It was a rainy day in 1982. : 5
By Dawn_Smith_1972 as written
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part I - The dinner discussion.

"Do you need help in the kitchen, mom?"

"Well, I don't know. Do you know how to set the table?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to do that, while I get the things together that we are having for dinner?"

"Yes, mom. Thank you."

Terry's mother placed the plates, flatware and glasses on the table and told Terry he could set them in place. Then she went in the kitchen and got out a three pound family size thing of ground beef, the bag of shredded lettuce, two tomatoes, one onion, the black olives, the sour cream and the taco seasoning. She placed everything on the kitchen table and got out the medium skillet for browning the ground beef.

While she was doing that, Terry came in the kitchen and said he was done setting the table.

"That was fast."

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

"No, sweetie, I can do the rest myself, because now I have to dice the onion, tomatoes and slice the black olives. But, you can watch me, if you want."

"Okay."

Terry sat down at the table and watched as his mother, was not only browning the ground beef, but also cutting the onion and tomatoes. Then she sliced the black olives, and she was doing all of this at once, it seemed. When the ground beef was browned, Terry's father came in the house.

"Hello, family. I see somebody has been busy preparing a feast for us."

"Oh, you always were the flatterer," said Terry's mother, as she gave his dad a hug and a kiss. "Dear, I have invited the Sangers over to share dinner with us tonight. There is something we need to talk about."

"All right, dear. Let me go and clean up a bit, and I will be right back down."

The doorbell rang, and Terry went to answer it. Patti, Nicole and their parents waited for the invitation to come in, which Terry so graciously gave. Terry told them to just place their coats on the chair just inside the door. They all went in the living room. Terry went in the kitchen and told his mother their guests were here.

"That's good. Would you like to play hostess for a bit?" She said hostess, because she wanted to see what Terry would say.

"Yes, mom." Terry went back in the living room. "We're having tacos for dinner."

"I love tacos," Patti and Nicole said at the same time.

Terry looked at Patti and Nicole.

"Did you tell them what we talked about at school?"

"Not yet," Patti replied. Nicole and I thought that we could wait until everybody was together."

"Okay."

Ten more minutes went by and Terry's mother called dinner. Terry took Nicole, Patti and their parents in to the dining room. Terry's father said grace, and they all sat down. Terry's faher started passing the food around, and everybody took their portions. Terry, Nicole and Patti only had one taco, because of the grease and the spices in the taco seasoning.

"I am glad that Terry's friends could be here tonight, as well as their parents. Earlier, when Terry came home from school, he admitted a few things to me, that sounded an awful lot like an awakening. I had asked him how school went, and he said kind of haltingly it was alright. But, I asked him if there was something wrong, and he said this.

"That since he was forced to wear his friend Nicole's clothes, yesterday, he felt that he should be dressed as a girl all the time, but at the same time felt it was wrong. I said we would talk about it tonight."

"Terry," his father said, looking directly at him. "Is this something you have been thinking about, even before you were forced to wear your friend's clothes?"

"No, daddy. All I wanted to do yesterday was get home and change before somebody beat me up."

When Terry had said daddy, it did not go unnoticed by the adults, or Patti and Nicole.

"Okay, so, tell me what exactly you were thinking when you were forced to wear your friend's clothes."

"I was thinking that maybe I should be dressed like that all the time, but at the same time felt it was wrong. I mean, wearing Nicole's clothes felt right, like I should be allowed to dress like the girl I am. I don't now exactly where these feelings are coming from, but they were there. Daddy, I am going to be eleven years old soon, and I need to make a choice. I ... well, people, that is ... really should let me see for myself if this is right, or if this is wrong for me. Mom said we would talk about it tonight."

"Did your mother also tell you that you would need to see somebody about this. Somebody who is experienced in this kind of 'behavior'?"

"Yes, daddy, she did."

"Well, I can see that you do need to express yourself, but by the same token, young man, I don't want you dressing like a girl at school, at least not for right now. Let's wait and see what this person you will see says about this. But, I don't see the harm of you dressing like a girl after school and on weekends. This way, you won't be bullied any more at school, and you can express yourself in the mall, or whereever you go after school, after you do any homework you may have. How many here would agree with that?"

"Well, I would say that everybody has the right to express themselves. I mean, artists express themselves through their art, actors and actresses express themselves in their moves. I feel Terry should have the right to express himself in the way he sees that will make him happy. Terry, Nicole can lend you an outfit to go shopping in, when your mother takes you to get your own skirts and dresses, and other things."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sanger." Patti and Nicole's mother just smiled.

"Terry," Nicole added, "you wouldn't have to worry about your name, either. Terry can be a boy or a girl's name."

"Terry," Patti asked, "is this why you were acting like a girl yesterday?"

"Sort of. I don't know if I was acting or if there was something inside that said I am a girl. You said I made motions like I was smoothing out a skirt when I sat down, and that I sat with my hips, rather than just 'plopping down' as my mom had said. All I know is, I need to find out if this is who I am, or this is who I should be. I would like to be allowed to find out."

"All right, we will put it to a vote. How many here think that Terry should be allowed to express himself as a girl after school and on the weekends?" Everybody there said "we do", and Terry's father continued. "Terry, you will be allowed to express yourself as a girl, but not during school. I don't want the other kids to see that when you were forced to wear Nicole's clothes, that you had nothing to do with it."

"Thank you, daddy," Terry said, getting up and giving him a hug.

Dinner was over, and Terry, Nicole and Patti helped clear the dining room table. Terry's and Nicole and Patti's fathers went in the living room to talk. At the same time, Nicole and Patti's mother was telling Terry the girls would help in anything Terry needed to know.

