Stuck in town for the summer while his parents are away, Tommy Browder is going to stay
with the aunt he never knew he had -- and learn the reason why.

For Frank, a truly good man, because the best gifts are the ones we make ourselves
for the people we care about. Happy Birthday, hon. Hope it’s everything you thought it might be
when you threw the idea my way and let me run with it.

Beyond Fashion
by Randalynn

###

“Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.” ~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” ~ Epictetus

“Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are.” ~ Quentin Crisp”¨

“Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will,
in general, become of no more value than their dress.” ~ William Hazlitt

###

“It’s the perfect opportunity, actually.” Phyllis Rackman sat at the kitchen table with her closest friend, and grinned an evil grin. “With my sister and her husband leaving Tommy with me for the summer while they’re on that dig in Peru, I’ll have my chance to take the boy down a few pegs.”

“I really don’t understand your problem,” Diana said, holding her teacup with the tips of her fingers and looking into it to avoid looking up at Phyllis. “I’ve seen Tommy around town, and there really is nothing to complain about. His parents raised him well. He’s a good boy, thoughtful, respectful, well-behaved —”

“The problem is that he’s a boy, soon to be a man, and he needs to understand that the world doesn’t belong to him. He’s too proud, and you know what they say. Pride goeth before a fall. I plan to make him fall hard.”

The edge in her friend’s voice made Diana look up, but the expression on Phyllis’s face made her wish she was anywhere but there. It wasn’t pleasant, and she suddenly worried about what Tommy’s aunt might have in store for him when he came to stay.

Her first impulse was to distance herself from whatever hate-inspired scheme Phyllis had in mind. Her friend had always hated men, although Diana didn’t know why and was afraid to ask. Instead, she ignored her friend’s irrationality as much as she could. Every time it came up, it brought out the worst in Phyllis ... like now. Diana couldn’t stand what she became when it took over. If Tommy’s parents hadn’t already gone that morning, she would have warned them. But they would be incommunicado from the moment their plane took off this morning, and there was nothing to be done.

She almost told the other woman that she didn’t want anything to do with what she had planned for the boy, but realized that Tommy might need an adult on his side before this was through ... or a shoulder to cry on if Phyllis had her way.

There was the sound of a car door closing, and Diana looked out the front door to see a man in a black uniform pulling several suitcases out of the trunk of a limo. She recognized Tommy standing there next to him, helping him with each piece.

“Hey!” Tony DeFranco said with a smile. “Jeez, kid, stop helping and let me do my job!”

“Sorry, Tony, but it makes me feel like a slug if I just stand here.” Tommy grinned back, took the next piece from him, and put it on the ground. “So shut up and let me help already, or I’ll need a shrink or something for the rest of my life.”

“Didn’t I pick you and your parents up someplace else this morning?” Tony said, letting the boy take the next piece of luggage out of his hands. “This is the same town. What’s the deal?”

“Yeah,” Tommy replied. “That was our house, but it’s being renovated over the summer while my folks are away, so I’m staying here with my aunt Phyllis."

Tony gave him a look. "Aren't you old enough to stay by yourself? You're what, fifteen, sixteen?"

The boy shrugged. "Got to stay somewhere until they get back, and Aunt Phyllis offered. It’s sorta weird, though.”

“How so?”

“Even though she lives in the same town we do, I don’t really know her at all. It’s almost like she doesn’t want to know us.” He shook his head. “But she heard about the trip and asked Mom to let me stay with her over the summer, so that can’t be right. Maybe there’s something else goin’ on I don’t know about.”

“Shame you didn’t get to go on the dig with your Mom and Dad.” He handed the boy his laptop case, then closed the trunk with a slam.

Tommy shrugged. “I’d be with them right now if they could have swung a visa for me, but the Peruvian government said no. It’s okay. I’ll spend the summer hanging here with Aunt Phyllis and my friends, and see them when they get back in the fall. I just hope I can get along with her.”

“Kid, I’ve only know you since I picked you up this morning, but I can tell you’re good people.” Tony stuck out his hand, and Tommy shook it. “If she can’t get along with you, that’s her problem, not yours.”

“You take care of yourself, Tony.”

“That’s my line, kid.” The limo driver paused for a second, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He pushed the card into Tommy’s pocket. “If you need me, call me, okay?”

Tommy looked at him, clearly curious. Tony stuck his hands in his pockets and shook his head.

“Listen, somethin’ about this doesn’t feel right to me. I don’t know what, but I’ve got the same feeling I get when I tell the dealer to hit me and I just know the next card’s the wrong one. So just hang onto my number — in case you need a ride, or somethin’. All right?”

“Okay. But I think you worry too much.” The boy grinned. “I mean, how bad can she be? She’s Mom’s sister!”

