Fun & Games at the Chateau - Part Two

 

After Laurent described to me the events he had witnessed at the château [Fun & Games at the Chateau - Part One], we were both intrigued to know more about why this particular boy had been singled out to be stripped naked in such a public place. It seemed clear by the way they behaved the other boys and girls in the group had seen it all before. As Laurent had explained, the boy appeared to be resigned to his fate, so it was easy to conclude there was more to this game of ‘mise à l’air’ than he saw that day. Of course we would never know the background, but that didn’t prevent us from discussing and speculating on the subject until the wee small hours.

After I returned home I resolved to write up the basic facts of what Laurent had told me (Part One), then after that had been achieved I would give my imagination fee reign to write a story (Part Two) which followed on from what had been observed by my friend. The following work of fiction is the result of that speculation. I gave the name ‘Étienne’ to the boy who was stripped naked as well as giving names to the other boys involved.

Part Two: Laurent Journeys North

A few days later Laurent came up with an idea of how he might be able to put his mind at rest and find out more about what he had witnessed. Since he saw Étienne being forcibly undressed and paraded naked in front of his classmates, both boys and girls, Laurent had not been able to dispel from his mind the memory of that event. He cursed the fact that the surveillance system was merely for monitoring and did not have the facility to record. But even if it did, how on earth would he have been able to obtain a copy of the fun and games he had seen played out in the attic of the château without questions being asked? Actually, in hindsight, it would have been absolute torture if Laurent had known there had been a video recording of the events on the surveillance system, but with no means of his making a copy! Something even worse had occurred to him, that he would have had a hard time explaining to his superiors why he hadn’t intervened to stop what he had seen unfolding in the attic.

What Laurent proposed to do was perfectly straightforward. He approached his manager with the idea of visiting one of the schools to interview some of its pupils who had recently been on a school trip to the château. He explained his idea:

“I know we get good feedback from the school authorities after their pupils have been on trips to our château, but I had the idea to reach out and ask some of the pupils themselves for their candid views on where we might improve their experience when visiting us… you know, what was interesting? What was boring? Get their ideas… that sort of thing.”

Laurent could see that his manager was interested in his scheme, so he continued:

“There was a school party on a visit from Normandy last week. I’ve an aunt who lives not far from where the school is located and I’ll be visiting her soon… perhaps I could make time to call in at the school and talk to some of the pupils who came on the visit… just to test my idea…”

Laurent’s manager was impressed by his zeal and agreed to the proposal saying they would email the school to see if they were willing to cooperate.

The reply that came back was better than Laurent had expected. The school would be delighted to have a visit from one of the château’s tour guides; they would put an empty classroom at his disposal and he was to ask to interview as many pupils who had been on the trip as he liked. The school authorities were thrilled to be asked and Laurent set a date for his visit.

Upon his arrival Laurent gazed up at the buildings in which the school was housed. To his trained eye he could see the architecture dated from the Belle Époque, built in the neo-Gothic style for the prestigious Catholic school. With a certain degree of apprehension, since he was not quite sure what to expect from his visit, Laurent entered through the portal of the main building. Here he was welcomed by one of the teachers who had escorted the pupils on their visit to the château, indeed it was the very same woman who had left the group alone in the attic.

Mademoiselle Picard introduced herself and they talked about school trips in general and the pupils’ visit to the château in particular. This gave Laurent the opportunity to mention that he’d heard the name of one of the boys in the school party. “He was called Étienne, I believe,” he informed her. 

“Perhaps if I could interview him first…? See what he has to say and then ask some of his friends for their views…”

The teacher thought that would be a splendid idea and showed Laurent to an empty classroom. It was situated on the top floor of the main building, a high-ceilinged room with exposed wooden beams. It was strikingly similar to that of the château attic. ‘Most appropriate’, Laurent thought to himself.

“I’ll fetch Étienne… he’s a very helpful, well-behaved boy and I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions… in fact he was in my group during our visit to your wonderful château. I’ve got another class to attend to shortly, so I’ll send Étienne along… take your time… the room is yours for as long as you need it…”

Laurent couldn’t believe his good fortune as he stood in the empty classroom and waited. It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door and Étienne entered the room.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked politely.

“Ah, so you’re Étienne…” Laurent saw that the boy was just as he remembered; obviously a little shy with features and manners that marked him out as a boy on the very cusp of puberty. Étienne also possessed that ineffable quality that marked him out as a boy who was born to be the object of pranks, such as the ‘mise à l’air’ Laurent had witnessed. “...you were on a school trip to the château the other week… I heard your name and I thought it would be a good place to start…” Étienne immediately lowered eyes and look a little anxious.  “Oh, don’t look so worried, Étienne… you’re not in any trouble, I just wanted to ask you if you enjoyed your trip…” Laurent paused and wondered whether the word ‘enjoyed’ was one that Étienne would choose to describe events in the attic… perhaps not, he thought.

“You see at the château we are always looking for ways to make school visits more memorable for pupils,” he continued, “For instance, were there parts of your visit that were more enjoyable than others? I know some boys like to explore the cellars and some find the attic more interesting,” Laurent added casually as if his words were of no importance. “We thought it would be a good idea to meet up and get some first-hand opinions… ask pupils who’d visited the château for their views and ideas…”

Étienne nodded, his face smooth and unblemished with just a slight rose-coloured blush to his cheeks that had deepened on hearing the word ‘attic’. His mousy-blond hair was very neatly trimmed, but with the usual floppy schoolboy fringe covering part of his forehead which he brushed to one side at odd intervals.

Laurent looked down at the notepad he was carrying as if consulting it. “Let’s make a start shall we?” Étienne nodded his agreement. “First off I need to know how old you are, Étienne?” Laurent asked.

“I’m thirteen and a half, sir…” the redness of Étienne’s cheeks deepened a little more.

“And did you find the visit a rewarding experience?”

“Oh, yes, sir…”

“Did you find any parts of the château more interesting than others?”

Étienne thought for a moment before he replied and Laurent watched as the boy’s face puckered into a frown: “I think the armoury was the best part…”

Laurent smiled: “All those mediaeval weapons and suits of armour, I expect…” and he went on to tell Étienne about some of the different items preserved in that part of the château. Étienne was clearly enthralled to be given such an insight into the weapons by an expert.

