Welcome to Hawnee - Week 1 - Day 6

Author's note:

The nightly accident in the last chapter leaves the group stranded, and Jenny finds herself deep in the wilderness with a broken van and mounting pressure. She and her friends take the rough way to Hawnee - through thorns, bad luck, and a few shredded nerves.

In this chapter, a wardrobe mishap catches Jenny off guard, and an unwanted encounter threatens to shake what little stability she has left. But what rises in the aftermath isn't just awkwardness or frustration - it's a flicker of trust, camaraderie, and a glimpse of acceptance.

There's playful nudity, a dash of humiliation, and a group of friends growing closer through chaos and brambles in this chapter but no sex. It marks another small but meaningful step in Jenny's journey toward confidence in her skin... with spicier adventures still ahead.

I wish you a good read.

Jay Hawnee

***

Rerrrrrrr-rerhmm... Rerrrrrrr-rerhmm... Roaring noises tear Jenny from her sleep. She groans and turns onto her left side... Rerrrrrrr-rerhmm... Rerrrrrrr-rerhmm... Jenny groans again and fumbles blindly. "Ugh... where the hell is that alarm clock?"

But as she doesn't feel the familiar wood-surface of her nightstand at her side, the van-incident of the previous night suddenly flashes back into her consciousness, and her eyes snap open. She immediately straightens up and blinks tensely in the direction of the lake. But what she sees makes her eyes widen in shock. Frankie sits in the driver's seat of the van, repeatedly turning the ignition. Denver, Carter, and Lisa stand nearby and watch him with strained faces.

"No... this can't be happening!" Jenny gasps, scrambling upright.

Frankie steps out of the van, shaking his head desperately. Denver slips into the driver's seat next and gives it a try -- but he can't drag more than a tired Rerrrrrrr-rerhmm... from the engine either.

Jenny runs over, her breath shallow. "W... What is going on with the van?"

Frankie says with a quiet voice. "Urm... It's... well... dead."

"No... no, no, no!" Jenny shakes her head violently. "Then how are we supposed to get back to Hawnee? I need to study! My exam's on Monday!"

"Sorry, Jenny," Carter says calmly. "It's not looking good. We may need to find another way to get back to town."

From behind them comes a groggy groan. Sheena sits up halfway, hair a wild mess. "Could you blease be a liddle quieter... Sanks?" she mumbles, then flops back down and turns over.

"Sheena... wake up!" Jenny shouts, agitated. "The van is broken down. We're not getting home anytime soon. We need to do something..."

"What van?" Sheena asks, her eyes half-lidded.

"The van that took us here yesterday!" Jenny snaps.

Sheena blinks slowly. "Denver, can you please call a towing service?"

"There's no cell service out here!" Jenny throws up her hands in desperation. "We can't call anyone..."

With a groan, Sheena pushes herself up again, rubbing her eyes. "Uh, urm. Any coffee here?"

"No," Denver says stoically.

Sheena sighs and gives Denver a comforting look. "Uh, sweetheart, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."

Carter approaches the group, his face full of thoughts. "The van seems to be really broken. So we'll have to walk back to Hawnee."

Jenny stares at him, horrified. "What? That's 35 miles. That's at least a two-day hike."

"Yes, urm... unfortunately," Frankie says. "And since it's weekend, the chances of finding help are slim. But..."

Jenny presses, "But what?"

"There is another way back to Hawnee, urm... straight through the forest." Frankie scratches his head nervously. "It's only 15 miles - way shorter, but rough. There are no marked trails, and there might be quite thick underbrush."

Jenny mutters, "Hmmm."

"... and the Great Wall of Hawnee!" Lisa adds.

Jenny frowns. "What's that?"

"I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard of it." Frankie looks thoughtful. "A meter-thick wall of scrub that stretches for miles."

"Yeah," Lisa cuts in. "It's nasty as shit. And I'm not gonna wrestle with the brambles at sunset."

"But it's faster," Jenny insists. "And a bit of thick scrub doesn't sound like an impassable hurdle to me."

