High school begins for Luke and his friends -- and fourth grade begins for Ruth.

        The Disclaimer

Bikini Beach and its principle characters are copyright 1998 by Elrod W.

Any comments about Bikini Beach, how it works, what it does, by characters other than Anya or Grandmother are potentially non-canonical and wrong. As this story is told from a particular point of view by the protagonist, this includes comments by the narrator. The protagonist, and thus the narrative, are what the protagonist believes or interprets from what he is experiencing. Thus some of the mechanics of BB are biased by the protagonist's view and experiences. Furthermore, because of the particular viewpoint of the story, those errors often won't be corrected. When the errors are corrected, the correction will often be disbelieved and rejected.

Despite this I will admit to pushing the limits of Bikini-Beach canon, perhaps even going outside on occasion.

This post (https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/blog-entry/64659/muse-wrestli...) persuaded me that waiting to complete and revise my long stories before posting posting may have been an ungood idea. As it is, the sequel still isn't complete more than half a decade later. Consequently, there is NO WARRANTY that this won't be revised as part of the final story.

This part will need huge revision, if I ever get around to it. I was intending to cover the first week of school, but I decided to end this part abruptly at this point to get it out now. I'm such a procrastinator at writing.

        Sunday Night, August 24

As I went to bed, Ruth knocked on the door, entered, and handed me several hand-written sheets. "Ma and Pa shouldn't see them," she said, as she turned and left.

I thought of reading them that night, but school was going to begin the next morning, and I didn't want to be a sleepy nervous wreck. I'd probably be enough of a nervous wreck as it was. I decided to fold Ruth's writing and hide them where Lucy's contraceptive pills had been -- that had been a decent hiding place.

I set my alarm, and retired in bed for the night.

        Monday, August 25

I was lying in bed, telling myself I really should get up now. It was getting light outside, and I sensed something new and important happening today, even if I couldn't remember what it was. Well, I had piano lessons and Taekwondo today after school, but what else was there? Oh yes -- school!

Meanwhile, I also had to go to the bathroom -- badly. So I finally got myself up, and went straight out for the bathroom.

Ruth came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe right at that time.

"Hi, Ruth. Looking forward to school?" That was meant as a silly question.

"Fourth grade? Not exactly. But I plan to have as much fun as possible these two weeks."

I continued on to the bathroom and relieved myself with a sigh of relief. I returned to my room, and went to pick out a nice dress for school. Upon opening my closet door, I realized that was never going to happen. No, I was Luke now, and Luke didn't wear dresses -- nice or otherwise. Hrmph! I'd already made that mistake the previous day. Why again?

I decided on a pair of blue slacks and a collared polo t-shirt for the first day of school. I couldn't remember how strict the dress code was at Westside High. To make sure I didn't forget, I folded up a TKD uniform and packed it in my knapsack, and followed up with my clarinet.

I showered and dressed, and went downstairs. Ma was already up, and she had cooked a good breakfast. Ruth was downstairs, dressed for school in a t-shirt and knee-length shorts, already eating. As soon as I arrived, she turned on the Mental Work.

After dinner, Ruth and I got our knapsacks and departed. Ruth's school was rather close. Westside High was considerably farther, but still walkable -- even from the elementary school, which was off in a different direction.

"Would you like me to walk with you to school?" I asked Ruth.

"Yeah, I'd like that," she answered.

As we approached Daisy's house, Ruth said, "Let's see if Daisy's ready to go. She'll want to walk with us." We went up and rang the doorbell.

Mr. Matsumoto opened the door. "Hey, Ruth and Luke. Daisy's just about ready." He turned and called out, "Daisy, dear, Ruth and Luke are here."

"I'm all ready!" called out Daisy from inside. I heard thumping inside, and she came out with her knapsack. "Hey, Ruth, Luke!" She hugged us both.

"You look great!" said Ruth, and indeed Daisy did in her nice dress.

"You look handsome, too," replied Daisy.

"I haven't worn knee-length shorts like these since I was Peter," replied Ruth.

"That was a little over a week ago -- if I recall correctly," I added as an afterthought. Daisy and Ruth snickered. "Shall we head off, now?" I asked.

We met other children also walking to school. Most were in groups with friends, and about half-way there, I asked, "Do you want to join your friends?"

