Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >What a Time to Recall! by CaughtOfLore PART TWO The boogie-board boys could undoubtedly see that I was looking at them, but this didn -(TM)t seem to deter them from continuing to ogle me. One would think my eye-contact would imbue enough guilt, or shame them into looking away, at least for a moment. But no, it seemed that they inherently knew my vulnerable state meant they had an upper hand. Their unshakeable staring was a clear message that I was the only one feeling any shame in that moment. Apparently now appeased with her examination of my skin, my mother thankfully didn -(TM)t ask me to shift my hands out of the way again, and with my yelp, she had realised that she just swivelled my naked front into at least a partial view of these other onlookers. -Sorry sweetie -, she said in the voice of someone who understood what they -(TM)d done, but had larger concerns. Which, in fairness, she did. Her two word apology (one word of which could almost be perceived as belittling) would not undo the fact that all three unknown boys on the beach that I had been specifically trying to hide my body from, now had an inerasable image of my peaked -breastlets - in their minds, to draw on whenever they pleased. -Guess what I just saw? -, I faintly heard Harrison smugly saying to his sister as he sauntered satisfied back to their towels. -Oh my gawwwd, I hate you so much! - His sister -(TM)s mortified voice cried back at him in a wounded crackle. I have no idea why this girl -(TM)s dynamic with her brother was so dramatic regarding someone else -(TM)s nudity, but it made me feel like I -(TM)d let this girl down. Like I had betrayed our unspoken girl-code in some way. Just what I needed; some undeserved guilt on top of my embarrassment! -Pack everything up, boys -, mum directed. -We need to get Bridget seen to! - -Seen to? - I questioned. I was relieved to hear I would finally be leaving this hellscape, but uneasy about the vagueness of my mother -(TM)s words. -Where are we going? - I asked. Ian and Matthew began bundling up the few items we had laid out on the sand, making every effort not to be seen sneaking glances in my direction as they did so, but failing on several counts. -Here, dry yourself off, honey, and let -(TM)s get back to the car. We -(TM)ve got to get some professional advice -, mum said to me, tossing her towel at me before hurrying with the boys back in the direction of the car. Unable to catch the towel without uncovering my privates, it collided with my front before dropping inelegantly to my feet. * -Hey! - I shouted after my mum. -Let -(TM)s go, Bridget! - She responded with haste, -Whatever it is, tell me on the way back to the car! - And like that, the three of them were off. -I need you to put the towel around me! - I implored. But my mother was too busy talking to Ian about whatever her plans were involving my being -seen to -. Like the premise of a certain Christmas movie where, amidst a chaotic morning, a mother ends up leaving her child alone at home, I too was being forgotten and unknowingly left behind. The main two ways that my situation differed from said movie were that I was on a beach, and I didn -(TM)t have a stitch of clothing on. On the sand in front of me was the perfect thing with which to cover up, but I couldn -(TM)t pick it up without exposing myself. As they walked further and further away, Ian and Matthew were still rubbernecking in my direction, realising my conundrum, but conveniently not alerting mum to it. So if I reached down to pick up the towel, I couldn -(TM)t be facing that way, or I -(TM)d be flashing Ian and Matthew. That -(TM)s when it occurred to me that no matter which way I faced, I would either be uncovering my front to boys, or have my butt facing boys as I bent over. Or both. I started turning around, hoping that there was some direction I could stand in where nobody would see my front, back, or side profile, but of course, that wasn -(TM)t possible. * * * As I turned, I saw the boogie-board brothers were for the moment talking to their mother. They were, of course, still keeping one eye on me the whole time, undoubtedly not wanting to miss my current full-body rotation. Perhaps their mother was about to send them away, and I -(TM)d have a brief moment where I only had to worry about Harrison and his sister seeing me. As I surveyed the sandcastle siblings, I was horrified to see that Harrison had started sculpting a well remembered and distressingly accurate replica of my breasts in the sand. I spotted them just as his sister realised what he was sculpting, and could only watch on as she fought against Harrison to try and kick them out of existence. Unfortunately it looked like her brother had more than enough strength to keep her at bay. At that moment, my view was blocked by two familiar figures stepping right in front of me holding boogie-boards - their sudden appearance almost startling me out of my hand-coverage. I struggled to breathe as their proximity to my scarcely shielded nakedness enveloped my natural life functions in a vice-like grip. They had such a close-up view of me now! -Hey -, the older of the brothers said. -Don -(TM)t worry about that kid. Our mum sent us over to block his view. - -Oh