Mallory's Summer Shopping (Literature) (Patreon)

It was a sizzling August swelter, the kind of humid heat it felt like AC  had to physically peel off your skin. For a brief moment Mallory almost  felt relief to be dressed for the weather, with the emphasis wholly  placed on the ‘almost.’ Ironically, as she stood blinking against the  unrelenting sun’s glare, something close to a chill wormed through her  tummy. A breeze so faint it was nothing but warmer air in motion curled  around her bare shoulders and caused her mouth to drop slightly, the  worrying reality eclipsing the cheeriness of the day. Never would she be  used to the feeling, showing off so much of herself. Still, she made a  promise, and against all odds, she wasn’t going to let anyone down.

Since  even the best of her short-lived summer work had been just that,  Mallory had decided to ride out the last half of summer vacation at  home, hopefully keeping herself away from the prying eyes of a town that  had seen far more of her (and her body) than she ever wanted anyone to  see! But ‘stay-cationing’ didn’t stay rosy for long, felled by the one  thing Mallory hadn’t expected: boredom. With her typical hobby of  skateboarding around the neighborhood only taking her so far -  especially since it’d turned into a bad memory on wheels! - and her  bookshelf having no page unturned at that point, she turned to other  time-wasters, though success was of short supply. Origami was a bust,  her attempts dancing nearly put a hole in her bedroom wall, and her  poems wouldn’t make the cut for a candy wrapper! Wearying of lounging  inside, though, eventually Mallory turned to gardening! The thought of a  nice homegrown and homemade strawberry smoothie was too enchanting to  pass up, and so Mallory cleared some space in the backyard and went  full-on farmer mode!

Her first days tending the garden made one  thing immediately clear: she had no green in her thumbs to speak of. She  wasn’t sure what she did wrong, maybe not burying the plants deep  enough, maybe overwatering, maybe bad soil, but everything she tried to  cultivate withered before so much as bearing a leaf. Her fruitless  (literally!) frustrations, however, caught the ear of her elderly  neighbor, ‘Madam’ Marge Marple, a lithe live wire clad in unseasonable  satin, with hair pulled into a grey-streaked bun of faded gold. Sensing  Mallory’s frustration, the kind old woman genially offered a shady spot  to rest, a lemonade, and some gardening tips. One visit turned into  every Tuesday and Friday at noon, and while none of the tips stuck, it  very quickly stopped being about gardening anyway, with the two simply  enjoying each other’s company! At the ripe old age of 94, Marge had  lived quite the adventurous life! Born to steel mill tycoons, little  Margie ran away to avoid being pigeonholed into a secretary role, taking  up a gig as an acrobat, before sneaking abroad to help postwar  refugees. For twenty years she remained overseas, exploring the  continent from mountain peaks to rolling valleys, helping struggling  communities, before opening and running her own burlesque club in Paris -  hence the ‘Madam’ title she still proudly bore - although Marge  insinuated her girls weren’t just dancers! “Those were the days of  exploring the realm of sensation.” Marge beamed in recollection. “It was  all about experience, and of course that’s where we shined like stars!”  Mallory blushed upon learning that spot of trivia, and wondered if  anyone else in the neighborhood knew about these scandalous origins!

Eventually,  the passing of Marge’s father and subsequent inheritance pulled her  back state-side, where she became the manager of a local playhouse that  was still putting on shows to this day! And the money? Fuel for Marge’s  wanderlust! Mallory could listen for hours about all the wonderful  things Marge had seen and done: sherpa’d more than a dozen teams up  Everest; starred in a late 60s ‘picture’ series about a wayward model  falling for an arrogant farmer; she even had a framed photo of herself  among real penguins, in real Antarctica! In her day, it was expected of a  lady to marry young and settle early, but Marge rejected that status  quo and lived life only for herself! Sounded a little lonely, Mallory  thought, but she so admired Marge’s free-spirited drive! Mallory  couldn’t imagine doing half the stuff Marge talked about…

Of  course, those were days long gone, and presently being 94, Marge  couldn’t be as self-sufficient as she was back then. During her visits,  it was common for Mallory to perform little chores for Marge, simple  things like dusting the ceiling fan, or inching a bookcase a bit more to  the right. Marge had some family in the area, who visited and helped  her along most days, but she was social at heart, and became so grateful  for Mallory coming by on the days they couldn’t! The pleasure was all  Mallory’s! She hadn’t had any idea what history lived right next door!  And she was more than pleased to help such a caring old ‘madam’ however  she could! It made her quite self-conscious, though, when every so  often, Marge would try and turn things around and get Mallory to share  her own stories. Her life at a glance was much more simplistic,  notwithstanding the current summer of horrors she’d been weathering,  none of which she dared to share! But beyond that, Mallory began looking  forward to every Tuesday and Friday, just as she would when hanging out  with any other friend!

