Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ï>¿It Isn't Easy Being a Girl by Sue DeNym

   5.  Vignette - What About Charlie?

   I will never, ever forget that afternoon.  School had just let out, and
I walked down the street to the gymnasium where my aunt was coaching a
local high school gymnastics team.  When I walked in, I found my aunt in
front of a stage, where there were a dozen teenage girls - all very slim
and fit, and very, very pretty - in figure-hugging pink and white leotards.

   "Come on in, Charlie," my aunt beckoned me.

   I waved shyly at the girls, who all smiled and greeted me warmly.

   "Have a seat over there," my aunt told me, pointing to some folding
chairs nearby.  "I'm afraid this will take a while, Charlie."

   As I sat down, I gazed admiringly at the beautiful gymnasts in their
sexy leotards.  I had never told anyone this, but this was always my
biggest reason for wanting to visit my aunt when she was coaching.  But as
enticing a sight as it was already, what was about to happen next was
something I could never have imagined.

   "We have a gymnastics meet, coming up," my aunt was explaining to me,
"and I need to select a costume for the girls to wear.  We still have
several more for the girls to try on."

   She looked up at the stage.

   "Not bad," she murmured.  "The pink and white is flattering enough to
most of you girls, but I think we need more options.  All right, girls, try
on the next costume set."

   The girls exchanged looks.

   "Um, Mrs.  Abernathy," said one of the girls nervously, "What about
Charlie?"

   "What about Charlie?" asked my aunt, a bit impatiently.  "Oh, for
goodness sake, girls, if you can't even handle one 12-year-old boy seeing
you change, how are you going to cope with a crowd of several hundred
people watching you vault while you're practically naked, anyway?  Now,
come on, time is wasting, try on the blue and gold leotards next."

   As the girls slowly, reluctantly, began to remove their leotards, I
decided that I really should come visit my aunt more often

   .....



   6.  Panties Down

   "Okay, I think that's everything," said Kylie, closing her history
textbook.

   "Finally," said her friend Amy with a sigh.

   "Is it just me, or our teachers really pouring on the homework lately?"
wondered Michelle.

   "I just want to get home and change," said Amy, getting up.

   "I know the feeling," said Kylie, as Michelle nodded.

   The three 15-year-old girls were in the living room of Kylie's house,
still in their school uniforms.  Amy and Michelle packed up their books,
and Kylie walked her friends to the front door.

   "I'll see you in school tomorrow!" Kylie waved as Amy and Michelle
disappeared around the corner.

   Kylie headed up the stairs to her bedroom, eager to change.  When she
went into her room, she saw that she had some messages on her computer. 
After spending a few minutes idly sorting through the usual junk e-mails,
Kylie closed her door and began to unbutton her blouse.

   She had just undone the last of the buttons when her door suddenly flew
open and her 18-year-old brother, Hunter, stormed in.

   "Hey!" exclaimed Kylie, turning her back to him and hurriedly buttoning
her blouse back up.  She blushed as she realized that he must have caught
at least a glimpse of her bra.

   "Whatever happened to knocking?" Kylie glared at her brother over her
shoulder.

   "Whatever happened to staying out of my room while I'm not here?"
demanded Hunter.

   "What are you talking about?" Kylie finished buttoning her blouse and
turned to face him.  "I haven't been in your room!"

   "Oh, really?" said Hunter.  "I just got home a minute ago, and when I
checked my computer, I found out that somebody had logged in to it about an
hour ago."

   "Well, I don't know anything about that," said Kylie irritably.  "Now
get out of my room!"

   "You don't know anything about it," snorted Hunter.  "Okay, so who else
was here in the past few hours?"

   Kylie hesitated.

   "Nobody," she said slowly.  "Just me and my friends, Michelle and Amy."

   She had a bad feeling this answer would not go over well with her
brother.

   "Uh-huh," said Hunter, folding his arms.  "So which one of you three
went into my room and logged into my private computer?"

   "None of us," protested Kylie.  "We were down in the living room doing
our homework all afternoon.  We never went anywhere near your room."

   "I see, so I guess it was a ghost that broke into my computer," said
Hunter derisively.

   "Look, Hunter," said Kylie in frustration, "I swear, I don't know
anything about this.  Now, if you don't mind, I really want to change my
clothes, so could you please leave my bedroom?"

   "No way." Hunter shook his head.  "I intend to get to the bottom of
this, little sis, one way or another.  Now, if you didn't go into my room,
then I want to know which of your two friends did."

   "Michelle and Amy didn't go into your room," insisted Kylie.  "They were
with me in the living room the whole time, and besides, they'd never do
anything like that."

   "Well, if they didn't, that only leaves one suspect," said Hunter
dangerously.

   "I didn't do it, either!" said Kylie, becoming quite angry.

   "I figure it's one of two things," said Hunter.  "There's no reason why
your friends would know my computer's password, but I'd bet you do.  So
either your friends broke into my computer with your help, or you broke
into it yourself.  Either way, I think I've got the guilty party right in
front of me."

   "Hunter, I didn't do anything!" insisted Kylie.

   "I've had enough of this," said Hunter, stalking toward his sister.

   "Hey!" said Kylie, as Hunter grabbed her wrist and started pulling her
toward the bed.  "Wha-What are you doing, Hunter?"

   "I'm going to teach you to show some respect for my privacy," said
Hunter, sitting down on his sister's bed.  "Maybe by violating your privacy
a little in the process."

   "What are you talking about?  Let go of me, Hunter!"

   "Not until we've settled this, Kylie.  You've been a naughty little
girl, today, haven't you, and I figure that the only thing to do with a
naughty little girl is to give her a good spanking."

   "What?" Kylie was shocked.  She tried to pull her wrist away from
Hunter's grip as she said, "You can't spank me, Hunter!"

   "Over my knee, right now, little girl!" Hunter gave Kylie's wrist a
strong pull, and within seconds, she was over his lap, struggling futilely
in his grip.

   "You can't spank me!" said Kylie again.  "I'm not a little kid, Hunter,
I'm 15!  I am way too old for spankings!"

