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Part 3

It seemed like it took forever for Friday to come around. I had called Tiffany on Tuesday, and told her I could still do something with her on the Fourth of July. When I explained my punishment to her, she seemed as confused as I did. At least that was her initial reaction. After I told her I had to wear her clothes back over there Friday, she immediately had mixed opinions.

I told her we could make other plans, but she insisted on me coming over regardless. She didn't plan on me coming back in her clothes. So she told me I could come a little early to change into the ones I left over there. If I made it there before the guests started arriving for the cookout, I could slip in and be done with it. Both of us were at a loss on the nail polish dilemma, but she said if I wore a less feminine color, we could play it down.

We both decided to forego my mother's advice. She had told me to go as Bailey and have fun with it. "I'd be dressed anyway," my mother had said. However, that wouldn't really sit well with the company Tiffany planned on having. It was basically her parents' friends, but Tiffany had managed to get permission to have a few friends over, including her boyfriend. We were all planning on going to see the fireworks at the local high school.

While it was true that I would probably have fun as Bailey, if my stepfather caught me as Bailey again, there would be hell to pay. A huge part of me started to not care. On Thursday night I meticulously painted all of my nails. I applied base coat, and followed it with two coats of true blue polish. After two applications of top coat, I had the shiniest patriotic display I could muster. Since Tom had forced me to paint my nails anyway, I thought I might as well take my time and make it special. I was going to alternate each nail with laser red, but figured this was something a girl would do.

The nail color didn't exactly sit well with Tom when he saw them. The task was to get me to do something humiliating, like paint them pink. When he saw me gushing to my mom over my painted nails, he began to suspect I was enjoying it. I could see it eating away at him. He also seemed mad about me going to Tiffany's for the fourth. However, he was leaving Friday night for some fishing trip with Justin anyway, and wouldn't be back until Sunday night. What the hell did he care?

I almost leapt out of bed when I woke up Friday morning. I couldn't wait to get away from Tom, even if he was going to be gone the entire weekend. After a nice breakfast of pancakes and sausage, I deliberately wasted a few hours alone in my room. It gave me time to think. Tom wouldn't leave until after I did. So I couldn't skip out of the house in my own clothes. He would make sure of that.

For the first hour or so, I tried to think of some way I could slip out of the house unseen. I sat and stared at Tiffany's outfit. I'd already deemed it as "the outfit" in my own mind. It would later become the outfit I associated with everything in my life that went wrong. To be honest with myself, I really didn't want to wear it again. The stupid thing even haunted my dreams.

I had secretly slipped the ballet flats on a few times since Monday. However, I couldn't bring it upon myself to slip on the whole outfit. Even when I was alone, it didn't seem like the right thing to do. It was a huge relief to know that Tiffany didn't want me to wear it again either. She wanted a boyfriend. She made it abundantly clear that the boyfriend she wanted was me. Something in me felt like Tom was trying to ruin it all for me.

Tom ruined a lot of things in my opinion. He made my mom feel like she couldn't do better. I knew damn well she could. She was a beautiful woman, even if she was nearing forty-three. Tom treated her fine, but I think she developed an abandonment complex over time. Justin maybe said one paragraph to me since Monday. This made me sad too, as I had always been able to at least pal around with him. Now he avoided me like the plague.

I recalled the dream I had the night before. In the dream I stood before an all girls boarding school somewhere in a frozen tundra. Tom laughed at me as he drove away. In the passenger seat my mother cried as she looked back. Justin stared forward with a vague expression, ignoring the event entirely. Slowly Tom's car drifted down the road and over the horizon. I stood alone, with "the outfit" on, freezing in the icy cold winds.

Those chilling images carried with me to the bathroom. I set about to the mundane tasks of getting ready. The shower was short and uneventful. I toweled off and dried my hair. Everything seemed boring and uneventful, until I had to don "the outfit". My eyes looked over it. Why couldn't I just shove it in a bag and go over there as myself?

I put my feet through the panties, and slid them up my legs. To be honest with myself at that time in my life, I actually liked wearing them. I didn't much care for the bra, which I put on next. My mother told me to forego the "breasts" for now. She said they didn't look right at my age. I hooked the bra closed, and pulled on Tiffany's pink t-shirt over my head. After pulling the skirt on, I opened the door and called for my mom. She came into the bathroom and smiled at me.

"Can you do something with my hair?" I asked.

"Sure honey," my mother said. "We'll just brush it out and clip it. That should be fine."

My mother didn't have anyone to really practice hairstyles on, but she got it pretty close to what Kate did Monday. Kate had a little sister to practice on, so she did a much better job. However, my mom did it fairly well, and somehow managed to give me some bangs. She loosened my front hair, and put the clip in it near the ends. It bubbled out in front to give the illusion of curly bangs.

"Thanks mom," I said when she had finished.

"Not a problem," she said. "Go grab your shoes, and I'll meet you in the living room."

She left me alone. I hurried to brush my teeth. Then I ran to my room. I sat on the edge of my bed and wiggled my feet into Tiffany's ballet flats. Out of all the things I wore of hers, I liked her shoes a lot. My own shoes were boring. Girls just had a lot more to choose from, and this interested me. I shook the thoughts from my head, and hurried into the living room.

Tom had prepared a lecture for me before I went. He went on and on about how it better be the last time I wore girls' clothes. My mother tried several times to tell him we had to go. However, Tom kept saying we could go when he was finished talking. For another ten minutes he made it clear that he wanted me to start acting right. In his mind that meant to act like a rough little bastard boy. He ended it all with a threat that if he ever caught me in girls' clothing again, he would be taking me to see someone about it, and it would be fixed.

Finally, Tom let us go. My mother and I hurried downstairs and out the door. I saw Nathan across the street, at the house adjacent to my neighbor. He waved to me when he saw me. I waited until my mother was in the car, and then I waved back at him. In a matter of a few seconds I was in the car and buckled in. My mother started the car up and backed out of the driveway. We were finally on our way to Tiffany's house.

Tiffany's street was lined with cars, and her driveway was full. So my mother dropped me off in the street in front of her house. She told me all of the usual things, like to behave and be safe if there were fireworks. Afterwards, I closed the door and stepped backwards a few paces. I waved to my mother, and she took off down the road. For a moment I simply stared up at the front door, but then managed to carry myself up the driveway and the few steps toward it. My finger sank into the doorbell. I heard Tiffany's voice through the door.

"I'll get it!"