Last Tuesday, Marge wanted to give  Mallory a little something, a token of appreciation for her work, and  for “indulging a rambling old woman.” She had guided Mallory to the  bedroom closet, from which she produced a vibrant, summery strapless  dress she herself had worn when she was “about the same age.” Mallory  was in awe, not just at the dress but how well-preserved it was! The  deep green fabric, dappled with pineapples, was silky to the touch and  immaculately vibrant! “I was just about your size!” Marge smiled at  Mallory’s excitement. “I think it would simply pop on you!” Mallory  smiled back, not quite sure what that meant but liking the way it  sounded! Though Marge’s tone suggested she wanted Mallory to try it on  then and there, they had to cut the visit short when Marge’s great-niece  showed up early to take her to a routine physical. As she left, Marge  smiled once more at Mallory, and expressed her excitement at seeing her  in the dress next time she came over! “You’ll look like you just walked  right out of the pictures, I simply know it!” Just as eager, Mallory ran  home to try it on! It didn’t take long, however, for that eagerness to  be tested…

The dress was a snug and skimpy fit indeed! It was a  size or two small, barely reaching a third of the way down her thighs,  and, that’s the lowest she could pull it without exposing any more of  her breasts, which were practically bursting out! More than half of her  oversized balloons spilled out over the top of the strapless dress, way  more skin shown than with anything else Mallory ever wore! Even if her  chest had been a normal size like she wanted, it’d still be a very  showy, very provocative piece, that highlighted all the parts of Mallory  she most wanted to hide! It was almost like wearing nothing but a thin  towel, and Mallory felt all kinds of skeeves upon looking at herself in  the mirror!

Still, Marge had sounded so eager to see Mallory wear  it! Mallory didn’t want to disappoint her, or make her think she wasn’t  grateful for the gift… It’s just for a visit, Mallory finally reasoned  with herself. It was only Marge! She’d wear it once for the visit, and  then she’d never have to wear it again, simple! Just enough to show  Marge she appreciated the gift, then back to T-shirts and shorts!

And  so Friday rolled around in scorching sunshine, yet Mallory stepped  outside with ice in her belly. The literal second she stepped out from  the shade, the naked heat on her shoulders, all up her thighs, and  across her partially-exposed chest… Mallory already caught herself  fidgeting with the lacy hem of the dress that suddenly somehow felt even  smaller. She’d seriously considered having tights or legging  underneath, but one step into the August mugginess killed off any  thought even remotely related to wearing layers! Besides, it’d cover her  legs, but those weren’t the most… *prominently displayed* areas… She’d  just as seriously considered wearing a bra, but with how low the dress  hugged her chest, she’d be putting the cups on full display! At the  moment, though she almost would’ve tanked looking like a total dork just  to get that extra coverage! Almost the entire top of each boob was  peeking out, and every time she walked, the jiggles…

Just  Marge’s, Mallory mentally reiterated, taking in a far-from-calming  breath and teasing the dress slightly higher up her chest… only to tug  it back down… then up… Eventually settling on the sad reality the dress  simply wasn’t going to sit comfortably on her, Mallory breathed in  again, braced, and began power walking next door to get things over  with. Thankfully, it seemed like the heat was keeping most folks  indoors! Only a single car grumbled past - not very slowly either,  Mallory appreciated - and an older neighbor facing their lawn they were  watering across the way. Still, Mallory hustled, arms unconsciously  securing her very-insecure bosoms as she picked up her pace up Marge’s  walk!

Nerves caused Mallory to knock harder than usual. It took  Marge a moment to reach the door, long enough for Mallory to consider  running home for a quick outfit change, but of course Marge opened the  door the literal second Mallory thought to actually act on the impulse!  Rather than her usual self-described bonhomie, however, Marge’s face was  serious. “Ah, Mallory, so nice to see you my dear… Come in, please…”  Marge ushered Mallory into the foyer, and she obliged, unsettled.

Shutting  the front door and turning around, Marge’s expression of concern broke  for a second, upon recognizing what Mallory was wearing. “Oh, look at  you!” Marge clapped in delight. “Positively lovely!” She motioned for a  twirl, which Mallory sheepishly performed, slowly so as to not cause the  skirt to lift and flash her panties. “It truly suits you, darling! Wear  it well, you hear?”

The praise turned Mallory bashful, and she  was quick to change the subject. “Is… everything okay?” Referring, of  course, to Marge’s originally-dire attitude.

That snapped Marge  back into the same expression as before. “Ah, yes! You see, I have a  favor to ask of you. My niece wasn’t able to come by yesterday! Little  Danny jumped off the couch and sprained his wrist quite terribly!”

Mallory gasped and clutched her hands at her chest. “Is he okay?”

To  her surprise and relief, Marge waved the worries away. “Oh, kids are  tough! He’s already back to bouncing on the couch!” Marge allowed  herself a small chuckle before continuing, “But Thursday, yesterday, is  the day Jenny and I usually go shopping. Obviously we couldn’t go, and I  won’t see Jenny again until Sunday, and I’m awfully low on quite a few  things! Would it possibly be alright if I could trouble you to run down  to the grocer for me?” Marge carefully crossed the foyer, grabbed her  purse off a small oak end table, and began fishing through it. “I’ll  pay, of course, with a little bonus in there for the trouble!”

Marge  was so busy, she didn’t notice Mallory suddenly lose all color in her  face. The last time she’d been to town, she’d raced through it on a  skateboard while totally in the buff! It was a pretty uncontested pick  for worst experience of her life, and it hadn’t been more than a couple  weeks since. Between her hair and her endowment, Mallory’s was a  recognizable appearance, and if any rumors were still circulating, she’d  be an easy peg for ‘purple-headed streaker girl with huge, stupid  boobies,’ especially in such a dress that brought said boobies to full  attention! But at the same time… what was she gonna do, say no? Force  this incredibly sweet old lady to wait however long to have her food?  Marge finally pulled out a wad of bills and silently counted. Mallory’s  mouth opened but nothing came out, because of course she wasn’t going to  say ‘no.’ It wasn’t a question, and she helplessly knew it.

