Chapter 7 Uni life

The new flat was more or less the same size as before, but only had two shared bathrooms rather than the en-suites we had before . Luckily our timetables for classes were all staggered so we were able to sort out a rota that normally worked for us all. The main problem was the clutter of all the toiletries, and associated stuff, for 5 girls - I kept most of my stuff in my room. We all had busy times at classes this year, our group social life scaled back as we all now had other friends, but we still managed to have our nights out every couple of weeks, and I usually fitted in better as Maria. Other than that my dressing up was beginning to take a back seat.

“There’s a halloween fancy-dress party at the club just down the road later this month, do you all fancy going.”, Megan came out with one night at the pub. We all thought this should be good fun and started to talk about potential costumes. Megan suggested that we all think of a common theme for us rather than just picking something individually, she had obviously been thinking ahead and planning this as she was well ahead of the rest of us.

“ I went to see Grease the other night and thought it would be brilliant to go with a 50s theme, like ‘The Pink Ladies’, has anyone got any other ideas.” We couldn’t come up with any other suggestions for a group of girls so it was agreed that was what would be worked on. I suggested that I went as Danny with the greased hair, tight jeans and leather jacket, but the girls were having none of that, if I wanted to go with them it would have to be as a match to them. We also decided that we would do one of the songs from the show ‘Summer Nights’ but with a few changes to the lyrics to suit an all-girl group.

We got a copy of a backing tape for the song, fiddled with the lyrics, practised a song-and-dance routine, and got it to an acceptable level.

Several trips to charity shops resulted in a selection of 50s costumes, and we read up on suitable make-up and hair styles, we wanted to do a good job.

The party was actually on Halloween night, which luckily was on a Saturday, so we had all day to get ready. The bathrooms were busy as we all wanted to shampoo and condition our hair before sorting it into a 50s style. As my hair was al lot shorter than the others I was to have it styled like Betty Rizzo with lots of bouncy curls, so Linda set it in lots of small rollers and left it while I did my makeup and got dressed. The others were easier to deal with, just a bit of work with curling tongs, some backcombing to pad out the hair, and they were easily dealt with.

Make-up was a lot simpler in the fifties, mainly face-powder, mascara, and bright red lipstick, but I glammed it up a little with smokey eye-shadow and a bit of sparkle

We had all picked from the clothes selection we had gathered, and after fitting my breasts and putting on my bra and panties, several flouncy petticoats as was the style, I completed it with a plain black dress with a wide flared skirt, dressed it all up with a wide crimson belt, a chain necklace and drop earrings, white bobby-socks and black pumps. I took out my rollers, brushed out my hair, grabbed my bag and went out to see how the others had turned out.

They were all amazing, it was like a 50s school reunion. Megan had found some cheap second-hand short white blouson jackets and dyed them a vivid pink, we would have no problem with fitting in as the Pink Ladies. There were lots of group and individual photos before we set off for the club.

There was a big queue to get in, but one of the doormen, amazed at our costumes, came and took us in a side door, and said that specially selected people and groups who had made a special effort were being allowed in free to help the atmosphere get going. We asked if it was possible to go on stage and do our song later, He consulted with the manager and said that it would be fine but to leave if for a couple of hours until everyone had had a few drinks and the party was in full swing.

We had a good time dancing together, with me just copying their moves and dance styles, and having fun until we got the nod to go up on stage.

“These girls, and I am sure you can all guess who they are supposed to be, have volunteered to do a song for you, I’m not sure what they are like but let them have a go, after all it is a party.”

We started the backing tape, plugged into the club sound system, waited through the intro, and then burst into our version of ‘Summer Nights’ mimicking a lot of the actions and moves copied from the film. We went down a bomb and were asked to do a bit more of it as a reprise, before going back to our table to recover. That led to a few others having a go, but as we had practised our routine none came anywhere up to our standard, so the club went back to its planned music and dancing for the rest of the night. The club manager was so pleased at how we had really got the party started that he came over with a couple of bottles of wine and told us that it would be a free bar for us for the rest of the night.

After our show, we were a very popular group and there were a constant stream of dance partners coming over for us all, me included. At the end of the night they finished off with a couple of slow smoochy numbers and I stayed on the floor with the boy I had been dancing with. He was a good dancer and had obviously learned the basics rather than just shuffling around the floor as most of the others were doing. As it all finished and the lights came on he held me close and gave me a passionate kiss on the lips,I was shocked and almost fainted in his embrace and felt a bit dizzy. He asked if he could walk me home, but I told him that I was out with the group and that I would go back home with them. When he asked if he could see me again, I told him that I was going steady, thanked him for the dances and his kindness and went back to the girls.

We all linked arms and skipped and danced back to the flat and sat around with a glass of wine
talking into the night.

“Maria, you seemed to be having a good time at the end of the night there, that was a bit of a dreamboat you were with, didn’t you fancy going out with him sometime.”

