Reluctant Diva 25
Inspired by Lipstick Discipline
Chapter 25 – Sisters
The mid-term vacation after my birthday came at a good time; I needed the break to recover! Life at school then settled into a regular pattern and happily my ‘female’ status continued to be accepted by most of the school, or at least the part I had most contact with, and I ought to have been satisfied with my life, but inevitably there were a couple of things that bothered me. The most disturbing of these was that since my party, the friendship between Shirley’s group of friends and myself seemed to have cooled. This was bad news for me as their acceptance of me had been a lifeline and I valued it as highly as anything. Even though I hadn’t desired to be the prima-donna on the day, I imagined that from the amount of attention I’d received it might have looked that way. That was likely to be a source of irritation to my peers. Alternatively the reason could be simply that, when all was said, I was a boy and didn’t fit in. In either case, I didn’t know what I could do to restore the relationship. I was fresh out of ideas.

The other fly in the ointment that had been quietly buzzing away in my head for some time concerned an area of activity which was closed to me. Sport. Though I had been dropped from the baseball team long enough ago for it to be a distant if painful memory, there remained a gap in my life which from time to time I felt unhappy about. Since going to watch a football game with Mom all those months ago I’d had no involvement at all. My former aspirations to athletic endeavour had long been forgotten and the limited exercise provided by riding Rachel’s bike to school each day was unlikely to revive them.

At the end of one day not long before the end of term, my walk to the bicycle shed with Kyle and Peter ended differently. While I was occupied unlocking my bike the two boys had their heads together and were debating something intensely.

“Coming?” I said with what I hoped was my most winning smile.

I was ready to set off directly but was anxious not to leave without them. For weeks they had been happy to keep me company and I felt safer having them around. I didn’t want to lose their friendship. When their huddle came to an end, the debate between them apparently remained unresolved. Kyle returned my smile and moved towards his bicycle while Peter stood there frowning.

“What is it?” I smiled encouragingly. “Is something the matter?”

Peter coloured up before blurting “It’s Shirley. She and her mates have put their names down for the try-outs. They are going to practice after school and said that Kyle and me could go and watch. We should support them.” Usually so reticent, the boy was surprisingly emphatic.

“What try-outs?” I asked, still mystified.

“You know, the cheerleading try-outs.”

The penny finally dropped. I had heard that these would be happening about now, but the girls hadn’t let me in on their decision to get involved. If anything, it confirmed my guess that they looked on me as too much of a diva to be included in their little group. That was better than because I was ‘different’, but worrying all the same.

“Oh, okay” I shrugged, trying not to show any disappointment. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Well, why don’t you come with us?” proposed the taller boy.

I hesitated, considering. His suggestion was quite appealing. Since I’d started cycling to school I had been relieved of the duty of collecting Tom on my way home so I could spare half an hour if I chose. A big plus was that if I went along to support, it might prove to be a way of repairing my friendship with Shirley and co, and that seemed to be in dire need of mending. Also I had a hunch that Mom might actually approve, though I couldn’t have said why. Finally, wary of situations where I could be found alone and vulnerable, it would be safer for me to tag along with them.

One thing made me hesitate further. I knew that Shirley was definitely ‘interested’ in Kyle and might resent me as some kind of rival, if I showed up with him. It was no secret that he seemed to like me, even though he and she had been very thick together at my party. I didn’t want to make matters worse and I was torn with indecision. In the end I decided to tag along with the boys but to keep in mind that I might be treading on eggshells.

“I suppose I could, just for a little while.” I said, as carelessly as I could manage.

Once this was settled we picked up our bikes and wheeled them across to the sports pavilion. Intentionally I pressed ahead and left the pair behind. We wouldn’t be seen to arrive together. I picked out Shirley from a distance. As I came closer I could see she was wearing what I took to be the cheerleading uniform and actually looking a little nervous. That was most unusual for her. I leaned my bike against a rail and ran over to her.