my gosh, thank you! - I said gratefully. I smiled over at their mother in lieu of a thank you wave, since it -(TM)s all I could manage with my need to cover until the boys had turned the other way. She smiled back, before returning to laying back down in her little beach-bed. -Okay, we -(TM)ll stand here shoulder-to-shoulder holding our boards in front of us, to block his view while you get yourself covered -, The older of the boys explained. As I watched them get into position creating their makeshift privacy wall, however, the true intentions of their willingness to help became much clearer. The privacy wall plan might have been okay in theory, except that as they positioned their boogie-boards in front of their legs, they were facing me. There was no way that this is what their mother had in mind sending them over here. Why wasn -(TM)t she keeping an eye on them!? -C-could one of you just pick up the towel for me? - I nervously proposed the obvious. The two boys looked at each other, and then back behind them. -Uhhh, - the younger boy spoke for the first time, a tone of nervousness in his voice -That kid -(TM)s on the move to peek around us, - he warned, conveniently ignoring my suggestion as if there were no time to entertain it. -You should hurry, we can -(TM)t block his view forever. - I looked back, and saw that Ian and Matthew were still looking in my direction, but were so far up the beach now that uncovering while facing them might be a pill I was willing to swallow to get this over with. They would see my naked front, but only for a second, and at a distance where any particular details would be hard to make out. They would be able to see that I was naked, but probably not be able to discern my little tit-cones or pubic area. Having the boogie-board boys so close to my rear now was far worse than it would have been before, but I suspected this was as good a chance as I was going to get. I was trying desperately to convince myself this wasn -(TM)t a big deal. The important thing was to get back to the safety of the car, and go get my poisoning reversed. And so, in a panic I was trying and failing to ignore, and with all time and circumstances against me, I took the arm that was covering my chest and promptly crouched to pick up my mother -(TM)s beach towel. As I dropped, I made sure to tuck my other hand further between my legs in an effort to cover as much of my underside and momentarily separated butt cheeks as I could manage. Springing back to a standing position with the towel in my grasp, I realised the logistics of wrapping the towel around me would require both hands. Keeping my legs tightly together and dangling the towel down the centre of my body, I hesitantly withdrew my fingers from where they had been tucked between my thighs. So far, so good. Now came the part where I would momentarily be the most vulnerable I had been all afternoon. Delaying would be my downfall, I thought. Better to get this done as quickly as possible. Lifting the towel up, I worked to find the two side corners, in order to quickly unravel it to wrap under my arms and around me, as my own towel had been earlier. Looking down fleetingly, I could see my full pubic area with its delicate smattering of pubic hairs around the top doing little to hide it from the sun -(TM)s warm glow reflecting up from the sand. Even with the towel outstretched in front of me as a partial blockade, my privates were immaculately lit should anyone score a view between my body and where the towel hung. -Now! - I heard the older boy whisper as I finally found the two corners I needed and held the towel out wide in front of me. Before I could work out what their game was, my back was blasted with an unexpected gust of wind. I just about screamed as the towel was blown outwards and away from hanging in front of my body. All that I managed to let out though was a whimper as I felt the towel corners in my pinched fingers slip away. The boys had taken to using their boogie-boards as giant fans, and though their plan was probably just to cause the front of the towel to lift up and give me a bit of a shock, they must have been doubly shocked with how powerful their fans had turned out to be. Suddenly the towel was fluttering back down to the sand in front of me, three metres (around ten feet) away. * * I ran forward, not bothering to even try and cover my front at this stage, the desperation to simply get the towel back having taken number one priority. I stumbled in the sand amid the madness of the moment, falling on my hands and knees as the older of the boys circled around my side. Not having time to get back to my feet, I remained kneeling, reverting to shielding my secrets with my hands again as he came into my view. -Oops, oh, man, I -(TM)m so sorry, - He laughed awkwardly, though barely disguising the fact that he was simultaneously checking out what he could see of my front as I fumbled to ameliorate my coverage, -We were just playing around. Didn -(TM)t mean to actually make you drop it, I swear! - I don -(TM)t know if you -(TM)ve ever tried getting to your feet from a kneeling position while also trying to hide your privates with both hands, but it -(TM)s not an easy thing to do. Especially in loose sand. Sufficed to say, while I was