“Our teacher never told us about that!” Étienne exclaimed at one point and they talked for a few more minutes by which time Laurent saw Étienne had relaxed somewhat.

It was another few minutes before Laurent, again looking at his notepad, asked quite casually: “... and what about the attic… you saw the displays we have up there? Did you find that interesting?”

Étienne was nonplussed and suddenly became tongue-tied. Laurent carried on talking as if he hadn’t noticed Étienne’s discomfort at being reminded of that particular part of the building. He clearly didn’t know that Laurent had seen what had happened to him and tried to be brave by saying the attic was interesting, but a bit boring after seeing other parts of the château.

Laurent looked up to face Étienne: “Oh… it surprises me to hear you say that you found the attic boring… sometimes boys get up to all sorts of tricks up there… you wouldn’t believe what I saw just the other week… in fact it was the very same day your school visited, Étienne…”

Étienne was horror-struck. Laurent could almost hear the boy’s mind whirring as Étienne tried to figure out if he knew anything about what had happened to him in the attic. He could tell the boy was struggling to think what to say. Laurent waited.

After an agonising few moments Étienne spoke: “Um… er, w-what were the boys doing?”

“Oh, nothing much… just playing a silly game…” Laurent replied airily,  “I expect it’s the sort of game you boys play at school all the time…”

It became obvious that Étienne was thinking about little else other than the stripping game played in the attic, the game that had left him displayed totally naked in front of his classmates. He couldn’t bear to look at Laurent and he shyly turned his head away as he wondered whether this man from the château knew that he’d had all his clothes pulled off by some of the boys in the attic? Had he somehow seen everything? Seen him displayed totally naked?

Étienne’s heart was pounding. The stress induced caused him to stutter slightly. Étienne wanted to know more and yet he was afraid of the answer he might get from Laurent.

Laurent spoke kindly to the boy: “What’s up, Étienne? You seem nervous all of a sudden… was it something I said about the boys playing a silly game?”

Poor Étienne was so tongue-tied he could barely speak.

“You know we have cameras in every room in the château,” Laurent informed the boy just as if this was simply telling the boy about something that he would be interested in knowing about. It was perfectly clear from the tone of Laurent’s voice that he meant no connection was to be inferred between the game he’d seen and this new topic about the cameras. As Laurent continued to describe some of the technical details about the sophisticated security system, the sort of subject that any schoolboy would be fascinated to be told about, Étienne stood silently in front of him, watching and waiting, listening nervously as he tried to figure out where Laurent’s description was leading.

“... yes, the cameras are very sophisticated. You can probably guess why they were installed, Étienne… you see there are many fragile and rare things of immense value and beauty to be seen in the château, so we have to be careful that no harm comes to them… I’m sure you understand why we have to keep a special look out when school groups visit the château… I’m am proud to say that French boys and girls are the best behaved of all the school parties we see, but even French boys can be naughty at times…”

Étienne couldn’t help himself and asked: “How… h-how d-d-d-do y-you m-m-m-mean?”

“I once saw a boy… he was about your age… it was very funny… actually this was outside in the grounds of the château as it happens… well this boy was with his parents and an older brother… they were by one of the big cedar of Lebanon trees in the park of the château… you probably remember seeing those trees on your visit.”

Étienne listened intently to what Laurent had to say.

Laurent could see by the look on Étienne’s face that he had the boy’s undivided attention. He continued: “The younger boy… he even looked a bit like you, Étienne… well he was leaning against the tree with both hands at shoulder height pressed against the bark. He was wearing a pair of summer shorts… you know the type I mean, loose fitting with an elasticated waist… I expect you’ve got a pair just like them.”

Étienne gave a little gulp. He already had an idea what was coming.

“...  the boy’s older brother announced that he had to visit the toilets which were back near the château building in the direction that took him behind his sibling. The young boy leaning against the tree carried on talking to his parents who were sitting on the grass looking up at him. No doubt the boy was telling his parents about how interesting their visit was… he probably thought the armoury was his favourite, just like you, Étienne…”

Étienne nodded his head in agreement and brushed his floppy fringe of hair across his forehead once more.

“Then what do you think happened?”

This time Étienne shook his head: “I-I don’t know…”

“You can’t guess? I’ve told you how boys can be very naughty at times… now what do you think the boy’s older brother would do? Do you think he was really going to the toilets, or do you think he might have decided to prank his little brother right there in front of his parents… and all the other visitors who were also resting in the park?”

Étienne looked wide-eyed at Laurent. He was transfixed.  Étienne wanted to know more. He wanted to know what happened to the boy in the park who looked a lot like him, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Well?” Laurent said prompting Étienne for an answer.

Étienne spoke in almost a whisper: “Did he prank him?”

Laurent nodded: “Yes… and what do you think his brother did?” Étienne shook his head again. “Do you want me to tell you what I saw that day, Étienne?” This time Étienne nodded.

“Instead of heading off in the direction of the château, the older boy simply darted around the big tree out of sight of his young brother. A few seconds later he crept back out behind his brother, grabbed hold of the young boy’s loose-fitting summer shorts and pulled them and his underpants all the way down to his feet… right there in front of his parents and everyone else!”

Étienne’s jaw dropped.

“Yes, the boy’s older brother pantsed him right there in front of everyone. It was hilarious because the boy was so shocked and clearly didn’t know what had happened… at first he didn’t even think to cover himself… so we all got a good look at his boyhood… it was so funny… right there in the open-air and everyone who saw the boy with his shorts pulled right the way down to his ankles laughed… including his parents. They must have thought it was very funny and clever of their older son to pants his little brother. It was just a bit of harmless family fun… and the parents, well they were laughing so much that it didn’t even occur to them to say anything to their older son…”

Étienne was quiet for a few moments before he asked: “Did he… did his brother let him pull his shorts back up?”

It was Laurent’s turn to frown: “Why do you ask, Étienne? I thought you would find it even funnier if I told you that his brother grabbed his arms and held his little brother with his shorts still down in front of all the visitors…”

Étienne’s eyes popped out on stalks and Laurent guessed that Étienne would know exactly what that would have felt like.

