Another BigCloset TopShelf story.     Charlie finds out about his stay at Thompson Academy.

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By

Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Six

Rude Awakenings!

Charlie sighed and made a great big stretch before opening his eyes. 'This isn't my bed!' He then looked around and remembered that it was his bed for the moment. He was still at the Thompson Academy and he had taken a nap after lunch. Although the bed was very comfortable and the slippery feel of the sheets made him think of a luxury suite at some fancy hotel. The only problem was everything was set up for a girl.

Charlie got up and made his way to the bathroom. He had just finished in there and had decided to get dressed when he heard a knock on the bedroom door. Before he could say anything, the door opened and in walked Jane Thompson.

Jane looked at the bed and noticed it empty, and then she glanced at the bathroom door and saw Charles peeking from around the door. "Good! You are awake! Come with me, it's time we started your lessons!" This was a command, not a request.

"I...I...can't!" Charlie stammered out.

"Why not? Are you hurt? Is something wrong?" Jane asked as she moved towards the bathroom door.

"NO!.... I mean no, there is nothing wrong, I'm just not dressed!" Charlie said as he scanned the room for his bag. He knew he put it down on the floor by the foot of the bed but it wasn't there. He looked in the hamper near the bathroom and lifted the lid, it too was empty. He realized he had nothing to wear! "Ms Jane? All my clothes seem to have disappeared. I don't have anything to wear!"

"That robe on the door is quite acceptable. Just put it on and come along, we have a lot to accomplish before dinner. You have slept most of the afternoon away and we need to hurry." Jane replied to a shocked Charles.

"THAT robe? That's a GIRL'S robe! I can't wear that!" Charlie stared in shock at the silk robe hanging on the bathroom hook.

"Why not? It is a most appropriate piece of clothing! It will cover you just fine for the time we need to talk." Jane pointed to the robe, expecting Charlie to put it on and follow her. "You did give me your word that you would obey my commands while you were here, right?"

"You took my clothes." Charlie accused. "I need them to wear."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jane snapped, following her time proven script. "What you have in your hands is perfectly acceptable. Will it not cover you completely? Yes, it will. Is your so-tender male modesty in anyway endangered? Of course not. Why, I won't even be able to tell if you are a boy you will be covered so completely."

"You want me to wear this girl's robe?" He asked, still not believing his ears.

"Of course. That is why it was placed there for you, so you could wear it. Now, come with me, please. No, do not bother to look for anything else. Put on the robe and come with me or go as you are. You will not be the first underdeveloped male body I have had to look at. Suit yourself, but you will come with me."

"But.. But...Joan and.. Umm...Marie! They're going to laugh at me and call me names when they see me in this robe. That's how I got into all those fights, being teased all the time. Please? Can't I have my clothes back?" Charlie was frantic, he hadn't been here a whole day yet and he was in danger of being teased for being a sissy!

"I will tell you this one time, Charles. No one in this house will laugh at you for doing something I have instructed you to do! Neither Joan nor Marie will laugh, tease, or make derogatory remarks if you are carrying out one of my orders. Do you understand this?" Jane raised an eyebrow as she asked the last question.

"Yes ma'am." Charlie took a deep sigh and slid into the rose colored robe, he then tied it tightly about him to feel at least a little more covered.

"Follow me." Jane commanded and headed out the door and down the stairs back to her study.

Charlie followed along scared that someone would see him, he wasn't sure what he would do. He was scared of being seen and angry over his missing clothes.

He actually let out a sigh of relief when the door to the study closed behind him. He was very glad no one had seen him in a girl's robe. Charlie carefully sat on the chair in front of Jane's desk, he didn't know what to do with his hands so he clasped them and placed them on his lap.

"Charles! It is time to begin your re-education." Jane stated as she placed her glasses on her nose and looked through Charlie’s file once more. "You have eaten and are now rested from your journey. I believe you have had a chance to think over what you agreed to before lunch. I propose we get things started. I believe that we can make some true progress with you by Friday, noon. If I determine by that time you are not trying or are giving me less than your best effort, I will wash my hands of you and return you from whence you came."

Charlie sat there rather worried. 'I have until Friday to show some improvement, but I still don't know what I'm to do!', "Yes ma'am." seemed like a good reply.

"Good, I see we agree on something. I will give you a brief overview of the plan I have for you, Charles. You will please hear me out and hold any questions until I am finished. Is that understood?" Jane stared at Charlie over the top of her glasses.

"Yes Ms. Thompson." Charlie thought a little more formality couldn't hurt his current position.

"That promise of compliance that you gave to me before lunch is both decisive and final. After you hear what I have laid out for you, you may choose to stay or you may leave immediately for the airport, dressed as you are, for the next available flight." Jane stated in her much practiced way.

Charlie was starting to panic. He couldn't go back to Judge Ruth and face time in a juvenile 'jail'. He had given his word to do what this Thompson woman said he needed, so there was little choice but to agree to stay, at least until Friday! "Ms. Thompson? I...umm-m.. Well...I.."

"Just say what you mean child!" Jane stated in her 'Head Mistress' voice.

Charlie swallowed hard and then took a deep breath; he was scared out of his mind he would be sent back to Indiana. "I...I gave my word, that I will obey your commands. I intend to follow through with that promise ... ma'am."

"Very good, Charles. Shall we begin? That robe you are wearing. You didn't like putting it on did you?" Jane questioned.

Charlie looked at the robe, realized it was a girl's robe and immediately turned a bright pink. "No ma'am, it's a girl's robe."

Jane was happy to see the expected response to that question.

"So the next question is, how does the robe feel, while you are wearing it?" Jane went along her normal opening gambit, checking off the questions in her mind one by one.

"It's slippery. It's actually very warm. That surprises me. It's okay, I guess.", was Charlie's reply.