“Tommy, I’ve got four sisters, and I love ‘em all. But every one knows how to bust my chops seven ways from Sunday, and none of ‘em are saints. Just watch your back, ‘kay?”

“I will.” Tommy watched as Tony walked around to the driver’s side, climbed in, and drove slowly up the street. The boy threw the strap of his laptop case over his shoulder, picked up both suitcases, and walked up to the front porch.

“Aunt Phyllis?” he said through the screen door. “I’m here.”

She came to the door and threw it open. “Good! It took you long enough.”

“The airport’s pretty far out of town,” Tommy replied, a little confused. “There wasn’t any traffic. I thought we made pretty good time.”

“And I think you shouldn’t start your visit by arguing with your aunt, especially since you’re going to be staying with me for a few months.” Phyllis stood just inside the door. “Come in and I’ll show you your room.”

“Hello, Tommy,” Diana said, standing in the kitchen doorway. “My name’s Diana. I’m a friend of your aunt’s.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said with a smile, and put down one suitcase to shake her hand.

“Don’t dawdle, Tommy.” Phyllis’s voice echoed down the stairway. The boy looked at Diana and shrugged, then picked up the suitcase and trudged up the stairs. Diana sighed.

The room at the end of the hall was big, brightly lit ... and glowed with an unmistakable girlishness. Pink was everywhere, and enough frills and fluffery to make Diana wonder how much Phyllis had spent on her little scheme to make her nephew suffer.

For his part, Tommy looked around and put his suitcases down.

“What do you think of your room?” Phyllis stood there, barely concealing her smirk.

“I like how big it is, and how much light it gets.” He walked over and pushed aside one of the lace curtains. “I like the sun.”

Her smile faltered a bit. “What about the color? And how it’s decorated?”

Tommy turned to look at her. “Hey, it’s your guest room. You can make it up any way you like.” He grinned. “I’m just happy I’ll get the chance to stay with you. I’d like to get to know you this summer.”

“Well ... all right, then.” Her smile disappeared completely, and she fidgeted for a second before regaining her emotionless mask. “Get settled in, and I’ll see you down in the kitchen for lunch in ten minutes.”

She spun on her heel and left quickly. Diana stood there and looked at the boy, who stared after his aunt with his head slightly cocked.

“She has ... issues,” the woman said softly. Tommy nodded, and gave her a little smile.

“Seems like. I’m not too worried. I’m pretty good with people.” He sat on the bed and bounced a bit. “It’s a soft mattress. Sweet.”

“Doesn’t all this pink bother you?”

He shrugged. “It’s pink. It’s just a color. I can deal. Some of the stuff in here looks a bit ... breakable, though. I think I’m gonna need to be a bit careful moving around.”

Diana smiled at him. “I think you’re going to be just fine.”

“I hope so.” He fidgeted a little. “It is all summer. Do you know why she’s being so weird?”

“Like I said, she has issues.” The woman looked at him. “I get the feeling you might be able to help her work through them.”

“If I can.” He grinned. “After all, she’s family, right?”

Tommy wandered out into the hall, looking for a bathroom. Diana couldn’t help but wonder what the next few weeks would bring.

She didn’t have long to wait.

###

A few days later, Tommy stood at the top of the stairs, wearing nothing but a towel. “Aunt Phyllis? Have you seen my suitcases? All my clothes are gone.”

“No, they’re not.” He heard her voice behind him, and turned to find her standing by his doorway. “I have a ... surprise for you.”

She turned and walked into the pink room, and Tommy followed, still clutching his towel.

“I’ve decided that, for the summer, you will wear what I choose for you to wear.” Phyllis walked over to the closet. “So I’ve purchased an entire new wardrobe for you.” She threw open the door, and the boy was shocked to see it full of girl’s clothes. Blouses, skirts, and dresses hung neatly on their hangers, with rows of shoes on the floor.

His aunt walked over to the dresser and pulled the top drawer open.

“The gift includes lingerie, of course,” she said smoothly, barely stifling her grin, “and more casual wear, although nothing that could ever be mistaken for a pair of pants.” Phyllis opened the second drawer to reveal pink and lavender tee shirts, imprinted with words like Princess and Too Hot to Handle, along with some lightweight skirts in summer fabrics.

“Don’t you worry, everything will fit. I was very careful with the sizes.”

“Is this some kind of a joke?” The boy’s head was spinning as he tried to get a handle on what exactly was happening.

“Not at all,” his aunt replied. “You are under my roof, and I am acting as your legal guardian, and so I set the rules in my house. As far as I’m concerned, it’s skirts and dresses all summer long for you, Tammy.” The unfamiliar twisting of his name made me cock his head, and he found himself wondering what part of the Twilight Zone he’d managed to fall into when he stepped out of the shower.