“... but, no… the boy’s brother simply tugged his shorts down and laughed along with everyone else… but you see the young boy was so shocked… he didn’t understand at first what had happened… he twisted around to see who his assailant was before he realised that he was totally bare from the waist down… so we all saw his bare bottom as well!”

Laurent smiled at Étienne’s reaction: “That was an interesting question you just asked me, Étienne. Most boys wouldn’t have been at all concerned to know whether or not the boy got to pull up his shorts… most boys would have loved to know that he was bared for as long as possible, so that many more visitors would have been able to see him with his shorts down…”

Now Étienne looked worried. Had he said the wrong thing? It certainly felt like it and it made him nervous. Once more he wondered if Laurent knew about the escapade in the attic of the château during the school visit.

“I am intrigued by your concern for the boy, Étienne… and your sympathy does you credit, but it makes me wonder if this means that you’ve been pantsed… so you know how embarrassed the boy must have felt to be exposed, bare from the waist down in front of everyone? Is that why you wanted to know how long it was before the boy could pull his shorts up again?”

There was silence as Étienne pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

“Come on, Étienne… you can tell me… you’ve been pantsed, haven’t you?” Laurent chuckled as if this was a perfectly acceptable thing to happen to a young boy… a bit of light-hearted horse-play, “Go on… I bet you have, haven’t you… I’m not a teacher and I won’t say anything to them if you don’t want me to,” Laurent put on a serious expression adding, “Scout’s honour… cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die…”

Étienne finally summoned up the courage to ask: “Did you see?”

“Did I see what, Étienne?” Laurent asked innocently.

“In the attic…”

“The attic? What happened in the attic, Étienne? Tell me…”

Étienne couldn’t look Laurent in the eye he was so embarrassed. He looked down at the floor of the classroom as memories of his humiliation came flooding back. It felt to him as if he was being made to relive the awful events; the removal of his clothes… all his clothes in front of everyone; his display… everything. It didn’t help that he and Laurent were in one of the classrooms at the top of one of the old school buildings. The oak beams above him reminded Étienne of the attic room in which he’d been stripped totally naked.

Laurent watched Étienne as the boy struggled to decide what to say: “C’mon Étienne… tell me what happened… I won’t be shocked… I know what boys can get up to when they think they can get away with it… like that boy in the park I just told you about… it’s nothing special, just a bit of fun, that’s all… so what happened? Were you pantsed?”

Finally Étienne summoned up the courage to speak: “... er… in the attic… at the château… when… when our teacher had to leave us… Jean-Luc and his friends stripped me…”

Laurent was suitably shocked: “They did what?”

“They took off all my clothes…”

“All your clothes, Étienne? Everything?”

Étienne looked up, his wide eyes pleading and a little damp. He sniffed and looked down again. Admitting to Laurent what had happened to him made him feel worse than ever… and he still didn’t know if he’d been seen. He nodded in reply to Laurent’s question. Once more Étienne pushed his cute floppy fringe of hair across his forehead.

“You were stripped totally naked? Everything? Gosh that must have been embarrassing, Étienne… to be stripped completely naked in the attic… did everyone in your class see you naked… the girls as well as the other boys?”

Again Étienne nodded and managed to look up at Laurent questioningly. He wanted to ask him if he had seen what happened. He needed to know if Laurent had seen him stripped bare like all his classmates; if he’d seen him displayed. Did Laurent know what he looked like nude? Étienne’s mind raced. If he’d been seen naked by Laurent, that would be worse than ever! He was already blushing furiously, but the idea of his being seen, caught naked by Laurent caused his face to turn a deeper red than it had ever turned before. He wanted to know, but couldn’t bear the thought of hearing what the answer might be. His predicament was awful and Étienne was engulfed in waves of shame as he stood in front of Laurent.

Laurent shook his head: “Gosh! Well I never… you mean you were completely naked right there in the attic… why, anyone could have walked in and seen you totally nude, Étienne… did you realise that? There were families and other visitors touring the rooms… I would have been frightened that someone would have seen me with on clothes on… weren’t you scared, Étienne?”

Étienne looked at the floor at his feet, but managed to speak: “Yes… I was afraid the teacher would come back…”

“Of course… I understand… you wouldn’t want to be told off by your teacher for having no clothes on… She might have told your parents and then you would have been in trouble…”

Étienne was anxious, so anxious that he didn’t notice that Laurent knew the teacher who was escorting them on their visit was a woman. How could he have known that unless he’d seen him? But the moment passed and Étienne was still no wiser.

“Phew!” Laurent exhaled, “You boys do get up to some fun and tricks when your teacher’s back is turned,” he shook his head feigning disbelief. Laurent decided to ask Étienne for more details, even though he knew precisely what had happened. “How many boys were there? The boys who took off all your clothes… you mentioned a boy called Jean-Luc, he was the ring-leader… is that right?”

Étienne seemed resigned to his fate and no matter how embarrassing it was to tell Laurent what happened, he bravely answered the probing questions.

“Yes, Jean-Luc… he’s the one who gets the others to help… there’s four of his friends… they take turns to be the look-out…”

Laurent interrupted: “Take turns… that sounds to me like they’ve done this to you before…”

It was hardly possible for Étienne face to get any redder, but it did as he realised what he’d just said. He nodded and barely whispered: “Yes…”

Laurent noted the response and paused to allow Étienne to recover from his mistake before continuing: “Tell me how they set about taking off your clothes in the attic… I suppose they must have jumped you and held you somehow…”

“Jean-Luc and Antoine grabbed me from behind, then André and Philippe…” Étienne stopped and took some deep breaths before carrying on, “... came in front of me and started to… um, you know…” Étienne paused, then added quickly as if trying to change the subject,  “I think Marcel was on look-out…”

“Yes… but what did André and Philippe do?”

“They started… started to undress me and take my clothes off…”

“... while Jean-Luc and Antoine held you… didn’t you struggle? I would have…”

“They’re much stronger… besides, I was afraid that if we were too noisy someone might come and see us…”

“You mean you didn’t want to attract anyone’s attention in case you got Jean-Luc and his pals into trouble? So you let them take off all your clothes and strip you totally naked? Didn’t any of your classmates try to help you?”

