THREE MONTHS LATER

“Stop being so nervous!” Dad admonishes me as I nearly hyperventilate on the back seat of his car. “This is something you want to do, it’s something you know you’ll be good at, so the sooner you relax and start enjoying it, the better.”

“I know, I know,” I breathe, fanning myself with my hands. “It’s just- it’s just all so new!”

“Well get used to it, because that’s life for you,” dad states bluntly.

“I know,” I moan again as the car pulls up outside the large building. Outside, hundreds of teenagers- mostly girls- are milling around, entering the building. Some look as nervous as I am, whilst some are confident, happy and cheerful. My own nerves subside when I see one particular brown-haired girl come over to our car. I grin and step out of the car, greeting the girl with a long hug and a slow kiss.

“Hi!” I say, linking fingers with my girlfriend.

“Hi Nikki!” Sarah beams. “All ready for your first day at college?”

“Nervous as hell!” I confess. “But so much better now you’re here.” After giving Sarah another kiss, I grab my bag and head into the vast building hand in hand with the girl I love.

My first summer as Nicola may have had its ups and downs, but it’s by far the best summer of my whole life.

After three months on hormones, my body has finally started to change. The changes are subtle, but noticeable- my waist has started to narrow (though diet and exercise helped there!) whilst my hips and bottom are starting to expand slightly. My skin is softer, and what little muscle definition I had is starting to disappear. Frustratingly, some things are taking a lot longer than I’d hoped- my chest is still flat, albeit tender, so I’m still reduced to wearing falsies (except when exercising or dancing), and my facial hair is still growing, though I am having laser treatments to deal with that- with all the pain that that brings!

My wardrobe has considerably expanded, too- both Sarah and I now have Saturday jobs, me in a high-street clothing store and Sarah on a make-up counter, so we both get staff discounts that have already been thoroughly used! I now have a wardrobe, closet and several drawers full of cute, girly clothes- the pleated black miniskirt and t-shirt I’m wearing today being an example. I also own more shoes now than I know what to do with! Whilst most are flats (like the pair I’m wearing today), I have been steadily getting more and more heels- the 5” heeled platform stilettos I bought myself from eBay last week being probably the most extreme example (Sarah got herself a pair too, naturally)!

That’s not to say that home life has been a walk in the park, though. My parents have been my most consistent source of support- with the obvious exception of Sarah- but in doing so, their own lives have been made increasingly difficult. Many of dad’s friends have shunned him for having a transgendered child, and whilst he says- as I said- that anyone who can’t accept us for who we are doesn’t deserve to call themselves my friend, it’s clear that sometimes it’s not easy for him, me being the way I am. Probably the most difficult thing our family has had to endure, though, was the falling out with my grandparents.

Whilst my dad was externally calm about the whole social services investigation, internally he was utterly livid. Naturally, the investigation collapsed almost as soon as it began. When the officer came round and interviewed me and my parents, we provided quick, calm responses to every question that was asked, backed up with official paperwork (like my signed diagnosis of gender dysphoria and signed repeat prescriptions for hormones). A few days after that meeting, we received a call telling us that the investigation was being summarily cancelled and no further action would be taken. This was almost certainly because the department needed to not be seen as transphobic, but it was still a major victory for me and my parents- and a major defeat for my grandparents, one they refused to accept. They made it perfectly clear to me and my parents that unless I started living my life as a boy again, they would cut off all contact with us- including any potential inheritance. The fact that I’m going into college today wearing a skirt should tell you what decision my family took.

My other grandparents, whilst not as outright hostile, still refuse to accept my decision. As far as they’re concerned, I’m still their grandson, and I’m going through ‘a phase’ that I’ll get over soon enough. Never mind the fact that I’ve had several medical professionals say conclusively that I am a girl trapped in a boy’s body, never mind the fact that this has been my fantasy for as long as I can remember, they’re OAPs, so they know best. Mum- their daughter- assures me that they’ll come round soon enough, but I can tell my decision is causing her as much stress as it is dad.

