Those Damn Airbags

Faith couldn't help but let her tears trickle down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Faith," Lina comforted her, leading her away from the crowd.

"I just...I still can't believe that happened." Faith's voice was barely above a whisper. "I showed the town...everything."

"Don't worry about them," Lina's expression softened. "Let's get you home."

She took one last glance back at the crowd before wiping her tears.

"Okay," Faith whispered. "I can't be here anymore."

Lina agreed. But even as they walked away, Faith felt the heavy weight of humiliation trailing behind her.

They pulled out of the overfilled parking lot and drove in comforting silence. The looming darkness of the empty country road soothed Faith's emotions. Out here, nobody would see her. She leaned her head against the window and let her eyes wander out at the dark countryside aimlessly.

Before Faith knew it, Lina had pulled into her driveway, and she was relieved to see her dad's farmhouse. Unfortunately, he was out of town, which meant he wasn't here to comfort her about her public humiliation. Faith stared at her house, feeling heavy in her chest. She really didn't want to go inside and be alone with her thoughts.

"You want some company?" Lina must have sensed her thoughts.

Faith turned to look at her and saw the deep concern in her friend's eyes. "Yes, please."

The two best friends made their way up the creaky wooden steps of her front porch. Faith excused herself to go to the bathroom, and Lina waited for her.

Faith could barely look at herself. Her eyes were red, her mascara had smudged, and her foundation had faded away. She was a complete mess, and knowing this, she held back even more tears. She slowly pulled up her sundress and couldn't help but flinch a little as the fabric brushed over her bruised thighs. The bull had done quite a number on her, and although she had a pretty high pain tolerance, this was beyond that. Luckily, she had some bruise cream in her bathroom cabinet from the time she had a nasty fall on one of her morning runs. She grabbed the small tube and squeezed a generous amount into her palm before massaging it into her affected areas. She let out a soft sigh as she felt the cool sensation instantly soothe her. She knew she had to take a break from her morning runs, but that was a small price to pay.

Faith cleaned up her ruined makeup with wipes before making a beeline for her room. As soon as her door shut behind her, Faith ripped off her yellow sundress, allowing the fabric to flutter to the floor. She glared hard at it before kicking the dress aside. She then grabbed a pair of jean shorts and an old t-shirt, yanking them on. They were comfortable, familiar, and most importantly, it covered her fully. She instantly felt a little more like herself.

When she emerged, Lina was waiting in the hallway. "You okay?"

"No," Faith exhaled deeply. "I'm still mad at that stupid sundress."

Lina grinned. "Well, I've got an idea. Bring that sundress out to the back porch."

Faith was confused but curious. "What for?"

"Just trust me," Lina just winked.

Faith followed behind her as they stepped out onto her back porch. The cool night air was refreshing as she took a deep breath to savor it. She watched as Lina started a small campfire, the orange flames dancing in the firepit. The crackle of the fire sure was soothing, but Faith was still confused about what Lina was planning.

"Alright," Lina said, turning to Faith, "if you want to get back at that dress, I've got the perfect solution." She pointed to the fire. "Throw it in."

Faith blinked, her mouth falling open. "Burn it?"

Lina nodded. "That thing caused you so much embarrassment. You'll feel much better once you get rid of it—for good."

Faith hesitated, staring at the sundress crumpled on the ground near the firepit. Her heart pounded as she considered it. This stupid thing had been the source of her humiliation, and she knew she was never going to wear it ever again. Lina had a point. Burning it was a great way to get revenge.

She picked it up and casually tossed the piece of yellow fabric into the flames.

The second the sundress made contact with the campfire, the flames attacked the dress and began to consume it almost instantly. Faith watched as the dress slowly burned away and disintegrated, the smell of burning cotton and synthetic fibers noticeable in the air now.

"Finally," Faith muttered. Standing up, approaching the remains of her dress in the fire, she raised her voice. "You betrayed me in front of the whole town tonight! Thanks to you, the town will never see me the same way again! Die in hell, you bastard!"

"Wow," Lina couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "That was intense; I'm proud of you. Feel better?"

