By Nina Adams

Please read Part 1 & 2 first----

Author's note: Most of my stories have been about gifted teens that found their calling after after getting the proverbial push. While I have received occasional criticism (mostly warranted) by readers that felt my reluctant heroines had been cruelly forced, I always found myself fantasizing that this lad/lass had been me. Unfortunately, these stories have been 100% fiction. The dribble that begins below is also mostly fiction, however it is to a small degree 'based' upon my childhood. I will leave it to your imagination to know where fact and fiction leave off. If I haven't already lost you, I hope you enjoy "The New Tradition."

Please, please, please comment or let me know if you like it.
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Chapter 6

I was both excited and nervous about having committed to letting my mother fully dress me up as a woman. I knew our little playtime agreement was out of the ordinary, but having the opportunity to experience the thrill of looking pretty was a bug I could not shake. I could not understand why I wanted to look pretty or why my mother thought it was a good thing for me to do. My brothers were successful in everything they did, but the challenge to try and look beautiful would be an alien concept to them. I guess in my heart I felt looking pretty like my mother was something that would be unique and a special personal activity just for me.

My biggest fear was making a fool of myself. I knew my mother would help make the experience wonderful, but I was still scared that others would laugh at me if or when they learned of the plan. It was going to be hard for my other family members not to know. My long hair was already a center of distraction. Mom said she would handle that, so I just hoped that she would know the best way to deal with them. I certainly did not want to pronounce to the world that I wanted to dress up as a girl. It sounded even stranger when I thought about it that way.

Later that morning when we were getting ready to go over to my Aunt's house for the picnic BBQ my mother gave me some additional new clothes. It was going to be an unusually warm Memorial Day and she told be that I might me more comfortable in the shorts she had just purchased. The new white shorts were very thin cotton and the legs were much shorter than any of my other pairs. They were very lightweight and had no pockets in the back. Along with the shorts was a rust colored T-Shirt with a squared neckline and a new pair of sandals. The sandals had a corked bottom with one wide leather strap over the top and a strap to wrap around my heel.

I looked at them curiously until my mother asked me to go try them on. I was not surprised that everything fit, but the style was more feminine than the previous Limited items I had worn. The T-shirt was fairly long and covered the majority of the shorts. I paraded around in the new clothes for mom in the kitchen.

"Turn around for me."

"I did as she requested and waited for her comment."

"Wait there for a moment dear."

A minute later she returned with a plastic packet of something also white.

"Ash, these are new jockey underwear that will look much better under the shorts than the lumpy style you are currently wearing. The edges are smoother and they will not be as noticeable under your new shorts."

I took one of the three pairs that were in the pouch and looked it over. I knew immediately that these were not like any of my Jockey briefs and I presumed they were girl's briefs.

"Mom, are you kidding me? These are girl's panties."

"You wear them underneath your clothes. Are you already going to complain about wearing things no one will see? You need to loosen up and get comfortable with insignificant changes before you are ready for anything more meaningful. I thought we had an understanding."

"I was just surprised."

"Please go put them on, Ok?"

"Fine, I guess so long as the are not obvious it's no big deal."

I pulled them up my legs and immediately got aroused. I pulled the shorts over them and looked my self over. The briefs were not really noticeable, but the overall look was far from masculine. With my long hair and the androgynous clothing selection, I was beginning to push the fashion envelope in a mildly uncomfortable direction.

When I returned for inspection, my mother was clearly pleased. You look very nice. Now was that hard?"

I didn't answer, but she knew I felt a little different dressed like this. As we prepared to leave to drive across town she took out her brush and worked on my hair. Before she finished, she brushed the right side back behind my ear and slipped in a black metal Bobbie pin to hold it in place.

"No one will see the pin in your dark hair and this way you will be able to see where you are going."

I could make-out my reflection in the window, which confirmed it was one additional feminine detail. I was preparing to say something, but she spoke first.

"You look perfect for a picnic and this will be an opportunity for me to see if you are serious about learning what will be ahead."

I knew if I complained she would be disappointed. I wanted her to be happy with me, and even though I felt a bit strange, I didn't want to seem ungrateful.

