The girls just wanted to see their treasured friend again – and help her take a baby step. That’s all it was supposed to be!

This was an alternate opening to the story that I submitted for the New Year’s Resolution contest. My muse has finally revealed that this was to be a story all its own.

Disclaimers
* No characters were harmed in the making of this story.
* This story is not related to that of Lilli from my earlier story, Budding Lilli.

GIRL PROBLEMS

New Year’s Eve 1985

I never saw it coming. The large, faux-wood-paneled, Zenith TV in the family room blared an advertisement for the latest flowery underarm deodorant for women.

Slouched on our leather couch watching the tube, I chuckled aloud, “Pfffff! You’re wasting your advertising dollars on me.”

The commercial ended, returning the broadcast to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, where it was already 1986. The broadcast replayed scenes of people laughing, celebrating, and throwing confetti. Some couples, clearly in love, kissed at the stroke of midnight to welcome in the New Year.

I wish that could be Madison and me! For sure!

Just then, I was startled out of my reverie by the telephone ringing on the oak end table next to me. Another commercial came on, this time a trailer for Pretty in Pink, due out in late February. Oh! I really want to see that! I enthused. Anything written by John Hughes is hilarious! Besides, I’d rather watch a movie about a girl than some bloody war movie any day!

Reaching out with my eyes glued to the television, I groped at the phone, only to knock the beige handset out of its cradle, with a jangle of the mechanical ringer bells, at which point it slid over the edge of the table. It landed just behind the couch.

“Dylan? Hello??” Madison giggled over the phone.

Damn it!

I dove over the back to grab it, almost toppling to the cream-colored carpet below.

Whoa!!! Stupid!

“Dylan? Are you there? What are you doing??” She laughed.

Finally, with a whirling motion, I plopped back onto the seat of the couch, thrusting the headset at my right ear, the curly cord wrapped around my head. “Uh, h-hi Madison!”

I am such a doofus! I chastised myself.

“Hi! What are you doing over there?” She chided with a laugh.

“Oh, I dropped the handset behind the couch! Sorry about that!” I couldn’t help snickering. “Anyway, how are things?” I smiled, reaching up to move the cord to the other side of my head as I changed the subject.

With that, her flirting began. “Great! I’m down the street at Liv’s house with Amy and Ella. I wanted to invite you to come over and spend some time with us,” she cooed.

“Really?” I swooned. “That sounds great!”

I’d walk a mile of fresh lava barefoot to see you!

Before Madison replied, I heard Amy say something in the background that I couldn’t make out.

“That was Amy. She wants you to bring something over with you,” Madison revealed.

“No problem! What does she need?” I offered, reaching over to twirl the cord around one finger.

“Well, Amy wants to swap her necklace with one she has at home. She wants her Big Bother to bring it.” Madison giggled.

Yeah, that sounds like my sister.

“Erm, okay. Which one does she want?” I smiled.

“She wants the one with the imitation ruby in the round silver setting on the silver chain,” she specified. “Do you know the one she means?”

I think I’ve seen her wearing a pendant like that. It’s pretty, too!

“Yeah, I think know the one. Tell my Little Pisser I’ll be right over with it!” I volunteered with the gusto of a rookie firefighter.

“Thanks, Dyllie! You’re a gem!” she punned.

“You’re welcome!” I giggled, enjoying her sense of humor. “I’ll see you soon!”

“See you soon,” she enthused.

Hanging up the phone, I got up to shut off the television. Eager to see Madison again, I beelined toward Amy’s room to find the necklace that she had requested. It was right on her tallboy dresser, making it a short search. With the necklace in hand, I was off to Liv’s.

Liv’s house was just a couple of blocks to the west, the walk only taking a few minutes. While the street was winding down from evening rush hour, the sidewalk proved to be deserted. The home of Olivia Sutcliffe was a dignified, three-storey, Edwardian with stucco walls built in 1905. It was painted a warm tan and rested in the middle of the block, touching its neighbors. At that size, its immediate proximity to the sidewalk made it appear to tower overhead. A wrought iron gate, painted white, secured the recessed front porch... when they remembered to close and lock it, anyway. Tonight, it was ajar, perhaps in anticipation of my arrival.

That was nice of them, but they really should keep it locked and secure to be safe. What’s the point of having a security gate in a big city if you’re not going to use it!

As I stepped through the gate and onto the small porch, Olivia’s older sister emerged from the front door right in front of me, looking ready for a date.

“Hey, Chloe! You look great!” I greeted, stepping to one side to let her pass.

“Thanks, Dylan!” She smiled. “Go on in. Liv’s up in her room with the rest of her coven. See ya!” She waved, with a chortle and a smile. Snickering at Chloe’s nickname for her sister’s cabal I shook my head and stepped inside, closing the front door. Meanwhile, Chloe locked the gate behind me, jangling her keys and muttering about her family leaving it open.

The voices of Olivia’s parents wafted out of the kitchen while giggling sounded from her bedroom. At the top of the hardwood stairs, I followed the laughter to a walnut-varnished oak door, set into an almond-painted wall, with a dried bouquet hung on it. After I knocked, the door was opened without delay, revealing four girls occupying a bedroom decorated in floral patterns and shades. All were a year younger than me, dolled up in an array of dresses and hosiery, looking ready for a night out.

“Hey, Dyllie!” Madison beamed.

“Did you bring it?” Amy enthused. Flashing an impish smile, I unzipped my jacket and threw it open to display the jewelry around my neck. They laughed, but as it would turn out, not for the reasons that I imagined.

Spectating my antics, Ella shut the door and leaned upon it, her head tilted back as though monitoring for eavesdroppers. That was what brought on my first inkling that this was not to be an ordinary visit.

“Erm... gee, girls... what’s going on?” I sputtered, my eyes darting between them, my hands wringing themselves.

Madison stepped forward to explain. “Remember Lily?” she ventured.

“Lily??” I blurted. “W-well, yeah, of course, but... w-what about her? I mean... she hasn’t been around in... ages.” I babbled.

“We know – and that’s the problem! We miss her a lot.” Madison continued, her smile fading. I had the feeling that Madison missed her more than the others. Her blue eyes made a valiant but futile effort to hide an inner ache.

“Y-you do?” I uttered.

“Yeah!” came the chorus from all of them.

“We really want to see her again – even if it’s only one more time!” Madison declared with a sigh.

“Y-you do?” I stammered. “B-but... now? Here??”

“Yeah!” they cheered.

“She should have been back a long time ago!” Amy asserted.

“Yeah, she really should have,” Madison agreed, nodding and smiling.

“B-but aren’t you on your way out to that New Year’s Eve dance at your school?” I double-checked.

“Well, yeah, but it doesn’t start until eight. We got ready early because we were really hoping to see Lily again.” Amy smiled with obvious hope, her blue eyes glistening. A glance at Madison showed that she wore the same expression with a much stronger intensity. Wondering if there would be enough time for Lily to visit, I checked the twin-bell alarm clock on Liv’s nightstand. Its hands told me that it was just after 6:30 PM.

There is enough time for a decent visit. I’d rather that Lily didn’t come back at all, but... I can tell how much Madison misses her. I can see the pain in her eyes.

“Well...” My resolve collapsed like a house of cards in an earthquake under the sad, puppy eyes in the faces of Madison and Amy. “...if Lily really means that much to you... then... I-I guess I wouldn’t mind seeing her one more time.” I trailed off with a blush.

They gave a loud cheer.

“Hey, hey, keep it quiet!” I shushed. “I don’t want the parents coming up here if I’m doing this!” I fretted.

“Sorry! We’re just so excited.” Madison mollified, one electric hand on my shoulder, her eyes sparkling.

“It’s okay. So... erm... what’s Lily wearing tonight?” I inquired.

“We’ll show you!” Madison beamed.

With that, a flurry of activity began. Liv opened her closet door, shoved some clothes to one side along the closet rod, and unzipped a garment bag hanging next to them. She pulled out a burgundy dress, which she transferred to a hook mounted to the inside of the closet door. Amy plunked a pair of shoes beneath it and Madison got out a small Macy*s shopping bag, which she placed on the bed. She extracted a black, nylon bra and panty set and two pairs of L’Eggs Sheer Energy suntan pantyhose, which she laid on the bed before putting away the duffle bag.

“These are gifts to help Lily come back so that we can see her again.” Madison smiled. “Luckily for us, I won some money in a raffle during our school’s Halloween party... and it was a joy to spend some of it on you.” She touched my cheek.

“Wow. Erm... th-thank you... I think.” I faltered, my two minds wrestling one another. My heart ached, knowing that Madison wanted to see Lily again enough to spend some of her money on making that happen... and yet my mouth was dry as Lily’s last visit had not ended well. “Let’s get started, I guess.” I shrugged.

From there, it was just as I remembered. Madison grabbed a spray bottle, dampening my shoulder-length, medium brown hair before she blow-dried it and finished it off by adding a burgundy, velvet headband, and a few good puffs of hair spray. That surprised me, but I let it go, figuring that it was nothing I couldn’t wash out later. While Madison did all of that, Liv and Ella spent the time filing and polishing my nails – all twenty of them - in a shade of burgundy that matched the dress and headband. Even with their short, boyish cut, my nails still looked as though they belonged on a girl.

Done with my hair, Madison stepped aside to allow Amy to do my makeup. She applied a touch of taupe eyeshadow and lip gloss. A dab of Mascara and eyeliner completed the look. Amy topped it off with a pair of magnetic, imitation ruby studs.

As they finished, Madison marveled at what she saw. “Hello, Lily!” She uttered in a breathy voice, unable to hold back her smile. “Y-you look more beautiful than I remember!”

With that, I was in the role of Lily full stop, including the feminine voice I had used during her visits, disturbed by the ease with which it had all come back to me.

If only my voice had cracked! It would have ruined it for them and I wouldn’t be doing this!

“Thanks. I-I guess I can admit that it feels good to be back,” I beamed at Madison, watching her swoon.

Not that it matters, because I shouldn’t be doing this!

“Good! We missed you, Lily!” Madison hugged me and I embraced her in return, knowing an opportunity for closeness when I saw one!

“Yeah, we sure did! Now please take off those ridiculous boy clothes!” Amy insisted, crinkling her nose. “No sister of mine should be dressed like that!”

“Okay,” I tittered, glacing at my rubgy shirt, jeans, and ratty Nikes.

With that, the girls stepped out of Olivia’s room, closing the door behind them. From the sound of it, they moved into Chloe’s room across the hall. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they spoke in excited tones. They really did value Lily! As for how I felt about it, I was becoming more comfortable being Lily again, but I struggled to believe that this was a good idea.

Liv’s clock read seven o’clock as I began to dress myself in the feminine finery I had been provided. With my mind free to wander, I couldn’t distract it from the reason that Lily had ceased to visit even though she had been wholesome fun until then.

It was in the fall of 1983 that her visits began to take on a distinct taboo quality. On Halloween night, while out trick-or-treating with Amy, Liv, Madison, and Ella, I ran into two of the boys from my school, a pair of brothers who lived half a mile east of our house. The older one was in my class.

We had brought Lily to life again, but she had dressed up as Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. I wore a version of Belle’s yellow ball gown that was calf length. Madison had done my own long hair roughly like Belle’s. Ella had produced a pair of gold, sparkly, flat shoes, and they had coaxed me to complete the look with a white bolero jacket to keep me warm, even though Belle hadn’t worn one. I had gone as far as wearing panties, training bra, slip, and even white, nylon tights. We had put a lot of effort into the costume, finishing me off with clip-on earrings, and I was convincing. I had looked forward to trick-or-treating as Lily!

That was how I learned that I hate clip-on earrings... and that beauty sometimes comes with pain. In fact, clip-on earrings were the first kind of “girl problem” that I had experienced!

As we trick-or-treated, we made our way in the direction of my schoolmates’ home, planning to turn in another direction before we got too close. Alas, there was one thing we hadn’t taken into consideration. The boys had been trick-or-treating in the opposite direction, toward my house. They not only saw me but recognized me. The teasing began right away.

I had been excited to let Lily out of the house for the first time and they had spoiled it. My friends stood up for me, which scared the boys away, but they continued teasing me at my all-boys school, where my friends couldn’t defend me. Of course, when spreading the gossip, they made sure to mention that I had worn white tights. That had made it too dangerous for Lily to visit any longer lest the word should leak out about any further appearances. After that, I chose male costumes for Halloween. I was Indiana Jones on Halloween 1984 and Han Solo on Halloween 1985. As for Lily, she hadn’t been seen again since Halloween 1983.

Having finished my transformation into Lily, I wanted to see myself in Liv’s free-standing, oval, full-length mirror, before the others saw me... but I hesitated. I knew that I was going to like what I saw... as I liked what I was wearing... and I knew that I wasn’t going to want to banish Lily again.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped before the wood-framed mirror to have a look. There, in the reflection, was a girl in a velvet, burgundy dress with a built-in slip, a form-fitting bodice, a loose skirt, three-quarter sleeves, and a hem two inches above the knees. She wore suntan pantyhose and her shoes were burgundy, velvet pumps with one-inch (2.5 cm), French heels, a perfect match for her dress and headband. The padded bra gave her a feminine bustline.

Unable to resist, I took a few moments to smile at her and admire the view. “Welcome back, Lily!” I murmured. The memories of her earlier visits came flooding back and I reflected on how much fun I’d had with my clique of girl friends, and on the way that I had felt closer to them during Lily’s visits than at any other time before or since. Sighing with nostalgia, I realized that my prediction had been spot-on. I loved what I saw and I didn’t want to banish Lily again.

What am I supposed to do about that? Damn it, if only I could believe that the rest of the world would accept her... but fat chance of that!

Turning away from the wistful expression looking back at me in the mirror, I stepped over to the bedroom door to reintroduce my girl friends to Lily, eager to see Madison’s face.

I cracked the door far enough to make sure that I could still hear Olivia’s parents chatting downstairs. With a furtive check of the hallway, I pulled the door wide and stole over to Chloe’s closed bedroom door. As I approached, I could still hear the girls’ excited conversation. After a timid pause, I knocked. Ella opened the door right away, making it obvious that she had been standing guard again.

“Hi, Lily!” she exclaimed, her green eyes twinkling.

“Lily!! Let me see you!” Madison pushed past Ella, making us giggle.

“Shhhhh!” I blurted with a face full of raw nerve and a glance toward the stairs. “I don’t want Liv’s parents coming up here, remember?”

“Sorry!” She chuckled, throwing her arms around me with a squeeze that I reciprocated in full. “It’s been so long! I’ve missed you – and you look better than ever!” With that, she kissed me, square on the lips.

Wow!

“Madison! Don’t mess up her makeup!” Amy scolded in playful indignation. “A sister’s work is never done! Come on, you!” She rolled her eyes, unable to conceal her excitement as she grabbed my hand and tugged me back into Liv’s room with the others following like an entourage.

Suddenly, something was clear to me. When Lily visits, Amy has a sister for a while – and it’s obvious how much she’s been missing that.

Ella closed the door behind the rest of us and resumed her position leaning against it. Amy stood me before the full-length mirror, perhaps so I could watch what she did. She grabbed a box of tissues from Liv’s tallboy dresser and used one to remove the smears before repairing the damage.

“There! Good as new!” As she scrutinized her handiwork, Amy groped behind her for a place to put the tissue box. When her hand knocked against the nightstand, she plunked the tissue box upon it... right in front of the clock.

“Erm, thanks, I guess?” I chuckled.

“How does it feel to be back, Lily?” Madison was dying to know as she embraced me from behind and gazed at my reflection.

“Well... it feels good. I like what I see and... I don’t want Lily to disappear again...” I spoke in a hush, “but... I’m so conflicted. I mean... I feel closer to you guys like this, like it’s easier and more comfortable to be open and be myself. I always felt that way. But... this also feels... wrong, like I shouldn’t be doing this.” I gave an apologetic shrug.

“Oh, pooh-pooh!” Madison insisted. “Who are you hurting? Besides, you look amazing,” she gushed.

“I feel amazing,” I admitted.

With that, we sat around Liv’s room, just a group of girls, chattering about fond memories of Lily’s past visits. Eventually, I brought up the teasing again, only to find that the topic begged a question.

Madison wondered, “So what happened with the teasing at your school? You just stopped talking about it and I don’t think I ever asked because,” she shrugged, “well, I just... didn’t want to bring up bad memories, I guess.”

“Actually, I was pretty lucky with that. The teasing died off,” I explained. “I think it was a big help that, at the end of the day, they were making fun of a Halloween costume. Plus, when I wore macho costumes after that, well, I guess it just made it clear that dressing up as a Disney princess was a one time thing. But still, after that, I couldn’t face Lily again, as you all know.”

“Yeah. I really hated that you had to disappear, Lily – and I sorely wished that you could have been with us at summer camp, too!” Madison lamented.

“Yeah!” erupted the chorus.

Pause. “Hmmm. I don’t know how to feel about that. I mean, I wish I could have been there as much as you do... as Lily, of course, but... it was hard enough being made fun of over a Halloween costume. I don’t think I could have handled, what, wearing a girl’s swimsuit at summer camp.” I pointed out. “Although, I guess Lily was there in her own, hidden way.”

“Yeah. And, I mean, I guess we are forgetting that you’ve never been out of the house. I mean... not for real, not outside of Halloween. And that Halloween was your first time out of the house, wasn’t it?” Liv pointed out.

“Yes, it was, and the teasing ruined it. That’s why Lily never came back... until now,” I tittered.

Wait a second. Why did she bring up the fact that Lily’s never been out of the house for real? Do I even want to know? Pause. No, I don’t.

“Well,” Liv exchanged glances with Ella, sharing a giggle, “Why don’t we do something about that?” she pressed.

Oh hell! I don’t even want to hear this... but then again, if she’s got something in mind, then I’d better find out what it is in a hurry!

”Well, I don’t think I’m going to like it,” I shuddered, “but okay. I give. What are you suggesting?” I queried.

“I dare you to stand out front on the sidewalk for five minutes.” Liv challenged. There was a certain amusement in the grin that now appeared on Liv’s and Ella’s faces, along with more laughter that got the others started.

Meanwhile, Madison’s reaction to Liv’s suggestion was noncommittal, which raised my eyebrows. I had the distinct impression that, to her, the important thing was just to spend time together. She didn’t seem to care how. Truth be told, I agreed. The only question was whether to accept the dare.

“There’s plenty of time to change back afterwards, you know,” Ella remarked.

This is confusing! Part of me doesn’t want them to think I’m chicken, even to stand outside dressed as a girl, so I want to do it. On the other hand, while they know I like this, I don’t want them to know how much I like this, so I don’t want to do it!

I supposed that, at the very worst, I would have to walk the short distance home dressed as a girl, dig up my key in the back yard, and let myself in... and I could handle that.

It’s a damned good thing my parents are out!

“Okay, okay; I’ll do it.” I caved.

They cheered as Olivia handed me a black, formal overcoat, which I donned, knowing it was chilly outside.

As expected, Madison came with me so that we could spend the time together. Amy followed because she couldn’t bear to miss it. The other two girls walked us out to the sidewalk, only to close and lock the iron gate behind us, making me uneasy. The porch was now inaccessible, which forced us to stand out on the sidewalk in plain view, which left me feeling vulnerable and on display.

From the other side of the gate, Liv teased, “Don’t worry; this is only so you don’t cheat. It is a dare, after all! Meanwhile, I have to pee! We’ll be back!” She giggled as they scurried back inside and shut the front door.

As we passed the time, bathed in a street light, we laughed in the the damp night, the smell of rain still lingering in the air after a shower that had ended a couple of hours earlier. We chatted about school, friends, and summer camp. Cars passed in what was left of rush hour and even a few pedestrians passed within mere feet of me. I kept my eyes on Madison and prayed that those passing by wouldn’t notice me. Yet, despite my uneasy self-consciousness about my attire, it was a thrill to be standing here, dressed as I was. I enjoyed it enough to lose track of time, marveling at how different it was to be a girl outside of the house when it wasn’t Halloween and I was the only one whose attire was out of the ordinary.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of an M-80 firework exploding somewhere behind me, to the east. It gave me a start and made me squeal. I was a highly sensitive person and, well, it showed. Turning to glance down the street in that direction, I saw a group of four boys turn onto the street from the cul-de-sac a block and a half down, laughing at the noise they had created.

“Oh no! It’s that lowlife Charlie and his buddies!” Amy groused, speaking my thoughts.

“Charlie?! You mean that creep who has a thing for Liv?!” Madison blurted, recognizing the name. “Eeww!! What is with that guy?!”

“Oh, he’s your garden variety delinquent,” I began. “He lives just one street over from us. He sets off those stupid M-80s all the time on Halloween, Independence Day, and of course, New Year’s Eve. Sometimes he even does it whenever he feels like it. I don’t know where the hell he gets them, but I know that all fireworks are illegal in this city,” I trailed off, realizing that he must have some shady connections to get his hands on them.

“Anyway,” I continued, “He’s the type who has a problem with authority... though at least he’s more rebellious than dangerous. He got kicked out of his grade school for smoking weed. He also got busted for spray-painting a few bus stop shelters over on Geary Boulevard. He hasn’t done anything violent that I know of, but... he is rumored to carry a butterfly knife and sometimes threaten people with it.” I explained. “I don’t know if he would actually use it or if he just thinks it’s cool, but... I wouldn’t want to find out.”

“Neither would I,” Madison blurted, wincing.

Amy added, “And then, of course, there’s that sick game he makes out of chasing Liv. How creepy is that?”

“Oh, it totally is!” Madison shuddered. “What a freakazoid!”

Fortunately for Liv, Charlie hadn’t ever tried anything beyond seeking to gain her attention for a bit, which seemed to be how he won his morbid game, but his behavior was no less inappropriate for it.

“Staying away from him is a total no-brainer.” Amy shivered.

“Well, here he comes and we’re locked out!” I murmured. “Damn it.”

Honest to God! Every goddamned time Lily sets foot outside the house something goes wrong!

The boys were getting closer. Seeing that Liv and Ella were not visible in the house, Amy reached out to ring the doorbell.

“No, don’t! Liv’s parents might answer!” I warned.

“Oh, shit! That’s right! What do we do?” Amy worried.

“I have an idea!” I assured.

I darted over to the massive, white, 1984 Suburban that belonged to Liv’s mother and sat in the parking lane, blocking Liv’s driveway, the other two girls on my heels. We were in luck. It was unlocked.

“Aw, shit! The back seat’s pushed forward.” Amy whined. Out of time, she made a quick decision. “I’ll tell you what; you two get in and I’ll close the door! Hurry!” She ordered.

I didn’t hesitate, until I lifted one foot into the car. Then I looked back at Madison. “Wait! Who’s driving you to the dance tonight?”

“Ella’s mom is driving! Don’t worry! Just get in! Hurry!” Madison assured, waving me on as if she expected the air currents to lift me up and carry me into the vehicle. Behind her, I saw Liv now standing in her living room with Ella, making frantic gestures at us to get in the car. Another M-80 startled the hell out of me, much closer this time, winning another yelp from me. Two doors over, at a house with a yard that bordered on the sidewalk, a neighbor’s dog began barking.

Awww! Charlie’s such an asshole!

Without further delay, I climbed straight into the third row, forced to be careful of my dress and nylons. Sitting on the driver side, I watched Madison hurry in after me. The second she sat down, Amy shoved the second-row seat back into position, climbed in, and slammed the door shut. Before sitting down, she locked her door and reached past the front passenger seat to press the lock near the pillar. Then she moved to the driver side to lock the other doors.

Amy glanced behind her, but seemed to realize that the car featured a tailgate that could not be opened without lowering the rear glass into it first. Access required the key. Satisfied that we were safe, Amy sat in the center seat, smoothing her skirt. All was quiet except for the laughter of the boys, soon followed by their footsteps.

Madison glanced outside, only to glimpse Liv and Ella moving away from the living room window. “It was a great idea to check the car door, Lil’. I didn’t even think of Liv’s parents answering the door and Liv’s safer with the door shut, anyway.” She smiled.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “For once, aren’t you glad the Sutcliffes ignore their security?”

“Totally! Besides, we’re safe in this massive car.” Madison pointed out.

“This is a really big car,” Amy quipped, looking around it, making us giggle. “How the fuck do they park this thing?”

“I know! It’s a tank!” Madison agreed with a laugh.

Just then, Charlie sauntered up to the car, killing our laughter, and tried to peer inside. Fortunately for us, the windows were tinted to the extent allowed by California law – and the interior was dark.

“Olivia? Is that you, babe?” he inquired.

“That’s gotta be Charlie!” Madison whispered to Amy.

“That’s him, alright,” she replied in kind. Then, in a loud voice, she barked, “She’s in China! Go away!”

“Bullshit!” Charlie cursed under his breath, digging in the pocket of his denim jacket. Then I saw the flicker of his lighter – and he wasn’t a smoker.

“Oh shit! Fire in the hole!” I blurted, covering my ears with my hands and hunching down as Charlie tossed another M-80 right over the car. It landed in the opposite traffic lane, perhaps twenty feet (6 m) from our car, setting off a car alarm. That got a good squeak out of me.

“God damn it!” I hissed.

The neighbor’s dog was now in the midst of an ungodly tantrum and, while I couldn’t see the animal, I could hear the neighbor open the door to his yard as he took the poor thing inside, shouting at Charlie and friends that he had called the police. It was then that I noticed something across the street as I stared at the source of the explosion.

“Hey! I think Charlie took out a tail light on that car over there – and the headlight of the car right behind it.” I marveled.

“Yeah, I think he did!” Amy agreed.

Just then Liv’s iron gate opened and her father stepped out to the sidewalk.

“Alright, Charlie! Knock it off and get out of here! Now! Go!” he fumed.

“Lucky for you, we gotta split anyway!” he sneered, before he and his buddies ran back down the street into his cul-de-sac. A series of those lined the north side of that street and rested on a terrace below which was a creek, hidden behind the homes. Beyond that was the expanse of the Presidio. There was a trail through the area and a derelict Public Health Service Hospital a short distance to the northeast that had closed for good four years earlier, along with all of the others of its kind, thanks to President Reagan. The boys were sure to make their way there to hide before the police arrived... if the neighbor had called them. Given that the sirens of a police cruiser would only rile up his dog that much more, I suspected a bluff.

Satisfied that Charlie was gone, Mr. Sutcliffe walked back inside the house, leaving the gate ajar... again.

That is such a stupid thing to do, but it sure helps me out! We can get back inside and – uh oh! What’s wrong now?

Liv and Ella emerged from the house and beelined for the car. Amy had just cracked open the rear passenger door, perhaps attempting a tactical retreat to the house, when she spotted them. Changing her mind, she threw the door open and scooted to the driver’s side seat to leave room for them to get in. As soon as they were seated, Ella slammed and locked the door behind them. Close on their heels, Mrs. Sutcliffe stepped out to the sidewalk, digging in her purse for her keys.

Wait a minute! Something is definitely wrong!!

“Erm, you guys? What’s going on?” Amy murmured.

My brain began to put it together, draining the color from my face as it did so. “You guys? You guys??” I panicked, my voice rising. “Ella’s mother is driving, right?? Please tell me Ella’s mother is driving!!”

Liv turned around from the right-hand seat to quickly explain, holding out a small, black purse that I took from her as if I’d never seen one before. “Sorry, Lily, but she called to tell us that she’s got a flat tire. My mom’s driving now!”

“What???” I gasped, clutching the purse.

“I’m so sorry, Lily!” Liv lamented. “She didn’t say anything until she told us to get in the car! I didn’t even have time to react! I-I don’t know what to do!”

“Well, I do! Move! I have to get out of this car!” I hissed. “Quick! Quick!” But that was when Mrs. Sutcliffe unlocked the driver’s door, climbed in, and pulled it shut with a thud.

Oh no! It’s too late! I can’t get out of this now. I’m dressed like I’m going to this dance. I would have to fake being sick, and that only gets more attention from a mother! Damn it! Alright, poker face!

“Ready to dance, girls?” she chatted.

“Yeah, Mom!” Liv tried to sound excited and... almost convinced me.

Donning her seat belt, Mrs. Sutcliffe started the car. Before she put it in gear, she glanced in her rearview mirror.

“Alright, then! Let’s get you to the dance!” She smiled, pausing as she noticed me. “Well now, who’s that in the back row?”

“That’s my cousin, Lily. We invited her at the last minute. I hope that’s okay?” Amy inquired.

Mrs. Sutcliffe chuckled with a shrug. “Sure, why not? You’re allowed to bring guests and we have room. Oh, by the way, Lily, I’m terribly sorry about that rather jarring introduction to Charlie Palmer. He’s a complete hoodlum!” Mrs. Sutcliffe shook her head as the distant sound of another M-80 exploded somewhere in the Presidio. “Ugh! I hate fireworks. Jesus, give me strength!”

“God, what an imbecile!” I shook my head. “He scared the crap out of that poor dog a couple of doors down. Hell, he scared the crap out of me!”

Dear God! Tell me she hasn’t noticed a thing!

“Me, too,” she muttered under her breath as she put the car in gear. “Well, that’s enough about him. On to the dance!”

As she eased away from the curb, my heartrate soared. I was trapped into going to a dance at a girls’ school, in a dress and pantyhose, and I couldn’t get back until my friends got picked up – not unless I wanted to out myself! Leery of my fate, I put my hand on Madison’s to get her attention and whispered to her.

“It looks like I’m coming to your dance. What am I gonna do? I wasn’t expecting that! I-I don’t think I’m ready! Halloween was months ago! This is for real!” I babbled.

With that, she turned her hand over and held my hand in hers.

“Just do all of those things that everyone always tells you not to do and you’ll be just fine,” she replied in kind. Then she paused and I felt that something was on her mind. “You do know that I had no idea this was gonna happen, right? I honestly thought Ella’s mother was driving! W-we only wanted you to share our fun just for a little while and help you take a baby step out front. That was all it was supposed to be. I swear to God!” Then she flashed a wry smile, “If I knew this was going to happen, I would have grabbed your hand to sneak you back to your house to be alone with you!”

“Don’t worry, I believe you. It’s just... this is so insane!” I murmured. “This is for real!” I repeated.

“I know! I hope... well...” she paused, giving me side-eye as though uncertain whether to continue, “I hope that you can have fun, even though you’ll have to be Lily for the night. We’ll watch out for you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her. Meanwhile, Liv and Ella were giggling and holding a hushed conversation of their own. No doubt it was me they were laughing at, or at least my predicament. Amy looked on in quiet amusement, unsure how she should react, if her face was any indication.

“What are you girls laughing at,” Mrs. Sutcliffe questioned, in a familiar tone of voice that all mothers used when they suspected their kids of being up to no good. They always knew!

“Nothing, Mom. It’s an inside joke.” Liv deflected.

Yeah. Lily’s coming to their dance.

“Oh. Well, then I’m sure I don’t want to know,” she kidded, with a glance in the rear view mirror.

The Webster School for Girls occupied a converted mansion of Italian Baroque Revival architecture, along with two additional buildings comprising the rear two-thirds of the campus. It occupied the center third of the block and the three buildings were stepped down the hill to the next street below. It had a rear entrance on the downhill end, which was where Mrs. Sutcliffe pulled up to drop us off as it was closer to the gymnasium where the dance was held. My heart socked my ribs as Liv opened her door to climb out, followed by Ella and Amy. Liv heaved the seat forward, releasing Madison and I from the third-row. As soon as I had both feet on the sidewalk, I forced myself to take five slow breaths from my diaphragm.

I can do this. With a little luck, the room will even be darkened. This can work. I will be fine. I might even enjoy this if I can relax. I always did love a dance.

Madison took my hand, bringing me back to myself, at which point I saw that Mrs. Sutcliffe had already driven away from the curb and the others waited at the doors, holding them open for us.

After depositing our coats in a nearby classroom used as a coat room, we stepped through the doors into the gymnasium. As I had hoped, the room was darkened, making my ordeal more manageable. That was going to be a big help. I knew that I wasn’t quite out of danger, but it eased my tension.

The gymnasium was alive with kids dancing on the temporary wall-to-wall carpet, all of them months away from graduating elementary school. Nobody took much notice of me apart from a couple of boys, but my luck continued to hold, as they were dancing with girls. The music from the loudspeakers was “Jump” by Van Halen. I loved that song and the music helped me to find excitement within me.

The girls and I danced in a circle surrendering to the music. I had to concentrate on balancing with my hips instead of my shoulders, having noticed the girls doing the same, but this was a helpful way for me to ease in to my first real experience as a girl. I didn’t have to interact yet and that bought me more time to relax, time to build confidence that I could go unnoticed... just so long as I was careful. Meanwhile, what a thrill it was for Lily to be here!

For the next few songs, things went well. They played “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League, “Lucky Star” by Madonna, “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes, and “What’s On Your Mind” by Information Society. When the next song came on, “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC, a cheer erupted from the crowd. That was when boys approached Liv, Amy, and Ella to ask for a dance, which they granted. Two more ambled up to Madison and I, making me groan on the inside.

“Hi. I’m Jordan. May I have this dance?” He smiled at me with his gentle brown eyes. He was tall, dark, and good-looking, according to what I imagined were the other girls’ standards. He wore an expensive, double-breasted navy blazer and a red, silk tie. He looked like he worked out. A lot. Ella tried to hide her jealousy at seeing him ask me to dance, making it clear that few girls would turn him down. Even Madison seemed uneasy, as if afraid that I might find myself attracted to boys.

Christ! She should know by know that I’m attracted to girls! Well... I guess I don’t mind dancing with him. Besides, if I want to be convincing as a girl, then I should definitely do it. Even I know that any girl would!

Giving him an honest smile, I nodded. “Sure! Great song! I’m Lily, by the way!”

Thank Gawd for Lily’s voice! I’d give myself away without it for sure! Not that I could hear too well if we tried to chat!

He smiled broadly and we began to dance to the strong beat of the hard rock song – which always did made me think of Angus Young in his schoolboy outfit. I couldn’t help but giggle. As we moved, I realized that we had started dancing halfway through the song – and it soon came to an end.

Well, a real girl would happily dance with him again so he gets a whole song. It’s only fair. Besides, she’d want to dance with him again. Damn it! Ella’s still jealous, and Madison’s still feeling uncertain, but there’s really no credible excuse to turn him down and... girls are expected to be nice. I hope they both understand!

The next song started up to another cheer. It was “Panama” by Van Halen, another of my favorites to dance to.

“Hey, that last one was kind of short. You wanna dance another one?” I allowed.

Smiling again, he nodded and started moving his feet to the rhythm. Normally, Dylan loved to shake his head to that song, his long hair flying like a rock star, but Lily didn’t want her pretty hair messed up.

Just then, as I danced, I caught a glimpse of a girl in a purple dress giving me funny looks from six feet away (2 meters).

Uh oh! Am I dancing like a guy or something? I swear, between that and worrying about my hair... Then a jarring thought hit me like a bat to the face. Oh God! He’s not her boyfriend is he? That would be so embarrassing! Then another deep thought came. Good God! Am I actually having girl problems? I gave myself an inward giggle. There’s something else I didn’t see coming!

The song ended, leaving us both somewhat out of breath. He thanked me politely and walked away.

Well, that’s over with!

Shaking my head and shrugging as our group of five rendezvoused around me, Madison beelining to my side, a slower song started. It was “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. Liv rolled her eyes, the poor girl.

“I hate this fucking song!” She giggled. “Let’s go get punch.”

We nodded and, understanding why the victim of a stalker wouldn’t want to dance to a song about obsession, we headed for the punch bowl. As we stood there, slaking our thirst, the girl in the purple dress glided over for a glass. Madison was chatting with another girl who had come up to visit, but she spotted the girl in the purple dress and watched us with a concerned look.

“Hey there! I’m Marnie.” she introduced herself with a smile.

“Hey, Marnie. I’m Lily. Erm... listen, I hope that wasn’t your boyfriend I was dancing with. I’d be mortified!! I mean, I-I-I had no idea!” I assured her.

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. Don’t worry about that.” Then her brow creased. “But he is taken – and his girlfriend is here, too. I mean, it’s okay to dance with another girl, but... I think he was really attracted to you!”

My eyes flew wide open. “Oh, God! Well, thank you for telling me so that I can... you know... not dance with him again,” I tittered.

Gawd, no wonder she was looking at me. I just hope that she didn’t figure me out!

“No problem.” She shrugged. “Anyway... I know you don’t go to school here... ‘cause I do,” she chortled, “so how do you know your friends?” She changed the subject, perhaps to put me at ease.

“W-well, you’re right, I actually go to Drake School on Masonic Ave, so I don’t usually attend the events here, but the girls I’m with do go to school here and they’re my besties from summer camp. That’s how we know each other.” I explained.

“Oh, cool! Which summer camp?” She inquired. After I filled her in with the name, we chatted about it, and I shared a few memories about the weekly dances held at the camp. Then the song changed again. This time, it was Madonna’s “Into the Groove.”

“Oh, I love this song! I’m gonna go dance. Nice meeting you,” Marnie grinned as she dashed back to the dance floor.

“Yeah, you too! See ya!” I smiled at her.

“Get into the Groove, Lil’!” Amy joked.

“Yeah, Lil’! Let’s dance!” Madeline grabbed me as Liv hopped her way toward a clear spot, where we sang the lyrics as the five of us danced in a circle.

Immersed in the music, Madison had a pensive look on her face that was mirrored on Amy’s. They exchanged glances a few times. Meanwhile, other nearby dancers began to notice me, boys and girls. The girls were curious, the way Marnie had been, and the boys, well... they were boys!

Uh oh. I have a feeling I’m not under the radar anymore!

Fortunately, the song ended as that thought went through my head.

“Guys! Let’s take a bathroom break. Come on, let’s talk!” Amy invited.

“Yeah, let’s do that! Gawd, the nearest bathroom’s gonna be jammed, but I have an idea. Follow me!” Madison gestured as we walked out of the room while they played “And She Was” by Talking Heads. I loved the song, but I had always found the changing rhythm awkward to dance to. It was the perfect time for a break!

We wended our way through the school, up to the center building, making our way to the corridor outside of the cafeteria, where there was another girls’ bathroom. From here, only a muffled beat was audible, though I thought I heard another cheer.

We’re probably missing a good song. Oh well. I love the DJ’s taste in music!

The bathroom was empty. Other girls were sure to find their way up there in due course, but for now, we had privacy. Amy spoke what was on her mind – and Madison’s – while we sat to do our biological business.

“Lily, I saw Marnie’s looks while you were dancing with Jordan and I saw her come up to talk to you. Is everything going okay?” Amy fretted.

“Yeah, I was going to say the same thing, Lil’!” Madison chimed in.

“Well, everything is okay so far. Marnie doesn’t seem to have a clue about me, I don’t think. She just wanted to let me know that the boy who asked me to dance has a girlfriend. She said that he was really attracted to me. Sucks to be his girlfriend! Oh, and she noticed that she hasn’t seen me around. I’d say a few others have noticed, too, judging by the looks during that last song.” I revealed. “I told Marnie how we met in summer camp and I talked about the weekly dances there. That was really it. She wanted to dance to the next song. Hopefully, I’m in the clear,” I finished.

“Oh good!” