Thomas Allan Wehl’s silver tongue has got him out of many tight spots. From age thirteen he has finely tuned his skills in conning bartenders to serve him beers to the point that here he is at age fourteen and seven-twelfths quaffing pints and abetting in the delinquency of pretty minor girls. Can her silver tongue get him out of trouble as fast as it’s getting her in to it?

“Close the door Melisa. Sit up on this stool, Tegan.”

“I need to leave before your Mum comes home. I don’t know clothing shops in Falmouth.” I started to panic, and Anne Marie calmed me down by holding on to me. Then kissing me. Somehow, I was sitting on the stool in front of her vanity mirror. The surface was filled with make-up, hair brushes, and other paraphernalia. The room was tiny and with wardrobe, vanity, stool and twin bed there was almost no floor space left. In fact, it was rather astonishing said items fit in the room.

“I’ll tell you about the shops while doing your make-up. Then you can talk to my Mum and leave. If you go now my Dad will smell a rat. What do you think he’ll do if he find’s out I’ve been kissing a boy in my bedroom with the door closed, and that you got me drinking beer first?”

While I resumed panicking, Anne Marie whispered with Melisa a bit then returned to hug me before I’d thought to get up off the stool. I blame it on the room being too small for me to think I could fit anywhere but where I was sat with the two of them in the room too. “Can I borrow your silk blouse?” Melisa asked while removing her top. I was staring at Melisa’s brownish coloured bra.

“You can’t wear it with a nude bra.” Anne Marie replied. I didn’t think the bra was nude, it was totally opaque?

“Fine can I borrow a white bra, and your silk blouse?” She then proceeded to take her bra off. “What do you think of my boobs, Tegan? If you sit nicely and allow us to do your make-up, you have the benefit of sitting in a girl’s room while girls get changed.

“I’ll show you my boobs too, if you let me shave your legs and pits.

Once more, look at two pairs of breasts and get make-up put on that I could always wash off later. Shave off leg hair that will grow back and whatever pits are or get found out as a boy in a girl’s bedroom. A bedroom with two girls in varying degrees of undress and that I had contributed to the delinquency of, a few minutes or so, earlier.

End result, after about an hour talking about Anne Marie’s favorite clothing stores in Falmouth and latest girl trends in fashion and getting make-up applied, I was now in the shower of the upstairs bathroom in a pair of girl’s white knickers with the shower door open, but the bathroom door locked. Aside the knickers the only thing I’m wearing is make-up, and talk about jumping in at the deep end.

Eyebrows plucked, eyelids powdered, eye liner drawn, and two coatings of mascara, because it’s supposedly additive or something to the first coating that’s dried and one coating is a job half done. I think I might’ve been tricked on that one. All of that was just the eyes, oh and somehow I forgot the metal clamp eye torture device that I am sure has only one function, and that is to cause pain so plucking eyebrows doesn’t feel as bad next time. Lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss and blush hopefully round out what I let the girls do to me, but I probably forgot something or ten. Anyway, with me are two girls also only wearing knickers, one pair a lacy black, the other a more plain cotton nude.

Yes, I have learnt nude isn’t nude but skin coloured, go figure, and did I really need to learn that. Melisa’s knickers, though briefer than the pair I have on, actually covers her privates, which is not the case with Marie’s thong, and I will leave it at that. I think her knickers are actually naughtier than having nothing on, which is also a new thing I learned today. So I’m snogging with a nearly naked girl, while the other took a disposable shaver to my legs. Every so often they swapped and I would then be snogging with a girl that to all intents and purposes is naked. Occasionally this odorous task was interrupted due to an apparent need to add more of the flowery smelling women’s shaving cream. I think Psych Majors list what the girls are doing as Pavlov’s training version ‘X’. Then again I might be missing a letter or two.

I found out that I shouldn’t have agreed to getting my pits shaved. I kept thinking I was going to get cuts all under my arms when I discovered what pits were. I’ve known my Dad to cut himself while shaving and the shape of the armpits, seemed it should be harder than one’s face, to shave. Maybe it isn’t and when I finally get some facial hair I will find that it is worse to shave your face than under your arms. Thankfully, either they are more skilled than my Dad at shaving, or it isn’t as bad as I feared, as I wasn’t cut once. However, I will be living in a boys’ dormitory for the next five plus weeks and I just know someone will notice before it grows back.

I’d also been duped into the knickers just in case Marie’s Father sees me, but as my bulge was lying diagonally to stay barely covered it was a pointless attempt at deception.My boxers would have covered it better. Wrapping up they told me to use the shower wand to wash off my legs. The cold water caused shrinkage prior to me adjusting the temperature to a more comfortable one.

“No, use the cold setting.It solves the bulge problem.” Thus, I turned it back to cold and bore the discomfort from cold water on legs then lean one arm after the other into the shower from outside it with towel around waist to stop splash-back? Well at least it wasn’t winter.

Having checked the coast was clear I was escorted back into Marie’s bedroom and while Melisa painted my toenails, Anne Marie worked out the outfit I should wear. Twenty or so minutes later and aside the wedge sandals we were all dressed. I’d not realized that aside being a bit taller than the girls I had a similar shaped and sized bottom half to Melissa. Of course, my upper torso which hadn’t yet broadened as it would when I got somewhere with puberty didn’t even have the smaller curves Anne Marie’s sported.

I had a pad added to my knickers, and I was to pretend I was on my period.Thankfully even Marie’s largest miniskirt was too small for me, as she’d wanted me to wear one of her miniskirts. I fit into Melisa’s black cotton knee length skirt and pastel pink blouse, and the other two girls now sport the miniskirts that Anne Marie was planning to have us wear.The black skirt was tight, but I was told this is good as it would force me to take smaller steps. It also on me was though not a mini a good three inches above my knees, as I am taller than Melisa.

Melisa has the white silk blouse she wanted to borrow on. It’s not tucked in. Neither is her pale pink one that I’m wearing. The bottom three buttons of each blouse is un-done, apparently that’s the current ‘in’ style. Being loose it tends to mask my lack of curves. I guess after the girls did something it looked more realistic as now it looks right, where half an hour ago it didn’t really. Marie found a pink training bra that hadn’t gone to Oxfam yet. Having it beneath the blouse makes it look like I have something there. Anne Marie has a hot pink boob tube that leaves her midriff bare and enables me to see her navel is pierced, thanks to the open buttons I can see Melisa’s is too.

Oh, yes that reminded me on the piecing fiasco. It started with me kissing their navels and finding out Melisa’s Mum owns a salon in Hessle, and did the navel piercing. That led them to looking at my dangly earring.

My left ear is pierced. I did it earlier this term at school, and my parents only know about it due to a phone conversation when my cousin, Jessica, informed them, she says, accidently. Well they said if Anne Marie’s Mum sees I have one earring she’ll know I’m a boy. So they pierced the other one. In the wrong place. I mean I looked in the mirror and could see they didn’t match. Thus I used a pen to place a dot on my left ear that mirrored my new piercing in the right, and a dot on the right ear where they should have pierced it. From one left earring piercing that I thought would make me look a rebel boy I now have two pairs of piercings, which just screams princess.I removed my dangling earring as it looked odd having it and three studs. Now with four studs I wonder why I didn’t just remove the one dangly earring.

“Anne Marie, can you and your friends come down please?” A woman’s voice called up.

“What do I do about the sandals? You said to wait fifteen minutes for the polish to dry, not too long ago.”I guess my voice must go into a higher pitch when I panic I noticed absently even though I was nervous.

“Carry them down and tread carefully you don’t want to get something to stick to you nails.” Melisa opined.

“Actually, they’re probably dry by now.” Marie blew on my toes then went to touch the toe that was painted first. Several quick taps later she said they were dry, and helped me quickly put on the open toe sandals.A second call from downstairs echoed up the stair well and we legged it down.

“Hey Melisa, hi dear, and you must be Tegan.” Marie’s Mum said to me after the others and myself had greeted her. “You look so pretty, but you need a haircut. I hope Melisa your Mum can squeeze her in with Anne Marie’s appointment, because, Tegan, your hair really needs some love and care. Anne Marie, grab your thin black belt for Tegan to borrow so she won’t have to change back into her clothes as there isn’t time. You really should have got her to wear one of your skirts rather than Melisa’s.”

