I rolled over in my bed. The freshly changed sheets and quilt along with the night gown I was wearing as I snuggled into the covers. I was awake, but not ready to get up. It felt wonderful to stretch out under the covers. As I rolled around under the covers, I became aware of something. I wasn’t having to move my testicles around in order to get comfortable.

It felt great.

I resisted wearing the night gown Dede got me. I’m not going to tell her I actually liked it. Especially since today her mission is to buy me girl clothes. Yes. I understand, that as ridiculous as it may seem, I’m now a ten year old girl. I need new clothes. But I really think she’s going overboard. And it isn’t even that she’s getting revenge on things I did to her as a kid, like chewing gum in her hair or putting that ultra realistic plastic spider in her bed that she didn’t find until she woke up and remained petrified with fear until Dad removed it. No, it’s more like she’s reliving her girlhood through me.

I pulled my covers back and sat up. I’m still not adjusted to new distance to the floor from my bed. I’m having to adjust to everything. It wasn’t really hard to adjust to always having to sit to pee as I had no other options. But it is annoying that I can’t see my reflection in the bathroom mirror because I’m too short.

And I’m surprised at all the little things. My color perception is off from what I remembered. Things taste different. When I was twenty-five, I didn’t like coffee, and I consumed pork rinds, Red Bull and habanero chicken wings. When I was transported into my sixties, I became a coffee-holic like my body’s previous owner, chicken wings gave me indigestion, I preferred fine wine and Red Bull tasted like battery acid. Pork rinds did nothing for me. I shudder to think what my new taste buds will do for me. Dede did make coffee the night before and quite frankly, I hated it.

It was still dark outside as I had gotten up a little early. I slid off the bed and was almost to the restroom when I became aware that I was still holding my stuffed bunny. I didn’t even remember having it with me when I went to bed. Dede must have given it to me after I fell asleep. I put the bunny back on the bed and padded to the bathroom.

The toilet seemed taller than I remembered it. I pulled my panties down and just stood before it. I frowned at it. Sitting down is forever. A random thought passed through my mind as I realized I never tried to write my name in the snow and now I never will.

I slid my fingers to my crotch. Puberty still hadn’t hit me yet and it just felt weird to slide my fingers over smooth skin to a slit. I was never what you’d call big, but I was certainly big enough for the few ladies in my life. I smiled when I thought about Janie. Talk about your wild animals! Last I heard, she’d become a fourteen year old boy. She’s probably happy to be female again.

A sudden urge reminded me why I was in the bathroom. It amused me that my legs dangled from the toilet, my toes just barely touching the floor. I thought it would feel different, but the mechanics of taking a piss felt the same. Per Dede’s instructions, I tore off some toilet paper and wiped. Can’t shake the dew off anymore. I could reach the sink okay, but again, it was higher up than I remembered.

Finished with that chore, I wandered out into the living room. I saw Dede in the kitchen and so I headed in that direction.

Spotting me, Dede smiled and said, “Good morning, sunshine! I was just about to come get you. Breakfast is almost ready.” She then chuckled. “Don’t expect scrambled eggs every morning. Monday, I’ll be too busy getting me ready for work and you ready for school.”

I pulled up a stool at the kitchen table, folded my arms on the table and then rested my head on my arms. “I didn’t realize you still had a job. I suggest we forgo this whole school business.”

Paying attention to her scrambled eggs, Dede said, “Of course I have a job, silly. And you’re ten. You have to go to school.”

I frowned. “How many ten year olds can use ‘forgo’ in a sentence? School just seems pointless.”

As she transferred the scrambled eggs on to a large plate, Dede shook her head at me. “We’ve been over this a thousand times, sugar. I really can’t teach you how to be a girl. That’s something you have to grow into and being around other girls will help you with that.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care how to be a girl. I don’t plan on doing girl things. I mean, you’re the one who’s obsessed about hair ribbons and cute outfits. And now I have to start all over in my games because *somebody* deleted my old accounts.”

As she scooped some eggs and a couple of sausage onto my plate, she said, “Look, Dear One. Nobody is going to care what your high score is. Those games don’t teach you how to be a human being. Like it or not, you’re female for the rest of your life and that’s how people are going to react to you. That’s what you need to learn. No employer is going to query you about Warhammer lore.”

I frowned as I took a few bites of my breakfast. “You never know. They might.”

Dede grunted. “Yeah, right. Eat your breakfast. You still need a bath and we need to do your nails before we go clothes shopping.”

I looked at the growing pile of panties in our basket. I narrowed my eyes at Dede and asked, “What’s with all the underwear? We didn’t buy any new underwear when I became a sixty-two year old. In fact, I was wearing the same underwear I had when I was in middle school. You know, I couldn’t find my favorite pair of underwear.”

“I burned them,” said Dede casually as she looked through a pile of outfits on sale.

“You did what?!”

She chuckled. “Okay not really. Though I should have. I tossed those disgusting things out.”

I folded my arms and pouted. “That’s my stuff, you know. How else have you violated me?”

Dede ruffled my hair and laughed. “You’re such a little drama queen. It’s past time for new clothes. Oh! Isn’t this cute?” She held up a bright pink dress with a ruffled skirt.

I rolled my eyes at her. “You’re looking in the bin for five year olds.”