"Much better," Faith smiled, grateful for her friend. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Lina went inside for a moment and came back with two bottles of ice-cold beers, handing one to Faith. They clinked their bottles together, and Faith took a long sip before taking a break. She never needed a drink as badly as she did at this moment.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. The fire continued to flicker and dance. The crickets quietly chirped, and the stars were littered across the dark night sky. It was all so calm now.

"I know tonight was rough," Lina finally broke the silence. "But...you were really brave."

Faith let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, brave and stupid. I just had to prove them wrong, didn't I?"

Her fingers tightened around the cold bottle. "I should've listened to you. In the heat of the moment—"

"You weren't an idiot," Lina interrupted her softly. "You were standing up for yourself. Nothing wrong with that."

Faith sighed, staring out at the fields that stretched endlessly behind her house. "If only I were wearing jeans and a supportive top, then I would have proved myself...without giving everyone a show."

"They'll forget sooner or later," Lina comforted her.

Faith wished she could believe that. Henderson was the kind of small town where everyone knew everyone else's business. News would spread like wildfire. By tomorrow morning, she won't be 'Faith Cameron' to the town anymore, but instead 'that wild girl on the bull'.

"No, I think the problem is with these." Faith looked down at her breasts. She cupped them from underneath, lifting them upwards, before letting them fall and flop. "I miss when they were B-cups."

"No, you don't," Lina called her bluff, laughing. "Back then, you were really insecure about how small they were."

Faith sighed. "Well, I still hate them now."

"Hey, be nice to your airbags," Lina replied.

"You did

not

just call them that," Faith glared at Lina hard, although in a playful way. "Whoever shouted that from the crowd, they can go to hell."

"At least you have airbags," Lina pushed her comparably small chest forward. "Look at what I have to work with."

"You mean, what you

don't

have to work with?" Faith couldn't help her smartass reply.

"You got me," Lina chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "But trust me, maybe everyone will talk about it for a while. And eventually, they'll move on to the next thing. People always do."

"I wish I could move on that easily." Faith looked down at her lap, her fingers tracing the condensation on her bottle.

"You will." Lina placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Be patient; it just takes time. And hey...I was watching the whole thing, and I was impressed as hell. You stayed on the whole time; not many people can manage that."

"I suppose," Faith let out a reluctant smile.

They sat together, sipping their beers as the cool night breeze brushed against their faces. Finally, after such a torturing night, Faith felt herself relax. She was still ashamed and in physical and emotional pain, but at least she wasn't alone.

The next morning, Faith woke up feeling groggy.

She had woken up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat after the nightmare that she had. She was back on the mechanical bull, fully naked this time, and strapped to the machine by wrist and ankle cuffs, for some weird reason. This was odd to her, as she had never used those in bed before, but she had known about their existence. As her body repeatedly got tossed up and down onto the bull, she was powerless to do anything besides being able to squeal in pain. Her massive melons bounced against her body, and her round, curvy ass painfully slapped against the saddle of the bull. A crowd—a crowd much bigger than the one from the actual incident—was watching the whole thing. The faces of the men in the audience were full of delight as they watched this helpless, naked slut show off every inch of her bare body.

Faith shuddered as she recalled it. She practically jumped out of bed and made her way into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. She instantly felt better. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, then went to make breakfast.

With dismay, Faith realized she had less than half a cup of orange juice left, and she was down to her last egg. Making herself the saddest-looking fried egg she'd ever seen, she sat down to eat, dreading the day already. She needed groceries, and life went on, whether she was ready or not. She couldn't hide from the town forever.

Finishing the last sip of her juice, she threw on a loose shirt and jeans, tied her hair into a messy ponytail, and drove into town. Her heart kept thumping in her chest as she drove down Main Street. Her paranoid eyes scanned the sidewalks for familiar faces.

She kept her head down as she hurried into the small grocery store, grabbing a basket and moving quickly down the aisles. She was missing some items as she approached the checkout line, but she accepted it. She had to leave right away.

Faith almost made it there when she heard someone call her name. "Faith, that you?"

She froze, gripping her basket tighter. Turning around slowly, she recognized Mr. Hayes, one of her dad's old friends, standing by the dairy section.