   "Girls are never too old for spankings," retorted Hunter.

   "But I didn't even do anything!" protested Kylie.

   "I've heard enough," said Hunter.

   "Hunter, please - " Kylie suddenly sucked in her breath at the feel of
her brother's powerful hand coming down hard on her bottom with a loud
SMACK!

   "Ow!  That hurt!" she exclaimed.

   "Spankings are supposed to hurt, that's kind of the point."

   "But, Hunter - OW! .....  OW! .....  OW!"

   Kylie continued struggling, but her brother was three years older and
more than twice her size.  She could not hope to break free of his iron
grip.  Soon, tears were streaming down her face as her brother's hand
rained down blow after blow on her defenseless rear.

   "Maybe this will teach you to respect other people's belongings," said
Hunter, never letting up his assault on Kylie's bottom.

   "But I didn't - OW! .....  Hunter, please, I swear, I didn't - OW! .....
Hunter, please, you're hurting me ....."

   Almost as bad as the pain, however, was the humiliation.  Kylie couldn't
believe that she was over somebody's knee, getting her bottom smacked like
a misbehaving child.  Finally, Kylie felt Hunter stop, and rest his hand on
her red, sore bottom.

   "Hunter," Kylie managed to say, "please - "

   "Hush," said her brother.  "You know, I think has been a very good
lesson for you, little sis.  But I don't think it's quite sunk in just
yet."

   "Well, what more do you want?" asked Kylie in frustration.  She
struggled weakly against his grip.  "I didn't do anything, and you've
already spanked me anyway - "

   "I think I was right before," said Hunter.  "What would be a good lesson
for you, Kylie, is to have your privacy violated."

   "Wha-What do you mean?"

   In response, Hunter took hold of Kylie's school uniform skirt and pulled
it up, revealing her tight pink panties.

   "HEY!"

   "Feel violated yet, Kylie?" asked Hunter coldly.  "No, I don't think so,
not just yet."

   After a moment, Kylie's blood turned cold as she felt Hunter's fingers
slip into the waistband of her panties.

   "Nice panties," said Hunter teasingly.  "Interesting thing about panties
.....  They don't cover much of a girl .....  and yet, they cover so much,
don't they?"

   "No!" Kylie tried to pull her hand free, to no avail.  She began kicking
her legs, trying anything she could to stop what she realized with a
sinking heart was coming.

   "Like I said, Kylie, this is a lesson for you.  You need to have your
privacy violated some, just like you did to me."

   "But I didn't - No, Hunter, don't pull down my .....  "

   Kylie suddenly froze.

   " .....  panties," she finished in a tiny voice, as she felt her
brother's hand now resting on the bare skin of her backside.

   "I think that will do," said Hunter.  "You're lucky I don't go any
farther, Kylie.  If I wanted to, I could strip you totally naked."

   Kylie's mouth dropped.  It was bad enough to have her bottom exposed to
her brother's sight.  The thought of being completely nude in front of him
was more than she could bear.

   "But I won't, because I think that's a bridge too far," said Hunter. 
"We're just going to wrap up your spanking - on the bare, as it should be -
and then we'll be done.  But first .....  "

   "Wh-What are you doing now?" asked Kylie, as she spotted her brother
picking up a scarf draped on her bedpost.

   "I'm tired of your struggling," said Hunter.

   Kylie bit her lip as she felt him tying her hands together behind her
back.  When he let go of her hands, she tried to pull them free, but could
find no slack in the binding.  She felt even more helpless now than she had
before.

   "Hunter, please - "

   "Kylie, don't make me gag you, too."

   Kylie fell silent, tensing herself up to endure the spanking she knew
was coming.

   For what seemed like several minutes, though, Hunter simply sat there
.....  He sat there, unmoving, with Kylie's bare rear in his lap and her
hands bound behind her back, not saying a word, making no effort to begin
her spanking .....

   Kylie tilted her head in confusion.  What was he waiting for?  It was
almost like he was simply looking at something .....  But what could her
brother be looking at, she wondered .....

   "Let's get this over with," said Hunter.  Within seconds, Kylie was
sobbing again as Hunter's hand smacked her rapidly reddening bottom over
and over.  It was even worse now with nothing to cushion the blows, and the
humiliation was ten times more intense now that her behind was bared to his
sight.

   Finally, Hunter seemed to decide that his sister had had enough.  He
pulled her panties back up into place and her skirt down, and untied her
hands, letting her up at last.

   Kylie sniffled as she rubbed her bottom, which felt like it was
smoldering.

   "I .....  I can't believe you took my panties down," she said, pouting
weakly.  Kylie's face was almost as red as her backside.

   "Yeah, well, I'm gonna take your panties down again if you ever go into
my room without my permission again," said Hunter harshly.

   "But I didn't!" protested Kylie.

   "Kylie, do you want me to take your panties down again right now?" said
Hunter, glaring at her.

   "No!"

   "Then promise me that you'll never do it again."

   "But Hunter - "

   Kylie shrank away as her brother started toward her menacingly.

   "All right, all right." Kylie held up her hands.  "I - I promise I won't
ever go into your room again if you're not there.  Just, please, don't take
my panties down again."

   "Good.  And listen, Kylie, just as a reminder to you to behave yourself,
I am going to take your panties down again, tomorrow morning, before you go
to school."

   "What?" Kylie choked.  "You're going to take my panties down again?  But
I didn't even - "

   "Maybe I should take your panties down again right now," said Hunter.

   "No, please - O-Okay, Hunter, fine, y-you can take my panties down
tomorrow morning before school, all right."

   "When you're ready for school tomorrow morning, come to my room.  I'll
just take your panties down once, and then you can go."

   " .....  What are the kids at school going to think when they see that I
can't sit down?"

   "They'll think the same thing that they always think when somebody can't
sit down - that she got a spanking.  So what?  You don't have to confirm it
to them, or give them any details.  If anybody asks, just say it's none of
their business."

   "Michelle and Amy will notice.  And they're my best friends, I can't
tell them it's none of their business."