“I  think… yes, that should do it!” As Marge abruptly turned back around to  hold out a few neatly-folded twenty dollar bills, Mallory quickly  adjusted her expression to as agreeable a smile as she could muster,  considering her internal state being one of total chaos. “I do so very  appreciate this!” Marge pushed the money between Mallory’s hands and  squeezed.

Mallory’s efforts to maintain a smile doubled. “Of… of course! H-happy to… to help!”

Next  thing she knew, Mallory was back outside, the door shut and latched  behind her, and an overbearing sun once again weighing across her bare  shoulders. One hand squeezed the list wrapped around the money, while  her other immediately went back to fidgeting with the dress. Was she  really about to do this?! She felt like she might as well waltz back  into town naked again, for how little the dress left to imagination! The  thought came to go change first… but what if Marge saw? Mallory glanced  back but couldn’t tell if the shades were drawn or not. Say she was  watching her right then, she was going to have to get going. Mallory  sighed and broke down the route in her head into smaller pieces to make  it all seem simpler. Go to the bus, go to the store, back on the bus,  back to Marge. Didn’t sound like a lot that way, and yet…

“You  got this!” So clearly she might as well have been beside her, Mallory  heard Candice’s voice cheering her on. That’s what she’d say about now,  wouldn’t she? You got this! Mallory sighed, wishing she wouldn’t have to  go this one alone. But there wasn’t a question about it. A promise had  been made… well, implicitly… and so, all by herself, Mallory grit her  teeth and stepped into the sunlight.

—

The problem of  getting the town wasn’t that it was hard, just how it had to be done.  Usually, Mallory commuted to town on her skateboard, but there were a  thousand reasons why that was absolutely not happening, her current  choice of clothing and the memory of the last time she was on it being  the primary deterrents! Without a car of her own, the only alternative  was to take the TRAC bus, which would take her from the front of the  neighborhood to the center of the shopping district, which itself was  only a couple blocks from the supermarket. As far as public  transportation went, TRAC had a pretty clean… well, track record… but it  was more the thought of getting into a big metal tube with a bunch of  strangers for an extended period that made Mallory uneasy. Still, it was  that or walk, which would take four times as long and with four hundred  times the amount of cars and pedestrians… maybe an exaggeration, but  still not something Mallory wanted to experience! And so she walked to  the stop, and thankfully the front of the neighborhood seemed just as  placid as it’d been deeper in, with barely anyone around. Even though  she stood at the stop alone, Mallory still found herself clutching her  fists up by her chest, still incredibly self-conscious about the amount  of skin she put on display… Once the bus came, it was only her and a  couple older people riding. Mallory caught a few of them frowning as she  breezed by and took a spot near the back. Even though no one glanced  back at her, Mallory still felt like she was trapped if not on a stage  then behind the curtain… the big show was still to come, as the bus  finally hissed to halt downtown…

Unfortunately, unlike the  neighborhood, the town was hustle and bustle all over! Probably people  trying to make the most of summer while they still could, Mallory  thought to herself, either that or she’d gone right in the middle of the  lunch rush. Some stoplight traffic was so packed it was at a  standstill, cyclists sped by in the bike lane, and the sidewalks were so  stuffed with commuters you’d think the Olympics were in town! Despite  her attempts to act casual, Mallory passed through the crowd with her  arms scrunched in at her sides, trying to keep the skimpy dress from  flouncing too high, and succeeding less in keeping her boobs from  shaking so much! Without a bra to keep them locked in place, and at the  pace Mallory was walking to just get things over with, her chest was  bouncing like crazy! It took every inch of Mallory’s self-control to not  constantly reach up and fidget and bring more attention! She was  already getting too much of it… Businesspeople, joggers, even some with  families couldn’t help themselves, Mallory noticing several  rubberneckers in her periphery! Some scowled, obviously agreeing with  her that the outfit was showing a little too much of her, while others…  well… the vaguely-approving looks were somehow way, way worse! Mallory  kept her head down best she could, trying to block out the stares and  the whispers she thought she heard… She couldn’t reach the market soon  enough!

While Mallory had hoped to be in and out of the store in  ten minutes or so, she wound up spending almost an hour roaming the  aisles! There were some obvious essentials like toilet paper and a  bushel of bananas, but there was a lot of the stuff on the list Mallory  didn’t recognize, like various spices and soup stocks, which sent her on  laps through the entire store. She wound up looking for what she  thought was a spice for almost twenty minutes before realizing it was a  vegetable she was supposed to find! Some of the delay might have been  chalked up to her being… distracted… The longer Mallory stayed in the  store, the more and more eyes she felt on herself, up her thighs and  along her chest… She kept her gaze glued to either the list in her hand  or the shelves in front of her, but out of the corner of her eyes she  thought she’d see people stopping, making staring, maybe commenting on  her revealing outfit, or worse! One time, she tried reaching for  something on the topmost shelf, jumping and only grazing it with her  fingers, only to freeze upon sensing someone staring. Sure enough, some  burnout at the other end of the aisle was just taking in the sight of  the busty purple-haired girl jumping up and down, her prodigious boobs  bouncing almost clear out of the dress! Mallory grabbed the next best  option on the lower shelf and moved on, humiliated. There was no  indication they or anyone else she passed recognized her from the  skateboarding incident, but Mallory preferred to not look and never know  for sure!