As we were about to get in the car my oldest brother David told me I looked very nice in my new clothes. It was not so much what he said, as the fact that he acknowledged my new style and complimented me. I never recalled him ever saying anything about how I looked before.

The BBQ was our typical wild family gathering with enough food to feed an army. When we first got there I did receive some mildly uncomfortable greetings, but my new look quickly became a non-issue. Most of the comments were along the line of cute, stylish, or fun. My oldest cousin called me a Fashionista, which I really didn't know what that meant. No one laughed at me or said anything to hurt my feelings. I knew I looked very androgynous, but I quickly just blended into the party.

I found myself helping my mother and Aunt more with the food and in the kitchen. My two High School aged cousins Rachel and Lori, also joined us and we sort of formed a culinary tag team. It was the first time I didn't participate in any of the sporting games or activities and spent most of the time trying to be helpful. My aunt even complimented me on how much she liked the way I was growing up. Even without having relaxed much at the picnic I managed to have a fun time.

The last week of school included a couple of final exams, but otherwise shot by quickly. I was happy to have a couple of weeks off before summer school would begin. I planned to take physics to get it out of the way and free up a period to take something more enjoyable in the fall term.

Over the weekend I was told I had an upcoming appointment with Lulu for my trim. With each extra inch of growth I had become more attached to my hair. I was beginning to understand why some girls had hair all the way down their back. I didn't want hair that long, but I did like the way my thick hair was getting longer. Getting it trimmed was inevitable but I was happy that it would still be relatively long.

On Tuesday morning I learned of some additional tweaks to my summer appearance. The morning began with my mother handing me a Pink Venus disposable razor. I did not shave as yet, but my mother explained to me that she wanted me to remove any fuzz on body. I only had a few very light patches and the hair on my legs that was nearly invisible. When I asked why it was necessary, she just said that it was a good time for me to feel what it’s like to be perfectly smooth all over. She helped me get started and showed me how to properly do it. Despite having almost no hair, it still took me a long time and I nicked myself twice.

After completing the task, I went to get dressed and discovered that all of my old underwear had been replaced. The new ones were similar to the ones I wore on Memorial Day. The new additions were not all white and came in various pastel shades. Upon inquiry, I was told that they looked better with my new summer clothes. I selected a white pair and pulled them on.

On my bed was yet another new pair of shorts and matching top. There was nothing unusual about either, but they were a matching set. Both had a soft multi-coloring that looked similar to tie-dye, but more uniformed. Individually I could see wearing the items with no problem, but I never wore matching shorts and t-shirt together before. I was told to hurry as our salon appointments were nearing. Having dressed somewhat androgynously for Memorial Day, I was not quite as nervous looking a bit feminine again. I would never have worn this to school, but knowing it was summer, I just complied and got ready. Little by little I was pealing away any lingering resistance and accepting my mother's encouragement.

Inside the salon I felt even more conspicuous than the last time I had an appointment with Lulu. Now I was dressed much more androgynously and had ambiguously long hair that was creeping down my back. I certainly did not look like a typical boy going for a haircut. Lulu was also more enthusiastic when she greeted me.

"Ash, I love how wonderful your hair is coming in. You look scrumptious."

"Thanks Lulu. I like it too, except when it's in my eyes."

"Most boys never get to learn how to handle that problem, but the solutions can be part of the fun. Before long, I am sure you will get used that and become a pro at the various options."

"So Mom says you should just trim it again. She likes it long."

"So it's your Mom that likes it long... somehow I think she is not alone."

"Yeah, I am getting to like it too. However, this is a first for me."

"Well looking at you, it appears you are adjusting nicely."

"Mom wants me to have more style. I am just going along."

"I'll do my best to make you both happy. Today I am not going to take that much off. I will do a little layering to give you more body and trim a few hairs in front to give you some fringe bangs across the front. That might help a little with your eyes. It certainly will give you more style than you have now. First I need to wash and condition you again."

"I'm in your hands."

After washing and conditioning my hair, but before she beginning my trim, Lulu spent some time plucking my eyebrows. When I complained of the discomfort she merely said that to be stylish and to blend with longer hair it will look better if I have better groomed brows.

