Jana's voice answered Megan's knock. "Come in." From within the room, the sound of a door being slammed could be heard.

Amy's heart thundered as Megan pushed open the door to the room. Come on, Amy, she told herself. You can do this.

The aroma of popcorn hit Amy's nostrils at once. Jana was halfway to the door, a big grin on her face. " 'Lissa's in the bathroom. I think she's checking her makeup one more time or something." Probably in semi-panic mode, thought Amy. Like me. That explained the door slamming.

Jana was bubbly with excitement. "Did you decide what movie you want to see? Megan was saying probably a comedy. Something light, anyway."

Megan elbowed Amy. "Any ideas?"

Amy shook her head helplessly. She knew her voice would be shaking if she tried speaking.

Jana suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm making you stand in the doorway. Come in! I'm sorry, there's not many places to sit. It's not as big as you guys' room. We can all just sit on the bed, if that's okay."

Just the one bed, Amy noticed. That relieved her, to a small extent. At least Melissa wasn't so single-mindedly focused on Amy that she wouldn't even sleep with Jana.

Megan suggested, "Maybe that one where the girl falls in love with her executioner..." She stopped as the bathroom door opened, and Melissa stepped out, looking both excited and a little terrified.

Amy froze. She tried to breathe, but her diaphragm was paralyzed. She shot a look at Megan, who looked as astonished as Amy felt. Megan gave a quick headshake, clearly saying No, I had no idea she was going to go this far.

Melissa had been to the hair salon, where they had straightened and dyed her hair. The style, the golden color, were Miranda's. Amy, amazed, saw Melissa had even had them dye her eyebrows. A complete job.

Megan doesn't even know the half of it, Amy realized, as her eyes dropped down to look at the rest of Melissa. Megan was only familiar with Miranda's face.

The golden halter top, the ultra-short skirt. The gold-colored sandals. They looked identical to...

Melissa easily read Amy's thought. "They told me it's the same outfit my sister wore to her hanging. Beth brought it back with her afterwards." She looked down and adjusted the drape of the cloth over her breasts, and looked back up at Amy with a tentative grin. "It fits."

It does indeed, thought Amy.

Even that subtle difference in the shape of her chin seemed to add to the impression, rather than subtract. It simply made her look like a more-determined-than-usual Miranda. Not at all inappropriate, considering the situation.

The heavy metal First Year slave collar was the sole exception to an otherwise perfect Miranda impression. She might have covered that with a golden choker, Amy realized. Maybe she wanted to hang onto that one piece of her own identity.

Megan cleared her throat. "Jana, what do you think of watching the movie down in my room?" She picked up one of the huge bowls of popcorn. "And stay over so we can get to know each other."

Amy, her eyes still glued to Melissa, couldn't see Jana's face, but she could hear everything she needed to know in Jana's voice. Like every other Academy girl, especially the First Years, Jana regarded Megan in worshipful awe, both for her legendary abilities and her astounding body. Spending a night alone with Megan went beyond anything she'd imagined could ever really happen. All of this was in her whispery, "Sure, I'd like that."

Amy heard the door closing. She was barely able to remember whose departure it signified. She only knew it meant she was alone with Melissa.

She continued staring helplessly as Melissa walked towards her, took her hand and guided her to the bed. She couldn't think of a response other than a nod when Melissa said, "I think we should talk."

After a few moments of silence, Melissa began speaking, looking at the floor. "I think I could always tell how much Miranda meant to you. I'm so proud my sister could have that much effect on anybody. But I didn't really know how it might be affecting the way you acted towards me." She looked up at Amy. "It's true, what Megan told me, right? About... what you've got going on, in your head?" She tapped her own head.

Amy nodded, and finally managed to speak. "Megan knows me better than anybody."

Melissa nodded. "You're really lucky to have her as your roommate. In a lot of ways."

Amy managed a small smile. "More than I can count."

