The Girl Most Likely To ...
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part II - Dinner at the Richards house (cont.)

"Well, I think it is nice to have someone her own age helping her. Sandi, I taught you makeup and hair styling when you were nine and wanted to know why I was putting makeup on to go work. I think this is going to be a wonderful opportunity for the both of you. Sandi, why don't you take Renée to her room. I want to talk to her parents for a bit."

"Come, Renée, the adults want to be alone." There were giggles and laughter from everybody.

Has anybody wondered at that awkward age of thirteen, just what life may have in store for you? Well, Renée doesn't have to wonder about that anymore, except maybe fight off a few boys vying for her affections. Hormones for boys at age thirteen can rage worse than all the flames in Hades.

Sandi and Renée went in Renée's room, and the first thing they did was pick a few cds to listen to.

"Where are your Renée clothes?"

"In my closet, way back on the left."

"Do you have any makeup?"

"Only a lip gloss and mascara. It was all I could afford on my allowance."

"Well, when your mom takes you shopping, I know she will get you a few more items. Like, girlfriend, you need nail polish. My mom works at a beauty salon, and I am sure she can get you an appointment. Nobody there needs to know that you're a boy. Actually, you're only a boy on the outside, but all girl everywhere else. Go take a shower. Do you have any perfumed soap?"

"No, but my mom does. Sometimes I use that."

"Good, go and take a shower and use the perfumed soap. I will pick out an outfit for you. Do you have any lingerie?"

"In a box, under my dress, blouse and skirt."

"Okay, you go and make yourself sweet smelling, and I will pick out your outfit."

"Sandi, what are you thinking?"

"That we get you in to Renée clothes, a little lip gloss, and mascara, and go down and show the adults what Renée, the girl, looks like."

"Cool."

Renée went to take a nice shower, while Sandi laid out her clothes. While Renée was in the shower, she thought that this was the best day of her life. No more scratchy, heavy boy clothes. She started singing Qué Séra Séra again. When she was finished, she wrapped the towel around her from under her arms, and went back to her room.

"I chose your dress. I see you don't have a training bra. That is one of the things your mom is going to have to get you. But I got out your dress, the one pair of panties you have, and the full slip. Let's get you dressed."

When Renée had on her panties and full slip, Sandi sat her down put a pair of anklets and a pair of penny loafers on Renée's feet. Then, Sandi put the dress over Renée's head, and made sure it was straight, then zipped it up. The dress was nothing really special, it could be worn with any kind of shoes except runners.

"Now, girlfriend, let's get a little lip gloss on you and the mascara." After Sandi was finished, she smiled at Renée. "Take a look in the mirror, girlfriend."

When Renée looked in the full length mirror in the bathroom, her jaw almost hit the floor. Then she squealed.

"OMG, I look, look, pretty."

"That you do, girlfriend. Let's go meet the adults."

Sandi went down first, and told the adults that Renée had a surprise for them, and they weren't to look until Renée said surprise. They all agreed.

Renée came down the stairs like a girl being introduced to proper society at age sixteen. She stood in the middle of the living room and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, mom, daddy, surprise."

When they turned around and saw Renée standing there, there were gasps of omg she's beautiful and I know we made the right decision. Then Cathie and Daniel came from their rooms, and right away Cathie gave Renée a big hug.

"My little girl is so beautiful," her mother said, with tears in her eyes.

"Young lady, the first boy that comes calling for you, had better have a good excuse."

"Would, 'I'm here to take Renée to the movies' be a good excuse, daddy?"

"Honey, go upstairs and take these clothes off for tonight. You can wear this same outfit when we go shopping tomorrow. Renée, did you use my perfumed soap?"

"Yes, mother."

"Well, we will get your own, then. On second thought, I have a nightgown, robe and slippers you can have. We're not going anywhere tonight, so might as well get confortable."

"Mom, we have company."

"Girlfriend, I'm not company, I'm your sister, like we have always been."

"I love you too, sis. Okay, I suppose I can get comfortable."