Carter nods. "We've also still got some bottles with water and some crates with cereal bars - the ones we sat on yesterday. They're unaffected by the water. So we won't starve or dehydrate, but we won't be able to get back to civilization anytime soon."

"Fine," Jenny sighs, grimacing. "Then let's take the way through the forest! We have to."

"Nope. I'm not doing that forest," Lisa says firmly. "Sorry, don't want to be eaten by a bear or something."

"You're a bit overcautious, honey." Frankie gently strokes Lisa's head. "There haven't been any sightings of large wild animals in this region for ages."

Lisa insists, "Still a no."

"Well, I don't need to rush - can't withdraw my stocks anyway - so there's no urgent need to get back." Sheena shrugs. "So I think I'd prefer the roads."

"Sheena," Jenny snaps, "we have that damn exam on Monday - and we still have to study!"

"Oh... shit, yeah." Sheena scratches her head, squinting. "Then the short way."

"No way am I letting my Lisa walk alone." Frankie gives her a kiss. "So roads."

"Forest," Denver simply states.

"That's my Sweetheart," Sheena plants a kiss on his mouth. "He has lots of experience hiking through the forest."

"Hmmm...," Denver hums contentedly.

Carter looks sheepish. "Uh, so he told you already?"

Sheena looks puzzled. "About what?"

"Nothing," Denver replies stoically.

Carter mutters, "Well... debatable."

Denver looks soothingly at Carter. "Hmmm..."

"Anyway, I'll come with you through the forest as well," Carter adds. "I have a map on my smartphone, so we won't get lost and can find the straightest path to Hawnee. Fortunately, GPS still works here."

He turns his head to Frankie and Lisa. "What about you? Do you really want to walk the road, or join us on our adventure?"

Lisa shakes her head. "Sorry, no! I mean, maybe we find somebody on the road to take us back to Hawnee or get the van running again. Then we'll be back to Hawnee much faster."

Frankie nods. "We'll definitely try it, even if the chance is really low."

Jenny shakes her head. "No, I won't take that risk. Maybe it's best if we split up. Everyone takes two bottles of water and a handful of cereal bars, and then every group takes their own way."

Carter nods. "Yes, that's a good idea. So, let's pack our belongings and start as soon as possible."

The groups begin quietly packing their things. Tension and anticipation hang in the air as the hikes loom ahead. Soon, the groups say their goodbyes, and Jenny and her friends begin their descent into the forest.

***

The path Jenny's group takes quickly turns out to be quite tough, especially for Jenny. Her dress keeps getting tangled on low branches and hidden thorns in the underbrush, forcing her to stop again and again.

"Damn it," she growls in frustration. "Why does this keep happening? Could you please wait for me for a moment?"

The group halts and turns back. Jenny is crouching by a bush, tugging at the hem of her dress caught in a thorny stem.

"Okay," Carter replies with a worried voice.

Sheena raises an eyebrow. "That dress is quite a bad choice for a hike."

"Yeah," Jenny shoots back, exasperated, "but no one even expected a hike."

She gives the dress another frustrated tug and mutters under her breath, "This all happened just because two people were too horny to think straight for even two seconds and lock the van's brakes - or just find a better place for their little hanky-panky."

"Yeah, that's unfortunate," Sheena says soothingly but firmly, "but we can't change it. We need to look at what's before us and get out of that wilderness. And if we stop every five minutes to free your dress, we're not gonna make it to Hawnee today."

"So what do you think I should do?" Jenny snaps. "Take off the dress?"

She gives the fabric another yank and can finally get it loose.

"Well," Sheena says lightly, "as you say it, we all saw you in your swimsuit yesterday, and your underwear is probably way nicer than that granny-suit."

Jenny glares, muttering, "Hmm..."

Carter, who's been silent, rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with Sheena. Your dress is lovely, but the fabric might tear if this continues, and then it'll be irreparably damaged."

Denver's brows furrow minimally. "Agreed."

