Diving Deeper #2
“You’re such a child!” Tamara snaps. Popping out of her seat, she turns to face him.
“This isn’t preschool. I have no idea why your ego is so fragile that you need to put down other people to build yourself up.
The trainers stated that we’re in this together, so your infantile behavior needs to stop. ”
The entire room becomes silent as everyone waits to see how Nash will react to her statement.
Instead of answering her, he drills his eyes into me.
When he fails to respond to her, Tamara takes a step toward him. “Say something!”
Russo puts his hand on Nash’s shoulder. “She’s right, you know.”
Rolling his shoulder to shake Russo’s hand off, Nash glances in my direction and mutters, “She doesn’t belong here, and all of you know it.”
Amethyst and Michelle stand up next to Tamara in solidarity.
With tensions rising, Carlisle finally rises and says, “Robinson’s right, Nash. Just let it go, man.”
Nash frowns but turns back in his chair, muttering an exaggerated, “Whatever…”
My friends sit back down at the table, and Amethyst reaches her hand over, asking, “You okay?”
I smile and nod, pretending I’m fine, but this whole situation has shaken me to the core. Doubt begins to crumble my confidence.
Maybe I don’t belong here…
Turning back to Tamara, I express my gratitude, “Thanks for having my back.”
“Mr. Onassis is right. The strength of the program lies in our cohesion and combined efforts.” She glances back at Nash and nods. “Even he has something to add, if he can get his head out of his ass.”
When Headmaster Wallace enters the lounge to escort us to our second practicum, the tension in the room has dissipated somewhat. But when I get up to leave, I notice Nash’s sideways glance in my direction.
Nothing has changed.
Although I appreciate my friends standing up for me, I know they secretly agree with Nash that I’m wrong about Socrates.
As we quietly walk down the hallway, I’m tempted to break the uncomfortable silence and ask Headmaster Wallace point-blank about Socrates in an attempt to vindicate myself. But the fear that I might be wrong makes me hesitant.
After a quick mental tug-of-war, I walk up behind him, my poor heart beating way too fast, and almost tap him on the shoulder.
But…I chicken out at the last second, saying nothing as we head into the auditorium for our second practicum.
I sit down next to my friends, but I keep replaying Socrates’ scenes in my head, questioning everything as I mentally dissect what I observed.
I feel Amethyst nudge me slightly and hear the Headmaster call out my name, “Miss Lane.”
I immediately stand, realizing I’m going to be the first to scene tonight. Straightening my shoulders, I walk to the stage knowing I need to focus on the task ahead.
I stand to face the trainers, and Headmaster Wallace informs me, “You’ve indicated that you would like to continue exploring bondage, so we are keeping the scene simple.”
I nod as a new Dom joins me on the stage. He is unconventionally handsome in a Silicon Valley sort of way. His thin physique is endearing, and his tousled hair and nerdy glasses make him more cute than handsome.
He instantly wins me over when he pushes up the glasses on his nose and tells me, “You may call me Rogue.”
I smile as I bow my head. “Yes, Rogue.”
Two assistants walk onto the stage carrying a wooden chair with a narrow backrest and a small table set with several items.
“Come, my little pixel,” he says, holding out his hand to me.
Charmed by his nerdy pet name for me, I confidently take Rogue’s hand, and he leads me to the chair. I glance nervously at the table and see that it holds a pair of scissors and a roll of pink bondage tape.
Remembering how strong the tape was when I tied Tamara’s wrists with it, I feel a twinge of fear. But Rogue’s smile is so engaging that I immediately focus on him.
“I want you wearing nothing but your skirt…and heels.”
I redirect my thoughts to following his orders. By sensually removing my clothes, I avoid looking at the pink tape sitting on the table.
Once I am free of the required clothing and stand before him bare-chested, I begin to feel sassy once more. I even swish my skirt as I stand there in my sexy heels.
“Well now, that’s aesthetically pleasing.”
I smile at his nerdy compliment.
“Now sit down on the chair like a good girl.”
I swallow down a feeling of unease as I sit facing my fellow students.
Kneeling in front of me, Rogue picks up the tape and orders me to spread my legs wide. I hesitate for a moment before obeying him.
Watching him bind my left ankle to the outside of the chair leg makes my heart race. I become acutely aware of everyone staring at me.
Even though I’ve been naked in front of my classmates before, I feel especially vulnerable after that unpleasant exchange in the lounge.
My apprehension increases when Rogue grasps my other ankle and begins to slowly bind it with the tape, leaving my legs wide open. Being immobilized only helps to increase my feelings of unease.
Rogue stands up and looks at me approvingly. “You are pixel perfect…”
I smile even though I’m distracted by a metallic taste in my mouth. I suddenly feel as if I’m an observer in this scene—not a participant.
Rogue brushes my neck with his fingertips as he walks behind me, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.
When he commands, “Put your hands behind your back,” my arms fail to move.
Staring at my ankles bound in pink, I feel a surge of fear unlike anything I’ve felt before.
I wrestle against it, determined not to give in to the fear in front of everyone.
I’m a fighter, not a coward!
However, my arms feel like dead weight, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t move them.
I look out at the audience, needing their support. But instead of seeing friends, I see only a sea of judgmental faces.
They all believe I was lying about Socrates.
I don’t belong here.
Closing my eyes, I scream at the top of my lungs with a voice full of pain and conviction, “Red!”