BEXHILL SCHOOL

All cosmetics were strictly forbidden at Bexhill, but teenage girls being teenage girls there were always some who would risk flouting the rules. And so it had been on Saturday evening as Lavinia, Jenny, and Christina sat around in the Common Room chatting. Christina was reading a fashion magazine. She suddenly looked up.

"Hey, get this cool nail polish. Sort of lavender colour. Look." The girls peered at the illustration.

"I've got some of that!" Jenny shouted triumphantly.

"Never!" the other two chorused.

"Yes I have. I was going to wear it at half term. I'll fetch it."

A few minutes later the girls were goggling at the glass tube of purply-coloured varnish.

"Go on, put some on."

"No way. I haven't got any remover."

"Lavinia, I dare you. Lavender for Lavinia. Go on, just try it. It'll wash off."

"No, what if it doesn't?"

"Then you'll have to scrape it off. Anyway, that's a dare: you can't refuse."

"Oh, all right then." The others watched in fascination as Lavinia painted her nails the exotic colour.

"Now, you've got to wear it until after chapel tomorrow."

"On, no!"

"Oh yes - that's the dare!"

Well, of course it was a disaster. Head Girl Amanda was waiting at the chapel exit, demanded a hand inspection, blew her top and told Lavinia to report to her study. Jenny, standing beside Lavinia, bravely admitted that the polish was hers, hoping to mitigate what was going to happen to her friend.

"Then you can join her in my study," said Amanda, stalking furiously off.

"Oh crumbs. We're for it," Jenny was on the verge of tears.

"Maybe Amanda will go a bit easier if we get Christina to admit it was a dare ."

"Worth a try, I suppose."

But Christina would have none of it.

"A dare's a dare. If you accept it, you take the risks. Anyway, I'm not going anywhere near Amanda: she wields a mean cane. I should know, she gave me 12 last term for smoking and I couldn't sit comfortably for a week."

So, less than an hour later, the two girls were clutching very sore bottoms. One was massaging her blazing cheeks with fingers decorated in a most fetching hue.