Spring Break Gender Break! Part 1 - The Transformation By Drew Miller Copyright© 2015 By Drew Miller All Rights Reserved. When college-aged Alana talks her brother Andy into taking her place on a trip, Andy finds himself transformed by Alana's best friend Christina into Andie. Soon he learns that Spring Break is more than a break from the tedium that is studying and the unparalleled anxiety which is exam week. For "her," it becomes a break from the person everyone expects "her" to be, a time to break free from the shackles of masculinity, and a time when "she" makes the most important decision of her life, the decision of whether or not to transition!

Ring! Ring!

My cellphone ringtone pierced the darkness of my room. With nearsighted vision made worse by bleary eyes, I glanced at my clock radio with squinted eyes.

“12:45AM?” I hissed.

I reached for the phone and checked the caller ID.

“Why is she calling so late?” I wondered. I picked up the phone. “What’s up sis? This better be important.”

“Hey Andy,” she said. “Sorry to be calling you so late…or early.”

“What’s wrong with your voice Alana? You don’t sound like yourself,” I said.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I’m calling. It’s because I’ve come down with something.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. But why are you calling me?” I asked. “Why don’t you just go the student health center?”

“I’ve already been there,” she replied in an even more raspy voice. “The doctor says I have bronchitis. Can you believe it? One day until Spring Break and I get sick!”

“I’m sorry you’re sick, but what can I possibly do?” I wondered.

“I need to ask you something,” she said.

I started to worry. I’d been fished in by this line before.

“What is it this time?” I asked.

“Why are you automatically assuming that I’m only calling because I need something?” she replied.

“Aren’t you?” I said.

“Yes and no,” she said. “Remember Christina?”

As if I could forget the tall, voluptuous, and beautiful girl that is Christina!

“Your friend from High School?” I said nonchalantly. “Sure, I remember her. What has she got to do with it?”

“She and I are…were going to Miami together on Spring Break,” said my sister.

“That sucks,” I said in genuine tone. “I guess she’ll just have to go alone.”

“Go alone? Are you kidding?” hissed my sister. “Christina’s a senior in High School. Do you honestly think her parents would let her go to Miami alone? The only reason they agreed in the first place was because I, the most responsible and trustworthy of the two of us, talked them into it.”

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “I’m trustworthy too, so much so that Mom and Dad are trusting me to house-sit and take care of Miss Kitty. So you see, because of a prior obligation, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”

“Oh no you don’t,” she said. “I’ll arrange for someone to take care of Miss Kitty. So don’t think for one second that you’re getting out of it that easily.”

“God you’re being selfish!” I fumed. “You just want me to drop everything, throw some flip-flops and swim trunks in a bag, and drive her down to Miami?”

My sister let out a raspy laugh. It sent a chill down my spine.

Cough! Cough!

“First of all,” she began, “You’d be flying, not driving. Second of all…” She giggled before continuing on. “Second of all, you wouldn’t be bringing your swim trunks.”

I said, “I’m not quite sure what…Wait a minute. No way! No freaking way!”

“And why not?” she said innocently. “We’ve swapped places before haven’t we? Haven’t we?”

“That was totally different,” I said. “And it was years ago…It’s just a tad bit different now considering we’ve both gone through puberty.”

“Hmm,” she wondered. “I know I have, but have you looked in the mirror lately?”

“So I’m a late bloomer,” I said.

“A very late bloomer,” she retorted.

“It’s not my fault my rugged manly looks haven’t surfaced yet,” I protested.

“Lucky for us they haven’t,” she said. “Which makes it all that easier. I mean, with some padding for your hips, some boobs, and one of my sundresses on, voila! You could be my twin. My identical twin I mean.”

“It’s bad enough we’re fraternal twins and have to share the same birthday, and it was bad enough that I got mistaken for your sister all the time growing up. But this…this would be far worse. This has the potential to be humiliating. So I’m putting my foot down this time.”

“Well,” she said. “If that’s how you feel about it, then that’s how you feel about it. I guess I’ll just have to tell Christina that we’ll have to call off the trip, the trip we’ve been planning and looking forward to since before her cancer went into remission, the anticipation of which kept her going during her chemo treatments. I’m sure she’ll understand though.

“Damn it,” I muttered. “No. No, no, no! I’m not going to let you guilt me into it.”