working to achieve this, the boy picked up the towel, saying -Lemme get that for ya -. -No! - I urged, no longer being able to trust that he had any intentions other than ones driven by a desire to see more of me. -No, really -, the boy said, still watching my front like a hawk on Adderall. -It -(TM)s okay. Here. - He held the towel out to me just as his younger brother caught up to us and stood beside him. The younger sibling had a huge grin on his face, giving away their game completely. I felt my throat tightening as my internal alarms started going off. I would have to uncover myself, to forfeit the secrets of my girlhood in front of both of these boys - even if just momentarily - in order to get the towel back and wrap it around me. And there was no question that my desperation to reclaim the towel was what these boys were counting on. They knew how much I needed that towel. I would probably expose myself to them for that towel. No fricking way! Like they weren -(TM)t geared up for a game of keepings off! Another looming concern was that if I didn -(TM)t do something quick, Harrison would be joining this audience soon enough. And I absolutely knew his M.O. Here -(TM)s the thing: in retrospect, I could have yelled for help at this moment, alerting the boys -(TM) seemingly ignorant parents of what was going on -- But sometimes you don -(TM)t think of the most sensible thing in the heat of the moment. Sometimes your brain is buzzing with a dizzying noise of everything you don -(TM)t want to happen, and you can -(TM)t see the most rational of paths to take. So I did the only thing I could think to do. I ran. Abandoning the towel altogether, I simply fled the scene, covering myself with my hands as best I could, zipping straight between the two boys, headed toward the car as fast as my feet would carry me. One final encore of my jiggling (now reddened) bottom was the last look of me these boys would get. I arrived back at the car out of breath, as everyone was about to climb in. The boys took one look at me still without the towel, obviously wondering just what they might have missed in the last 30 or so seconds after they walked out of view of me on the beach. As Ian opened the car door and motioned for me to climb in, I was so relieved to be getting out of the public space, as well as keeping busy trying to maintain as much bodily coverage as I could while manoeuvring myself into the car. With all of this whizzing through my mind, I didn -(TM)t stop to think about back-seat logistics. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the middle, flanked either side by Ian and Matthew. * While I was on the beach, I couldn -(TM)t wait to get back to the privacy of the car. Now that I was here, I realised just how much more intimate and vulnerable things were for me. Not only were Ian and Matthew now closer to me than they had been since I first disrobed, but I was now painfully aware of how precarious my arm-covering was when it was able to be viewed from the sides. I pressed my arms into myself a little more firmly, eager to disguise the shape of the protrusions on my chest as much as I could. -Can I borrow someone -(TM)s towel? - I asked, incredibly anxious about being able to keep my arms as perfectly positioned as they were for the whole car ride, while sitting so close to the boys. -Ours already got packed away in the back! - Ian almost sang as he and Matthew closed their doors. -What happened to mine? - My mum asked, closing her own door and turning around to apparently notice my continued towellessness for the first time. -I couldn -(TM)t pick it up without uncovering, and there were boys there! - -So you just left it behind?! - -I couldn -(TM)t pick it up, mum! - I repeated loudly. * -Oh screw it, - she said, turning back around to fasten her seatbelt, -we -(TM)ve got bigger issues right now -. -Mum! - I complained, -I need something to cover up with! - -You -(TM)ve got hands, haven -(TM)t you? -, my mother suggested dismissively as she turned the key in the ignition. And then, I swear only a few seconds later, she said -Okay, everyone buckle up! - Was she for real??? How exactly was I supposed to do that? I looked left and right at the two boys pinning me in on opposite sides as they fastened their seatbelts with their two luxuriously unoccupied hands, while all the time they made sure to keep one eye on me, to see how I would navigate the task. As I looked to my right, I could see that of course, the damn centre seatbelt had obviously done that irritating thing where it tucks itself into the nook of the base and back seating cushions. -Ian, can you- - I began, before Ian cut me off -Mum, Bridget -(TM)s not got her seatbelt on! - Mum gave an exasperated sigh. -Bridget- - -I can -(TM)t do it and cover myself at the same time! - I complained. -Boys, can one of you do it for her please - Mum instructed, trying not to explode again. -The seatbelt or the covering? - Ian cheekily queried, causing Matthew to giggle. -The cov- ah, the belt you brat! - Mum replied with a roll of her eyes, her tension having been diffused a little by Ian -(TM)s lighthearted quip. -Oh, I -(TM)m glad you -(TM)re all having fun! - I grumbled. I watched one of Ian -(TM)s hands slip down into the crevice behind me to fish for