“I can’t believe that you’re stressing out over a date.”

I continued looking into the mirror as I replied to Ashley, my roommate, “What do you mean? I’m not stressing out.”

Ashley laughed and said, “That’s the third time you’ve put on eye-liner.”

I smirked at Ashley’s reflection in the mirror. “It’s not stressing to want it straight. I want everything to be perfect tonight!”

Ashley pulled a chair up to my desk and straddled it backwards, draping her arm on the chair back. After taking a drink from the water bottle she always seemed to carry, she said, “I really don’t understand why you’re fussing so much about a date. Shit girl, you were a fuck toy for what, two years on a desert island? There ain’t nothing he can do to you that you haven’t done a billion times already.” She took another drink of water.

I frowned as I turned to look at my roommate. The shock of hot pink hair, the you-couldn’t-possibly-wear-anymore eye make-up, blood red lipstick and black finger nails didn’t really get my notice any more. Although some of her tattoos and piercings were more than a little disturbing. The university claims up and down it was random selection, but I’m sure they felt better about having a girl like me room with an out-of-the-closet and well, over-the-top lesbian. And despite her fierce appearance, she was actually quite nice and we’d stayed up all night one night telling our personal, deep, dark secrets.

“We were on the island for less than three months.” I said as I picked up my mascara. “And this is different. Brad seems very nice.”

Ashley grinned a toothy grin as she said, “Dearie, boys are all the same. They just want to poke you and they really don’t care which hole.”

“Don’t be so gross. Brad isn’t like that. I’ve checked around and everyone seems to think he’s a decent guy. Maybe a bit too quiet and shy, but that’s okay by me.” I stopped talking so I could hold my mouth open to continue to apply my mascara.

“For you, girlie, I sure hope so.” Ashley leaned in closer as she said, “You know that chick that your old boyfriend Zach is fooking works at the theater you’re going to.”

I sighed. “Yes, I know. That sucks.”

Ashley shook her head and said, “Why does she bother you? Other than being an airhead, she seems okay.”

“It’s stupid, I know. I don’t even like Zach anymore, but back when I had a super major crush on him, she was the girl that stood in the way of my dream.” I started rummaging around my desktop, looking for the lipstick I had found earlier that I thought would be perfect for tonight.

Ashley rolled her eyes and said, “At least then, though I’m not so sure now…Zach was straight and you were a boy and she was hardly your competition. Get over it”

“You’re right.” I looked in the drawers and then back on the desktop, looking under some school work and magazines. I threw up my arms and sighed loudly in exasperation and just sat there staring blankly at the mirror.

Ashley held up an object in front of her and said, “Looking for this?”

Scowling, I snatched the lipstick from her hand. “Jerk!”

Ashley just giggled.

“Hi, Alex. You look really nice!” Brad met me outside the girls dorm and took my hand. After eleven o’clock at night, the grounds surrounding the girls dorms become off-limits to boys. But that doesn’t stop certain activities from happening anyway.

“Thank you, Brad. You look nice too!” I enjoyed him holding my hand. I smiled at him and said, “Isn’t it a beautiful day?” It was late September and still warm.

Brad gave my hand a squeeze and said, “Well, it just got a lot more beautiful.”

As we got into Brad’s pickup truck he said, “I thought we’d go to see “The Rental Bride.”

I smiled as I said, “Oh, good! I’ve been wanting to see that!” Well, I did…sort of. It was the latest comedy chick flick about a woman who does proxy weddings. I was hoping he’d take me to the latest action movie with Tommy Kincaid. But the chick flick should make for good snuggling.

Aside from a few comments about the weather or the music coming over the radio, we were pretty quiet on the way to the movie theater.

After we bought our tickets and walked inside, Brad handed me some money and asked, “Would you mind getting the snacks? I need to make a run to the restroom. Small popcorn and Coke for me.” And he dashed away. I looked and there was Tamara working concessions. I froze for a moment. Then I realized Ashley was right. She’s not now, or was she ever my competition. And with any luck, Brad would return before I was at the front of the line.

“Two small Cokes and Two small bags of popcorn,” I said to Tamara after she asked what I wanted. There didn’t seem to be any recognition, so maybe I’d be able to get away without any comment from her.

As she rang up the total and I handed her the money, Tamara started to look at me funny. Her eyes went wide as she said, “You’re Alex!”

I held my hand out waiting for the change and smiling said, “Yep, I’m her.”

As she plopped the change into my hand, she said shaking her head, “I’m not really all that surprised to see you in a skirt. Especially from what Zach told me about that little hell he had to live on.”

I should have just walked away at that moment, but instead I said, “Oh?”

Leaning on the counter, Tamara said, “Yeah. I mean, like it’s obvious now, but I never really thought you were gay. Zach said almost every night you begged him for sex. But my Zachy wasn’t going to be corrupted by your perversions. He’s stronger than that!”

I fought the urge to drag her over the counter and beat the living shinola out of her, but instead I said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but I’m not gay. I’m a woman.”

“Well, whatever you are, it’s disgusting that you thought you could pervert my Zach!”

Shaking my head, I turned and started to walk away just as some others started to get in the concessions line. I suddenly turned back around and walked up to the counter before she could ask the new customer what they wanted. I leaned across the counter, but said in a normal speaking voice, “Does Zach still have that little bend to the left that requires you to guide him in every time?” I turned away and headed for Brad who had just come out of the restroom. I wished I had had a camera to capture the expression on Tamara’s face.

