BY NINA ADAMS

In Part 2 our young star begins to accept his opportunity to become the lead actress in the school production. The role of a lifetime is gradually becoming the role for a lifetime.

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Chapter 5 ---

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. A few hours ago I was heading to Monica's house to rehearse and now I found myself looking and being treated as a girl called Mia. I knew from the time I took this part that I would be bending the gender barriers, but I never really thought I would end up playing out the part so thoroughly off stage. My Mother expected me to dress, act and be her daughter almost completely when at home and even more disturbingly I was expected to extend much of that role playing to school. The school aspect was still not sitting well even as I was beginning to accept my crazy predicament.

The conversation with my mother was brief after Monica had left. She just tried to reassure me that everything would work out and be OK. She reiterated that tomorrow was Friday and that we would begin my education after school. She brought a few things into my bedroom and also cleaned out one of my drawers and made some space in my closet. I was told that would be good enough as a start. The final reference to to my new found status came when it was time for me to get ready for bed. I was carefully shown how to properly remove my makeup and moisturize.

I was emotionally exhausted as I headed to bed. I was quickly asleep even though I had a fitful night of strange dreams. When I finally awoke in the morning all that was on my mind was the pending challenges and changes that were coming.

On my chair next to my backpack was a neatly folded gold sweater. I didn't remember it from the previous evening’s activities.

As I was rubbing my hand over its soft feel, my mom surprised me from the hall. "It is called cashmere. That is why it is so soft. I thought that wearing one new thing would be a good way for you to get into the right frame of mind for the future. It is a very basic sweater that is similar to your others. It has a boat neck opening which is just a little larger than most of your old tops.

"Mom, I certainly don't have any this color."

"Honey, let’s not start this every time you try something new. Are we understood?”

"Ok, Ok just saying."

I went on to get myself ready for school and the last thing I did was put on the sweater. When I did, I also discovered other differences. It was longer than most of my sweaters and the sleeves were puffy except where they gathered back in at my wrists. The material felt luxurious but the style over my straight leg jeans sent out feminine signals. I knew that was the intent, but I was tensing up thinking about it. I mustered all the strength I could to not complain and just keep on getting ready to go.

As we prepared to head out the door my Mom pulled me aside and repositioned the rubber band holding my hair in the back. She took it out, brushed my hair and then re-positioned it much higher on the back of my head. She also had left a few strands in the front on both sides to hang freely. When she felt satisfied she commented, "this will have to do for now."

I would never had put my hair up like this, and again expressed some mild resistance. I considered that once at school I could change it, but with Monica and my mother working together I knew I had to be careful. Between my hair and the feminine sweater I knew my new look would be noticed.

Even before school started, I began to get some comments from classmates. Most of my friends just smiled and many of them gave me some sort Maria compliment. While not everyone knew of my part in the play, the only ones who said anything were the ones that did. To the rest of the students I was just another classmate. I even had a senior boy that I did not know make an extra effort to hold a door for me. I was finding this almost too easy.

When I crossed paths with Monica just before lunch she was genuinely happy to see me. I actually felt she cared when she asked how things were going today. She had obviously tried to look a little more butch than before. She had on some of her brothers work style boots and a checkered shirt. Even with the changes she still looked like a girl. There was no mistaking her chest and even with her hair pulled back her face looked female. For the first time since we received our lead roles, I was the one pushing the gender bender line further.

My last period was drama class and Mr. Jackson seemed pleased with my appearance. We didn't talk about the changes, but he did say at the end of class that he had spoken with my mother again today and that both of them were on the same page. As I was leaving the studio after the bell, he said he looked forward to seeing even more of Mia. I had not mentioned that name to anyone, so it had to have come from my mother or Monica.

Instead of taking the bus as I typically did, my mother was waiting for me as we had agreed.

"So how was your day sweetheart?"

"It went better than I thought. Most of the grief was good natured. To tell you the truth, outside of my friends and some of the theater crowd, nobody really cared."

"More importantly, how did you feel?"

"After the initial fear, I guess it wasn't much of a deal. The strangest problem I encountered was that after a while, the sweater kind of tickled."