"How you doing, sweetheart?" His voice was warm with kindness.

"I'm doing well," Faith replied, steadying her voice.

"Glad to hear that," he nodded. "Your daddy back in town yet?"

"Not yet," Faith answered. "He's still down south fixing those wind turbines. That small tornado really did a number on them."

"Bummer," Mr. Hayes sighed. "I've been meaning to grab a drink with him and catch up."

Faith couldn't help but smile. She had seen Mr. Hayes and her father together at their house since she was still a little baby girl. He was a well-respected man by the whole town, and he always loved to catch up with people.

Trying to keep her voice steady as she continued to chat with Mr. Hayes, she saw another man walk by. He glanced at her with an amused smirk before continuing on his way. Faith's heart sank. She didn't recognize him, but it was obvious he knew about her incident. Did he hear about it? Or was he actually there, witnessing everything for himself?

Faith fought with herself as heat began to radiate all over her body. She looked down at her grocery basket and pretended to be fascinated by the carton of eggs, trying to keep her composure.

"You alright there? You look a little pale," Mr. Hayes frowned as he noticed her discomfort.

Faith tried to speak, but the words got stuck in her throat. Tears began to form slowly around her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. "I...I'm fine," she lied.

"You sure?" Mr. Hayes looked more concerned. "You seem pretty shaken up."

Faith's heart skipped a beat. The memory of what happened played once again inside her mind. She opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

But she didn't have to. Mr. Hayes's expression softened with understanding. "I was at the dance," he admitted.

Faith's stomach dropped. "Y-you were there?" She nearly dropped her basket. "Did...did you—?"

"I'm afraid so," he nodded. "I was leaning against the fence, chatting with my buddies, and then..."

Faith couldn't afford to look at Mr. Hayes anymore. She went to run away, but she was stricken by fear, not being able to move a muscle.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," he said. "But I have to say, you showed a lot of guts, Faith."

Faith shut her eyes and wished she could just disappear. She had shown a lot more than just her guts. And now she was aware that Mr. Hayes—her dad's old friend—had seen her too. All naked and exposed.

"If it helps, the second that your dress...malfunctioned...I looked away," Mr. Hayes continued to try and comfort her. "Out of respect, I prayed that other people would too."

"Thank you," Faith croaked. But it didn't really change the fact that he still saw a side of her that she never wanted him to see.

"When you left, I saw that rich kid and his buddies laughing," Mr. Hayes kept going. "I went in for a closer look and saw that they were playing a video of you that they recorded."

"They recorded a

video

?!" Faith's voice cracked harshly. That 'rich kid', of course, was Wyatt. He had taunted her into getting on the bull in the first place. She guessed that in the chaos, she hadn't noticed phones being used to record her. And if they shared that video...

"I wasn't about to let them disrespect you like that," Mr. Hayes said. "I went over there and gave them a piece of my mind. I told them to delete those videos, right then and there. I checked their phones to make sure. All gone now."

Faith felt a rush of relief. Tears formed again, but this time they were out of gratitude. She dropped the basket and threw her arms around Mr. Hayes, hugging him tightly. "Oh, thank you," she whispered, her voice muffling against his shirt.

"You're a good kid, Faith," Mr. Hayes patted her back gently. "Of course I wasn't about to let them get the last laugh."

Faith blinked gratefully.

"You know, this whole thing reminds me of a time before you were even born. Your dad and I were at that same barn dance. I reckon it was over twenty years ago now. He tried that mechanical bull, too."

Faith's eyes widened. "He did?"

"Oh yeah, and he didn't last more than three seconds before he went flying," Mr. Hayes laughed. "Landed flat on his back and got the wind knocked out of him."

Faith couldn't help but giggle. "What about you?"

Mr. Hayes shook his head. "I didn't even have the guts to get on that thing. Your daddy was always braver than me."

Faith smiled. She was proud of her father and knew better than anyone how brave he really was. When her mother died at a young age, her father was forced to take on the role of both parents. He always made sure she had everything she needed, and his love and determination made a lasting impact on her as she grew up.

"I can see where you got your courage from," he continued, staring at Faith with admiration. "It took lots of guts to get up there. More than those dumb boys had, that's for sure. Your dad would be proud of you."