   "Of course you can.  Even best friends have to have some boundaries of
privacy.  If Michelle and Amy really are your friends, they'll respect
that."

   Kylie lowered her head.  Not knowing what else to say, she simply stood
there quietly, sniffling as she rubbed her bottom.

   "Kylie," said Hunter, his voice now suddenly very tender.  He placed his
hands on his sister's shoulders, and gently pulled her into a hug.

   Almost in spite of herself, Kylie hugged him back, needing his comfort,
needing anyone's comfort.  She cried into his chest.

   "Kylie, I love you," whispered Hunter.  "I .....  I'm not sure that you
really understand just how much I .....  I love you so much .....  That's
the reason for this, Kylie.  I took your panties down because I love you."

   "I - I know," she said softly.

   Hunter spent the next several minutes holding Kylie, letting her cry on
his shoulder, and wiping her tears.  Finally, he brought her to her bed,
and helped her lie down.

   "Get some rest," he told her softly, pulling the blanket over her. 
Kylie buried her face in her pillow as Hunter walked out the door.

   As she lay there, still crying a little, Kylie whispered softly, "I
guess .....  it isn't easy being a girl .....  "

   Meanwhile, Hunter returned to his room, and closed the door.  He sat
down at his desk and tapped his computer idly, pondering everything that
had just happened.  Just then, his phone rang.

   "Hello?"

   "Hi, love," came a cheerful voice.  It was his girlfriend, Lisa.

   "Hi, sweetheart." Hunter smiled for the first time that afternoon.

   "Is everything .....  taken care of?" asked Lisa.

   "Oh, yes," breathed Hunter.

   "Well, I can tell from that reaction .....  Was it everything you hoped
for?"

   "And more," said Hunter, feeling almost dizzy.  "I can't believe I .....
I really did it .....  Lisa, I spanked my sister."

   "That was the idea," Lisa reminded him.

   "It was incredible," said Hunter heavily.  "You know, Kylie has the
cutest little ass - "

   He suddenly froze.

   "I mean - I mean next to yours, of course," he said hastily.  "Well,
that is - "

   Lisa laughed.

   "It's okay, love," she giggled.  "I understand what you mean.  I know
your sister, and she does have the cutest little ass."

   "I actually spanked Kylie .....  It was like one of my deepest fantasies
had just come true.  I've imagined it so many times, but I never thought
I'd .....  "

   Hunter shook his head.

   "I took your advice, Lisa," he said.  "It worked like a charm."

   "Of course it did," said Lisa.  "I told you it was foolproof.  Just
storm into her room, acting all mad, accuse her of some trumped-up charge,
throw her over your knee, and spank her.  Never fails."

   "It was just like you said.  Kylie was so desperate to convince me that
she didn't do what I was accusing her of, that she never even considered
the possibility that I was just making it up.  It never even occurred to
her that it was literally impossible for anybody to have entered my room
while I was gone, since she and her friends were the only ones here."

   "Told you so," said Lisa.  "When I was growing up, my brothers did that
to me and my sisters all the time, and we fell for it every single time
.....  Every.  Single.  Time."

   She let out a heavy sigh.

   "It wasn't until years later that I figured out what those boys were
doing to us girls, and by then it was too late for us to do anything about
it."

   Lisa paused.

   "By the time I realized that what my brothers were doing was almost
certainly sexually motivated, it was something years in the past."

   Lisa noted that her boyfriend was suddenly dead quiet.  She smiled,
knowing he was blushing intensely at her implicit analysis of his actions.

   "I expect it will be the same with Kylie," she said.

   "I hope so," said Hunter.  "If Kylie realizes what I did - "

   "She won't," said Lisa.  "I can tell you from personal experience that
girls usually don't, and besides, I know your sister.  She's .....  Well,
Kylie is a really sweet girl, but she is just a little too innocent,
especially for a 15-year-old.  She amazes me sometimes.  I'll bet she never
even understood that you were, ahem, admiring the sight of her bare
backside."

   "I suppose not, Lisa."

   "So the question now is, are you going to spank her again?"

   "I've already got the next one set up.  I told Kylie that I'm going to
spank her again tomorrow morning, and she was so afraid of being spanked
again right now that she gave in without an argument."

   "Well done, honey."

   "Honestly, Lisa, I can't wait to make up another excuse to spank Kylie
.....  Well, actually, it seems like we're not calling it 'spanking.' Kylie
said something about how she couldn't believe that I took her panties down,
and I used that phrase to describe it, and it seems to have stuck now.  It
looks like we're calling it that.  It's not 'spanking,' it's 'taking her
panties down.' I kept saying that over and over, and so did she - I've
actually gotten her calling it that now."

   "Oh, that is so adorable," Lisa giggled.

   Lisa paused, and then her voice became more serious.

   "You took the rest of my advice, too, though, right?" she said.  "You
comforted Kylie afterward, didn't you?"

   "Yes, absolutely.  I did everything you told me to.  I hugged Kylie, I
let her cry into my shoulder, and I told her that I loved her."

   "Good, very good.  Never forget, this is super-important, love.  If
you're going to spank Kylie, then you have to comfort her afterward.  My
brothers usually did that for me and my sisters, but a few times, they
didn't, and it was just the most awful thing."

   "I'm sorry, Lisa.  I promise, I will never forget to do that with Kylie,
ever."

   "That's good, honey."

   "You know .....  I told Kylie that I took her panties down because I
love her.  Well, I do love her, and I guess I really did do it because I
love her .....  Just not quite in the way that she would have assumed I
meant, I guess."

   Hunter was silent, gazing at the floor.

   "Lisa, it was just .....  You know, I do enjoy spanking you, honey, but
it just isn't .....  "

   "I know," said Lisa softly.  "There's nothing quite like spanking a girl
who doesn't want to be spanked, is there?  Believe me, I understand.  I
mean, I'm a girl, so naturally I'm a spankee, not a spanker.  But I
remember when my brothers spanked me and my sisters, while we were
struggling and pleading with them to stop.  I didn't comprehend it then,
but as I picture those times in my head now, I can see how much joy it
brought to the boys, to have us girls in such a vulnerable .....  Well,
anyway, love, just remember .....  Kylie is still your baby sister,
whatever else she may be to you.  It's still your responsibility to look
after her, to love and protect her, and to take good care of her."