For the first time Étienne managed a weak smile as he shook his head and then laughed derisively: “They think it’s very funny…”

“Yes… I understand how you must feel when the boys and girls laugh as they watch you being stripped… pretty helpless, I’d imagine,” Laurent said sympathetically, “... no one wants to end up as the only one totally nude, especially in a place as public as the château,” he paused for a moment before resuming his questions. “Tell me… I’m curious, Étienne… you say that André and Philippe started to take all your clothes off, but I think it’s important I understand how that was done… you see, if I suspect this might happen again at the château I need to be prepared, to know what signs to look for… I mean boys often play little tricks on each other… play-fighting and so on, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to be pulling off each other’s clothes, does it?”

Étienne agreed: “No… I suppose not…”

“That’s why I need you to tell me exactly what happened when you were held and stripped naked in front of your classmates… it’s the only way I can be sure what boys are up to… it will be a great help for me to know, Étienne.”

Étienne was downcast once more, but he bravely looked up at Laurent who saw the pleading look in the boy’s eyes: “Please, sir… do I have to?”

Laurent frowned: “Your teacher told me that you were a most helpful and well-behaved boy, Étienne… please don’t give me reason to doubt what they said…”

“I’m sorry, sir… it was… it was just that…” Étienne sighed. He clearly didn’t want to relive his experience, but the man from the château standing in front of him could so easily get him into trouble if he didn’t answer his questions truthfully.

For the first time during his interview of the young boy, Laurent leaned forward, reached out and ruffled Étienne’s untidy little mop of hair: “Come on… it won’t hurt you to tell me what happened…”

Étienne managed a brave smile: “André went down on his knees and pulled off my sneakers and my socks…”

“Gosh… your socks as well… he was being thorough… go on.”

“... Philippe undid my belt and unzipped my jeans… he undid the button and then… then he pulled them open and started to pull them down…”

“Were you wearing underpants, Étienne?”

Étienne nodded: “Yes… Philippe pulled my jeans down a bit and then he reached up and… and… grabbed hold of my underpants… he pulled them down as well…”

“Oh dear… that must have been awful for you… I suppose everyone could see your penis…”

Étienne sucked in his lower lip and Laurent knew he was deeply embarrassed at the very mention of the word.

“I suppose the boys and girls were shocked when they saw your penis… were they?”

Étienne shook his head and said again: “They think it’s very funny when my trousers are pulled down…”

“... because they’ve seen your penis before?”

Étienne nodded.

“Tell me what happened then…”

“After André had taken off my sneakers and socks, he lifted my legs so Philippe could pull my jeans right off…”

Laurent remembered how, when he saw this happening on the video monitor screen, he knew it was going to be a very special stripping. He recalled how Étienne’s jeans and underpants once off were thrown across the attic and how he watched in amazement as the boy’s penis jiggled from side to side as Jean-Luc and Antoine held him tightly. Laurent also saw that Étienne had only a few soft little wispy hairs at the base of his penis, a sight he thought he’d probably never see again.

“What did André and Philippe do with your sneakers, socks, jeans and underpants?”

“They threw them into a corner behind me… I couldn’t really see where they landed because Jean-Luc and Antoine held me really tight facing the other way…”

“Ok, so you had no idea where your clothes were… I mean one of the others could have picked them up and hidden them, couldn’t they? You wouldn’t have known…”

Étienne’s blood ran cold. He’d had that trick played on him before. He knew just what it was like to have his clothes hidden after he’d been stripped naked; how he’d been teased and made to search for them one item at a time. Étienne was thankful that Jean-Luc would never have tried that trick at the château… anyway not when they were expecting the teacher to come back at any minute.

Étienne continued and bravely carried on to describe how, while Jean-Luc and Antoine pulled his arms up, André and Philippe got to work pulling off Étienne’s polo shirt to leave him totally naked.

“How long did it take for them to strip you naked, Étienne?”

“They are very quick… I don’t know… less than a minute…”

“Lots of practice…” Laurent speculated to which Étienne nodded in reply.

“I suppose they let you go once they’d taken off all your clothes,” Laurent said guessing, although of course he knew full well that Jean-Luc and his friends had other plans.

Étienne shook his head: “No… they have to show me off…”

“What do you mean, ‘show you off’?”

“They make sure that everyone sees me naked… parade me in front of them… it’s horrible…”

“I bet it is…” Laurent paused to allow Étienne a little break. When Laurent spoke again Étienne almost fainted. “You know, I think I should like interview Jean-Luc and the boys… will you go and fetch them for me…?” Poor Étienne stared, transfixed by the very idea that after being made to live again his ordeal, he was now being told to bring his tormentors to the classroom… the very boys who had stripped him naked. When Étienne didn’t move Laurent clapped his hands sharply: “Get a move on, Étienne! I haven’t got all day… I need you to bring Jean-Luc, Antoine, André, Philippe and Marcel to this classroom… now!”

Étienne, shocked by the sudden order given so abruptly, moved quickly to the door and rushed off to fetch the other boys. Étienne’s ordeal was not over yet…

While Étienne was away rounding up Jean-Luc and his pals, Laurent couldn’t help but think what he had seen take place in the attic of the château in which he worked. He wondered whether Jean-Luc would be the dominant ring-leader as he had seen him, after all what boys got up to outside school might not be the way they behaved normally when more tightly controlled within the confines of their school surroundings. Would he be able to get these boys to admit what they had done to Étienne? Would they be willing to tell him more about their stripping games?

Laurent did of course have an ace up his sleeve. Talking to Étienne had more or less convinced him the boys had no idea they were being watched. He hadn’t seen any of them even glance towards the discreetly hidden surveillance camera in the attic. In any case Laurent knew how difficult they were to spot and it often surprised visitors when they were cautioned after having been observed touching one of the precious artefacts on display in one of the rooms in the château. He smiled as he recalled one visitor who angrily denied having felt and stroked a tapestry until Laurent had shown him where the camera was through which the visitor’s actions had been seen. However, he could tell he had already planted the seeds of doubt in Étienne’s mind as to just how much he knew of what had happened in the attic. Laurent knew the boy was desperate to know if he, or anyone else had seen him stripped totally naked, but was afraid to ask.

A few minutes went by before the door to the classroom opened again and Étienne gingerly stepped into the room.