Oblivious to the daggers coming from Tamara’s eyes, Brad took his drink and popcorn and we hurried to the screen where our movie was playing.

The movie was a typical romantic comedy about an upper crust New York dude falling in love with the woman who was standing in for his bride. Hilarity ensued. Still, Brad held my hand through most of it, and I got to rest my head on his shoulder. I could tell he wanted to kiss me. But he was so shy! It was endearing and frustrating at the same time.

As we exited the movie, I noticed Tamara was nowhere to be seen. If I had to guess, she was probably paying Zach a little visit.

During our drive to dinner, we had a bit more to talk about, having just watched a movie. He was still very quiet though and I started fearing he was deciding he didn’t like me that much. I tried not to let the suspicions cloud my mood.

Brad pulled his car into the parking lot of a small Thai restaurant. Looking through the windshield, I said honestly, “I’ve never been here before. I don’t think I’ve even heard of it.”

Grinning, Brad said, “Yeah. It’s not well known but it’s very good. And my uncle owns it. His wife is from Thailand. They met when he was in the service.”

“Cool.” I said as I stepped out of Brad’s car and into the cool evening air. I wished then I’d worn pants instead of this denim mini. Brad then put his arm around my shoulder and led me into the restaurant.

After we got our seats and placed our orders, Brad leaned forward a little and placed his hand over mine. He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand for a few moments before looking up at me.

“You’re very pretty. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem so…um delicate. I just can’t see how you managed on that island all that time.”

I laughed and said, “I’ve lost weight since being on the island last year.” Had that actually been a year ago? “Believe it or not, I gained weight on the island.”

Brad laughed. He had such a great laugh. “Now I find that hard to believe!”

“You’d be surprised how much food was available. We were very lucky, I guess.”

Brad smiled for a few seconds before it faded. He studied me for a few moments before saying, “Can I ask you a personal question? Seriously?”

I thought, oh no, here it comes. I said, “Well, you can ask…” I gave him a smile

Brad said, “You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal. I’m just curious. When did you decide you were a girl? You seem so natural.”

I really didn’t want to focus on this. I just wanted him to accept me as a girl. Not a girl with something extra, not a tranny, not a drag queen, just a normal nineteen year old girl. I said, “I didn’t really ‘decide’. This is just how I am. The only real decision was to stop lying and trying to be a normal boy and just be who I really was.”

Brad nodded and said, “I can accept that. I still find it hard to understand how someone can just…switch sides like that.”

I smiled at him and said, “Easy. I never really was on the ‘other side’ to begin with.”

Squeezing my hand, Brad said, “Well, I have to say, I’m very happy that you’re on ‘that’ side. Are you going to go further with this?”

I was surprised, but happy that he was still sitting at the table, holding my hand. I said, “You mean surgery? Like I told you the other day, I’m trying to save up for it. My counselor said that at this point, surgery, for me, is almost optional. I’m pretty much ‘there’. But I do want it because I don’t want to be reminded of who I was and I hope to have relationships as close to being female as I can.”

“Your counselor is right. You are there. You are a very pretty girl and I’m happy you went out with me tonight.”

I smiled and said, “Thanks for asking me. I’m having a good time.”

Brad parked his car outside the girls dormitories. It was after eleven o’clock and the university rules didn’t allow him to walk with me to my dorm building. He turned towards me and said, “I had a great time tonight, Alex. I really enjoyed being with you.”

My nerves were tingling. I didn’t know what to expect. If he just shook my hand and pushed me out the car, should I be disappointed? I said, “I had a great time too. You’re very nice.” Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. What if he was going to kiss me and now he won’t?

He looked away for a moment, and then he looked in my general direction. It was as if he couldn’t focus for a moment. Finally me looked up at me and said, “Thanks. I..uh..I’d like to do this again sometime. If you want.”

I thought, have some more confidence, Brad. To Brad, I smiled and said, “Sure! I’d love to!”

“Great!” he said as he looked back at the steering wheel. Looking back towards me he added, “I’ll give you a call.”

I tensed up, my hand on the door release. Is that it? Do I open the door? I could tell he was hesitating. How long do I wait before it becomes horribly awkward? I just started to pull the door handle when…

Brad leaned towards me, came halfway the distance to me and stopped. I leaned towards him and we both closed our eyes and our lips met. Softly at first, then I pressed into him. He slid his arm around my neck and we sat there and kissed for almost a minute. It was the most genuinely affectionate kiss I’ve ever had. Zach’s kisses were wild, passionate kisses that I really don’t think he cared who or what he was kissing. But Brad’s soft kiss made me tingle all over.

We pulled apart, and then kissed a couple more times before I sat back and said, “I really need to go. I really enjoyed tonight Brad.” I pulled the door release and opened the door.

Brad grinned and said, “Me too. You’re a really nice girl, Alex. I…uh..I like you.”

I gave him a big smile back and said, “I like you too, Brad. Take care.” I stepped out of the car.

I watched Brad drive away until his car turned a corner and disappeared into the night. Still feeling the glow from Brad’s kisses, I walked slowly back to my dorm building. I really didn’t notice as I approached, but as I got almost to the building, I noticed a large shadow off from the sidewalk. I started getting nervous, wondering if I was imagining things or if I should run away. I took a couple of steps closer and a dark figure stepped in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks. He took a step forward into the light.

“Zach? What are you doing here?” I gasped.