"That's my girl. You go and hang those clothes up, and I will get you the nightgown and things." When they got upstairs, Renée's mother added, "keep those panties on tonight, and I will let you have a fresh pair in the morning." As René was hanging up her dress and full slip, her mother came in with the nightgown, robe and slippers. "Here you go, sweetie. Now, there is something I want to tell you. Girls and women go to bed with their panties on. Some girls and women sleep with nothing on at all. But, when you go to bed, it is not uncommon that after your bath or shower, you put on a clean pair of panties to sleep in."

"Why do girls and women wear panties to bed?"

"I will explain all of that to you, so you understand. But right now, let's get you in your nightgown, robe and slippers. You may keep these as your own." Renée got on the nightgown and stepped in to the slippers. Then she threw the robe around her, and they went back downstairs.

"I'm sorry, but this is a kind of hectic time right now. Sandi, are you spending the night?"

"May I, mom?"

"Yes, dear, I will go and get your night things and a clean set of clothes for tomorrow. Then if you want to spend the next night, then you can stop at the house and get a clean set of clothes for Sunday."

"Thanks, mom," Sandi said, giving her mother a hug.

Mrs. Peters was a widow, her husband having been killed in action in Iraq. He was a captain in the United States Marine Corps. But that was a year ago, and she has since gotten on with her life. She was still young enough to re-marry, but she didn't even date. Now she had made a new friend, who has a daughter that her daughter is going to help be more of a lady than a tomboy.

On her way home, Mrs. Peters couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that her thirteen year old daughter was willing to help someone else and not ask for any money. She thougt to herself that just when you thought all kids were delinquents, there is always one that comes along and spoils that thinking. Yes, Mrs. Amanda Peters was proud of her young daughter.

Renée, her mother, brother, sister and father all sat down in the living room to watch television. Renée's father worked for a food processing plant as first engineer. His job was to make sure all the equipment in the plant kept working. Carl Whitaker Richards wasn't rich, but they could afford cable television and internet. Tonight was the dark comedy Terminator 2 and they all decided to watch that. Gloria Jean Richards watched her eldest daughter, and saw that someday she would be a proper lady. As the movie started, Mrs. Richards was deep in thought.

She was thinking about boyfriends that Renée would have and the teen angst that would come with each breakup. She will have to talk to Renée about that, so she knows what to expect. She was thinking about the bully that Renée always talked about, that kept making her do unspeakable things to him. Now that Renée was her eldest daughter for always, Mrs. Richards had a lot of cause to worry. But she wasn't going to tell Renée she couldn't be the girl she has always been. Mrs. Richards thought that too, they can deal with any crisis that comes up.

When Mrs. Richards turned her attention back to the television, the evil android was falling in to the vat of molten metal. As Arnold Schwartzenegger's character was being lowered in to the same vat, Daniel Richards asked Renée a question.

"Sis, are you going to have the whole operation and be physically a girl, too?"

"Daniel Richards! You are only eight years old. Where did you learn about sex change operations?"

"Mom, Renée isn't the only boy who needs to be a girl. There are lots of them online."

"I don't suppose it would do any good to put the parental controls on, on your computer."

"Dear, you can't tell him not to, because he will always find a way. The best we can do is make sure he understands what he is seeing and reading."

"You're right, Carl. Daniel, if and when the time comes for Renée to make that decision, I am hoping she will talk to us as a family, first."

"Danny, to answer you, yes, I do wish I could have the whole operation. We will have to wait to see what the doctor says."

"Well, I suggest we call it a night. Shopping is going to be an almost all day thing. There is a lot we have to get you."

Just then, the doorbell rang and Renée went to answer it. It was Mrs. Peters with Sandi's clothes.

"Please, come in, Mrs. Peters."

"Thank you, Renée." They went in the living room.

"Sandi, here are your clothes for tonight and tomorrow. I didn't know if you wanted your pajama set or a nightgown, so I brought both. I also brought a dress, skirt and top, and your favorite jeans and a tee and lingerie. If you need anything else for spending Saturday night, you can stop at the house and get them."

"Thanks, mom," Sandi said with a smile, while giving her mother a hug. "Did you bring my shoes for the dress or skirt set?"