“I’ve brought the others as you asked… they’re outside…”

“Well show them in and introduce your friends to me…” Laurent replied.

Philippe and Marcel came in first looking sheepish. They were followed by André, then Antoine and finally Jean-Luc was introduced to Laurent.

Laurent walked up to Jean-Luc: “Ah… so you’re Jean-Luc…” he smiled,  “Étienne’s been telling me all about you…”

Jean-Luc looked swiftly in Étienne’s direction, not sure if this was good news or bad. If it was bad, Étienne had better watch out…

Laurent saw the quick glance: “Don’t worry… you’re not in any trouble… none of you are… I would have hoped that Étienne might have made that quite clear…” Laurent paused, “Well, has he at least told you who I am and why I’m here?”

Once more Jean-Luc looked in Étienne’s direction, but this time Laurent noticed a slight grin on the face of Jean-Luc. Étienne looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Jean-Luc replied to Laurent’s question: “We know that you’re from the château fort we visited in the Val de Loire…”

“Yes… my manager and I thought it would benefit us to know what you boys thought of your visit… what you enjoyed and how we might help make school visits more memorable… for instance, maybe there are games you like to play… would it be useful for us to make space available… in the attic, say…”

There was a pause, then Jean-Luc threw his head back and laughed: “Has he told you? He has hasn’t he?”

Laurent nodded: “It took a little persuasion… but, yes, Étienne has told me how you boys took off all his clothes and stripped him totally naked... a ‘mise à l’air’ in the attic while your teacher was called away…”

The room was filled with more laughter as André, Philippe, Marcel and Antoine joined in. Unsurprisingly Étienne remained silent as he eyed each boy in turn and wondered what laid in store.

Jean-Luc looked from Laurent to Étienne and then back to Laurent, his face full of admiration: “You must have a special gift for getting information… Étienne knows the rules of our game… he shouldn’t have told you…”

“Well, he has… everything… in some considerable detail how you like to practise some mise à l’air…  I know, for instance which of you took which of his clothes off, who was on lookout and who held him while he was stripped naked…”

Philippe piped up: “ What did I do?” he asked.

“Why, you had the best job of all… you got to undo and pull down Étienne’s denims and take down his underpants,” Laurent told him.

Philippe smiled proudly.

“What about me?” Marcel asked.

“Oh, you were on lookout,” Laurent replied, “I guess you didn’t get to see much…”

Marcel shook his head: “No… not at the château… not that day, but we take it in turns…”

This was the confirmation Laurent had sought…  an answer to the question that had been on his mind ever since he’d seen the stripping game played in the château attic; was this a one-off, or had Étienne been stripped naked on other occasions?

“You’ve played this game before?” he asked innocently even though Étienne had already admitted as much to him.

Marcel nodded: “But of course… it’s great fun…”

Now that the serial nature of the game had been established, Laurent couldn’t resist fanning the flames: “I bet it’s lots of fun and very exciting for you boys… I’m sure if I was your age I’d want to join in and help you with the stripping game, but the funny thing is that after talking to Étienne before you boys came in, I reckon he finds it exciting too… I mean he told me how he didn’t struggle or make a noise when you stripped off all his clothes in the attic, just in case someone came in and stopped you… isn’t that just the same as saying Étienne didn’t want the game to stop until you’d got him totally naked in front of all your classmates?”

Étienne was dumbstruck at the very idea he was enjoying being stripped bare. What upset him even more was that far from being sympathetic, he could see how Laurent had now begun to encourage Jean-Luc and his acolytes. Étienne saw a big grin forming on Jean-Luc’s face and he felt more anxious than ever.

“Hmmm... I see what you mean,” Jean-Luc said in reply to Laurent’s observation, “It would be typical of Étienne to get a thrill… I think you’ve got something there… if he enjoys it so much we’ll have to think how we can improve the game and make it even more memorable for him…”

The other boys sniggered on hearing Jean-Luc’s words. It’s always good to have a reason to make things even worse for a boy like Étienne.

Laurent looked across at Étienne. It was easy to see why Jean-Luc and his cronies had zeroed in on Étienne. He was a shy, cute boy, the sort of nice boy who was regularly accused of being a teacher’s favourite, whether they were or not.  And boys like that are always legitimate targets in boarding schools… even more so in a Catholic one.

“Sounds like a good idea, Jean-Luc… you’ll all have to put your thinking caps on,” Laurent said before adding, “... so tell me some more about the games you play with Étienne…”

Jean-Luc was in his element. He knew that whatever he he told Laurent, it was going to be deeply humiliating for Étienne to hear. This was an opportunity not to be missed. He was going to make the most of it. His instinct told him Laurent wanted… needed, to be told all the details… everything, but more than that, Jean-Luc could see that their visitor from the château was to be trusted implicitly.

Étienne stood to one side and was ignored as Laurent and the boys talked as if he wasn’t there. Jean-Luc eagerly explained how there were certain rules to their stripping game that had to be followed.

Laurent was impressed and enthralled with the boys’ ingenuity. He had taken part in stripping games when he was of a similar age to Jean-Luc and his friends. Laurent had been both stripper and stripped, so he knew how intensely humiliating it can be to lose all your clothes when everyone around you remains fully clothed. The mere thought of such a potentially public stripping that had taken place at the château, was enough to make him feel weak at the knees… if he’d been in Étienne’s place that is, but here he was, in the admirable position of being able to talk to the boys who had been responsible for carrying out such a daring game.

Laurent fanned the flames a little more when it became clear the rules had been properly codified. He had an idea: “Why doesn’t Étienne recite the rules for me?”

More than ever Jean-Luc believed that Laurent was ‘one of us’: “Sure… that’s a great idea… Étienne!” he called over to Étienne who was trying his best to look inconspicuous behind one of the desks. “Étienne… come and stand over here in front of our guest… that’s it… now I want you to tell him the rules of our game… understand?” Étienne nodded. “... and if you make any mistakes…”

Suddenly Étienne panicked: “Oh no! Please, Jean-Luc… please don’t!”

“... but you don’t know what I’m about to say…”

The boys could barely suppress their laughter. They knew.

