Lucy - Naked In School

Chapter 1

My time in the Naked in School Program really begins one week before I was in the Program, when our Headmaster, Dr. Reynolds, asked me to write a report for the school magazine about the school assembly one Monday morning, two weeks after the Program was introduced.

That now infamous week, we’d all been given a leaflet explaining the Program, but for most of us it meant nothing beyond seeing some of the other students naked sometimes and seeing them do things that we thought would never be allowed in school. I mean, this is England!

I suppose it wasn’t surprising that the tabloid press dubbed our school the "Slut School". If it weren’t for the fact that we have one of the best academic records in the region, I think more parents would have taken their children out of the school. It’s hardly fair; it’s not our fault that our school was chosen as the first one to run the Program.

Our school is a large, fairly ordinary comprehensive school, taking pupils of both sexes and the whole range of abilities, from the age of eleven to the age of eighteen or nineteen, although many students choose to leave school at the minimum school-leaving age of sixteen.

The school has a little over two thousands students, approximately three hundred and fifty in each of the years from first year through to fifth year, and a little under two hundred in the upper and lower sixth years. (The upper sixth is really a seventh year, but it’s always been called the "upper sixth", so the real sixth year is called the "lower sixth".) In most of the years there are slightly more boys than girls. Due to government cutbacks, there is an average of thirty-five students in each class, except for the "sixths" where it varies according to the subject, from fifteen to twenty-five in each class.

When we went into the assembly hall that morning, everyone knew it would be an unusual assembly. After everything that had happened in the previous two weeks, it couldn’t be anything else.

If you want to know had happened during that fortnight, and you should if you want to understand my story, if you haven’t done so already, you should read the Heather Collection.

The first part of my story, my report for the school magazine on the assembly that Monday morning, is actually in week three of that Collection. If you have already read it, and don’t want to read it again, please feel free to go straight to chapter two.

I’m Lucy Morris, a reporter on the school magazine, and I've been asked to write a report on today’s assembly, the event that really concluded the introduction of the Program in our school.

This was a short week for the school, as there were two staff days off in lieu. (In lieu of what I'm not sure.) But it meant that there was no Program this week.

In spite of that there was no question what was dominating everyone's mind as Assembly started.

When Dr. Reynolds walked on the stage, I think even he was surprised by the cheer he got. "Thank you. It’s good to be home. Most of this assembly is being taken by Heather Hoover, who I think you all know by now. She’s going to have a few words about something called the Program." There was a scattering of giggles. Humour from Dr. Reynolds?

When Heather walked onto the stage, it did seem strange seeing her in uniform. "Before I hand over to Heather, there is one announcement to make. This is a short week, as you know, so Wednesday night this week at Ws is Student Night. They’ve organised a special act, which I’m sure you’ll all enjoy. So do go along and support our own Samantha Downing in her first live show. And if you’re not keen on classical music, don’t worry. I am told this will be rather different." He handed the mike to Heather.

"Anyone who’s thinking of NOT going on Wednesday, just ask any of us who went to the choir party what Sam’s like when she lets her hair down. When the manager of Ws heard her, he couldn’t wait to put her in the club." Groans from all round the room. "Just be glad she’s a better singer than I am a comedienne.

"Okay, I am going to start by asking the boys, how many of you would like to be in the Program?" Nearly half their hands went up. Heather laughed. "Obviously word has got round to the boys that you can get a lot of sex in your Program week." The girls all laughed.

"Now we come to my bet. It is no secret that the last week has had its ups and downs." That was met with some laughter. "Okay, for all of you with dirty minds, I'll rephrase that. The last week has had its… difficulties. So before I ask you, the girls want to say something for themselves. I suppose I'll never get forgiven if I don't start with my sister, Shelley."

She stepped back and her younger sister took her place. "When I first saw Heather in the Program, I thought it was the worst idea in the world. All I wanted to do was save her from it. By this time last week I thought it was the best idea in the world. My memory of this week? In spite of all the problems, Fun. If you enter the Program determined to enjoy yourself and make the most of the opportunities it brings you, you'll have more fun than you've ever had in your life. It's so much fun that we've got a little announcement after Heather's lost her bet today." They laughed at that.

"Hi, I'm Suzie. You know we have to write a journal when we're in the Program. In the first page of my journal is a comment that I'd trade all my fancy clothes for one real cuddle. I don't have to do that any more. To my old so-called friends who look down on me now, I say this. You don't know what you're missing. I've had real hugs and real kisses that actually meant something all this week. And not just from the other girls and boys doing their week. I feel real for the first time in my life. And if that means some embarrassment sometimes or some discomfort, or even making a complete idiot of myself like I did on Friday, I want to tell you. I wouldn't trade a second."

"I'm Laura. You probably all know me better now than before. Before I was simply the older girl who was a stripper, or dirty stripper as some of you called me. So how could the Program affect me? The Program is designed to challenge you at your very core. In stripping away your clothes it strips away everything you hide behind. By making you virtually public property for a week, it demolishes every wall, every façade. It forces you to face who you are, and at times that is scary. But I learnt that the walls I used didn't protect me, they imprisoned me. They didn't keep people from touching me physically, they kept people from touching me here," she touched her heart, "and I want to tell you, I don't need those walls any more."

Her voice was breaking and Suzie stepped closer to take her hand. Laura continued, "I don't want those walls any more. I also discovered that others got free of their hang-ups and their fears because we were in the Program. And believe me that is a tremendous thing to see. Before this week I had only a few friends here.