Jenny sighs. She looks down at the dress again, then up at the trail ahead. "Hmm... do you know if the path gets better up ahead? I really don't want to walk into Hawnee in just my underwear."

"I'm sorry." Carter shrugs. "I really can't say for sure."

Jenny groans. "Hmm, let's just keep walking. I'll just try to be a bit more careful."

Jenny lifts the hem of her dress a bit and then takes a few hesitant steps, but her dress soon gets stuck in the undergrowth again, and a sharp ripping sound is heard. Jenny carefully tries to get her dress loose again and looks at it anxiously once she has succeeded. She can see no visible damage, but it's probably close.

"Damn," she mutters, looking nervously around. "Okay. I do it." Then Jenny starts to take off her dress.

"Good choice, darling!" Sheena grins. "I'll show my solidarity and join you."

Without hesitation, Sheena reaches for the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head. Jenny blurts, stunned, "But you're not wearing any under..." while Sheena drops her skirt down.

Sheena grins proudly, standing stark naked and completely unfazed while Jenny's expression shifts into something between shock and amused resignation. "You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"I'm just showing solidarity," Sheena says with a smirk.

Jenny rolls her eyes, but can't help smiling. She unzips her backpack, folds her dress neatly, and tucks it inside.

Carter glances at Sheena. "I'm just glad you're keeping your shoes on. The ground is pretty rough."

The corners of Denver's mouth turn upwards slightly.

Sheena looks mocking at Carter. "Shut up, stage mouth," then she turns to Denver with a smile. "And you stop grinning!"

Then Sheena turns back to Jenny. "See, you look much better in your underwear. I told you."

Jenny blushes with a small smile, then nods toward the path. "Okay, let's continue."

And so, the group presses on, deeper into the forest, with lighter clothes but lifted spirits.

***

The forest stretches endlessly before them as the group continues hiking for hours. Their pace slows, and weariness settles into their limbs. The strain of the journey grows heavier with each step.

"I need a break," Jenny rasps. "I can't walk any further."

Carter checks his smartphone and nods. "Okay, let's take a break and eat something. It's 1 p. m. already."

"1 p. m.? Really?" Jenny stares at him, wide-eyed. "Time's run like crazy."

"Clearing," Denver says, pointing in the direction. "Eat."

"Thanks, great observation, buddy." Carter nods. "Let's settle down there and eat something."

Sheena replies, "Yeah, let's head over there. My tummy hurts."

The group walks to the clearing, lays out their mats, and settles down to eat. Sheena flops down comfortably, totally unbothered by her ongoing lack of clothing. Jenny pointedly avoids looking at her while she chews on a cereal bar.

Sheena looks at Carter and says casually. "You and Denver have been close for a long time?"

Carter raises his brow, surprised by the question, but nods. "Yes. We've known each other since kindergarten. Back then, he used to talk so much, I couldn't get a word in - not that I ever tried."

Jenny chuckles faintly. "Doesn't seem like the type."

Carter's smile fades just a little. "Yes, not since the incident."

Sheena looks interested. "What incident?"

Carter swallows. "He got lost once. Really lost."

Jenny looks up. "What happened?"

"We were with our parents in the Harborough-Plains," Carter says, "and did play some hide and seek and... I was a little tired of his constant chatting and urm... took some time... and urm... he hid in a lorry that urm... suddenly drove off..."

"Good Shepherd," Jenny says, flustered.

"He was found three days later. Five hundred miles away." He shakes his head. "Monks found him. Literal monks. Somewhere near the border, he sprang off the lorry and walked then for two days through the forest."

"And he was so shocked that he lost his speech?" Jenny asks, eyes wide open.

Carter shakes his head. "No, from the few words, the monks said it was clear that he chatted away happily when they first met. But the encounter with the monks touched him deeply. He started to study their philosophy and visited them regularly, and got calmer and calmer in the process."

"No bla -- only meaning," Denver says stoically.

"But don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?" Jenny says hesitantly.

Denver grumbles. "Hrmmm..."

"Okay, okay..." Jenny smiles sheepishly.

