Devon is jealous when his childhood friend, Cathy, leaves him behind with her activities and starts developing physically. He begins to explore on the internet. A shopping invitation leads him to Brianna Mitchell at the Teen Girl Dress shop who is experienced both selling trendy clothes for girls and helping confused boys like Devon.

"Ann Mitchell is the successful owner and manager of the Teen Girl Dress shop. She combines an excellent sense of fashion trends, a prominent location in Fashion Towne Mall, and creative marketing to operate a highly profitable and well-regarded local business. Ms. Mitchell and her daughter, Brianna, provide personal and financial support for many charities that are vital to our community." Ann looked over the opening of her self-promoting mini-biography with pride. She had been asked to submit a brief write-up to go with the newsletter photo announcing her latest major donation to the local Pride Center. She knew that being a community leader helped her business, but she was also sincerely committed to the causes she supported. The Teen Girl Dress Shop was not only a business, but also a place where young people could comfortably come in and talk about any and all issues with someone who was sympathetic and cared.

Her daughter, Brianna Isabella Mitchell was stunningly beautiful with fashion model looks and posture. When on duty in the store her makeup was always dramatic, but never overdone: translucent skin, accented eyebrows, long lashes, bright lipstick, matching nails. Wavy brown hair with blond highlights cascaded past her shoulders. A stylish headband was her usual way to keep her elegant hair pulled back from her face. Typically, she would wear a tight-fitting top that accented the shape of the push-up bra cupping her well-developed breasts. She had a large collection of short, but not too short, skirts that hugged her nicely rounded hips. She always claimed she only dressed up like that because she had to impress the customers at her mother's dress shop, but nobody believed that excuse.

Ann and Brianna had recently developed a new marketing theme of special services for girls getting their first bra. Although the shop was named 'Teen Girl' a large fraction of their business came from younger girls who wanted to look more grown-up and the target demographic was already coming into the store. The marketing theme was "We make you daughter's first bra a memorable occasion." They reinforced this theme with exceptional fitting expertise, discounts for multiple bra purchases, and a set of fitting room photographs on a secure CD to take home for memories. Needless to say, this integrated marketing lead to significant development in their intimate apparel section.
____________

Meanwhile, out in the suburbs Nancy Abell was getting ready for a talk with her son.

"Devon, come sit in the living room. I need to talk to you about something."

Devon knew this was always the lead-in to a 'personal conversation' about some aspect of his behavior or activities. Mom had a way of making gentle suggestions and providing encouragement in specific directions without any direct or harsh demands. He wondered what was up today.

"Mrs. Stewart told me she is taking Cathy to the Teen Girl Dress Shop at Fashion Towne Mall to be fitted for her first real bra tomorrow. They saw one of that store's advertisements and decided Cathy was at that age."

This put Devon on immediate alert, and questions raced through his mind. Bra fitting was not the sort of thing most mothers would be talking to their 13-year old sons about.

"She invited us to come along to share the experience. Mothers are always so excited when their daughters start blossoming into women, and buying a first bra is a real milestone. I hope you are willing join them. It will be a lot of fun. Besides, you and Cathy have shared so many other first-event experiences over the years."

"Yeah, she has been my best friend. But ..."

Devon suspected this shopping experience was another step in mom's ongoing project to make up for the fact the she ended up with a son, not a daughter. Her selection of an androgynous name was the start of it all. A few months after Devon was born mom's best friend Sarah Stewart had delivered Cathy, and the two children had been brought up together almost as siblings. Both Nancy and Sarah were strong ecofeminists who believed in things like population control, meaning having only one child, and absolute gender equality, which meant non-gender directive upbringing. The result was that Devon and Cathy grew up in an environment where boys and girls were encouraged to do the same things and wear similar outfits. In practice that meant the Devon often played the role of a pretend daughter to Nancy and pretend sister to Cathy.