"Yeah...he probably would be," Faith managed a shaky smile. "Just...maybe not proud of how it all turned out."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. People might talk for a bit, but they'll move on," Mr. Hayes chuckled, patting her shoulder. "And if they don't, well...that's their problem, not yours. You just keep holding your head high, little lady."

Faith nodded, her spirits recovering. "Thank you, Mr. Hayes. I really needed to hear that."

He tipped his hat, his eyes twinkling with warmth. "Anytime, kiddo. You take care now."

With that, he walked off and headed towards the back of the store. Faith stood there for a moment, feeling much better. Maybe she'd be okay after all.

She paid for her groceries and rushed home. Her stomach growled, so she made herself a quick turkey sandwich before laying down on the couch to rest for a moment. But she ended up falling asleep.

When she awoke, the sun was still bright blue, but a little lower in the sky. She glanced at her clock and realized that her shift at the local pub started soon. She rubbed her eyes and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Then, she slipped into her uniform—a simple collared dress shirt with the restaurant logo and her personal work jeans—then pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail. She contemplated wearing a belt too, but decided not to. The pressure on her bruised thighs was already intense, and she didn't need even more. She grabbed her keys and headed outside.

Faith approached the parking lot of one of Henderson's only pubs, The Crooked Barrel. Faith frowned as she noticed the unusually large number of cars. Almost every single spot was nearly filled, and she struggled to find a spot. Cars were also overflowing out into the street, taking up lots of street parking spots as well.

Was there an occasion she hadn't heard about?

She parked her truck and walked in, smelling the familiar scent of fried food and alcohol. The sound of conversation and clinking glasses was louder than usual. Faith waved at her coworkers behind the bar before heading to the back to clock in.

While tying her apron around her waist, her coworker, Grayson, leaned against the break room table towards her. "You know why we have so many customers?" he asked her casually.

Faith glanced at him, shaking her head. "No. Do you?"

"Duh," Grayson snorted. "You don't?"

Faith was even more lost now. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You'll see," Grayson said, before turning around to walk away.

Faith shook her head. She was now stressed before serving a single customer. What the hell was he talking about?

With that, she walked out onto the floor. She noticed that the majority of diners were male, and most of them older. She could feel all the eyes on her, and she didn't mind a little attention from being checked out, but this was too much. She could hear whispers as she made her way to her assigned table. They were quiet but clearly audible.

"There she is..."

"I still can't believe she did that."

"She should've worn that sundress here."

Faith felt chills down her spine, and they lingered on. Now she knew why so many people were there. But she kept her face professional as she approached the first table. "Hey, what can I get started for y'all tonight?"

The men looked up, their faces grinning as they recognized her. One of them looked her body up and down, a little too long for Faith's comfort. "Well, hello, darlin'. I didn't actually expect to see you here tonight."

Faith's smile faded slightly, but she kept her voice steady. "Gotta make a living somehow. Can I start you guys on some drinks?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Get us a round of River Bend beers."

"Sure thing, I'll be right back." Faith turned on her heel, feeling their eyes still glued to her as she walked away.

Suddenly, she felt her pen slip from her grasp. She bent down quickly to pick it up, but as she did, she felt her jeans slide down just a little bit. She began to regret not wearing that belt now. Before she could even stand up, she heard a few loud whistles and catcalls from the tables nearby. Embarrassed, she stood up and instinctively reached behind her to feel the back of her jeans, confirming her fear when she rubbed up against the strap of her thong. Her face flushed red as she quickly adjusted her jeans, horrified by the attention she had just unintentionally drawn. As if she needed to expose more of herself to everyone. What was this—an aftershow for the bull incident?

Her thong—a black lace g-string—was an even bigger issue. She owned over 30 pairs of underwear of all sorts of styles, and she only had two that she reserved for sexy time: a blossom pink lace g-string and the black lace g-string she was currently wearing. She was supposed to do laundry last week, but she had been procrastinating, leaving her with a limited selection. Earlier this week her blossom pink g-string had gotten...messy. That left her with the choice of high-waisted briefs or this tantalizing thong. And she really regretted her decision now.