Tiffany opened the door quickly. She grabbed my wrist, pulling me into her house. We passed the small group of guests in the living room. Their shapes passed my eyes in a blur. I found myself being pulled toward her bedroom, and being pushed inside. She disappeared for a few minutes, and when she came back into the bedroom she had Kate in tow with her. Kate had to look twice before she realized it was me. Then she smiled.

"You're late!" Tiffany said.

"I know. I'm sorry," I said. "Tom wouldn't let my mom and I go."

"Well, your clothes are on the bed," Tiffany said, as she pointed to them. "Or…"

"Or what?"

"Option two," Kate said, as she held up a tube of lipstick.

"No," I said. "No, I want out of these things." I shook my head, folding my arms across my chest.

"We're not going to force you," Kate said.

"We just thought maybe you'd be more comfortable," Tiffany said. "You know… with your nails and all."

I held my hands up with my nails facing them. "They're blue," I said. "I can probably get away with them."

"Well…" Kate closed the door and lowered her voice. "We were thinking…"

"That's never good," I said with a smirk.

"Just hear me out," Kate said. "My friend, who lives behind the school, is having a pool party tonight."

"I thought I was staying here with Tiffany?"

"Zach is," Tiffany said.

"I don't get it," I said. "I am Zach!"

"See…" Kate leaned against the door. "It's an all girls pool party. Her parents won't let guys come."

"I don't mind staying here," Tiffany said. "But if you wanted to do something else."

"We're not trying to pressure you into anything," Kate said. "Just thought you might have more fun at a pool party than a boring cookout with our parents' friends."

"So we say Zach," I shook my head. "I mean I, never showed up here." I glanced at Tiffany. "And I go as Bailey to the pool party?"

"Right," Tiffany said. "But it's totally up to you."

"Won't they figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" Kate asked.

I turned to look at her. "That I'm not a girl?" I grabbed my chest. "These aren't real."

Kate and Tiffany both laughed hysterically. Tiffany stepped back and sat on her bed. She continued to laugh as Kate calmed down a bit. I watched as Kate grabbed her own chest. She jiggled her breasts a bit.

"These didn't start growing 'til my freshman year," Kate said, with a hint of the laughter still in her voice.

"Yeah," Tiffany said. "Most girls don't get a rack until they're well into high school." She wiped her eyes.

"Mine aren't even done growing," Kate said. "You'll be fine."

"What about…" My eyes hinted at my crotch. "You know?"

"Can't you tuck it or something?" Kate asked.

"What if it pops out or something?"

Tiffany collapsed on the bed. She burst out laughing. Her arms held fast to her stomach, and she began to kick her feet in the air. As absurd as the scene seemed, she had an almost hypnotic and a completely agreeable sound to her laughter. It sounded so innocent, and as I listened to her laugh, my mind recapped on what I had said. It did seem pretty funny. I joined in her laughter. Kate did as well, only more contained. She held one hand over her mouth to try and hide her giggling.

"Okay…" I said, catching my breath. "If you think we won't get caught."

"I don't think we will," Kate said.

Tiffany gathered herself, and sat up on the side of her bed. "I don't think so either."

"We're screwed if your mom calls," Kate said.

"Well…" I looked at Tiffany. "I'll call her and tell her the change of plans." I glanced at Kate. "If you can bring me home?"

"Sure!" Kate said.

"So you'll do it?" Tiffany asked.

I shrugged. "Got an extra swimsuit?"

Tiffany's face lit up with a smile. She leapt from the bed, and rushed over to me. Before I could even react to anything, she had me pinned up against her wall. Her soft lips pushed against mine. Our eyes closed. For several moments she forcibly kissed me. It seemed like the most passionate kiss we'd ever shared. She pushed into me.

I thought the kiss would go on forever. Tiffany really seemed into it. I'd never seen her this aggressive before. When Kate started clearing her throat, Tiffany got the hint. She reluctantly let up on her kiss, and we shared a few tender follow-up pecks. The tip of her tongue glided over my bottom lip. My eyes sprung open to see Tiffany pulling away. Then she opened her own eyes and smiled.

"Um… we should get changed," Kate said.

"Uh huh," was all I could muster. I continued to lean against the wall.

"I have the perfect outfit for you… Bailey," Tiffany said.

She scurried over to her dresser. After rummaging through a drawer, she pulled two items out and turned to face me. I saw my "perfect outfit" in her hands. In her left hand was a bright pink one-piece bathing suit, and in her right hand a dark red one-piece. Aside from color, they almost matched completely. I shook my head gently with mouth wide open.

"You don't want to do it?" Tiffany asked.

"No, I'll do it," I said. "Just of all the things I thought I'd be doing this Summer…"

"Not high on your list?" Kate asked with a giggle.

"Not anywhere near my list." I put my hands on my hips. "I suppose I have to wear the pink?"

"That would be silly," Tiffany said. "You get the red."

"Very patriotic with your nails," Kate said.

I glanced over to see Kate smiling. Then my attention fell on my girlfriend. Tiffany walked the swimsuits over to me. I reached for the red one, and she pulled it back. She pushed the pink one forward, with a big smile on her face. I shook my head furiously and she laughed. Then she handed me the red bathing suit.

I took the red swimsuit from her hand, and Kate led me out of the room. She walked ahead of me, covering me incase someone saw us. Then she stood outside of the bathroom as I locked myself inside. After closing the door, I quickly pulled my borrowed clothes off, pausing shortly before dropping the panties. I stood for a lingering moment with the red material in my hands. Looking down at my fingernails and toenails, I figured people wouldn't assume too much. I took a deep breath and stepped into the bathing suit.

I thought for sure this thing wasn't going to fit, but I never realized how stretchy the material would be. However, I held fast to my end of the bargain; the one I made up in my own mind in Tiffany's room. If this thing fit, I would go… maybe. Try I did, and fit it did. I pulled the straps up over my shoulders and fidgeted with everything. There I was looking in the mirror at a prepubescent girl, but it was me. Kate and Tiffany beckoning to see me, prompted me slowly but surely to open the bathroom door.

"Looking good," Kate said.

"Awesome!" Tiffany said.

Tiffany couldn't contain her excitement. Already dawning her pink version of the red swimsuit I was wearing, she stood there fussing over me. She fixed my hair with her fingers, and moved around me to adjust the swimsuit. I looked almost exactly like her, but with medium length blonde hair, instead of long black hair. Our bodies seemed remarkably similar at this age.