There was a long pause.

“Hey Andy,” she said. “Remember that time I dressed you up and you started singing along to that Britney Spears song?”

“Why are you bringing that up?” I snapped.

“I remember how much Christina laughed when I showed her the video this one time,” she said.

“You’re bluffing,” I said. “We were alone in the house and I don’t remember seeing a camera.”

“That’s because my desktop was recording it the whole time,” she said.

“You didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t?” There was silence on the other end for a few moments. “You promised me no one would ever find out about that! You swore. How could you?”

“Sorry, but you were too adorable not to record,” she said matter-of-factly. “I bet my friends would think it was cute too and anyone else who clicked on the youtube link.”

I knew I was beat.

“Alright,” I relented. “Alright. You win. I would just die of embarrassment if any of my friends found out…or dad. I’d never hear the end of it. And I’d never hear the end of it if anyone besides Christina found out about what I’m about to do.”

“Don’t worry,” assured my sister. “No one else will. After I have Christina come over to the house to give you a makeover tomorrow, I doubt even she’ll be able to tell.”

“But what am I going to wear? I haven’t a thing to wear,” I whined.

“You’re starting to sound like a girl already!” she proudly declared. “But don’t worry. Just swing by my apartment. You can have my clothes, minus the panties of course. You’ll have to get your own.” She giggled again. “I’ve already got my bag packed and waiting for you.”

“But it’s a three hour round trip,” I whined.

“Then the sooner you leave the better,” she said. “I’ll see you in three hours…sis.”

Before I could object to such an affront to my “manhood,” she hung up.

I threw my covers off and stomped my way to the bathroom. The light stung my eyes. And my frame stung my pride.
Only wearing my boxers, it was plain to see that my sister was right. Even though I was 5’8,’’ I was only one-hundred thirty-five pounds soaking wet. I groaned at the pathetic reality.

I really need some boobs! No you don’t! Stop thinking that! Boys aren’t supposed to have these thoughts.

But the voice inside cried out once more.

You’re not a boy. You’re a girl! Stop pretending!

Now I was getting angry.

You see what you did sis? Thanks for dredging everything up. Thanks for forcing me to do this. Now I’m starting to get confused all over again.

“Damn it!”

I was fighting back tears now, so I splashed some frigid water on my face. Patting my face dry, I felt more composed, especially now that I wasn’t looking at myself in the mirror.

I threw on some jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and headed downstairs. Miss Kitty greeted me on the divider in the downstairs hallway. I gave her a kiss on the head and she reciprocated with a purr.

“Don’t wait up,” I said.

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

I returned home three and a half hours later. The traffic was almost as unbelievable as the situation I was in.

I wheeled my sister’s carryon into the house and pushed it up against the wall of the hallway. I was so exhausted that I didn’t even make it upstairs. I collapsed on the couch. The last thing I remember before nodding off was Miss Kitty using my stomach as a heated bed. Her purring lulled me to sleep.

The next thing I knew, the doorbell rang. If I would have been in bed, I would have put my pillow over my head and buried myself under the comforter.

“It’s too early,” I whined.

Ring! Ring!

“For the love of God, please just let me sleep,” I exclaimed.

As it turns out, my chances of becoming blissfully unconscious again were about as good as my chances of talking my way out of my present situation.

I heard a muffled voice coming from the persistent caller at the door.

“I know you’re in there Andy,” she said. “Please let me in. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us!”

With slumped posture, I opened the door. A young girl with short blond hair greeted me with a warm and relaxed smile.

“Good morning sunshine!” said Christina.

I would have objected to such an unnatural display of enthusiasm in the morning, but I was just too tired to think of a witty comeback. All I could do was groan like a tired parent of an infant who was crying all night. I motioned for her to come in.

“Looks like someone could use a double espresso,” teased Christina, stepping across the threshold.

“No,” I said. “What I need is a way to get out of this trip.”

Christina chuckled.

“My sister may refuse to listen to reason, but I’d like to think you’re more reasonable,” I said.

“Jeez,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You know, a lot of people would like to have your problem of being given a free plane ticket to Miami and a free stay at a waterfront hotel right near all of the clubs.”

“True,” I said. “And all of those ‘people’ are girls.”

She crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall.