the elusive seatbelt. His hand slowly shifted further and further behind me, until I felt his fingers brush against my right buttock. -Hey! - I yelped, and he quickly pulled his hand away and placed it on his knee. -Sorry, I slipped! - He said, -Matthew, I think the belt and buckle are probably closer to your side anyway, given that the clasp is here on my side. Can you try finding it? - I felt so stupid for not identifying the clasp side and realising I should have deferred to Matthew first. Ian of course had been more than happy to take advantage of my oversight without mentioning it. I looked up at the ceiling, knowing exactly the game they were playing at, but unable to do anything to stop it. Knowing Matthew would be more likely to behave with the right stern look, I gave him one. He looked sheepishly away, before shifting his focus to the dark, narrow gap between the seat-back and my unclothed butt. I stared forwards, hoping my glare had done the trick. I could sense his hand shifting behind my behind. And then I felt it make contact. -Sorry! - He said before I could vocalise an objection. It sounded genuine, but unlike Ian, Matthew did not pull his hand away, and I could feel it shifting around. It was impossible to tell if he was actually in the process of trying to dig the seatbelt out of the nook, or if he was all-in on the opportunity to fondle and feel up my lower back and upper buttocks. -Can you lift up for a second? - Matthew quietly asked. Without being able to use my hands, it was difficult, but I managed to raise myself off the seat by leaning into the backrest and pushing my lower half up with my feet. As I held myself in this position, I eyed Matthew like a hawk to make sure he wasn -(TM)t angling himself to try and get a look at my underside. I know he -(TM)d already seen my naked bum, but that didn -(TM)t mean he had a lifetime pass. * * * No sooner had his hand disappeared beneath me, I felt my feet lose traction against the flooring, causing me to drop back down into the seat with a shriek. My bare butt landed fully on top of Matthew -(TM)s hand. -Ah! - Matthew yelled, obviously as shocked by me swiftly sitting on his hand as I was. -Bloody hell, Bridge! - Ian laughed, scarcely able to believe what had just happened. I could feel Matthew -(TM)s hand squirming about against my bum, and hoped he was merely trying to extricate it. I fervently scrambled to regain my footing, and after a false start that caused me to raise slightly and then drop back down again (to more laughter from Ian), I was able to fully raise my rear allowing Matthew to have his hand back. * I saw him simply staring at his hand after retrieving it, and could just imagine the thought -I -(TM)m never washing this hand again - echoing through his stupid little brain. I couldn -(TM)t bring myself to apologise for what had just happened, though I suspect from the dazed expression on Matthew -(TM)s face, no apology was necessary or indeed expected. After all, he just got a free grope of a girl -(TM)s bare butt. Then, he spoke. -Um, Sorry, I didn -(TM)t get to grab it -, he said. Bullshit, I thought to myself, before realising he was referring to the seatbelt. -Oh for the love of god -- - I muttered, raising my posterior for him yet again. * This time, he was in and out very quickly, knowing from his previous research mission exactly where the belt had lodged itself. -Here you- oh -- -, he said, cutting himself short as he realised the remaining part of the task still ahead of him. I don -(TM)t think either of us felt comfortable as Matthew led the seatbelt buckle on its journey to the clasp on my far side, but I knew one of us was feeling like the luckiest boy alive. Hint: It was the boy. As Matthew approached the midway point, he hesitated, hovering his hand over my hand, which in turn was stuffed fixedly between my legs and shielding my crotch. -What? - I asked as he suspended his movements, eager for him to move his hand on from where it was floating. -Uhm -- - He said, clearing his throat, -The belt -- needs to go under that hand -- - -No it does not! - I balked. No doubt Matthew knew I -(TM)d surely let hell freeze over before complying with such a suggestion, but I guess he had held out some hope, as he let out a quiet sigh. Matthew reached across the rest of the way, and by the time he was working the buckle into the clasp, his left arm was inadvertently leaning against my front. His struggling to reach across me began nudging my arms out of place. * -Hey, watch it! - I grumped, prompting him to quickly reposition himself. I was already barely concealed, and my last vestige of modesty I was clinging to were the small slivers of my body these two boys had yet to see. The fact that it could all come crashing down with something as simple as an accidental nudge against my body was a terrifying sign. Ian could have easily finished the task for Matthew, completing the buckling of the belt on his side, but he was far too happy to simply watch on as his sister and his friend experienced an awkward moment together. -Mum! Ian -(TM)s looking at me again! - I complained. -Every time you tell them not to look, they just wait a minute and then start looking again! - -Oh good lord! - Mum blasted in exasperation, -Kids! I don -(TM)t have the time or energy right now to keep doing this! Boys, stop looking at her! And Bridget, if they go back to looking at you, you -(TM)re just going to have to suck it up and live with it! Christ almighty! - I blinked in disbelief, for lack of available hands to be able to clear out my ears and ensure I -(TM)d heard correctly. I -(TM)m sure she thought that her outburst was equally balanced, but she had essentially just said -Boys, I can -(TM)t be bothered telling you off anymore, so Bridget -(TM)s body is now a playground for your eyes -. Finally, we heard the beautiful click of the seatbelt fastening, and Matthew extracted himself from my front with as much dignity as he could. Matthew of course then proceeded to take advantage of his all-access viewing pass. I turned toward Ian, expecting to see him grinning stupidly back at me again, but he was busy flicking at his phone screen. -Mum, there -(TM)s a number at the bottom of that recall page - he helpfully mentioned, -It -(TM)s a poisons help line that they say you should call -~in the event of skin discolouration -(TM). - -Okay, well maybe give them a call -, my mother said as we began to roll out of the parking lot. -I was going to head to the hospital, but maybe we can avoid that. - Ian had already called the number before mum had finished speaking. -Hello? - He said, -Yes, hi -- My name -(TM)s Ian -- We have a girl here, my sister, Bridget, who has been wearing a recalled SunSistrz bikini --. Apparently they have some harmful chemicals in -- - Ian paused as the person on the other end of the line spoke. I couldn -(TM)t hear what the other person was saying, but the casual, unconcerned expression disappeared from Ian -(TM)s face for a moment, and his brows arched, as if he was suddenly being made aware of the seriousness of the situation. -Yeah, yeah, - Ian answered the inaudible expert on the phone, -those ones. Uhuh -- Yeah, we were at the beach so she -(TM)s washed off in the ocean, and --. - -Can you put her on speakerphone? - My mum whispered. -Sorry, - Ian said into the phone, -If you don -(TM)t mind, I -(TM)m just going to put you on speakerphone so my mum can hear you -- just a second -- - Ian prodded at his phone menu for a second, and the speaker came to life. -Okay, - Ian said, holding his phone out further from his face, -Sorry, you can continue now. - The voice began speaking over the tinny phone speaker, and sounded calm but pragmatic. -Hi there, I -(TM)m Helen from the Poisons Information Centre. So what I was about to say, - the voice advised, -Is that saltwater actually opens up the pores in your skin, which in this case may have led to a higher, more rapid level of chemical absorption when the garment was in contact with your sister -(TM)s skin, Ian. - This was not what I wanted to hear. Shit. My only reassurance at this point was that Helen didn -(TM)t sound panicked. -Sorry, - Mum chimed in, -This is Bridget -(TM)s mother speaking. Surely opening up the pores would also have helped to remove the poison when she went back in the water to wash off though? - -Normally yes, - Helen explained, -however the hazardous compounds in the dye-setting chemicals become active when exposed to high levels of salinity. Essentially, depending on how long she took to start cleaning herself, and how long she was cleaning herself for, would determine whether she has effectively removed the dangerous chemicals from her body. - -Well, - Ian reported, -She had the wet bikini on for about 15 minutes before she removed it, and then it was another five minutes or so before she got in the water to clean herself off -. -I see, - Said Helen, not wavering from her calm demeanour, -And how long did she clean herself for? - My voice caught in my throat as I went to answer for myself, leaving Ian to speak for me again. I felt like a freaking toddler whose parent was answering on their behalf. -She was in the water for five minutes, though I know for a fact she wasn -(TM)t actually cleaning herself for that whole time. I -(TM)d say the time she was properly scrubbing herself was around two to three minutes. - I was sure it must have been longer than that, but this whole afternoon was awash with whirlwind events interspersed with embarrassing moments that felt like an eternity, so who was I to judge time? -And what did she use to scrub herself? - Helen enquired. -Just her hands - Mum answered. -I -(TM)m not sure she will have cleared herself of the poison in that time, and without any proper cleaning implements -, Helen prognosticated. -Did she dry off thoroughly? - -Uhh -- No -- -, Ian admitted, -She just kinda mostly sun-dried because she didn -(TM)t have a towel. Between getting out of the water and getting in the car, she was sorta just standing around with her hands covering herself. In fact she was doing that before going in and washing herself off too. - -Oh -, Helen said, sounding a little disappointed in this news, -That -(TM)s not good. She should be avoiding any skin-to-skin contact with the affected areas, because the oils in the skin and salts in her sweat may be enough to cause potential permanent blemishes and discolouration if the area hasn -(TM)t been cleaned properly. Is she still touching those areas now? - I stared at the bug-eyed Ian in