Starting College my way. A story of fiction by Symphony Simms.

Chapter 2. Let’s get this party started.

Sunday September 8th continued.

I got to the apartment before 5 pm, let myself in and started carrying my stuff upstairs. Carla was at home but Angie and MJ were out. Carla helped me with a box or two but I moved most of the stuff myself. It wasn’t difficult. The most awkward stuff was the suitcases. I proceeded to place all my stuff in what seemed like reasonable locations then I put all of my male clothes away in closets. While I was doing this MJ and Angie came back and stood in the doorway watching.

“Welcome to our humble abode Leslie,” She said.
“Thank you,” I said. “I think I am going to really enjoy it here.”
“You don’t seem to have much stuff,” said MJ. “Where are you going to sleep? You can’t sleep with me because you haven’t bought me dinner yet. Angie’s got lots of room in her bed but she snores.”
“I do not,” said Angie, pretending to punch MJ on the shoulder. Angie and MJ were leaning against opposite sides of the doorway, looking like they had no intention of helping.
“So just to keep you informed,” said MJ. “It’s not too late for dinner and there are a couple of nice restaurants just down the street.”

As I was putting things away on shelves I pointed to the grey plastic bag in the corner. They looked at it and looked back at me.
“Looks like someone’s been shopping at Wal-Mart,” said MJ.
“That is my blow up bed,” I told them. “And next to it is the blower-upper electric pump. So I don’t need your hospitality even though it sounds very inviting. I am getting a queen sized bed delivered in the morning”
“Queen sized very nice,” said MJ. “We could probable all fit in there.”
“But then you would all have to buy me dinner,” I returned.

Then Angie took two steps across the room and reached for my red suitcase. “I could help hang up some of your stuff,” she said trying to lift up the case but I took it away from her. “I thought I might be able to help if you needed stuff washing,” she said.
“Thanks but no thanks. I will get to that later. I won’t have anything to do if you do it for me will I.”
“Well if you are struggling to find things to do you could probably make some dinner while we do some important research on the TV,” chirped MJ.
“That’s OK,” I said. “I have an adequate sufficiency of tasks at hand. I need no more or no less than I have to keep me happy.”
“OK then suit yourself. We will go and get some mac and cheese for supper.”
“It’s not mac and cheese MJ, I thought you liked my manicotti,” said Angie as they withdrew towards the kitchen.
“Oh I love your manicotti,” said MJ to Angie, then MJ poked her head around my door and said, “It’s just fancy mac and cheese you know and we made some extra for you if you want.”

I worked another 15 minutes getting my room straight then Angie came to my door and told me that there was still some manicotti left and it was still warm so I went into the kitchen to join them.

I got into the kitchen and they had set a place for me and were waiting for me to join them with a nice piece of piping hot manicotti. “There is salad in the bowl and we have some nice light dressings,” said Carla. “We normally take turns cooking.”
They had finished eating but were intent on watching me, but I didn’t care. I was hungry.

“What kind of food do you like to cook Leslie?” said Carla.
“My mom does most of the cooking but I guess I will have to learn. One thing my Mom did teach me is seafood marinara with linguini. Always one of my favorites.”
“What else?” said MJ.
“I can’t think of anything right now,” I said. “I have 3 older sisters so if my Mom didn’t have time to cook and my Dad was busy then any of them might cook.”
“But didn’t your Mom make a point of showing you how to cook like she did your sisters?
“I guess I was just never interested. My Dad showed me a couple of things. Microwave 101, Hamburger Helper 102 and eggs and bacon for breakfast.”
“I guess that makes you a daddy’s girl then Leslie?” said MJ. I thought to myself why is MJ being so bitchy? So I don’t cook. So what’s the problem?

“This is getting us nowhere.“ said Carla.” Let’s get on to every girls favorite subject, boyfriends. What boyfriends do you have right now Angie?
“Well you know Darren from home. He took me out a few times during the summer but it wasn’t like it was the year before. I also when out with Dale Shearer. He was in the same class as my sister June. He is a really nice guy. We had a nice couple of evenings together and last week he took me to dinner the night before I came back here. He is really nice. He kissed me outside our house and it seemed like we kissed for an hour without taking a breath, I was dizzy for ages afterwards, but he is a few years older than me and looking to find a wife. I am not interested in that yet.” She took a breath then continued.