"Yeah!" said Daisy. "Let's go!" Both Daisy and Ruth ran off to a group of children, and I turned and continued to Westside High.

I arrived all in due time. Students were pouring out of school buses. I felt a spell of relief. If I were lost, I could follow them.

Almost immediately, I spotted Bruce and Tracy, and went over and hugged them both.

Tracy hugged back enthusiastically, but Bruce backed away nervously. "We're at school now, and we're no longer girls."

A passer-by paused and slowly turned his head toward Bruce, with a strange wide-eyed gaze. He shook his head with a snort, and went on his way. Bruce didn't need me to tell him that what he'd just said sounded stranger than two guys hugging in friendship. Before becoming Lucy, I was very much of his mode of thinking. But then, as Lucy, I vowed that I wouldn't be embarrassed; I'd enjoy the embarrassment and run with the thrill.

"So does anyone know what we're supposed to do now?" asked Bruce.

I answered, "Follow the crowd, I guess. Someone knows what's happening."

So we followed the crowd.

I spotted Carol and Nancy among a group of friends, just as Tracy said, "There's Carol!" We made our way to them.

"Hey, Luke, Tracy! And-- Bruce?" she asked.

"Yep, that's me," answered Bruce, and Carol hugged all three of us.

"Hey, Nancy," I greeted Carol's sister. "Curt?" I asked the guy with his arm around Nancy's waist. "Were you--"

"Yes, I was," Curt answered quickly, blushing.

I would recognize those two red-headed, freckle-faced girls anywhere. "Hello, you are Alice?" I asked the younger, the girl my age. "You were at the photoshoot last Friday."

"Yes. I don't recognize you..." she said.

"He wasn't quite himself last Friday," broke in Carol. "This is my good friend Luke. These are Bruce and--"

"You stuck to me like a celebrity-obsessed fangirl," said the older girl to Tracy. I remembered her name was Jill.

Tracy blushed. "Sorry about that."

They were among other friends, some of whom I knew in middle school, ballet, and TKD. One of the girls from ballet, Val, said, "This boy appeared out of nowhere yesterday, to help us all with our performance."

"It wasn't out of nowhere," I objected. "Annie dragged me there."

"That makes it all the stranger," she replied. "Okay, I won't try to find out what happened; I don't want to jinx ourselves."

We continued onward, and found ourselves in a gymnasium. Apparently, we were assigned particular places in the bleechers at random, where the teachers had our schedules.

We spent about 45 minutes listening (or not) to speeches by the principal, the student counselors, and various other personages. Following the speeches, the teachers for our particular bleacher section handed out our schedules.

To my surprise, I found that I'd placed into Algebra II, my first class of the day. It seems that I managed to place out of Geometry despite my, um, diversion with Bikini Beach. Now that I thought of it, I'd taken a test (sort-of) a couple weeks ago, and passed enough to place. Most of the students were tenth-graders or higher. Meredith, the girl who took saxophone lessons just before mine with Brandon Oregon, was the other freshman in the class. I was surprised to see young boy, perhaps a couple years older than Ruth.

My other classes were basic freshman classes -- science, language arts, first-year German, history -- and, of course, band. I was exempt from the PE requirement due to summer's Taewondo class. If I stuck with Taekwondo this fall, through the entire semester, I would place out of PE in the Spring as well.

Band was held during the first of the two lunch periods. I saw Fab and felt a momentary pang, before shoving it aside. We finally got to play a few pieces in band. Lunch followed for me, but none of my summer friends were there, including the twins, so I prepared to eat alone, nothing unfamiliar from past years of school. I spotted Meredith a few tables down, but we didn't really know each other.

Just as I was about to sit at a mostly-empty table, Val, the girl from ballet, shouted out, "Hey, Luke, over here!" She was sitting with Annie and a couple other girls from ballet, so I joined them for lunch. They chatted among themselves, while I remained mostly silent, hoping they wouldn't bring up my involvement yesterday or -- yikes! -- my participation as Lucy. Fortunately, they didn't.

German was the last class of the day. When class let out, I walked to a nearby bus stop, and took the bus to the transit center. Once I got off, I slipped into a men's room, changed into my Taekwondo uniform, and went off for my piano lesson with Mrs. Prudence. Shameless as it was, I wanted every advantage I could get with Mrs. Prudence.