Mom and Sarah Stewart's idea of equality in upbringing allowed for distinctly girlish tendencies. Cathy had the more assertive personality so her interests usually one out. Devon though back to how Nancy and Sarah would buy both dolls and action figures for their children, but somehow the dolls ended up getting nearly all the play time. Story book purchases involved both heroes and strong heroines, but it seemed to Devon that he was always about girls and women doing wonderful things. For active playtime Devon and Cathy ran around in jeans and tee shirts, but the pants usually had decoration on the back pockets, and the tee shirts were often pink-trimmed or had a floral design on the chest.

"But what darling?" Nancy replied with concern and brought Devon's wandering mind back to the present.

"What will people think about me hanging around in the underwear section of a dress shop."

"Devon, I have told you many times that it does not matter what people think. Most people are bigoted, small-minded, and loaded with cultural baggage. You need to be yourself and express your own interests and values."

Devon had heard all this before. It seemed that mom was always setting him up in situations where he had to go beyond gender norms and do it openly and with confidence. Once Devon got beyond the initial reluctance he often found the situation pleasurable, and would show no resistance to repeat opportunities.

Devon never forgot the time when he was six or seven and there was a 'meet the Lilac Fairy' reception party after a City Ballet matinee performance of Sleeping Beauty. The day of the show mom took him over to Cathy's house where matching wannabe ballerina outfits were waiting. Nancy and Sarah fussed as they put Devon and Cathy into the tights, tutus and sequined 'I want to be a dancer' tops. They finished off the ballerina look with fake hair buns, eyeliner, blusher, and bright red lipstick. As the walked from the parking lot into the theater they saw lots of little girls in similar outfits. Still, Devon was terrified both sitting in the theater during the show and as they went backstage afterwards. Devon kept looking around and saw only girls, but no boys, at the stage party. He said something about this to his mother and was told, 'Just think of this as wearing a stage costume like the real dancers. Besides, you many not be the only pretty boy enjoying himself here this afternoon.' After that experience it became more and more common for Devon and Cathy to wear matching outfits when attending dance events in the big city, but as they grew older the choices were usually more unisex and less flamboyant.

"Will Cathy want me there? I mean, she is ..."

"Sarah and I talked this over with Cathy and she is totally cool with it. Her reaction is was that she has always been willing to share her growing-up experiences with you. Besides, there is nothing embarrassing about girls undies. Come on, it will do you good to learn."

"Learn what!" Devon almost shouted.

"Dear, I have always tried to teach you to be a gentle, artistic, sensitive human being who appreciates and understands girls and women. I want to be sure you do not end up like that chauvinistic pig your father was, and probably still is."

Devon though about all the negative things he had heard about his father. No wonder she hates men Devon thought. I know she wishes I had been born a girl.

"OK, I'll go tomorrow. Just so I don't have to wear a dress and high heels," Devon joked.

Nancy brushed off the joke. "No dress for you, but I think a pair of your black stretch pants and a pink pullover would look good."

"Can I go to my room now?"

"Certainly, but be sure to change into something nice before dinner. We're going out with the Stewarts tonight."

Normally Devon would be hanging out with Cathy after school, but now she was in Level 4 gymnastics and had practice tonight. Years ago they had started pre-gymnastics together. Cathy declared that she no longer wanted to play baseball, and Devon agreed to drop the ball team to be able to continue to do the same activities as her. The beginner gymnastics classes were officially coed, but Devon never saw another boy in the studio. For a few years Devon kept up with Cathy as they learned increasingly difficult stretching, balance, and tumbling moves. The more advanced classes were officially for girls only, but Nancy asked for special permission. There had been a question about what Devon should wear. The gym director had told Nancy that as long as Devon wore a really tight dance belt underneath he could wear the same leotard as the girls, and that settled the issue. Of course, the matching leotard idea delighted Cathy.

