Erin's Friend Asks for a Big Favor!

It was a typical Friday night for Maya and Erin. They were following their usual method for getting through a weekend night with a minimal outlay of scarce cash, trying to enjoy an off-campus house party in the small town where their college was located. Free drinks and good people watching generally made it worth having to put up with cheesy pickup lines from the usual collection of drunk guys they knew slightly from seeing them around the campus or having been in a class together.

Maya was the older of the two by a year or so, in her third year at the college, but with way, way fewer credit hours completed than her time on campus should have resulted in. She had a history of starting a semester all psyched about her classes, only to flame out of half of them by mid-term. Short and curvy, she made up for not being a classic beauty with an outgoing and quick-witted personality. The other thing she had going for her was having a classic beauty as a best friend. She and Erin were an odd pair, but each had strengths and weaknesses complementing those of the other.

Where Maya was decidedly average looking by college guy standards, Erin was a stunner, tall and fit with a classic hourglass figure, a pretty face, blue eyes, and light strawberry blonde hair. While Erin would generally rather stay home and read a novel, Maya loved a party and could usually coax Erin to come along with her. When guys hit on Erin, she usually would gently brush their advances off, leading some to redirect their attention towards Maya. Maya ended up having more hookups than would have been likely without Erin quite unintentionally drawing in a pool of guys for Maya to pick from.

Erin had a few dates here and there, but no long-term relationships. The few guys she was interested in weren't willing to put up with dating even a beauty like Erin for as long as she thought was appropriate before having sex. She had arrived on campus a virgin, and that was still her condition over a year and a half later

Lately, she'd begun to question whether her refusal to have at least a few random flings during her college years still made sense. Even though she was beginning to think her continued virginity was becoming a bigger deal than it ought to be, she couldn't let go of the idea that her first time should be memorable, not just drunken fumbling with some random guy.

Maya was a Fine Arts major, which fit her "try anything once" personality; Erin's choice to be a Theatre Arts major seemed less like a good fit with her personality. Erin certainly worked hard, but after nearly three semesters she had yet to get beyond the first-round audition for any Theatre department production.

Erin did well in theatre history, writing exercises, and many other required classes, but in her acting classes she barely got by, never seeming to fully inhabit the characters she was asked to portray. She was constantly being told by her instructors that she needed to commit to her character, to live in their skin, think their thoughts, and experience their feelings, good, bad, passionate, or reserved. To the constant frustration of her instructors, Erin seemed stuck in reserved mode.

This particular Friday night, Maya and Erin were both feeling tired and a little cranky following a rough day. To make matters worse, the party was dull as these things went. They hung in, eating some pizza and working up a little buzz from the plentiful and varied alcohol the hosts had stocked for the party. Slightly drunk and pretty tired, their conversation was less focused than usual, with each talking more to themselves than engaging with what the other had to say.

"I can't believe that bitch Ella Bixby backed out of modeling for my final photography class project'" Maya said.

If Erin heard what her friend said, she didn't react to it, saying, "I blew another audition this afternoon, the third one this month. The professor directing the show told me I needed to do more than stand around looking pretty."

Maya grumbled, "Ella claimed she didn't have the time, that she was in danger of failing her English Lit class but I only needed her for a couple of hours. If she wasn't willing to pose nude, she should have just told me that instead of saying that she would do it, then backing out this late in the semester. Not wanting to be photographed naked, that I can understand, but leaving me in the lurch like this is just shitty behavior."

Erin continued with her wholly unrelated tale of woe, "He actually told me I might be wasting my time here, that I should take a leave of absence to get more life experiences. He told me to go try being a bus driver, a bartender, a nanny, anything but a student until I learn enough about how other people think and feel to really get into a character's head."

"If I cant find someone willing to pose naked, I'm sure to fail the class, and I've already dropped two other classes this semester. My folks can't keep paying for me to fuck up this way, this might be the last straw," Maya continued, "I know it's a lot to ask, but is there any chance at all you'd be willing to do it?"

"Sorry, do what now?" Erin replied, having caught only the tail end of Maya's rant.