"That's probably because you had nothing on underneath. I should have at least had you wear a cami."

"A what?"

"Don't worry, you will learn."

So now what? Head to Target and grab a couple of things?"

"That is so cute. You are now a teenage girl that has absolutely nothing. Actually, you have less than nothing. You don't even own one bra. We can add things as we go along, but we have to start with the basics. After that, we can have fun and develop your personal look."

"Whatever, I just wish I was invisible."

"Just follow my lead and don't make faces or resist. Remember how easy it was at school. If you just go along like it is no big deal, it will go faster, easier and will be more fun."

"Fun! We'll see."

We pulled into a parking space in front of shop called Schwartz Intimate Apparel.

"The first thing we need is to get you properly fitted for your first bras. My friend Sally is expecting us and she will measure you and help us give you some shape."

I didn't want to get out of the car, but I knew I had no choice. I looked around to make sure I didn't recognize anyone and then quickly shuffled inside. I had never been inside a store like this. I had a few times walked through the lingerie department at Macy's at the mall out of curiosity, but never had I been inside a shop that exclusively sold that type of product. It was not a place a boy usually ventured.

Inside it did not take long for my mother to find Sally.

"So you must be our new actress. Your mother told me about your desired plans and special needs. I am sure we can find you some very pretty things to help you look and feel like all the other girls.

I wanted to shrink out of sight..

"Thank you Sally, but can we do this in back?"

"Don't be shy; you are not going to see any boys here."

What little remaining male ego I possessed, had taken a fatal beat-down.

"Fine. Mom lets pick out what I need so we can move on."

To my relief, I was ushered into the changing room.

"Strip down to your panties so I can measure you."

I took off everything but my Jockeys.

"That is not going to do. If you want to look appropriate we need to flatten you out down there."

I did not like the sound of that. A few moments later Sally had a tape measure on my hips, chest and stomach. She even measured my modest 5"7' height.

"You have a nice thin frame that with the right padding will look wonderful. First we need to give you some panties that will hold your boy-thing out of sight. Change into these and tuck yourself under before you pull them all the way up. These are tight enough that they should hold it out of the way."

As I complied, I tried to just think I was home alone in my room. It was uncomfortable to position myself like that but the stretchy, off white panty did the trick. To my dismay my manhood was now hidden. I could hear Sally talking with my mother about additional panties. She even referenced some padded briefs that would add some curves which would enhance my shape depending on what I wore over them.

I could see that my mother was not in the least distressed that her son was being fitted for girl’s lingerie. There was even some delight as she handed me a matching satin bra.

"Mia dear, slip this on."

I slid it over my shoulders, but had trouble trying to close it in the back. Sally helped me secure it and mentioned that she also had front closing bras which might be easier for me at first. I tried not to think about getting used to this.

"Mom, I didn't bring any extra socks to fill the empty cups."

Almost on cue, Sally slipped two jelly filled forms into the empty cups. I could feel the weight pulling on the straps. Everything was holding and I was sporting a healthy looking pair of breasts.

"These are so big."

"Mia, it's ok that I call you that."

"Yes, it's fine. As I was..."

"Mia, your mother thought you should have proportional breasts for a girl your age and size. Remember you are going to be an actress on stage. The forms are a full "B" cup. but despite your thin frame you have a little baby fat on your boy boobs, so with these you are nearly a "C" cup. Probably a "B", but with a pushup bra, it will look like a full "C"."

"Honey, your first bra. I know this probably feels strange, but for a girl this is a big deal. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go shopping for bras with you, so just try and be a little excited."

I didn't have my mother’s enthusiasm, but I could tell it was a special moment for her so I tried not to ruin it. Over the next 15 minutes I tried on about a half dozen other styles along with a very restricting garment that my mother called a cinch.

Finally, I heard them both agree that I had enough items for the time being.

"Can I take this off now that we are done?"

"Honey, let Sally clip the tags off that one so you can wear it."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Mia, what did we talk about? You are going to need some shape to select your new clothes."

I hoped that the sweater would hide my new cleavage, but it did the opposite. The sweater now hugged my new curves and gave me an unambiguous female body.

