The Exhibitionists, part 1

The Exhibitionists
Episode 1
Almost Sisters

Disclaimer: what follows is a work of fantasy. As such, I have chosen to set it in a world where birth control is 100% safe, effective, and available, and all STDs have been eradicated. In the real world, some of the choices these characters make would be extremely risky. Don’t behave like them.

Steph and I were BFFs. We had lived on the same property since Kindergarten, and we even had the same birthday. We basically did everything together – studying, sports. We had sleepovers almost every weekend. This is the story of our 16th birthday.

Steph’s dad was from China. He worked in the tech industry, making good but not great money. Her mom was a writer, making basically no money. They wanted good schools for Steph, so they stretched to buy a house in a neighborhood that they couldn’t really afford, but it had an in-laws’ apartment that they could rent out for extra money. That’s where we came in.

I was a surprise. My mom dropped out of college and moved back in with her parents to take care of me. When my dad finished college, they got married and he got a job out west, and we ended up renting from Steph’s parents. My mom has a lot of resentment that I prevented her from having the life she had hoped for, but she can’t bring herself to be angry at me, so it’s all directed at my dad.

Steph and I were both good students. She got a B once, and her dad almost killed her, so she was scared into studying hard all the time. I just knew how hard my parents worked to give me better opportunities, and I wanted to make them happy. So Steph had a little bit of a rebel streak, but only when she thought she could get away with it.

About a month before our 16th birthday, we were playing truth or dare at one of our sleepovers. We knew all each other’s secrets already, so we always chose dare. Usually, we dared each other to leave anonymous love notes in some boy’s locker, or to play a practical joke on somebody. This time, though, Steph had something different in mind.

“Next month, when we get our driver’s licenses, I’m going to get my nipples pierced. I dare you to do it with me.”

I didn’t think she was serious at first, but she insisted. I couldn’t believe she thought she could get away with it. She said they wouldn’t show through our bras, and we could take them out whenever we hit the beach. I didn’t really want to, but Steph was my BFF, so I had to agree.

My parents were from Fargo, so I’m pure Viking. I was about 5’10” tall, with just barely B cup breasts. A lot of people said I had the figure to model. Steph was shorter, about 5’2″, but a bit curvier. Still a B cup, but close to a C. We joked about which of us was a B+ and which a B-. We had moved past the awkward transition stage of puberty where you’re just embarrassed about the changes your body is going through. We were entering a more womanly stage of mixed pride in our bodies and insecurity that they weren’t better. Besides getting back at her dad, this was probably about addressing that insecurity.

We turned 16, had our joint birthday party (we shared those, too), got our drivers licenses. Steph’s parents bought themselves a new car and gave her one of their old ones for her birthday. Not as good as a new car, but good enough for us. Steph announced that we would get the piercings the next weekend. I had thought that Steph would back out, but she was determined. She did some research and found a reputable shop a couple of hours drive away. She didn’t want anyone too close, in case we randomly bumped into someone we knew.

So on the appointed day, we drove out there, with people honking at us all the way for actually driving the speed limit.