Finally, Mallory checked and doubled checked with  relief that she’d gotten everything on Marge’s list. Even though she was  over the recommended item limit, she sped through self-checkout and  managed to fit everything into four paper bags that were just small  enough she could wrap her arms around them all without any problem. As  she left, a young cart-fetcher Mallory was sure she’d seen passing by  more than once and told her to have a good afternoon, to which Mallory  barely nodded, desperate as she was to get out of there already!

Somehow,  however, the walk back to the bus stop didn’t feel so bad as the one to  the store. Maybe it was the experience, maybe it was the groceries  themselves - the big paper bags acted pretty well as cover! Mallory felt  like she was able to conceal the uncomfortable amount of cleavage she  was displaying fairly well, at least from the sides, and hugging the  bags did incidentally secure her boobs from bouncing as much. It helped a  bit, as well, that the amount of traffic for both foot and wheels  seemed lighter; perhaps the heat had driven more people inside? In any  case, the roads were far from empty, with plenty of eyes still finding  their way to an uncomfortable Mallory, but still, maybe it was the fact  she was over the hump in her little mission, but this return trip seemed  less daunting. Before she even properly noticed it, she realized she  was only half a block away from being back at the bus stop! A smile  lifted the corners of her mouth. Almost home free…

Fixated as she  was on the bus stop ahead, however, Mallory missed what was literally  under her own feet! “WHOA!” Mallory had drifted too close to the curb,  until her foot finally slipped off the edge! Thankfully it wasn’t a far  drop, but still Mallory stumbled and only barely caught herself before  anything fell out from the bags! “Whoa…” It wasn’t as bad a wipeout as  it could have been, but it was far from subtle! She’d slipped onto a big  metal grate which loudly CLANGed as her wedge came down on it, and a  few more times as she regained her footing. Mallory glanced each way and  saw some passersby glancing back. Sheepishly, she grinned and nodded to  say ‘it’s okay, I’m fine,’ while she tried to step back up onto the  curb, but couldn’t. Like… her foot didn’t move… or the other one…

Quickly,  Mallory looked down at her feet and realized why she was stuck: some  people had apparently decided the grate was the perfect place to spit  out their gum! Probably tried to smoosh it between the lattice with  their feet, but all that did was flatten it wider! And on such a hot  day, the gum had gotten so soupy, so sticky, the second her shoe was in  it set like concrete! Worse, when she tried adjusting her stance for  better purchase, she wound up getting her other wedge just as gummed up!  She was trapped! Try as she might, Mallory couldn’t pull her shoes  free!

Nervously, Mallory looked around. Seemed like anyone who  had been looking at her dispersed for the time being. Still not making a  scene, still just a very boring girl getting groceries, nothing to see  here! Attempting to keep composed, Mallory tried to carefully wrench her  shoes out from their gummy traps, only to hesitate at a distant sound  of heavy machinery whirring to life, and a gentle waft of air to start  blowing up from beneath her feet!

Once upon a time, Mallory was  fascinated by the grates around the city that served as archaic  ventilation for some business and transportation depots - because  apparently as a child there’s nothing more fascinating than something  that can shoot out giant gusts of air! They especially caught her  interest when one of her favorite (and most formative) starlets posed  for some scandalous advertisements depicting her stood on one, her a  long flow dress blown upwards by the blowing air! But Mallory was no  starlet, and she never imagined herself in such a situation!

In a  matter of seconds, what started as a gentle outflow of air became its  own windstorm, blowing directly up Mallory’s skimpy dress! “Ah! Mallory  helplessly yelped as the man-made wind picked up in power, blasting up  her dress and all the way up to her hair! “N-no! The air!” Mallory cried  out as the gusts picked up even more ferociously, out of desperation  that maybe someone could stop it? But of course no one could, and all  her cries accomplished was causing more passersby to stop and gawk at  the spectacle as it unfolded, as the gust reached its full power!

As  the air blew harder upwards, Mallory felt the hem of the dress lifting!  Memories of the starlet flashed through her brain! In a matter of  seconds, everyone would see her underwear! “EEK! Don’t look! Please!”  Hurriedly, she clenched her thighs around what fabric she could and  stooped low as she could with arms overburdened with groceries to keep  the dress down! Why’d she do that?! Now even more people were stopping  to look because she just screamed at them not to! Wind whipping her  dress and hair into a frenzy, Mallory’s mouth opened and closed in  terror, and she pulled down on the dress even harder to keep herself  covered! In her desperation, however, she pulled a little too hard! The  air was relentless, and her fight against it quickly went wrong! In one  fluid motion, one pull just a little too hard caused the dress to slide  right down Mallory’s chest, causing her bare boobs to spill into full  view!