She greeted me at the door. "Taekwondo afterwords?"

"Yeah." Of course, I didn't admit why.

June was leaving just as I arrived for Taekwondo. Again I suppressed a pang as we casually greeted each other. I shortly got into the exercises and instruction.

I walked home from TKD afterwards. I got home just about the same time as Pa from work. I was wondering how Ruth took to fourth grade. We both saw the message Ma left on the kitchen counter, next to two thawing frozen pizzas, telling us that she took Ruth to Bikini Beach after her ballet class, and would stay until dark.

"Hrmph!" was Pa's only response.

"Didn't Ma say something about shopping for a suit?" I asked.

"Yes, she did. Maybe she forgot about it. If you'd like, we could go after dinner."

"Sure." I felt antsy about shopping, but after my experience with comfortable dresses, I wanted to replace that horrible suit -- no-no-no, I shut that idea down hard. Wearing a dress to Sunday School and Church was a no-no. "Should I shower and change now?" Eating in my TKD uniform after an hour of TKD and a mile-walk home didn't seem exactly sanitary.

"Sure, go shower." He put the two pizzas onto a sheet and slid them into the oven.

I showered and returned downstairs. The pizzas were done by then. Pa ate two-thirds of one, and I ate the rest. I didn't realize how hungry I was from TKD and walking home.

Mr. Matsumoto called during dinner, asking if Daisy could sleep over with Ruth. "She's with Erin at Bikini Beach, and they're staying until dark. I don't expect them home before nine or so."

"I'll be here, though," I said loudly, hoping Mr. Matsumoto would hear me over the phone. "We could wait 'til tomorrow to go shopping," I added in my normal voice.

Pa said, "We were going to shop for a new suit for Luke, but he says he's fine waiting until tomorrow."

I added, "I could, if necessary, wear that old suit, if necessary, Wednesday night." Then I added, "Or we could stay home from church."

I winced as Pa glanced sharply at me. "Where did you get that idea?"

I remembered my vow not to be embarrassed -- not this subject, I knew, but I decided I wouldn't be intimidated. I straightened up to look back at Pa. "That idea simply occurred to me."

"Not going to happen," replied Pa. "You'd best disabuse yourself."

I recalled that Peter had been barred from church. I could try something like that as well. But did I know enough?

The doorbell rang, and I quickly opened the door. "Daisy!" "Luke!" I lifted her up as I backed off and closed the door. I knew Pa was watching, and I silently flipped off any embarrassment.

I let her down. "Sorry, Ma and Ruth are out. We're having pizza; would you like some?"

"Yeah!"

We sat at the table, with the two pizzas all warmed and ready. "Cheese or pepperoni?" I asked Daisy.

"Pepperoni, please." Daisy licked her chops, as I gave her a slice. "Thank you, Luke!" She took a bite. "Mmm, I love this pizza!"

As we ate, Pa commented, "Mr. and Mrs. Matsumoto are attending some kind of social event." Daisy giggled, and Pa said, "Yeah." I did my best to keep a poker face, as I thought back to the two times I as Lucy helped Mrs. Matsumoto dress up. I wasn't supposed to know anything about that. I don't think I would have that first time, where she dressed up as an invisible woman. But the second time... Good thing my hardness was below the table.

Daisy ate a whole quarter of a pizza, and Pa ate three quarters. I ate the equivalent of a whole pizza, although slices were from both pizzas.

After we finished eating and cleaning up, Daisy said, "You wanted to go shopping." I could tell that she was trying in vain to suppress her eagerness.

We, including Daisy, cleaned up dinner, and then Pa left a note for Ma and Ruth telling them that we were going shopping.

Daisy insisted on holding my hand as we went through the mall, except to run up and giggle and squee over something interesting. "Sorry, Mr. Cuttington, but I like holding Luke's hand."

We were in a store specializing in men's suits, hoping to find one that would last me several years. Until I became Lucy, I always thought that Sunday School suits were always uncomfortable; that was just their nature. I'd never thought of mine as badly-fitting.

The salesman told us, "We have suits designed for your young man's special situation. He's probably still in his growth spurt, so the suit can be lengthened and otherwise let out or taken in to fit his future body." He led us off to a side section of the store.