Fortunately, every time things get too tense at home, I always have Sarah. My hormone treatments have reduced our sex life to virtually nothing, but if anything, we’ve spent more and more time with each other over the summer, even sleeping at each other’s houses more than once. We still study ballet, and Sarah is much better at it than I am, but we’re both steadily improving. Krystie- our teacher- actually invited us (and all her students) to a recital 6 weeks ago to celebrate her 21st birthday, where I got the thrill of my life when I got to take a selfie with Jamie-Lee Burke, one of my biggest inspirations since starting my life as Nikki. Sadly Sarah was on holiday at the time, so she couldn’t get her own selfie with Charlotte Hutchinson- but Krystie’s promised us that she and her ‘gang’ (that she’s nicknamed ‘The Angels’) will be doing more performances before the end of the year. One of the ‘Angels’, a dark-haired girl called Victoria, has actually started in the same class as me and Sarah (though she’s far more advanced than either of us), and we seemingly can’t get through a lesson without Sarah begging to be introduced to Charlotte and the other girls!

Sarah still makes clothes that I model for her online store- mostly dresses and skirts, but a few more unusual pieces like fashionable leotards and jumpsuits too. The online store is making us both a good amount of extra pocket money (Sarah insists on giving me a ‘modelling fee’), most of which, of course, goes on our own clothing collections! I actually tried interviewing for the modelling agency Krystie recommended last month- sadly, I didn’t get accepted, but was told to apply again in a year when I got more experience, which I fully intend to do!

…Experience I plan on getting starting today, with my new college course! It should come as no surprise to anyone that Sarah is studying fashion design- starting with a level 2 course with a view to doing level 3 next year, and university the year after. I, on the other hand, will be studying fashion photography- my own portfolio (taken mostly from Sarah’s website) was enough to get me on a level 2 course of my own- which hopefully will lead on to level 3 and subsequently a university course of my own!

“I’ll see you at lunch, right?” I ask Sarah as we prepare to go to our separate classes.

“Of course!” Sarah says happily, giving me a quick kiss before leaving me alone in the crowd. I quickly find my way to my own class and step inside, taking a seat on an unoccupied table. I barely have the chance to get out a notepad and a pen before I’m distracted by a voice behind me.

“Hi,” the voice says nervously. I turn around to look at the owner of the voice- a tall (the same height as me), skinny girl with light-brown hair, nervously clutching her own stationery. “Can- Can I sit next to you?” I can’t help but grin- this is almost exactly how I met Sarah two years ago, though obviously then I was a very different person!

“Sure,” I say, smiling as the girl sits down. “I’m Nikki, Nikki Thomas.”

“Katie,” the girl replies as we share a feminine handshake. “Katie Henderson. Are you a photographer too?”

“Yeah,” I answer with a smile. “Not really got that much experience, kinda why I’m doing this course.” I smile smugly before continuing. “I’ve also done some modelling.”

“Cool, me too!” Katie says happily, deflating my sails slightly. “Hey, maybe we can work together for our first assignment?” Even though my ego has taken a slight knock, Katie seems like a really nice girl, so it’s a small price to pay for a new friend.

“That’d be cool!” I say happily as I compare notes with my new friend.

Our class starts shortly afterwards- as it’s the first day we don’t actually do any photography, instead getting an overview of the course. Fortunately, we’re not called on to introduce ourselves to the whole class, so I’m spared the ‘opportunity’ to out myself to a whole room full of strangers, but when lunch rolls around, my brain is almost overloaded with all the information I’ve taken on!

“Getting scared yet?” Katie asks with a laugh.

“…Maybe a little,” I say, making us both giggle happily. “You doing anything for lunch?”

“I was planning on hanging around with a friend,” Katie said.

“Oh, okay, so I’ll see you after, then?” I say, a little hurt by being ditched by Katie.

“Why?” Katie asks with a grin. “YOU were the friend I was planning on hanging around with!” Katie and I giggle yet again before walking together to the cafeteria.

“Just so you’re aware,” I say, “I will be meeting up with my girlfriend at lunch, but you’re more than welcome to tag along if you want!”