Her hands moved all over my body. I felt her pull the swimsuit out at my bottom to make it cover more. She pulled the front up more, leaving more of my back exposed. Then she adjusted the straps on my shoulders. When she came back around to my stomach, she smoothed over my front, and adjusted the suit a bit more.

The feeling of her hands running over my body felt good, with only a thin layer of smooth material between us. She glanced around, and then ran her hand between my legs. I jumped, and shifted away from her a bit when she cupped my genitals. She seemed frisky. After she became satisfied with the fit, she threw her arms around me, giving me a big hug. Then she kissed me on the cheek and let me go.

"Could you excuse my sister and I?" Kate said. She was glaring at Tiffany.

"You can go call your mom in my room," Tiffany said. "I'll come do some finishing touches."

Tom and Justin had already left, and so my mother answered the phone. My mom seemed perfectly fine with the plans, even stating I could spend the night if I was on my best behavior. I wasn't sure about that at all, but told her I would call her back if I did. She told me to have fun and act like a lady. Even though I was going to be Bailey for the night, it still irritated me she said it like that. My spirits weren't dampened all that much though, as I hung up the phone and waited.

I waited for quite a while. Several minutes went by before Tiffany came bursting into her room with two large beach towels, and some other assorted items. She handed me a pair of white cotton shorts, and a pair of red flip-flops. I dropped the sandals to my feet and pulled on the shorts before slipping my blue-tipped feet into the sandals. I watched her for a moment pull on a pair of black shorts, and slip her own feet into a pair of pink flip-flops.

Then she turned to me and held up a tube of lipstick. I remember her telling me the shade was Toast of New York, some Revlon shade that was hugely popular in the 1990's. Kate walked into the room and mentioned every girl around their age wore it. I shrugged. Instead of letting me put it on, Tiffany applied the lipstick lightly to my lips. She then messed with my hair a bit more, and put a couple of barrettes in it.

"Don't look so disappointed," Kate said.

"I didn't realize I did."

"You look sad," Tiffany said.

"Oh… I guess I was just expecting more."

"More what?" Kate asked.

"Makeup and stuff, I guess."

"Well we are going swimming," Tiffany said. "Would get ruined anyway."

"Besides," Kate said. "That makeup I put on you the other day was overkill."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I just did it heavy like that to show up in the pictures."

"Most girls our age don't wear a lot of makeup," Tiffany said.

"You really do look better natural," Kate said. "The lipstick's more for confidence than anything." She winked at me.

Tiffany shoved my towel into a large bag. She tossed in sunscreen with the towel. Then she repeated the process for her own bag. In her bag, she also put the lipstick. Lastly she handed me a pair of sunglasses with red frames.

"Still got a few more hours of sun," Tiffany said. "Ready to go?"

I stood there frozen. "What if someone recognizes me?"

"I don't hardly recognize you," Tiffany said.

"Nobody will even know you," Kate added.

"What if something happens in the pool?"

"You'll be fine," Kate said.

"I don't know if I can go like this."

"Look…" Kate put her hands on my bare shoulders. "We'll tell our parents we're leaving. If they recognize you, that'll be your out."

"If you pass as my friend Bailey," Tiffany said, "then we go. Deal?"

She just stood there with the biggest smile on her face. Her look beamed with confidence. She put her sunglasses on her head in a way where it held her hair back. Though she didn't know it, she had already won the argument. She won it way back when she kissed me. Then again, maybe she did know it. Women…

"Okay. If they don't catch on, I'll go."

"That's the spirit!" Kate said.

"We will so make this up to you," Tiffany said.

"How?"

"We'll think of something," Kate said.

Both girls moved for the door. I put my sunglasses on my head, copying Tiffany, and sheepishly followed them into the hall. They say when trying something new, the first step is always the hardest. I think I may have walked past about twenty people until I realized the guests weren't staring at me. In fact they all seemed too absorbed in their conversations. Sure we got noticed. Who wouldn't notice three girls in bathing suits? However, they didn't stare at us like they were trying to determine which of us was a boy.

"You girls going to the pool party now?" Tiffany's mom asked from across the room.

"In a little while," Kate said. "Where's dad?"

"He's out firing up the grill. Make sure you girls get something to eat before you leave."

"Will do," Tiffany said. "You remember Bailey?"

"Of course!" Tiffany's mom waved at me. "Nice to see you again. Shame Zach couldn't make it. You girls have fun." She turned back to talk to someone else.

Tiffany leaned over slightly to whisper in my ear. "If you can get past mom, you already won."

We all walked outside into the backyard. The boy side of me wanted to kick the hapless pinecones strewn across the back patio, but the girl side of me gave heed to me falling flat on my face while doing so. I didn't wear flip-flops much. So that tended to be the first dilemma. The second dilemma would be the fact that I was too scared to act outside of the perceived character of a young girl.

Tiffany and I sat down at their outdoor table, as Kate went over to talk to their dad. Next to me, Tiffany continued to gab away as if nothing were out of the ordinary. She shared her concerns about starting junior high in two months, and how sad it would be that we were going to different schools. I looked at her confused. We were both going to the same junior high school. Then it dawned on me she was talking about Bailey.

"Yeah," I said. "Too bad we won't get to see much of each other."

"Well we got the rest of the Summer," Tiffany said.

When I looked at the plate of raw hamburgers sitting on the grill, I felt a bit queasy at the thought of going through with this. Maybe it was the heat. Perhaps a dip in the pool wouldn't be so bad after all. After a few minutes, I started to stop concentrating on my situation for once. I joined in with my girlfriend's conversation and she smiled at me.

"You'll be fine," she tried to convince me. She leaned forward to whisper to me. "Just act natural."

I leaned forward to whisper back. "If I act natural, won't I be a boy?"

"If you say so," Tiffany said. "But you don't look the part."

"No thanks to you."

"I lied when I said I didn't like you as Bailey."

"That's not even funny," I said loudly. I lowered my voice when Kate looked at me. "Why?"

"Why did I lie?"

"No," I said. "Why do you like it?"

"I don't know what it is," Tiffany said. "Like, I don't think your step dad is right at all, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to make you mad."

"I won't be mad," I said.

"You've just got this side of you that appeals to me," Tiffany said.

"A girly side?"

"It really isn't that," she said. "I mean you have it without being Bailey."

"I'm more confused now, than I was when this started."

"There is something special about you that I really like," Tiffany said. "That's the best way I can explain it."

"Hey!" Kate yelled. "Girls over there! Look over here!"