The salesman took a few measurements. I was quite apprehensive, recalling the measurements taken that past Saturday at band. Fortunately, the man and his hands didn't do anything naughty. Following the measurements, he left and returned with a black suit.

As usual, it was an annoying experience trying on a new set of clothes, but also as usual I grit my teeth and did it. The suit was loose on me, but the man took me to a pedestal, and fiddled around, marking bits of chalk on the suit.

"We'd like it ready tomorrow," said Pa.

"We can get the adjustments done by Wednesday midday," replied the salesman.

"I think that will be okay," said Pa.

I changed back into my jeans and t-shirt, and the salesman took the suit, and reboxed it, putting it aside for adjustment.

For a moment, I couldn't see Daisy and felt a burst of horror. She grabbed my hand, startling a yelp out of me. "Daisy! I was worried for a moment."

"Luke, I'd never stray far from you," she replied, dragging me to a hidden corner. "You'd look swell in this."

A male mannequin was modeling a dark green plaid dress with a pleated skirt extending a few inches below his knees. The dress had short sleeves and a button-up collar. The mannequin also wore socks and sneakers. The dress was very different from my dresses as Lucy -- more somber, less pastel. I just stood there looking, until Pa startled me from behind.

"You would look good in that," he said, surprisingly agreeing with Daisy and myself.

"I don't think I could really wear it anywhere, though," I said, pushing aside the beginnings of embarrassment. I would have been more excited if Pa weren't around. Wearing dresses was one of the nice things about being Lucy.

Pa did the business, arranging for the suit to be ready by Wednesday. Pa would join me after TKD Wednesday, and we'd go try it on and take it home if it fit.

We left the store, and once again, Daisy ran up to squee about something in the displays, or something in a shelf behind the displays. "Oh, look!" She came and dragged me to one of the windows. She pointed at something behind the displays. "A `My Little Brony' set! Those men are so adorable!"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6023crXgIQ

I approached and leaned down to look at it closer. The box apparently contained two dolls of grown men, shown on the cover as an auto mechanic and an attorney in a background of bright colorful pastel ponies -- colored sort-of like the dresses and shirts I wore as Lucy. Each man held a figurine of a pony.

"Shall we get it?" I asked Pa, who'd come up next to us.

"Why not?" answered Pa.

So we went in. The shelf had an interesting diverse variety of "My Little Brony" boxes. We wound up getting for Daisy an electronic design engineer and an army specialist.

Ma and Ruth weren't home yet, when we got home. Daisy wanted to see her purchase, and I decided to do algebra homework. The algebra teacher was the only one to assign homework the first day of class, and it looked interesting. I included Ruth's writing among my papers. Yes, I knew I was risking something, but I figured Pa would think it part of my school notes. If he got too nosy, or recognized Ruth's handwriting, I could even tell him it was something Ruth wrote. Something I was going to help her with. I also brought a book to read. Daisy and I both went downstairs to the playroom in the basement and sat on the floor.

Five problems were assigned for the initial homework assignment. I began with two; they were quite easy. Then I took a break and started on Ruth's writing.

Dear Luke
 

You've forgotten all this thanks to Bikini Beach, and their "reality shifts".
 

Ma took us to Bikini Beach earlier this summer, beginning in June. She got me an eight-year membership, turning me into a nine-year-old girl, your little sister, Ruth. You always went to BB as well, and Ma got you daily passes -- you became Lucy for the day, then turned back to Luke that night.
 

I think Ma wanted me to live as Ruth until I reached seventeen again, when I'd become Peter again. I'm not sure Ma or Mrs. Winstead really understood how Bikini Beach worked.

Mrs. Winstead? Her?!

"What are you reading?" I jumped, both startled and in guilt. Pa continued, "That looks like Ruth's handwriting."

"Ruth asked me to read this," I said. "It's about summer."

"Like the perennial essay, `What We Did Over the Summer'?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Ruth wrote it before school began, and asked me to read it."

"Ah, okay," answered Pa. "So she was getting ahead in schoolwork. Good for her." I watched as Pa returned upstairs, then continued reading the manuscript -- only to learn that Peter had been falsely accused of rape and murder. What?!

I won't say who the victim was, or who the murderer was. But the police put me through hell of interrogation and seriously messed with my mind. I confessed falsely.
 

Fortunately, DNA testing exonerated me, and prosecution was abandoned.

Apparently, under the malevolent influence of Mrs. Winstead and Firmlove, Ma became irrevocably convinced that Peter had raped and murdered her. I shuddered, feeling really weirded out -- outraged even. It would have served Mrs. Winstead right had I seduced her husband or older son that evening.

Then Ma brought us both to Bikini Beach -- precisely Saturday morning, June 21. Ma didn't tell us where we were going, until we arrived. I was like, WTH?! Doubly-so when Ma got me an eight-year membership while she got you only a daypass.

 
We became girls. And I was introduced to the stark reality of mental malpractice. You became Lucy for the day, and I became nine-year-old Ruth.

And I forgot everything about Peter AND myself, becoming Lucy with her little sister Ruth. Apparently, Ma appeared in the men's changing room, and I abandoned Ruth to Ma's "tender mercies". Apparently, Ma remembered and decided that she would be the only one to remember.

So Ma knew about the magic of Bikini Beach? I never knew that. Hmm...

Yes, Luke. Ma knew about Bikini Beach's magic then. So did Mrs. Winstead. Ma forgot Later thanks to one of their reality shifts. Ma may know about Bikini Beach now, I don't know.

Ma might know that I became a girl? Oh, goodness, no! How could I possibly face her?

I read on. That first weekend, Peter-as-Ruth was shocked, horrified, and furious as hell. Apparently Daisy, whom Peter used to babysit, became Ruth's BFF. And apparently, Ruth almost ruined it in his temper and fury over his transformation.

Daisy ran off in tears. You (Luke) comforted her, and played with her until I came to my senses and realized what I had done. I was able to go down and apologize for my meanness and anger.

 
You saved my friendship.

 
Some time around then, I realized that I should stop complaining and start thinking. I could even enjoy life as a young girl, perhaps.
         .
         .
         .
When Bikini Beach changed me, they also changed the falsely-accused rapist-murderer to a black boy my age or a year older. Tim was Jen's boyfriend. She had joined BB and your friends due to her distress at Tim's arrest.
 

Oh yes, you were with your same friends as now, mostly -- Carol, Vanessa, Becky (Bruce), Jen. A few weren't there before -- Faline, Xena, and Tracy. Tracy was a different person then. And I suspect something about Xena and Jen as great friends. Another girl, Alice Candy, was one of your group. I think you met her at the photoshoot Friday.
 

The photoshoot itself: I demanded proof that the victim was really alive and well -- that it was more than a myth that Bikini Beach's reality shifts undid murders and death. That was the sole reason for the photoshoot.
 

I tried to get Daisy's dad to have Tim's DNA compared with DNA found in the murder victim. I have no idea what happened since, except that the victim is now alive due to the reality shift.
         .
         .
         .
You remember the twins in Sunday School? Bambi and Beth? Before, there was only one, Beth. Their grandmother from church? Before, it was Beth's grandfather. Beth was really sick, and her grandfather had Mrs. P-- hard at work on her case. It wasn't doing any good. I tried to do something, but Ma and Beth's grandfather reacted badly and punitively. I tried contacting Beth's parents. I don't know if anything came of it, or if BB's reality-shift wiped it out.
 

But now it's the twins Beth and Bambi, and their grandmother instead of their grandfather. The twins are a couple years younger, and healthy. Remember that they went to BB last Wednesday? I think that BB did something then.

I admit I was mostly confused. So many things happened that didn't happen? Or something like that. I couldn't make head or tails of it, so I returned to my algebra and finished the assignment.

Then I finished reading Ruth's account. Ugh! Did Ruth really have to remind me of my crush on Brandon Oregon, my clarinet teacher? Seriously, that was really embarrassing. And "Hot Bikini-Clad Clarinet Babe"?! I tried thinking about Fab and June instead. That could have been embarrassing as well, Ma and Pa thinking of me and boyfriends, but instead it was just sad.

Daisy came up next to me. "I sort-of remember that time." I was confused. "When you saved my friendship with Ruth. She had never been so angry, so furious. And I had never been so sad. And you were there. You comforted me. You played with me." She leaned against me, and I put my arm around her shoulder. It felt wonderful, and I decided to enjoy the embarrassment.

"That was when I knew," came Ruth's voice behind us. "You were the best big brother ever."