“Oh cool,” Katie says. “So, you’re, like, a lesbian?”

“Kind of,” I say with a coy smile.

“Umm, so bisexual then?” Katie asks.

“Kind of,” I repeat, my smile growing wider.

Once we arrive at the cafeteria, Sarah quickly waves me over to her table, where she’s sat with two other girls.

“Hey Nikki!” Sarah says, greeting me with a kiss, much to the other girls’ delight. “Say hi to Lauren and Danielle!”

“Hi!” I say, greeting Sarah’s new friends. “Sarah, girls, meet Katie!” After we’re all introduced to each other, we settle down to eat our meal.

“So YOU’RE Nikki’s girlfriend,” Katie says to Sarah. “How long have you been going out?”

“About two years,” Sarah answers. “Nikki’s my first girlfriend, and she’ll be my last.” We secretly touch our hands together in our ‘girl love forever’ handshake under the table.

“That’s funny,” Katie continues, “because Nikki insists that she is only ‘kind-of’ a lesbian and ‘kind-of’ bisexual and I’m really racking my brain trying to figure out what she means!”

“You make a cute couple though, and that’s all that matters!” Danielle says with a smile.

“Thanks!” I say, keeping my hot pink-tipped fingers linked with Sarah’s. “Are you both studying fashion design too?”

“I am,” Lauren says. “Dannii here is Britain’s next top supermodel!” Grinning, Dannii stands up and does a sexy strut around the table- and it’s easy to see why Lauren thinks the way she does. Danielle is almost six feet tall, perfectly proportioned and has a bone structure any model would kill for. If I didn’t already have a girlfriend I loved with my whole heart, Dannii would DEFINITELY have grabbed my attention.

“I’m not actually a student here,” Dannii says, blushing slightly despite her ‘performance’. “I’m just here to support my best girl!” Dannii gives Lauren a quick hug, much to the smaller girl’s embarrassment.

“So what do you do?” I ask.

“Full-time model,” Dannii announces smugly. “Signed to Approach Media. Done a few shows, a few catalogue shoots.”

“So cool!” Katie gushes, though I can tell that deep down, she’s as envious as me. “I’ve done a bit of modelling too, but only small-scale stuff.”

“Same here,” I hastily interject. “Mainly just for Sarah’s online store.”

“’Online store’?” Lauren asks, her jaw dropping. “You never told me you were a businesswoman as well as a designer!”

“Well, we’re just full of secrets, aren’t we?” Sarah asks, shooting an angry look in my direction.

“Oh my god!” Dannii squeaks, handing Sarah her smartphone. “Show me, show me!” Sighing, Sarah quickly types in the web address of her store and hands the phone back to Dannii and Lauren, who both squeal excitedly at the sight of me in the beautiful clothing Sarah made.

“Oh my god!” Lauren exclaims. “You’re really, really good! Both of you are!”

“Thanks,” Sarah and I say simultaneously. The smile Sarah gives me lets me know that I’ve been forgiven for my earlier ‘faux pas’.

“Nikki, do you have representation?” Dannii asks. “Cause you’re really, really good!” I can’t help but frown despite the compliment.

“Nah,” I say dismissively. “I’m just an amateur. I much prefer being on the other side of the camera, anyway!” This is, admittedly, a lie, but something about Dannii just screams ‘self-confidence’- and I don’t want to seem like a failure in front of her.

“Didn’t you have that interview a couple of weeks ago?” Sarah asks smugly, this time earning herself a death glare from me. “Didn’t a mutual friend of ours recommend you to that particular agency?”

“Which agency?” Dannii asks excitedly. I sigh as I give my answer.

“Joshua Benedict,” I answer, prompting squeals of delight from Lauren, Dannii and- to my surprise- Katie.

“Oh my god!!!” Dannii exclaims. “Do you know one of the Angels!?” I can’t help but be surprised by this question- obviously I have my own reasons for being a fan of Jamie-Lee, and I always thought Sarah’s fondness for Charlotte was a rare thing…

“One of them? No,” Sarah responds smugly. “Two of them? Maybe…” I smile at Sarah, letting her know that she’s been forgiven, before getting out my own phone.