"Talking of friends, there is something I have to ask all of you. Between lessons on Wednesday morning, when I was about ready to crack up, a girl I didn't even see properly got a lot of the boys to grope her instead of me. I could hear that some of them were pretty rough on her. If any of you know who that girl is, please bring her to me. I really want to thank her in person.

"But I was saying, before this week I had few friends here. Now I not only have more friends than I can count, I found someone I love and who loves me back.

"Suzie was nervous of coming this morning because last time you saw her she was running out crying after I'd hurt her badly. I'd like to thank Mr. Moor for giving me the courage to let go of the past and dare to love. That's another wall I don't need any more." She turned to Suzie and they kissed... And what a kiss! It went on for ages. The hall was in uproar.

When they sat down and the murmurs from the audience had subsided, Samantha stood up. Now you could hear a pin drop.

"This time last week, I hated my life. I had no friends, which was my own fault. I can't remember a day when I woke up happy. Every day this last week I have woken up happy, looking forward to whatever life had to offer me. Sometimes what happened wasn't too great and most of you know that due to a silly fear about what MIGHT happen, I tried to kill myself on Tuesday.

"At the start of the week, Mr. Thompson told me that I might end this week by finding out that I have more friends than I ever believed possible. So I want to say thank you to some very special friends. To the girls and boys in this incredible week with me, thank you for your loving support through this entire rollercoaster week. To all of you in the choir, you will never know how much what you did meant to me and still means to me. If I ever do make anything of a singing career, I owe it to you guys. And to all of you last week and this morning who came up to me with a word of encouragement or to ask how I am, thank you. Mr. Thompson you were right. You were so right that I want you to pick the numbers next time I buy a lottery ticket."

More laughter, then she continued, "So girls, who is the Program for? Shelley has said that if you want fun and to explore the opportunities it can bring, it is for you. Suzie has said that if you want reality, not to mention real hugs and kisses, it's for you. And I have to say I've never been hugged as much in my life as I have this last week. Laura has said that if you're tired of your protective walls imprisoning you, this Program is for you. And I say if you don't want to be invisible any more… If you want to discover the friends that were always there, waiting for you, it's for you."

Heather stood up. "I had plenty to say when I came up here, but I can't follow that, so I won't even try. Sam, someone said to me last Monday that if the Program was going to work, it had to work for the Samanthas of this world. I guess it worked." Then she hugged Samantha for at least a minute.

Samantha took the microphone back. "If you want to risk everything for happiness, the Program's for you. Thank you all for the most amazing and incredible week of my life." Her voice was breaking with emotion. "I love you guys." Then she sat down with tears running down her face and Shelley and Suzie's arms around her.

"Okay. Crunch time," said Heather. "You know after that, I don't care if I do lose this bet." She paused for a moment. "Right girls, how many of you want to be in the Program?"

For a second nobody moved. We were all looking around to see if anyone else was moving. Somewhere near the back a hand went up. Then one near the front. Almost without realising it I put mine up. I just knew I wanted to be part of this thing. A girl in my class who I'd never spoken to looked at me horror-struck, then to my amazement, she pushed her way to me, and held my other hand which was down and put her own other hand up.

When I stopped looking at her and looked around again, there were more and more hands going up. Heather was looking at the increasing number of hands incredulously, shaking her head in disbelief. Out of the thousand or so girls there, there must have been nearly a hundred, like me, with their hands up. Heather went to the microphone and tried to speak, but no words came out, so she pushed Shelley forward.

"You're a bunch of spoilsports," said Shelley. "I wanted her to lose!" Laughter.

She continued, "There's no Program this week because it's a short week, only three days. The ten of us from last week are going to be available for anyone that wants to, to ask questions or speak to us. So you can find us easily, we're going to go naked for these three days. But it isn't a Program week, so there are no Reasonable Requests. We don't have to pose; we don't have to let you touch us. Of course if you ask one of us and we say yes, that's fine, but that's it.

"And to those of you who volunteered. Any of you who want to, can join us in going naked this week. But please, nobody ask them to pose, nobody ask to touch them. Don't spoil the week they still have to come by getting impatient now."

She turned away from the microphone, then changed her mind. "Oh, and if there's a doctor in the house, I think we need you to resuscitate Heather. I think she's died of shock."

Heather proved that she hadn't by gently punching Shelley before taking the mike again. "Firstly, thank you all for that unexpected support. If you're already beginning to regret sticking your hand up, don't. You've just volunteered for an incredible experience and I promise you that the staff and the ten of us will be available for you at any time now, or during your week.

"Secondly, if you do want to join us going naked this week, you can simply put your clothes in your locker at any time. If you prefer, come to the front now and you can strip off with us.

"But before anyone does that let me remind you again. Wednesday evening, ten o'clock, in Ws." She took Sam’s hand and raised it high. "Our very own Sam, in concert." She was interrupted by cheers. When they died away, she continued, "And I can promise you, it'll be wild.

"And finally a reminder. Naked or not, you are all participants in the Program. It's just that some of us are going to be without clothes."

The girl who I been in class with for so long without even knowing her name moved forward and as she still held my hand, she pulled me with her.

"I'm not sure I can do this," I objected.

"No problem, you undress me, then I'll do you." So I undressed her, completely. "Ready?" she asked me.

I hesitated, then I nodded. "Okay," I said.

And half a minute later I was Naked In School.

Lucy Morris, reporter, the Sword, school magazine