Immediately, the growing crowd around her launched into  surprised gasps, and more than a few laughs! Mallory, on the other hand,  screamed in horror, her voice muffled in the gales! Her boobies, her  boobies were totally bare and bouncing in the breeze! “Ah… ah…” Terror  and burning humiliation frozen Mallory’s tongue, and she moved her arms  back upwards, trying and failing to cover her exposed chest with the  groceries! “D-don’t lk- pltheh! D-blkk!” Mallory’s pleas were  interrupted by her own purple locks whipped around and blasted every  which way by the gusts, as her bountiful bosoms continued to flounce and  jiggle for all the see! And, of course, with Mallory letting go of the  bottom of the dress, it was only a matter of time! In an instant, the  garment flew up around her waist and floated around Mallory’s hips,  putting her lacy white panties on full display!

Again the crowd  surged, and again Mallory squealed in embarrassment! “N-no! Please!  I-it’s th-the air! Somennnn!” Mallory uselessly begged as the wind  continued to blow her hair into a purple tornado over her face, her  massive breasts lifted by the current which blasted up through the leg  holes of her panties and caused her ample cheeks to jiggle for those  behind her! She became trapped in an unwinnable cycle of trying to push  the dress back down and keeping her exposed bosoms covered, but the wind  was too strong! She was nearly blasted on her butt for even trying to  fight it! What a nightmare! Stuck in the middle of the streets, her  boobs out and her panties revealed to everyone!

At long, merciful  last, a loud mechanical *clunk* far below bid the air flow to finally  cease. Even though the worst was finally over, the immediate silence  that followed was one of the least bearable things Mallory ever  weathered! Slowly, agonizingly so, the pineapple-covered fabric of the  dress gently floated down around Mallory’s hips, as mussed strands of  her purple hair settled over her face, as she stood there totally  disheveled, dress completely ruffled and skewed, with her giant breasts  heaving uncovered in front of a street full of pedestrians!

Mallory’s  lower lip started to quiver and her grip on the grocery bags loosened,  as she peered out from purple locks haphazardly tossed over her face.  The voices gradually started back up, some of concern, some wondering if  it was lewd street performance, and almost all of them accompanied by  flashing smartphone cameras. How completely humiliating! She must look  like the biggest, sluttiest idiot in town! First the skateboarding, now  this?! If people didn’t know about her before, they certainly did then  and there! How could this happen?! How was she ever going to live any of  this down? Ready to burst into tears, Mallory just wanted to disappear  and never be seen ever again!

At the precipice of falling all the  way apart, however, a familiar face appeared in Mallory’s mind. What  would Candice do in a situation like this? She apparently had stuff like  this happen all the time, and yet she was so… happy… What would she do,  if she was there? Well, knowing her… she’d calm down… she’d be  practical. She’d just pick herself up and keep going.

And so  Mallory tried. Blocking out her surroundings as best she could, Mallory  carefully lowered her groceries onto the curb behind her, then jerked  the dress back up over her exposed boobs, before she gently crouched to  unfasten her shoes’ buckles. A couple people offered help that she  brusquely ignored. Worst of all was when she could have sworn she heard a  male groan down the walk, and her mind flashed an afterimage of Candice  pushing that mean girl, which made her sigh. If only she had some of  that ‘hutzpah,’ as Marge occasionally called it. At that point she just  wanted to get her things and get the heck out of town! Thankfully, none  of the gum made it to the straps of her wedges, and she was able to undo  the buckles without getting any gunk on her hands. After a moment  longer to let the crowd thin out, everyone going back about their daily  business, Mallory attempted to stand. However, she was once again  stopped, but this time not by her feet. Whatever held her back was doing  so… somewhere more intimate…

It turned out that Mallory hadn’t  adjusted the dress after the incident quite as thoroughly as she wanted.  As it would happen, in sitting on the curb, the dress had ridden  further up Mallory’s hips than she realized, meaning it was mostly her  undies beneath in contact with the grate. The surface of the grate  itself was fairly uniform in its flatness, but some of the metal  linkages stuck out higher than the others, and as Mallory tried to stand  and leave, part of her underwear got snagged on a particularly  stuck-out portion of the grate, once again leaving her trapped!

Naturally,  Mallory’s instinct was to reach down and unhook her underwear, but the  second she began reaching southward, she froze upon realizing what doing  so resembled, and if even possible, her face blushed a fiercer crimson.  These people had already seen her boobs and underwear, Mallory sure as  hell did NOT want it to look like she was publicly playing with herself!  But she had to get free… Sneakily, Mallory tried to shimmy her hips and  dislodge herself, but the snag was deep, and her movements only made it  deeper. Worse, not only a bit of metal jabbed her underside, but she  felt something warm… ew… she didn’t sit in the gum, did she?! Mallory  didn’t even look to see; if she didn’t see it, it didn’t happen! But, in  any case, her panties were stuck good…

Only one solution  remained, and it crashed down from Mallory’s mind to her lower tummy  like a plummeting wrecking ball, destroying everything on its way down:  she’d have to ditch the panties.