“Oh my god, that’s so awesome!” Katie enthuses.

“The Angels are overrated,” I say confidently.

“Says the girl with a selfie of her with Jamie-Lee on her phone!” Sarah jokes.

“This selfie?” I ask, showing the picture on my phone to the other girls, and smiling inwardly when all three of them look on with envy. “Whatever. I say the five of us would make a better supergroup anyway!” Much to my delight, I get approving smiles from all the girls at the table.

“The NEW Angels!” Dannii says, holding her hand out in the middle of the table. I roll my eyes- it’s not the name I’d have picked, but it’ll do for now.

“The New Angels!” I state, placing my hand on Dannii’s. Soon enough, all five of us have ‘signed up’ to the idea and are giggling excitedly about our new ‘gang’.

“We’re totally going to have to have a costume party to celebrate,” Dannii commands. “Any ideas for themes?”

“Anything EXCEPT Angels,” Lauren jokes, making the table descend into yet another fit of giggles!

Soon enough, the time comes for the five of us to reluctantly leave the cafeteria. We’ve only known each other for a few minutes, but it feels like we’ve friends our whole lives, and we’re already counting down the seconds until the next meeting of the ‘New Angels’.

“Nikki,” Katie says as we leave the cafeteria, “I’m STILL dying to know what you mean by ‘kind of’ gay and ‘kind of’ bisexual.”

“You know I showed you that selfie of me and Jamie-Lee Burke?” I ask, smugly. “She and I… Kinda have something in common.”

“No freaking way!” Dannii gasps, spinning me around to look at her. “You!? Born a boy!? But- but- but you’re hot! I mean, like, really hot!”

“Thanks!” I say to the towering blonde girl. “You’re not bad yourself!”

“Seriously?” Lauren asks, equally in shock. I simply nod in response, making Lauren smile even wider. “That is so cool!”

“Cool?” Katie asks. “Try AWESOME!” I can’t help but blink back tears as I am genuinely touched by the responses of my new friends.

“It’s… Just who I am,” I say humbly.

“And it’s why I love you,” Sarah whispers in my ear.

“So,” Katie asks, “you’re a transsexual, but you still like girls?”

“It’s not ‘girls’, really,” I say, “’it’s just Sarah.” I grin and give my girlfriend a quick kiss as we head back to the college’s main hall, where Katie & I part ways with the other three.

“Seriously,” Katie says, unable to take her eyes off of my body, “I would NEVER have guessed.”

“I assume that was a compliment,” I say with a smile, “so thanks!”

“Well yeah it was a compliment!” Katie enthuses. “Dannii’s right, you are drop-dead gorgeous! AND a proper model too!”

“Well, so are you!” I say, making my new friend laugh.

“Yeah, but I’ve always been a girl,” Katie shrugs as we arrive back at our classroom.

“So have I,” I say confidently. “It’s just taking my body a while to catch up, that’s all!”

“So cool,” Katie breathes. “Not just choosing to be a girl, but choosing to be a really girly girl as well!”

“Like I said,” I say. “It’s just who I am.”

The rest of the week passes by much quicker than I ever would have thought on that first morning. Me, Sarah, Katie, Lauren and (when she’s available) Dannii all meet up for lunch every day without fail, and our lunch hours are always filled with gossip about clothes, cosmetics, the ‘real’ Angels (when Katie and Dannii discovered that we study ballet with Krystie Fullerton, they both immediately demanded invitations to the class, which Sarah and I were of course happy to provide), our college work, and occasionally boys- which always made me and Sarah somewhat uncomfortable, given what little interest we have in people of that gender! Still, as time wore on, I found myself increasingly comfortable talking about that topic, even cooing over photos of semi-naked men in fashion magazines- just because I have no intention of ever touching doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking! Most gratifyingly of all, very little- almost nothing, in fact- is made of my transsexual status. As far as the girls are concerned, I am one of them- just as I'd always dreamed.

Once Friday at college has been and gone, I head home with Sarah to her house, where we both collapse on her sofa, breathing a sigh of relief.