“Hi!” I greeted her. “I heard that you’re all practising for the try-outs. Good for you! Can I stay and watch?”

“Why not? It’s a free country.” She tried not to look too pleased, but I could see that my presence wasn’t unwelcome.

“I know you’ll be just great! I noticed you dancing at the party.” She beamed with pleasure at this. Phew! I’d said the right thing. What’s more, it was true!

The boys had hung back and were standing awkwardly a little way off as this was a predominantly female affair. When Shirley saw them, she waved excitedly, and they returned the greeting more diffidently. Two of her friends were nearby and attired similarly; Audrey, a slim curly-haired girl, and Rosanne who was taller. The coach stood a little farther away. She kept looking at her watch, clearly waiting with some impatience. The final member of the prospective squad needed to be there before they could make a start. I ran an approving eye over the three of them, as in the complete cheerleader’s strip they were quite eye-catching. Their skirts were high-waisted and the hemlines were well above the knee. I could easily understand the boys’ motives in coming to support them!

After a few moments more Shirley’s best friend made her appearance. To everyone’s concern Paula was hobbling along with a heavy strapping on her ankle. She must have sprained it badly and there would be no way she could take part. In view of the team now being one member down it was decided that the practice couldn’t go ahead. Anyone could see that the injured girl was close to tears and I joined Shirley in trying to cheer her up. We sat with arms around her while it was agreed that, for now, coach would merely demonstrate some moves so the girls could step them through. They would return another afternoon to try out.

Coach ran through various moves; a cheer, side-line and dance. After several repetitions, she called a halt, looking serious. “You will almost certainly need another team member” she advised. “Although very experienced squads might be okay with three members, four is considered the minimum here.”

“Oh no!” wailed Shirley, “that’s so unfair. There just isn’t anyone else I can ask.” Then to coach, “Don’t worry. We will find a fourth. We’ll be here tomorrow.”

The teacher smiled encouragingly and departed. Meanwhile Paula had burst into tears and had to be reassured some more. “I only meant that we’ll get a sub just for a week or two until your ankle is better!” her friend soothed. “We won’t leave you out, I promise.”

For several minutes, the girls stood around helplessly looking completely forlorn. Then Audrey whispered something in Shirley’s ear and gestured in my direction. Her companions stared at her before they gathered to put their heads together earnestly. The outcome of this conclave was not long in being revealed.

“Jennifer! You will have to cover for Paula until she is better” said Shirley decidedly.

“Me!” I gasped, dumbstruck. The mere idea was terrifying. To be a cheerleader would be really cool, of course. Just about every ‘real’ girl aspired to the role but this was a long way outside my comfort zone. Did I want to put myself on display in front of the whole school? How could I hope to keep my ‘secret’ from becoming common knowledge.

“Yes, of course you! Were you following the moves that coach showed us just now?”

I quailed internally at the prospect opening up before me. “I guess…”

“That’s okay then. Paula has agreed you can borrow her uniform.” She thrust a sports bag into my hands. “Be here tomorrow. All right?”

“I... er... okay. As long as my Mom agrees.”

“You had better see she does. You’re supposed to be our friend, so be a real friend.”

“Okay, okay! I will” I acquiesced. It appeared that I had little choice in the matter.

When I arrived home Mom had already returned from work. As I hastily entered the lounge, I could see a warning furrow etched between her brows. Breathlessly I plunged into a halting explanation of what had made me later than usual. The pending storm was deferred for the moment and when I showed her Paula’s uniform she actually looked pleased. My parent’s eyes started to sparkle with mirth as she mused “A cheerleader! Whatever next? Well I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised!”

I was unsure what she was hinting, but she answered my unspoken question before it was asked, “It must run in the family. You are looking at a high-school squad captain!”

Holding up first the vest top and then the little skirt of my borrowed strip, she criticised, “We didn’t wear anything as skimpy as this back then, nothing like it, and we still got our fair share of admirers. We did that without looking cheap!”