As Anne Marie thumped her way upstairs Melisa chimed in. “Melyonen, it was hard enough to get her to where my knee length skirt. She only wears Jeans!”

“Well I’m proud of you Tegan for wearing your first skirt. I’m sure my daughter will have you in mini’s when we visit my parent’s this summer.” Marie’s Mum took the belt from her daughter and threaded it through my skirt’s waist loops. “Dave was saying you live in Helston. We’ll talk about all things Cornwall and shops in the salon but as we go tell me your favorite place to eat in Helston? Come on girls let’s get going.” She led us to the back door.

“I like it when we get pub lunches at a place between Helston and Falmouth actually. I don’t know if it was just great pub food or the name of the place that interested me more, but the pub’s called ‘Trengilly Wartha’.”

“Oh, it’s pretty around there too, the churning creek beneath the bridge and a few falls if you walk some of the forest trails up the stream bed. Yes Tegan, I’m going to enjoy talking to you.

The back garden was walled in with a bit of grass and a few bushes. The gate opened onto a snicket. I had all my clothes and wallet in a Debenham’s plastic bag. I was worried on returning their stuff back to them. They had school in the morning and I would be traveling back to mine in the afternoon.

Once the snicket opened into Hessle town center I knew where I was. “How am I supposed to get Melisa’s and your clothes back to you?” I whispered to Marie.

“Consider it a gift, your first girly clothes.” She whispers back. She is really milking the tomboy joke.

“Come on girls stop whispering we need to get to the salon.”

“I really should be getting back home. I need to pack and you want to get your daughter’s hair cut, Mam. I don’t want to be in the way.”

Marie grasped my arm painfully and whispered in an almost hiss. “Don’t upset my Mum or I’ll say you know what.”

“Let’s see if she has an opening. If she doesn’t, she doesn’t. I really want to talk to you. It’s been nearly a year since I was last home and I want to have a chin wag with someone from home. It would be nice if Anne Marie and you can spend some time together when we come down this summer too.” With no easy way out of it I was herded into the Salon.

Well that’s me snookered.Of course,Melisa’s Mum could squeeze me in, and somehow my hair cut had increased to include blonde high-lights as with Marie adding dying streaks of off-blonde to match my natural light brown or off blonde hair colour. Supposedly the end result is we would look like identical twins. Right, Anne Marie’s Mum is obviously a real joker, and likely the source for the comedic talent in the lass I’ve had to deal with for the last few hours. Thankfully some hot oil thing couldn’t be done.

“So your Mum is Cornish Tegan?” Marie’s Mum asked.

“No Mam, my Mum grew up in Hessle. My Grandma has a house on Tranby Avenue.” Melisa’s Mum was interrupted from jumping in to the conversation as the salon phone rang and she went to answer it.

“Call me Melyonen, Tegan. I want our families to become friends.” Thank you flippin’ Anne Marie, for calling me Tegan, I worried again. Melyonen was still talking though. “How did your parent’s meet?”

“My Dad studied for a degree in Math in Manchester University. They met there.” I wasn’t lying they did meet there; it just wasn’t the first time. No they first met when Beverley Grammar school for boys held a dance for the girls of Saint Mary’s Convent High School.

“Your Mum grew up in Hessle? Maybe I know her, what was her name before she married?” Melisa’s Mum asked unfortunately the phone call didn’t distract her from querying on Hessle gossip.

“Ella Goss.”

“Brin Goss’s daughter?”

“That’s my Grandma.” I was so screwed, of course the salon owner would know my Grandma.

“Didn’t you just move to Cornwall from Yeovilton?” Melisa’s Mum shot her next salvo at our bit of lying.

“Yes, my Da’s an officer in the Royal Navy he was based at Yeovilton, but is now based in Helston.” I haven’t been sunk yet. Hopefully I won’t be questioned specifically about my Dad’s Cornish origins. I just needed to steer the conversation away from Cornwall somehow.

“Well Helston’s not too far from the coast, but Yeovilton is nearly smack bang in the middle of Somerset. What are Naval bases doing that far off the coast?” Melyonen asked.

I had to stop myself from leaping and cheering. Thank you Anne Marie’s Mum for providing what I wanted. “They’re both naval air bases. My Dad is a navigator on helicopters, so he is usually either based on a frigate or shore based at a naval air base.”