We left there with a two full bags of items. I knew I was going to being wearing these more than just on a rare occasion. I was much more conscious of what I was wearing than I had been earlier. Previously, the sweater and carefully arranged hair might possibly be construed as androgynous, but now that I was sporting a healthy cleavage the image belonged to a girl.

When we pulled into the parking lot at the local indoor mall called Northbrook Court, I was the recipient of a short lecture from my mother.

"Mia, we are going to make a few stops and the only way this is going to work is if you start showing some of your acting skills. From the moment we get out of the car, you need to be my daughter. Even with only these minor changes you are looking very feminine, no one will suspect that you are anything but teenage girl. That is unless you give them reason too. Just follow my lead and I will try and give you some tips and instruction along the way. If you don't have an answer to a question, just look to me and I will help."

"I know I agreed to do this, but it just now feels so hard core. It's almost like I switched teams and the acting opportunity is an excuse."

"That's understandable, but immersing yourself all the way will allow you to become much more comfortable that if you reflected neither boy or girl. You have always enjoyed acting, so if you just allow yourself to try, it might turn out to be an illuminating experience. You will learn everything about girls, and one way or another that should help you down the road."

"Ok where to?"

We made our way to the MAC cosmetic counter at Macy's. When we departed there about 45 minutes later, I had a makeover that was typical of a girl a couple of years older than me. My eyes looked like saucers with a slightly smoky hint, my cheeks looked higher with what my cosmetologist called contouring and my lips were a deep pink. I suspected that our salesgirl knew I was a boy because of my utter cluelessness, but she never directly said anything. I left there with all the makeup any girl would ever need, including a makeup bag. I didn't see the total cost, but I knew from holding a few items that each item was very expensive. My mother did not seem to care.

We were not finished at Macy's. Next was the clothing department. Once there I tried on garment after garment. I rarely left the woman's changing area after we had piled up more than a dozen different items. In the changing room I tried on dresses, slacks, leg hugging jeans, and an assortment mix and match separates. At first, I tried to relax and enjoy modeling the clothes. I actually thought I looked pretty nice in many of the styles. However, after a while the constant flow of clothes began to get tiring.

When we checked out, the sales girl gave me smile and mentioned how lucky I was to be getting so much fabulous new clothes. We spent so much that they made my mother show her driver's license to verify that this was her credit card. In addition to a majority of the clothes I modeled, I found that my mother had added to our purchases various tights, socks and belts.

My mother had me run our current haul of clothes and cosmetics to the car. I thought we had acquired so much more than I could possibly use, but she said we still need a few odds and ends. When I returned from the car she had made one additional purchase. She had me put my small wallet and the few items in my pockets into a NineWest cross-body purse.

As we entered the atrium at the mall my mother looked in my direction and said "Shoes"

"Ok where?"

"They have shoes here, but I like the shoe department better at Lord & Taylor. Not today, but maybe another day we can go to Shoe Carnival or one of the other discount shoe warehouses. First, while we are here I want you to select a few quality pairs and we can add some inexpensive fun ones later on the cheap. You need some basics and I tam sure we can get that covered at the mall.”

As we headed through the mall my eyes drifted back and forth scanning the shoppers for people I knew. It wouldn't be long before I would be on display for friends at school, but I still had not overcome all of my anxiety. About halfway from Macy's to our stated destination, my mother spotted something that caught her eyes.

"Let's make a quick detour."

She led me into Clare stores. It was a store she certainly did not frequent, but she was obviously familiar with their products and services. Once inside she wasted no time chatting with the girl at the counter. The young lady then pulled out three boxes.

"These will suffice for now."

When I saw what she was looking at, I quickly realized what she was shopping for.

"Mom, you can't be serious. This is not makeup. This is permanent!"

"Mia, first off if you decide to stop wearing them, the holes will close naturally. It's not like you would be the only boy at your school to have pierced ears."

"But Mom, it's usually only one ear."

"Under your beautiful hair it's hardly going to be noticeable. Let's not quibble over this. Your ears are hardly going to be a noticeable change at this point."