The pom-poms and tiny shorts came under Mom’s scrutiny next, until with undisguised excitement she exclaimed, “Well let’s see how you look then. Quickly girl!”

I took the clothes from her and ran upstairs to my room, where I lay them on the bed. I gazed at the pleasing effect of the matching set spellbound. Then I remembered that my mother’s impatience might be growing, so I hastily stripped out of my school clothes and squeezed myself into the uniform. It was immediately obvious that, while by no means slender, there was a lot less of Paula than there was of me in some areas. The little blue skirt fitted well enough around my waist. The accompanying top was stretched too tightly for comfort across my well-developed bust, however. I was wearing one of those bras with conical cups and its shape wasn’t helping. As for the matching shorts, essential for modesty under such a revealing skirt, it was all I could do to squeeze into them, let alone zip them up at the side.

As I was struggling to fasten them Mom appeared in the doorway wearing her satisfied smile. “Is that big butt of yours getting you into trouble again, Jennifer?”

“These are all too small for me!” I wailed. “I can’t possibly wear any of them!”

“Nonsense, girl!” she chided. “The top will be okay with perhaps a little less definition to your bust. Try it with a different bra. The skirt is fine if a trifle short, but you have good legs. You will just need to wear something different underneath. I think I know just the thing.”

Leaving me to rummage vainly through my underwear drawer for a bra which might give me a less curvy silhouette, she disappeared. Returning a few minutes later, her hands held some unfamiliar items which I could only imagine had been at the back of her bottom drawer for some time. I’d never seen them in the laundry.

“Here. Try these!” handing me a pair of blue panties. “They are cut quite full and were mine in the days before childbearing took its toll on me.”
She mused ruefully “I don’t know why I’ve kept them as they will always be too small for me now. After having Tom I did manage to get my figure back up top, but from the waist down it’s been a different story. See what ‘real’ women have to go through to have children!”

I looked at the underwear doubtfully. The panties were in a delicate slippery satin and the colour was an electric blue, a much paler shade than the shorts I’d been wrestling with. I didn’t want to raise any objection. Mom’s emotions were running high. Anyway, the feel of the soft material as I slid the panties up my legs was delicious. The sizing was about right, although the cut was definitely on the ‘cheeky’ side and it was likely that the coverage might not be all that I could wish. I reflected with dismay how well padded my rear end must have become to make it possible for my mother to trade underwear with me. Having a butt as large and well-rounded as a full grown woman’s wasn’t something I had ever aspired to!

“Perfect!” was Mom’s overly optimistic comment. I gazed in the mirror questioningly but she carried on gaily “After all, most of the time the skirt will be covering them.” This was said with that glint in her eye which I always found disquieting. My view was that the glossiness of the material would make the merest glimpse of them attract the attention of every onlooker.

“Have you found a bra yet? No?” she asked smugly. “Well I never thought I’d be saying this, but this bra of mine ought to be just right for you! I’ll be glad to pass it on. Okay?”

The one in her hand matched those borrowed panties, forming a set. She held it up for me to slip my arms through the straps before turning me around and fastening it behind me. After a little tweaking and adjusting, “There! The cups on this will minimise and distribute your breast tissue more evenly. It will create a flatter shape so it ought to help.”

She stood back critically, “You know, though you are a good deal slimmer under your bust than I am, the cups are just right for your breasts. All I needed to do was to fasten it on the tightest row of hooks and it fits perfectly. Congratulations, sweetie! Welcome to the world of real women!”

If I’d had time to think it would have been disturbing to reflect that even though my butt might still be a little smaller than my mother’s, my boobs were about the same size as hers!
Aargh!!

I remained full of doubt, but trying on the top again showed some improvement. It just about fit. That left the footwear. Paula’s shoes were definitely too small, but Mom was unfazed, “We can buy some saddle shoes if your cheerleading career takes off. Your white socks and sneakers will have to do for now.”