“My mum won’t be back for a while,” Sarah says as we snuggle up to each other. “So, how d’you like college life?”

“MUCH better than school life,” I giggle. “No stupid uniform, for starters!”

“Would you have said your uniform was stupid if you’d worn a skirt instead of trousers?” Sarah asks, playing with the hem of the skirt I’m currently wearing.

“…Maybe not,” I laugh, giving Sarah a soft, slow kiss.

“Speaking of…” Sarah teases. “I trust you’ll be happy with wearing a really sexy bodysuit and skirt for me on Sunday?”

“Always,” I giggle, cuddling Sarah closer.

“Good,” Sarah says. “I’ve got a feeling this Sunday will be our best shoot yet…”

We stay on the sofa until early evening, when Beverly returns home with our takeaway dinner. After bidding a reluctant farewell to Sarah, I eventually return to my own home just before 9pm, where I again crash on the sofa, this time alone.

“First week done!” Mum coos. “How are you feeling, college girl?”

“Tired,” I laugh.

“Well, at least that means you’re working hard!” Mum jokes. “Assuming you’re not spending all your time at college just hanging around with friends, anyway!”

“Both,” I laugh. “Me and Sarah have both made some new friends, we’ve got our own little ‘clique’ now.”

“That’s great!” Mum enthuses. “When you were at school, Sarah was really the only friend you had… I can’t help but feel a little bit responsible, I mean, if we’d known about Nikki sooner, you’d probably have made more friends.”

“Don’t feel responsible,” I say soothingly. “Everything’s worked out great so far, yes, I’m having to make up for lost time but I’m doing great, really I am!”

“Do we get to meet these new friends of your at any point?” Mum asks.

“Soon,” I say, giggling a little. Mum’s right in everything she says, except her being responsible for my comparatively miserable school life- because of my ‘status’, I was miserable at school, a loner, right up until I met Sarah and Nikki became a reality. All I ever wanted to be was one of the girls, and now that I am- as far as Sarah, Katie, Lauren and Dannii are concerned, anyway- everything just feels so easy, so right. Whenever I see a group of girls gossiping, giggling, having fun, I don’t need to feel jealous any more- because I’m a part of one of those groups now!

I stay up until 11pm sat at my computer, chatting to the girls on Facebook. The stuff we talk about is utterly trivial nonsense, but I just don’t care!

Of course, my life can’t be all fun and games, as proven when my alarm clock wakes me at 8am for a day of work. I quickly get showered and made-up- subtle, professional make-up (and no nail polish, annoyingly) before pulling on my work uniform, which consists of a plain navy blue polo shirt, a pair of translucent black tights and a short, clingy black skirt. Employees have the option of wearing trousers or a skirt- and most girls there actually prefer trousers- but even despite my feminine hair and falsies, my limited make-up leave me feeling too androgynous for comfort, so I opt for a skirt instead (even if I am obliged to wear dark tights as well). After slipping on a pair of comfortable lace-up flats, I grab my handbag and head to work!

After three hours of stocking clothing racks, pricing items and helping customers, I finally get the nod from my supervisor and head off on my lunch break. Needless to say, I quickly meet up with Sarah at a local coffee shop! Sarah’s dressed similarly to me in her work uniform, only she’s wearing a white, short-sleeved blouse, more make-up (obviously, given she works on a make-up counter) and a shorter skirt than mine. Like me, she has the option of wearing trousers instead of a skirt, but she chose to wear skirts ‘out of solidarity for me’. It should go without saying that once we’re sat down, our hands quickly find their way onto each other’s nylon-clad thighs!

“Hey,” Sarah says hesitantly, giving me a quick kiss. “I hope you don’t mind, we’re kinda… Not going to be alone for lunch today.”

“What do you mean?” I as, before receiving my immediate answer.

“Hi girls!” Dannii says excitedly, giving us both quick hugs before sitting down at our table. “Aww, you both look so cute together in your uniforms!” Both Sarah and I blush slightly at our new friend’s unintended patronising.