disbelief, until my mother snapped me out of it, shouting into the rear-view mirror at me. -Bridget, you heard her! Hands off! - I lifted my hand and arm away from my crotch and breast areas respectively, now hovering the limbs redundantly half an inch or so in front of them, in the absurd hope that I was still successfully shielding myself from the boys -(TM) curious eyes while not making physical contact. Surprisingly, at least from what I could tell, neither of the boys made too much of a clear effort to angle around my raised hands or arms, for which I was extremely relieved. Matthew shifted in his seat a little, so I suspect he was thinking about trying to peek under my hands, but had so far refrained. -Bridget! - My mother repeated, apparently not able to tell from the front seat that I was no longer touching myself. -I -(TM)m not touching! - I assured her. -Matthew, is she still touching herself or not? - Mum asked, clearly trusting my schoolmate more than me. Matthew shifted in his seat again, realising he had just been effectively asked by this adult to actively try and get a look at my exposed privates. Naturally, he wasted no time, and with the best -this is for the greater good, honestly - face he could put on, leaned forward in his seat and tilted his head to try and peer into the slim space in between the underside of my hands and the areas they were desperately wanting to keep covered up. I watched Matthew -(TM)s face as it approached the viewing angle between my upheld arm and the distinctly female contours of my chest. After all this painstaking work to keep these boys from seeing my secrets, I was now deliberately not quite covering them, playing an active role in letting him sneak a peek of my private parts! * I waited to see his expression change; any indication that his studied angling had at last brought my breast buds into his line of sight. It took longer than I anticipated, but then -- a slow, gentle widening of his eyes. And then in an instant, any facade of this not being a big deal to him turned to dust as he allowed a tiny excited snicker to escape his nose. It was tortuous enough to watch and hear this, but I then had to continue enduring his gaze as it drifted down my body, and he began to angle himself to see beneath my other hovering hand, that most off-limits of all areas. * This time, he didn -(TM)t elicit a sound. He just stared, frozen in time, like a living photograph, immortalising the nuances of this very moment in his mind. I think this was the point that the reality of what he was getting to look at kicked in, and it -(TM)s quite possible he stopped breathing for a minute. This is what a real life girl looks like down there, he must have been thinking. This was the very juncture in his life where a girls -(TM) privates ceased being a mere concept. They were right there in front of him, just casually existing within his field of vision, like it was no big deal. * * -Uh, n-no, - Matthew said with a strange medley of nervousness and excitement in his voice, -I can see her -- her um -- She -(TM)s not touching them -- - It felt like Matthew took longer than needed to bring himself away from his little look-see, but maybe I was just hyper aware of every nanosecond his eyes were trained between my legs and across my chest. * -Omigosh! - Ian exclaimed, -Are your nipples okay? - I realised he too was taking a peek in the gap I was being forced to provide, and eyeing my perky little points. -Yes honey, - Mum answered on my behalf, -She -(TM)s just starting to grow breasts. That -(TM)s what they look like in the early stage -. -Jeeeezus! They look so weird! - He laughed, I hope more out of relief for my apparent safety than ridicule. The laugh still stung nonetheless, as I couldn -(TM)t help but read it as the latter. I tried to re-angle my hovering arm, but quickly came to the conclusion that there was no angle which would truly prevent the boys from now seeing whatever they wanted to see, whenever they wanted to. Still, I kept trying to block them whenever I spotted them staring for too long. Unfortunately their ability to then inevitably re-angle themselves only served to twist the screws on my frustrating, unfair plight. -Ian, - Mum sternly said, -Behave yourself. Bridget -(TM)s breasts look perfectly normal for her age. - -Sorry, sorry, - Ian said, continuing to stare around my blockades, -I -(TM)m just not used to them yet -. The way he subtly emphasised -yet - was obviously designed to tease me. I would have flat-out punched him in the face if I didn -(TM)t have such a strong aspiration to continue my hover-cover attempts. -Helen, am I doing the right thing in heading to the nearest hospital? - Mum asked Ian -(TM)s phone with a wavering in her voice. -If it -(TM)s been less than ninety minutes since the exposure, I wouldn -(TM)t worry - Helen -(TM)s ever-reassuring voice advised, -I can step you through neutralising the chemicals over the phone. Do you have access to some latex gloves and baby wipes? - -We -(TM)re in the car, about ten to fifteen minutes away from home - mum said, weaving in and out of traffic, -but there -(TM)s a supermarket a couple of blocks from here, we -(TM)ll be there in a minute -. Helen made a positive-sounding hum. -That -(TM)s fantastic