She stood back and looked me over critically. From her reaction, I assumed that the result was favourable!
Giggling like a schoolgirl, she hitched her skirt around her waist and picked up the pom-poms. “Go Jennifer! Go!” Her cheer was accompanied by a perfect spread-eagle and then she collapsed back onto the bed laughing at the look of surprise and consternation which was spread across my face! My parent seemed to have become a teenager again. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I caught her mood, although in the back of my mind I couldn’t help wondering where it all might end.

In the midst of this hilarity, Mom sat up abruptly, her face suffused with delight. “You realise what this means, Jennifer, don’t you?!” Taking my hand she drug me across to her bedroom and stood me in the centre. She went over to a small dresser tucked away in a corner. I’d always believed it contained bric-a-brac. She proceeded to unlock it and pull open two of the lower drawers.

“Here’s a sight for sore eyes, Jennifer dear!” she exclaimed. “These are all pretty things that I hardly wore and I never wear any more. Some of them were presents from the time we were first wed and your father was stationed in Italy. I absolutely adored them; far too much to give them away.”
She hesitated at the recollection, then shook her head as if to clear it before continuing. “Now they’re yours. Welcome to your new trousseau!” Trousseau?! “I can see now I must have been saving them for the daughter I never had. They will be the just right size now. These lovely things will look even better on you than ever they did on me, with that little girl’s waist of yours. Oh, this is perfect! Are we going to have fun?!”
She disappeared while I could only stand and stare at the contents of the drawers, dumbfounded. A range of bras were neatly arrayed in one and in the other were matching panties and garter belts. It looked like there was every colour; whites, ivories, blacks, reds, pinks. Most were adorned either with beautiful embroidery or with lace, and quite often with both.

The visual effect was spectacular. Enchanted, I ran my fingers among them feeling the softness of the silks and satins. Mom returned as I did so and smiled with glee at my awestruck expression. She was carrying two large refuse sacks.

“Here, girl!” handing them to me. “Go and fill them with all your old boy clothes and take them downstairs. Every one! They can all go to Goodwill tomorrow.”

Somewhat shocked by the drastic nature of this command and the fey mood that seemed to have taken hold of my parent, instinctively I opened my mouth to protest. But the words died. I could think of no valid objection and after a pause I had to obey. When I returned, Mom was in my room transferring the contents of her lingerie drawers to the newly emptied ones of mine. She opened one and then another to show me my new underwear neatly arrayed. A third drawer now contained some of her strappy tops and slinky camisoles. The doors of one of my closets stood open and I gaped to see a row of sheer blouses and silky shirts now arrayed there. Three or four of Mom’s cocktail dresses had also been added to the rail.

“You can expect to be going out more often now, so you will be needing a wider selection of outfits for your dates! These are some that haven’t gone out of style.”

“Mom, this is too much!” I exclaimed, taken aback by the extravagance of the gesture. “What clothes will you be left with?”

“I haven’t worn a single one of these in ten years. Longer!” Her tone was decisive. “It’s a crying shame, but I know I never will. Now I have some space, I can go shopping!”

Her eyes misted over again. “It will do me good to see you in them, Jennifer. Also, you should remember that it’s not just what’s visible on the outside that matters to a woman. The knowledge that you are elegant underneath ought to give you tremendous confidence. It’s called empowerment!”

The rescheduled practice session took place the following afternoon. I made my way over to the sports field and met with the other girls at the locker room. Captained by Shirley, our squad was Audrey and Rosanne, with yours truly standing in to cover for the injured Paula. The latter was still limping disconsolately. I was carrying my borrowed strip but hesitated to go in with the others. If I got changed alongside the rest of them I foresaw problems!

“Don’t dawdle Jennifer!” our captain admonished me. “We don’t get very long for practice as it is.”

“I thought I had better change after you all were ready” I explained.

“Don’t be silly! There isn’t time!” as she hustled me into the locker room.

