Left Naked at the Library
Part Two
by G. Lawrence
Abandoned by the frat brothers, Danny must find his way home
Author's Note: Having been a short, introverted chess player when I was a college freshman (quite some time ago), I was an unlikely candidate to pledge a powerful blue-collar jock fraternity. I was on Dean's List my first semester, which never happened again. I had never drunk alcohol or taken drugs. That changed, too. On Hell Night, I was separated from my clothes. So, this is a fantasy based on some things that happened to me, stories I heard, and a few that are invented. Don't bother analyzing it.
In our last episode, we saw Danny stripped in the library and encounter various embarrassing situations. Donna and Sandra gushed over him on the third floor. Mrs. Brubaker confronted him in the basement outside of the copy room. Diane Parker had him pose for her drawing class. Mr. Lincoln, the janitor, said he was the subject of a campus-wide prank. At the end of part one, Danny had reached the library lobby and was preparing to escape unnoticed when the art professor suddenly announced his presence. He was quickly surrounded by excited students. There is nudity and mild sex in this chapter. All characters are over 18 years old.
* * * * * *
Suddenly revealed in the vast library lobby, Danny tried his best to be polite to the curious onlookers who quickly surrounded him, all the while taking baby steps toward the reception desk. Though he wanted to be stealthy, no one doubted what he was trying to do. One person or another kept getting in his way, eagerly asking questions about classes, exams, or the weather. None of them were cruel, but they couldn't suppress their grins. It was embarrassing. Danny wouldn't have minded so much if he was wearing clothes.
"Want help carrying your books?" Julie offered, reaching for the clear plastic grocery bag he was holding in front of him. The golden-haired cheerleader was aware that, without the bag, Danny would have nothing to cover himself.
"Do you need to borrow my bus pass?" Matty asked with a giggle, her bright brown eyes dancing with excitement.
"Let's go to the coffee shop," Mindy suggested, the slender blonde taking his elbow. "They have a flexible dress code."
"It's getting late," Danny pleaded. "I'm usually in bed by eleven."
"With who?" Matty asked, getting a laugh.
A dozen others gathered around, both men and women. Mr. Lincoln, the janitor, had said his situation was known all over campus. And that no one was going to give him clothes, not wanting to ruin his exhibitionist journey. It was not a journey to Danny. The three Alpha Mega frat brothers had stolen his clothes on the third floor and not brought them back. Was it a prank? Or revenge for not getting the book reports they wanted? Danny didn't know, only that his only hope now was returning to his tiny dorm room on the far side of campus.
Danny finally burst through the ring surrounding him, grabbed the photocopies from the front desk that the librarian had promised, and made a mad dash for the doors. Though his privates were covered by the jiggling grocery bag, he was completely naked from the back. Were they taking photos? Like Mrs. Brubaker had in the basement? He didn't know and wasn't going to stop to find out.
In an instant, he found himself out in the quad on an unseasonably warm night. Hundred-year-old lampposts provided ghostly illumination in a misty fog. There were stone benches, a fountain, leafy trees, and a marble statue honoring the college's founder, an ancient fur-trapper. It was quiet, at first. He had hardly taken a few steps when he noticed a strange procession following him. Not chasing him, exactly. Just loitering, as if watching a show. He ran around the old brick building, ducked into a niche, and backtracked to lose the curiosity seekers. It was humiliating and thrilling. Danny wondered if there was something wrong with him to be so turned on. If the campus hadn't been so populated, he would have snuck off behind a bush and relieved his excitement.
The center of campus had a rowdy Friday nightlife with restaurants, a theater, and a concert stage. He couldn't go that way, too many people, which forced him out to the main boulevard. The rambling college was behind an ivy-covered wrought iron fence to his right. Small shops and stores were across the street, many already closed. Traffic moved past as he stayed on the wide sidewalk.
There weren't enough trees to keep him hidden for any length of time. Horns honked at him. A few cars slowed down for a better look. A passenger leaned out to take pictures, but Danny was holding the grocery bag up with one hand and shielding his face with the other.
He had been walking about five minutes when he noticed someone sitting on a bench shadowed by an overhanging oak tree. It was a young woman.
"Hello, Daniel," Donna said. "I knew you'd have to come this way."
"How is that?" he asked.
"You don't seem the type to walk naked through the theater district," the Theta sorority sister answered.