We both looked at Kate. She looked amazing in her forest green swimsuit. It hugged every single inch of her upper body. She waved her arms out in front of her. They were slim arms, not boney, but a fit slim, with a very healthy tan glow. The same glowing tan covered her shapely legs, legs that seemed to go on forever from her white knit shorts to her white flip-flops. Her shiny black hair looked wet and silky, and was pulled back into a high ponytail.

"Do you young ladies want a hotdog before you go?" their dad asked.

"I'll take one," Tiffany said.

"Bailey?"

Was that me? I stared at Kate's amazing body. I stared until I felt a jab in my ribs. I glanced at Tiffany, and then back at Kate. She had an amused smile on her face, but with her eyes she was prodding me to focus my attention elsewhere. Then I looked at their dad. He stood with a puzzled look on his face.

"I'm sorry," I said. "My mind was completely on something else. I'll take one please."

Their dad shook his head as he laughed. "Coming right up."

Tiffany leaned over to me. "Do you have a crush on my sister?" she asked with a whisper.

"I…" I looked at her. "I'm just imagining you looking that good when you're older."

Tiffany shook her head letting loose a small laugh. "Relax! Even your voice is high when you're nervous." She bumped me with her elbow. "You're a girl. You shouldn't be staring at other girls like that."

After a brief moment of regret at being called a girl, I quickly got over it. I vowed from that moment on I would try not to stare at other girls again. At least I wouldn't be caught by Tiffany while doing it. I didn't even ponder at that moment where this all would take our relationship. However, it didn't really concern me. Tiffany still found me appealing even when I was Bailey. For the rest of the day, I was no longer her boyfriend. I was one of the girls.

We ate soon after the little episode. For three girls, we put away a hotdog in record time. I think we were all nervous about getting out of there as fast as possible. I for one could imagine their mom eventually putting my face on a boy's body. Our little endeavor would be derailed quickly if that happened. Kate and Tiffany gave their dad a kiss on the cheek, and we were off.

Instead of going back through the house, we walked around the yard. I had a flashback of my stepfather sitting in the driveway, imagining what would happen if he saw this. Kate purposefully parked at the back of the driveway. I was personally glad. It meant we could get out fast. I let Tiffany into the backseat before me, and started to climb in after her. Kate poked her head into the car.

"Uh… no!" Kate said. "I'm not playing chaperone. One of you sit up front."

"Bailey can," Tiffany said. "She has a huge lesbian crush on you."

I hid my face, as I felt the burning sensation of a blush coming over it. By the time I had put the passenger seat back, Kate had settled into the driver's side seat. I stepped into the car and sat next to her. The tan vinyl stuck to me everywhere. Kate started up the car as I shifted uncomfortably.

"You get used to it," Kate said.

"I guess so," I said.

"Last chance," Kate said, looking into my eyes. "Once we leave this driveway, you're stuck as Bailey until we come back."

"She's ready!" Tiffany said.

I nodded.

"So be it!"

Kate backed the car out of the driveway. She pulled the gear selector down into drive, and we were off. The high school was about six blocks from their house, and Kate's friend's house was only five or so blocks after that. So instead of hitting the radio on, we all decided to talk. Well, we all didn't decide to talk. Rather Kate had a few things to say.

"You two really need to chill with the kissing and groping. Especially when you're Bailey." She glanced at me.

"I was just fooling around," Tiffany said.

"Exactly!" Kate said. "What if mom or dad saw you kissing? They'd either think you were a lesbian." She looked in the mirror at her sister. "Or you both would have a ton of explaining to do."

"Okay," Tiffany said. "Point taken."

"I don't want to be the one who puts a drag on all of this," Kate said. "Just be careful of your surroundings. Please?"

"Okay," we both chimed in together.

"Now…" Kate pulled up to a stop sign. "I think it's kind of cute that you two can do this, and I want you to have fun with it."

"But?" Tiffany asked.

"But," Kate said, "you…" She looked at me. "Have to remember that you're acting as a twelve-year-old girl." She pulled away from the stop sign. "And in remembering that, also remember there are certain expectations of how you should act."

"I'll behave," I said.

"It's not just that," Kate said. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I want Tiffany to be the standard tonight." She glanced at Tiffany again in the mirror. "Meaning she should go above and beyond to show you the way to properly act like a young lady."

"I will," Tiffany said, rolling her eyes.

Kate tapped my knee. "And you follow her example."

"Okay," I said. "I feel really nervous now."

"Don't feel nervous," Kate said. She patted my thigh. "You'll be fine. Just have fun, and stay close to Tiff." She moved her hand back to the steering wheel. "She knows how to act. Even if she doesn't act like she should."

Tiffany reached up and put her hand on my shoulder. "This'll be fun. Relax."

"And even though you have a crush on me," Kate said, "it's not polite to stare."

"I'm sorry," I said, noticeably blushing. "Especially to Tiffany."

"It's okay," Tiffany said. "I'll share, as long as I get Bailey." She shook my shoulder, and we all laughed a bit of the tension off.

Kate pulled into an empty spot on the street. By the time we reached the driveway of Kate's friend's house, Tiffany and I were walking arm in arm. We approached the door and Kate rang the doorbell. An older lady opened the door. I assumed it was the girl's mother. She had a bathing suit on and her hair looked a little wet.

"Hi misses Young," Kate said. "Did the party already start?"

"Hello Kate," Mrs. Young said. "They're all around back. Is this your sister?" She looked at Tiffany.

"I guess it's been awhile since you've seen her," Kate said.

"You're growing up fast Tiffany," Mrs. Young said. "Going to be as pretty as Kate in a few years. And who's your friend?"

"This is Bailey," Tiffany said.

"Well nice to meet you Bailey," Mrs. Young said. "You're a cutie too."

"Thank you," I said.

"Rebecca is in the back," Mrs. Young said. "You girls can come through here, or go on around."

"We'll go around," Kate said. "Thanks misses Young."

"Oh call me Betty," Mrs. Young said. "You girls have fun."

All three of us walked around the house, and through a gate to the backyard. Finally we had reached the long-awaited destination of our journey. Kate stopped to talk to the girl I could only assume was Rebecca. She was a little heavier set than Kate, but not bad to look at, and a few inches taller than Kate.

Rebecca had what my mom would call a healthy weight. Her legs were really nice, but a bit muscular for my taste. I assumed they got that way from swimming a lot. She had a nice firm butt, but a bit of a problem area in her midsection. The rest of her seemed pretty fit. A nice flowing crown of wavy golden blonde hair sat atop her slightly chubby face.