Devon's problem occurred last year with the auditions for advancing to the next level. Being able to do the splits and a full backbend were considered an essential criteria to decide if the girls had enough flexibility to safely do the next level exercises. Cathy was able to easily slide down to the classic front splits position and could comfortably arch her back and look up. When his turn came to do the splits Devon struggled and was in great pain with several inches remaining between his thighs and the floor. He desperately tried a backbend, but the spotter had to catch him before his hands got half way down. That night there had been an extended discussion between Nancy and Sarah with the resolution that Devon's physical limitations should not hold Cathy back from something she loved. Devon was given the option of saying with the less talented girls for at least another year, but decided to drop gymnastics.

In the weeks that followed Cathy tried to console Devon, but her explanations made him feel worse. There were just some things like hip flexibility where female hormones gave a distinct advantage she kept telling him. It was Devon's first confrontation that with approaching puberty he and Cathy were going to change in different directions, and that there were a lot of things that he would not be able to do with her anymore.

"Are we still best friends forever?" Devon asked.

"Of course you are my BFF, but you know BFF can stand for something else, too," Cathy replied with a wink.

The afternoons when Cathy was away at gymnastics had given Devon time to sit at his computer and explore. He had never liked the violent action video games that boys his age were excited about, but he enjoyed exploring sites related to art, music, dance, and things like that. One day, while searching for New Orleans jazz music he stumbled on a video called "I am Jazz." This was his first real exposure to the topic of growing up transgender and he was inspired by this child's story. Next he started following web links and viewing other things related to gender identity. The ideas confused him. Were there really boys who were attended school dressed as girls and used the girl's restroom? Was it possible for a biological boy to look as beautiful as Kim Petras? He found other sites about European t-girls like one called genderkinderen, but a lot of these videos were in Dutch or German and he could only enjoy the pictures and struggled to guess at the dialog. He also found a few high-quality sites dedicated to legal and medical issues for gender non-conforming teens. Devon was internet savvy enough to use private browsing so history would not be saved, and he wrote key web addresses on a piece of paper rather than using browser bookmarks. He figured he was covering his tracks, but is hard not to leave slip up occasionally and leave some digital breadcrumbs.

For weeks Devon had been struggling with how the things he was discovering on the internet applied to him. He reasoned that since he absolutely was not attracted to boys he couldn't possibly be a girl inside. On the other hand, he did not seem to have typical male interests in girls either. Maybe being such close friends and growing up with Cathy had taken much of the romantic mystery out of boy-girl relations for him, but he wondered about what was going to happen in the next few years when hormones hit them both. For Cathy the process was already starting. Devon wished he could talk to someone about all this. He was afraid and needed to find a low-risk way to open a conversation with Mom. He leaned back on his bed and wondered why mom and Sarah wanted him to go with Cathy tomorrow.

Since mom had told Devon they were going out for dinner he called Cathy as soon as he was sure she was back from gymnastics. "What are you wearing for dinner?"

"Nothing fancy, my new Calvin Klein jeans and a pink blouse. How about you?"

"I'll do the same. See you at Olive Garden later."

Devon and Cathy still had a lot of matching or complementary outfits and knew their moms enjoyed seeing them dress alike. At Nancy's insistence Devon always kept his hair rather longish and neatly trimmed in a totally unisex style. When Devon went clothes shopping with Cathy it was not really obvious to strangers if they were two girls or a girl and a boy; and if anyone figured it out nobody ever said anything.

That evening Devon and Nancy met Sarah and Cathy for dinner at the Italian restaurant. Eating out was frequent since neither mom had much time for cooking. Sarah complimented Devon on his appearance: jeans that exactly matched Cathy's but a pale blue girl's blouse. "I see we have a boyish girl in pink and a girlish boy in blue tonight, how cute."

Devon blushed. "Not so loud, the next table might hear. Mom asked me to wear something nice, and I called Cathy to coordinate."

Sarah kept on topic. "Tomorrow Cathy is getting fitted with her first real bra. Before long she will be going from pre-teen blouses to ones with a fuller cut and darts on the side. What are you going to wear then, Devon?"