She was right, but her matter-of-factness was what I found distressing. Her eagerness to make me so completely girlish had graduated from cooperation to total transformation.

Snap snap and I was now the owner of gold studs in both ears. In addition to paying for them, we left with a pair of hoops and a silver pair that looked a little like a hanging chandelier.

We finally made our way to the shoe department. Once there I got an education on the endless styles available and what you would wear them with. I tried on heels, flats,. dress shoes with and without straps and various boot styles. It was very challenging for me to walk even a few steps in some of the higher heels. Ultimately, I left with two pairs of high boots, one ankle length pair and two pairs of casual shoes one with no heal and the other only a modest heel. I also ended up with a dressy set that would obviously not be for school. I ended up wearing the ankle boots out of the store. The clerk said they were perfect for jeans or tights. The new shoes adjusted my posture and pretty much finished off my remade image. Even if I wanted to, there was no pretending that I was anything other than a girl shopping at the mall. Looking back, I believe it was at that point that I consciously tried to act more feminine. My appearance was so altered that I saw no point in trying to hold on to my masculine pride. It was just easier for to me to re-enforce the image that people would see. I think my mother sensed when I abandoned my reluctance.

The afternoon had shifted into evening and we were both getting tired. Even though we were ready to leave, we ended up at the upscale Bistro attached to the center. I was so hungry and had all but given up fretting about bumping into friends. I did see some people at the restaurant that I knew, but they were not close acquaintances and I don't think they recognized me.

When we got home it took it took three trips to get everything into the house and up into my room. While I had been at school my mother had reorganized much of my clothing and rearranged my room. The top two drawers in my dresser were now completely empty and a majority of my closet was empty. All of the displaced clothing was either in the guest room or in bags for Goodwill. My mother insisted that I was long overdue for cleaning out my old things and getting rid of things I had outgrown or did not wear.

Later, as I began the ritual of removing my makeup my mother informed me of my 10:00 appointment in the morning. I was set to see my mother's stylist named LuLu. She owned a chic salon in downtown Highland Park and had cut my mom's hair for the past few years. I was hoping for a relaxing day before my scheduled dinner with my father. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I did complain about her just dropping that on me. For the first time since this began my mother apologized for doing something without telling me. She said that not telling me earlier was an oversight and said she would try not to do that again.

As I readied for bed I was grateful that I would have at least a short break from my immersion in femininity. My relief was quickly dashed as my mother handed me a pink pajama set. It included tap pants and a matching camisole. There was little doubt that she intended me to maintain some degree of femininity 24/7 until the show was over. This was apparently going to continue as part of my routine for months.

I slept until I was roused by mother shortly after 9:00. "Get up sleepy head, time for your appointments."

The plural appointments did not go un-noticed by me. "More than one?"

"Not really, just beauty things at the Salon. It is really just one."

"I am afraid to ask, but what should I wear?"

"It's on your dresser. It will be much easier if you have a skirt."
I wasn't sure why a skirt would matter, but I knew she wanted me dressed as Mia. It would be my first venture out during the day in a skirt, but it wasn't as if it made much of a difference at this point.

"Don't worry about your hair; they will be washing it before they trim it."

I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth before working my way to the dainty outfit that awaited me. I tucked myself under then slipped on 'my' panties and bra before positioning the breast-forms in place. Even with my hair in a mess, I was transfixed with my female shape. It was a cross between fascination and infatuation. I knew I was doing this for a purpose, but the the new self image was oddly not repulsive.

When I regained my composure I put on the black ruffled skirt and the maroon blouse. The blouse had a low neckline and draped down from my breast-line. The sleeves were three-quarter length and had a silver trim much like the collar. In front of the combo on the chair were my new low heeled black boots. Also laid out was a thin silver necklace and a matching bracelet. When I was completely dressed I resembled from the neck down, one of the cute stylish girls from school. How quickly I had changed.

In the kitchen my mother gave me an approving glance and a fruit smoothie from the Vitamix blender on the counter. After downing my healthy drink she brushed out my hair and frosted my lips with a little color.

"Time to go, Mia. Wear this coat, until we get you something better."