Sheena smiles. "I like him the way he is -- a potent man, who lets me have my freedom - my big boy." And she gives Denver another kiss.

Denver smiles slightly. "Hmmm..."

The group continues to eat while chatting. After Jenny finishes eating, she looks at her Smartphone. "Oh, it's 1:30 p. m. already. I think it's time to break up. How far have we come?"

Carter looks at his Smartphone and sighs. "Unfortunately, we haven't come that far by now. We're only five miles closer to Hawnee."

"So, ten miles still to go?" Jenny asks, already reaching for her backpack.

"Yes, ten more," Carter confirms with a nod.

Jenny's shoulders slump in despair. "Holy crap, we'll never make it tonight."

Her face crumples. "We'll need to spend another night in this awful forest."

"Calm down, Jen," Sheena says, her voice calm but resolute.

Jenny snaps. "How should I calm down? We have an exam on Monday that could decide our future! We can't learn today... We probably won't learn tomorrow. And you're talking as if it doesn't matter at all?"

Sheena shifts uncomfortably but doesn't speak as Jenny's frustration builds and spills over.

"I should just have said no when you asked me to come with you. That would've been so much more reasonable," Jenny mutters. "Now we're stuck in the wilderness, with no way out."

She buries her face in her hands, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Why didn't I just say no?" Her voice breaks as she sobs.

Without hesitation, Sheena steps closer and gently holds Jenny by her shoulders. "Jen, darling. Listen to me. We've already passed five miles in four hours, and even if we take more rests, we'll make the next ten miles by tonight. So even if it doesn't feel like much, we will definitely be back in Hawnee before midnight."

"She's right," Carter adds, his tone encouraging. "I think we'll arrive in Hawnee in the evening. We've crossed a lot of impassable terrain by now, but it probably gets better the closer we get, especially once we have overcome that Great Wall of Hawnee. Then we can move faster and may even arrive earlier."

"Agreed," Denver says simply.

Jenny throws in. "But we still have to overcome that Wall. What if we don't pass it?"

Sheena says soothingly. "Darling, this is just the first exam. Even if we don't pass it, there are still three more we can pass - and that will be enough to get us into the medical program at Hawnee."

Jenny sniffs, her voice small. "But that also means more pressure for the next exams and more intensive studying, Sheena..."

She shakes her head. "This is so... awful. It feels as if the whole world is falling apart."

Sheena gently strokes her back, her voice calm and steady. "Darling, calm down. I know it feels overwhelming. But we'll get through this. We're urm... a team, kind of..."

Jenny's breathing begins to steady. Her sobs fade. The tears stop. Slowly, determination flickers in her eyes, overtaking the despair.

"You're right. Damn, you're right. We will make this somehow," she says, defiantly wiping her face.

She lifts her chin, her voice steady. "We're reaching Hawnee tonight - and we will do whatever it takes tomorrow to pass the exam on Monday."

She turns sharply to Sheena, her tone firm. "And you will be in the library the whole day, whether you want to or not."

"Jen, Jen..." the naked girl smiles with a hint of discomfort. "I never said I wouldn't go. I will be there with you."

Jenny nods with a resolute expression. "So, let's grab our backpacks." She looks at Carter. "Can I borrow your smartphone for the map? I will lead the way now."

Carter smiles and hands it to her with a nod.

"That's my Jenny," Sheena says proudly, "a true warrior... not me, Carter." She smirks over to the librarian.

Carter smirks back at her, mischievous but silent.

Jenny checks their position, then lifts her head, her confidence restored. She takes a bold step forward, and the group silently follows her.

***

The group continues their hike through the forest for several hours, making their way up a gentle but seemingly endless hill. The undergrowth of the forest has become thinner, but the exertion of the hike is slowly taking its toll.

Jenny pants, but with a spark of optimism in her voice, she says, "We made twelve miles by now. This went way faster than I thought."

Sheena nods, wiping sweat from her brow. "Yeah, Carter was right. The track got easier, and we're moving much faster now."