Devon looked down shyly and Nancy cut in. "We'll have to see, won't we?"
______________

The next morning the two mothers loaded Cathy and Devon into the car for the shopping adventure. As promised, Devon was wearing his black stretch pants, a wide ornamented belt, ballet flats on his feet, and a girl's style pink pullover on top. His hair was neatly brushed, and he had used a plastic headband to keep strays back from his face. Nancy looked approvingly at Devon's appearance, distinctly feminine, but so subtle that someone would need to being paying attention to notice.

The conversation turned to clothes and makeup as they drove to Fashion Towne Mall. Sarah and Nancy were teaching Cathy about the difference between looking like a strong, self-confident woman and looking like a frivolous, plaything for men. Meanwhile, Devon was along for the ride, and attempts to draw him into the conversation were met with one-word answers. They found a parking place convenient to the mall wing where the TG Dress Shop was located and headed inside.

"Come on, Devon. This is going to be fun," exclaimed Cathy with her usual outgoing personality.

They were a bit early for their scheduled fitting appointment so they took time to browse at various women's wear shops along the way. Evening dresses, casual wear, sports bras and tights were familiar to Devon, but the excited chatter was becoming too much. He looked at Cathy and realized that she was developing more and more of a feminine figure while he was stuck without the slightest hint of curves. At least he had not started to develop a masculine build either, but he dreaded the inevitable.

Finally, they came to the ornate sign for the Teen Girl Dress Shop in its fancy script and rainbow colors. Entering they were immediately greeted by Brianna Mitchell in her signature dressed-to-kill outfit consisting of dramatic but tasteful makeup, a short skirt with black mesh panty hose encasing her shapely legs, and a open-neck top that showed plenty of cleavage. "Welcome, you must be Mrs. Stewart with your wonderful daughter, Cathy. Yes? Well, I am here to make this a marvelous day for you. And this must be Nancy and Devon Abell? I have heard about Devon too."

Devon wondered what that last remark meant as they were directed to the intimates section of the store. Brianna indicated that he should wait on the couch while she lead Cathy back into the fitting rooms. Devon's eyes wandered around the store. If the goal had been to make him jealous of Cathy this was going to do it. The entire place was a celebration of youthful femininity with sections devoted to intimate wear, dresses ranging from practical to sensuous, and really stunning athletic wear suitable for track stars, gymnasts and cheerleaders.

After what seemed like an eternity Cathy emerged with distinct breasts pushing out the fabric of her blouse. "Devon, do you think I look good in a heavily padded A-cup? So far I have gotten a sports bra with lots of real support, some plain white bras for everyday, and this sexy one to wear when I what to show off what I will look like naturally in a year or so. Brianna has been taking keepsake pictures of the whole fitting process for Mom and me to remember this day by. I told her I wanted to get a few pictures with my BFF, but she insisted I cover my bra up with a blouse for any pictures outside the fitting area."

Somewhat reluctantly Devon got up and stood next to Cathy and they put arms around each other's waists. Brianna took a few pictures then encouraged them to try some more 'exciting' poses including snuggled really close together on the couch and standing facing each other chest to chest. Meanwhile Nancy and Sarah looked on approvingly. Suddenly Devon burst into tears.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy for Cathy?" asked all four women as they hugged Devon.

"I ... I ... I'm so confused. I don't know how to say this but ..."

Brianna was very experienced in situations like this. Besides, Mrs. Stewart had briefed her about Devon's personality and about how he and Cathy had grown up sharing experiences together.

"Everything's OK, Devon. You might not believe me, but I understand your situation completely."

Devon did not know what to think. Fear, jealousy, curiosity, even a bit of awakening sexuality all ran through his mind. He wondered what Mom knew and what she may have told Brianna.

Brianna continued in her most reassuring voice. "I think you want to have breasts too. Don't you, Devon? You are not the first boy who has ever felt that way, and I know how to help special boys like you in touch with their feminine side. Do you want me to take you back for a fitting? I have bras that can make you look like a pretty girl."

Devon was near panic. He looked from Nancy to Sarah to Cathy and back.

"Devon, if you want to have a bra fitting that will be totally all right with me," said Nancy calmly.

"It would be neat if my BFF had boobs too."