No. Absolutely not, never, 100%  not in a million years, no. And yet… was there another way? Yes, 210%  yes, had to be another way… and yet… Mallory sat on the curb for a full  minute longer and came up empty. If her undies were really as stuck as  she thought they were, she would really have to get in there to free  them, and that would certainly bring plenty of attention! Her best bet,  she reluctantly settled, was to carefully pull off her undies, then walk  away like nothing happened. People would see them eventually, but  ideally only when she was long gone. If she didn’t make a scene of it,  maybe she could make it onto the bus without another humiliating show!  And so - after plenty of false starts, a thousand looks each way, and  another minute coming up empty - Mallory sighed and went for it.

Trying  to seem casual, Mallory placed her hands on the curb beside her hips,  pretending to be oh so casual, just looking around, slowly extending her  thumbs to try and tease her panties’ waistband lower through the dress,  wiggling backwards when the snag pulled them taut. It was an agonizing  process, with Mallory’s face staying at pure crimson the whole time  despite her attempts at remaining chill, as she felt her undies get  lower and lower, feeling her butt crack become more and more exposed,  the fabric getting further from her crotch, the further she backed up on  the sidewalk… Finally she bounced a bit higher to get the undergarment  over the curve of her buttocks. Even through the dress, as her butt  landed back on the sidewalk, it was like little lightning bolts  ricocheted up Mallory’s backbone, all the hot gritty pavement barely  half an inch from her naked butt…

A couple more tugs, and her  undies were rolled around mid-thigh, ready to fall from her legs as soon  as she stood. Now or never to make a break for it… A couple pump-up  breaths later (that didn’t help) Mallory just went for it, pushing  herself to standing. Immediately, her panties dropped the rest of the  way down her legs, and Mallory fought to ignore the feeling as she  hurriedly stepped out from them, scooped up the grocery bags, and once  again strolled along the sidewalk like nothing happened. She didn’t look  back, not even once, but her attempts at nonchalance were totally  undermined by the little hoppy steps she had to take! The sidewalk was  absolutely scorching! Without her wedges to protect them, Mallory’s bare  feet couldn’t last a full second on the ground without feeling like  they were on fire! “Eeh! Ooh! Aah!” Mallory hopped on toes as tippy as  they could get and hugged the grocery bags as tight as possible, partly  so nothing spilled out, but partly to keep the dress from bouncing with  her! The hem floated dangerously up and down, Mallory had to pray not so  high it was flashing glimpses of her bare butt, or worse, her naked  crotch! A couple people who passed by were definitely looking that low…  they could see it, couldn’t they? Mallory’s face looked like it was  painted, it turned such a deep red! Of course they could see it, the  dress covered next to nothing! And if they didn’t see her special  flower, they certainly got an eyeful of Mallory’s scantly-contained bust  bouncing higher and higher with her! Up and down, up and down,  threatening to once again leap out into full view, the subtle pinks of  her nipples peeking out… Thankfully, she didn’t have far to hop, as she  was just in time to meet the TRAC bus pulling into the stop up ahead -  she couldn’t get on board fast enough!

Using the change she’d  gotten from the last fare, Mallory boarded the TRAC and took a seat near  the back, adjusting and readjusting the dress and setting the groceries  down beside herself to prevent anyone from sitting there. It was a  shorter ride back to the neighborhood than coming from it, but it was  somehow even more agonizing a ride, spent alternating between crossing  her legs over one another and simply sitting with both thighs pushed  together - the former obviously ensured her privates stayed as such, but  it also caused the dress to ride up almost entirely past her thigh,  quite nearly revealing the curvature of her butt. If anyone noticed she  was going commando, she didn’t know. If anyone recognized her from the  grate incident, she didn’t know. If anyone even looked her way, she  didn’t even know, because she spent the entire ride staring at the  floor, smoldering in poorly-contained embarrassment! They don’t know,  they don’t know, Mallory’s silent mantra filled her head, but *she*  knew, and that was enough to make it feel like the rest of the world  knew too. How long until another rumor spread, one about the  purple-haired bimbo getting her big stupid boobs out in the middle of  the street? Or flashing her private parts to everyone walking down the  sidewalk?! Once she got home, Mallory was prepared to hunker down for  good, at least until school started back up!

After long the stop  was finally reached, and Mallory practically ran she was so eager to  disembark, so much so she nearly forgot the groceries! Hurriedly she  scooped them up off the seat and sped for the exit, blushing harder for  making a scene out of herself! Thankfully, no one else was getting off  at this stop. Since she had a moment, as she dropped onto the grass  right at the bottom of the bus’s stairs, Mallory took a moment to  double-check the groceries and make sure they were all accounted for. At  a glance, it seemed like not much, if anything, had been displaced or  fallen out. At least there was that! The worst was over, and all that  was left was getting these groceries to Marge!

Suddenly, however, there was a mechanical whir, then a pinch along her back.

Then the hiss of air-brakes being released, and a tugging.

Then the dress was torn off Mallory’s body.

It  unfolded so slowly, like waking up from what feels like a dream.  Mallory just barely glanced to the left, as the bus speedily departed, a  familiar green-and-pineapple pattern caught in its door, the dress, the  dress that was the very last bit of clothing Mallory still had…

…leaving her standing at the front of the neighborhood, totally, utterly, completely… naked…

In  an instant, Mallory’s entire body turned faint! “…ahhh… AHHH!…” She  squealed as she felt herself go numb with panic, her breasts heaving,  her knees buckling and nearly giving out! It was so unbelievable! It  couldn’t be happening! In the middle of broad daylight, totally  head-to-toe NAKED?! This wasn’t happening… not again! Not like this! She  couldn’t breathe! She might pass out! Oh God, what was she going to  do?!?!

