Melissa (assignment: a job as a porn extra)

"I don't quite get the point of this project" Melissa said as she sat in Professor Klein's office, her messy blonde hair falling into her face.

"It's meant to challenge what you perceive as the relationship between feminism, sex and you" the teacher said proudly.

But Melissa wasn't really buying it. She didn't exactly dread having to do whatever it was that she'd be assigned to do, she was more or less just annoyed by it. "I'm not some kid, like some of the other girls in class. I understand my relationship with sex."

"And how is it?" Professor Klein prodded.

"Fine."

And it was. Melissa had always considered herself to have had a healthy normal sex life. Enough guys but not too many. A couple girls as an undergrad. She liked sex but didn't obsess over it. Everything was great, except for one small thing that occasionally crept into her mind at night...

There were pictures.

There were pictures taken long ago by a boyfriend when she was in her early twenties. Nothing explicit, just nudes. But still, every once in a while she wondered if they'd found their way onto the internet, onto some ex-gilfriend **** website. Sometimes she'd see men on the street giving her looks and she wondered, "have they seen me naked?"

She tried to tell herself, so what if they had. It's just a little nudity. The human form is art and all that shit. But still, it was discomforting wondering if there were people out there who'd seen her nude and how many.

This was probably the reason she insisted in her meeting with Professor Klein, "We're not porn stars. I don't understand why you seem intent on making us into them."

"I'm not" The professor answered.

"Good, because a woman is more than just a porn star in the making."

The professor smiled. "You know, that's the seventh time you've said that."

"What?" Melissa hadn't noticed.

"Porn star." Professor Klein answered. "You seem a little hung up on it."

"I'm not"

"You don't have an issue with porn? Or porn stars?"

"No" Melissa worried. Professor Klein was getting at something. "It's stupid most of the time. But whatever, it's not going away. I'm fine with it."

"Glad to hear" the professor smiled. "You have an assignment."

Melissa perked up. What did she say? What could it be?"

Professor Klein continued, "I'm going to make some calls and get you work as an extra in a little film shoot that's going to be starting soon."

"An... an.... extra?" Melissa asked. Clearly this was going to be an adult film. She knew as much. The professor's infamous nastiness would allow for nothing else. But she wasn't sure exactly what an extra was meant to do.

"I need to talk to the director first. I'll send you an email with the details." and with that, Professor Klein ended the student/teacher conference.

That night, as she was bartending, Melissa watched the guys at the bar, curious as always if any of them had seen her naked. None of them gave her strange looks, so perhaps, she thought, they hadn't. Then she wondered if that would change once she was an extra in a porn. The thought lingered in her mind all night.

Just before closing, her band mates from Tie-Died Pussy stopped in. Sonia, the lead singer was a sexy petite rock and roll black girl with short hair and thick lips. Alana, the bassist was a young firey girl with wild frizzy brown hair and two piercings in her nose.

Melissa told them about her meeting with Professor Klein. And as expected, the first thing they said was she shouldn't go through with it. But that wasn't an option. Melissa had worked too hard to drop out now. So the three girls pondered the possibilities.

"There's no way you're going to have to do anything explicit." Sonia said, "They have professional actresses for that. Women who have to be tested and cast like a real movie. Not just someone off the street." That put Melissa's mind at ease.

"We think its ridiculous that you have to demean yourself like this," Alana added. "But we're here to support you."

Melissa was lucky to have them as friends.

When she got into her apartment, Melissa found the promised email from Professor Klein. It read:

I was able to get you a part as an extra tomorrow for the filming of the new movie "Hard Rock Honeys 2" Be at 2323 Industrial Parkway at 8am. They'll be expecting you. Make sure your birthday suit is presentable.

That last bit sent Melissa's mind whirling. So she tried to calm herself by doing a google search for Hard Rock Honeys. It didn't work.

The first Hard Rock Honeys was made by a local production company called GirlDepravity Inc, one of only three Seattle-based porn companies. It had to be heavily edited to get a release in the US, but the unedited film was released without trouble in Europe. Melissa couldn't find any clips of either version.

But she did find an interview with the director, a controversial local figure known for improving and making actors do the unexpected who went by the name Dr. Ladybite. "We have to push the limits even more for the second one." the director said "They expect that of us in Europe where our films are very popular." Then when asked about the American censorship "I don't care so much about that. We'll do what we have to to make the American prudes happy."

Melissa took in a deep breath. 'It's just an extra' she thought. 'I just have to stand in the back' And heck if she had to be naked, that wouldn't be too bad. She'd always been paranoid about who'd seen her naked and who hadn't. At least now that question would be answered.... everyone.

That night before going to bed, Melissa took a good look at her birthday suit in the mirror. She hoped the tattoos wouldn't be a problem. Then again, the film was called "Hard Rock Honeys 2." She looked at her breasts, tiny, basically just mosquito bites. She looked at her unshaven pussy. She was always proud to be natural. She liked her dark blonde bush. It was nice and thin but a little curly. Still, she knew what was expected in porn. She debated. Would she give it a shave for the first time or arrive just a little bit defiant. Maybe some hair would even be preferred. After all this wasn't a California Porno.

She debated.