As they reach the top of the hill, a bizarre sight unfolds before them. They stop in their tracks, eyes widening as they take in a meter-high, tangled wall of scrub that stretches endlessly in both directions.

Jenny stops abruptly, her eyes wide. "Fuck, I guess, that's that Great Wall of Hawnee!"

"Yes," Carter nods, "like Frankie and Lisa said, but I didn't imagine it that high."

"No way we're getting through this," Sheena says skeptically, eyeing the thicket. "Unless one of us turns into a chainsaw, we better look for a way around."

Jenny shakes her head. "This stretches miles in every direction. Walking around will take us hours!"

"Yeah," Carter agrees, not sounding too thrilled.

Sheena says resolutely, "But we might not have another choice."

Jenny narrows her eyes at the wall of tangled branches. "Let's take a closer look. Maybe there's a way through it."

"Yeah, let's take a closer look," Carter echoes.

They approach the scrub, and up close, the barrier looks even more imposing. Thick, intertwining branches weave together into an almost impenetrable mass.

"Shit, that is really thick," Sheena says, poking at the bush with a stick. "This might shred any clothes or, well, skin to pieces, if we try to get through by hand."

"Oh, no, it's definitely not thick enough," Jenny shoots back sharply. "I can see the sunshine on the other side, and we don't have the time to look for a way around."

Sheena's tone shifts to alarm. "You don't intend to..."

"We can't give up that close to Hawnee," Jenny cuts her off.

Without waiting for a reply, Jenny grabs the nearest branches and begins forcing her way through the scrub. Twigs snap and scratch against her skin, but she keeps pushing, her body twisting and fighting through the dense thickets.

"Jenny, stop! Let us..." Carter calls out, alarmed.

But Jenny doesn't listen. Driven by determination, she fights her way through the barrier. After several grueling meters, she bursts through to the other side, emerging into thinner woodland once again. She turns around with a triumphant grin, raising her arms into the air.

"I made it to the other side!" she shouts joyfully. "You just have to follow me!"

The others quickly begin forcing their way through. Sheena is the first to reach Jenny, but her expression freezes when she gets a good look at her. "Well... Jenny... urm..."

"Yeah?" Jenny asks, still glowing with triumph.

Denver appears from the scrub and looks stoic. "Lost something."

"I... lost something?" Jenny blinks.

Carter, eyes darting away, clears his throat awkwardly. "Urm... your, uh... upper delegation seems to have gone rogue..."

"What?" Jenny looks puzzled.

Sheena rolls her eyes. "Your tits are out, darling."

"My ti..." Jenny looks down, staring at her bare breasts in shock. Her bra is gone, ripped away during her mad dash through the scrub.

"Oh, my Lord Shepherd..." she gasps, instantly throwing her hands over her chest.

Just then, a familiar mocking voice echoes through the trees. "Why so shy, bitch?"

Jenny freezes again, her expression shifting from embarrassment to fury. "Fuck you, Lester. What do you even do here?"

Lester stands a few meters away, holding up his smartphone, a smug grin plastered on his face. "Catching the beauty of nature. I already caught four peaches and one plum."

Jenny growls, "You didn't take photos of us, did you?"

"No, speed learner, I didn't take photos of you, I'm still taking photos," Lester mocks. "Say cheese, babe."

He raises his smartphone and takes another photo. Both Jenny and Sheena throw their hands in front of themselves, glaring. But then Sheena's expression shifts. She flashes a slow, sultry smile and lets her hands drop, offering her sweet, bare body to the view of the rude aggressor.

"Didn't your mommy tell you to be nice to young ladies?" she purrs seductively.

"No, she was too eager kicking asses of bitches like you," Lester replies smugly.

Sheena starts moving toward him, swaying her naked hips ever so slightly. "Oh, come on, tiger, where are your manners? Do you often encounter an innocent nude lady in the forest? I don't think so, do you?"

Lester shifts uncomfortably. "Hey bitch, what are you trying?"

Sheena moves even closer. Her voice is low and playful as she raises her hand. "I just wanna have a closer look at your muscular body."