Jean-Luc continued: “You must recite each rule exactly… if you make a mistake you will have one item of clothing removed…”

Étienne was beside himself: “Pleeease… please don’t, Jean-Luc… it’s not fair…” he looked up at Laurent and pleaded with him, “Please, sir… please don’t let them do it…”

Laurent shrugged: “It’s really nothing to do with me, Étienne… you must understand, I’m simply a neutral observer. If you and your friends want to play a game, I can’t stop you…”

“... but I don’t want to play!” Étienne pleaded, his voice moving up an octave.

Jean-Luc shrugged his shoulders too: “You see how it is? You see how ungrateful Étienne is when we let him play with us?”

Then Laurent saw the exasperated look on Étienne’s face. It was the same look that had puzzled him when he saw the events unfolding in the château. This had been followed, as it was now in front of him in the classroom, by a heartfelt sigh and a look of resignation… the same expression that had given Laurent the idea the game had been played more than once. His idea had turned out to be true.

“Just out of interest, how many items of clothing are you wearing, Étienne?” Laurent asked.

Étienne looked own at his feet, then at Jean-Luc: “Do my sneakers count as clothes?”

“No… take them off…” Jean-Luc informed him and as Étienne obediently crouched down to pull of his sneakers, he added,   “and your socks will count as one item,”

Étienne stood up again, turned to Laurent and sucked in his lower lip before giving him the answer to his question: “Four items, sir… socks, jeans, shirt and… and my underpants…”

“Thank you, Étienne… that doesn’t give you much room for mistakes, does it?” Laurent observed.

“No, sir…”

“Étienne… stand to attention and recite the first rule,” Jean-Luc prompted.

Deeply embarrassed Étienne nevertheless spoke standing up straight with his hands at his side: “Rule One… I must have my clothes taken off, otherwise it doesn’t count…”

“You loose your socks!” André interrupted and stepped forwards. He quickly knelt down and grabbed hold of one of Étienne’s ankles. Étienne leant back and gripped the desk he was standing next to so as to steady himself.

“I didn’t mean that… please André… please don’t…” Étienne pleaded.

But André already had the first sock removed and tossed to one side. He looked up as he lifted Étienne’s other foot: “That’s not what the rule says… is it? You got it wrong…”

Jean-Luc stepped in: “Repeat Rule One, Étienne and say it correctly this time or you’ll lose something else…”

Now standing barefoot in the classroom, Étienne spoke again: “Rule one… I must have all my clothes taken off, otherwise it doesn’t count…”

“Better…” Jean-Luc said.

Laurent turned to Jean-Luc: “What does it mean, ‘otherwise it doesn’t count’?”

Jean-Luc explained that in order for the game to be considered a success, Étienne had to be stripped totally naked… if they didn’t manage to take off all his clothes, for whatever reason, it would mean they would have to have another go at stripping him as soon as it was possible to do so.

Laurent nodded, impressed by the boys’ thoroughness.

“Rule Two, Étienne…” Jean-Luc prompted once more.

This rule proved harder to recite, but the fear of losing another piece of clothing gave Étienne the willpower to speak: “Rule Two… I must be displayed to everyone who watched me being stripped naked, otherwise it does not count…”

“Wrong!” This time it was Philippe who called out.

Étienne was a bag of nerves as he realised he’d again stupidly missed out an important word. He quickly tried to correct himself, “... I didn’t mean that… I meant I must be fully displayed…”, but it was too late and Philippe rushed forward eagerly. His hands went straight to the waist of Étienne’s denim jeans.

This time it was necessary to restrain Étienne as he struggled to stop Philippe from pulling down the zip fly of his jeans. Just as Laurent had seen before in the attic, Jean-Luc didn’t say a word, but merely glanced and signalled with a nod of his head to Antoine. As one they stepped forward to take hold of Étienne’s arms, stretching them out sideways as they had done at the château.

“For that you lose your underpants as well!” Jean-Luc said firmly.

Philippe, who was now kneeling and pulling down Étienne’s jeans, looked up with a big grin on his face. He stopped tugging on the jeans and instantly reached back up to the waistband of Étienne’s crisp white schoolboy underpants. He yanked them downwards exposing the almost hairless boyhood which wobbled about as Étienne tried, but failed, to pull his arms free from his captors.

“Why don’t we just strip him now?” Marcel suggested.

“Yes… let’s!” Antoine agreed, “What do you say, Jean-Luc?”

Jean-Luc thought for a moment before he reached his decision: “Ok… you can strip him,” he replied. He looked across to Laurent, “... then he can finish telling you the rules when he’s naked…”

This decision caused Étienne to struggle and shake himself as he pleaded with Jean-Luc to spare him any more embarrassment. Needless to say all Étienne’s efforts were in vain, for while Philippe tugged and pulled off his jeans and underpants, Marcel stepped up and reached for Étienne’s polo shirt. Just as he has also seen it done at the château, Laurent watched the boys as they swiftly and efficiently removed Étienne’s top. As his head disappeared within the confines of the polo shirt and with his arms raised up high, Laurent once again saw Étienne’s totally smooth body as it was unveiled before him. Blushing only a few feet away, Étienne was even cuter than he’d appeared on the security monitor.

Although it was obvious to him that Étienne was acutely embarrassed, Laurent noticed the expression of resignation appear again on the boy’s face as Jean-Luc told him to recite the third and fourth rules.

Étienne twisted his head to look at Jean-Luc, then he turned to look at Antoine before giving his arms a final tug as if testing to see how securely held he was. Then he looked forlornly at his discarded clothes lying on the floor where they had been thrown. He looked back at Jean-Luc.

“Then will you let me go?” he asked.

Jean-Luc sighed as if he was dealing with a particularly slow-witted ten year old: “Étienne… you know better than to ask me a question like that… now recite Rule Three for our visitor.”

Étienne took a deep breath: “Rule Three…” he glanced up towards his captor as if making sure in his own mind that he was going to say the correct words, “... for the game to be awarded « un grand cru » I must be stripped naked in a public place or setting.”

Jean-Luc’s smile was one of immense satisfaction: “Well done, Étienne… you see, you do remember the rules when you put your mind to it…”

Laurent spoke: “Then when Étienne was stripped naked during your school outing to the château, that was an example of « un grand cru »?”