"You know, Terry, girls learn about being girls as we grow up. Our mothers teach us things as we grow. By the time we are women, we know a lot about what life is and how to live it. It doesn't always work out the way we want, but we pretty much know how to do the things in life that get us by. Nicole and Patti can help you, like I help them."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sanger."

Terry was thinking that maybe now, people won't laugh at him. He had seen a boy at school that had a t-shirt that said, "don't laugh at me, God isn't finished with me, yet." He thought that this was true about himself. His father had given him permission to to be a girl, but not at school. What if all he had to wear to school was a dress or skirt and blouse?

Is Terry conniving to get to express himself at school, too? Terry was thinking that is Duane Hartley hadn't forced him to wear Nicole Sanger's clothes, he may not have known what these feelings were. But now that it has come out, Terry was thinking of ways to get to express himself as a girl.

Part II - Terry goes shopping.

As they completed the kitchen duty, Nicole looked at Terry and smiled.

"Mrs. Palmer, would it be all right if Patti and I went with you when you take Terry shopping for her own clothes?"

"Yes, Nicole, if it is all right with your parents. But, I think Terry will need other girls her age to be there for support."

"Mom," Terry said, looking somewhat puzzled. "Did you just hear what you said?"

"About what, dear?"

"Never mind," Terry said, smiling and winking at Patti and Nicole.

"Well, anyway, the mall is open until nine, so, if we are done, I think we should go."

"Do you mind if I ride along?"

"No, I think we can make this Terry's first girls night out. We will leave the boys here so they tell their jokes and punch each other in the arm." The girls all giggled, including Terry.

Terry was thinking again. His mother had called him "her" and then a girl by saying this would Terry's first girls night out. Terry was wondering if mom did that on purpose, or if it was done automatically. Then Terry remembered, too, that when he came home wearing Nicole's clothes, his mother had asked him if used a cute girl's name when he was dressed like he was. Terry was wondering if maybe, just maybe, fate had played a hand in telling him who he is.

"Mom, I came to a decision."

"Terry, you are only ten years old. What decision could you possibly make?"

"I will dress like the girl I feel I am, when I am not in school and as a boy at school. This way, it will let me see both sides of the coin as dad always says."

"Alright, young lady, if that is the way you want it, that is the way it will be. Let me do something with your hair. I think a pony tail for now, with bangs. You Terry, you are going to look really cute when we are done shopping."

Terry's mother took him to her room, where she rolled Terry's bangs in a hair roller, and sprayed it with hair spray. Then she took the roller out, and brushed the bangs into place. Then she took the brush and began brushing the rest of Terry's hair, and gathering it at the back, high on Terry's head. Then she wrapped a hair scrungee around it, making sure the bow showed in the back. After making sure her handiwork was in order, she said there was one other thing they needed to do.

"Nicole, do you think you could get Terry an outfit to go shopping in?"

"Yes, Mrs. Palmer. Mom can you walk with me?"

They went to their house, and they weren't gone long. It was good they only lived a couple of houses apart. Nicole came back with a full slip, white, nylon panties, knee high, double knit socks, a nice cream colored dress, and cream colored sandals. Being ten years old, Terry didn't need a bra. Not yet, anyway, even though there were some eleven year old girls at school that were already developing breasts.

"Terry, you can change in here, and if you need any help, just call. We will be right out in the hall."

Terry, got changed, and because of his experience the day before, he knew pretty much how to put everything on. He was glad Nicole hadn't brought him a bra to wear.

"Mom, I'm ready." They came in the room. "I just need help buttoning up the dress." Nicole helped him with that.

"Now, since we know you can wear Nicole's clothes like they were made for you, we know what size every things to get for you. Now, Terry, I will ask you now. Dressed as you are, how do you feel?"

Terry was thinking about what he had heard in the West Side Story movie. Only he didn't say what Natalie Wood said in the bridal shop. 'I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and gay...' But Terry didn't say it, he just thought it.

"I feel like I should be a girl. These clothes feel so right, mom." She gave Terry a hug.

"Let's go and show your father."

They went in the living room, and like in most houses, the sofa faced away from the kitchen door. Terry's mother went first.

"Dear, Terry has a surprise for you. Terry," she said, motioning him to come in front of his father.

"If I didn't know better, I would ask who you are. You don't look anything like the boy I knew." He gave Terry a hug and said that the decision was the right one.

"Dear, even dressed like a boy, Terry doesn't look anything like a male. He looks more feminine than most boys, and he is slim and shorter than most boys his age. Nicole's clothes fit him perfectly. So we at least know what sizes to get. Well, if we are ready to go to a woman's second home, I think we should be going. Bye, dear," she said to her husband, giving him a kiss and a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too, dear."

They went out to the car and after buckling their seatbelts, Terry's mother drove to the mall. It was already seven o'clock, and the mall closed at nine. So they had about an hour and a half of shopping time. That was enough time to get a few dresses, a few skirts and blouses, under things, socks, and even a few of those were knee high, double knit. Terry also got two pairs of shoes. One in black with a slight raise in the heel, and the other for just bumming around.

After they had everything, it was eight fifty-five, and they had just made it. They put their bags in the trunk, and headed home.

"Terry, we will come back on Saturday, and make a day of it."

"Alright, mom. This should be good for a few days." His mother just smiled at him.

Terry's mother was proud of her ... daughter ... because this child knew exactly what ... she ... wanted. She ... wasn't afraid to face ... her ... father dressed in Nicole's clothes. This told his mother quite a lot about what she had felt and thought when Terry came home dressed as a girl. This could be a good thing, or it could be bad, but whatever it turns out to be, at least Terry will have the chance to find out.
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Terry goes shopping - Part II continues in Chapter 6.