“Well Melyonen, we can do the hot oil hair treatment too if you want as I don’t have to worry about the squeezing in of Tegan, anymore. That was Misses Wells on the phone she just rescheduled, and Tegan, it’s your Grandma that has the other appointment I was concerned might slip.” I joined in with the dance Melisa and Anne Marie orchestrated with yells of cool and other cheers. What else was I supposed to say? I must copy the true girls as I’m scared stiff of being found out if I act any differently.I was also in dread, would we be finished and out of here before my Grandma came? She finished up the painting of what looked like light brown glue with the folded tin foil wrapped around the painted hair to Anne Marie and then wheeled the torturer’s cart to the chair I felt shackled to. Melisa arrived with the plastic pot of glue for my hair and swapped it with the used one on the cart. She then left through the ‘private’ labeled door, likely going to the back to clean out the used bowl.

“My daughter has the exact same skirt and blouse and she wears it the same way you do, Tegan. Oh, but your navel isn’t pierced.” Well of course it isn’t. I’m a boy here.

“Oh, Tegan, yes, you should get yours done too. I mean we’re sort of like twin sisters being we have one Cornish parent and one Yorkshire one.” Anne Marie chimed in. Her tin foil bedazzled braids moving as she turned to look at me. What is she trying to get me to have done now? Whatever it is, hell no.

“I know how you girl’s are. Let me quickly do it, and you can button up your blouse. You’re off to school tomorrow and what your Grandma doesn’t see she can’t tell you off for doing.”

I was completely flummoxed on what Melisa’s Mum was talking about. Why would buttoning the blouse stop my Grandma from seeing my high-lights. Maybe she meant I could get out of the salon before my Grandma arrives. “Okay, but quickly please.”

When she lifted my shirt up I was worried she would find out my lack of breasts. Thankfully she didn’t go that far. A large light brown plastic thing was gotten out from one of the drawers. She opened part of it and pushed something in. I had my navel piercing before realizing what I had agreed to.

“There we are then. Let’s just do up the buttons. Melisa get me that cape. I swear daughter don’t you use your noggin or is it just there to attach earring ornaments to.Don’t worry Tegan I’ll soon get started on your hair.”

Well the next near ninety minutes were spent on getting the same tin foil lacquered and layered hair do, with a bowl of more whitish glue though than Anne Marie’s light brown. Mine will do the opposite of what Anne Marie’s glue does. Of course, I was informed that we should get our eye brows looked at while waiting on the hair treatments, and our make-up fixed. Didn’t the twin devils already do that?

Having the foil removed and washed with a flowery smelling shampoo and conditioner that I needed bottles of was next. The kneading of my head was really nice. Heck if this is the usual treatment in a salon I think I would use them from now on for this part. Oil packets that had been heating in a portable plastic boiler thingy, were squeezed onto our hair and combed in. Sometime later Melisa and her Mum used hot crimping tools to straighten our hair. I take it back; the head washing is to lure you to drop your defenses before they attack with the next torture implement.

With hair dried while being brushed I stared at the mirror and wondered where this shiny slick off-blonde with blond highlights hair, came from. My hair was beautiful and after being straightened fell way beyond my shoulders. I felt sad that “I’d have to cut it before school, because straightened it was several inches beyond my shoulders. I couldn’t recognize the beautiful girl looking back, well she looked familiar, but I kept drawing a blank and then thought how I would definitely date her. Is it bad that I think my female self is out of my male self’s league?

“You two could be twins. Just one’s got darker dyed streaks, while the other had blonde high-lights added to obtain the look.” Melisa’s Mum opined.

Anne Marie’s Mum agree. “Doris, you did it perfectly. Now my daughter has a twin sister. Take a picture of me standing between my twins. I’ll label it ‘Daughter, Mum and other Daughter’.” Melisa’s Mum took the picture. I’d have called it cascading skirts, because the skirt of Melyonen’s dress was mid length between Marie’s miniskirt and my knee length one.

“Perfect timing Tegan, that looks like your Grandma’s car.”

Horror of horrors the dark bottle green Triumph with red leather seats was parked on the street outside the salon and my Grandma was locking the driver’s door. I looked at Anne Marie and she finally looked worried too. What do I do now?