"Let me photograph you for my class, weren't you listening?" Maya asked, sounding annoyed.

"Of course I was listening," Erin replied, either not wanting to admit she had in fact not been listening to her friend, or simply unaware she had missed most of what Maya had said. Erin hadn't picked up on how desperate Maya's situation was, and remembered posing for a head and shoulders portrait the previous semester, for Maya's entire class. Sitting in one spot for 2 1/2 hours while people she didn't know discussed her qualities as a model had been no fun at all. She turned Maya down, telling her, "I think my career as a model is over, I need to concentrate on portraying a character, not just outward appearances."

"I understand, I didn't think you'd be willing, just thought I'd ask," Maya said, and dropped the subject.

Ten days later, May and Erin were having breakfast together in their usual corner of the college's dining hall. Erin casually asked Maya about her Photography class, "So, have you found a model for your class yet?" She was shocked when Maya nearly broke out in tears.

"No, I haven't been able to get anyone to commit, and there's no way I pass the course without turning in this assignment. Unless I get into the studio with a model in the next week, I'm screwed." Thinking her best friend was worth one more try, Maya asked quietly, "Any possibility at all you'll change your mind? You could treat it as an exercise in inhabiting a character! I may have forgotten to mention, there's a $150 stipend for a student who poses for this class if that makes any difference."

Seeing how important this was to Maya, she decided sitting for a portrait for a few hours as she had before wasn't such a big deal. Besides helping Maya out, the $150 she'd get for posing could cover some of her Christmas shopping. "Okay, why not, if it helps you out, I guess I'm in," Erin said, and was shocked when Maya jumped up and ran around the table to hug her! They compared schedules and found they both had nothing going on Wednesday night; Maya thanked Erin one more time and headed straight for the Photography department to reserve a block of time in a studio. There weren't many time slots left open so close to the end of the semester, but she was able to reserve a space from 9 to 11 PM Wednesday.

Running her usual 10 minutes late, Erin arrived at the studio Maya had texted her directions to, pulling a large wheeled suitcase behind her. She was dressed comfortably, ready for a long stretch sitting on a stool being directed where to look and what kind of expression to show; she was wearing a baggy flannel boyfriend shirt, black sweatpants, and open-toed sandals. "Sorry to be late. One thing I forgot to ask about the other day," she said before Maya even had said hello, "As long as we're here, can you take a few photos for me to send out as headshots?"

"Sure, I guess, we can do those after we get what I need for my assignment," Maya replied, "What's with the suitcase, are you going somewhere?"

"You didn't give me any guidance about what sort of outfit or outfits you might like me to be wear, so I brought a bunch of stuff; jeans, t-shirts, skirts of assorted lengths, a couple sweaters, a sundress, a few dressy blouses, even a prom dress I borrowed from the Theatre department wardrobe room. I'm not so sure about being photographed in it, but I even brought a bikini," Erin explained, opening the suitcase. "What would you like me to put on?"

Erin had spent a lot of time over the last few days coming up with a wide variety of characters for the various outfits she had brought. She imagined herself as a small-town high school girl, the same character's Mom, a guest at an outdoor wedding, an executive, as well as several others. She had become surprisingly enthusiastic about this experiment, thinking it might actually help her learn how to get into character, and waited impatiently for Maya to tell her what outfit she should put on first.

Maya looked at the open suitcase, stuffed full of clothing, for a minute seeming lost in thought. Finally raising her head to look at Erin, she said, "Did you somehow not hear me when I told you about my difficulty in finding a model willing to be photographed in the nude?" Ignoring Erin's gasp, Maya continued, "I'm certain when I told you about Ella backing out, I said she was probably uncomfortable with the nudity."

"Ohhh, no, no, no. No fucking way!" Erin shouted, "You've known me for over a year -- what have you ever seen me do which would make you think I'd be willing, or even able to do something like that?"

"I didn't expect you would, but I was desperate, so I asked you. I was floored when you said yes, but assumed you were only doing it to help me out, or maybe were thinking you could use the experience to get into the mind of another type of character."

"I've been thinking about plenty of different characters, that suitcase is overflowing with ideas to go with the outfits. None of my characters are involved in producing porn!