“There is still Danny McLean from last year. He spent the summer in Europe but he texted me yesterday said he wanted to get back together.”
“OK that’s 3 boyfriends. That’s enough for anyone,” said Carla. “What about you Leslie do you have any boyfriends?”
“What me boyfriends of course not. I don’t even have a girlfriend right now.”
“See I told you,” said MJ.
“That doesn’t prove anything’” said Carla.
I was sure there was something I was missing. Are they trying to test me?

“Listen girls, we are going to have a nice evening in front of the TV so everyone go and put a nice nightie on and we will watch a girly movie together,” said Angie. “You too Leslie!”
I put my knife and fork down. “What?” I said.
“Go and get yourself a nice girly nightie out of that red suitcase of yours and come sit with us on the couch to watch a nice chick flick together.”
“We could watch legally Blonde 5 — Bleached and Belligerent,” said MJ.
“Stop it MJ,” said Carla. “What’s wrong with wearing a nice nightgown and sitting with your girlfriends to watch a chick flick Leslie?”

Now I realized what was happening. Was there something wrong with being a boy? I didn’t understand. They had seen my girl’s clothes in the red suitcase. Do they think I am a girl?

“Am I in trouble?” I said.
“We don’t know,” said MJ. “You tell us. Is there a problem with you wearing a nightie and sitting on the sofa to watch a chick flick with the other girls?”
“I think there may be a problem when you say ‘other girls’ MJ,” I said trying to resist the urge to burst out crying or run for the door.
“And why do you have a problem with being one of the other girls Leslie?”
“Because I am a boy?”
“At last,” said MJ.
“But you can’t be,” said Carla. “You are in a girl’s only residence and you have a suitcase full of girl’s clothes.”
“What do you mean girls only residence? I just picked it out of the newspaper that the college sent.” Angie left the kitchen and went to her room like she was on a mission.
“But what about the suitcase full of girl’s clothes,” said Carla? “What about them?’
“So I like girl’s clothes. Don’t you?”
“Yes but we are girls!” said Carla.
“I don’t like girl’s clothes,” said MJ. “You can have some of mine.”

Angie came back into the kitchen and laid out the school newspaper with all of the residences in. She showed me. “Here!” she pointed. “Here is the ad for our apartment.”
“OK,” I said.
“See this,” Angie said pointing to the large text at the top of the page. “What does it say?”
“Girls only residences,” I said. “I’m sorry I’m sorry OK. I didn’t see that bit.”
“Oh brilliant,” said Carla. “The biggest boldest text on the page and the mathematician/ computer science wiz over here can’t see it.”

“Look it gets worse,” said Angie. “This morning the dean’s office called and asked about you Leslie. They asked because they thought you were a boy and saw your name on our residence registration form for a girl’s residence. They asked us to confirm that you were a girl, so we went into your room and opened up your suitcase where we found nothing but girl’s clothes and girl’s stuff so I told the dean’s office you were definitely a girl. They said they would change all of the paperwork to correct the mistake.”
“But they will have to change it back again,” I said.
“But she also said,” continued Angie. “That all of the boys residences had been filled up and the nearest place is miles and miles away.”
“Oh shit,” I said out loud. “What the hell am I going to do now?”
“Well boys can’t stay in this apartment,” said Angie.
“But if the dean’s office thinks she is a girl then we don’t have a problem.” MJ continued.

“I’m not having a boy wandering around my apartment while I am asleep,” said Carla.
“But someone wondering around the apartment in a nightie wouldn’t worry you so much would it Carla?” asked MJ.
“What do you mean MJ,” asked Carla.
“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck and maybe wears some duck clothing?” said MJ.
“What on earth made you think of that MJ,” asked Carla.
“My favorite song,” she said. Then MJ picked up the kitchen tower and holding it around her hips like a skirt while dancing and singing the old Killers song.
“Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend I had in February of last year.”