What was there to do? The bus was gone, long gone, the  dress and any hope of clothing far out of Mallory’s reach. The only  thing she could do would be to get home… deep in the heart of the  neighborhood… while totally naked… It was so impossible, so horrible, so  humiliating, but… there really was no other option… and she could  already see people up ahead… maybe they wouldn’t see her?… oh God… This  was going to be a nightmare! But with no other options, biting her lip,  Mallory jogged into the neighborhood!

Naturally, Mallory tried  covering herself the best she could with the grocery bags, attempting to  hold some over her front and a couple others over her butt, but filled  as they were, they were too heavy and awkward to properly hold like that  without spilling anything! The best coverage she could manage while  keeping the bags secure was hugging everything around her chest, which  of course left her lower half totally exposed! She ran as fast as she  could manage, stooping a little to at least try and conceal her crotch,  while conscientiously keeping her butt turned whichever direction she  figured the least people would be! Try as she might to ‘stay calm, be  practical,’ she was an absolute panicking mess, spinning every which  way, desperate to hide her shame as best she could, only to spin right  into facing down an aghast neighbor opening their door to grab the  paper, or someone walking their dog and both ending up barking at her!  “I- I’m sorry!” Mallory kept crying out as she streaked away!  Unfortunately, way more people were out and about than she thought there  were earlier! Every street, every block, Mallory left a wake of gasps,  shrieks, and catcalls, as everyone came out to lay eyes on the  neighborhood’s new streaker!

The worst thing is that the sidewalk  and streets had gotten so hot from baking in the sun, she had little  choice but to make her way across peoples’ lawns just so her feet  wouldn’t feel like they were on fire, and that only brought her closer  to the people! She raced by a couple of gossiping housewives on a shaded  porch who loudly gasped as they watched her dart across the lawn! Good  Heavens, how hedonistic! Mallory felt her whole body blush crimson,  feeling every little jiggle of her big doughy butt as she jogged away!  “I-I’m sorry! Please don’t look!” She turned her body even further just  to make sure they couldn’t see any of her full monty, only to realize in  horror that she’d just faced a house where a few nosy kids were pushed  up against the window, their jaws all slack! “AAHHHH! I’m sorry!”  Mallory quickly twisted away, but it seemed like no matter where she  turned, someone was there to stare, inside or out, watching in shock as  she ran through the whole neighborhood as naked as they day she was  born! Sometimes she had no choice but to make a mad dash across the  street, and she did as fast as she possibly could, taking long bounding  steps that caused her massive breasts to slap up and down against both  her body and the bags, drawing even more attention! She couldn’t even go  as fast as she wanted; it would all be so much simpler if she hadn’t  had any cargo to carry, but the four overfilled grocery bags slowed her  pace dramatically and kept her from moving as discreetly as she  otherwise would, lest she risk spilling Marge’s food all over the  ground! She couldn’t cover herself well, she couldn’t hide, and she  could barely run! All she could do was trundle along in her shame,  spouting apologies all the while! “Please! Don’t look! It- it was an  accident, please don’t look!” The skateboard incident had been bad, but  this, where she lived, where she KNEW people?! Mallory never wanted to  leave her house ever again!

Half an embarrassing eternity later,  Mallory spun around and finally saw Marge’s house! Darting across  another lawn, praying no one was at the window watching her streak by,  Mallory was suddenly struck by the question of what to do with the  groceries. She couldn’t exactly waltz up to the front door in her  current state… The next lawn she raced onto was her own. She seriously  considered slipping inside and grabbing some clothes, but again, if  Marge answered the door and saw she changed, what would she say? How on  earth would she explain where the dress was? What could have come up she  would’ve needed to change? She didn’t want Marge to know the dress was  gone, but she also didn’t want to hurt her feelings! But it’s not like  she had any alternative… A choice had to be made, here, and made fast;  she was standing outside buck-naked for crying out loud!

Finally,  sweaty and panting for breath, Mallory set the plan: drop the groceries  on the porch, then hightail it back to her own house! She’d sneak  through the back door, then call Marge explaining something came up and  she had to leave the groceries on the porch and that she would see her  on Tuesday. All the bases covered: not being seen naked, not revealing  she lost the dress, no harms nor fouls! And so, running at an awkward  sideways angle holding the grocery bags over her front but turning her  butt away from directly facing the windows behind her, Mallory nudely  shuffled across Marge’s lawn and up her front steps. Hurriedly, she set  down all the bags, made sure nothing would fall over, then covered  herself with her hands as she started to bolt.

However, Mallory had only gotten halfway down the walk before hearing a latch click and Marge’s front door creak open!

“Ah,  Mallory, I thought I saw a flash of purple out there! It’s been a  while, I was worried you might have gotten…” Mallory tensed as Marge’s  voice betrayed her finally looking up from her doorstep, to spy none  other than a buck-naked Mallory, her butt in its bare glory aimed right  at her! “…lost…”

Without even thinking, Mallory froze to the  spot and threw both her hands to poorly cover her butt! “I… I…”  Mallory’s mouth doubly opened and closed. What could she even say? How  could she explain the horrible nightmare of an ordeal she’d just been  through?! And to show up totally in the nude! Finally, she chanced a  glance over her shoulder, a sheepish and humiliated expression on her  face.