"Figure studies are NOT porn!" Maya shouted indignantly, opening a glossy coffee-table book full of photos of all sorts of naked people. The poses, lighting, and blank backgrounds made many of the subjects look almost like abstract shapes, definitely not pornographic. "Something like these is what I was hoping to do with you."

Seeing what Maya had in mind dissipated Erin's anger, but not her reticence. Flipping through the book's pages, she said, "I agree the images in the book are beautiful, and a long way from porn. I can see what you have in mind, but I can't imagine having photos of me like these, artistic as they are, out in the world. I have enough to deal with without everyone on campus having seen me naked!"

Maya opened another book with similar photos, and a few more graphic, but with the faces of the models in deep shadow or hidden by careful poses or cropping. Looking at the second book, Erin was amazed when she began to imagine how she would look in similar photos. Erin didn't say anything, but Maya guessed by how intently Erin was studying some of the images that she was at least a little intrigued, and began to think her beautiful friend's reluctance to being photographed in the nude might be waning. She tried a new tactic, asking Erin, "Would you turn down a good role because it required you to appear without clothes? That would be way less anonymous than what I'm asking you to do!"

Erin felt herself begin to blush as she flat out lied, "That kind of situation hasn't come up, so I've never really thought about it," failing to mention that she had already signed up to audition for a part in a college production of "HAIR" next semester, and knew only too well that if she got the part she'd have to perform not just in the nude, but nude in front of a live audience for several performances! She admitted to herself that Maya had a point; if she stuck with her goal of being a working actress, there was a good chance she'd someday be asked to bare her body either onstage or for a camera, possibly as soon as just a few months from now, right here at her college!

Erin closed the book she'd been looking at and asked Maya, "I can't believe I'm even asking this, but IF I do pose for you do you swear the pictures are NEVER going to be in some magazine or show up anywhere, I mean ANYWHERE at all online?"

"I swear, they are strictly for my assignment, will never be sold, put online, entered in any contests, or even seen at all anywhere outside of the Photography department."

"I must be out of my mind, but okay, please lock the door," Erin said, her voice a little shaky as she stepped into the middle of the platform in the center of the room. The position of the lights Maya had set up and the black background made it obvious even to a novice model like Erin where she would be posing. Maya locked the door as requested, switched the lights on, dimmed the room lights, and picked up her camera. Her fingers trembling, Erin began unbuttoning her shirt; she had the green flannel shirt completely open, letting Maya see she wasn't wearing a bra, when Maya surprised her by telling her to stop.

"You look really nervous, how about we take some practice shots before you get undressed so you can get used to me telling you how to pose and just generally get more comfortable? We can test and review the poses and lighting I have in mind well enough with your clothes on."

"Oh, yeah, that would be great," Erin replied, laughing at how having her shirt wide open with her breasts half exposed had suddenly become her least embarrassing option!

After a lot of test shots to work out lighting and how Erin could pose with her face unseen, Maya asked, "I think we've figured out how to do this, how do you feel about getting undressed?"

"How do I feel? Fucking terrified! Can we work up to it?"

"Okay," Maya replied, "I want you to be comfortable, but we can't go too slowly, someone else has reserved the room right after my 2 hours are over."

"Thanks for being patient, it may not be obvious but I am getting more relaxed," Erin said as she stepped out of her sandals.

"I'll be lucky to have the room for 15 minutes by the time she finally gets naked," Maya worried, but she knew she was lucky to be given this chance to complete the assignment. She gently encouraged her friend, "You look amazing! Hold that position for a second, I think if you tip your head forward just a bit your hair can hide your face, yes, just like that!" Her patience was rewarded s few minutes after

Erin kicked her sandals off the platform; she untied the knot at the front of her sweatpants and slid the fleecy, loose pants down, then shook her feet free and kicked the sweats off the platform. When she turned to face Maya, the budding photographer was surprised to see Erin's neatly trimmed strawberry blonde pubes and her pussy where she had expected to see some sort of panties.