“C’mon,” she urged. “It’s just one week of your life. And you only have to be in girl mode during the plane ride over. Once we get to Miami you can dress however you want.”

“But I’m not even sure we’ll make it the airport,” I said. “I mean, do you honestly think your parents are going to believe I’m my sister?”

She held up her makeup bag and grinned.

“Girl,” she said. “When I’m done with you, I bet I’ll have trouble telling you two apart.”

“Hey!” I snapped. “Don’t call me a girl.”

“Fair enough,” said Christina. Christina headed for the stairs. “C’mon princess,” she said. “Let’s head up stairs and get you all prettied up!” Once we were upstairs, she said, “First things first. Go ahead and shower and shave…and that includes your legs Missy. And don’t forget to moisturize. That’s very important. She handed me some Bath and Body Works vanilla body cream. “We need to make you silky smooth. In the meantime, I’ll go ahead and pick out which outfit you’re going to wear.”

“Make sure you include pants,” I advised.

She shooed me away.

“Hurry up,” she said. “We’re burning daylight.”

About forty-five minutes later, I popped my head out the door.

“I’m finished!” I announced.

“Here,” she said. “Put these on.”

“Panties?” I exclaimed. “I’ll wear the bra, but not the panties.”

“Oh yes you will!” she affirmed. “You have to. They’re microfiber and a size smaller than you’re used to so that they’ll…” She cleared her throat. “You know, keep a certain thing tucked away.”

I must have turned beet red. I snatched the unmentionables and retreated back into the bathroom. My embarrassment faded away because, unknown to Alana and Christina, the few times my sister and I had switched places when we were younger weren’t the only times I had ever dressed up. Those few times were but a drop in the bucket compared to all of the “girl time” I had secretly savored when I was alone. But that was then and this was now. And right now, I was about to violate an oath which I had sworn to myself just over one year ago when I had bagged up all of my girl stuff and taken it to the dump. The pretty clothes were out of sight and out of mind, just like I thought my confused feelings were. But apparently, those feelings didn’t get thrown away like my contraband clothing.

I slid on the padded A-cup bra, savoring the sensation of the soft fabric sliding over my soft skin. With the white panties, the feeling was even more exquisite. The silky fabric caressed my skin, giving me goose bumps as I slowly slid them up. However, this luxurious feeling turned into disgust when I opened my eyes and looked down. With a shudder, I tucked away the “birth defect.” It was out of sight and out of mind, and judging by how snugly my panties were clinging, it promised to stay that way for quite some time.

I breathed a sigh of relief and poked my head out once more. Christina was still there, but this time she had a blue sundress draped over her arm.

“I said I wanted to wear some jeans,” I whined.

“If you want to pass, you’ll wear this,” she said. “Trust me. It’ll be much more flattering.”

Feigning outrage with smoldering eyes, I snatched it from her. But when I put it on, I preened in front of the mirror. I felt so much femininity radiating out from my heart that I couldn’t help myself. But I knew I had to keep a lid on it or Christine would get suspicious. I’ll tell you, stuffing that feeling back down was as difficult as putting toothpaste back in the tube!

After I managed to still my fluttering heart, she sat me down in front of my sister’s makeup table. She circled me, studying my every feature like I was a block of marble about to be chiseled into art.

“It’s time to do something about that hair!” she said.

She pulled out some shears from her bag.

“Can’t you just brush my hair and put some gel in it or something?” I implored.

“You need a more flattering style, something that will make your jaw look more rounded. Besides, your hair is shorter than your sister’s.” A smile lit up her face. “And I’ve got just the right style in mind.”

She started brushing my hair.

“Umm,” I began. “You’ve done this before. Right?”

“Are you kidding?” she replied. “I used to work part time at my mom’s hair salon. So relax. I’ve totally got this.”

I tried to take her advice while she went to work, but I found it hard to relax in the beginning.

Snip. Snip. Snip.

I watched my dark brown hair pile up on the carpet. My heart dropped in my chest. But soon, I shifted my focus from the split-end detritus below to a wonderful sensation. Each time she ran the comb through and held the hair taut for another snip, the gentle pull on my scalp felt heavenly. With each pull and snip, more and more of my tension drained away. It was like a massage for my scalp. If I was a cat, I would have been purring.

When she set the scissors to the side, I have to admit, it was a letdown. But there was more pampering to come.

“Can I take a look?” I asked.