The whole hair and eye treatment took about an hour. When I finally got to see the finished look, I was shocked. Whereas, I came in as an androgynously dressed boy with long hair, my new look was much more girl. My hair was not only long now; it was styled like one of the girls in the hair magazines. The bangs were definitely not boyish. As I turned my head, the layered hair bounced around my neck. From any angle the new cut looked pretty. My eyebrows were also styled in a feminine way. They were tapered with an obvious peak over my eyeballs.

I looked totally different with bangs and layered hair

My initial shock drifted into a momentary queasiness. In the past I was able to pass off my long hair as a form rebellion, but now the impression would be much different. The style was not an overtly feminine cut, but much too sculpted for a teenage boy, especially one dressed as I was. It would be very easy for someone to confuse me for a girl. In my mind I knew my long-term objective was to experience being a girl, but months ahead of schedule I was already pushing the envelope.

“LuLu, I don’t look like me anymore. No boy has hair like this.”

“What were you expecting? How many boys have hair as long as yours? I just trimmed it and gave you bangs. I think you look wonderful.”

“It’s just how should I say this, but kind of girlish.”

“You have long beautiful hair, so in that respect I would say yes. It’s not that much different than before. You can still look butch if you pull it back, but in my opinion that would be a waste. The layering helps bring out your handsome yet delicate features. I certainly can see more of your mother in your face now."

Almost on cue, my mother re-appeared. “God, I wish my hair was still as thick and beautiful as yours. Don’t you love it?”

“Mom, it looks very nice, but its so…”

“Ash, it’s summer and you look stylish. Are you having second thoughts about growing your hair? I think it looks attractive on you.”

“Really? You don’t think it looks too feminine?”

“How much is too feminine? I think it is a nice look for summer. You can look like a boy with long hair or if you like you now have the potential to be more adventurous. I don’t think you are quite ready for that, but we have summer to work on it. When regular school begins again in the fall you will not have as much freedom to experiment.”

“I am going to summer school in two weeks. I don’t want to look weird there either.”

“Honey, I would hardly call how you look weird. You look very groomed and stylish, besides summer school is not even at your regular High School. You are only taking one class and I bet you will hardly know anyone at Glenbrook. Relax and enjoy it.”

“I am just a little surprised by how I look. The cut is nice, but I am not used to looking so different.”

“You will get used to it quick and I suspect it will help make your summer a fantastic one.”

“We’ll see, but Dad’s going to go ballistic.”

“I doubt that, remember I told you I would handle that issue.”

“If you say so.”

Chapter 7

I didn’t see my father until we sat down for dinner. I could tell he was looking me over, but he held back saying anything until we were all at the table. My brother Paul, who was home from school, just smiled when he saw me.

Dad finally broke the heavy silence. “How are you adjusting to your summer adventure?”

“What Dad?”

“You know what I am talking about. I have to admit, I think your hair turned out very nice.”

It was obvious that both my father and brother knew more than I was previously aware about the growing out of my hair and possibly even my Thanksgiving agreement with Mom. Instead of criticizing my extra long style they both were totally accepting and complimentary. I didn’t know whether to get mad at Mom or to be grateful that I was not receiving grief. For at least the moment I elected to not fight it.

“It’s LuLu’s handiwork and I guess it looks pretty good.”

“As long as you are happy with it, then we are too.”

“Really?”

“Son, I have always been proud of all of my boys. Each of you is different in your own way and it is very important that you figure out what makes you happy. If growing your hair and exploring some new activities is important to you, then I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. I have always supported David and Paul in their activities and education, so I plan to do the same with you. I don’t expect you to be a clone of anybody.”

“Thanks Dad, I was a little nervous that you would not be thrilled with my hair still remaining long.”

“If one of your brothers came home from school or work with super long hair, I think I might not like that. Each of you is unique and at this time I think allowing you to grow your hair is perfectly fine and maybe even necessary. Your hair does remind me of your mother’s when we met.

“Mom had said almost the same thing. I’ll have to look for some of her older photos later. Paul, you haven’t said much.”

“I’m Ok with it. You have changed a lot since I went off to college, but if this is something you really want, then that’s cool. Your hair looks pretty amazing.”

“This longer style is a new thing for me too and I am going through some mental adjustments. I am going to have to learn quick how much I like it. I appreciate that no one has laughed at me. Thanks”

It took me a few days to get used to my new hair. My mother showed me how to care for it and I had to wash it and brush it every evening. Beyond that, the next few days passed uneventfully. Each day I got more comfortable with my bouncy hair and my initial anxiety gradually dissipated.

On Saturday I went over to my aunt's house to spend some time with my cousins and help my Aunt pack up some household items for charity. It didn't take very long for me to box up the books, clothes, and miscellaneous items and stack them in the garage. My mother was not planning to pick me up until around dinner and I still had over three hours to kill with my cousins Sarah and Lori.

I was sitting with Sarah on the deck when Lori snuck up from behind with her best friend and neighbor Lilly. Sarah could see them coming up behind me, but they nearly scared me to death when they grabbed me from behind. I let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Lilly this is my cousin Ash. He's the one I told you about. Isn't he precious?"

"Hi Ash. Your cousin was just boasting about you. I can't believe we haven't met before or at school."

I recognized Lilly from school. She was probably one of the prettiest girls at the High School and extremely popular.

"I'm not surprised senior girls rarely hang with sophomore boys."

"True, but at least we have met now. You're even cuter than Lori told me. I adore your hair it's so beautiful."

Thanks Lilly, since it's summer I thought I would leave it long."

"Good choice, you should never cut it. It looks great on you."

"I appreciate that. What are you two up to?"

Lori cut back into the conversation." We been over at Lilly's place and wondered if Sarah and you wanted to join us."

"And do what?"

"Lilly's mom has made some sun-tea and it's brewing by the pool. We thought it would be fun if we all went over there and had a little pool party. The weather doesn't get much better than this."

"I'm in!" Sarah was first to acknowledge.

"We are obviously in." Lori added for Lilly and herself.

"I'd love to join you all, but I didn't bring a bathing suit. I'll just hang back here and watch the Cubs game."

Sarah put her arm around my shoulder and said." I'm sure we have an extra bathing suit in the house that you can wear."

"Alright, a little pool time with three cute girls sounds like fun."

Lilly smiled at me before saying," I'll call my mom and let her know we will be there in about 15 minutes. I already have a swimsuit on under my sundress."

"Okay, find me some trunks that won't look ridiculous on me. They better not have rubber ducky’s or SpongeBob on them."

"We'll go and put on our suits and dig around and find you a nice one." Sarah giggled.

A few minutes later my cousins emerge from their room dressed in revealing bikinis. They were also wearing wraparound sarongs that covered much of their legs. My eyes dilated looking at their enticing images.

I was distracted by their beauty and did not immediately notice what Lori was holding with her right arm. She was caring a small stack of clothing.

"Well Ash after you close your mouth and stop gaping at us we can see which of these swimsuits fits. I have one of my father suits and a couple of mine."

"Your suits! No way."

"Well you're a lot closer to my size than your Uncle's. He probably outweighs you by 50 to 75 pounds. We can see if his works first."

"I am sure I can get by in his trunks. I will just tie them up extra tight."

"Here, go put these on then."

In the bathroom I undressed and then pulled up my uncle’s bathing suit. They were huge and hung down below my knees. Worse yet they were so big that even drawing the string tight hardly helped to keep them in place. I looked like a circus clown in these oversize red trunks. I stepped out of the bathroom and the girls began to laugh in unison.

Lori was the first to stop laughing and speak." No way I'm swimming with someone dressed like that."

"Yeah sis, he looks pretty ridiculous. Let him try one of the other suits. They have to be an improvement."

"You want blue or fuchsia?"

"I don't want either? I'm not wearing a girl's suit."

"Just humor us. What difference does it make, we are going to be in Lilly's backyard."

"I'll know it’s her backyard, but unless you all have been smoking something you know I'm not built for a girls bathing suit."

"Ash, they're both one piece so it shouldn't be difficult to fit in one of them."

"Come on, are you serious? You just want to keep laughing at me."

"If you try on one of these suits we promise not to laugh."

Lori and Lilly shook their heads in agreement.

"Okay, but if I look really stupid I'm going to just stay here and watch the game."