It was not the first time that LuLu had cut my hair. I had gone to her the last two times I needed a trim. I had been keeping my hair long for the past two years and barbers basically gave me a hard time. LuLu never suggested I lop it off and she even gave me suggestions to take better care of long hair. She had never done anything extensive other than trimming the ends, but I liked visiting her over a barber. This time I was entering her lair dressed more like her typical client.

"My my, look at you. You look darling. I certainly agree with your school directors that it would be a waste to cast you in a boy role."

"Hi LuLu. Nice to see you too. So Mom has filled you in?"

"Yes, she says you are going to be a girl for a while and then in a play. What a wonderful experience for you."

"I landed the lead role and everyone tells me I need to do this to be ready. I'm not so sure, but as you can see, I am trying."

"You are doing the right thing. By the time the play comes around I am sure you will be great. By then it will all seem second natured and like most good actors or actresses it nothing will feel forced."

"We'll see, that's along time off."

"More time for the changes to grow on you. Your mother is so proud of you."

"She's certainly has been good with this and her enthusiasm has been a bit overwhelming."

"Maybe, but you know when you previously decided to come here to get your hair trims your mom and I did discuss giving it a little stylish pizazz. We agreed that we would not do anything unless you were on board or requested it. Now’s the time we can have a little fun."

"Nothing crazy. I am still a boy underneath and need to be able to go back to that."

"I will not give you anything drastic unless you need something specific for the show. For now, I will give you a flexible classic look."

"Good, I trust you, it is just this is all happening so fast."

"Relax, first we wash your hair."

LuLu had never washed my hair before. The washing and scalp massage felt nice. I closed my eyes and just drifted away. I woke up when I smelled something odd. LuLu had already cut my hair and now she was treating it.

"What's that smell?"

I am lightening your color a little and giving you some highlights. Nothing extreme, just giving it a little more life. I also added some very strong conditioner to give you some extra body."

"I thought you were not going to do much."

"All I did was even off your length. It is slightly longer going from the back to front with a part just off-center on the right of your forehead. I didn't add curls or any striking cuts, just an modified pageboy. If you really have to, you can still put it in a ponytail. There are some cute pullback looks you can do, but your old ponytail is still an option."

"I can feel that my hair is still damp."

"It is going to take a while for your hair to dry and then I will give it a final brush out. Let me clean up your eyes before you hit the next station."

"Say what?"

I thought she was going to pluck a couple of hairs, but instead she rubbed some goop on my brows and then yanked. The pain from the eyebrow waxing was worse than from when my ears were pierced. Even after that painful act she still needed to clean them up with a tweezer. I was afraid to see what little I had left. LuLu had turned the mirror so that I could not get a good look at myself. She wanted to give me the full effect when she was done.

From there I was taken into the back room to experience the same indignity on my legs. I had hardly begun the male puberty experience of body hair. I still did not shave (I did it a couple of time even though there was no need) and the only real peach fuzz was on my legs. There wasn't even much there, and my chest and arms still looked more like a baby than a teen boy. A few minutes later I had red legs that were as smooth as silk.

LuLu had a wicked smile as she retrieved me from the waxing room. "That is one of the least fun aspects of your new gender. Your hair is still a little damp so we might as well get you started on your mani-pedi."

"Still more?"

"Hands can be a big giveaway if you are trying to pass. Fortunately, you have small hands and feet, but they need a little gloss to look the part."

"No Color please. There are times like gym class where I will need to be a guy and colored nails will not do."

"I am sure that at this point color will not be an issue, but the plan it just to put a tinted clear on them . They are too short now for anything fancy, so we are just going to clean them up, re-shape them and put on a protective hard coat."

"Thank you."

Lulu’s idea of clear was different than mine. When Sasha was done with my hands and feet, I was now the owner of light pink nails. They were clear, but there was no hiding the fact that they had a pink tint. I had to hold my hands in a very careful and feminine way to make certain that they dried properly. It was at about this time that my mother returned to check on me.

As I sat back into the stylist chair my mother entered her work space. She hesitated about saying anything as LuLu began brushing out my hair. I could see the growing grin on her face.

"Well Mrs. Adams, what do you think of your lovely daughter now?"

