All Comments, Emails and Votes are Appreciated. All characters are of legal age. Enjoy!
*****
'God, I hate it here,' Danielle thought to herself as she made her way from her last class of the day to her dorm room. It was a typically brisk November late afternoon in Ann Arbor: temperature down around forty degrees, a gentle, though sporadic breeze, and crisp, blue skies.
If she weren't so biased, she would love it here. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that there was not a drastic difference between this and her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. If she could overcome the bitter hatred that had been instilled in her since birth, she would concede that the stone and brick architecture was charming, a beautiful place to learn.
But in her heart, she was a Buckeye, and always would be. She had attended Ohio State for her freshman year, but had transferred to Michigan for her sophomore year after uncovering a passion for political science. It was one of the few degree programs where Michigan was clearly superior to Ohio State, and despite all her prejudices, she made the decision in the interest of her future.
Her pride continually interfered with her ability to make friends, as she blatantly wore her Buckeye gear around campus. The nicest students would simply look at her with disdain. The rest would make comments ranging from snarky to suspension-worthy, if only an authority figure had been within earshot.
What kept Danielle sane was that Ohio State had been dominating Michigan in recent years, so no matter how bad the insults were, it was easy for her to shut them down. "Four in a row," she would respond, citing the winning streak the Buckeyes had amassed over the last two years. It was an facile response, but she loved the way she could illicit grinding teeth, red faces and clenched fists every time she said it. The Wolverines that surrounded her had no retort.
Now, as she stepped into her dorm, Michigan's blue and yellow bounced around the room in the form of her roommate's cheerleading outfit.
"Danielle!" Georgie shouted. "You're coming tonight, right?"
"I don't think so," Danielle replied. "Why would I want to watch the game in a room where I am the only person rooting for my team? Let alone where everyone else is passionately rooting for my opponent? I'll just watch it here."
Georgie was Danielle's best friend on campus, but Danielle knew that was only because they lived together. She was practically forced to consider factors beyond Georgie's fandom, and had learned over the last couple months that she was actually a sweet girl. A lot like herself, she thought, except in the Michigan universe.
"Babe, come on. Everyone knows who you are and who you root for, but they only say the things they say because they know it gets to you. Just show up in your Ohio State gear, full of all your pride, and let them know it doesn't bother you. You're not ashamed to be a Buckeye, are you?"
"Fuck no!" Danielle practically shouted back. "I just don't think it would be fun for me. Enjoy yourself."
"No, Danielle, you're coming. You have almost three years remaining at this school. Do you want to spend that time as the girl that everyone hates because she's a stuck-up, closed-off Ohio State fan? Or would you rather be the kind girl from Ohio who is loyal to her home team but not doesn't let it define her?"
Danielle chuckled. It was almost like Georgie was reading her mind. She had considered the immense amount of time she had to remain in Ann Arbor, and had wondered if there was a way to make things easier on herself.
"Besides," Georgie continued, "We're watching the game at a frat house three blocks from here. Come along, and if you hate it, you can always come back here and watch it by yourself. What do you say?"
"Well, I hate you right now, but I have a feeling I'll thank you for this some day."
Georgie giggled and raised her pompoms above her head, improvising a cheer to celebrate her victory.
...
Danielle gave one final look in the mirror, making sure everything was in place. She tucked her auburn hair behind her ears, making sure the gold hoop earrings were easily visible. Georgie had advised that she dress in such a way that she stand out from the crowd, but not in an obnoxious way. Make it clear that she isn't rooting for Michigan, but don't rub it in that Ohio State has won the last four games in the series. The gold hoops were part of this ensemble. O's for Ohio, gold for victory.
She complimented the earrings with black yoga pants, a red tube top and a cropped silver jacket. The colors of The Ohio State, but lacking the insignia. She spun around and looked over her shoulder, popping her ass towards the mirror.
'Shit,' she thought, seeing the prominent visible panty line. She didn't really want to go commando, but this was unacceptable. She peeled her yoga pants down her legs, dragging her undies with it, kicked them off, and then pulled the pants back on. She stepped into a pair of flats and joined her roommate in the living room.
"Very hot!" Georgie cheered, admiring Danielle's exposed abdomen. "Sure you will be warm enough in that?"
"Oh yeah, like you'll be all toasty in that!" Danielle replied, referencing Georgie's cheerleader skirt and top. "We'll have goosebumps all over our tummies by the time we get there, but that will probably just turn the guys on."
She was right. By the time the two girls knocked on the frat door three blocks away, they were frigid and giggling about how silly they were to not put on a jacket. Danielle felt like her nipples could have cut glass, and was glad, at least, that they she had the cropped jacket to cover them up.
The door swung open immediately after Georgie's knock, and as they entered they were each handed a shot of tequila.
"To warm you up," proffered the frat guy who greeted them.
"Sure, that's what it's for," Danielle joked.
"Oh, hey, it's the O.U. girl! Who invited her?" he exclaimed.
"I did, Chad. Relax." Georgie answered for her friend. "She's from Ohio, so of course she's a Buckeye fan."
"Well, at least she's hot. Maybe she could sub in for the entertainment tonight!"
"Entertainment?" Danielle asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, Chad. We've got plenty of girls for that."
Georgie grabbed Danielle's elbow and steered her away from Chad, towards a doorway that appeared to lead to the basement. Danielle could hear the thumping of crowd noise below.
"Georgie, what entertainment?" Danielle asked. "Why do you have 'girls for entertainment' here?"
"You'll see when we get downstairs."
But on their way down, they were stopped by another frat boy.
"Georgie, you're here!" he said. "The game is just about to start. I was getting worried you were going to be late." His voice trailed off as he saw the girl with him. "You brought the OSU girl with you?"
"Jesus, Jeremy. Her name is Danielle. Don't talk about her like she isn't right here."
"What do you expect, Georgie? She roots for our bitter enemy."
"She's from Ohio! If you moved to Ohio would you stop rooting for the Wolverines?"
"I'd never move to that shitty state. Besides, how big of a fan could she be if she decided to go to school here?"
"You know, Jeremy," Danielle chimed in, "It's not too late to change sides. You know, before my Buckeyes win their fifth straight in the series tonight."
The comment seemed to strike a chord with Jeremy, who instantly turned red.
"Well, if you are so confident, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and take part in the entertainment?"
"OK, seriously, what's this about?" Danielle asked, directing her question to Georgie. Jeremy answered.
"Its a bit of a tradition here. One of the cheerleaders stands on the stage downstairs while the game airs on the big screen behind her. Every time the opponent scores, she removes an article of clothing. Once she is fully nude, the next cheerleader joins her on stage and repeats the process."
Danielle absorbed the information quickly, and fashioned a smart response.
"Based on the way you've been playing this year, they must lose their clothes pretty fast!"
Jeremy smiled. He couldn't help but admire her spunk.
"So if you're that confident, you should join them on stage. Every time OSU scores, she'll remove an article of clothing. But you remove one every time Michigan scores."
"Jeremy, leave her alone."
"No, Georgie, it's OK. Maybe the people here will like me a little more if they see me loosen up. Besides, we have the top ranked defense in the country. I might not have to take anything off all night!"