   "I will, Lisa.  Always.  Thanks."

   "Talk to you tomorrow, love."

   "G'night."

   For a long time, Hunter sat there, with his eyes closed, picturing
Kylie's incredibly cute little backside, totally bare, in his lap, turning
bright red as he smacked it over and over .....  Almost involuntarily, he
smiled .....

   After a while, he picked up his phone, and pulled up a picture of Kylie
with her friends, Amy and Michelle.  For a moment, he gazed admiringly at
how pretty all three girls looked, especially in their short uniform skirts
with bare legs.

   Hunter contemplated what had just happened with Kylie, and then a
thought occurred to him.  He was friends with Amy and Michelle's older
brothers, Robert and Connor.  It had never occurred to him until just now,
but maybe there was a way for Hunter to spare Kylie the embarrassment of
her best friends asking if she was spanked, and also do his friends Robert
and Connor a favor at the same time.

   After several minutes of thought, Hunter decided to make a couple of
phone calls .....

   The next morning, the door to Hunter's room opened, and Kylie emerged,
in her school uniform, red-faced and rubbing her bottom.

   "All right, now, you get to school, Kylie," said Hunter, prodding his
little sister along.  "If you still feel like crying when you get there, go
into the restroom on the basement level and take a moment.  There's usually
nobody down there this early in the morning."

   "Okay," sniffled Kylie, her hands still massaging her rear.  "Thank you,
Hunter."

   "Now just remember what I said, Kylie.  Tonight, just before you go to
bed."

   "Y-You're really going to take my panties down again?" asked Kylie,
looking at her brother in despair.  "I thought - I thought we were
finished."

   "This isn't a punishment, Kylie.  I explained this.  I'm just going to
take your panties down for a little bit, just as a reminder.  It won't last
long, it'll just sting a little bit, I promise.  It'll be good for you, I
think."

   Kylie looked at her shoes.

   "Okay," she said softly.

   "Just one moment," said Hunter.  He gently turned his sister around so
she had her back to him.  Kylie felt him lift up her skirt and pull the
waistband of her panties so he could see her backside.  For a long moment,
he simply gazed at it.

   Kylie began to wonder why he was taking so long.  She understood, of
course, that he wanted to check her bottom to make sure it wasn't too badly
hurt.  After all, why else would he be looking at it?  But why was he
looking for such a long time?

   "I think I should get to school, Hunter," Kylie finally said.

   "Uh, right." Hunter seemed abashed.  He let go of her panties and pulled
her skirt back down into place.

   "Thank you, Hunter."

   "Um, anyway .....  Don't forget, Kylie.  When it's time for you to go to
bed tonight, go to your room, take off your skirt, and your blouse, and
wait for me.  When it's time, I'll come to your room and take your panties
down .....  If you're a good girl, I'll let you keep your bra on this
time."

   Kylie's face instantly turned crimson, but she managed to simply say,
"Th-Thank you, Hunter."

   Kylie made her way to school, still feeling soreness in her backside. 
For the first time that she could remember, she was dreading seeing her
best friends, knowing that Amy and Michelle would both notice right away
that she was having a hard time sitting down, and they were certain to ask
her about it.

   But when she saw the girls at school .....  Much to her surprise,
neither Amy nor Michelle seemed to want to ask her anything about it.  It
was almost like they wanted to avoid the subject at all costs.  During
their first class, Kylie was puzzling over her friends' apparent lack of
interest in discussing the matter .....

    --..  but, then, Kylie noticed that Amy and Michelle seemed to be
having a hard time sitting down, too.

   Kylie sighed and murmured, "It just isn't easy being a girl."



   7.  Cousin Brandy

   Dave walked into his bedroom and simultaneously shut the door behind
him, threw his bookbag on the bed, and let out a heavy sigh.

   The 16-year-old boy sat down at his desk, idly wondering if he might
have time to get a little basketball practice in before he had to do his
homework, when his thoughts were interrupted by his bedroom door suddenly
flying open.

   "Hey," said Dave, getting to his feet as his 15-year-old sister, Carly,
walked in.  "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

   Carly folded her arms and locked eyes with her brother.

   "STRIP," she said.

   "What?" said Dave, almost involuntarily.

   "You heard me," said Carly.  "Strip.  Get naked for me."

   "Oh, come on," whined Dave.  "Haven't you seen me naked enough times
already, Carly?"

   "That's MISS Carly to you," said his sister coldly.  "And I'm in charge
of you, remember, so do as I say and strip."

   "But - "

   "Is there a problem in here?"

   Dave and Carly's 19-year-old cousin, Brandy, appeared in the doorway. 
She had been left to look after Dave and Carly while their parents were
away on a trip.

   "Uh, no," said Dave nervously.  "No problem, it's just - "

   "Yes, there's a problem." Carly turned to Brandy.  "He won't do as I
tell him."

   "What did you tell him to do?" asked Brandy.

   "She wants me to take off my clothes," said Dave.

   "Then why are you not naked?" demanded Brandy.

   "Brandy, I shouldn't have to strip for my sister - "

   "That's MISS Brandy to you," she retorted.

   "And he called me Carly," Carly said.

   "All right," said Brandy.  "So far, we have refusing to obey an order
from your sister, failing to call her and me by the properly respectful
terms, and daring to suggest that a boy has the right to refuse to strip
for a girl.  Carly, you will give your brother four spankings, as soon as
he is naked."

   "That's not fair," protested Dave.

   "Five spankings," said Brandy.  "Care for another, little boy?"

   "Carly shouldn't be allowed to spank me," said Dave.  "I'm older than
her, I should be - "

   "You are a boy," said Brandy icily.  "And boys are meant to obey girls.
It doesn't matter who is older or younger, what matters is that Carly is a
girl and therefore she's in charge of you.  Now, you're already getting six
spankings, I suggest you undress before you rack up any more punishments."