Suddenly, Lester jerks his head sideways - he's spotted Carter and Denver sneaking up behind him. The two rush in, but Lester throws them off easily, sending them sprawling.

"Nice try, bitch," he growls. "But not good enough."

Sheena ignores the failed ambush and continues her seductive approach. "Forget those losers. I wanna have a real man who isn't repelled by a bare hand...," she rubs her inner thighs, "a strong man like you, honey."

"Don't come closer or I... or I... er..." Lester stammers, his self-confidence crumbles.

Sheena gives him her most seductive smile and presses her naked body up against his, feeling his growing erection. She straddles him lightly and looks into his eyes, her voice a silky whisper.

"What harm should I do to you, Cherry? I just wanna caress your balls..."

Her face hardens mid-sentence, and she drives her knee into Lester's crotch. He crumples with a strangled gasp.

"... stroke your hands..." she continues sweetly, grabs his wrist, and twists it. His phone slips from his grip and hits the ground.

"... and kiss you good night." She lands a sharp palm strike to his chin, sending him collapsing to the forest floor.

Sheena turns her naked body back to the others and smiles innocently. "Isn't he cute?"

Jenny smirks, placing her hands on her hips. "That's definitely a meeting he won't forget anytime soon."

"Nice," Carter mutters.

"Good," Denver adds with a small nod.

"We should better put our clothes back on." Sheena looks at Jenny. "I don't want to run into another creep like him tonight."

Jenny suddenly realizes she's practically showing off her bare breasts to the group, blushes, and puts her hands back over her chest. "Urm... yeah... You're... right... Sorry... I... I... forgot... Could you please turn around, guys?"

Carter and Denver politely turn their backs. The two girls quickly retrieve their clothes from their bags and pull them on.

"You can watch again," Jenny says a moment later.

Carter and Denver turn back. Carter points at Lester, who lies still unconscious on the ground. "What do we do with him?"

"Well, he'll wake up soon..." Sheena shrugs. "I didn't strike him that hard. But I hope he's learned how to behave around a lady."

"What about his smartphone?" Jenny asks.

Sheena picks it up and looks at it. "Nice, it got a fingerprint-unlock, wait, I'll delete the photos..." She puts Lester's thumb on the sensor. Sheena starts swiping and tapping, then tosses the phone back onto Lester's body. "Here, asshole, have your smartphone back."

With that, the group turns their backs on Lester and continues their journey toward Hawnee, the sun slowly lowering behind the trees as they move forward.

***

The group continues to walk into Hawnee without further problems. The city lights glow softly as evening settles over the town, and the group finally reaches the entrance of the university.

Jenny exhales heavily. "I guess this is the time that we part ways. Sorry, I'm totally exhausted. I can't even think about studying tonight. I just want to go home. We really need to study tomorrow, Sheena."

Sheena nods wearily. "Hmm... yeah."

Carter stretches his shoulders with a sigh. "Yes, the day was awfully rough. By the way, Jenny... do you have some time on Monday afternoon after the exam? For some coffee or something?"

Jenny pauses, her expression thoughtful. Then her face clouds over. "Sorry, I'm not sure. I have to find a new job first. After today, I don't think Lester will ever hire me again."

Sheena's arms cross as her brow furrows. "Was that asshole your boss?"

"Huh... yes," Jenny says, trying to shrug it off. "He's the owner of The Stag."

"Son of a bitch," Sheena snaps. "I should've hit him harder."

Jenny tries not to grin. "It's okay. He seemed to be sleeping long enough, hehe."

"Never long enough," Denver adds in his usual stoic tone.

Sheena turns to him, surprised. "Oh, sweetie, I didn't know you had a gruesome side."

"Hmpf," Denver replies, unbothered.

"Yeah," Sheena agrees. "You're right. That asshole definitely deserved it."

Jenny turns back to Carter. "What about Tuesday Evening. Would you be ready for some dinner, or do you work in the library?"

"Yes," Carter smiles. "Tuesday is fine. I know a nice bistrot, where we can meet, the Quiet Flame on Willow Street."