"She looks adorable. I am just stunned by how absolutely perfect she looks now. There is no way that anyone would think she is anything but a lovely girl. It all looks so natural and she is not even wearing any makeup."

"That's a very good idea. Our treat. I am going to have Roxanne put just a little touch up color on Mia. Nothing much, but something appropriate for a girl her age."

"LuLu, that is very nice of you. One of the things I need to teach Mia is how to apply her own makeup. I shouldn't expect too much all at once. She has come so far over the last few days and she has her whole life in front of her."

I was getting nervous listening to my mom and LuLu chat like all of this was normal and that the changes were for the better.

"Alright you two, let's finish up. I have been here all morning."

With that, Roxanne came over to our station and did a little of her handiwork. She did not add as much as I had received at the MAC counter yesterday, but enough to enhance my eyes and bring out some rosy glow. Finally, I was able to check out the finished look. I stood up and walked over to the full length mirror. I felt a lump in my throat.

"Holy Shit! That's me."

"You could practically be a model. I am so glad I had an opportunity to help you."

"Mom! This is surreal. How am I going to ever pass as Nate again. All I see is girl. My hair looks like it belongs on a cheerleader. I didn't really think the plan was to jump so quickly to a completely unambiguous female appearance. The idea was to express more and more of this gradually until the play. On Monday at school I don't see how that will be possible."

"Honey, don't you have to admit you look beautiful?"

"That's not the point. It doesn't matter what I think. My friends will think I have flipped."

'It does matter. The school thing is not going to be an issue as long as you like how you see yourself and are happy."

"How can you say that. They might even send me home if I show up looking like this."

"Nonsense honey. That has already been taken care of."

"How’s that?"

"Well dear, you and Monica or should I say Tony, are supposed to report to the school office about 30 minutes before classes Monday. The principal and Mr. Jackson have made special arrangements for both of you. Because of the play, you are both going to be treated as the opposite gender until this is over. Monica's parents have also agreed to letting her completely throw herself into this. The school will make some special arrangements for you to use the faculty bathroom and they have transferred you out of your gym class into the health and wellness class. Monica will be doing the same."

"More secrets!"

"The final arrangements and approvals were just finalized while you were having your spa morning. You should have no issues with this at school and your friends will know that you and Monica are doing this together."

"The school is allowing this? That's just crazy."

"I think it started with a conversation Monica had with Mr. Jackson. She talked about you two getting ready and what she had in mind. The conversation morphed into the plan for you both to go all in. Mr. Jackson sold the idea to the principal as a way to promote the play. He knew it might create a bit of a stir, but he thought it would be mostly positive and not disruptive. The school said that the turnabout would end if it caused problems at school."

"Dad is going to flip out."

"Well I will talk to him this afternoon and later tonight you can talk to him and work out any lingering friction or doubt. He loves you and however he reacts you have to know that he wants the best for you."

"I just hate disappointing him."

"You have never disappointed him. You are different than him, but in mostly good ways. He has always been proud of you. He just has some old fashion stereotypes of guys and gals. Give him a chance, he might surprise you."

LuLu had drifted off to her next customer. We took care of our tab and went home. There was a special silent moment between my mother and I when we buckled up in the car. I did a little flip of my newly styled hair and simply said, "I will do my best."

I would be seeing my dad in a few hours and decided to get my homework done. Tomorrow, Monica and I planned to do our first actual rehearsal reading together. Before I made my way up to my room my mom sat down with me for a quick mother daughter conversation.

"We will make the best of the situation. You will have lots of new feelings and have so much to learn. At times, there will be awkward moments and you can always come to me for support or help. Having said that, from now forward I plan to treat you like you were my daughter. I have to show you things that girls your age already should know and will be coaching you on just about everything. There is so much more to a girl than makeup and clothes. Look at how you are sitting.”

"OK"

"Keep your legs together. It will get easier, but for a while my comments might be annoying. You have always been a quick study, so my guess is you will become a natural very quickly."

"Is there anything else? I am going to to some homework."

"I will help you get ready for dinner with your father later. Let's leave some extra time so you can practice putting on your own makeup."