The prank.

Josh sat up the camera hidden behind the fake planter pot and his grandma's urn on the shelf by the living room arch.
He had already tested the view and audio with his brother Kyle.

The idea for the prank had been Kyle's idea and although josh was hesitant he couldn't pass up a good prank on his folks.

The camera was new and had a remote control that you could use to activate it so Kyle would be out of sight and press the record button when Josh was ready.

Everything was set they just needed to let dad get home.

Jim Bishop was a big man six foot four with a long beard and a welders tan with a farmers physique.
He had just come home from work kicked off his boots and stretched out in his recliner to watch the newest episode of gas monkey.

He had noticed the camera on the shelf as he walked by and glanced at his moms urn like he does every now and then but didn't think much of it.

As he sat in his recliner he bumped the TV remote power button and accidentally turned off the TV which was already on some kid show. In the moment it took the TV to come back on, in the reflection of the screen he noticed his fourteen year old son Kyle was hiding off to the side with the bright green remote to the camera in his hand.

"Something's up?" He thought to himself.
He knew the boys had been trying out different pranks for their small YouTube channel and was expecting something as he went back to watching TV.

Not long after his second born and youngest son walked into the living room looking very nervous like something was on his mind.

Jim smiled and figured it out pretty quickly.
His buddy Rogger from work had had his son pull a prank by telling him he was gay the day before. Apparently thats been going around the school as some type of internet trend here lately so Jim smiled to himself.

"Something on your mind boy?" Jim asked in his usual gruff manner.
Josh was trying to keep a straight face mainly cause he was actually getting scared that maybe this was a prank too far.

"Ah...well dad I um" he stammered letting real nervousness creep in.

"Boy could be a decent actor" Jim thought.
"Well come on boy spit it out" he said.
"I.. want....I want to be a girl"Josh said.

Jim almost laughed but stayed cool as a cucumber.
"Oh this is gonna be fun" Jim thought.
It was an awkward silence as the two sat there.

Kyle meanwhile was standing on pins and needles waiting for his dads response.
"Really, and how long have you felt this way?" Jim asked in a calm voice.

Josh didn't know how to respond.he and Kyle figured dad would blow up and be super angry but the calm manner threw him off.

"Got him" Jim thought to himself seeing the confused look on Josh's face.
"Um... well I ah... since I was a kid" Josh said.

"Son you're only twelve, you're still a kid" Jim chuckled.
"I mean since I was little" Josh said not knowing how to get out of this.
"Well I hate to hear that son but if this is what you want then I'll stand by you sweetie" Jim smiled his smile only reserved for his young daughter Hannah who is four. Jim almost lost his composure at the disgusted look on Josh's face when he called him sweetie. "Oh yeah he's all boy" Jim laughed to himself.

"I can't do this" Josh said standing up.
"It's ok so... I mean sweetie I'll love and support you no matter what" Jim said.

"Me and your mom will go buy you some pretty dresses and redecorate your room with pink and purple" Jim laid it on thick.

"Ah.. ahh...da dad it's a prank it's just a prank I don't want to be a girl" Josh said running out of the room and down the hall to his bedroom.

Jim bust out laughing at his son's reaction.
"Oh good God that boy ain't right" He laughed about to return to his TV show.

But right as he was about to turn the volume back up he heard something.
"What the hell?" Jim mumbled as he got up off the recliner.

Walking around the corner into the dining room he found Kyle sitting on the floor quietly crying into his knees that he had pulled up to his chest.

"You ok son?" Jim asked concerned.
Kyle snapped his head up and looked at his dad with tears streaming down his face.

"I... ive been so scared" He cried as he stood up. Before Jim could react Kyle wrapped his dad in probably the tightest hug he had ever received.

"Son whats wrong?"
Jim said hugging him back.

"I needed to see how you'd react so I came up with this prank idea... I.... I.... really do.... want to be a girl" He sobbed out muffled by his dads chest that he was crying into.

Jim didn't know how to react, "this boy's terrified" he thought.
Normally this might piss Jim off but his son is currently telling him something that has obviously been on his mind for a while and looking at his current state Jim just couldn't find any anger at the moment.

"Its ok buddy, ah why don't we just watch TV till your mom comes home then we'll talk about it with her ok" He patted kyles back.

Kyle nodded and they both walked into the living room and sat down.
As they sat there Jim in his recliner and Kyle on the couch Jim kept glancing over at Kyle.

