's shoulder. Usually Amy couldn't be held by Megan without being aroused, but now she let herself sink into soothing warmth with no thoughts of sex. Megan asked softly, "Okay, why didn't he tell you?"

Amy sighed deeply. "How long till class?"

"Couple of hours."

"Okay. Maybe that'll be enough time."

She began talking. About Andrew. About the years of contempt and insults. About the sudden change in Andrews's behavior towards Amy when she'd treated herself to a makeover in preparation for interviewing at the Academy. About the way he'd started looking at her then, as if seeing her as a woman for the first time. About his frustration at having the object of his sudden desire so close to him but so out of reach. About his plans to capture her as his slave, for sex, for breeding, for amusement as he kept her locked away in chains in a secret underground bunker.

She was safe in the Academy, she knew. Andrew couldn't get her out. The only part of the student area he could get into was the party pavilion, which only had two entrances, both guarded -- one from the secured student area into which no guest could pass, the other from the public area, through which no student would be allowed. But if he rented her... she'd have to give him what he asked for. She'd felt so sure she was away from all that. She felt her lunch trying to leave her stomach.

Megan, after listening to it all intently, finally spoke. "Give me a signal, if you see him. I'll try to head him off. I'll put on all my charm." She grinned. "You haven't seen me when I really turn it on. And while I'm talking to him, try to give out all your chits really quick. Even if I can't hook him into a private session, I can delay him long enough. And he won't even suspect anything. We can do it at every party."

Amy sighed and put her arms around Megan. "Thank you so much. I'd rather have something sharp to throw at him, but if you'll throw yourself at him, that will help me out a lot."

"I can be pretty sharp sometimes."

"You've done a lot to smooth off some of the rough edges." She kissed Megan's neck softly. "And thank you again." Amy felt her sense of hopelessness beginning to evaporate. She realized that a major part of the atmosphere of the last months of her home life had been caused not just by Andrew's existence, but the complete absence of any help in dealing with him. Now she had help.

She began stroking Megan's back softly, reaching up to unhook Megan's bra as she kissed her shoulder. She said huskily, "About an hour left?"

Megan, breathing more deeply, her lips parted, nodded, reaching back to unhook Amy's bra. "Never long enough."

Amy kissed Megan's lips at last, reaching down to unzip her shorts, whispering, "It'll do."



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