I had my head in my hands and all I could think of was Fuck what do I do now?
“But she’s a boy MJ,” said Angie.
“Are you sure,” said MJ. “She looked like a girl to you earlier and we all agreed to let her move in here when we thought she was a girl.”
“But she’s flat chested and wears those stupid baggy clothes,” said Carla.
“Like me you mean,” said MJ.
“No not like you MJ, you are obviously a.” Carla didn’t finish her sentence.
“Would dyke be an appropriate work Carla,” said MJ.
“That’s not what I meant MJ,” said Carla. “She is a boy!”
“She is not a convincing boy Carla,” said MJ. “I don’t like boys but she looks kissable to me. But I do know that she would look even better with a bra and a little eye shadow.”
All my plans for the last few weeks were turning upside down. I couldn’t wear girl’s clothes and go to college as a girl, could I?

Angie had moved to the seat next to me and had placed a hand on my shoulder. Right now I could do with a little support from one of my sisters and if Angie offered I was going to cry on her shoulder for sure. Tears were silently running down my cheeks right now.

Angie whispered quietly in my ear. “Why don’t you show me those nice clothes you have in your red suitcase?”
Angie was offering me a solution that while it had some advantages could easily make me throw up at any moment. Was I now going to show a girl the nice girl’s clothes I wear when there was no one looking. What if she asks what I do when I am wearing them? Part of it is sexual gratification. I would have to hide that part and smile at everybody. ‘Hey it’s me, just an ordinary girl, try to ignore my penis. ’
“Has anyone ever seen you wearing girl’s clothes Leslie,” she asked.
“No, not since my sisters used to dress me up when I was little.”

Angie now had her other hand resting on my wrist. “You have to make a decision quickly because tomorrow morning you are going to commit your future for the next year. I think there are 3 people in this room who would help you if you want to stay here as a girl.” MJ and Carla were looking at us without saying anything, but there eyebrows were raised in what I thought might be sympathy.

“And I can still take you to some of those clubs I was telling you about,” said MJ. “They would be even more interested now.”
“MJ you are not being helpful,” said Carla.
“No,” said MJ. “But I am enjoying myself.”

“What did your sisters used to do to you when they dressed you up as a girl Leslie?” asked Angie.
“We used to play games and be nice to each other. I was one of them when I wore dresses and stuff,” I said.
“Did you enjoy wearing dresses with your sisters?”
“Yes,” I nodded my head. “I really enjoyed playing games with my sisters we used to play house and play with their dolls and stuff. When I wore my boy’s clothes they didn’t want to play with me. I usually played on my own or I had to go out and find someone else to play with.”

Angie looked at Carla and MJ and they made some kind of agreement without speaking. Then Angie lifted up my chin and looked into my eyes.
“OK this is how it’s going to be,” Angie said. “If you want to go find yourself somewhere else to stay we can let you stay tonight but tomorrow morning you will have to move out and get yourself somewhere else to live, or,” She looked up at the other two girls and they nodded in agreement. “You could go put on a nice nightie and come join us on the sofa for a nice girl’s movie night.”
“And you will have to promise to leave the toilet seat down at all times,” said Carla.

Then Angie pulled me to her. From my seat across the table I could only rest my head on her shoulder but it was nice. I pulled myself together and stood in front of them. “I am going to my room to do some thinking for a while.” I said.
“We will keep a seat warm on the sofa,” said Carla.
“How could I turn that invitation down?” I asked. I walked towards my room.
“Hey Leslie,” said MJ. “If you are going to be a girl for the next year can I use some of your boy’s clothes. Maybe we could trade.”
“We can negotiate,” I said.

When I got back to my room I knew that I had to talk to Fiona. She was the only other person in the world that I could speak to about this. So I called her.
“So you remember when we were kids you used to dress me in girl’s clothes.”
“Yeh.”
“Well do you remember how I used to like wearing girl’s clothes?”
“Yeh.”
“Well I still do.”
“Yeh.”
“Well are you angry with me?”
“No, why would I be angry with you?”
“Because I like to wear girl’s clothes.”
“But I like to wear girl’s clothes too.”
“But you’re a girl.”
“Leslie I love you, and I have known that you have been wearing our clothes for years. Is that all you are worried about?”
“You knew?”

