I was a little surprised by the events of the last day, but Joe, (or perhaps I should now start saying Josie), seems to be more cheerful than I’ve known him (or is it now her?) before. I think I agree with Karen and I’m going to have to stick to using ‘Josie’ and ’her’ for the next week otherwise life will get really confusing. Although Carol had to leave quite quickly I decided that I’d better ring and compare notes with her when I got a chance. In the meanwhile she seems to be happy enough for me to help the girls with their plan.

‘I’ll need to fix Josie’s nail extensions at the salon, and the best time for me to do that will be after we close this evening. I should also be able to attach her hair extensions at home afterwards.

‘What are we going to do about providing her with some boobs?’ asked Jenny.

‘Mum, whatever happened to those silicone breast forms that gran used to wear after she had her operation?’ asked Sue.

‘I think they’re in a box in the loft somewhere,’ I replied.

‘Will it be alright for Josie to borrow them?’ asked Jenny.

‘She’s welcome to them, if you can find them.’

It was almost time for me to leave and go back to work

‘I suggest that you girls should work out between you the clothes that Josie will need to wear during the next week, and stow them in the wardrobe in the spare room together with Jenny’s clothes.. You will also have to find her something to wear for this afternoon before she spoils that new dress’.

‘Don’t worry, we’ve already sorted that out,’ said Sue.

‘I am also sure that between the three of you, you will also be able to provide her with some necessary items of makeup from your own supplies’ said Jean.

‘No problem,’ said Karen.

Finally, young lady,’ I said turning to Josie, ‘Whilst I’m at work this afternoon I would like the girls to help you to put on some makeup and give you a few basic lessons in deportment, and then for you all to come to the salon at 6.00pm this evening’.

‘Come on Josie, no matter how nice you may look, you can’t stay in that dress all afternoon, let’s find something else for you to wear,’ said Karen.

Josie did as she was instructed, and Jenny started helping her new sister to take off the dress, and had a close look at her body.

‘It is quite fortunate that Joe was a late developer,’ she said, ‘it seems that we won’t need to shave Josie’s legs, armpits or chin’.

I had to smile at the expression on Josie's face as I was leaving. I don’t think the poor girl had realized until then just what she was letting herself in for.

~o~O~o~

During my afternoon tea break I gave Carol that phone call, to find out what she was thinking about events and to make sure that she was happy for me to continue helping the girls.

‘I’m not sure what I feel about it all,’ said Carol. ‘On the one hand I am pleased for Jenny and the twins’ sake, but it was a little disturbing to be suddenly calling my son Josie and referring to him as ‘her’.

‘I’ve never had a son, but I think I know what you mean,’ I replied.

‘Yet she doesn’t seem to be unhappy, and half of me wonders whether she’s enjoying all the attention.’

‘Yes, I’d noticed that as well.’

‘Perhaps we should just let them get on with it, as long as Josie doesn’t seem to be unhappy.’

‘I think you are probably right,’ I said.

‘Alright, that’s what we’ll do, but please keep in touch with me over the next day or so and let me know what has been happening.’

~o~O~o~
The four girls came to the back door of the salon at 6.00pm, having walked together through the town centre at the end of a busy Saturday afternoon. Josie was wearing my wig, a tight black cotton skirt, a white cotton blouse, tights and some black leather shoes with 3-inch heels. Her face was made up quite effectively, so I guess one of the girls must have done it for her. I also noticed that they had pierced her ears and put in some studs. They certainly were addressing every last detail, but all in all she looked quite attractive and not remotely like a fourteen-year old boy

‘How did you get on this afternoon, Josie?’ I asked.

‘Alright I suppose, the others have loaned me some of their clothes to wear

‘We’ve concentrated on some fairly ‘girly’ clothes for the next few days as she needs to get used to wearing tight skirts and high-heels as soon as possible, so they don’t feel at all unusual by next weekend’ said Jenny.

‘We also found those breast forms, but they are only taped on for the time being, we’ll stick them on properly just before the convention.’

Josie now looked quite well endowed for her age, and as they were covered by her clothes I’d never have known that they were not the real thing.