“Not quite yet,” she said. “I still need to add some volume.”

She put some mousse on her hands and went to work. The way she worked it and massaged it in felt even more exquisite than the comb through my hair.

So this is what it’s like to be pampered!

When she was done with stage two, I reached for the mirror, but she snatched it away.

“You’re still a work in progress,” she said. “You’ll just have to wait until I’m finished.” She rummaged through her makeup bag and pulled out some foundation. She beamed an eager smile. “Now it’s time for the fun part,” she declared.

She dabbed and spread, and blended and powdered. Then she painted on the lip stain. After that, she curled my lashes and put on my eye makeup.

“Look up for me,” she politely ordered.

I felt the eyeliner glide around my eyes.

“Wow,” she said. “You have such pretty eyes that I don’t even think you need any eye shadow. I’ll just go ahead and apply some mascara and then you’re done.”

“Thank goodness,” I said. “I didn’t realize being a girl was so time intensive.”

“You have no idea,” she said. “Voila!”

She stepped back and surveyed my transformation. She nodded in approval and flashed me a toothy grin.

“Oh, I’m good,” she asserted. “Damn I’m good! If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were Alana.”

I reached for the hand mirror, all the while trying to suppress a smile born of sheer euphoria.

“No,” she advised. “Go have a look at yourself in front of the full length mirror. That way you’ll get the full effect…but first.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of silicon inserts. “Can’t forget the chicken cutlets!” she said in a sing-song tone.

After she slid them in my bra, I stood up and walked to the closet. I slowly opened the door. I gasped at what I saw…who I saw. I was shocked at how good I looked. Did I say good? No, I mean gorgeous! The young woman looking back at me was a knockout.

“Watch your makeup,” said Christina.

“Oh, right,” I said quietly. I moved my shocked hand away from my mouth and placed it on my hip. “You’re right. I don’t even recognize myself. I don’t even think Alana would.”

“Let’s see,” she said matter-of-factly.

Click!

“I didn’t say you could take my picture!” I hissed.

I rushed over to snatch her smartphone away.

“Too late,” she teased. “You are just too cute! I wish I could be in the room when your sister looks at the picture I sent her.”

I felt lightheaded. I retreated to the bed and sat on the edge of it.

In a deflated tone, I said, “Christina, please tell me you didn’t post that on her timeline.”

“Relax,” she urged. “I sent it to her in a PM.” She studied me once more and sighed. “I wish Alana was going with me. It’s just not going to be the same without her.”

“It’s not too late to change your mind you know,” I said.

“I just spent a good portion of my morning transforming you into a runway model,” she replied. “Do you honestly think I’d put in that much effort if I wasn’t sure I wanted to go? If our positions were reversed, I’d want Alana to go. I’d be devastated that I couldn’t go, but I still wouldn’t want her to miss out. That’s one thing cancer taught me. It taught me that sometimes you just have to roll with what life throws at you. This is your chance to learn the same lesson. And maybe the silver lining will be that you come out of that shell of yours. Maybe this trip will do you good.”

“Maybe,” I whispered. I sighed, stood up, and forced a smile. “Carpe diem it is.”

“Great,” she said. “Alright. Now that we’ve got you looking the part, it’s time for phase three. It’s time to show you how to walk and talk the part.” She gave me a wink.

My heart fluttered at the thought releasing the femininity which I kept imprisoned within, but I was scared to abandon my little act of reluctance. I was scared to show the world the real me. At that moment, that shell Christine was talking about felt like it was made out of titanium. I had a long way to go, if ever I decided to transition.

I crammed for my debut into womanhood the best I could. The hip-swaying walk was easy enough, and to Christine’s surprise, quite natural for me. But learning how to talk like a girl was a different matter. After a half dozen trial and error attempts, I managed to fumble my way into the lower portion of the female pitch range. However, I could only sustain it for a few sentences. And it was for this reason that my heart was racing and my sweaty palms were gripping the steering wheel for dear life when I pulled up alongside the curb of Christine’s house.
I didn’t dare go to the door and ring the doorbell. That would mean being greeted by Christine’s mother, or even worse, her father, who would no doubt engage me in a conversation lasting more than just a few sentences. And thank God I didn’t have to!

