"A dare's a dare," said Suzanna primly. "You said you'd do it, Megan, and now's the time."
Megan gave her friends a most unfriendly look, but conceded that she had agreed.
"I knew I'd regret this as soon as I said it," she lamented.
"It'll be easy," Suzanna insisted. "We'll let you out at the corner, you run the length of the street and we'll be waiting to pick you up at the other corner. Now strip."
Reluctantly Megan stripped. One short run and she was home free, and she'd think up something suitably nasty for the next person on a dare.
Arriving at the corner, Megan gulped. That short block had never seemed so long before, and why were there so many people around, anyway?
Mentally she plotted her path, straight down turn the corner at the Post Office and meet the car coming up the lane behind the shops.
On getting the nod Megan took a big breath and streaked. Watching her go, Suzanna suddenly spoke.
"It's my dinner time. I don't really have time to go down and pick Megan up. Let's head for home."
Hearing no dissent, Suzanna drove off, the other passengers laughing quietly.
Megan, a bright red from running and embarrassment, reached the Post Office, swung down the side street and into the lane. The enormity of having no car waiting took a moment to hit. Then it sank in. She was naked in the middle of town, with no clothes, no phone and no money.
And no friends, as she was going to kill each and every one of them as soon as she got her hands on them.
Hearing someone approaching she ducked into one of the little yards behind the shops and hid. Maybe if she waited until it was dark, she'd be able to sneak home or find a public phone booth.
A slow, cold, hour passed for Megan, who cringed every time she heard footsteps pass down the lane. A couple of times she heard a car and had bravely stuck her head out, hoping that it was a rescue, only to resignedly retreat in defeat. Now she just waited, hoping night would fall.
Confident footsteps came striding up the lane and, to Megan's horror, they stopped outside the gate to the yard she was in, and someone entered.
"Come out please, miss," called a firm voice. "This is the police."
Nervously Megan stuck her head around the edge of the shed she'd taken refuge in.
"Go away," she cried. "I'm not hurting anyone."
You're trespassing, miss, and there's been a complaint. You'll have to leave."
Leave? How could she leave. Furious all of a sudden, Megan stepped out of the shed and confronted the officious busybody.
"Leave?" she asked. "Like this? Are you sure you want me to?"
Startled, the officer raised his eyebrows.
"You seem to have lost an item or two of clothing, miss," he observed. "Would you be the streaker who was reported earlier?"
Taking the red flush on her face as an indication of agreement, the officer smiled.
"Something go wrong with the pickup, did it?" he murmured, while taking off his jacket. "Put this on. It's a shame to cover you up, but I expect you'll feel happier."
Wearing a jacket did indeed make Megan feel happier, but still not happy enough to want to march out into the street where everyone could see her with police escort. Seeing her continued reluctance, the officer reached over and removed a pair of dark glasses from the jacket pocket.
"Put these on," he suggested. "Then you'll be harder to recognise."
Giving him a hard look, Megan obeyed. She wasn't prepared to swear that he'd deliberately poked her boob while getting out the glasses, but she wasn't prepared to swear it had been an accident, either.
"Now, miss," said the officer, "If you'll give me your name and address I'll run you home."
"And if I don't?"
"I'll run you to the police station and they can take it from there," returned the officer blandly. "Your choice."
"I'm Megan. Megan Andrews," Megan said, going on to give him her address. "What's your name, by the way?"
"Officer Stevens, but you can call me Paul. My car is just around the corner."
Keeping one eye firmly on her, Paul escorted Megan to his car, helping her into the back. A short time later they were driving towards her place, chatting quietly together.
Arriving, Paul looked thoughtfully, at Megan.
"How do you propose to get in?" he asked. "You don't appear to have your keys with you."