"Agreed, just keep an open mind. So is it blue or fuchsia?"

"I'll stick with the blue."

Lilly added, "Good choice, because that color matches your eyes."

I was so infatuated with Lilly that she managed to get my mind off the craziness I was participating in.

Back in the bathroom I swapped into the blue bathing suit. I was reluctant to leave the bathroom. It was a formfitting halter styled suit that had built-in padded cups and exposed most of my back. My image scared me because with the obvious artificial cleavage and my thin frame, I looked pretty good in the suit. I had to admit it fit much better than my Uncle's trunks, but with my long hair I now looked like one of the girls.

The only visual tell, was a small bulge were a girl should not have one. The bump looked very out of place in the mirror so I tucked my boy thing under between my legs. The tightness of the bathing suit did a pretty good job of holding my only manly characteristic in hiding. It was a little uncomfortable, but my appearance no longer had an obvious inconsistency so after regaining my composure I slowly made my way back to the girls.

No one was laughing. They all had huge grins on their face and we're clearly please by my humiliation.

Lori gave me a big hug to try and relieve my discomfort. "Isn't this much better? That suit fits you 100% better."

"Lori, I know, but it looks too perfect, I look like a girl now."

"Nothing wrong with that. We're just going to swim and besides I think you look cute."

"God. This is so embarrassing"

Lilly came up to me and gave me a quick peck on my cheek." This afternoon will you be my girlfriend?"

I probably would've done anything Lilly said, but I quickly warmed to her attention, "I'd be your girlfriend anytime." It was probably a really stupid thing to say, but she had an undeniable spell over me.

Lori broke my trance, "Let's go swimming."

I hesitated briefly before saying. "What if someone sees me?"

Lilly looked me straight in the eye, “Remember you are my girlfriend and that's all anyone would see."

Sarah countered, "Let's remove any doubt. Let me touch her up with a little makeup."

"That's a good idea." Shot back Lori.

I had gone this far so I didn't resist and I let her touch up my face. A few minutes later I was adorned with waterproof eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick. When I first saw Sarah's handiwork I was oddly grateful that I looked so authentic. At this point there was no turning back. Lilly gave me a pair of pink flip-flops and a terrycloth wraparound skirt. I held her hand as we walked over to her house, which was only two doors down. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

The first thing we did was go for a quick dip and then we followed that up with some iced tea. After my initial trepidation had passed I found myself beginning to mimic the girls. What they did I did. With my altered appearance looking being so completely feminine, it did not make sense for me to not act the part. The girls even gave me tips on how to handle my wet hair and added a few pointers on posture and attitude. They were clearly having fun with me, but in no way made me feel like a joke.

For the next hour or so we all just lounged on deck chairs and basked in the warm sun. The conversation was minimal, but I was bonding with my cousins like never before. As I stole a glance of the pretty girls I wondered what someone would think if they saw me relaxing by the pool. I never had vain thoughts like that before, but now dressed in a skimpy bathing suit, I strangely wondered if I looked nice.

A short while later, my daydreaming was jarred by the rumble of visitors. My heart skipped a beat when two male friends of Lilly's entered our quiet pool party. I did not recognize them, but my cousins knew who they were. I quickly learned that they were college freshman home for the summer. They had graduated from our High School the year before and one of them had even taken Lilly to the prom last year.

I was the only one that didn't immediately jump up to greet them. While the girl's were reacquainting themselves with their friends I tried to figure out my exit strategy. I didn't know whether to dash away or just try and muddle through the situation. Sarah ultimately made the decision for me.

"Matt and Aaron, I'd like you to meet my cousin Ashley."

I was almost frozen with fear. The guys were giving me the once over and standing almost within arms reach. Both were looking straight at me and clearly presumed I was a girl. It took me a few seconds to regain my fragile composure, before I weakly muttered Hi.

Matt took the lead in getting the scoop on me. His flirtatious inquiries were more than just a polite greeting.

With his eyes drilling into mine, Matt commented, "It's amazing how all the prettiest girls always seem to hang out together."

All I could muster was a small smile. I appreciated the compliment, but fumbled for an appropriate comeback. My silence did not deter him from further one-liners.

"How is it that we have not met before? I certainly would have remembered meeting you."

Sarah spoke for me as she could easily sense my distress. "You both met Ashley early last year at the high school. She was a lowly freshman then and had shorter hair. She's sort of a late bloomer."

"Sorry I didn't recognize you Ashley. I won't forget you now, I promise."

"Thanks Matt. It's Ok, I just stopped by for a dip in the pool."

"Same with Aaron and me. Hopefully we will get to see a lot more of you over the summer."

"I don't know. This is the first time I have swam over here."

"Well if it's not here, then we will have to get together somewhere else."

Sarah cut him off. "Let's just all go for a swim. Matt, stop being such a dog."

The next 45 minutes or so was a blur. We all spent time together in the pool and talked mostly about college life. Lilly and Sarah were both going off to college in the fall and ready to move on from High School. I gradually became more relaxed, but still kept my conversation to a minimum. Both guys were very friendly towards me, but Matt's attention to me was clearly greater. I wondered at first if he suspected anything, but in the pool he picked me up a couple of times in a playful way. He was treating me like a girl and more than a little friendly towards me.

My mother was due to pick me up in about a half hour so I politely said I had to leave. Lori and Sarah also said their goodbyes and we dried ourselves off before preparing to depart. Matt, Aaron and Lilly also exited the pool. Just before leaving Matt put his hand softly onto the edge of my shoulder before saying, "I certainly hope we get to see more of you this summer. It was really nice meeting you."

All I could say was, "It was nice meeting you too. It's a long summer, you never know."

On the way back to my cousin’s house the girls could not help smiling at me. Lori said "I was sort of hoping to hook up with Matt this summer, but I guess he has other ideas. You made quite an impression Ashley."

"It's Ash. I can't believe what just happened. I should never have gone swimming like this."

"Admit it. You had fun. Ashley is a real attention getter."

"This was supposed to be a secret thing because I did not have a swim suit. I need to get back to your house and get out of this gig before my Mom picks me up."

"That's too bad. Lori and I enjoyed having Ashley around more than Ash. She's welcome anytime."

"That may be, but I am Ash, so get over it."

As we entered the back sliding door at my cousin’s house I found myself standing in front of my Aunt and Mother drinking coffee. As if I had not been through enough, once again I had explaining to do.

"Well look at you.” My Mother said as she realized I was wearing makeup and a girls bathing suit.

"I can explain." as I said those words I realized I really couldn't.

Sarah saved me. "It was our idea because we wanted to go for a quick swim and Ashley, I mean Ash, didn't have a suit. We talked him into it. I hope you are not mad."

"No not at all. Just a little surprised. 'Ashley' come a little closer so I can have a better look."

Her use of Ashley was very obvious. I shuffled over to her as she took in my transformation.

"You look very nice in that suit. You may have gone over for a quick swim, but I am guessing that's not what you did."

I got concerned that she knew more than what she could see. Possibly even, that the two guys had joined us.

"What do you mean Mom?"

"From your strong tan lines, its obvious your swim was not a quick one. Those lines are here to stay."

I had not thought about that. I was now adorned with tan lines that would be impossible to explain away in normal swim trunks.

"My God Mom. What am I going to do?"

"Honey I'm not sure. You really should have put on extra strong sunblock. What's done is done. You will not be able to swim in just swim trunks until the lines fade."

"I'm sorry. I'll go and change now."

"That's ok dear. Why don't you wait until you get home? You can shower at home and get all the chlorine off."

"I can't go home in a bathing suit."

Lori quickly ran down the hall and grabbed one of her sundresses. "Here, you can wear this as a cover-up."

My Aunt thanked Lori for sharing her dress. "Ashley, you are about the same size as your cousins so I am sure that her clothes should fit fine."

"Thanks Aunty, but wearing Lori's dress home was not what I was thinking."

"Nonsense." my mother interjected. "Thank your cousin and please slip that on. At this point I see no point in you arguing about it."

I mouthed a weak thank you to Lori and awkwardly slid the dress over my head.

"Now that wasn't too difficult was it? It looks nice on you."

"Lets go Mom. I have had enough excitement for one day."

With that we were off.