   Dave lowered his head and reluctantly began to unbutton his shirt.

   "I trust you'll take care of things," Brandy said to Carly.

   "Sure thing.  Thanks, Cousin Brandy."

   Brandy turned and headed for the door.  Just before she walked out of
the room, she glanced back and smiled with satisfaction as Dave took his
pants down for his smirking sister.

   As she headed down the stairs, Brandy thought about how she had looked
after Dave and Carly when they were eight and seven years old.  She smiled
as she remembered how she would always have Carly help her bathe Dave,
while sending Dave to his room when it was Carly's turn to take a bath. 
Brandy loved letting Carly see Dave in the altogether, while refusing to
let Dave see Carly when she wasn't fully dressed.

   Whenever Dave wondered why it was okay for Carly to see him naked, but
he couldn't even see Carly in her underwear, Brandy always pointedly told
him that girls had every right to see boys naked but boys had no right to
see girls undressed.  She always loved the look of confusion and sadness in
Dave's eyes, feeling like he was inferior to Carly simply because he was a
boy.

   That was eight years ago.  Now, Dave and Carly were teenagers, and
Brandy was finding a joy that she had never imagined possible in making
Dave strip for Carly, obey her every command, and even get spanked by her.

   Brandy walked into Dave and Carly's parents' bedroom, where she was
staying while they were gone.  She paused to look at herself in the mirror,
as she always did, and smirked as she remarked, "Gorgeous as always,"
brushing her long red hair.

   Life is good, she thought as she plopped down into her uncle's armchair.
She was looking forward to seeing how difficult it would be for Dave to sit
comfortably at the dinner table.

   "Sometimes, it isn't easy being a boy, I guess," she said in amusement.

   .....

   "Carly .....  I mean, Miss Carly .....  Please don't spank me again,"
said Dave in a pitiful, begging tone.

   "Over my knee, little boy," said Carly pointedly.

   Dave whimpered as he slowly approached his younger sister.  He tried to
ignore the all-too-familiar feeling of embarrassment at being naked in
front of Carly, of having to take orders from his little sister, and of
being spanked, like a child, by a girl, a younger girl to boot.

   Within seconds, Dave was sobbing as Carly brought her paddle down on his
bare bottom again and again, as she had done so many times before.

   "Why are you doing this to me, Miss Carly?" he managed to say.  "I'm
your brother.  Don't you care about me?"

   "Sure I do," said Carly softly.  "But the chance to humiliate a cute
naked boy doesn't come along every day, you know."

   She paused, and then giggled.

   "Oh, wait, maybe it does," she laughed.

   .....

   Dave grimaced as he tried, with little success, to find a comfortable
position as he sat at his desk.

   Brandy had sent him to his room without dinner as punishment for
forgetting to call her "Miss Brandy" again.  He didn't really mind so much.
Although he was hungry, he had long since decided that going without food
was preferable to spending any more time in his cousin and sister's
presence than he needed to.

   Now, he was engaged in his usual evening activity of feeling extremely
sorry for himself.

   After a while, his phone beeped.  Dave checked it, and saw a text
message, from his friend Valerie, the pretty girl who lived next door.  He
read it, and then sighed.

   .....

   "Hi, Dave."

   "Hi, Valerie."

   "I saw what your sister did to you," said Valerie softly.

   "How did you - "

   "You really should close the curtains on your windows once in a while."

   "Argh," groaned Dave.  "Y-You saw .....  everything, Valerie?"

   "I'm sorry," said Valerie.  "I'm not trying to embarrass you, Dave."

   After a moment, Dave sighed and asked, "Well, did you at least like what
you saw?"

   "Oh, Dave," Valerie giggled.  "Well, yeah, I did rather enjoy the show."

   Valerie's tone became serious.

   "But I certainly didn't enjoy the way your sister was treating you."

   "Well, neither did I, really."

   "You have got to do something about this, Dave."

   "Like what?  Brandy's in charge while my mom and dad are gone."

   "You need to do what I told you to."

   "I could get into a lot of trouble for that, Valerie."

   "And what exactly do you call the spot you're in right now?  You're
already in trouble, I think.  At least you'll have a chance - "

   "I don't know, Valerie."

   For a moment, there was silence.

   "I want to help, Dave," said Valerie softly.  "Listen .....  "

   She hesitated.

   "I'm a girl," she said.

   Dave blinked.

   "Really?" he exclaimed.  "No kidding?  When did THAT happen?"

   "I'm serious, Dave."

   "Okay, you're a girl.  What's your point?"

   "Well," Valerie took a deep breath.  "Your cousin and sister are girls,
and they are treating you horribly, because you're a boy.  It's obviously a
gender battle, ultimately, so .....  Dave, if you can't do anything to
Brandy or Carly, then maybe you could punish me in their place."

   "What?" broke from Dave, almost involuntarily.

   "Dave," said Valerie softly.  "Maybe it would help you to get some
revenge for the way those two girls are treating you.  Now, if you can't
get revenge on them directly, then maybe you should come over here and
punish me instead, as a kind of 'proxy.' Since I'm a girl, too, you could
spank me for a while, in place of the girls who have hurt you."

   "V-Valerie - "

   "I promise, I won't take it personally," she said sincerely.  "And
hopefully you'll feel a little better to have vented some of that anger I
know you're bottling up inside."

   For a long moment, Dave could only sit in astonished silence, and then
he laughed softly.

   "Valerie, that may be the nicest thing anyone's offered to do for me in
a long time." Dave shook his head.  "Val, you are so sweet, I could never
do that to you."

   "But - "

   "Valerie." Dave tried to sound firm.  "Thank you very much for the
offer. I really, really appreciate it, more than I think you know.  But I
can handle things myself."

   "Okay," said Valerie after a few moments.  "But just remember, I'm here
for you, Dave."

   "Thanks, Valerie.  G'night."

   "Good night .....  "

   .....

   "Carly, please, don't do this to me," Dave begged.

   His sister turned and glared at him.

   "Miss Carly," Dave corrected himself, unable to hide his terror. 
"Please, I'll get naked for you any time you want, just please don't let
your friends see me like this."