‘We’ve also given her a first lesson in using cosmetics, and we’ve all contributed some items so she’ll be able to have some supplies of her own,’ added Karen.

‘You really are all taking this seriously.’

‘Yes of course, it is through attention to detail that Josie will not be exposed next weekend’ said Sue, rather pompously.

‘I hope you don’t mind Mum but we’ve also loaned her one of your spare handbags,’ added Karen.

‘So I see,’ I replied. ‘No, I don’t mind, but I would like it back in due course.’

Josie seemed to be a little bit overwhelmed by everything, so I sought to bring her back into the conversation.

‘How did you get on during your journey here this afternoon Josie?’

‘I was very nervous to begin with, but fortunately we didn’t come across anyone from our school, and I gradually gained confidence as we went on,’ she said.

‘Nobody gave us a second look, it was just four teenage girls out shopping together,’ commented Sue.

‘I think you’re very brave, and I wish you the best of luck,’ I said returning the conversation to Josie.

‘Actually my feet are now beginning to ache a bit in these shoes,’ she continued.

‘That’s exactly why you’re going to need to wear heels for the next week, so you can get used to them in time for the convention,’ added Jenny, without showing a trace of sympathy.

I could see that the poor girl was going to be bossed about by the others, if I was not careful so I suggested that they should go and order a take away pizza for our tea, whilst I began to fit the nail extensions on their friend. I told Josie to come in and sit down.

‘Now remember what we told you about keeping your knees together when you are sitting,’ added Jenny. ’Nothing will give you away faster that leaving your knees apart so that everyone can see up your skirt’.

‘Please, give the poor girl a break everyone, it took you years to learn all this.’

Once the others had left, I invited Josie to sit down,

‘Are you still alright with all this?’ I asked.

She hesitated for a moment, looking downwards to avert my gaze. Whoever had applied her eye-makeup for her had done a very good job.

‘Yes, I think so.’

‘You know, the others are right, you do make a pretty girl,’ I said.

She smiled demurely and thanked me.

‘Alright then Madame, we’ll make a start on your hands,’ I said. ‘These will feel a little odd at first, but they’re quite strong and I’m sure you will have got used to having them by next weekend. After tea I will ask one of the girls to put some lacquer on them for you, whilst I sort out your hair extensions’.

‘Karen wants me to paint my toe nails as well,’ she commented smiling.

‘That’s a job you can do for yourself later in the week’ I said, ‘they won’t be visible when you go in for the competition’.

‘Alright then, I’ll do the job myself, but I seem to have a lot to learn over the next few days’.

‘Yes, that’s true, and how do you feel about the prospect of living as a girl for the next week and wearing makeup?’ I asked.

‘So far it has been alright as long as nobody gives the game away. In fact I am now looking forward to the next week. It’s a little bit like an adventure’.

Jenny and the twins arrived back with the food after about forty minutes, just as I was finishing the last nail. Everyone admired Josie’s new elegantly shaped nails and noted that she’d quite slender and attractive hands. I quickly packed the equipment I was going to need for the hair extensions and we then made our way home where we ate the pizza. After tea, Karen washed up, Sue went back to work on her costume and Jenny started to sort out the spare room where she and her sister would be staying for the next week. I started to braid some tracks in Josie’s hair ready to sew on the extensions. Karen finished her task first, so she took responsibility for giving Josie a manicure and then polishing her finger nails.

By the time Jenny came down, she was astounded with the transformation of her former brother who now appeared to be just like the younger sister she’d always wanted. Josie was no longer wearing a wig, but had long brown hair of her own, that had been nicely cut and styled. She also had immaculately polished finger nails.

‘Wow Josie, you are really lucky, I would love to have people chasing round after me fitting hair extensions and painting my lovely long nails like that,’ she said.

Josie smiled and looked quite smug.

‘Well you’ll just have to save up your pocket money to have them done,’ she said.

When I called in to say goodnight to our two visitors at bedtime, I found them both wearing nightdresses and sitting at the dressing table. Josie was brushing Jenny’s hair for her.

‘I quite like the idea of having a younger sister’ commented Jenny smiling.