“I’ve got to go!” Melisa announced and ran through the door labeled ‘private’.

I was debating if I was better off trying the same or seeing if there is a rear entrance but found I couldn’t move. I was so scared I was frozen where I stood for the picture. I think Anne Marie was frozen on the other side of her Mum too. I kept wishing Grandma to suddenly turn back to the car. Go anywhere; just stop walking toward the salon. The door opened and Melisa’s Mum had to gab.

“Afternoon Misses Goss. I’m sorry I’ve squeezed your Granddaughter in so I’m running a few minutes late. Just give me a few minutes to clean up and I’ll be right with you.”

“My Granddaughter, Helen? What’s she doing out of Queen Margaret’s?” My Grandma’s eyes slid over the three of us and looked around the salon.

“Your other Granddaughter, Tegan.” Melisa’s Mum said and I could see from my Grandma’s bewildered expression that everything was about to come out.

I needed to do something, and I decided all I could do was try a super huge lie and see if I could get away with it. My throat was so dry I sort of croaked and had to pause and start again. “Hi, Grandma, it’s me, Tegan. I made a couple of new friends today and they pushed me to address my ‘Tom, boy’ ways. Things got a bit beyond what I expected. Here I am for the first time ever voluntarily being in a salon, and it seems I delayed your appointment.” I waved with one hand while my other clung to my skirt to stop it from slipping.

“Doesn’t she look pretty Misses Goss?” Anne Marie finally came to offer some help.

My Grandma looked from Anne Marie, her Mum, to me, to Melisa’s Mum and then back to looking swiftly to and fro’ between Anne Marie and me with shock. Was she going to let everyone know the truth?

“Please Misses Goss, let your Granddaughter know ‘ow pretty she is.” Anne Marie looked the picture of pure innocence slightly ruined with the famous Hull accent of dropping ‘H’s, or is that the ‘ull accent.

“I don’t think…

“I know I should have said something Grandma, probably talked to you before. But it’s done and we can talk this evening or tomorrow.” I was likely blabbering but trying to force her to understand my panic and need. Please just once Grandma, cover for me. I pleaded with my eyes and hoped she could grasp what I was thinking and actually do it.

My Grandma finally said. “I think I’d better sit down. Doris do you have any tea?”

“Just give me a moment I’ll get my daughter to make us some tea.”

“Hi, Misses Goss, I’m Melyonen, Anne Marie’s Mum. I guess my daughter really changed the looks of your granddaughter. I’m sorry for the shock, but if she was that much of a tomboy, this must be a welcome relief.” Melyonen was obviously nervous and afraid she’d stepped over the line as my Grandma was just staring at me. I guess Melyonen is one of those people that must talk when no one is talking as she waded valiantly in to fill the silence. “I’m from Falmouth. My parents are still there, and I’m hoping Tegan and Anne Marie can become friends. My daughter is always at a loose end when we visit Cornwall. Tegan says she lives in Helston with her Dad and Mum, your daughter, Ella. Your son-in-law flies in helicopters. You could’na’ get me in one, ‘fraid of heights, you see. Dog’s too. It’s why I won’t let Anne Marie have one. Though where’d we put one anyway. Not allowed dogs in the front or back, and we don’t live in a castle.”

“I never expected to see Tegan in a skirt and blouse. It’s always been jeans and t-shirt.” Grandma finally came to Melyonen’s rescue. I was wondering what weird random fact was going to be thrown out next.

“I take it then the skirt and blouse that look just like my daughters, are my daughters?” Melisa’s Mum said having returned from the private area.

“Yes Mam, I’ll get them washed and ironed tonight so I can give them back to you tomorrow.” I quickly jumped in.

“I know your Grandma has a specific washday. She can drop them back whenever, and I can wash them so don’t bother with that dear.”

“I’ll get them washed with my weekly wash on Wednesday, Doris. I might not be back in town ‘till Saturday though.”

“Whenever is convenient Misses Goss. Here comes the other scamp, my daughter, Melisa, with our tea. Melisa can you clear up, so I can take care of Misses Goss.