Dede sniffed in response as she set the dress down. “Well, you would have looked adorable in it at five.”

After accumulating a few more pairs of panties, skirts, dresses, shoes and t-shirts, Dede decided it was lunch time. As it was almost two thirty, the food court wasn’t very busy. She got us a pizza and we sat down.

After we sat down and were waiting on our pizza, Dede held up one of shopping bags and said, “Well sport. What do you think of our little expedition? Don’t you just love these clothes?”

I had my head resting on my hands on the table. I looked up and just said, “Adorbs.”

Dede shook her head at me as she set the bag back on an empty chair next to her. Smiling at me, she said, “I bet on Monday, you’ll be the prettiest fifth grader at school.” I was too tired to argue.

We ate mostly in silence. I watched the people walking through the mall. It suddenly dawned on me that there seemed to be more little girls out shopping with their mothers. Have I just not noticed before or are these my fellow victims? Some of the girls looked lost. Some looked pissed while a few looked excited and happy. One girl standing nearby and waiting for her parent or guardian to decide where to go next, looked directly at me. I felt an old soul behind her eyes. I don’t know why, but I waved at her. She scowled and flipped me off.

I was done with my two slices of pizza and was just looking around. Dede, still eating, had her nose buried in reading something on her cell phone. I noticed a man about thirtyish walking past the food court. He glanced back at Dede and me and he stopped. He just stared for a few moments. He turned and started walking towards the food court. I thought, great. We’ve attracted some weirdo.

He entered the food court and headed directly for us. I never was bothered before, but now for some reason, I feel wary around strange men. He walked right up to our table and stopped. He didn’t say anything right away and Dede didn’t bother to look up from her phone. The man said, “Dede?”

Dede looked up, hesitated a moment, and then a grin spread across her face. “Oliver! Good to see you! Is the office surviving without me?” She then giggled.

Oliver grinned back at Dede. “I see you’re enjoying your days off. Actually, I think Susan is about to lose her mind without you there.”

Dede picked up the shopping bag from the chair it was resting on and set it on the floor. “Well sit down. Take a load off. Have some pizza.”

Oliver sat down. “Thank you.” He surprised me by actually taking a slice of pizza. The very slice I had my eye on. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him. I took an immediate dislike to him. Pizza stealer.

Oliver pointed at the newly relocated shopping bag and asked, “Out shopping?” Hey, no shit Sherlock.

Pointing at me with a slice of pizza, Dede said, “Yeah. Trying to get her some clothes so she doesn’t go to school naked on Monday.”

I was suddenly so embarrassed. Did she really have to say that? Going to school naked?

Oliver smiled at me. “Oh. Is she your niece? Cousin?”

Grinning after she swallowed a bite of pizza, Dede said, “She’s my daughter.” So that’s how she’s going to play this. I was hoping she’d decide that we were sisters.

Oliver smiled nervously at me. “Oh. She’s your daughter?” I could see the wheels behind his eyes trying to calculate age differences.

I said, “She got me at a garage sale.”

Dede leaned over and ruffled my hair. “Don’t be silly. Chrystal, say hello to Oliver. We work in the same office.”

I just gave a slight wave and said, “Hey.”

Oliver smiled at me. “Chrystal is a very pretty name. You look just like your mother.” He glanced over to Dede and continued, “I didn’t realize you had a child.”

With a grin, I said, “She’s ashamed of me.”

Dede reached over and ruffled my hair again and said through clenched teeth. “Isn’t she cute? Chrys, if you don’t hush, I’ll take you back to the orphanage.” She forced a laugh.

Suddenly looking uneasy, Oliver said, “Actually, Dede. I was going to ask if you were free Saturday night.”

Dede was suddenly more animated as she smiled broadly. She said, “You know, I think I am free on Saturday.”

Oliver cleared his throat. He was obviously uncomfortable with me present. He said, “How would you like to go out to dinner at Gladstone’s? Maybe catch a movie?”

I sat up with a big smile and said, “Oh, I love Gladstone’s! Their steaks are perfecto. And I heard that new Tommy Kincaid movie is very good. Action packed and all.”

Oliver stammered, “Well, um, I…”

Dede suddenly put me in a headlock and noogied the top of my head. “Isn’t she cute? Such a little kidder.” She let go of me. “As I was going to say, that sounds great, Oliver. I’d love to. I just need to arrange for a baby sitter.” I started to say something, but she pulled my hair.

Looking relieved, Oliver stood up. “Great. I’ll call you later. See ya.” He turned and quickly walked away.

I folded my arms. “Sitter? Who else is coming over?”

Dede scowled at me. “For you, goof-ball. You almost ruined me getting a date.”

Indignant, I said, “Baby sitter? I don’t need no stinking babysitter!”

Dede gave me an odd look. “You’re ten. Mom wouldn’t let me stay home alone until I was twelve and that was only for an hour!”

“I was ten when Mom let me stay by myself,” I said with a pout.

Dede frowned. “Probably because you were a boy.”

I folded my arms. “I rest my case.”

Dede started gathering up her things. “You’re not a boy. It’s different for girls.”

I folded my arms tighter and loudly said, “That’s not fair!”

Dede laughed as she pointed at me. “You’re catching on! Come on, Dear One. Let’s go.”

To be continued…