In a free-use society, the young must be protected until they are old enough to enter it.
When they turn 18, they must be acclimatised and educated about all aspects of sex and sexuality, before they can enter the adult world.
This is the story of two young people entering a free-use world for the first time.
This story jumps between the two viewpoints of Jack and Suzy.
(As a British writer, all spellings and grammar are UK standard. As always, all sexually involved characters are over 18)
===========
JACK
"For those students who are now over the age of 18, the final stages of your education will begin next week. As you know, this is the final stage before you graduate and can enter adult society."
The Headmaster spoke to the school assembly, in his usual, monotone and impassive voice. His worn-out black suit matching his uninterested voice and body language. But for Susanna (Suzy) and I, this was the news we had been waiting for, basically for our entire lives.
Something happened to society, many many years ago. A war, a virus and other things almost ended society. A new way of living was created.
All children go to live in special boarding schools from around the age of 3. Family visits are frequent, but always within the school grounds. There are no field trips, no excursions. No exceptions. You never leave the school. Until, that is, you have become 18 and finished the final course.
I looked at Suzy, and I could tell she was as excited as me. We had often wondered together (during our supervised break times - no students are ever allowed to be alone together, regardless of age, gender or even familiar bond) what secrets were being kept from us. We saw pictures of the world outside, of the shops and factories and nature. But we never saw any pictures of people. The buildings were always empty. The shops had no shop-workers, though we knew they existed.
The only clues we had were 2 government laws that we know were involved in the rebuilding of society. First was something called the "naturalisation act". The second was the "Free Use Act". We were told in our history class that these were instrumental in the repair of society, but we had no idea at all what these legal acts were or how they fixed the world. Any time we asked questions, we would be told the same - "You'll find out in the final course".
"The following students..." The headmaster continued, listing off fourteen students, including myself and Suzy "will move to your new rooms today, after an extended lunch break. Please use the extended break to say goodbye to your younger friends and siblings. You will not see them again until they too have finished the final course."
I thought of my friends Adam, Darren and Ruth. They had all done the course last year. I often wondered how they were and what they were doing now.
=====
SUZY
"Assembly dismissed" the headmaster told us.
As soon as I could, I ran to give my little sister a big hug. "You be good Rose" I instructed her. "I'll see you in 2 years. Sooner, if I can come visit with Mum and Dad."
We hugged, and Rose started to cry, but I wiped away her tears. "Two years isn't too long. It was three years ago that Abigail and Benjamin left the school." They were our oldest siblings. Twins.
Rose sat with me at lunch, and I even gave her my dessert as a final treat. That meant I saw her smile before I left. I wanted a happy memory, not a sad one.
After our long lunchtime, I went to my room to pack my few belongings. The school had provided two suitcases, with very clear instructions. Clothes in one bag, everything else in the other. I folded my school uniforms carefully. I knew Jack would be throwing his haphazardly into his bag, but I wanted mine to stay nice. I hate creases on my clothes.
Together, all fourteen graduating students pulled our two suitcases along and through corridors until we we were brought by the deputy head to the top floor of the school. She was much younger than the headmaster. He was in his late forties, maybe early fifties. But she was in her early thirties, and I had a slight crush on her. But I'd had crushes on most of the staff over the years (male and female). I guess it was just her turn to fascinate me.
We stopped at a row of bedrooms. "Take your general belongings into your room and unpack, but leave the bag with your clothes outside the room for now. Wait inside the room until you are called."
There were twenty bedrooms available, but we only needed 14, so we were allowed to pick our own. I picked one next to Jack. We hadn't been close friends for long, only about a year, since his old friends had moved up and out.
The room was nice, with a much larger bed than I'd had before. There was the usual on-suite bathroom with shower, and that too was nicer and large. One thing that was missing, was a wardrobe. There was nowhere for my clothes, except a small draw, already filled with plain, skin-coloured underwear, as well as pads and tampons.
I felt like I was waiting for a long time before finally there was a knock at the door. The school nurse came in, with another woman I didn't know, but who seemed to be her assistant. Both were in their late thirties.
"Hi Susanna. How are you today? You must be feeling very nervous. But that's OK. Firstly, I'm going to need you to get naked, and put your remaining clothes in a pile."
I did so, and I watched as the assistant took the clothes out of the room.
"Great." The nurse reassured me. I'd been naked in front of her before, but she was almost the only person who had seen me naked since I'd joined the school. "Please let me do a physical examination. Are you on your period?"
I shook my head.
"That's good. It's much better for this week. If you look in the draw here, there are tampons and other items to help you if you do start your period."
She then gave me an injection. "This is to help with your immune system. You'll be meeting a lot of new people soon, and close contact with strangers will mean you catch more viruses. This should help with that."
Then she gave me a second injection. This time it was not in my arm, but in my leg, close to my genitals. "This is a form of contraception. It will last for around a year, but then you'll need to speak to your new doctor."
"What's...contraception?" I asked puzzled. I'd never heard that word before.
"You'll find out soon enough" she told me with a smile. "But don't worry. I give this injection to everyone, men and women. And I've had this injection too. I still get it once a year."
"Me too" the other woman said, trying to reassure me.