“Well, come here girl; let me get a good look at my granddaughter. Stand up straight. Let me fix your skirt.” My Grandma adjusted my skirt and it was back to clinging to me tightly. “Doris you’ve really outdone yourself. Tegan is gorgeous, and I can safely say I never thought I would say that about the prior Tom boy, she used to be.” I internally groaned. On the positive side my Grandma had let me get away with my lie. On the negative I still had a night and half a day to take whatever my Grandma decided my punishment should be.

“I’m so glad, Misses Goss, this is my treat.To be part of helping a girl to finally start the initial blossoming into the woman she will be. Tegan shares my Mum’s name. Doris, what’s the damage?”

“Wait a second Melyonen,I’ll be paying for my granddaughter’s haircut.”

“I wanted to treat her as she, like my daughter, is half Cornish. It was fun talking about Falmouth and Helston with her.” Melyonen said.

“Tegan, when did you become half Cornish?”

“I’m sorry Grandma, Mam. I sort of kept quite so you would assume that was the case. It just seemed easier than trying to correct everyone. With being named Tegan and currently living in Cornwall. Then you all were saying I was like Anne Marie, half Cornish.”

“Your ability to tell whoppers didn’t leave when your tomboy ways did. Lying by omission is still a lie. I must have told you a thousand times, if I didn’t tell you more than once, that a lie that survives is truth’s dagger, and your name, Tegan, comes from Wales. Between your Grandfather’s Goss family and my Wood family you have Irish and Welsh roots prior to all the Yorkshire twining. Tegan is your Grandfather’s Mum. By pretending to have Cornish heritage you dishonor your own name, you’re Grandfather, and your Father who considering he grew up in Skidby and went to Beverley Grammar school would likely be very confused to find out you’d been trying to make him a Cornish man.”

“Ah, it’s no worry. Telling tall tales is a gift, and she likely felt it would make her more comfortable. However,Tegan, I will only forgive you if you call me Melyonen from now on, like I’d asked you to do earlier. She has made strides into becoming a woman, and the fib didn’t hurt me. I did enjoy talking to her about Cornwall and I would like to participate in the initial steps of her blossoming into a beautiful woman. When we visit my parents this summer in Falmouth, Anne Marie will be glad to have a friend there that she can now visit. Misses Goss, could you please let me treat your granddaughter?””

“Melyonen, I thank you for the offer, but I am happy to see and reward the growth of my granddaughter too, and will pay Doris.”

“Can I get acrylic nails done then Mum, like Melisa’s?” Anne Marie asked.

“If Tegan wants them too, I’ll pay for that. Is that acceptable?”Melyonen asked looking at my Grandma.

“Thank you Melyonen, for your generous gift, and I am very happy to accept if that is what Tegan wants. Tegan, please thank and let Melyonen know if you want matching acrylic nails with Anne Marie, like Melisa has.I know your Mum, as a teenage girl, was thick as thieves with her girlfriends, and they always did things together.”

What the heck is Grandma playing at? I looked at Melisa’s nails though they weren’t as long as her Mum’s they still stuck out a good half a centimeter beyond the digits end. If I showed up at school with nails like those…

“Tegan, finally my Mum will let me have acrylics. I’ve been asking for ages. Would you get them too, so I can get them, please?”

“Melyonen, please let your daughter get nails to match her friend Melisa’s.”

“I’m going to. I also want to participate in helping you grow toward the woman you can be. If you think she should get them, then you should get them for yourself too. A friend doesn’t let her friend do something she wouldn’t do too.”

“It’s not that I wouldn’t do it. I would love to get acrylics, but my school doesn’t allow them, so don’t penalize your daughter because my school has a stricter dress code than hers.” Ha take that Grandma, my silver tongue found the way out of that trap.

“Tegan, no fibbing, your school has no problem with the girl’s getting acrylics the length Melisa has.” My Grandma torpedoed that excuse.

“Tegan, please” Anne Marie begged.

“Thank you Melyonen for you generous gift, I would love to have matching acrylics…

“Yes!” Well at least two girls were happy, and no, one of them wasn’t me, I am a boy. The two real girls dragged me into their crazy happy jumping about hug thing.

Okay girls you can look at the colours and styles. Melisa show them the book, and get the prep started. I can start on Misses Goss, and will get you both taloned during the wait times, so there’s no undue wasted time.