Tiffany pulled me over to two empty chairs and we put our stuff down between them. Then she retrieved her towel and draped it over her chair. I followed suit, trying to emulate her the best I could. She kicked her flip-flops to the side, and pushed her shorts down. I watched the material slip from one foot and then the other. I removed my own shorts in the same fashion, but decided to slip on my flip-flops again after, as the concrete ground was scorching hot.

As I pulled out the sunscreen Tiffany gave me, she eased into the chair with her own bottle. I sat down next to her and we applied our sunscreen. It was unusual for me at first, not having to put it on most of my upper body, and Tiffany seemed to know what I was thinking as I glanced over at her. She slipped on her flip-flops and came over and put sunscreen on my back, neck and shoulders. In turn I helped her with her own back.

Then I slipped off my flip-flops, and eased myself down on my back into the chair. I sat there for quite a while, dazed and gazing at my glimmering blue toenails. At one point I tapped my feet together, feeling strangely at ease in the process. Somewhere, seemingly distant, a few of the girls shouted and splashed away in the pool. I finally felt relaxed.

A gentle warm breeze blew by me. The smell of chlorine mixed with the Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen stirred beneath my nostrils. I found myself lost in the moment. For several minutes I sat motionless in the chair, until Tiffany rustled in the chair next to me as she turned over to get some sun on her front. I realized the heat was becoming unbearable, but I turned over to take more abuse. I turned my head to face Tiffany, and she gave me a warm smile.

Finally she had had enough sun, and decided it was time for the pool. Tiffany dropped her sunglasses in the bag, and stood up next to me, casting a shadow across my midsection. I started to get up, but she stepped over and pushed me back down. She reached for the sunscreen again, and then sat on the chair next to me. I could feel her warm leg against my side through the swimsuit.

I felt her apply the now warm lotion on the back of my legs, and rub it in down to my heels and around the sides. Her hands even reached up to my bottom, and pushed the material of the swimsuit away to expose more of my bottom to the sun. I heard the bottle squirt again, and felt her hands on the exposed part of my back, and then my shoulders. As she massaged the sunscreen in, even going under the swimsuit a bit, she leaned close to speak into my ear.

"I have to use the little girl's room," she said. "We can't swim for awhile anyway, so you might as well get a nice tan. I'll probably be back to tan some more too." She finished putting the sunscreen down the backs of my arms. "Don't forget the sunscreen on your face and front, sweetie."

I felt her lightly pat my exposed backside. She pushed off of me, and was gone. The sun continued to beat down on my back. My mind wanted to concentrate on the sounds of the pool, but the heat remained relentless. I decided to turn over. I felt around for the sunscreen and eventually pulled it up to me. The bottle was hot, and the lotion hotter still. I applied it liberally to the exposed parts of my front, and at the same time tried to find Tiffany in the crowd of people.

She seemed to be inside still. I had no idea what was keeping her. As I sat and waited, Kate came over and sat down in Tiffany's chair. I expressed my opinion of the heat by dramatically fanning myself. Kate smiled at me, as she began to put sunscreen on her legs and arms. At least from this position on the chair I could watch the pool. I applied lotion to my face, and then turned my attention back toward Kate.

"Where'd Tiff go?"

"She said the restroom, but it's been awhile."

"Well," Kate said. "I'll use her chair while she's gone." She stood up and stepped over to me. "Will you do my back?"

"Sure," I said, as Kate slid onto my chair.

After a couple of minutes of excruciatingly trying to put lotion on Kate without getting excited, she thanked me and returned to her seat. The next several minutes passed slowly. Kate turned over eventually, and adjusted her swimsuit over her bottom. I couldn't help myself from stealing glances at her. Everything about her was amazing. I knew she kept fit by running and jogging, but I never knew how fit she really was until I saw her that day.

"Aw you took my chair." Tiffany said from behind me.

"I can move," Kate mumbled.

"No it's okay," Tiffany said.

"You can have mine," I said.

"I'm gonna sit by the pool," Tiffany said.

Kate reached out and touched my arm. "You need to turn back over for a few, or you'll be uneven."

Tiffany breezed by between us. She walked to the pool and eased herself down onto the edge. Before long she started kicking her feet in the water. I waved to get her attention. She only smiled and returned the wave. Then she motioned for me to turn over. I reluctantly turned over onto my stomach, and began to count off another five minutes in my head.

"Hey," Kate's voice came softly beside me. "Bailey."

I turned to look at Kate.

"My sister loves you," Kate said, low enough to where nobody else could hear.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Kate said, "and I mean the whole package."

"I don't understand."

"She thinks you're smart, funny, and fun to be with," Kate said. "Not only that, but she loves the Bailey side of you almost as much as the Zach side."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Kate gave me a big smile. "She likes that Bailey can do things with her like go to this party." She reached out and touched my arm again. "But don't get me wrong. She still likes having a boyfriend."

"What do you think about it?"

"Me?" Kate had to stop and think for a moment. "It's not really up to me, but…" She patted my arm. "I think you look cute either way."

"Would you ever date me?" I asked, but then quickly added. "I mean, someone like me."

"Well you're a bit too young, kiddo," she said. "But personally, I'm into pretty boys, though none of them ever dressed as a girl. So yeah. It could happen." She gave me a wink. "I'm always there as a big sister if you need me though." She removed her hand from my arm, and started to turn over. "Why don't you go sit with Tiff over there?"

I flipped over, and as I did I saw Tiffany talking with some other girl. She was obviously involved in the conversation, and I decided to not interrupt her right away. I sat on the edge of the chair and leaned closer to Kate. She had her right leg bent slightly at the knee. I stared at her legs and feet for a moment. I didn't even notice Kate had turned to look at me.

"Find something you like?"

Without pulling my stare away, I answered her with a question. "How do you stay in such great shape?"

"You think I'm in great shape?" Kate asked.

"Well yeah." I had to be honest. "Your body is amazing." I felt a little bold. "I'd totally worship it." Maybe too bold… "If I was your boyfriend I mean." I looked at her.

Kate's eyebrow raised. "Well you're not."

"I know," I said. "I'm just saying."

"Well don't," Kate said. "Tiffany was joking about sharing. I'm not gonna do my sister like that."

"Okay. I get it," I said. "I'm sorry."

"Look," Kate leaned toward me. "I get it too. You think I'm pretty." She looked over at her sister. "But think of Tiffany." She looked back at me. "I mean, she's okay with us acting all sisterly and all, but in no way would I ever cross that fine line." She gave me a tap on the head. "So get it through your head."

"Got it," I said.

"Good!" Kate sat back in her chair. "I run track and jog a lot."

"Huh?"

"That's how I stay in shape," Kate said. "Now go spend some time with her."

I removed myself from the chair. After walking a couple of feet on the hot concrete, I was sorry I left my flip-flops behind. Tiffany gave me a great big smile when she saw me coming. She patted the place next to her. I eased myself down on the edge of the pool. Then Tiffany put her arm around my shoulder.

"Done with your tanning princess?" Tiffany asked in a smug tone.

"For now," I replied, playing along with her.

"This is my best friend Bailey," Tiffany said to the other girl. "She won't be going to the same school, but maybe we can all hang out some time."

"I'd like that," the other girl responded. "I'm Tracy." She wormed her hand around Tiffany's side and across her midsection.

I took Tracy's hand and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you," I said. Then I thought for a moment of how I could sell the illusion. "Maybe we can all go shopping?"

"Okay with me," Tiffany said, showing me a big grin.

"I'd like that," Tracy said.

"Tracy is Rebecca's sister," Tiffany said.

"Oh," I said. "Well you all have a nice house here."

"Thanks," Tracy said. "They'll be shooting the fireworks off almost over our house."

"It looks really pretty over the pool," Tiffany said.

"I bet," I said. "Can't wait to see it."

The smell of chlorine and sunscreen tickled my nostrils as we sat on the edge of the pool. I kicked my feet in the water as Tiffany and Tracy shared small chat. Tracy wasn't extremely attractive, but she wasn't ugly. It's just that she wasn't my type. She looked a little pudgy like her sister, which didn't bother me, but she had straight red hair and freckles. I didn't mind the red hair so much, but I just wasn't into freckles. Eventually Tracy left us alone and went over to talk to some other girls.

"Are you having fun?" Tiffany asked.

"I'm hot, but I'm having fun," I said.

"Tracy wanted to know if I wanted to go to her birthday party in a couple of weeks." Tiffany took her arm off of my shoulder. "I was wondering if you wanted to go as Bailey?"

"I don't know," I said. "I mean I wouldn't mind doing it, but with my family and all."

"I understand," Tiffany said. "Too bad you have to deal with that."

"Yeah," I said. "Would've been a lot more fun if I could just go without questioning."

"I'm having fun too," she said. "But it's way too hot."

"To be honest, I kind of like being Bailey," I said. "But if I get caught, it's all over."

"Don't get caught!" She patted my arm. "It's not worth it."

"Anyway," she said. "That's your swimsuit for the rest of the summer. You're too cute in it."

I looked at her shaking my head. "I think I'll have to pass."

"You'll probably reconsider once you see the tan line you're getting today."

"My gosh, I didn't even think about that." I started to shift my body around uncomfortably. "What am I going to tell my parents?"

"Relax," Tiffany said. "We'll figure something out. Just don't make a scene."

"Tom's gonna kill me."

"Maybe you can tan tomorrow in my backyard," Tiffany said. "You did say you could spend the night."

"You really think your parents will let a boy spend the night?"

"Not a boy," Tiffany said. "Bailey."

"Oh," I said reluctantly. "Right."

"It'll be fine," Tiffany said. "Now let's swim!"

Tiffany pushed off of the edge of the pool. She splashed into the water, sending some of it onto me. For a moment I sat frozen, like I was mad she splashed me. It was such a girly thing to do, and I had no idea why I did it. The thought didn't stay with me long, as I quickly followed Tiffany into the pool. I pushed off of the edge and fell toward the rippling water.

The instant coolness of the water woke me up. I felt alive as I found myself below the water's surface. The water felt great after being cooked under the hot sun. When I rose back above water, I saw Tiffany next to me. She pushed her hair back out of her face, and then looked at me with a satisfied smile. Then when I pushed my own hair back, her face dropped into a pout.

"Aw," she said. "The water ruined your hair."

"We can fix it later."

"Ooh… can I curl it?"

I gave her a playfully angry look, then splashed her. She laughed and splashed me back. Then she swam away, and I gave chase. It didn't take me long to catch up to her, and when I did I got a hold of her right ankle. Tiffany tried to kick away, but I pulled her back to me. I managed to get my arm around her left knee and pull her under. Beneath the water, we pushed and pulled at each other, until eventually we had to come up for air.

We enjoyed our time together in the pool. At one point we raced each other across the pool and back. Tiffany beat me by quite a bit, but I didn't seem to mind. In all honesty I wasn't much of a swimmer, or really much of anything when it came to athletics. Since I had no desire to become an athlete, it kept me focused on school work. Though really not hard to do, I managed to get through sixth grade with only one grade lower than an A. Ironically it happened to be a B in sixth grade gym, the year they decided to start grading kids on the extra curricular classes.

Other girls went in and out of the pool, but for the most part Tiffany and I stayed near each other. We stayed in the pool for a long time that afternoon. Several times Tiffany made it a point to "innocently" rub up against me. We both knew we couldn't take it beyond that, as we were in front of about twenty girls. I think it was around five in the afternoon when we finally got out. Tiffany wanted a little more sun, and I figured I could dry off in the chair next to her. I followed her out of the pool.

I slipped into the lounge chair face down. My back met the Summer sun and eagerly soaked in the warmth. Only a few hours remained until the fireworks started. I could feel the coolness of the water on my bare skin start to disappear. Time ticked away so slowly, and my mind tried to wrap around the concept of being my girlfriend's girl friend part time. When I thought about it, I admit I got a little excited. It seemed like a challenge.

Tiffany had pulled her hair up, to get sun on her neck and shoulders. She really did look cute. Her innocent face beamed in the sunlight. While not exactly matching her sister's form, I noticed her backside was pretty nice. In a few years Tiffany would basically be Kate. If I could manage to stick with her that long, it would be more than worth it. Kate was right.

"What?" Tiffany's eyes had opened to see me staring at her.

"You're so pretty," I said, quiet enough so that she could only hear me.

Tiffany smiled. "You are too," she said.

"Would you be happy with only one side of me?"

"Yes," Tiffany said. "Either side." She winked at me, and then turned over onto her back.

I pushed myself over on the lounge chair. Tiffany had her eyes closed. I decided to let her enjoy herself, and stay quiet. As I basked beneath the sun, I thought of the way Kate had been sitting earlier. I mimicked her, and slid my right foot back. I figured it must do something to enhance the tan. So there I sat, with my right knee slightly bent, tanning beneath the setting sun.

After several minutes passed, Tiffany grabbed my wrist. She wormed her hand down into mine as my eyes opened. When I saw her sitting up and tugging at my hand, I assumed she wanted to go back to the pool. She pulled at me long enough to get me to sit up. Then she leaned forward. She stood and took my other hand, essentially pulling me to my feet. I shifted my weight on the warm concrete beneath me.

"What is it?"

"Just come with me," Tiffany said.

"Where?"

"Come on!" She gave me an excited look.

I started to slip my feet into the flip-flops, but she pulled me away from them.

"Leave them," she said. "We'll be back."

Tiffany tugged me over to a small stall, between the pool and the house. Before I could say anything, she pulled me inside of it. She hit a button to activate a shower, and we both jumped when the freezing cold water hit us. By the time I had stopped shivering and screaming like a girl, Tiffany had the temperature of the water a little warmer, though not hot. She pulled me up close to her, under the shower jet. Then I felt her hands on my shoulders, and she put her forehead against mine.

"Just relax," she said. "Nobody can see us here."

Her hands slid down my arms. The water allowed her actions to be fluid. I pushed my face under the cascading water. My eyes were shut when Tiffany's hands reached mine. I suddenly felt a bit nervous, as she lifted my hands and placed them on her hips. While the chlorine washed out of my hair, I opened my eyes and stared at our feet. I tried to tune out everything but the feelings around me at the moment.

"I really appreciate what you did today," Tiffany said softly.

"I'm just glad you had a nice time."

"I still am."

Tiffany's head tilted upward, nudging my own head up to face her neck. I soon felt her soft lips on my forehead. My typical boy instincts filled me with excitement at her touch. Though another side of me fought to keep control. If I revealed my true identity, I would be deemed a pervert, and probably the whole town would hear about tonight. I felt her hands run up the front of my swimsuit. They stopped on my chest.

"Are you having fun?" Tiffany asked.

"Perhaps a bit more now," I admitted.

She started to grope and massage my chest, as if I had breasts underneath. In response I released a long breath across her neck. She reacted to this by running her hands up into my hair. I felt her give me a gentle tug. My head lifted to where I looked at her eye to eye. Our lips met.

Water tumbled down our faces. It rolled down our noses and around our lips. Breathing became difficult. We pulled away, only to take a breath. Then we were back to kissing. Though we both knew there was definitely something beyond this point, neither one of us seemed sure how to get there. All we had ever done was kiss. So kiss we did.

Soon my hands were inching up the back of Tiffany's swimsuit. I got to her shoulders and simply held her. She had dropped her hands down to my bottom. As I brought my hands around to her front, my eyes opened to peek where they were at. When my hands moved over Tiffany's breasts, her eyes shot open. She pulled away from our kiss to take a breath. I thought for sure she would chew me out when I started to massage her small mounds, but instead she moaned quietly. Then her eyes shut, and her lips were back on mine.

I continued to massage Tiffany's breasts as we kissed. She started to play with the back of my swimsuit. More directly, it was the edge of the leg holes in back. Eventually she wormed a few fingers in between the swimsuit and my bottom. Then she pushed both of her hands in. Tiffany did a half giggle and half moan when I shifted uncomfortably.

I jumped when she clamped her hands down on my butt cheeks. She started to squeeze my bottom, and pull it apart. I could feel the material of the swimsuit filling the void of my crack. She kept going until it felt like I had on a thong. Our kiss broke again. After a quick breath of air, she pulled me closer and put her lips next to my left ear.

"Careful," she whispered. "They're a little sore."

My hands eased up on her breasts. Instead of groping them, I ran my thumbs around them in circles. She seemed to enjoy this, or so I thought. Either her light moans were from pleasure or pain. Regardless, her fingers began to inch their way closer and closer to the tip of my penis. It still sat tucked away between my legs.

Tiffany gripped my bottom hard. She pushed her lips against mine in another passionate kiss. I had never seen her like this before. She pulled me forward, and at the same time she thrust forward. Her pelvis hit solidly against mine. Unfortunately my testicles had gotten caught between, as I had pushed them back up inside of me. I figured it would look better that way.

I moaned loudly against Tiffany's kiss. She read it as pleasure, rather than pain. So she did it again, and again she misread my moan. I pulled away for air. Before I could say something to her, she locked her lips onto mine. She bumped her pelvis against mine several more times. On the last one, she held against me tightly. Soon her pelvis was moving side to side as she grinded against me.

What had been at first a wincing pain, now subsided into a numbness somewhere between pleasure and pain. It felt like I had been racked right after, and right before, the most pleasurable thing I'd experienced in my life. I couldn't blame Tiffany. She didn't know. There wasn't any way she could've known she had racked me about ten times. For all she knew, she had been exciting me.

I worked through it. My mind started to focus on other things. Though none of it felt as charged as it was before. We continued to kiss. I moved my hands back around to rub her back. This made her almost purr, which intrigued me. Her fingers began to inch closer to the head of my penis again. In a few short seconds she would be touching it for the first time.

"Food will be served soon!" Mrs. Young's voice rang out from nowhere. "Then we'll all come out to the pool area for fireworks!"

Tiffany's hands froze. Another half of an inch and she would've made contact. We both sighed in frustration, and broke our kiss. I felt her hands slip from under my swimsuit. Then she quickly pulled it back out to cover my bottom. After a few quick pecks on the lips, we both dropped our hands to our sides. Her forehead fell gently against mine.

"Can you…" Tiffany put her hands back up on my chest. "Can Bailey stay the night?"

I finally started to see signs of confusion in Tiffany. I'd only assumed she had wrapped her mind around this more than I had. However, she had been taking this step by step like I had been. She didn't plan this. I didn't plan this. Not even her sister planned this. It had just happened. Now she had trouble figuring out which side of me she was with.

"If you have something for her to sleep in," I said.

"She can sleep in my bed."

Tiffany raised her head to reveal a mischievous grin. She spun me around, and hit the knob on the shower over to cold. I started to scream, but she quickly slapped her hand over my mouth. Ice cold water cascaded down my front. It eased the dull pain in my abdomen, and effectively froze my lust for Tiffany. I danced around in it for a few moments, until Tiffany put her head on my shoulder.

