Julie Comes of Age

Julie continued to enjoy two more dips at Hillview. The next Saturday, she asked for the float before she got into the pool and she did not use the tube again. Her water confidence was improving although she was not yet able to swim unaided. The new swimsuit was carefully guarded at home. Julie did not know that her mother, in tidying her drawers, came across it. Julie's mother was not perturbed. She smiled quietly to herself, folded the costume more neatly and left it where it was, tucked in between other layers of clothing. Julie's mum had just a hint of regret that she'd never had a swimsuit like that of her own.

These were the last two weeks of term at college, and for Julie, this meant that even the meagre access to cash which she had enjoyed was about to come to an end. Her spirits were lifted, however, when better-than-predicted exam results arrived during her last week. Her tutor was delighted, and she saw a whole new range of opportunities open up. Julie had not thought much about her future. Father believed that she should be married and bear children. To Julie, this appeared to be a remote prospect, because her social circle was limited to the few young men who attended their church and although just eighteen, she had never yet had a boyfriend.

"Trust in God!" her father would say. "He will arrange for you to meet your husband, when the time is right!"

Julie's tutor had a very different view of the future. She encouraged Julie to submit an application for University, even though such thoughts had not been on Julie's radar before. Days later a message came through from a University in the next State; they had vacancies and a place was open. Julie's father held a dim view of academia. Being a creationist, to him science was a conspiracy against God. The truth, he maintained, is all contained in the Bible and no one, least of all his daughter, need seek learning elsewhere. Student life would be filled with temptations and was best avoided.

Since childhood, Julie had generally accepted everything handed down to her. She had precious few alternative sources of information. The family watched little television; when they did their viewing was confined to music or religious programmes. News and current affairs were followed but filtered by a worldview which saw society as decadent and corrupt. Julie was taught to keep herself at a distance from the world and to confine herself to the purity found only amongst those of her father's persuasion. Of sex and relationships, she was taught little.

Slowly, however, since attending college Julie's horizon had broadened. She had one close friend, a First Nation student. That they were both obviously different, in their very different ways, to their peers, drew them together. From her friend Julie began to understand a different perspective of her religion. She heard at first hand of the cultural genocide of generations of indigenous children and of the horrors of her country's residential school system. The first seeds of doubt were sown in her mind. Was her father always right? Were his religious convictions necessarily good? Julie did not have knowledge or language of her own yet, but she was becoming aware that there was a big world out there, and now she had the greatest chance of her young life. The chance to become a part of it.

"God spoke to me last night!" Julie said plainly. "He said that I should make the best of this opportunity, work hard and improve myself!" Julie's dad was speechless. His daughter had never spoken in such a way before. He urged her to pray, but on this occasion it seemed that Julie had got in first, when it came to hearing the voice of God.

So Julie went to University. This was to be the single most important decision she ever made. Weeks later she set off, carrying all that she could, as she staggered forwards towards the bus station. Her father made her promise to join the Christian Union and to attend all their meetings. But to beware of "lukewarm" Christians and their liberalism! Above all, she was warned against the demon drink. He also alerted the local congregation of his own Church, and urged them to ensure that Julie did not slip!

Julie arrived at her student accommodation; basic but comfortable. She had a room in a block with 23 others, both boys and girls, sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities. She was nervous but excited at the same time. Her first two days were spent in an endless round of registering and meeting tutors, buying books and shopping for food. Julie tried to smile and talk to everyone she met, but her upbringing had taken its toll on her personality. Everyone else seemed to have so much more to offer. Her room offered a safe retreat.

The first weekend brought respite from being busy, but what now? Julie went into the City and visited the museum, art gallery and park. She returned to her room feeling a bit empty and apprehensive. Everyone else seemed to be so much better at making friends. Loud, happy voices reverberated up and down the corridors. As the afternoon progressed into the evening, the voices became louder; shrieks and laughter drowned out the sound of conversation.

Julie plucked up the courage to venture out. She made her way towards the happy voices, coming from the communal kitchen. There were about twenty young people there, most of the boys held cans of beer and glasses were scattered around the worktops and surfaces. Julie smiled self-consciously as she made her way to the cupboard which had been allocated to her, pulling out some pasta and a tin of meatballs. She felt easier when two of the girls opened a conversation with her; the same conversation that was shared a hundred times, what's your name, where are you from and what course are you on?

One of her new found companions offered Julie a mug of wine. She hesitated before accepting. "I haven't bought anything to drink yet!" she said, apologetically.

There were friendly murmurs of disapproval as others suggested that they held a different set of priorities. The wine tasted funny, but in a few minutes, Julie was beginning to feel good! She remembered how she had felt at Katie's wedding! Maybe she was going to enjoy life here after all!

The amount of wine in the mug was a generous serving and Julie became accustomed to the taste as she sipped her way down.


"Help yourself!" her new-found friend suggested, thrusting the still half-full bottle across the worktop towards her. Voices were getting louder and more excitable. Then Julie heard an ear-splitting shriek, coming from the shower area next door. A group of four lads appeared, followed by a girl. She was laughing, her face was dripping and her jeans were streaked with water which was running off her blouse. The lads had obviously tried to soak her, fully clothed! Julie felt a strange twinge of excitement.