“Yes,” Jean-Luc replied, “It’s not often that we get an opportunity to strip Étienne in such beautiful surroundings as your château…”

Laurent bowed: “On behalf of our château may I say how flattered and honoured we are that you chose to practise your mise à l’air that left Étienne totally naked in the attic… I can assure you that although it was fairly early in the season, there were lots of families visiting that day, so there was a good chance of him being seen in the nude and so satisfy the requirements of Rule Three…”

It was Jean-Luc’s turn to bow: “It is our pleasure… and we were all very proud to have achieved such a memorable mise à l’air… everyone in our group enjoyed the performance... we like to entertain them.”

“That’s good to hear,” Laurent said, “...and what about Rule Four?”

“Oh, that’s a very simple rule that Étienne must obey,” Jean-Luc replied and then prompted the naked boy to recite the rule for Laurent.

Étienne took a deep breath: “Rule Four… I must not tell anyone that I have been stripped naked… but I wouldn’t, Jean-Luc, I wouldn’t… you know I won’t tell…”

Laurent smiled as he heard Étienne and wondered how much embarrassment and humiliation the thirteen year old boy could be made to endure.

“There is a fifth rule,” Jean-Luc announced at which his acolytes sniggered, “... but Étienne has not been entirely cooperative… but we are working on his conduct and now we are starting to see some positive results… aren’t we, Étienne?”

Laurent saw the look on Étienne’s face change to one of panic as a fine film of perspiration appeared across the boy’s brow. He watched as Étienne started to struggle in earnest, twisting and pulling at his arms. Étienne pleaded with Jean-Luc: “Please don’t tell him… please Jean-Luc…”

Jean-Luc laughed. He and Antoine had no difficultly in holding Étienne while he struggled in vain and after a moment or two his look of resignation returned. Étienne stood still between the two boys who held his arms outstretched as they displayed his totally naked body.

Laurent was all agog to hear about Rule Five.

Jean-Luc began to explain the rule: “You see, it’s all very well to strip Étienne of his clothes… to practise mise à l’air… we can strip him naked in no time and we can do it anywhere we choose…” Jean-Luc laughed, “We even stripped him in front of a teacher once… the teacher thought our game was most amusing… there were girls watching us and Étienne was very embarrassed that time, weren’t you, Étienne?”

In reply Étienne hung his head and mumbled in the affirmative. The shame Étienne suffered at being reminded of this humiliation was obvious to Laurent and he was even more curious to find out why Étienne was so afraid of the fifth rule.

“But didn’t the teacher reprimand you for such behaviour?” Laurent asked Jean-Luc

“No… not Monsieur Patterson… he wouldn’t do a thing like that,” Jean-Luc replied with a smile. He went on to tell Laurent how this teacher would often visit the boys in the changing-room after PE lessons.

“Surely of course he would if he was a sports teacher?”

Jean-Luc laughed: “... ah, but he isn’t… he teaches us English…” He went on to explain for Laurent’s benefit how the boys were all well aware of the reason for Monsieur Patterson’s visits to their changing-room.

Monsieur Patterson was their English teacher, the teacher who attempted to guide his pupils through the highways, byeways and vagaries of the English language… not altogether without success as the boys, unlike most pupils ‘en Angleterre’, could at least make themselves understood in a language not their own. While there was never any compelling reason for Monsieur Patterson’s presence while the boys were in a state of undress before their obligatory post-PE showers, their English teacher always came up with some excuse, however lame. One such occasion might be to announce to the assembled boys, most of them quite nude, a change in their set texts, another might be a timetable alteration. But the boys knew Monsieur Patterson’s real reason; he liked to see naked boys.

It was Laurent’s turn to laugh: “Yes, I remember one of my teachers was like your Monsieur Patterson… he always turned up when we were undressed… he was supposed to teach us mathematics…” Laurent then reminded Jean-Luc that he was going to tell him about Rule Five.

“It was stripping Étienne in front of that teacher that gave us the idea for the fifth rule,” Jean-Luc explained, “You see Monsieur Patterson ordered us to release Étienne and he made Étienne stand there right in front of him. Étienne was totally naked and he wasn’t allowed to cover himself… Monsieur Patterson made him put his hands on his head while he told Étienne off…” Jean-Luc sniggered, “Monsieur said nothing to us!”

The other boys; Antoine, Marcel, André and Philippe were laughing and giggling at the memory as Jean-Luc continued: “Étienne couldn’t say anything because Rule Four doesn’t allow him to complain… so Monsieur Patterson thought it was all Étienne’s fault for making us strip him naked in front of a teacher… he thought it was all Étienne’s idea!!”

After the laughter had died down Jean-Luc continued: “So after that… watching Étienne standing submissively in front of the teacher, we got our heads together and came up with Rule Five which requires Étienne to show obedience. Étienne must, after being successfully stripped naked in accordance with the rules, complete a further task… he must do whatever he is told to do no matter what it is…”

Laurent felt a mixture of disbelief that Jean-Luc and his acolytes could make things so much more shaming for Étienne… coupled with a desire to see Rule Five in action. How could they possibly make Étienne’s stripping worse, he thought? He looked at the naked boy held between Jean-Luc and Antoine. It was fair to say that Étienne was a sight to behold, his slim smooth pubescent body without a trace of surplus fat to be seen; the tight little pale pink nipples and darker nubbins; the few strands of feathery pubic hair; Étienne’s slim penis with its cute over hanging foreskin… and his marbles still held up high in a thick-skinned scrotum, tight behind his penis. Every time Étienne moved, his penis would wobble almost as if it wanted to draw attention to itself.

Laurent watched as Jean-Luc glanced at his friends as if to communicate by secret signal. The boys nodded in response and Jean-Luc spoke to Étienne: “We are going to release you, but you must stand still and put your hands on your head… will you do that, Étienne?”

Étienne pursed his lips and then then agreed to do as he was asked, presumably, Laurent thought, in order not to risk upsetting his classmates and maybe with the thought that if he did as he was told the sooner he would get his clothes back.

Antoine and Jean-Luc let go of Étienne’s arms and watched as the thirteen year old raised his arms up and placed his hands on his head. Laurent could now see Étienne’s perfectly smooth armpits, hairless and totally exposed. Étienne, red-faced, nude but demure looked as if he had just stepped out of a Renaissance painting.