"Amy," Melissa started, then stopped, seeming to search for the right words. She went on after a moment, "There are things you'd want to say to Miranda, if you could. Right?"

"I... I do talk to her. A lot. I always have."

"But she doesn't answer back."

"Well..." Amy looked down. "I get... thoughts, in my head, and I feel like she put them there. She's helped me so many times."

Melissa stared at Amy until Amy finally looked up. "Amy, you know my dad brought home some of Miranda's meat. I have her inside me. Talk to her. She's here now."

Looking at Melissa. Looking at Melissa. A feeling washed over Amy that went far beyond anything she'd experienced with Miranda's head. An overwhelming sense of presence. "M-Miranda... I want to thank you."

The girl, the beautiful live golden girl in front of Amy smiled. "For what?"

"For... everything. Being here." Amy gestured at her surroundings -- the Academy. "Being part of all this. Everything that's happened since I met you."

A tiny head-shake. "You're here because of who you are. All of the abilities you needed are inside you. I didn't give you those. I only saw them."

"But... you helped me see them!"

A bigger smile. "I'm so glad I could do that."

Automatically, Amy reached out to stroke Miranda's hair, like soft, spun gold, as she had so many times. But now Miranda's head gave warmth to Amy's hand. She could see Miranda's eyes blink. See Miranda's lips twitch upward into another smile. She was here. She was alive.

Her face. Miranda's face. Amy couldn't look away. She could see nothing else. Couldn't see the walls of the tent she knew she and Miranda were in. The tent on the grounds of her father's house. Couldn't hear the murmurs of conversations among the guests at Andrew's party, though she knew they were just outside, a few feet away. Couldn't hear Andrew's footsteps as he approached the tent, for his time with his slave before her hanging.

But now, Amy knew, Andrew wasn't coming. The story was rewritten. Amy could have all the time she wanted with Miranda. No one would interrupt.

Soft lips were suddenly against Amy's, warm, wet, moving.

Amy was more familiar than anyone but another Hanging Girl with the body's most basic requirement. She had trained herself to set aside her need for air, taking in what she could get in the tiniest sips, letting herself be satisfied with far less than the minimum, burying the feelings of panic that any untrained person would give in to, until at last the platform supported her again and let her breathe, and her body's need could burst forth in great heaves of her chest.

That was as close as she could come to describing the sudden fire of passion she felt now -- the bursting forth of a long pent-up need, as crucial as air, a need to be with Miranda, to stroke her body and feel her respond, to kiss her and feel the kiss returned. Amy was barely aware she was moaning helplessly, every square inch of her skin alive and pulsating, tingling, as she and Miranda felt each other with their fingertips, first lightly but then more urgently, tasted each other with their lips and tongues, each sensing the other between her legs and deep within. All of the joys she had experienced since meeting Miranda -- learning she'd been accepted into the Academy, passing the Fifteen, earning Megan's love and giving it in return... Amy could share all of that happiness with Miranda now, without words, letting the movements of her body do all of her talking for her. There were so many of those joys, and Amy could take her time expressing every one of them with her body, until the culminating explosion for which "orgasm" was such a completely inadequate word.

Amy wasn't sure how long she had been lying quietly there on her side, facing Melissa, fondly stroking Melissa's hip with her hand, her lips pressed against Melissa's. Not very long, she decided. We're both still soaked with sweat. It occurred to Amy they were both naked. She had no memory of how or when they had got that way. Though she was sure it had been early on. She knew every square millimeter of the girl she was holding. With all of her senses.

Melissa's eyes opened, just an inch from Amy's own, and Amy could feel, with her lips, Melissa's curl up into a smile. Melissa said softly, "Thank you," her voice muffled by Amy's mouth.

Amy kissed her, and backed away just enough to speak clearly. "I want to say thank you too, but I could never say it enough. There aren't enough words. Or enough time in a lifetime." She felt her eyes sting with tears.