Politely averting her gaze downward, Marge chuckled through  her fingers. “You know… you could have just said that you didn’t like  the dress!”

—

Though Mallory protested at first,  eventually she caved to Marge’s insistences she come inside, both to  explain herself, but also because, like… she was standing out in the  middle of the neighborhood butt-ass naked, of course she had to come  inside! Wrapped in Marge’s robe, and after a moment to calm down over a  cup of tea, while still reluctant, finally Mallory described her series  of misfortune to the madam. It was hard to relive, and thus was doubly  surprising when Marge’s initial reaction was one of laughter! Not  mocking - even Mallory could tell as much - but more like they were old  friends sharing a well-remembered anecdote.

Still laughing, Marge  reached out and patted Mallory on the arm. “I had the EXACT same thing  happen to me in that EXACT same dress!” Her wrinkled eyes caught a  sparkle with the reminiscence. “There I was, strutting down the avenue  like the Queen of Sheba, not even realizing I’ve stepped onto the grate,  when WHOOSH! The strongest gust of air you ever did see goes and lifts  up my dress! Of course, you’re a smart girl who at least wears her  undergarments! When I was your age, I couldn’t be bothered, and so when  the dress went up, you best believe everyone behind me got a full view  of my fanny, yes they did!” Trying and failing to share in the humor,  Mallory naturally had to go on and explain the loss of her  ‘undergarments,’ and how the bus door closing early left her to make the  remainder of the journey in the nude. Mallory apologized profusely for  losing the dress, but Marge waved her away every time. “Please, my dear,  don’t fray your nerves over a little lost fabric! Who knows? Maybe a  girl at the next stop found herself in the same predicament and now has a  bit to cover up with!”

Marge continued to laugh, and while  Mallory tried to smile along, Marge saw through it pretty quickly, how  much it really bothered her. “Oh honey…” She reached out to again assure  Mallory. “It’s not the end of the world! So some yokels saw your sweet  bits, who cares? My, people are so within their own heads these days, by  this time tomorrow, all they’re gonna remember is they saw some nice  cheeks and chops. They won’t remember you, not the real you.” Marge  squeezed Mallory’s wrist. “The you I’ve had the privilege of getting to  know this summer. The beautiful, bright, sweet-as-candy girl you are,  who has such an incredible future ahead of her! And a body that would’ve  put even my ladies to shame!” Marge added with a cheeky raise of her  brow.

That last compliment caused Mallory’s resurgent confidence  to falter a bit, what little of it there was. The thought still rankled  Mallory’s nerves, that, even if it was anonymously, images of her  private parts existed in a stranger’s head, but the sentiment Marge was  trying to put across was clear: you keep going. Mallory couldn’t help  but grin, a small but genuine grin. Wasn’t the first time she heard  that, and maybe not her favorite way she heard it, but it restored, even  a little bit, the sense in her that it was all going to be alright.

The  same compliment, though, seemed to jog something in Marge’s mind, and  she rose to walk towards the kitchen, gently beckoning Mallory to  follow. “I don’t know if I ever told you this,” she began, which was  code for ‘I’ve probably rambled through this before but either way I’m  going to do it again now,’ “but every Saturday evening I took over the  kitchen of my Maison de la Sensation to personally cook the night’s  special: boeuf bourguignon, served with pasta just gently buttered with  garlic! It was our busiest night of the week!” The old madam began  gingerly lifting the groceries out from the bags and sorting them on the  countertop, as Mallory watched. An energy flowed through Marge, and  Mallory felt herself embraced in its charge. “I was so upset when Jenny  canceled on me,” Marge continued, “for Danny, of course, but also  because you’ll be off to school before we know it, and I so wanted to  treat you to something special before then!” Marge surveyed the sorted  collection upon the counter and beamed. “Perfect!” She turned her smile  to Mallory, a city of lights irrevocable in her eyes. “Soyons en vie,  mon ami!”

And so, that evening - after Mallory had the chance to  put on some proper clothes, of course - the two enjoyed a delectable  meal, the bourguignon so tender on Mallory’s tongue it practically  melted! A gentle reproduction of 60s French classical-jazz lifted their  laughter and brought about joyous lessons in the dances of the period, a  communion between an era ended and another just beginning. And, perhaps  fittingly, at Madam Marge’s behest, it was Mallory’s night to regale  them with stories. She hesitated, but since enough was already out  there, finally she decided to describe her summer in the fullest truth,  all the humiliating lows that didn’t seem so rough as they once did, the  broken dreams leading to a listlessness yet to be cured, but also the  highs of new friends, very special friends indeed. Mallory coyly ignored  the madam’s very pointedly raised brow, as well as the question that  followed. It was a question Mallory had grappled with on her own, and  still she wasn’t sure how to answer it. Maybe she didn’t need to.  Sometimes you don’t need to label it. Sometimes you just get a good  feeling. “Well!” Marge smiled. “I’d certainly love to meet her.” Mallory  promised she would. They toasted a sparkling nonalcoholic beverage,  and, in that moment, Mallory had one of the best feelings she ever felt:  that things really were going to be alright after all.