I waited for the signal from Christine. The curtains of an upstairs bedroom parted and I saw her smiling face. She waved. I waited a few seconds and then got out and headed for the door. The red front door opened and Christine greeted me like her best friend, Alana. She embraced me and held me tightly. I glanced over her perfumed shoulder and saw why. Still in her terrycloth bathrobe, her mother was standing behind her in the hallway. It was all for public consumption.

Then, before I could help Christina with her bag, her mother spoke. What she said made my heart drop in my chest.

“What, are you just going to leave without giving your mother a hug?”

Christina rolled her eyes at me and smiled. She glanced over her shoulder and addressed her mother.

“I’m just trying to make sure we get to the airport with plenty of time,” she said.

“And you will,” she said. “Right after you and Alana come on over and give me a hug.”

I started trembling, but Christina whispered something into my ear to calm me down.

“Relax,” she said. “And remember, short sentences.”

I forced a smile, and with rubbery legs, I tentatively followed Christina down the tiled hallway.

It was hard to follow Christina’s suggestion to relax, especially since her mother was looking me up and down. And the questioning tone to her mother’s voice when she addressed me didn’t exactly calm my nerves either.

“Alana?” she said.

Uh oh! Busted!

Her mother continued on.

“Well isn’t that just the cutest hairstyle,” she added. “I almost didn’t recognize you at first, what with your pixie cut and all.”

“She’s like a whole new woman, isn’t she mom?” said Christina

Her mother nodded.

“And I love your polka-dot dress too!” said her mother.

“Thanks,” I said almost in a half-whisper. “It’s all part of my new look.”

“Your voice sounds a little scratchy,” said her mother.

Christina quickly interjected.

“Oh, she’s just getting over a sore throat. She’s not contagious or anything.”

Whew! Good save girl!

“Well thank heavens for that,” said her mother. “I know how important this trip is to both of you.”

Christina and her mother hugged.

“I can’t believe my baby is eighteen already,” declared her mother.

“And counting,” said Christina.

“Praise God for that,” said her mother. She wiped away tears before casting her smile in my direction. “Don’t be shy hon. Come and give your honorary mom a hug too.”

Her smile and her words left as lasting an impression on me as her intoxicating perfume.

“You take good care of my Christina,” she said.

When she pulled away, I chose the safest response possible, a smile and a nod.

“Okay girls,” said her mother. “Just one more thing.”

Oh Jesus! Please just let me get the hell out of here!

“Mom,” whined Christina.

With a dismissive wave of her hand, her mother said, “It’s just one picture. You’re growing up so fast. I’d like to get at least one more in before you turn nineteen.”

Her mother pulled her smartphone out of her pocket. Then Christina stood next to me by the hall table and put her arm around me, just like we were sisters.

I could get used to this!

Her mother snapped a couple of pics and then we were free! She still followed us out onto the porch though.

“You remembered everything, right?” she asked.

Christina nodded.

Her mother said, “You’ve got your tickets, ID, money, keys, and cellphone, and…”

“For the dozenth time mom,” interjected Christina. “Yes! Stop worrying.”

“Okay,” said her mother. “Make sure you call when your plane lands and when you get to the hotel. And don’t forget to post plenty of pictures from your trip!”

Christina rolled her eyes at me once more before nodding.

“I will. I promise,” said Christina.

“I love you baby!” shouted her mother.

“I love you too mom!” shouted Christina right back.

We made haste to my car. I pulled away from the curb and watched Christina’s waving mother retreat ever farther into the distance. And as she retreated, so did my anxiety as well.

“Thank God that’s over with!” I exclaimed. “I can’t believe your mom bought it. I thought for sure she was going to figure it out a couple of times. What about you Christina?”

“Never had a doubt,” she asserted. “Like I said before, you and your sister could…”

“Be twins,” I interjected. “Lol…sort of. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if the TSA agrees.”

“Miami, here we come!” shouted Christina. “Woo!”

I rolled my eyes.

She was one of those “woo” girls. I may have secretly mocked her for it in the car, but so was I. I was as girly-girl as her, only I didn’t realize it yet. Soon I would experience that epiphany. Soon, I would learn that Spring Break was more than a break from the tedium that was studying and the anxiety which was exam week. For me, it would become a break from my assigned gender, a time when I would break the shackles of masculinity, and a time when I would make the most important decision of my life, the decision of whether or not to stay Andie.