“I don’t know Linda, I really enjoyed dancing with him, but when he kissed me I felt all funny and not right. You know that I enjoy dressing with you all, and I really love this outfit I’ve got on tonight, the 50s style is so feminine, but I am a boy and not a girl, and I don’t think I want to go any further and have relationships with other men, eventually I think I will settle down, get married, and have a normal life. I’m sorry if I disappoint you all.”

I went off to my room and left them to finish their chats. Despite what I had just said I didn’t want Maria’s night-out to finish, so after undressing and cleaning off the make-up, I put on my best satin nightie and went to bed. I tossed and turned a bit and thought about the last dance and the kiss, then about where I wanted my life to lead and decided that Gino needed to take control of his life again.

Sunday morning, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans I went out to talk to the girls over breakfast.

“ Ok, I had a great night yesterday, and have really enjoyed my times with you all, but last night really worried me and got me thinking, it wasn’t just the drink that made me say what I said last night, Maria is beginning to take me over, and I don’t think that is what I want, I need to put Maria aside for a while while I sort myself out. I hope you all understand and are happy to have a full-time Gino living with you all again, but if any of you are uncomfortable with that I will find somewhere else.”

“Don’t be daft,” Megan, as usual, was the first to come back at me , “we enjoy your company no matter whether you are wearing trousers or a skirt. you kept your side of our agreements and behaved perfectly, whereas we all bent the rules a little, taking over your bathroom and wandering around in skimpy clothes. I for one hope that I never embarrassed you, and am more than happy with whatever you want to do, in fact I’ll be really disappointed if you left.”

That was more or less repeated by them all and life continued in virtually the same routines except that I spent a lot more time with my male classmates to try to get back to being ‘one of the lads’. Maria’s clothes were kept in a locked suitcase and when we all went for our weekly night out, it was Gino with the girls, not Maria. Christmas and Easter came and went and we were into our final term of the year, and making plans for next year.
It ended up that this was to be our final term together. Carol and Sue had decided to flat-share next term with their boyfriends, who they had been going out with most of the year, Julie was taking a gap year touring around the Far East, and Linda was doing a one-year optional placement in Italy as part of her architecture course. Megan and I decided that as we got on well together, in fact her, Linda, and me were probably the closest of the group, that the two of us would continue to share next year and would find a small flat near the campus.

Once our exams were over, before we broke up for the summer we decided to have a farewell dinner together, as we had been close for almost two years, living and socialising together almost as a family, and it would be the end of an era for us all. When we were sitting together one night planning exactly what to do next year, Megan gave me a serious look.

“ I hope you don’t mind me saying, and I know you may not like it, but you should consider going to the farewell dinner as Maria, she has been a significant part of our lives for the last two years and some of the best things we have experienced together, including the Abba concert and the Halloween party, she has been with us. Don’t reply now, as I know you will be in two minds, but please have a think about it, I’m sure the other girls will appreciate it.”

I was reluctant as I thought had almost got Maria out of my head, but having slept on it for a few nights, I realised I was being a bit silly. If I had really pulled back from my life in skirts one night would not make a difference, and I really did enjoy the nights out as one of the girls and had felt really comfortable in the clothes. I agreed with Megan that I would do it, but I would need her help to get ready, and I didn’t want the others to know in advance.

We dug out my Maria clothes, and after having been in a suitcase for many months most of them needed a wash to freshen them up, and my LBD went off to the dry cleaners. Megan and I went shopping, outwardly for her but really for me. Although I was to wear my LBD, she felt that it needed to be accessorised to make it look a bit different, so I ended with a vivid red chiffon bolero, with a matching belt, 4” heel open-toed shoes and matching evening bag, and a fresh supply of make-up products.

Megan had arranged for me to have a full session with her hairdresser and beautician on the day of the dinner. I changed into one of the salon smocks, suffered a full body wax and facial masks, and had my hair soft-permed again with wash-out red streaks and tips to match my outfit, finger and toe nails shaped and painted a vivid red, and left for home dressed in leggings and a tunic top.

I phoned Megan to check whether the coast was clear and she confirmed that the others were all out going through similar treatments to what I had just been through, so I quickly sneaked back into my room, and locked the door, and prepared Maria to face the world again.

“Gino are you ready yet, it’s supposed to be us girls that keep you waiting not the other way round?”

Taking a deep breath I opened the door and went out to meet the others. To say they were surprised is an understatement, it was more astonishment, speechlessness, and shock, at the way I was dressed and how attractive I looked, but delighted and welcoming.

“It’s great to see Maria back, we were hoping that it might happen but didn’t want to force you into it, come on girls let’s go.” Linda was the first to recover from the surprise.

We had a wonderful night out, the food was delicious, the company was amazing, and we all thought it a shame that our two years together was ending., and agreed that no matter where our lives went from here that we would have regular reunions.

Back at the flat we all said our goodnights , and I went back to my room to clean off all the makeup, put on my satin nightie and lay in bed thinking about all the good times I had had as Maria, and went to sleep totally confused again’

To be continued