"Charles, how does wearing that feminine garment make you feel?" Jane checked another question off her list.

"Umm, well...I mean. When I first put it on, I was really embarrassed and afraid that Joan or Marie would make fun of me. Then when we came in here, I felt better and with all you have said to me, I was more concerned about being sent back to Indiana than what I was wearing." Charlie answered as truthfully as he could, under the circumstances. "But now that I concentrate on how the robe feels, it is a rather pleasant feeling."

"So I must assume that you didn't like having to wear that robe in the first place? Only putting it on because of the promise you gave to me?" Jane looked for Charlie's response.

"I didn't have a lot of choice. It appears that all my clothes are missing. If you will tell me what bedroom you had them moved to, I'll run up and change..." Charlie’s statement was cut off with Jane's wave of her hand.

"No, Charles, you are in the correct bedroom. All of your things were cleaned and put away until you leave here. You will be staying in that room while you are here." Jane paused to let that sink into Charlie's brain.

"But.. But..it's...it's a GIRL'S room! I mean, what about the clothes...what am I supposed to wear..." Charlie looked at Jane in wonder and then a bit of anger started to well up inside of him.

Jane noted the change in expression and in body language, 'Now is the time to tell him!’ "You were placed in that room specifically. You will find all the clothes you need in the drawers and in the closet. You remember that we talked of the English method called 'Petticoat Punishment'? Well my dear lad, you are about to learn about it first hand. While you are here you will ONLY wear girl's clothes!"

The response was both immediate and explosive. "WHAT! I have to wear girl's clothes ALL the time! Are you trying to make me into a SISSY?" Charlie had jumped to his feet, leaning across the desk while yelling at Jane Thompson.

Jane looked back from across the desk with a cold steel-like stare. "That will be enough of that, young man! You gave me your word that you would do as I asked while you were here. If your word is ONLY good for things that please you, then we will stop right now and you can leave just as you are!"

Charlie stopped for a second and listened to what Jane said. He got even angrier when she told him he wasn't living up to his word. Now, for the first time since his arrival, he saw red and was ready to strike out and fight to prove he was right. He stood there clenching his fists, sputtering and visibly shaking. Finally out of sheer frustration, Charlie yelled 'ARGGHH' and slammed both hands on the desk. He then dropped unceremoniously into the chair behind him.

Jane looked at her newest student for a moment. She calmly said, "You truly wanted to hit me, didn't you? Why didn't you strike out as you have in the past?"

Charlie sat there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, wrinkled brow and a frown on his face. He looked at Jane for a moment, then uncrossed his arms and looked Jane in the eyes. "I would NEVER hit a girl! As mad as I have EVER gotten, I have never and will never hit a girl!"

Jane listened carefully and then gave Charlie a slight smile. "Well! I see that you CAN show some restraint with your temper. I also see that you can control your urge to strike out at others. This is a good first step, Charles!" Jane paused for just a moment to make sure she had his attention. "Now! Shall we continue? As I told you before I believe that 'Petticoat Punishment' is exactly what you need. That means that at all times while you are here you will dress and act as a perfect young lady! I have found that it is the quickest and most expeditious way to teach self-control to a young person. It has the side benefit of teaching appropriate manners as well."

"You want me to dress and act like...like...Joan?" Charlie asked, a confused look on his face.

Jane looked at Charlie and answered his question this way. "I believe dear sweet Joan would be a good role model for you, yes! Now, if you are through with your little outburst, shall we begin?"

Charlie looked at Jane for a moment, wondering what he should do. He had been given the choice to stay or leave. Leaving was not an option, he had promised his parents and Judge Ruth that he would come here and do as he was told. Moreover, he really didn't want to be away from his family for three and a half years! After all those thoughts he looked at Jane and replied with a bit of defeat in his voice, "I guess we should get started then."

Jane sat there studying Charlie for a couple of minutes; she liked to let the gravity of the situation sink in all the way, before she started the next step. It always made the initial transformation a little easier for Marie. "Very well, Charles, follow me!" Jane stood and briskly left the study, moving quickly she made it up the stairs faster than Charlie and ushered him into 'his' room. She then pointed towards the bathroom and nodded for Charlie to go that way.

Marie was in the bathroom readying towels and bottles. When she heard the two of them coming up the stairs she started filling the bathtub with hot water and foaming bath oils. Marie looked up to see Jane and Charles enter the bedroom and Jane point to the bathroom. She always thought the look on the boys faces, just before they entered the bathroom, was priceless. 'A how you say, Kodak moment!'

"Charles! You met Marie briefly during lunch. While you are here, you will obey her as you would me. She is my assistant and commands the same respect that I do. What you will do is take a bath. I want you clean from head to toes. Use the shampoo twice letting it sit for five minutes before rinsing each time. Then use the conditioner, also letting it sit for five minutes before rinsing it. There is shaving cream and a razor there, you will shave your legs and under your arms. Also make sure you shave every hair from your face below your eyebrows. When you are through, drain the tub, dry off and come into the bedroom. You have thirty minutes to complete those tasks or Marie and I will come in here and complete them for you!" Jane instructed.

Charlie looked around the bathroom in bewilderment. He hadn't taken a bubble bath in years. He finally looked from the tub to Jane and asked, "Shave my legs and arm pits?"

Jane looked straight down her nose at Charlie and replied, "I see your hearing works quite well. That is correct! Now, if there are no further questions, I suggest you get started, as your thirty minutes starts.... NOW!" Jane tapped her wristwatch, spun around and left.

Marie looked at Charlie, smiled and said, "Cherie! I suggest you hurry and do as instructed. Ms. Jane will be back in exactly thirty minutes, of that I assure you!" She smiled again at Charlie and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.