One

It all began just over a week ago.

Everyone has a view on university students. Those who have never been to university think that students have an easy life with very, very long holidays. And those who have been to university know that students have an easy life with very, very long holidays. It was at the beginning of the long summer holidays, that Lizzie, Charlotte and Alice met up for an evening of re-acquaintance and hard drinking.

Lizzie waited until they were sat at the table with their drinks before asking her friends to sponsor her.

“What’s it for?” asked Charlotte, a tall slim, blonde. Such a blonde could punch a hole in a bishop’s pocket. She had a perfectly sculpted face with piercing blue eyes that suggested an intensity of character that wasn’t there. She was, in fact, a dope. This of course mattered little to the men who swarmed to her, bees to a honey pot. True to her ice maiden features Charlotte courted them and then discarded them without so much as a moment’s thought. She was a heartbreaker.

“Africa” replied Lizze, who was also slim and pretty but somewhat shorter with long shoulder length dark hair. Unlike her friend she had a warm character and cared deeply for the environment, abandoned pets and the disadvantaged. Hence her latest charity appeal.

“And what do you have to do?” asked Alice, who was short and liked to describe herself as well rounded. For reasons of her own she had decided to dye her short ginger hair bright red. Alice specialised in attracting boys who were fascinated by her ginger hair and freckles.

“Spend twenty four hours in the nude” replied Lizzie.

Alice nearly choked on her drink. “What” she exclaimed between coughs.

“Let me look at that” said Charlotte, grabbing Lizzie’s sponsor form. ‘Nude Aid for Africa” she read “Spend twenty four hours naked over the weekend of 23rd July.”

“Where do you plan on going for this” asked an incredulous Alice, still coughing slightly.

“We’re doing it at home” replied Lizzie matter-of-factly, “you don’t have to go out or let anyone see you”

“So who is going to verify you were naked” demanded Charlotte “I could be giving you money and you could have spent the whole time dressed as a nun!”

“Oh well someone has to witness it, but it can be a relative, so we are all going to witness each other” explained Lizzie.

“We?” questioned Alice

“We’re all going to do it, me, Mum, Dad and Jason. In fact it was Mum’s idea”

This was no surprise, Lizzie’s family were renowned for their laissez faire attitude to nudity. Alice blushed as she recalled the afternoon the three of them had sunbathed naked in Lizzie’s garden when they were supposed to be studying for their A Levels.

“Put me down for 50 pence an hour” said Alice

“Me too” added Charlotte “I’m a little tight his month”

“Well get some drinks in before you run out of money” said Lizzie.
Charlotte came back to the bar with five boys they had known at school.

“Hi Lizzie” said one

“Hi Phil, what do you want”

“Charlie says you want sponsors”

“That’s right Phil, do you want to sponsor me?”

“Dunno what’s it for?”

“Africa, how much can I put you down for” said Lizzie holding her sponsor form.

“Let’s see” said Dave grabbing the form from Lizzie’s hand.

“Woh boys, listen to this “Nude Aid for Africa” he read “Spend twenty four hours naked for starving orphans, I’d pay to see you do that Lizzie”

She poked her tongue out at them “You don’t get to see anything; I do it at home.

“So how are you going to know you did it then?”

“You have to trust me”

He groaned “But Lizzie you have no idea how happy you could make me, just a little glimpse”

“Sorry boys, you’ll just have to dream.”

“Shame” they chorused like the House of Commons on a slow day.

“So how much can I put you down for?”

They all laughed good naturedly. “A tenner each” said Dave “what about you boys?”

“Yeh, Ok a tenner for each of you”

“Hang on a minute” said Charlotte “You don’t think I’m in on this”

“Oh but Charlie you’re the one I’m dreaming of” said Dave lasciviously

“A tenner each, and we’ll all do it” said Alice breaking in.

Charlotte was too stunned to say anything. She turned and looked at Alice “What did you just say?”

Lizzie sniggered and handed out her sponsor form, plus another two, to the boys for them to sign.

“Oh come on Charlie” said Alice, who wasn’t even drunk, yet “where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Firmly inside my knickers Alice and that’s where it is going to stay!”

“Have another drink Charlie” piped up Lizzie, “it’s for charity after all”

“Have you thought this through” said Charlotte to Alice, “where are you going to spend the twenty four hours in the nude”

“Why at my house” replied Lizzie brightly “no problem there, we’ll be one happy family; and let’s face it you’ve been nude there before”

They continued to try and persuade a very reluctant Charlotte.

An hour later Dave came back to their table.

“There you go girls” he said with a flourish “£250 each”

“Good on you Dave” said Lizzie and blew him a kiss.

“Oh my God” said Charlotte. Alice had the hiccoughs.