"Fantastic, you're doing great," Maya said, circling Erin and taking photos the whole time, "I forgot to mention that you shouldn't wear a bra or panties, to avoid the marks they leave, but you didn't wear any anyway, why?"

"Not for that reason, believe me. I never expected to be in this position. You'll laugh, but even though I was expecting to be photographed fully dressed, I brought several bras and panties, with specific lingerie for each character I'd imagined being photographed as."

Maya didn't laugh, saying, "That makes sense, actually. Did any of your characters go without undies at all?"

Erin blushed as she replied, "There was one, who I packed the shortest skirt and the thinnest top I could find in the department wardrobe room for, but nothing else."

"That's a little kinky, my friend, but also kinda hot! How are you feeling now?"

"Like it's time for you to take the kind of shots you need for your assignment!" Erin replied, shrugging her long baggy shirt off her shoulders and letting it slide off her arms. She tried to ignore her racing heartbeat and started to think about how her latest character, an impoverished rookie figure model, would be feeling in this situation. "Let's get this over with before I lose my nerve!"

Maya was glad they had worked out how to have Erin posed and lit before she finished undressing. The earlier practice paid off in two ways; Erin seemed to be more relaxed after just a few minutes of the actual shooting, having already worked out how to pose with her identity hidden, and Maya had the lighting and angles she wanted to shoot from pretty well worked out in advance. The time they had spent on the practice shots turned out to be well spent, giving them time to review the fully nude shots for each pose briefly on Maya's laptop to confirm they were what Maya needed and didn't reveal Erin's identity.

Reviewing one of the last poses Maya had Erin do, with Erin standing and leaning against a wall, her head turned away, arms raised above her, and her hands clasped together, they noticed that the first few shots clearly showed Erin's face in profile. "Sorry," Maya said, I guess I fired a few off before you turned and dropped your head down to let your hair hide your face. I'll just delete them." She selected the three images showing Erin's face on the screen and was about to delete them when Erin grabbed her arm to stop her.

Erin explained, "I know I've been paranoid about anyone recognizing me in these photos, but the shots with my face visible are amazing, I'd hate to see them just deleted. I trust you to not show them to anyone, and I'd like a copy myself. I can look at them in 30 or 40 years to remind myself what I was like when I was young!"

"Thanks," Maya replied, "I agree that the ones with your face showing are worth keeping. To be honest, I was tempted to try and sneak a few with your face showing in some of the other poses; if I'd thought you'd let me keep them I would have!"

Erin was surprised to find her feelings changing to now be in favor of letting herself be photographed completely, identifiably, and recognizably in the nude, as long as she could control where, when and by whom they could be seen. Erin asked her friend, "Do we have enough time to re-shoot a few poses with my face showing?"

"Not really, it's 10:58 and my reservation ends at 11," Maya replied. Seeing the regret on Erin's pretty face, she continued, "But screw it, whoever reserved the 11:00 to 1:00 AM slot isn't here yet, let's see what we can do!"

Erin picked out her favorite four poses, and she and Maya retraced their steps through the session. Erin modified each pose only as needed to show her face.

Looking right at the camera, she posed standing straight, one hand covering her pussy and one arm covering her breasts.

Looking back over her shoulder at the camera, she faced away from the camera, her legs spread and her hands on her hips.

Looking at the ceiling, she sat on a stool, her legs slightly spread, leaning back, stretching, and extending her arms back behind her as far as she could without toppling backward.

Which was the position she was in when the 11:00 PM student photographer and model came through the door at 11:09.

"Oh, my!" said the photographer.

"Wow!" said the model.

"Ohhh, shit! Maya, what the fuck? You said the door was locked! Erin yelled, as she sat up straight and covered herself as well as she could with only her arms and hands.

"It was locked, I swear, it must have been unlocked remotely when my reservation ended," said Maya sheepishly.

"Well, you were supposed to be out of here long ago, so you can't complain about us coming in now," the new photographer, a petite woman with close-cropped black hair and glasses. She stopped talking when she saw Erin sitting up straight on the stool and asked her, "Sorry we barged in on you, this isn't your fault. What's your name? Oh, wait, it's Erin, right?"