Ben takes an even closer look

Her first instinct was to run away. But somehow she couldn't get her legs to move. Instead Susie squealed and dropped into a knock-kneed crouch, hands cupped protectively over her slim body, hiding her smallish breasts and darting between her legs to conceal her feminine secrets.

It couldn't be true. But it was. She was standing in the middle of the carnival, in front of the whole entire world, including half the school and the Mayor and the guy who ran the Pinkwhistle malt shop, and Ben Hoolihan. Who she definitely secretly had a gigantic crush on.

And she was NAKED.

It was like a bad dream. But it wasn't a dream. It was completely, irrevocably, 100% real life. It was actually happening. Every single aspect of it was totally and absolutely real.

Especially the NAKED aspect. Which was, for Susie Snook, the worst part of the whole thing. She didn't mind being at a carnival, or in a crowd, or even talking to Ben Hoolihan. But the really intolerable part was the part where she was NAKED.

She could feel it in her nipples, and her rosy-red cheeks, and the tensing of her buttocks, and the way the cool night breeze teased the nape of her neck. Every single part of her was NAKED. And Ben could see. He had made her naked just by looking at her, and he could see everything.

Bonnie bit back a giggle, trying to pretend she didn't think it was funny. She went to peel her shirt off over her head, intending to be a good friend and offer Susie something to cover up. Her fingers touched only bare skin. She looked down, and realised she was completely naked as well.

"Yeah," said Ben, his eyes flickering over Bonnie's breasts as the air of the carnival was pierced by a squeal twice as loud as Susie's. "You're right. These things never work."