On the Bare Read Online Free Page A

done that evening after prep and handed in the next day.
    ‘And I shall check to make sure you get the paired commas right,’ he added.
    After the first dozen repetitions Amelia was beginning to regret their mischief. And when she finally finished the imposition late that night her hand was so cramped that she couldn’t believe she’d ever been amused by Hedy’s drawing in the first place.
    ‘I’m going to complain to Matron tomorrow about Repetitive Stress Injury,’ Amelia whimpered later in the dorm.
    ‘No such thing,’ came Lisa’s cheerful voice from the far corner of the room. ‘Not in the 50s.’
    ‘Oh, shut up and go to sleep,’ Hedy groaned. ‘My hand hurts too, you know.’
    Darcy compounded the humiliation by adding, ‘And you don’t want to get into any more trouble for talking after lights out.’
    Power really went to some people’s heads.
    A few days later Amelia was feeling restless again. She’d had it with the horrible knickers. The skirt was thick enough that she didn’t have to worry about an unsightly panty line, but even if no one could see, the ghastly things just made her
feel
hideous. Wearing sexy underwear made a woman feel sexy even when no one could see it, so the reverse must be true as well. There were no cameras in the loo, so she took them off and stuffed them into the bin. Of course, now there was nothing between her and the itchy wool skirt, but the trade-off was worth it. At least now the elastic wasn’t biting into her thighs.
    ‘What are you grinning about?’ asked Darcy as they gathered their books in the dorm and prepared for the next class.
    ‘Oh, nothing,’ she said blithely, enjoying the sensation of cool air circulating beneath her skirt. Her little secret. In a way it was a pity no one knew about her rebellion; she was sure it would have been a hit with the audience.
    Divide £2,318 16s. 9
¼
d. by 139
.
    Amelia stared in bewilderment at the problem before her. Not only was it long division, it was old money: pounds, shillings and pence. And she was expected to work that out by hand? With multiples of twelve and twenty where any sensible system used tens? And ninepence farthing! Two similarly monstrous problems had already been done on the blackboard with clumsy success. Amelia barely understood the amount, let alone the method.
    Beside her Lisa was scribbling away dutifully, the little swot. So were some of the boys, who seemed to have a better understanding of numbers in general. To Amelia it might as well have been hieroglyphics.
    She raised her hand with a petulant sigh, but didn’t wait to be called on. ‘Mr Jones, I don’t understand why we can’t use calculators for this.’
    He gave her a condescending smile. ‘You know we can’t afford calculating machines here, Rutherford. They’re far too expensive with all those wheels and cogs. So you need to learn how to work the answer out for yourself.’
    She rolled her eyes. ‘But it would only take five seconds with a calculator and this will take all day!’
    His eyebrows climbed to his hairline as he eyed her with surprise. ‘Don’t answer me back, girl. And kindly show some respect for your elders and betters or you’ll find out what happens to silly little girls who can’t control themselves.’
    Her face burned at his words and the heat deepened even more at the titters from the other pupils. She shot the nearest girl a filthy look and turned back to the hateful exercise, silently fuming. Even her bloody phone could work it out. It was so
stupid
that they had to do it the most cumbersome way imaginable. Bloody hell!
    ‘I’m sorry, Rutherford, what was that?’
    She looked up in surprise. Had she said it aloud?
    ‘Did you say what I think you did, Rutherford? Because if so, I may have to send you to Matron to have your mouth washed out with soap. Carbolic soap. That will teach you to keep a civil tongue in your head.’
    Amelia stared at him in disbelief, but had the sense to back off just