news. Don -(TM)t worry Bridget, we -(TM)ll have this taken care of in no time. - -Thank you - I demurely replied. -Is there any particular brand of baby wipes we should be looking for when we get to the supermarket? - Mum questioned. -Most brands will be fine, - Helen informed, -The one thing you need to be looking for in the ingredients listing is silver dihydrogen citrate. - -Silver what, sorry? - Ian asked, tapping his phone to bring up his notes app. -Silver dihydrogen citrate - Helen enunciated slowly. -That -(TM)s the magic ingredient that will dull and slow any further effects of the chemicals in her skin. Most brands will have it, but it pays to check. - -Got it -, Ian said as he thumbed the words into his phone. -Anything else we need other than that and the gloves? - -Is she already showing visible blemishes on her skin? - Helen asked. -She was getting pretty pink in those areas -- - Ian offered before looking me in the eyes for the first time in a while. -Bridge, - He said, shifting this way and that in an attempt to thwart my arm shielding, -Move your hands out of the way so I can see how red your skin is now. - -What? No! - I vehemently protested, -It -(TM)s the same as it was before! - -Bridget, - Helen said in a slightly more stern tone, catching me offguard, -I -(TM)m sorry, but I need a proper description of the area to assess how severe things are and properly advise on treatment. I know this is hard for you but I need you to cooperate. - I stared down at the small gap between my body and my hovering arms. -It -(TM)s pink and blotchy around my -- on my chest -- and -- around -- around my -- - I closed my eyes, not believing what I was about to say in front of these boys. - --My -- v-vulva -- - I quietly mumbled. Ian -(TM)s mouth tightened, and I just knew he was fighting off a smile. As my brother, he knew firsthand just how secretive I normally was about my body. Hearing me even admit the notion that I had genitals must have seemed to him like the sweetest of victories in our unspoken sibling rivalry. I couldn -(TM)t say what Matthew -(TM)s reaction had been, as I couldn -(TM)t even bring myself to look his way now. There was an unusually long pause before Helen spoke again. When she did, the slight warmness that had come into her voice over the conversation had waned, replaced with the more sterile tone she had begun the conversation with. -Bridget, I -(TM)m trying to help prevent any permanent scarring on your body, but I -(TM)m not sure you realise how important it is that I have a clear understanding of your skin condition right now. - This was all the prompting my mum needed for another outburst. -Bridget, stop this rot! Do as the girl says and move your damn hands! - She castigated. I moved my -~damn hands -(TM) to my sides and gripped the sides of my legs with a huff of defeat and annoyance that I was being forced to once again expose myself to the boys. The boys finally got what I -(TM)m certain they had been hoping for since this whole day had begun unravelling: An uninterrupted, unobscured view of the naked girl -(TM)s body. And knowing my mum had officially announced retirement from chastising the boys for looking at me, it really was a situation they were salivating to take advantage of. With mum not dissuading them, I had no recourse save taking things into my own hands with a last-ditch attempt to shame them into giving me some modesty. -Don -(TM)t you know it -(TM)s rude to stare! - I yelled at them both. Ian allowed his smirk to return as he deliberately and defiantly continued staring at the little peaks of my breast buds. -It -(TM)s also rude to point! - He shot back. I felt thoroughly mortified at his comment. Matthew burst out with a squawk in an attempt to stifle a sudden laugh. I could feel the modicum of age-based superiority I had over my younger brother tangibly shrivelling away. I wanted to curl up into a ball and become lost forever in the car seat cushions. Instead, I closed my eyes, so at least I didn -(TM)t have to witness their lewd staring. I squeezed the outer sides of my legs as makeshift stress-relievers. -Ah, - Ian said, -You probably shouldn -(TM)t be touching your legs like that, Bridge. The toxins might be in the skin of your hands from handling the swimsuit. - -Oh yes, - Helen confirmed, -As I said before, please avoid any skin-on-skin contact in those areas that have been in contact with the swimsuit. Body oils and sweat will exacerbate the issue and make the poison more difficult to remove. - I let go of my legs and let my hands flop limply to my sides like a lifeless doll. Right in that moment, I almost wished I was one too. -Does that mean her legs shouldn -(TM)t be touching each other? - Ian asked so casually that I wanted to murder him. -No skin should be touching any other skin in those areas -, Helen reiterated, almost sounding irritated that she needed to spell it out in so many ways. I saw my mother -(TM)s eyes boring into me through the rear-view mirror. This was insanity. I groaned in abject shame as I parted my legs, stopping only as I felt resistance against Ian and Matthew -(TM)s own legs. -Oh! - I heard Matthew gasp. I looked down and saw what he was unmistakably reacting to. There, between my legs was an entirely unobstructed view of