Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Friction Burns
Paid publication
Book #1	Welcome to Dorley Hall
Chapter	11
Free publication
Date posted	Feb 9, 2022
Word count	10,903
Points of view	Christine, Stefan
AO3 Scribble Hub
Content warnings
Dysphoria, self-harm, dehumanisation, medical assault
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Chapter 11: Friction Burns is the eleventh chapter of the first book of the series. Stefan has a bad day with a lot of disassociating. The new nurse Karen does a horribly invasive medical exam on all the boys. This makes Stefan's day worse. Pippa is still baffled by Stefan, and Paige ropes her and Christine into a bonding afternoon. Christine and Paige share their fears with each other, of being alone and facing the world, and promise to live together.

The title is a reference to the only thing in the world that can stop Aaron from jacking off.

Plot

2019, Stefan

All the basement boys are woken up for the medical exam. Stefan exchanges some words with Pippa, gauging her mood. He gets ready to shower and meets up with Aaron, fussing over his wound some more. They see Declan battered and bruised being escorted back to his cell by four sponsors including Monica.

Pippa explains to Stefan that Declan has gotten three strikes so he's lost all of his privileges and is being treated harshly.

In the shower, Aaron tries to talk with Stefan some more. He wants to know how he's doing. Stefan is in a mood and instead admonishes Aaron for trying to provoke Maria. Aaron shares that he has a strike. Meanwhile, Stefan can't help but feel extremely watched and dysphoric and wants to convert that discomfort into pain directed at himself.

Stefan tells Aaron that Aaron deserves to be hated, but that he himself can't seem to, for some reason. They argue a bit more before Aaron realizes that Stefan is self-harming with extremely hot water and drags him out from under it. Stefan, no filter in place, yells at Aaron for being a toxic guy. Aaron leaves in anger.

2019, Christine

Indira and Hasan surprise Vicky, Paige and Christine with breakfast and a visit. Christine reminisces about her second-year experience, learning how to walk in heels and trying on clothing. Aunt Bea put Indira up to making sure the three girls got fluids for their likely hangovers.

Vicky and Christine banter about embarrassing things, and the three go through their morning routine, estrogen included. Paige and Christine chat, and the conversation turns to their post-programme futures. Paige says she's been thinking about how all of her friends are more like Christine's friends. She confesses that she's afraid she'll be alone after they all leave Dorley Hall, and that she won't see a point to living a glamorous life if at the end of it she has to come back to an empty room.

Christine encourages her, saying it's amazing that she has a plan at all. She also says she doesn't have any non-Dorley friends, either. She tells Paige that she considers her one of her best friends and that she feels lucky to know her. They make a half-serious promise to live together, like one of those women who leave university and go straight into a flatshare with their dorm girlfriends.

Christine says she's also afraid of the future even though she also wants one. She doesn't want to ossify into Dorley Hall. And she'd be a lot less afraid to leave if her friends are with her -- Paige, Abby, Indira, Vicky. She goes on to say that she's always believed that they would always have stayed together, and that she wants to have Paige in her life even when they're ninety.

2019, Stefan

Stefan berates himself for self-harming, or more precisely self-harming in a way that others can discover. He moisturises himself and also castigates himself for possibly antagonising Aaron. He reflects on the strange, dissociative feeling that brought on the urge to hurt himself.

Pippa, Maria, and the nurse Karen file into his room. He disrobes under threat of taser. Karen inspects his wounds and questions Pippa about them. Then she fondles his testicles. Pippa questions it, and Karen brushes it off as procedure. Pippa continues to protest.

Karen seems to have a long history with Dorley Hall and makes blunt comments about Stefan being docile. Stefan continues to try and not think about what's happening to whom. Five vials of blood are taken before it's time for the sperm collection and everyone else leaves. Stefan tries to recenter himself.

Pippa returns and apologises about Karen. Stefan asks why. Pippa says that what Karen did wasn't helpful, and expresses her belief that the basement is meant to help him and the others. Stefan reacts minimally, and Pippa becomes frustrated. She asks why he won't talk to her; Stefan is internally confused that Pippa isn't recognizing that he's been freaking out all morning. Eventually, Pippa gives up and leaves.

2019, Christine

Christine watches Indira and Hasan dawdle before they eventually manage to head out from Dorley Hall. She says her goodbyes to Indira and can't help but feeling like Indira's leaving Dorley Hall for good, even though it's actually only going to be a few days. Paige soothes her and they spend a nice few moments together.

Pippa bursts into the kitchen from the basement and collapses onto a table. She is very upset because Stefan is not doing ok. She still doesn't understand him and how compliant he is. He's even a moderating force on the boys he hangs out with. Then what happened today seems to have destroyed all the rapport they've built up. She relates everything that happened, including the new, horrible nurse and how the genital inspection seems to have affected Stefan the way the orchiectomies did their own cohort.

Paige thinks Pippa needs to give him time, and also hang out with her and Christine instead of stressing herself about Stefan. Christine objects, but Paige overrules her by saying it's a classic bonding exercise straight out of the manual. Christine gives in, and Paige is quite pleased about it.

2019, Stefan

Stefan has been calming himself down with some white noise and comforting bundle of cloth. Aaron knocks so Stefan lets him in. Aaron immediately spouts off with a ramble about masturbation and how he feels like he isn't able to perform the way he used to. This disarms Stefan. Not dissuaded, Aaron continues with his one-sided conversation. It is very calming to Stefan.

Aaron brings up the medical exam. Aaron thinks it's a power play. They get distracted by the fact that Maria has been assigning Aaron homework and he's been doing it, while Stefan has gotten nothing. Aaron says he missed Stefan at breakfast, and Stefan decides he'll come to lunch. Stefan apologises, and Aaron takes it well. They make up.