"Yes, I brought your black Mary Jane's."

"Thank you, mom."

Mrs. Peters hugged her daughter and told her that she was proud of her for helping her friend.

"It's nothing, mom, Renée would do the same for me, if I needed any help."

"Is that right, Renée?"

"Yes, Mrs. Peters. Sandi and I have known each other since the fifth grade. We are sisters, forever."

As Renée said that, she and Sandi intertwined their left little fingers together in a pinky swear.

"Wait!" Mrs. Richards said. "Will you two do that again? I want to take a picture." Mrs. Richards went to get her camera and took a picture of these two young girls, showing teenage solidarity.

"Gloria, I want a copy of that in a 5x7, please. I want to display that picture with the rest of Sandi's pictures on our fireplace mantel. This shows two young girls vowing to be there for each other."

"Yes, Mandy, I'm sure we can get them. I want one too, in a 5x7 for display."

"Mom," Renée added, "What's all the drama? I mean, this is nothing new for Sandi and I. We have helped each other dozens of times."

"Like, for instance."

"Well, if it wasn't for Sandi, I wouldn't know what to do about that bully, Roger. Sandi was the one telling me to fight back, but, I'm not as strong as he is."

"And you don't have to be, either. You're a girl, and girls are not supposed to be as strong as guys. So, anyway, you said that this Roger was given a punishment. Do you know what punishment he was given?"

"Yes, I do. Sandi's aunt is my homeroom and first period teacher. She told me what Roger got as a punishment."

"Are you going to tell us?"

"No, mother, because Mrs. Peters and I pinky swore not to reveal this, because it is a secret until school starts again in January. She said that if Roger wanted to tell others, that was his business, but she doesn't think he will."

"That reminds me, punkin, you weren't in school too long today."

"No, daddy, we only one class and that was homeroom. Our teachers took roll call and then we wrote an essay on what we were going to do over the holidays. Sandi told me that we have ten days to help me pratice being a lady, instead of a tomboy.

"I just, omg, I just had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. We could all have Christmas together. Mrs. Peters, you and Sandi could come here for Christmas and have dinner with us and make it a whole day."

If Gloria Richards was proud of Renée before, she was just beaming with pride now. She saw her eldest daugter in her element. Who was it that said, 'youth is wasted on the young'? Well, whomever it was, certainly did not have Renée in mind. Gloria Richards hugged her eldest daughter, because she was thinking about others during a season where thinking of others was the thing to do. But then, everyday was Christmas to Renée, because she always thought of others, before herself.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, honey. Mandy, you and Sandi are cordially invited to spend the Christmas holidays with us, here, at our house. It isn't much, but we have a guest room, and the girls can share a room."

"We hardly just met, and you are asking us to be your guests? I ... I really ... don't."

Amanda Peters was thinking about the Christmases they used to have when Sandi's father was alive. This was the first real invite they have gotten since then.

"Oh please, Mrs. Peters. Please have Christmas with us."

"Yes, yes of course we will. It will be a change."

"Mandy, is there something wrong?" Inquired Gloria Richards.

"I was just thinking about all the Christmases we had when Sandi's father was still alive. He was killed in action a year ago in Iraq. This has been the first real invite we have had since then."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. But from watching you and Sandi, I know he was a good man."

"Thank you, Gloria. Yes, he was a very good man. He enlisted in the Marines right out of high school." Amanda Peters took out her little photo book she carried, and showed everybody his picture.

"Then it is settled. You pack some things for you and Sandi, and you come and stay with us. Mandy, you can stay here tonight, if you wish. I have a nightgown and robe you can borrow."

That was when the levee broke wide open and the flood waters just poured out. Gloria, Renée and Sandi moved to her and hugged her.

"Mandy, come with me and I will get you the robe and nightgown."

While they went to her parents bedroom, Renée crossed her fingers on both hands, and crossed her arms to both shoulders. Sandi did the same. Then the two girls went to Renée's bedroom, stopping by her parents room to say good night. After hugs and kisses, the two girls went to bed.