   "You'll get naked for me any time I want anyway," said Carly coldly. 
"And you will obey my commands, including this one."

   "But - "

   "Do I have to repeat myself?  This is the last time, little boy.  From
now on, whenever you are at home, you will be naked at ALL times.  You will
strip off at the front door, and Cousin Brandy and I can both touch you
anywhere we want, anytime we want.  And I will be inviting the girls over
on Saturday, and you will wait on us.  Naked."

   "Miss Carly, please - "

   "Don't worry, it won't be too many girls." Carly's lips curled into a
cruel smirk.  "Maybe just ten or fifteen of my closest friends."

   Carly walked out of Dave's room, laughing, leaving her devastated
brother behind.

   For several minutes, Dave simply stood in the middle of his room, nude,
contemplating the pit of despair that his life had become.  His dismal
thoughts were interrupted by a familiar beep.

   "Well?" read the text message.  "Have you had all you can stand, and you
can't stand no more?"

   .....

   "I still don't see how this is going to help," said Dave, as Valerie
placed a chair in the center of her bedroom.

   "I told you," said Valerie.  "You need to take revenge for what Carly
and Brandy are doing to you."

   "How will spanking you be revenge on Carly and Brandy?" asked Dave,
slightly frustrated.

   "It's cathartic.  Dave, girls have hurt you.  You need to voice that
hurt, express that anger instead of keeping it stifled inside of you.  And
since I'm a girl, you can vent those emotions by spanking me."

   Valerie took a deep breath as she faced her friend.

   "Okay," she said.  "Begin."

   Dave stared at her dumbly.

   Valerie rolled her eyes.

   "Tell me to take my clothes off," she said, as if explaining something
to a small child.

   Dave's face contorted.

   "Do you want to take your clothes off?" he asked.

   "No, I don't," said Valerie.  "That's kind of the idea here, isn't it?"

   "Valerie, I don't want you to - "

   "Dave." Valerie gazed at her friend levelly.  "You need to do this, now
do it."

   "Um, okay," said Dave hesitantly.  "Uh, get undressed."

   "Dave," Valerie sighed in exasperation.  "In order for this to work, you
have to take charge.  You have to take control.  It's the first step to
taking back control of your life.  Now, order me to strip!"

   "Okay," said Dave.  He swallowed hard and then took a deep breath.

   "Strip!  Now!" Dave tried to raise his voice, but one look at the face
of his sweet, pretty friend made him crumble almost instantly, and the
words came out more like a strangled cough.

   "  --..  I guess that will have to do," said Valerie heavily.  "We're
going to need to work on that, Dave."

   Valerie began to unbutton her dress.

   Dave's eyes widened as Valerie removed her dress and placed it on her
bed, followed by her bra, and then her panties.  The boy's mouth slowly
fell open as ever more of Valerie's smooth, flawless skin was exposed to
his sight.

   He had always thought of his friend as pretty, and had even had a few
daydreams and fantasies about her, but he had also mostly thought of her as
a friend, the literal girl next door.  It wasn't until now that he finally
realized just how beautiful she really was .....

   "Are you okay?" Valerie asked, snapping Dave out of his reverie.

   He immediately looked down, embarrassed to realize Valerie had caught
him gaping at her naked body.

   "You should try breathing a little more," Valerie advised him.

   "Th-Thanks," mumbled Dave.

   He managed to force himself to look up, and felt surprised - though he
didn't know why - to see that Valerie was blushing intensely.  Dave had
felt so embarrassed himself that he didn't even consider how Valerie must
feel, not only at being naked in front of a boy, even if he was her closest
friend, but also at the realization that he had seemed to find her
attractive.

   "Okay," said Valerie after a moment.  "It's time for the next part."

   "Uh .....  "

   "Tell me that you're going to spank me," said Valerie, trying not to
roll her eyes again.  "Tell me that I'm a girl, so I deserve to be
spanked."

   "But I don't think that girls - "

   "That's not the point." Valerie was becoming increasingly frustrated. 
"It's what you need to say to me, Dave.  It doesn't matter whether you
believe it or not.  You need to vent your feelings."

   "Okay," said Dave.  "I'm going to spank you.  You're a girl, you deserve
to be spanked."

   Dave tried to sound harsh, but now he was hampered, not only by his
affection for his closest friend but also his entrancement at her naked
beauty, and the words came out barely above a whisper.

   "Dave," Valerie shook her head.  She sounded angry now.  "Dave, do you
care about me?"

   "What?" Dave was confused.  "Of course I care about you, Valerie, why
would - "

   "Then do this right!" Valerie said, her own voice rising.  "Dave, I love
you, you're the most wonderful boy I've ever known, the best friend I've
ever had.  I care about you, and when you're hurting, like you are right
now, I want to help you."

   Valerie shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

   "But I can't help you if you won't let me!" she fairly shouted at Dave,
making him shrink back.  "Dave, when I see you hurting, that hurts ME.  And
if you really care about me, then you'll want to do something to make me
stop hurting, like I'm trying to do for you.  You will do this if you care
about me!"

   She bit her lip as she looked into her friend's uncertain, anxious face.

   "Think about Carly," she told him.  "Think about Brandy.  Think about
how they've hurt you.  Think about the cruelty, the humiliation.  Think
about how angry that makes you feel.  Now let that anger come through. 
Don't hide it, don't suppress it, don't pretend it doesn't exist.  And
then, act on it, Dave - Look at me, not as your friend, but as a girl, like
the girls who have hurt you, and act on your anger!"

   Dave stared at her for a long moment, emotions now growing inside of
him, fighting for control, now becoming a firestorm in his heart.

   Before he knew what was happening, he had stalked over to Valerie,
nearly knocking the chair over in the process, and grabbed her by the arm,
ignoring the wince in her face at his viselike grip.

   "You're getting a spanking!" he told her in a menacing voice that she
had never heard from him before.  "I'm putting you over my knee, and I'm
going to paddle your ass!  I'm going to beat your bare butt until it's red
and raw!"