He stepped forward into the closet and fingered one of the denim skirts.

‘Yeah,’ he thought sourly. ‘My aunt really does have issues. Question is, what’ll I do about them?’

“Aren’t you going to say ‘thank you?’”

Tommy turned slowly and looked at her.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “If you were in my shoes, would you say thank you to someone who took all your clothes and replaced them with jockey shorts and jockstraps?”

Phyllis took a step back and smiled.

“Our positions are what they are,” she replied smugly. “And your new shoes look a lot like mine. So either wear these clothes or spend the summer in this room, totally nude. It’s up to you.”

She spun on her heel and left, closing the door behind her. Tommy looked into the closet again and shook his head.

“Issues,” he said aloud. Then he stopped and thought about it some more. “But why do this? It’s stupid. What can she have to gain by stealing my stuff and making me wear these?”

Tommy wandered over to the dresser and picked up a handful of nylon panties, then let the slippery fabric slide through his fingers. As he thought, he picked them up absent-mindedly and let them fall back into the drawer a second time.

‘I didn’t do anything to her,’ he thought, ‘but she’s been pushing me since I got here. Nothing I’ve done has been right as far as she’s concerned. But I know I didn’t do anything wrong.’

“She wants something out of me,” the boy whispered. “Something I haven’t given her. The pink room ... the clothes ... She wants what? To make me angry? Embarassed? Humiliated? To ... hurt me? That’s just crazy! She doesn’t even know me!”

After a few more seconds, Tommy looked down into the drawer, then towards the closet, and a grin grew on his face.

“That’s right. She doesn’t know me.” He shook his head and started picking through the lingerie, still smiling. “Oh yeah, she doesn’t know me at all.”

###

Phyllis waited for quite some time in the kitchen, grinning over her coffee cup and waiting for “Tammy’s” uncomfortable unveiling. After about forty-five minutes, she wondered what was keeping him, and wandered upstairs to find a handwritten note taped to the door of his bedroom.

“Thanks for the clothes,” it said. “Gone out. Back later!”

She stared at it for a while, confused.

“Out?” She spoke into the silence. “He went ... out? Like that?”

This she had to see.

###

Phyllis drove around town for a while, wondering where her nephew could have gone wearing girl’s clothes, and how he could possibly have made himself passable without her help.

“He must have known he’d stand out in any of the outfits I picked for him,” she said, “and the only choice he would have would be to let me make him look like a pretty girl, or be humiliated in public. What else could he do?”

She cruised past the high school, where a bunch of teenagers were playing a pick-up game of soccer. As she turned a corner, she saw a flash of bright pink in the middle of the group surrounding the ball, and jammed on the brakes.

It was Tommy.

He wore the Pampered Princess crop top with the short denim skirt, along with the pink and white Nike’s and white ankle socks with lace trim. He also wore a huge grin as he snatched the ball away from an opponent and spun around to drive towards the goal, leaving the others behind. The whole pack chased him, and as he ran, his skirt rode up enough to give flashes of pink panty to anyone who might be looking.

He delivered a kick that made the ball skitter into the corner of the net with a stuttering dance that left the goalie half-stumbling to reach it, and the rest of the pack caught up with him and pounded him on the back.

Phyllis got out of the car and walked slowly onto the soccer field.

“Thomas! You da MAN!” A tall redheaded kid shook his head in amazement. “You’re first string next year for sure.”

“That’s the coach’s call, not mine,” Tommy replied, then threw him a grin, “but he’d have to be crazy not to put me on the team.”

“Tommy.” Phyllis stopped a good distance away. She found the happy group of boys strangely frightening, and crossed her arms defensively. “What’re you doing?”

“Oh, hi, Aunt Phyllis,” he said, the grin relaxing into a smile. “Playing soccer with my friends, burning off a little energy. And I’ve got to keep in practice for tryouts in the fall.” Reaching down, he flapped the bottom of the crop top a few times to fan some air up underneath. “Kinda sweaty, though. Gonna have to take another shower when I get home.”

“You came out to play? Dressed like that?”

Tommy looked down at himself. “Closest thing I had to something easy to move in. Good air flow up top, and easy leg movement down below. I woulda worn the tennis dress, but it was white, and ... well, grass stains. You know.” He frowned. “But I had to wear two pair of the underwear to get enough support to play. I guess they don’t fit as well as you thought they would.”

Her mouth was dry. “I wasn’t thinking about soccer when I bought them.”

“Maybe if you’d gotten to know me a little better, you would have known I like to play.” He cocked his head. “Or did you think I was going to let this ruin my summer? Not do the things I want to do because of your ... gift?”

“But aren’t you ... embarrassed ... to be seen like that?”