the most sacred piece of a girl -(TM)s anatomy. And with my legs parted, the invasion of my privacy had reached a new milestone; the boys and I were now looking at the slightly parted lips of my labia, between which a humble sampling of my inner folds were visible. * * * -So can somebody please provide a description of the skin condition in the affected areas? - Helen asked again, trying to get us all back on track. -Uh, y-yeah, uhh -- - Ian stammered as he apparently tried to refocus and form words for Helen. It took him a moment of just staring, taking in what his inexperienced eyes had no right seeing, before he tried again. -It -(TM)s looking a little more red around the swimsuit areas than it was ten or so minutes ago when we were still at the beach, and has blotchy raised areas, more like a rash than a graze -. -Is there any swelling or raised bumps in the blotchy areas? - Helen asked. Ian -(TM)s eyes momentarily went to my breast buds as she asked this, before looking me in the eyes with a suppressed smirk. I knew the joke he wanted to make, he knew that I knew, and that seemed to thankfully be enough for him. -Oh, hmm -- - he pondered. -The blotchy parts of the skin are a liiiiitle bit raised I think --. - His face drifted closer to my crotch as he allegedly checked if the skin was raised, and I wanted to scream. Instead I tensed up, terrified that he was just going to keep getting closer and closer until his face made contact. He stopped, though was close enough that I could feel his breath on my upper thighs. I watched his eyes jittering about, taking me in. And then he spoke again, this time to me. -Bridget, is this part normally this pink looking? - He asked concernedly, and timidly gesturing a finger toward the opening between my legs. -Oh my fucking god, - I groaned at the ceiling in mortification, -Yes Ian, it -(TM)s my fucking vagina! - -Bridget! Language! - My mother shouted, -Your brother is trying to help and doesn -(TM)t know these things! - -Nor should he! - I shouted back. -Just answer his questions and watch your mouth! We -(TM)re just about to pull in at the shops! - -What -(TM)s that lump? - Matthew now joined in, leaning across to no doubt make the most of the opportunity, -Just at the top of her -- vulva? - No, no, no --. This boy sounded like he enjoyed making mention of my vulva far too much. This whole process was for my safety - nobody should have been enjoying this! And my lord, this was not a conversation I had any comfort going into with a pair of boys my own age! -Oh, - Ian said as he noticed what Matthew was referring to, -Is that lump from today, Bridge? - he questioned with some concern. -No, it -(TM)s not new, it -(TM)s -- ugh -- a normal part of girls --bits -- - Was as much detail as I could bear to give. -Are they talking about your clitoral hood, Bridget? - Mum questioned, for some reason pushing for clarification. -Mum! - I screamed. How could she! -Bridget, I -(TM)m not trying to embarrass you, I -(TM)m asking for Helen -(TM)s sake! - She argued. -Now let her know - is there a lump that shouldn -(TM)t be there, or is it just your clitoral hood? - - --It -(TM)s -- my clitoral hood -- - I murmured in defeat. -It -(TM)s her -~clitoral hood -(TM)? - Ian repeated to Helen, in a redundant excuse to repeat the words that he could see me having trouble admitting to. -Clitoral -- hood -- - Matthew whispered to himself as he stared it down, I suppose storing this terminology and information away for later research. -Can everyone stop saying -~clitoral hood -(TM), please?! - I begged in humiliation. It was clear that the boys didn -(TM)t know what this was, and I hated the fact that my own private parts had become their gateway to a detailed education on girls -(TM) anatomy. * * -And Bridget, - Helen asked, -Are you experiencing any soreness in the nipples? - The boys snorted in immature laughter. They knew this word. I did my best to ignore them. -They -- - It was like magic - I uttered one word, and it was instantly quiet again. The boys were eager to learn more when it came to girl secrets. Fuck this was unfair! The boys had no right or need for this information! In the interests of my safety, I forced myself to answer. -They were a little bit sore when I had my arm pressed against them, but I think that -(TM)s just tenderness from -- I -(TM)m -- - I trailed off before trying again. -My breasts are still developing -, I reminded her, hoping this was all that needed to be said about the tenderness of my nipples. -How long have they been coming in for? - Helen asked, the boys silently hanging on every word. -Uhhhm, - I stalled, -I guessssss --. - Every effort to ignore the boys just reminded me of the boys, who were privy to every word of this. I swallowed and closed my eyes. * * -A little less than two years, but they -(TM)ve become a lot more -- noticeable in the last ten months or so. - I felt so uncomfortably warm from my blushing that I hoped I would soon start to evaporate. -Oh sweetie, - Helen said, -I understand. Don -(TM)t worry, you don -(TM)t need to say any more about it. - What more would she have expected me to say? I just spilled every solitary bean I had to spill, about the state of my boobs and their entire development up to this point, with the entire car!