The girl joined two of her friends and without speaking all three of them picked up jugs and pint measures and started to fill them at the sink. They turned towards their four adversaries and a shower of water splattered around the boys, landing mostly on their shirts. Julie giggled, then picked a mop from the cupboard and ran it over the kitchen floor.

"Never mind doing that yet!" someone shouted. The four lads had surrounded one of the girls, holding her arms, then her feet and picking her off the floor. She screamed and kicked out, and one of the boys pulled off her trainers. Three of them carried her bodily out through the kitchen door and towards the showers. Julie felt a compulsion to follow. The fourth boy had turned on one of the showers and it was running at full blast. Julie stood a safe distance back, joined by the other two girls who had thrown the water. The three boys carried their victim over to the shower while she wriggled and screamed. But the girl was overpowered; she was clearly going to get a soaking.
She was hoisted to her feet and pushed right under the shower with her arms pinned to the wall behind her. One of the boys adjusted the shower head so the full force of the water hit her, soaking her hair and fanning out over her shoulders. The boys holding her were getting very wet too. Julie noticed that bath taps were also running; there were two baths at the other end of the room. She noticed how the splashing sound of the taps gradually got deeper in tone as one of the baths was filling up.

The girl was still being held under the shower. Her light-coloured jeans turned and a slightly darker blue and then shiny. Her t-shirt hung loosely off her. She had stopped screaming now; resigned to her fate. One by one the boys let her go but she was absolutely saturated from head to toe.

"Get me a towel, Jen!" she said, calmly, as she stepped out from the shower and turned around to switch it off.

"Never mind a towel!" a deep voice growled, as the four boys surrounded the girl next to Julie, water dripping from their clothes. "You're coming for a bath!"

Jen did not protest as she too was lifted by the arms and legs and carried the length of the room. Julie followed. The bath looked half full now.

"Mind her head on the taps!" the deep voice commanded. Jen was level with the side of the bath and then dropped over. A huge surge of water washed onto the floor. Jen's head was submerged and her feet bumped against the tiles behind the bath.
Then she was pulled upright by her arms, so her legs and feet too splashed into the water. Julie's heart was racing. This was so much fun!

"Where's the other one?" one of the lads shouted. The third girl, who had been next to Julie, too, had disappeared. "We'll get her, sooner or later!"
The lads bumped their fists in congratulations to each other.

Back in the kitchen, Julie recharged her mug with wine. Everyone was laughing. She noticed how the girls remaining kept a wary eye on the four boys who had done the soakings. One of them came over towards Julie. His light brown hair was damp and tousled. His dress shirt stuck to his chest. His dark-coloured trousers were covered in damp patches. Julie's inhibitions were lowered, now.

"That was naughty!" Julie giggled at him. She turned around to the sink and filled a pint measure with warm water, showing it to this nice brown-haired young man next to her.

"You dare!" he grinned at her, "And you know what will happen!"

Julie tipped the water down his shirt, emptying the jug slowly so it all poured over him and not straight onto the floor. Then she shook the near-empty jug over his head. The boys' shirt glistened as little waves of water soaked through it and the damp patches below became one.

"Very well!" the boy said, grimly. He put his hands on Julie's middle and turned her around towards the sink. He put on a hand on Julie's back and she willingly bent forward, so that her long dark hair cascaded down around the taps. He took the measuring jug out of Julie's hand and filled it to the top, and then with his other hand still on Julie's back he poured the water over her hair. Again and again, he did this, before finally letting Julie stand up.
Water poured from her hair, over her shoulders and dribbled down her white blouse. Julie gasped; she loved this feeling, as water trickled down inside her blouse and her bra straps felt damp.

Julie took the jug out of the boy's hand. He gave no protest. Again Julie filled it, and this time she poured it slowly and deliberately over his hair, so the ends matted together and his shirt glistened again, as the water made its way to the floor.
The kitchen seemed quieter now as most people had disappeared.

The boy took Julie's hand. She grasped his fingers as he led her back to the shower area.
"What are you going to do?" Julie asked, meekly.
"I'm giving you a shower!" he replied, "Just what you're asking for!"
Julie felt so excited. She blushed.
"I'll get all wet!" She whispered. This was a comment rather than a protest.

"Yes, you will!" he replied, "I'm Sandy, by the way!"

They returned to the same shower cubicle that the lads had used before. Sandy turned the shower back on. Julie could sense that the water was warm.

"Don't push me," she whispered again, "I'll go in!"

Julie stepped under the torrent of water. She felt it run through her already wet hair, she felt it on her shoulders and suddenly her white blouse was gripping against her skin. Julie just loved this feeling. She could feel her bra soaked through and she involuntarily pulled her shoulders back and her chest forwards.
She could feel the warm water soaking her skirt. She put her hands on Sandy's shoulders. He stepped forwards, into the spray, and their lips met. Julie could feel her breasts, through their wet clothes, brushing against him. She had never experienced anything like this before. It was wonderful. His tongue stroked her teeth. She squealed. Julie was absolutely drenched now. Oh, that wine!

"You like this, don't you?" Sandy murmured.

Julie just gasped and breathed heavily. Julie was coming of age.