Kyle may be fourteen but he's somewhat of a late bloomer. He has the long hair down to his shoulders and dresses in baggy clothes with flannel shirts and combat boots but as he sat there Jim started noticing things.

Kyle was sitting like a girl with both his legs pulled up beside him. His mannerisms seemed more girly and he was actually smiling for once. He just seemed like someone who had just had a massive weight lifted off of him.

And as he sat there he noticed something, kyle kinda did look like a girl. Its mainly the hair but he definitely has a girlish appearance and then it hit him as to why.

"Son... Kyle".
"Ah yes dad" Jim saw the nervous glance he tried to suppress.

"Are you wearing makeup?" Jim asked calmly.
Kyle smiled and nodded his head.
"And where did you get it?"

"I bought it with my lawn mowing money, I have other stuff if you want to see it" Kyle blushed.

"Lets wait till your mom gets home" Jim said.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, this is serious. I can't be mad the kid trust me now, ohhhh crap what now. Becky hurry up and get home please" Jim thought to himself as he watched the clock on his phone.

Becky Bishop or BB as most people called her had just got off her shift at the hospital when she checked her phone.

"Its not an emergency but we need to talk ASAP call me when you get off" the text read.

She diled her husband's phone and it didn't ring twice before he answered it.

Jim was startled a bit when his phone rang as he was so deep in thought.
Kyle looked up at him but he just nodded as he answered.

"Hey what's up?" Becky asked.
"Hold on a second" Jim said as he got up and walked out into the garage and shut the door behind him.

"Hey baby look we got a problem" Jim said pacing the garage.
"What's wrong?" Becky asked seeming worried.
"Kyle and Josh pulled a prank earlier when I got home" Jim said.

"Oh no what did they break?" Becky asked with a sigh.
"They didn't break anything" Jim exhaled and Becky could tell he was stressed about something.

"What did they do?" She asked.
"I saw the camera and Kyle with the remote and knew after the last few pranks they must be up to something so I played along" jim sat in a lawn chair and looked out across their yard from the garage.

"Well what was it I'm curious" Becky laughed.
"Josh "Came out" jim said putting emphasis on the "came out" part.

"As gay?" Becky laughed.
She knew better cause the boy couldn't keep his eyes off the girls in the neighborhood and there's that one girl he just can't shut up about from school.

"And let me guess you blew up and scared the bejesus out of him?" Becky was laughing just thinking about how it played out.

"Ahh yeah no, he said he wanted to be a girl and I played along like I was just ready and willing to make him our daughter" Jim chuckled.

"Oh my god I wish I could have seen his face" Becky laughed.
"Yeah it was priceless thats for sure but" Jim paused.

"But what?" Becky asked feeling herself getting nervous.
"Kyle, I'm guessing he put Josh up to it to gauge my reaction" Jim sighed.

"Gauge your reaction?" Becky asked.
"Josh ran away into his room and I found Kyle crying on the dinning room floor and he.... he actually does want to be a girl" Jim said.

"What? Kyle, my Kyle wants to be a girl?" Becky couldn't believe it.
"This is a joke right?" She asked.

"I don't know, the boy's in the living room wearing makeup right now and is under the impression that I'm on his side" Jim leaned forward and placed his head in his hands.

"I don't know what to do Becky?" Jim felt a wetness pricking his eyes. Jims not a crying man but at the moment he felt lost as to how he should handle this situation.

"Becky he looked so pitiful, so relieved I just...".
"It's ok look I'll just, I'll be home in a few minutes just wait outside till I get home" Becky said.
"Love you bye" she said.
"I love you to babe" Jim hung up his phone and just sat back thinking about his son.

About six minutes later the blue ford focus came turning into their driveway.
Jim stood up and greated his wife as she got out of the car with a hug.

"It's gonna be ok" she said patting his back.
"I don't know what to do or how..."

"I know I know neither do I but we'll figure it out ok" She said as they broke apart.
"I don't want to hurt him Becky I... after what I saw I just...." Jim was tore up over this and Becky could tell it was hard for him to comprehend.

She has had her suspicions about Kyle being gay but had never once thought this would be the reason he was so... different".

They both walked into the house at the same time.
They could hear video game sounds coming from Josh's room so they knew he would be pre occupied while they talked with Kyle and Hannah was staying the night at Becky's sister's house with their daughter whose the same age.

"Kyle, where you at?" Jim asked as they walked in and saw that Kyle wasn't in the living room anymore.

"I prefer Kayla" they heard from behind them in the hallway leading towards the bedrooms.