Tommy shrugged. “Clothes are clothes. And it wasn’t exactly my idea. But as long as I can do what I want, who cares what I wear when I do it?”

She shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “What about your friends?”

He turned to his friends. “Hey, guys! Do you care what I’m wearing?”

They all looked at each other, and back at him.

“Hell yeah, dog,” a short kid called back. “You’re so hot, you’re making the rest of us look BAD. ‘Pampered Princess’ my ass. I’m hitting the mall for a total makeover tonight.”

The whole group burst out laughing, Tommy included. Phyllis felt the world spin a little, and everything went black a second before she hit the ground.

###

She opened her eyes slowly, and the world came back into focus. She was lying on her own bed, and Tommy sat on a chair nearby. His hair was wet — apparently he had showered again — and he wore a pale green scoop neck tee tucked into a black skirt with several layers of lacy ruffles. He sat like a guy, with his ankle resting on his knee, and one black pump dangled from the foot in the air while the other rested on the floor.

She squealed and scooted back on the bed. Tommy looked up from the copy of Cosmo he’d been paging through.

“You’re awake,” he said, tossing the magazine aside. “You gave us a scare.”

“Us?”

“When you fainted. I carried you back to the car and used your cell phone to call Diane. She came by and drove us both here, and got you settled in bed. Since you seemed to be sleeping, I took another shower and got dressed. Again.”

“And Diane?”

“She left. She said to tell you she was disgusted, and if you don’t get your sh — act together, she’s never going to speak with you again.”

They sat in silence for a while.

“I can see right up your skirt, you know.”

Tommy shrugged. “What can you see? Black skirt, black panties ... two pair, of course. No worse than wearing a Speedo. Not like that’s my thing. I like trunks.” He sighed. “The way you think, I guess there’s a bikini waiting in one of those drawers. Probably pink. Don’t need the top, but there’d better be some room in those bottoms, or I might get arrested when I hit the public pool.”

Phyllis stared at him. “What is WRONG with you?”

“Nothing. What’s wrong with you?”

“Those clothes don’t bother you?”

“Why should they? I know who I am,” he replied, looking back at her. “You don’t. That was your problem from the start.”

They looked at each other, and Tommy sighed.

“Look, since I got here, you’ve been on my case. But you don’t know me. You NEVER knew me. I finally figured out what the deal was. You’ve been busting me night and day, not because of who I am, but because of what I am. Just because I’m a guy.”

He leaned forward. “You’ve got this idea in your head of what a man is, and it’s ugly. I get that. But I’m not HIM. I’m not some generic dickweed you want to punish — some caveman jerkoff with a bad attitude and a constant hard-on who treats women like crap and thinks he’s the Second Coming. I’m just Tommy Browder, a kid who found out he had an aunt in town he never knew, and decided to spend the summer with her, just to get to know her, as a person.”

“But you never got to know the real Tommy. Why should you? He’s just a boy, after all. And you know what they’re like. So when you tried to force me into pretty clothes to punish me for the sins of the dumbass you hang onto so tight in your head, you thought I’d be so stupidly macho that just forcing me into a skirt would send me into shock.”

“You thought wrong.”

Phyllis looked at him as if he was something she’d never seen before. And maybe he was. Tommy looked back, seeing her confusion but not sure what to say. Finally, he sighed.

“Look. Like I said, I know who I am, so it doesn’t matter what you make me wear. Clothes don’t make the man. They never have. What makes the man is what’s inside, good or bad, jerk or saint. Or maybe none of the above. Maybe he’s just Tommy Browder, the guy who fell into your warped idea of who he was, instead of who he is.”

There was a long silence, and Phyllis spoke, almost too softly to hear.

“You said ... you were scared. When I fainted.”

Tommy shrugged again. “I meant what I said about wanting to get to know you better. I was afraid I’d lose you before I got the chance. The way you fell out there, it was like all your strings were cut. I freaked, a little. Can you blame me? The way you’ve been acting, you might have had a brain tumor or something.”

“You ... cared?”

He shook his head. “God, Aunt Phyllis. I’m not the creep in your head, remember? Give it a rest.”

The boy stood up and looked into her eyes.

“Diane told me she has my stuff. She offered to bring it all back, but I said no. I told her she can keep it all summer for me — unless you call and ask her for it first. If you still think I’m some kind of monster, fine. I’ll wear the clothes you gave me until Mom and Dad come back. I really don’t care. But if you want to let go of who you think I am and meet ME instead, there’s the phone. It’s your call.” He grinned. “Literally.”

The boy turned and headed for the door, and Phyllis watched the ruffles on the skirt twitching back and forth as he walked out. After a second, she realized she was crying.

And before she knew she was doing it, she reached for the handset.

The truly fashionable are beyond fashion. ~ Cecil Beaton

###

© 2009. Posted by the author.