Jenny gives him a warm smile. "That sounds beautiful, so I'm looking forward to Tuesday."

Then she looks at Sheena with a smirk. "And you - see you tomorrow in the library, warrior-bitch."

Sheena pulls the seam of her skirt up and sticks her bare bottom out at Jenny. "Who do you call a warrior, darling?"

"You know how I mean that..." Jenny says, rolling her eyes.

"Aye aye, Madame Generale," Sheena replies with a cheeky grin.

Jenny looks at Denver, her tone softening. "Thank you very much for the support, big boy."

"Welcome," Denver says simply.

Jenny hesitates, a bit embarrassed. "Oh, you don't need to become sentiment..."

A flicker of confusion crosses her face as she glances between the others, and then back to Denver. "Urm... thank you very much."

She straightens a bit. "So... see you tomorrow, Sheena. And you others - soon."

She blows a kiss to Sheena, who smiles warmly in return.

"Yeah, goodbye, honey," Sheena says.

"Bye," Denver offers quietly.

Jenny starts to turn away, her steps slow, but Carter steps closer. She pauses and looks back at him, gentle curiosity in her tired eyes. Carter hesitates for just a breath, then speaks softly.

"Goodbye, sorceress."

Before she can answer, Carter leans in and brushes a gentle kiss against her cheek. Jenny's face flushes a deep red, but she doesn't step back. Instead, she tilts her head slightly and meets his gaze, a shy smile forming.

"Goodbye, mighty guardian," she says quietly, with a hint of playfulness.

Then, on impulse, Jenny leans in and kisses him. It's soft, fleeting, but sincere. When she pulls back, there's a spark of warmth in her eyes.

"Goodbye, mighty guardian," she repeats with a smile.

From a few steps away, Sheena lets out a low whistle. "Finally..."

Jenny blushes deeper and glances at Sheena with mock anger. "Shut up, bitch."

Sheena smirks. "Hehe, that's my warrior."

Carter steps back, his cheeks a little flushed too, but he wears a satisfied smile.

"See you Tuesday, Jenny," he says softly.

And with that, the group parts ways. Jenny turns and walks away, heading back home under the dimming sky.

***

When Jenny enters her home, she hears the voices of Susan and Jack calling her. "Hi Jenny."

"Hi, together," Jenny replies, as she makes her way toward the living room, where the Miltons are lounging in front of the TV -- completely naked.

Jenny freezes for a split second, then starts to smile. "Did you start the final phase?"

"Yeah," Susan says, "are you okay with that?"

Jenny bursts into exhausted laughter. "Sorry, it's not about you - it's just... I've seen more naked people this week than I have in my entire life."

Jack and Susan chuckle warmly.

"You seem to have had quite an experience," Susan says gently.

Jenny nods, sighing. "Yeah, it was... definitely something."

Susan adds. "Maybe we can cheer you up Monday with another portion of that Spaghetti Carbonara."

Jenny beams. "Oh, yes, I'd even pay for that?"

"Great, then we do have a date for dinner," Jack replies with a grin.

"Gladly," Jenny answers, stretching slightly as the exhaustion of the day finally catches up to her. "I'll go to bed now. I had a hard day... and a lot of studying to do tomorrow."

"Good night, you two."

"Good night, Jenny," Jack and Susan respond in unison.

As Jenny disappears up the stairs toward her room, Jack and Susan remain in the living room, watching TV - comfortably nude, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

When Jenny gets to her room, she opens her laptop and tries to glance over the slides of her lectures, but the experiences of the day have drained her. After a few moments, she closes the lid and lays it aside. She lies down in her bed, and as soon as she closes her eyes, she falls into a long, dreamless sleep.

To be continued...

***

Final notes:

Thanks so much for reading this far - I hope you've enjoyed the story, or at least found it intriguing enough to stay with it. If you liked it, please leave a vote.

And whether your thoughts are critical or encouraging, I'd really appreciate a comment. Your feedback helps me understand what's working and what might need a little fine-tuning.

Jay Hawnee