The Joiners pt 3.
by
Angharad.
Colm wasn't sure what he felt. His best friend, who had always been a bit of a pretty boy, made a better than half decent looking girl, totty even. That was confusing, how can you fancy your mate? He gave a little shudder, then he examined her a bit more, yes her, because she sounded and looked like a girl, if a little nervous compared to his brash sister and Tara who were busy trying to turn Cary into Carrie watched by the two mothers, who were also chipping in.

He had never thought much about the difference between boys and girls just recognising it instinctively. He did what boys did naturally which was react to girls unfavourably until fairly recently when his hormones began raging. He never thought about his sister as anything other than his sister, generally a pain in the arse but occasionally useful. However, he had looked at and thought about Tara Carpenter on many occasions and he wouldn't like her to know what he was doing sometimes while he was thinking about her, and now it seemed she had a younger sister. No she has a younger brother, it's just Cary playing dressing up or the older girls playing with a full size Barbie doll, but he looked pretty real and when singing, he sounded just like the Carpenter woman who died long before they were born. Sometimes life was just too confusing.

"Well, I think you should wear dresses and skirts for the rest of the week, to get used to them and we'll help you look and act like a girl." Macey and Tara were laying down the law.

"What?" said Cary sounding more than ever like Carrie, "I'm only doing this to go out on a date with you," he said to Macey.

"I don't do dates with other girls, but we could go out as threesome tomorrow. There's some good sales on in town and it would get you practice in being a girl out in public."

"Yeah, good idea," agreed Tara.

"I don't want to be a girl, I'm only supposed to be doing this to sing some songs somewhere."

"Yeah, at the karaoke competition on Friday, so it's important no one recognises you as a boy, or which boy."

"I think a shopping expedition would be a very good way to get some confidence in looking and acting like a girl and you could do with some makeup of your own and perhaps some underwear," now Penny Carpenter was adding her two-penn'orth to the argument and Cary wasn't sure he approved.

"But, Mum, I don't want someone recognising me in town, all the girls from school will be there, they hang out there all the time," he protested.

"Well, if I come too, I'm sure that with Tara and Macey, we'll be able to monitor anything that's going on and deal with it before it happens. All you have to do is act natural and no one will notice, you certainly look the part and Tara and I can sort out your hair for you like Diana has done it, it looks so different from your normal unkempt style and every girl needs her own makeup and undies. It's not nice using someone else's, even your sister's."

The rest of the evening went by in a blur and Cary was surprised he slept at all, but somehow he did albeit in one of Tara's old nightdresses. It was surprisingly comfortable and it did remind him to sit when he went for a wee.

The next morning his mother made him eat some toast and cereal and drink something. He thought he'd be sick but it stayed down. He was washed and processed by Tara and his mother, sit here, wear this, no do it like this not that. He had some sympathy for army recruits because they couldn't possibly have any more orders about what to do than he was getting.

His hair felt funny, he had all sorts of things done to it and it was sprayed with stuff that made it sticky and stiff. He reckoned if he went out in a hurricane all his clothes would blow off but not a hair on his head would move. He visualised it happening and being left in only his bra and pants. His bra and pants? They hadn't bought him any yet and he wasn't sure he liked the idea, but they would fit because his mother had measured him all ways, though he hoped he wouldn't have to try anything on, especially a bra. The thought nearly made him faint off.

Tara did his makeup and told him to watch what she did so he could tidy it up if necessary. He dutifully watched but couldn't see him ever having to do so. "Where would I be likely to do that?" he asked.

"When we go to the loo after we eat or drink anything."

"I could get arrested for that and besides, I don't think I'll feel very hungry or thirsty."

"Just do what we say and you'll be all right, besides we always go to the loo in pairs or groups, so you'll be okay."

That wasn't quite as reassuring to him as Tara thought it should be and he didn't fancy being on the receiving end of some angry woman's opinion on women only spaces, not that he'd have any ulterior motive in being there in the first place but he could hardly go in the gents to deal with a call of nature looking like he did.

Tara virtually had to drag him from the car in the municipal car park, fortunately there was no one about and he stood trembling holding onto one of her spare handbags while his mother locked the car. She put an arm through his and her other linked to Tara's arm as they set off towards the shops. "This is nice, shopping with my two girls."

"Yes it is, Mum, isn't it, Carrie?" replied Tara.

"If you say so," he said so quietly only a bat could have heard it.

"Just talk normally, you have a very light voice anyway," urged his mother.

"Okay," he said a bit louder before he nearly froze when one of his sister's friends approached.

"Hi, Chloe," said Tara greeting her friend.

"Hi Tar, Mrs Carpenter. Who's this," she said looking at a blushing Cary.

"Oh it's my cousin Carrie, haven't you met her before, she's staying with us for half-term."

Cary nodded to the girl and smiled, he had noticed that girls seem to smile more than boys, who would just grunt at each other unless they had something of vital importance to say, whereas girls talk more and laugh and giggle more. He felt terrified but survived meeting Chloe. It could have been worse, it could have been one of his friends. As he thought this, he saw one of his classmates wander up towards him. He turned suddenly to look in the window of a dress shop almost yanking his mother off her feet.

"Carrie, please say next time you want to stop, you nearly had me over."

"Sorry but that boy coming towards us is in my class," he watched what was happening through the reflection in the window. He nearly died when the boy stopped behind them.

"Hi Tara, where's that idiot brother of yours?"

"He's away with my dad and he may be an idiot but he's twice as bright as you," Tara threw back at the boy.

"Who's your friend?" he nodded towards Cary.

"My cousin, Carrie." She nudged Cary, "Say hello to him, he's friend of Cary's."

"Hi," said Cary blushing.

"Hi," said the boy also blushing. "How long you staying, with Tara, I mean?" he asked.

"Just for half term," Cary managed to say looking down at the pavement.

"If you need someone to show you round, get your cousin to give me a shout, see ya." He walked off just when Cary thought he was about to have a stroke.

"See, no one recognised you," said Tara squeezing his arm. "Relax and enjoy yourself, it's going to be fun."

"If I don't have a heart attack," he said back in his normal voice which was breathier than usual through stress, "besides you don't have a gale blowing up your nether parts," he complained as Tara had trousers on as did his mother.

"Just enjoy the novelty," whispered his mother, "Ah, here comes Macey. Our little party is now complete. Right ladies, where shall we go first?"

He almost did relax until he had to try on two bras then he felt terrified even when Tara went into the cubicle with him. Then he got hot and bothered as he stripped off without messing up his hair and tried on the two items, which Tara adjusted and fixed behind him. "You'll have to learn how to do this yourself," she whispered, "but it'll be good practice for when you have girlfriends."

"Not sure I want them to know why I'm proficient at putting bras on and off," he quipped back. With the socks as stuffing both bras fitted he noticed they were a 30A, though quite what it meant he wasn't sure.

"You're nice and slim so an A cup is about right for you. Any bigger and you'd look top-heavy and attract more attention from boys."

"Let's get these then," he said pulling the skirt and top back on and then the jacket Tara had loaned him.

"Handbag," said Tara as he went to depart the cubicle nearly leaving the item behind.

Knickers and tights then a nightdress were acquired and they moved on to other shops, where he had to try on shoes, though why he needed two pairs he couldn't say, especially as the one pair of grey shoes had two inch heels. He walked okay, but they weren't as comfy as the flat black ones.

"Why do I need two pairs? he asked Tara.

"The heels are for your performance, the other pair are for when you go back to school."

"Oh, right. What?" he gasped and she snorted with laughter. "Bitch," he hissed at her though she was still laughing.

They had lunch at a cafe in one of the side streets which was more upmarket than the places frequented by teens unless parents were paying. Cary thought it was unusual to eat out unless his dad took them out for Sunday lunch, which they did about once a month.

"I'm not very hungry, Mummy," said Cary not realising he'd spoken to his mother like a girl would. Tara noticed and winked at Macey who had also spotted it.

"You've got to eat something, girl," said his mother, "we've still got loads to do."

"Why? We got my new undies."

"We've still got to look for your makeup and a dress for your competition."

"A dress? Why can't I borrow one of Tara's."

"Because you should have one of your own."

He couldn't see the logic in that but he knew protest would be in vain, so he shut up.

"I'm going to have a jacket potato, what about having one of those, Carrie."

"Okay," he sighed, "I'll have tuna mayo," his mother nodded. In the end they all had the same plus a pot of tea between them. Once he started eating and his hand stopped shaking, he felt quite hungry so agreed to apple pie and custard for dessert, then they all trooped off to the loos and used the toilets and refreshed their makeup and tidied hair. His was still as unmoved as before but he used the lip gloss as he stood in front of the mirrors. He also thought ladies toilets seemed cleaner than men's. He remarked on this to Tara who told him if he saw the girl's toilets in school he might have a different opinion.

"You expect it with boys, who are lower down the evolutionary scale; girls are cleaner but I wonder what some of them live in when you see the way they treat the toilets in school, they forget someone has to clean up the mess after them."

They spent an hour looking at dresses, Tara had already seen one a few days before which she thought would be suitable. It was red velvet with three quarter sleeves and a boat neck. It was fairly tight to the torso and bust flaring out into an A-line skirt which ended about mid thigh. It had grey satin picking out the seams and a thicker piece running along the bottom of the skirt, hence the grey shoes. He tried on two tops and a skirt, plus a cardigan and a short coat. He was in and out of the changing room like a fiddler's elbow, assisted by Tara, his mother and Macey acting as style critics.

He couldn't believe how much makeup they bought as well as a small bottle of eau de toilette with Chanel written on the side of the box. They'd sprayed all sorts of things on his wrists and sniffed them. They all smelt nice to him, or would on a girl's body. Then he was asked to pick a watch and chose a small gold one on a thin black leather strap. The shop assistant put in a new battery and adjusted the time and he put it on his wrist. He hadn't worn a watch for ages after he broke his last one so it felt slightly strange on his wrist.

Finally, he looked horrified as they hustled him into a nail bar. "What for?" he asked.

"We won't have time on Friday and it will give you a chance to get used to them," said Tara as the four of them seated themselves in the waiting area, though only Cary had his nails extended and painted to match the dress. While he was being done, his mother took most of the shopping back to the car with Macey's help and his sister stayed as bodyguard.

When they got back to the car he complained loudly that the nails were a stupid idea and what happened if he had to fix a puncture on his bike? He was told he wouldn't be riding his bike as he had no girl's trousers to wear.

"What, I have to stay like this until Friday?" he gasped.

"Yes, it should give you a chance to perfect both your act and your mannerisms, though I didn't see anyone looking at you suspiciously," said his mother.

"Only one or two boys, did I tell you, Mace that Mike Lincoln bumped into us before we met up with you and he as good as asked our little Carrie out, didn't he, little sister?"

"No he didn't, he just wanted to know who I was."

"You have a bit to learn about boys, Carrie," quipped his mother from the front seat as she drove the car out of the car park.

"Oh shit," he sighed to himself.