Melissa closed her eyes, her smile spreading, and tightened her arms around Amy. "Don't worry about it."

Amy stroked Melissa's hair. "Could you promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

Amy let some of Melissa's hair wrap around her finger. "Could you have them put your hair back like it was? The way it is naturally?"

Melissa frowned suddenly. "Didn't you like it?"

Amy squeezed her with both arms. "I love it more than you can ever imagine. But the next time we make love, I want to be with Melissa."

Melissa's eyes flew open wide. "The next time?" The look on her face said everything. Please, please don't be kidding.

Amy smiled. "First of many, I hope." She reached beyond her head to pull a pillow towards her and slide it under both their heads. Clouds of exhaustion were already fogging her senses. She kissed Melissa again. "Night, Melissa. Thank you. Thank you." One kiss later, she was asleep with Melissa in her arms.

THE NEXT MORNING

Amy waited with Melissa outside the door to her own room, listening at the crack. She whispered, "I don't hear anything. They might still be asleep." Making as little sound as possible, she turned the knob and eased the door open.

Amy started to walk in, then stopped, startled, and choked back a laugh. Behind her, Melissa gasped and jammed her hands in her mouth to keep from laughing.

The two girls on the bed were, indeed, both still sound asleep. Both naked, of course. Megan was lying on her stomach on top of Jana, her head cushioned by Jana's breasts. Jana was on her back, her arms stretched straight beyond her head, squeezing her ears, her wrists joined by handcuffs, with a rope around the central link in the cuffs securing them to the headboard. Her legs were spread as wide apart as the bed would allow, her ankles secured with ropes to the corners of the bed.

The slight sounds of Amy's and Melissa's entrance had just now awakened Megan, who stirred slightly and stretched her muscles sleepily. She turned her head to look at the door, rubbed her eyes, and smiled. "Morning, hon."

Beneath her, Jana moved her head, yawned, mumbled unintelligibly, and then suddenly became aware that she and Megan were not alone. Her eyes flew open, and the sudden spasm of her whole body nearly threw Megan onto the floor. Her face was suddenly bright red. The handcuffs clinked as she tried once again to pull her hands free, then gave up.

Megan kissed the girl's neck and stroked her arm to calm her. "It's okay, Jana, really. Do you want me to let you go?"

In a tiny voice, Jana said, "Yes, please." After a pause, she went on, "I need to go to the bathroom."

As soon as Megan released her, she bolted into the bathroom and threw the door closed.

Amy gave Megan a quizzical look. "Why's it such a big deal?" She grinned. "You guys looked really adorable, by the way."

Megan smiled back and shrugged. "This was something new to her."

Amy blinked. "Your idea?"

Megan shook her head. "That's not what I meant. She just hadn't tried it before."

Amy looked at Melissa, who still wore an amazed look. "What, you didn't know?"

Melissa shook her head slowly. "I had no idea. We never talked about anything like that." A smile slowly spread on her face. "We'll definitely try out some stuff, though."

Megan laughed softly. "I knew she hadn't told Melissa. She didn't even know herself. It was a really deep, subconscious thing. I could tell there was something she wanted, but it took me at least half an hour to figure out what it was." Megan seemed a little piqued that the secret had eluded her for so long. Videos of Megan's party sessions with guests, in which she divined their sexual needs almost instantly, were often used for classroom instruction, the whole class watching while Megan pointed out the guest's "tells".

Maybe that was part of the reason for Jana's reaction just now, thought Amy. At eighteen, coming to terms with your sexual identity can be a confusing process. "So I gather she really liked it."

Megan gave Amy a big grin. "After about her tenth orgasm I decided she probably liked it, yeah." She turned to Melissa. "We didn't get around to trying a blindfold, and I didn't have a ball gag handy, but get those for when you do it. I promise she'll like it. And they have soft leather cuffs at the student store, if you're going to do this a lot."

Melissa nodded. Amy could tell she was getting very aroused.

The bathroom door opened and Jana, still blushing, came out, as if she'd finally decided she couldn't stay in there forever. Amy, still not satisfied she knew all of the reason Jana had been so embarrassed, saw significance in the fact Jana was avoiding looking at Melissa. Amy rubbed Melissa's back and whispered to her, "Go tell her it's okay."

As Jana bent to pick up her panties and shorts and started pulling them on, Melissa walked over and gave her a hug. "I'm really glad you had fun."

Jana finally looked at her, suddenly hopeful. "You're not mad?"

Ah, Amy thought, the last puzzle piece. She's totally in love with Melissa. She couldn't bear Melissa catching her in sex play that went far beyond anything she and Melissa had tried, with a girl she barely knew.

Melissa blinked. "Mad at what?"

Jana sighed heavily, and retrieved her uniform bra. "We both promised we wouldn't have secrets from each other."

Melissa made a gesture of exasperation and kissed her. "It doesn't count as a secret if you didn't even know it yourself!"

Megan suddenly said, "Oh!" as if she'd just thought of something. "Jana, I want to start working with you at practicing hanging with your feet tied together. We all do a little of that occasionally, just in case. But I think you should get to be your class' expert in that, so you can teach the finer points to the other girls."

Amy frowned. "She can't do a lot of your sexual moves with her legs together."

Megan nodded. "I know, but I want to work out a new choreography for exactly that. Every year there's at least one buyer who wants to tie the girl's ankles. There's no reason we can't figure out how to give them a better show than they get now." She turned back to Jana. "You willing?"

Jana nodded, wide-eyed. "Oh, yes! I'd love that!" She hadn't really needed to say anything. Amy had seen how the girl's face lit up at the first mention of the idea.

Amy suggested, "Why don't you two go back to your room and do all your morning stuff, and we'll meet you in the caf for breakfast at about..." She looked at the clock. "Nine, say."

Melissa and Jana both glowed. "Sure!" Jana looked around to see if she'd forgotten anything, and retrieved the now-empty popcorn bowl.

Amy walked over to Melissa, put her arms around her and gave her a warm kiss. "Thank you so much, again."

Melissa hugged her tightly. "You're really welcome."

Once the girls were gone, Megan grinned at Amy. "I guess your night went well."

Amy took both of Megan's hands in her own as she faced her, looked in her eyes, and said slowly, "I really owe you."

Megan smiled and shook her head briefly. "All paid a long time ago." She kissed Amy, then turned towards the bathroom. "I'll get a shower started while you get your clothes off."

The door opened suddenly, and Linda breezed in, her nightie and hair looking a little disheveled. She grinned at both of them. "Hey! 'D I miss anything?"

FOUR WEEKS LATER

Linda followed Amy out of the bathroom, naked, looking even a little paler than usual, but satisfied. "Okay, check 'enema' off the list."

Megan picked up the checklist. "You're totally cleared out?"

Linda giggled. "I'd better be. Feel like I've lost about five pounds." Steffi Bloom had been hesitant about whether "Zoey" would have an opportunity for a bowel movement during her two-day captivity. Linda had decided that a last-minute enema before embarking from the Academy would eliminate the need during her two days in the dungeon.

She went to the bed, where her outfit was laid out, picked up the expensive panties and slipped them on. "Oh, hey, where are the shoes?"

Amy started. "Oh, sorry. I put them away in a drawer. Hold on." She retrieved them as Linda zipped up the short pleated red skirt.

Megan helped Linda fasten the bra, a sexy half-cup push-up model, and Amy handed her the blouse, a short-puffy-sleeved white cotton pullover, with a straight-across neckline cut low enough to show the top halves of her breasts, elastic bands in the sleeves securing it to leave her shoulders bare. She slipped on the sandals, in red matching the skirt, knelt to crisscross the bands over her instep and buckled them above her ankle. She looked up at Megan. "Shades?"

