Baring It (Shawn Mendes Fic)

The Naked Truth

                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When it comes to my mom, nothing surprises me anymore. If anything, I've been audience to enough harebrained schemes, half-baked escapades, and general nonsense to basically expect the unexpected. But this new plan does take the cake. The cake's been taken, never to be seen again. 

"You want us to move to... and live in... an actual nudist colony?" My skepticism's loud, but mom's eyes are wackily wide, and she's grinning like a maniac all the same. 

"Wouldn't it be fun?" she cheers dreamily, "And so liberating! We could be free women!" Mom struts on an invisible runway, waving her hands like a royal. We're standing in the dingy apartment we've been living in for four months, since September. A third of a year's gone by and already mom needs a change of scenery. We've followed her whims all my life; my kid brother, Em, and I essentially just ripples in her wake. It's kept things exciting, if unstable. 

"It just seems like sort of an extreme change of pace," I mention as I scoop take-out rice onto a plate, "and aren't people who never wear clothes usually, I don't know, weirdos?" 

"So says society," mom says, sounding unbothered, "but what do we care about that? We're Timlins! We embrace the weird, we seek the strange, we grab life by the hair and we dye it!"

There's truth to this. However, "Call me boring if you please, but I don't know how appealing any young adult woman would find the idea of, like, visiting a nudist community with your parent appealing, let alone living there permanently." 

Mom rolls her eyes at me. "Come on Jay, when have we ever stayed anywhere permanently? I want to say we never have." 

"Obviously, but I was actually hoping we could slow down on all the city hopping for a couple years. Really plant some roots, you know?" And I was hoping that. I'm very much used to being the girl who's new in school, and making new friends who eventually become social media acquaintances. This latest school though, I've really liked my time there so far. Disrupting everything again, just because mom wants fresh inspiration? No thanks. Who am I kidding though, mom doesn't bring up Possibilities unless they're future reality. 

"The place looks delightful. So much light and life. It's a safe, progressive community and I think you and your brother would really thrive there," mom rambles as she hands me a pamphlet for the place, "plus it's really close. Just a two hour drive east. We'll still be close to Portland, but we'll be surrounded by open skies and actual nature for a change!" 

Mom's enthusiasm is full blown but not yet contagious. "Look, until I'm away at college next year, I'm a leaf and you're the wind, and I've accepted that's how it works in this family," I glumly recite, but mom's having none of it. 

"Oh no it's not Bluejay! We Timlins vote, as always, on major adjustments like this." Mom's pacing in circles now, and she looks around the corner into our small living room, "I say we make the move. Emory, what say you?"

Em, my nine year-old brother, is on board. Joy. Before I know it, bags are being packed, leases sublet, and trucks rented. What was a trifle is about to be my new life. Are all my clothes about to be obsolete? I barely like to change at school for gym, or wear a bathing suit around friends. How am I actually supposed to live in some bizarre community where everyone's expected to be naked? I'm unprepared, and scared, and as great as my mom can be about a lot of things, quelling my anxieties isn't one of those. 

"Jay," she starts when I voice my concerned an eight hundredth time while we're boxing silverware, "life is about growing. Expanding your comfort zone. You get one life, do you really want to live it confined by cotton and seams? Some poor child made that cute tank you're wearing. Don't you feel guilty about that? Don't you want to shed all these unnecessary layers and just be a being? Don't you?" 

"Please just make sure we're stocked up on sunscreen," I retort, knowing any other response won't get us anywhere. Before I have time to blink, or say goodbye to any new friends, or even take a breath, we're on our way to Hidden Grove, Oregon. Em has preemptively adopted our new lifestyle, refusing to wear clothes on the drive. I grumble and stay deeply engulfed by a manga volume, under four layers of jackets, shirts, and sweatpants. 

After several rest and novelty gift shop stops, our small family road trip ends way too quickly. We're home. As we pass under the rustic wooden gate marking the entrance to the little town, I think to myself that Hidden Grove doesn't seem too offbeat so far. It has a summer camp vibe, and with the sun being out, and tall deep green trees towering all around us, it's almost nice. Then, I spot a group of people walking by, apparently some kind of older ladies book club. They're each clutching a cozy mystery novel, and wearing absolutely nothing. The ladies bounce by and I avert my eyes out of habit, trying to be respectful. We've stopped near the center of the area now, and mom gets out to check out an installed map while Em dances and flips around me. Twenty feet away, two men are playing badminton, naked, while another dozen feet or so away a small group is naked picnicking in the grass. 

Suddenly I'm a little overwhelmed and want to escape. I'm breathing too frantically, on the verge of panicking. A plump old man jogs by, naked of course, and I dodge left to avoid colliding with him, stepping right in the path of a tall naked cyclist, and as I jump back to the right to avoid her, I slam right into him. 

Even through multiple barriers of wool clothing, I feel his warm skin right as we start to tumble. It's a really hot guy, probably about twenty years-old, and I'm falling over right on top of him. No surprise, he too is totally naked. He's on the ground on his back now, and I'm face planted in his bare chest, my elbows pressing right into his torso. Before I can apologize, before I can even think, he smiles right up at me, a heartwave beam. 

"Hi," he says quietly, "I'm Shawn."    

                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Chapter 2, coming December 1st!