"Truthfully, the thought isn't quite as alien as it was a few hours ago," Danny responded, getting a quiet laugh. She motioned for him to sit. He kept the grocery bag in his lap.
"I know this must be awful for you," she kindly remarked.
"I just don't understand why everyone is picking on me. What did I do? Mr. Lincoln said the whole campus is in on this."
"It's what you don't do. You've been at Midvale since last fall. You didn't go home for Christmas, looking sad and lonely. Now it's spring and you're still huddled in the library. You help everyone, but you never talk to anyone. You're convinced you have no friends. People feel sorry for you."
"And the answer is stripping me naked?"
"Sometimes we need to break things down to the essentials before building them back up. Isn't that one of your engineering principles?"
"I'm not the Brooklyn Bridge," Danny replied.
"Everyone says you're the smartest student at this school. Maybe the smartest who has ever attended Midvale."
"Which isn't remotely true," he denied.
"How is it not true? You know math. Chemistry. Biology. Literature. My girlfriends say there's nothing you don't know."
Danny paused. Talking about himself wasn't easy.
"I could have gone to Washington State on a full ride," he explained with a sigh. "Instead, to get away from my parents, I took a reduced scholarship here. I'm living in a dingy dorm room the size of a closet. I'm still wearing the same clothes I had in high school. That is, when I'm wearing clothes at all. Even if I had the courage to ask a girl out, I don't have any money. The only part-time job I've found is making scrambled eggs at the Pancake House three mornings a week for minimum wage. How smart does that make me?"
"You see?" Donna said with a smile.
"See what?" he asked.
"We're talking! This is a real conversation. You've spoken more just now than on our entire date. Does it take getting you naked to draw you out of your shell?"
"I hope not. That would sure be embarrassing at a science conference."
"You're funny," she said, taking his hand and gazing into his eyes. Maybe Danny was only 5'4 and a hundred pounds, but he wasn't delicate. She sensed good muscle tone. His hairless chest was not thin, and the long arms looked strong. Even in the poor light, she could see he got plenty of sun. For a bookworm.
Danny waited, trying to think of the right thing to say. She was so pretty, with soft auburn hair, gentle blue eyes, and a body to die for. Her top was lowcut, revealing plenty of cleavage. He struggled not to get too excited, embarrassed enough already.
"So, why is a beautiful cheerleader and theater arts major interested in a science nerd like me?" he asked.
"You think I'm beautiful?" she replied, lowering her eyes.
"I know you're beautiful. I'm a scientist. It's an empirical fact."
"Hell, Danny, I don't understand why you can't get dates," she said, blushing. "You're getting me hot just sitting on a public bench being leered at by highway traffic. If we were still in the library, hidden behind the stacks--"
Danny hunched over, desperately trying to hide his arousal. He really liked Donna and was terribly flattered. His manhood was firm enough that the grocery bag was lifting up.
"Okay, fella, I don't want to make this worse for you than it already is," she sympathized. "Though it's nice to know a girl is appreciated."
"Maybe someday we can try another date?" he shyly inquired. "When I'm not running around naked being pranked by the entire campus."
"I would like that," she agreed. "Though seeing you naked like this is a lot of fun. I know you don't get it, but this is a good thing."
Donna got up to leave, paused, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'll be seeing you later," she whispered.
And then she was gone.
Danny had just resumed the walk back to his dorm when a car stopped up ahead. Three young men jumped out. He didn't know what it meant, but running wasn't an option. Not without abandoning his books, and he wasn't willing to do that. In high school, regardless of what any bully threatened, Danny never ran.
"Dan, sorry we're late," Jack said, emerging from the darkness.
"It was hard getting away from the party," Simon explained.
"Did you bring my clothes?" Danny asked. They looked at each other.
"Your keys and backpack are in the trunk," Collyer said. "I'm not really sure where your clothes went."
"You left me naked in the library. With all kinds of people asking questions," Danny said, more assertive than usual. "I had to pose for a drawing class."
The guys burst into laughter. Collyer was laughing so hard it hurt. Danny frowned.
"Kid, we really are sorry. But I don't see why that's a bad thing," Jack said. "Diane's night classes are all girls. Most of them are pretty. Did you get any phone numbers?"
"Phone numbers?" Danny asked.
"Dan, I really don't know what the hell is wrong with you," Jack said, exasperated. "You were bare-ass naked with half a dozen girls and you didn't make a move on any of them?"
"Why would they be interested in me?" Danny said.