"Bailey better behave if she stays over," Tiffany whispered in my ear. "I can't have her jumping me in the middle of the night." She uncovered my mouth.

"That goes for you too!"

I grabbed Tiffany, and swung her around into the cold water. Her mouth flew open, but she quickly covered it herself. She did an encore of the same cold water dance I had performed. In the process she managed to swat me a few times. Then she started to miss. Eventually she gave up and started to let the shower calm her down a bit. I came over and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. She pushed me away.

Tiffany hit the shower off, and squeezed the excess water from her hair. I took it as a cue to do the same. Part of me felt relieved we had ended it where we ended it. I knew for sure that I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Though I couldn't read minds, I was pretty sure Tiffany didn't know what she was doing either. Both of us needed to cool down. I wondered if we could control ourselves later.

She pushed me through the door to the outside. We both exited, the whole time trying to contain our laughter. I was greeted outside by an older girl walking toward the stall. Part of me hoped we didn't keep her waiting, while the other part didn't care. We got to our chairs and Tiffany pushed my towel into my hands. I mimicked her moves to dry my hair. She patted herself dry, and I followed suit. Then I slipped my borrowed shorts and flip-flops on.

Tiffany pulled her lipstick from the bag, and waved me forward with her index finger. So I stepped over to her as she held up the lipstick. I watched her curiously, as she popped the cap, and twisted the waxy substance up in the tube. She put a light application on my lips, and then handed the tube to me. When she puckered up, I knew she wanted me to put it on her. I held the tube up to her lips.

The whole time I put the lipstick on her lips, Tiffany looked me in the eyes. Her entire demeanor seemed to be comprised of fascination, love, a hint of lust, and probably more questions than could ever be answered. From our own little secret ritual to tonight, something had changed. Tiffany liked some aspect of me dressed like a girl, and though she admitted she liked the plain Zachary side of me too, it didn't show much. I decided to wait and see. It had only been a week.

Inside, Mrs. Young had set the table with everything ranging from cold cuts to carrot sticks. It essentially was an enormous buffet. I settled on a ham and cheese sandwich, with some watermelon. She even had it setup to where we could make our own salads. I chose to have a small salad, carrot sticks and celery with some ranch dressing. Truth be told, the other girls ate more than I did that night.

I ate mostly in silence. The other girls gabbed back and forth. Usually bursts of conversation came during repeat trips to the table. I did go back for some more watermelon and a few cookies. There was just so much food there, I almost felt guilty not eating more of it. I swear to this day that Tiffany ate her weight in watermelon and tomatoes. She kept going back to nab them from the table.

We spent probably a good hour or two inside eating. Eventually Mrs. Young nudged us outside for the show. The lights had been turned on in the pool. It looked nice and peaceful with the glow rippling along the water. Most of the girls wanted to stay by the pool in the chairs, but some of them wandered over to the grass. I felt someone come up behind me, and realized it was Tiffany. She handed me a stick of gum.

"Do you want to go over there?" Tiffany asked.

I put the gum in my mouth as I looked to where she was pointing. It was a somewhat dark and secluded spot off to the side. I nodded to her. She walked over to grab a large towel, and came back to me. Then she grabbed my hand and hurried me off to the grassy spot. I nearly tripped on the flip-flops, because of her hurrying me.

Tiffany spread the large towel out over the grass. She situated it somewhat uphill so we could sit back and watch the fireworks. Then she kicked off her sandals and fell to her knees on the towel. I kicked off my own sandals. She tugged at the towel hanging from my shoulders. I gracefully went down onto my knees facing her.

"We got a few minutes before they start," Tiffany said. She sat back and put her legs out in front of her.

"What do you want to do?" I lowered my bottom down onto my heels, but continued to kneel next to her.

"We can talk," she said. "Did you have fun?"

"I can honestly say I did." I leaned forward a bit. "Even before the shower."

"I had a lot of fun too." She glanced around. "I didn't know how you'd respond to the whole swimsuit and pool idea."

"Well…" I moved over closer to her, deciding to put my legs out in front of me. "I'm really confused about all of this."

"Like about what?" Tiffany scooted even closer to me. We sat facing each other with our legs sticking out opposite ways. "What do you mean?"

"I can't decide," I said. "I mean… I don't know how to explain it." A nervous laugh followed. "Maybe it's just me."

"You can tell me," she said. "I want you to."

"Well I was thinking it wouldn't be horrible…" I stopped to look around. "It wouldn't be horrible if my stepfather actually forced me to be Bailey."

"You want to be forced?"

"No," I said, retracting a bit in disgust. "That's not what I mean."

"You don't think I'm forcing you do you?"

I put my hand on Tiffany's leg. "Not at all."

"Okay. That's good," Tiffany said. "Because if you want to stop, we'll stop right now."

"We don't have to," I said.

"I won't be mad," Tiffany said. "Just tell me to stop and we'll stop."

"I…" My head lowered. "That's just it." I looked at Tiffany with every bit of confusion I could show on my face. "I don't want to stop. At least not around you."

"Eventually it'll have to," Tiffany said. She glanced around. "I mean you'll become a man, and after that…" She put her hand on my knee. "I never expected it to last forever."

"I know…" I pulled at the grass. "I just wish I could be more free with it now."

"We could have a ton of fun if you didn't have Tom on your back about it."

"He thinks I want to be a woman," I said quietly. "Just because I put on the clothes."

"Maybe we should stop," she said. "Before things get complicated."

"After tonight?"

"Of course!" she said. "Bailey already agreed to stay the night."

"That she did." I smiled at Tiffany.

"Too bad," she said. "You make a really cute girl."

Tiffany swung her feet around. I moved out of her way, so she could put her head down about where my knees were. Then I crawled around her. Eventually I situated myself to where we were lying next to each other. She shifted around on the blanket. I could feel the warmth of her body getting closer. For a moment I thought she was going to snuggle with me, but instead she settled her body at an angle away from me. Our shoulders touched, and when we leaned our heads in, they rested against each other.

"I love you Tiffany," I whispered.

"I love you too." She turned toward me slightly. "Both of you."

Soon brilliant colors were bursting in the air. Shapes ranging from stars to umbrellas of sparkling light flashed before my eyes. The thunderous explosions of each followed shortly after. As the night sky filled with smoke and fireworks, Tiffany wormed her hand into mine. We held each other's hands tightly through the entire show. I was happy to be with her, and even more so when I knew she was happy to be with me. For now it didn't matter to her which "me" I happened to be.

---

 
 
To Be Continued...