Shannon entered the school, actually welcoming the public area of school. Anything to warm her up. Today had to be the coldest day of the year. She headed down the hall and actually made it to her locker for the first time in a while. Yesterday she hadn't made it that far and last week had been a blur. She grabbed some books and threw them in, wishing she could have dropped a coat into her locker but there wasn't one, of course.

As she closed her locker, she was approached by Carrie.

"Shannon, what's going on? Mr. Jones' secretary stopped me on the way in and told me to get you before first period. That you would decide what whether there was a first period assembly or not."

"Oh God, he's such a prick."

"What?"

"Oh nothing, let's go and get this over with."

The naked girl led her clothed friend out of the locker area and down the hall to Mr. Jones' office. Shannon, used to this intrusion into her day, pushed her way into the principal's office and knelt in her assigned spot. Carrie, shocked at her friend's boldness, took a seat, being careful to fold her legs at the knee so as not to reveal a peek up her skirt.

Mr. Jones was reading a letter as his secretary came to the door. "Mr. Jones, I'm sorry but I was on the phone and these girls just barged in. Should I make them wait out here?"

"No Mrs. Phillips, that is okay. I think Shannon spends so much time in here she feels she doesn't have to wait. Miss Malone, that is not true but I will let you slide. That will be all Mrs. Phillips, please shut the door."

The principal, dressed in a dark grey three-piece suit with a blue shirt and a striped tie, came around his desk and leaned against it, just inches from the naked teen kneeling on his carpet.

"Well, Shannon, what will it be?"

Shannon raised her face and made eye contact with the man, her bright blue eyes looking for some sympathy from the heartless principal. She saw none.

"Sir, is there some other way?"

Mr. Jones drew a big sigh. "Miss Malone, we have been over this. There is one way to do this. What will it be?"

Tears started streaming out of the naked girls' eyes and down her cheeks. She turned and saw a look of wonder on Carrie's face as her friend tried to figure out what was happening. She saw her best friend sitting there, her legs crossed demurely at her knee, her arms folded over her chest, an obvious attempt to keep her breasts and hard nipples (it was cold) from the view of the man in the room.

"Okay, I'll do it," Shannon said softly, her body racked with sobs by what she had just done.

"Do what? Shannon, what's going on?"

"Well, Miss Bartlett, your friend here has just agreed to be naked for the rest of her time here at St. Mark's completely naked in exchange for you not having to be stripped today. She's a good friend isn't she?"

Sobs escaped from Shannon's throat as she knelt there in tremendous emotional pain. Carrie stared at her friend's naked back, realizing the tremendous sacrifice Shannon had just completed.

"Shannon, just sign this document and your new uniform regulation will go into effect. Since there is not an infraction to punish you for, you must sign this agreement."

He slid a piece of paper over to the edge of his desk and motioned Shannon to crawl over towards it, holding a pen out to her. She took it in her trembling hand and was about to sign when.

"Wait, stop. You can't do this!"

"Miss Bartlett, this is between me and Miss Malone. Please keep quiet."

"NO! I will not allow her to take this for me. She's done this for me her whole life and I owe her. I will take my own punishment."

Shannon shook her head. "No Carrie, you don't know how awful it is. Please let me do this."

"NO! I have to do this. Please Shannon, I can't be the reason for you being naked the rest of your high school career. Mr. Jones, I'll take my own punishment please."

The principal and Shannon looked shocked at the strong words from Carrie Bartlett. She was always so quiet but now was standing up for her friend.

"Carrie, are you sure? I can take it, I've already done it for a week. Can you do it?"

"Oh God, I don't know, but I'm going to try."

"well, Miss Bartlett, you have more of a spine than I thought. Excuse me for a second. Shannon, you may rip up that agreement since we will not be needing it."

The man brushed past the naked girl and out into the secretary's office. Shannon ripped up the agreement and rushed over to where her friend was sitting to give her a big hug.

"Oh Carrie, thank you for saving me."

"Thank me? Jesus Shannon, you were willing to go naked for the next year and a half for me. Christ, you're the best friend ever!"

They heard the noise of the loudspeaker come on.

"Please pardon the interruption teachers and boys and girls. There has been a slight change in our schedule. There will be another punishment assembly prior to first period. Miss Carrie Bartlett will be stripped naked in the auditorium."

The two girls squeezed harder."Oh God, what have I done," Carrie whispered.