“Of course we knew. We just didn’t want to embarrass you. We love you too much.”
“Didn’t you think I might be gay or something?”
“What do you think Dawn has been doing to you these last few years?”
“What?”
“Checking to find out if you are gay.”
“So what did you find out?”
“We don’t think you’re gay.”
“But I really like to wear girl’s clothes.”
“And we feel guilty about that. We used to dress you in girl’s clothes and play dolls and stuff with you. Sometime we wouldn’t let you wear boy’s clothes for days at a time while Mom and Dad were out anyway. At first Mom and Dad would let us do it but after a while they told us to stop, but that didn’t stop us altogether, but they thought you would be confused.”

“I am confused. Sometimes I think about what it would have been like if I was a girl,” I said.
“And sometimes we believe that we did that to you, but we have also had discussions with doctors and other specialists about you,” said Fiona.
“What did they say?”
“They said that if you didn’t like it then you would have told us. They said that some boys just like to wear girl’s clothes, and there is not a dammed thing you or anyone else can do about it.”
“So what did you do about it?”
“We didn’t do a dammed thing. Well. That is not exactly true. We didn’t tell Mom and Dad but we put a collection of girl’s clothes and shoes and stuff in the spare room and left it there hoping that if you had access to those you wouldn’t need to touch our stuff. Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you keep on going into our stuff once we let the collection of clothes for you in the spare room?”
“I did wear the clothes in the spare room. I tried to stay out of your stuff as much as possible when I could, but it was always tempting.”

“We could tell, you know. Once Barbara first suspected that you had been in her clothes she talked to Mom but Mom thought it was me. So they talked to me and I said it wasn’t me either, so Barbara and Dawn used to place things in certain ways in their draws and stuff and sometimes you would move things.”
“Booby trapped.”
“You could say that but we never wanted to hurt you with it. We just wanted out things to stay our things, but we never stopped you.”
“Well right now I have bigger problems.”
“Please carry on,” she said. “I am all ears.”

I told her about the mistake with the girl’s residence and the girls believing I was a girl.
“I told you so,” she said.
Then I told her about the phone call from the dean’s office, that Angie had told the dean’s office that I am definitely a girl because of the suitcase and that all of the boy’s rooms were taken for miles and miles.

“You are so screwed,” she said. “And you can’t stay with me because I’m in a girl’s residence too. So what are you going to do?”
“Well,” I said trying to obtain the maximum dramatic effect. “I am going to put on a nice new nightie, panties and matching robe, put on a little eye shadow and lipstick and go sit on the couch.”
“You’re crazy,” Fiona said. “They will kick your ass.
“No they won’t. It was their idea. They thought I was a girl the first time we met anyway. They all accepted that I must be a girl if I came and presented myself for a girl’s only residence. They just I thought I dressed badly. I think MJ thought I was a tomboy or a lesbian.”

“Are you going to go to school as a girl too?”
“Yes of course. That is the main reason I am here anyway. There is no point otherwise.”
“So what if Mom and Dad find out.”
“I think we must be able to hide it for a while till I figure out what to do, but I have very few options and I think this is the best one right now.”
“OK,” said Fiona. “What’s your schedule tomorrow?”
“I have to stay in for the delivery guys with the bed till 12 then I have meet and greets and orientations all afternoon and evening. Why?”
“I am coming over first thing. See you in the morning sister.” She hung up.

I felt a lot better now I knew my sister Fiona was on my side and even in my corner so to speak. I hate sports analogies but that one is one of the better ones. I had to consider what to wear because I was now going to go sit with the girls on the sofa and I had to select the most feminine things I could think of. I selected a pair of nude colored control panties first to hide my male bits, then the matching panties to my nightie over the top. I selected a loose fitting bra and placed my chicken fillets inside, put my nightie and robe on and I was dressed.

It didn’t feel at all sexy but it is what it is. Comfortable. I brushed my hair so to lift it up a little on top of my head. I put on a little eye shadow, blush and lipstick, picked up a bottle of nail polish and an emery board and strolled into the lounge.
“OK girls what movie are we watching? I hope you don’t mind me doing my nails?”

I only wished I would have thought of some high heeled slippers.