When they turned both parents were shocked to see their son, but he wasn't dressed in his normal baggy grunge wannabe clothes.

Kyle was wearing a grey and white asymmetrical sweater style dress top with with black tights and brown buckle boots with a slight heel. His dark brown hair had been brushed and styled with a matching grey and white striped head band with a white bow on it. His makeup had been redone except it was a lot more obvious now with eye liner, shadow and just a hint of lip gloss.

Kyle looked very pretty and it was at this point that both parents knew this was serious.

"Oh, baby you..." Becky walked over with her eyes watering up as she looked at her son.
"You.. look, pretty" She said as she was trying to comprehend the sight in front of her.

"Come on lets sit in the living room" she said motioning for Kyle to walk.

Kyle blushed but smiled at his dad as he walked by.
"Thank you dad" he mouthed as he walked by.
That hit Jim right in the feels.
Kyle trusted him, probably more then he ever has and now Jim really didn't want to say what he really thought about this.

Jim wanted to explode and yell "what the hell is wrong with you" but he just couldn't bring himself to do it not when his son was putting all his trust and confidence in him. Jim knew it would destroy Kyle if he blew up now.

They all sat in awkward silance for a few moments.
"So kayla huh?" Jim was the first to speak.
Kyle's face lit up and a huge smile crossed her.... his cut...face.

"I.. I've always liked it, it's pretty and similar to kyle" Kayla said.
Kayla was scared of her moms reaction but knew her dad had her back so she found the strength to push through the fear.

"So, how long has this" Becky motioned with her hands towards kayla.
"I started to notice around seven, I would get jealous of the girls dresses and how they were allowed to play things I wasn't. They could play with dolls and be mommy's or princesses but I was stuck with the boys and I hated it" Kayla was opening her soul up on this one.

"I honestly hate being a boy, I hate the clothes, the expectations the feelings. I want to be pretty and soft, I feel so uncomfortable as a boy that... I just" she was starting to cry.

"I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry dad but I just..... I..... can't keep pretending anymore" she let the tears fall.

"I was so scared of how you would act I came up with this stupid idea and I expected you to blow up and be really mad but you were so calm and accepting I was so happy I started crying, all these years all this silent pain I've had to keep inside I can finally let it out. I'm so happy!" She sobbed with a smile on her face.

"Ky... Kayla" Jim said as he leaned forward.
"I'm, I saw the camera and I saw you before Josh came in and I knew you guys were up to something" Jim said calmly.

"Yo... you did?" Kayla seemed hesitant.
"Yep, I knew yall were up to something so I wasn't surprised when Josh said that and I was playing along with him. Pranking the prankster if wanna call it that".

The color drained from Kayla's face as she realized what was happening.
"No no no no no" she started to stammer as she stood up to run.

She didn't make it two steps before Jim grabbed her and pulled her to him.
"I'm sorry its just a joke its a prank I swear daddy" she cried as jim hugged her while she tried to get away.

"It's ok calm down" he said as she sobbed.
"Look I'm not sure what to do about this but, me and your mom will help you but we need..." Jim was at a loss.

Becky got up and joined Jim in hugging Kyle or kayla or what ever.
"Sweetie we want to understand but we need to talk to a professional about this before we go much further ok" Becky said as she hugged her son.

"I'm sorry, I just can't keep living as a boy" Kayla sobbed and Jim squeezed her tighter.
"Its ok baby girl we'll figure this out" Jim said.

Kayla looked up at her dad and saw his gentle smile usually only reserved for her little sister,same as the title baby girl and she felt so safe, so vulnerable.

"Thank you daddy" She cried.
"Go to your room for now ok, me and mom need to talk" Jim said calmly.

Kayla still sniffing wiped her eyes and nodded her makeup was an absolute mess but she still looked all girl.

Becky made them some coffee and then both of them sat at the dining room table.
"So what do we do now?" She asked taking a sip.

"We'll take him to see a doctor, one of those head doctors. Best case scenario they can help him overcome this..." Jim leaned on his elbows and rubbed his forehead.

"Worse case scenario?" Becky asked.

Jim sat back and was silent for a moment.
"Worse case scenario Hannah will have a big sister" Jim gave a half hearted smile to his wife.
"Ar... are you sure?" She asked.

"I'm his dad, and this... what ever this is doesn't change that" Jim said looking off towards kyles bedroom.

"I love my son, and if I have to I'll love my daughter."

The end.