Sarah cut in, "Cathy, use proper language. But, Devon, I also will be totally supportive if you are brave enough to do it. I think this is right for you."

Nancy put her hand on Devon's shoulder. "Dear, I suspect this is something you have secretly wanted. You did a pretty good job covering your tracks on the computer, but there were a few hints. I know you have been spending a lot of time exploring gender-related topics. Being gender-nonconforming is nothing to be ashamed of. Follow your heart, not social constraints."

Brianna was always quick to close a sale. "How about it Devon? Can I take you back to the fitting room now and show you some nice bras?"

Nancy and Sarah answered together. "It's OK to do it."

"If you get a padded bra then we can keep buying matching outfits," encouraged Cathy.

Devon was almost trembling as Brianna lead him and Nancy back into the fitting area, ushered him into a booth, asked him to take his shirt off, and took a quick pair of measurements. "Don't be embarrassed by me, just think of yourself as another girl. Hmmm, this is encouraging. Even though you have a slender build there is a distinct bit of puffiness on your chest. Estrogen-mimicking environmental chemicals cause that in lots of boys these days. Some boys are really embarrassed about having man boobs, but in your case it will be a treasure. I know just what will work, a 36 AA with full 'add-two-cups' padding. I'll be back in a minute."

While waiting for Brianna to return Devon and Nancy looked at each other. "Anything you want to say, dear?"

"Mom, I have been thinking about this sort of things for weeks, and ..." He was choking up.

"That's OK, sometimes it is hard to find the courage to begin a delicate conversation. Sarah and I figured that bringing you hear might be the trigger. Wasn't Brianna supportive once you began to express your self?"

Brianna returned with an armful of merchandise. "Is our new girl ready for her fitting?" she teased. "You don't mind me calling you a girl, do you, Devon?"

"I'm OK with that. Thanks."

"You know a big reason my mother started this business was to be a resource for helping boys who want to be girls. I think you are one of those, aren't you?"

After a few rounds of trying on various bras Devon was equipped with the TG Dress Shop first-fitting special combination. Given his build they had selected a dark blue fully lined sports bra, a three-pack of white lightly padded everyday bras, and a pink well-padded figure-enhancer. With Nancy's enthusiastic consent Brianna used the digital camera to document the fitting room process with factual, non-erotic images. Devon blushed as Brianna gushed, "The first bra is such a special occasion that mothers and daughters always want to be able to remember it in the privacy of their homes."

Next, she had Devon put on his pink pullover top which was tight-fitting before, and now was really stretched by the well-padded bra underneath. Cathy jumped off the couch in excitement when Devon reappeared from the fitting area. Of course, they had to redo their series of pictures together, but this time Brianna added extra ones showing them facing with their breasts close together. She even took a few with them lightly kissing with their arms wrapped around each other in a clean teen girlfriends pose.

Brianna went into her usual marketing mode. "Cathy, be sure to tell all your friends about the great experience you had at the Teen Girl shop. Here are some discount cards you can give the girls at your school to encourage them to come in for some dress and accessory shopping. My mother, Ann, and I pride ourselves on running the most fashionable store in the mall for pre-teen and high school girls. Thank you for becoming a customer." Then she turned and got more serious. "Devon, your mother is proud of what you did today. You made a decisive step. Give yourself a few days to think about how far you want to go in becoming a girl. If you start quickly you can transition before your male parts start pumping out testosterone. Here is a flyer with contact information for community resources that will be a big help if you and your mom decide that you should feminize further. My information is on this card. You can always contact me if you want to talk about social life, transitioning, or anything else."

Nancy, Sarah, and Cathy thanked Brianna for everything. Devon was getting emotional again. "Brianna, I don't know how to thank you enough for what you convinced me to do today."

Brianna gently brushed her hair back, put her hand on her shapely hips, and smiled coyly. "I want you to look back on today with the fondest memories. You are starting on a new path, but want to reassure you that I will be there to help. Making the transition from boy to girl is challenging and even painful at times. I know from personal experience."

The End