Jean-Luc and his acolytes moved off into a corner of the classroom and into a huddle whispering. Laurent couldn’t hear what was said, but it was obvious the boys were planning something. Étienne looked even more nervous than ever and was clearly extremely embarrassed to have to expose his naked body by keeping his hands on his head in front of Laurent.

Laurent couldn’t resist once more fanning the flames of Étienne’s ignominious position: “This must be very embarrassing for you, Étienne… you’re the only one with no clothes on and you’ve got your hands on your head so that I can see your penis and everything… doesn’t that make you feel ashamed, Étienne? It must be awful to know that Jean-Luc and his pals can strip you completely naked whenever they feel like it… even in public as they did at the château… that must have been dreadful, fancy being totally naked knowing that at any moment visitors could have walked into the room and seen you without any clothes on…”

Laurent saw Étienne’s face pucker up as the boy fought to control his emotions. Étienne knew he had to be brave. Even though he was in the depths of utter humiliation, Étienne was loyal to his school and therefore was bound to show allegiance to his fellow pupils… in other words he couldn’t let the side down; to do so would mean disgrace. So Étienne stood naked as he displayed his bare body.

The boys finished their discussion and returned from the corner. Jean-Luc stepped forward and what he said next took Laurent by complete surprise. 

“You are our guest at our school today and, er we’ve decided… well, we want you to have something to remember us by… you see, it’s been a great honour to meet you and… well, we think you’ve enjoyed hearing about… and seeing our games, so we thought you might like to suggest something for Étienne to do that would demonstrate Rule Five… order him to do anything you want… it’s up to you,” Jean-Luc paused and for the first time looked a little embarrassed himself, perhaps wondering what Laurent’s response would be, “I mean if you want to, that is…”

Laurent certainly hadn’t expected Jean-Luc to invite him to become involved in their game. He was both surprised and delighted to be asked: “Jean-Luc… boys,” he said addressing Marcel, Antoine, André and Philippe, “I would be most honoured at accept your kind offer, but I feel singularly unqualified to suggest a task for Étienne to perform…” The boys looked a little disappointed, but then a bell was heard signifying a breaktime between classes. This was closely followed by the sound of desks being slammed shut and the noise of pupils on the move. An idea suddenly presented itself to Laurent. The heady atmosphere of the classroom made him think that all things were possible, “... but perhaps you can help me to decide… in secret,” he paused for effect, then added, “... although Étienne must leave the room while we do so…”

There was silence for a few seconds before the full implication of Laurent’s casually expressed words became apparent. Étienne’s jaw dropped. Jean-Luc’s face lit up with a huge smile. The boys all beamed their enthusiasm.

“Yes… of course Étienne must leave the room while we confer…”

“NO… NO… JEAN-LUC… PLEASE… NO…!!” Étienne was beside himself, but he kept his hands firmly on his head as if to demonstrate his obedience… that he would obey… “PLEASE… NO… anything, but don’t order me to do that!!”

Laurent smiled. He was impressed at the way Jean-Luc quickly and very firmly told Étienne to be quite. Jean-Luc’s natural leadership and dominant nature was all too apparent and even Laurent felt uncomfortable at the thought of being on the wrong side of this young boy. ‘How could you not obey him?’ Laurent wondered as Étienne fell silent.

Antoine was told to check the corridor. Whether this was to make sure there were no teachers around that might complain, or to check there were enough pupils to make Étienne’s appearance worthwhile, was unclear.

“I am not ordering you to do anything, Étienne,” Jean-Luc explained calmly, “you are going to leave the room because you know that we have things to discuss in private that we do not wish you hear… it is what polite, obedient boys do… now ask our guest for permission to leave the room…”

Laurent was amazed at Jean-Luc’s ingenuity in ramping up Étienne’s humiliation by making the boy ask his permission to walk naked out into a corridor he knew was filled with his fellow pupils, boys and girls. Only this time, Laurent reflected, it wouldn’t just be pupils of his own age as they were in the château, Étienne would be seen naked in front of boys and girls, some younger and some older.

Étienne, still with his hands on his head, hesitated. Laurent could see from the sheen of nervous sweat how nervous Étienne was, as any boy would before debasing himself in such a way.

“Well…” Jean-Luc prompted.

Étienne turned to face Laurent: “Please, sir… please may I leave the room?”

“Of course you may, Étienne,” Laurent replied, then added with a mischievous smile, “Don’t go far… we shall call you back in when the boys and I have finished our discussion.”

Étienne glanced at Jean-Luc who silently imparted an instruction by the nod of his head.

As Étienne walked towards the door, Jean-Luc gave him some more instructions: “You may lower your arms, Étienne… but hold your hands behind your back and don’t try to cover up.”

Étienne obeyed and as he approached the door he looked back over his shoulders, his eyes wide, hardly able to believe what he was about to do. Étienne looked back at the door. His hand trembled as he reached out and took hold of the doorknob, but before he could do so the door burst open as Antoine rushed in. Antoine turned and carefully closed the door again.

He looked back into the room to face Jean-Luc: “Mademoiselle Picard… I saw her at the end of the corridor… she’s coming back this way…”

Jean-Luc said nothing but merely glanced at Étienne, who looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an approaching car, and nodded. This was the signal for Étienne to grab his clothes and get dressed, just as Laurent had seen him do in the attic. Étienne ran behind the other boys and started to pull on his clothes as fast as he could. He was still bent down stuffing his feet into his sneakers as mademoiselle cautiously entered the classroom.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything…” she asked.

“Not at all,” Laurent replied, “We’re just about finished here, I think…”

“That’s good… it’s just that it’s almost time for the boys to…” then Mademoiselle Picard noticed Étienne scrabbling about. She looked at him pointedly.

Étienne apologised: “There was something stuck in my trainer… sorry.” He said nothing else.

Laurent continued: “Yes… it’s been very interesting talking to these boys. I’ve learnt a lot. It has been most useful…”

“Oh, I am so pleased… now if you’ll excuse me…” Mademoiselle Picard said and as she turned Jean-Luc pressed a piece of folded paper into Laurent’s hand.