We unpacked our kit and the girls quickly stripped down to their underwear. I made sure I faced away so as not to be seen to be staring at any of the others. Though I had already taken the precaution of taping myself away, I needed to swap my bra and panty-girdle for the bright blue items Mom had selected. I somehow contrived to slip the panties on discreetly without taking off my school skirt. I was just congratulating myself on the successful accomplishment of this manoeuvre when I realised that I was being closely observed by Paula. She had seated herself on a bench and couldn’t seem to take her eyes off me. When I unhooked my bra and bent over to pick up the blue one, I heard her gasp in amazement.

“Your boobs are awesome! At the party I noticed how much bigger they looked than mine and I put it down to what you were wearing. But they really are! It’s not as if you are overweight. How did you get like that?”

Her remarks may have been entirely artless in their intent but had the effect of stopping her companions in their tracks. I was conscious that all eyes were fixed on my naked chest. Next moment I found myself surrounded by three curious teenage girls in various stages of undress. My situation ought to have been arousing in the extreme, but I didn’t experience the slightest tingle. Well perhaps just a little. Well, okay, I was turned on, but I was too busy trying to preserve my modesty to give any attention to that area. As I tried vainly to cover my chest, I blushed deeply in embarrassment.

Shirley took charge and surprisingly gently she took hold of my wrists. “You don’t need to be shy. You’re one of us! We’re not being mean. Let us see. Please.”

A little reassured by her words I yielded and let her pull my hands away.

“Wow!” she exclaimed and the reaction of the others mirrored her own.

She reached her hand out as if to touch. “You really are a girl, aren’t you? Can I?”

Then “Wait! It’s only fair!” Shirley quickly undid her own bra, slipped out of it and came closer. I hesitated then nodded my assent. My chest was instantly subjected to the closest scrutiny. First one then another of the girls touched and stroked.

Shirley took both my hands and placed them on her own perky breasts. They felt softer than mine and, yes, really nice. She smiled dreamily as I ran my fingers over her.

Try-outs seemed to have been forgotten but we were called to order by Paula. “Come on, you freaks! There isn’t time for this!”

“You’re not getting away with it” was Shirley’s instant reaction. “Everyone! You, as well!”

Crossly, her friend frowned at her, but at the other’s insistence she had to obey. She hobbled over to join the rest of us and I was included as they linked arms in a group hug. “Sisters!” they chanted in unison.

“All of us!” Shirley was looking at me and I joined in the chant as it was repeated. “Sisters!”

Giggling self-consciously, we broke apart to continue getting changed. I felt as if I was glowing all over following my new-found inclusion in the ‘sisterhood’. I still found it a squeeze getting into my borrowed top and it took me a while. The others were ready by the time I’d removed my skirt and was bending to pick up the cheer-leading one.

“Why aren’t you wearing my shorts?” Paula’s voice sounded a discordant note once again. Her question had the effect of drawing unwelcome attention to my posterior.

“Er… They didn’t quite fit” I shrugged. “There wasn’t time to go out and buy any that did.”

Shirley stood staring at me with hands on hips. She motioned me to turn around and around for all to see. Wanting the floor to open and swallow me up, I obeyed wordlessly. Now I, and especially my rear end, was getting way too much attention.

Inspection completed, she made her pronouncement. “Not just boobs; she’s got the hips and waist as well! We have to face it, ladies, we are in the presence of a true hour-glass. Jennifer, I hate to admit it but… your figure is girlier than any of ours!”

That really wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I was saved from further embarrassment by coach putting her head in the door.
“Not ready yet, girls!” she chided. “Hurry up now!”

They filed out leaving me to finish changing and follow. I slipped into the skirt and zipped it up. Checking in the mirror I could see that the size of my hips and ass made it flare outwards even when I was stood still. What price modesty now? To be seen dressed as I was would be courting disaster. The idea of putting myself into the limelight was crazy!
What was I thinking?!