   Dave's voice was becoming louder and ever more shrill, until he was
roaring at Valerie.

   "You're a girl, so you should be spanked! .....  You're a girl, so you
deserve to be spanked! .....  YOU'RE A GIRL!  YOU NEED TO BE SPANKED!"

   Within seconds, Dave was in the chair and Valerie was over his knees,
her bare rear squarely on his lap.  He scarcely even seemed to register the
cries of pain, the sobbing that was coming from his friend as he brought
his hand down on her rump again and again, watching it turn rapidly turn
pink and then a deeper and deeper crimson .....

   .....

   "Wow." Valerie sniffled, but summoned a brave smile to her lips as she
rubbed her bottom.  "Um, y-you are r-really g-good at this, Dave."

   "Did I do it too hard?" asked Dave worriedly.  "I'm sorry, Valerie - "

   "No," said Valerie firmly.  "Don't be sorry.  Don't apologize."

   Valerie self-consciously adjusted her dress, now back on her body, but
without any panties on underneath.

   "I think that for the time being, the less I have in contact with my
bottom, the better off I'll be," she had said ruefully.

   She gazed at Dave.

   "You don't say you're sorry to a girl you've punished," she told him
firmly.  "You did what you needed to do, and you don't have to apologize
for it."

   "Thanks," murmured Dave.

   "How did it make you feel?" asked Valerie in a soft voice.  "How did you
feel when you were spanking me?"

   "I .....  I'm not sure," said Dave slowly.  "It felt like .....  Like
all of the anger I was feeling about Brandy and Carly was coming right out
of me and through my hand .....  I .....  I guess it did make me feel
better, like I was getting my own back for what the girls have been doing
to me."

   "That's good," said Valerie approvingly.  "What else did it make you
feel?"

   "It .....  It made me feel .....  "

   "Stronger?" suggested Valerie.

   Dave paused, and then shook his head.  "No.  I don't think I felt
stronger."

   "Focused?" tried Valerie.

   Dave's eyes widened.  "Yeah, I think that's it, Valerie .....  I felt
.....  like I knew what I wanted to do.  Like I knew what I needed to do. I
haven't felt that in a while.  Up until now, I've been feeling like I had
no idea what to do, I didn't know what I even wanted to do."

   "Well, I think you do now," said Valerie.

   "Valerie, I'm not sure that - "

   "No!" said Valerie, taking hold of Dave's shoulders in a grip that was
firm for her.  "Don't go back, Dave.  Don't slide back into that .....  You
know what you have to do now.  So go over there and do it.  Do you
understand me, Dave?  Go over there and do what you have to do, do what you
need to do!"

   Dave stared at her, and then nodded - slowly at first, and then more and
more emphatically.

   "I will," he vowed.  "Thanks, Valerie.  I know what to do now."

   Valerie smiled and nodded at him.

   Dave turned and headed out of Valerie's bedroom.  As he reached the
door, he heard Valerie clear her throat.

   "Dave?" she said.  She lowered her head, gazing at her feet, while
crossing her wrists in front of her waist.  After a moment, she looked up,
and smiled.  "You, um .....  You can spank me any time you want."

   Now, it was Dave's turn to blush.

   As he walked down the path to his own house, Dave fervently hoped that
the blush would fade before he went in to his house.

   .....

   Brandy was sitting in bed, lazily thumbing through a teen magazine.  She
was contemplating what she would have Dave cook for dinner tonight, smiling
at the thought of giving his bare butt cheeks a smack every now and then to
remind him that she and Carly were waiting.

   Her pleasant daydreams were suddenly and rudely interrupted when the
bedroom door flew open, making a loud smack as it hit the wall.

   "HEY!" Brandy exclaimed, more out of shock than anger, as Dave came in.

   "What the hell do you think you're doing, little boy?" she demanded,
jumping to her feet.  "How dare you come storming into my room without even
asking!  And why aren't you naked?  Didn't Carly tell you that you're to be
naked at all times in the house?  How dare you wear clothing without our
permission!"

   Brandy fully expected Dave to shrink in fear at the sound of her raging
voice, the way he had always, always done before.  To her surprise, he
didn't even flinch, but simply gazed levelly at her.

   "We need to talk, Brandy," said Dave ominously.

   "That's MISS Brandy to you," said Brandy, recovering from her surprise
and putting her usual sneer back on.  "You're going to get a spanking for
that, and for wearing unauthorized clothes, AND for coming into my room
without knocking!  Now, unless you want even more, strip right now and go
to your room!"

   Dave didn't move a muscle.

   "We need to talk, Brandy," he repeated, as he turned and quietly closed
the door.

   .....

   Dave was sitting at his desk, silently thinking, pondering this and that
.....  Mostly, he was thinking about girls.  The girls in his life. 
Brandy. Carly.  And Valerie - above all, Valerie.

   He was not at all surprised when his thoughts were interrupted by his
door flying open and Carly walking in, the usual smug smirk on her face.

   "Hey," said Carly, glaring at Dave.  "What's the matter with you? 
Didn't I tell you to be naked in the house?  Now strip!"

   Dave gazed at her.

   "I've got a better idea," said Dave, getting to his feet.  "Why don't
you strip instead, Carly?"

   For a moment, Carly stared at him, stunned, speechless.

   "I beg your pardon?" Carly asked in a dangerous tone.

   "I said," said Dave, "Why don't you strip instead, Carly?  I'd kind of
like to see you naked, and it would be a nice change of pace around here."

   "H-How dare you - You're going to pay for that, little boy!  Now, take
your clothes off and get over my knee!"

   Dave folded his arms in front of him and stood resolutely.

   "Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" said Carly in amusement. 
"Well, we'll see about that.  Brandy!"

   Carly waited .....  and waited .....  Soon, the smirk on her face faded
and was replaced with confusion.  She glanced at the door expectantly,
wondering why there was nobody there.

   "Cousin Brandy!" she called out.  "Cousin Brandy, I need you! ..... 
Cousin Brandy?"

   "I don't think she'll be answering you," said Dave.

   "What's going on?" demanded Carly.  "Where is she?"