“Thanks,” we both mumble, taking our hands off of each other’s thighs.

“Are you not working today?” I ask.

“Nah,” Dannii says dismissively. “Never work at weekends, that’s my motto!” Sarah and I share an unamused glance at Dannii’s flippancy.

“That said though,” Dannii continues, “I have been sending off a few CVs today, including one to a certain Mr Benedict…”

“Oh my god!” I exclaim with faked enthusiasm. “That’d be so awesome if you get signed by him!”

“I know, right?” Dannii asks, her excitement not waning. “I could end up being a New Angel AND a real Angel!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves!” I tease, trying to rein my new friend’s ego in a bit.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Dannii says, taking several deep breaths and shooting a very unusual look at me. “So Sarah, is everything set for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” I ask Sarah, who simply grimaces in response.

“Oh shit!” Dannii says, clapping her hand over her mouth. “Was that meant to be a surprise? I’m so sorry! I thought, you know, as you two were girlfriend and girlfriend you’d have told her!”

“…Told me what?” I ask Sarah with more than a little irritation in my voice.

“Tomor-“ Dannii begins, before a stern glare from Sarah silences her.

“It’s… Not just going to be the two of us tomorrow,” Sarah says. “I invited the others round to model some of the other clothes I’ve made.”

“I-“ I begin, before Sarah interrupts me.

“I’m sorry!” Sarah pleads. “I know how special those days are for you and you’ll always be my favourite model, always! It’s just… We’ve got all these new friends, I thought this’d be a good way to get to know each other and have some fun, that’s all! I was going to do your photos first, then the others would come over as a surprise…” I can see how upset Sarah is- and I don’t like being responsible for it. Looking over at Dannii- who is equally upset at her faux pas- it’s clear that this was meant to be a pleasant surprise for me. I smile and give Sarah a quick hug, before holding my hand out in the middle of the table.

“The New Angels?” I ask, bring wide smiles to Sarah & Dannii’s faces.

“The New Angels!” They both yell, eliciting surprised looks from everyone else in the café!

Lunch ends far sooner than any of us hoped, and after seeing Dannii off with friendly hugs, Sarah and I headed back to work. The following day, I got up early- earning myself plenty of teasing from my parents about giving up the only lie-in I’d get all week- and headed round to Sarah’s, where her ‘studio’ was set up ready and waiting in her back garden.

“Hey,” Sarah greets me with a soft kiss. “Are you ready?”

“I’m never NOT ready!” I say with a smile as Sarah leads me up to her bedroom.

“Then behold,” Sarah says, opening her wardrobe, “your gown!” I gasp in shock at the sheer beauty of the dress Sarah has in her arms. The bodice is a light metallic blue and completely strapless, held up by a tight zip up the back. The knee-length skirt is a dark lilac, again metallic, but flares out. The petticoat on the bed is no doubt intended to give the skirt even more volume.

“It’s beautiful!” I whisper, feeling the amazing texture of the dress between my fingers. “It’s probably my favourite since, you know, my favourite!”

“I knew you’d love it!” Sarah says, bouncing up and down with excitement. “Get your skirt and top off and I’ll help you get into it. You’ll need to put on some light tights, too.”

“Okay,” I say, taking off my clothing and pulling on the spare pair of tights I keep into my bag. Pulling the dress on does turn out to be a 2-girl job: The bodice of the dress is actually a detachable bodysuit that I have to step into like a leotard, or a swimsuit, and is very tight around my torso once zipped up. The petticoat feels INCREDIBLE once I’m in it- swishing around my nylon-covered legs with every step I take, especially once I’ve stepped into the super-high heels Sarah wants me to model with the dress! Finally comes the skirt, which flares out every time I turn around, flashing my petticoat to the world! Naturally, Sarah- now a proper make-up girl- insists on doing my make-up before I step in front of the camera. Thick metallic blue eye shadow goes on my eyelids, and extra-thick eyeliner and fake eyelashes complete my eyes, whilst blood-red lipstick enhances my mouth. My nails are painted the same blue as my eyelids, and to complete my look, my hair is tied up into a tight updo. We've only been done for five minutes when a knock comes from Sarah’s front door.