Megan handed her the dark glasses with oversized lenses.

Linda put them on and stood upright, turning slowly for her friends. "How do I look?"

The three of them had spent a long time discussing clothing options. Megan had suggested a sexy red strapless evening gown, but it wouldn't fit with the cover story of the circumstances of Zoey's kidnapping. Amy had thought something dowdy might be appropriate, signifying Zoey-incognito, but Linda had been adamant that Zoey hated going unrecognized, in addition to the difficulty it would cause for Linda in trying to project Zoeyness. They had finally settled on a casual, though expensive, ensemble that Zoey might wear for a recreational drive in her car.

The shades were not for disguise. They were, in Linda's words, for cool.

Amy sighed in appreciation. "You look absolutely perfect, Zoey."

Linda grinned. "That's what I like. A yes-girl."

Megan looked down at the paper, and grinned triumphantly. "We're down to the last thing on the list!" She went to get the collar from the drawer.

Linda had not worn a collar of any sort for a month. She had resisted the idea of wearing one while travelling to Steffi's dungeon, complaining again that it would interfere with her Zoey self-image, but couldn't escape the need to be clearly marked as a slave when she went out in public. It was a silky red choker-type collar, which would be replaced by something entirely different once they arrived on-site. As a compromise worked out with the dean, it lacked the usual "property of" legend, and simply sported the Academy logo.

Linda looked at Megan. "For real? We didn't miss anything? I'm counting on you guys."

Megan looked at the list one more time. "Everything is checked off." She looked at the clock. "And we should be getting out of here."

Linda turned slowly for one last look around the room, her home for over a month and a reminder of all the love she had shared with Amy and Megan. She nodded to herself and then grinned. "Okay, let the show begin."

They went to the exit by way of the Party Pavilion, so that all of the students, including the First Years who couldn't leave the secured area, could be there to say farewell. Usually all of the girls got their goodbyes out of their system early and allowed a Hanging Girl and her entourage for the hanging a private departure, but this was different.

Only a few of the girls came forward, the rest hanging back and waving, shouting "Goodbye, Zoey!" Three girls were holding a banner that read, "WE LOVE YOU, ZOEY!"

Cheryl, with her new roommate Patricia, with whom she'd moved in after Becky's hanging, caught up with Linda near the door. Cheryl sighed, "It's been so great having you here, Zoey." Stacia shoved the inevitable paper and pen at her, and Linda signed the first of several Zoey autographs cheerfully, asking names of some of the girls for the fifth or sixth time. Jackie grinned at Amy, shrugged and called out, "Don't forget to ask them if they need any technical advisors for the movie."

Amy spotted Melissa and Jana, holding hands, hanging back a little, not wanting to insert themselves into the drama that was clearly Linda's show. Melissa, her hair long since returned to its natural color, mouthed "I love you" at Amy, who smiled and mouthed back the same.

As for Jana, it was easy to read what she was thinking about. Last week, she had spent an entire night tied up, fondled, and licked by Zoey Hillcrest. It was clearly something she'd remember the rest of her life.

Linda finally put her hands up and said, "I've loved meeting all of you. I've got to go because I'm meeting some people for lunch, but I promise I'll never forget you!" Leaving behind a chorus of goodbyes, she finally made it out the door, Amy and Megan behind her, both carrying satchels of necessities.

Amy smiled at Big Bill, their driver/bodyguard for the adventure. Amy always liked seeing Bill, the only other remaining person at the Academy who had been at Miranda's hanging. Once they had stowed their luggage and piled together into the second row of seats, he started the limo and drove it slowly out to the street. Amy, as usual, looked back to watch the Academy shrink behind them into the distance.

She looked at Linda, who was watching the scenery, lit by the late morning sun, through eyes wide and bright behind the shades. Yes, Amy thought, she has that same glow. Exactly like Laney. Exactly like Beth. Exactly like Miranda.