   "Maybe she's in her room," shrugged Dave.  "Why don't you go take a
look?"

   Carly stared at him with a mixture of bewilderment, anger, frustration,
and still some of her usual smugness as she turned and headed down the hall
to their parents' bedroom.

   Dave waited a moment, and then smiled when he heard the inevitable
shriek from Carly as soon as she opened the bedroom door.

   With a smug smirk on his face that rather resembled the one Carly had
had just a moment earlier, Dave walked out of his room.  As expected, Carly
was staring, aghast, at the sight that greeted her in Brandy's room.

   Brandy was sitting on the bed.

   When Carly opened the door, Brandy had looked up at her with red,
tear-filled eyes, but said nothing.  She could say nothing with the gag
tied tightly in her mouth.

   Carly took a step back, recoiling in shock and horror.  Brandy was tied
up with several coils of rope, and she was completely naked, bearing some
light bruises on her body and disheveled hair.  Not only that, but Brandy
was shifting awkwardly on the bed in the manner that Carly recognized at
once, because she'd seen it from Dave many times - the manner of somebody
unable to sit comfortably on a red, thoroughly spanked bottom.

   "Trouble?" asked Dave in an innocent voice, smiling at Carly.

   "Wh-What did you do to her?" asked Carly in a small voice.

   "Does it matter?"

   "Um, it might," said Carly, wide-eyed.

   "Here's what matters," said Dave, with a calmness that sent waves of
terror through Carly.  "It's over, Carly."

   Dave smiled, a dark smile that Carly had never seen from him before.

   "And at the same time, it's just beginning."

   "Wh-What are you going to do to me?" asked Carly, shrinking away from
her brother, her voice shrinking even faster.

   "I won't do anything to you that you haven't done to me," promised Dave.

   Carly's eyes bugged out.

   "Oh, My God," she whispered in horror.

   "Well, I'll cut you a break on one thing, Carly," said Dave.  "You don't
have to be naked all the time in the house, like you were doing to me."

   "A-All the time?" said Carly in anguish.  "But I will have to be naked
for you?"

   "Of course." Dave rolled his eyes.  "Did you really think that would
even be a question.  Anyway, count your blessings, Carly."

   Dave turned to Brandy.

   "You," he told her, "will be naked at all times in the house from now
on. And I can touch you anywhere I want, any time I want.  Understand?"

   "Mmm-hmmm, mmm-hmmm, mmm-hmmm," Brandy mumbled through her gag, nodding
her head emphatically.

   "And don't forget," continued Dave.  "After our parents return and you
go home, you will keep the camera in your computer on at all times, so that
I can do spot checks to make sure you're staying naked in your bedroom."

   "Mmm-hmmm," said Brandy again, nodding her head.

   "Not a stitch of clothing for you," Dave told her.  "Assuming you don't
want me to show anybody those pictures I have of you."

   The words brought a look of anguish to Brandy, who sobbed through her
gag as she looked at her feet.

   "Dave," said Carly, biting her lip.

   "That's MISTER Dave to you," said Dave pointedly.

   "M-Mister Dave," said Carly at once.  "Y-You can't do this to Brandy. 
She's older than you - "

   "It doesn't matter who is older or younger," said Dave, taking on the
same tone that Brandy had used before.  "What matters is that I'm a boy,
and therefore I'm in charge of her, AND YOU."

   "P-Please - "

   "You are a girl, Carly.  And girls are meant to obey boys, isn't that
right?"

   Carly stared at him.

   "Y-Yes," she managed to say, the words obviously paining her deeply. 
"Girls are meant to obey boys, always."

   "We're going to be playing a lot more games, Carly," said Dave, quite
matter-of-factly.  "And I'm looking forward to them.  The difference is
that from now on, you're going to be the naked one, not me."

   He smiled.

   "I'm particularly looking forward to bathing you tonight, Carly.  "

   "B-Bathing me?" shrieked Carly.  "I never did that to you!"

   "Sure you did.  Or rather, you helped her do it." Dave jerked his head
toward Brandy.

   "That was when we were like eight!" exclaimed Carly.

   "I know." Dave's lips curled as he casually looked Carly up and down. 
"I have a feeling it's going to be a LOT more fun when I do it, Carly."

   Carly whimpered.

   "But first," said Dave, taking a firm grip on his sister's arm.  "It's
time for YOUR spanking, Carly."

   "No," she whispered.

   Dave pulled Carly toward his bedroom door, smirking as he said, "I feel
like I've been waiting for this my whole life."

   .....

   Carly walked into her bedroom and simultaneously shut the door behind
her, threw her bookbag on the bed, and let out a heavy sigh.

   She had barely managed to sit down at her desk when the door suddenly
flew open.

   "Can't you ever knock?" asked Carly in exasperation as Dave walked in.

   Dave folded his arms and locked eyes with his sister.

   "STRIP," he said.

   "What?" asked Carly in dismay.

   "You heard me.  Strip.  Get naked for me."

   "Aw, come on," whined Carly.  "Haven't you seen me naked enough times by
now, Dave?"

   "That's MISTER Dave to you," said her brother coldly.  "And I'm in
charge of you, remember, so do as I say and strip."

   Carly slowly got to her feet and suppressed a sob as she began to
unbutton her blouse.

   "Is Cousin Brandy still naked?" she asked in a low voice.

   "Of course," said Dave.  "She's cooking dinner right now.  I gave her a
nice little slap on her butt cheeks to remind her to get it done on time."

   Carly whimpered again as she pulled her blouse off her shoulders and
unzipped her skirt.

   Dave smiled as he watched Carly undress.

   "It isn't always easy being a boy," he mused.  "But I guess it's a lot
easier than being a girl."

   Out of the corner of his eye, Dave spotted some movement in the window,
and looked up to see Valerie smiling at him from her bedroom window.

   Valerie watched the scene unfolding in Carly's room for a moment, and
then got up and walked away, but not before giving Dave a coy wink.

   Dave's smile deepened as he realized that after he was finished with
Carly and Brandy, there was still one more girl he was looking forward to
undressing tonight .. --