“Stay here,” Sarah orders- though I didn’t need much convincing. The job Sarah’s done is unbelievable- it may sounds egotistical, but with the exception of Sarah, I’ve never seen any girl look as beautiful as the girl looking at me from Sarah’s mirror. I almost lose myself in my reflection before I hear Sarah calling me from downstairs.

“Nikki!” Sarah calls. “Get down here!” Grinning widely, I elegantly rise from my chair and carefully- due to the height of my heels- stride down the stairs to the awed gasps of Katie, Lauren and Dannii.

“Okay,” Lauren says. “You were playing a practical joke on us when you said you were born male, right?”

“Holy moly,” Katie breathes as I pose and strut for the girls. Much to my surprise, Dannii has remained quiet as I pose in my new dress.

“Thanks,” I say nervously.

“Don’t tell me that’s ‘just who you are’,” Katie says mockingly, “NO sixteen year old girl should look that amazing all the time!”

“It’s just…” I say, before shrugging. “Who I always want to be!”

“I’ve got make-up and outfits for all of you too!” Sarah announces excitedly, much to the girls’ delight. “They’re ones that are already on my store, but I’ve altered them so they should fit you perfectly.”

“This is so awesome!” Lauren enthuses as she and Katie follow Sarah upstairs. “You’re going to HAVE to share some of your secrets with me, this stuff is amazing!” Whilst the three girls head upstairs, Dannii, however, remains behind to speak to me.

“What’s up?” I ask, carefully sitting down so as not to crease my dress. Dannii simply laughs, though she's clearly uncomfortable about SOMETHING.

"It's..." Dannii stutters, before shaking her head. "It's nothing. Come on, I wanna see what dress Sarah's got for me!" Smiling, Dannii grabs my hand and leads me back up the stairs, making me stumble a little in my heels. Before too long, all five of us are dressed in Sarah's amazing creations- Lauren in a long, poofy dress, Katie in a short, strapless dress and Dannii in a cute crop top and miniskirt set that shows off her amazing abs- all outfits I'd modelled before for Sarah's website. Sarah’s outfit is of course the best, and by a long way- a bodysuit and skirt identical to my own, only in hot pinks and reds instead of blues and purples- with matching make-up as well.

We spend the next 45 minutes in the garden, posing for the camera- with Dannii, of course, coaching us on the most effective poses- before the five of us head back indoors, none of us wanting to take off our amazing outfits.

"There is NO WAY I am letting someone else buy this dress," Katie says to a very proud Sarah. "Name your price!"

"Call it a tenner and it's yours!" Sarah says with a beaming smile.

"No way!" Katie says, getting her phone out of her bag. "Look, it says here you're selling it online for £35!"

"Yeah, and when I make another one, that's what I'll sell it for," Sarah says. "For you, for all of you, I’ll sell them at cost." Sarah then turns to me, a wide grin on her face. "Except yours, of course!" Sarah surprises me with a quick kiss, making the other three girls cheer! "Yours is free!" I gasp happily and look down again at the beautiful outfit- an outfit I'll now be able to take home!

"I wish I had a girlfriend who gave ME free clothes!" Dannii says, looking pointedly in my direction.

“Especially clothes as gorgeous as these!” Lauren concurs, standing up and doing another twirl in her voluminous dress.

"We NEED to do this more often," Katie insists. "Um, though obviously I don't want to send you bankrupt!"

"No, you're right," Sarah says confidently. "The New Angels forever!"

"The New Angels forever!" We all cheer. I can't help but notice Dannii's eyes linger on me throughout the cheer, but I make an effort to put it out of my mind. Two years ago, if you'd told me that I'd be living my life not just as a girl, but as a glamorous, girly girl, I'd have laughed in your face. If you'd told me that I'd have my very own 'clique' of close friends- all of whom were also glamorous, girly girls- I'd have thought you were insane. And yet here I am, firmly on the path to being 100% female, surrounded by genuine friends- and the only direction I plan on going is forwards!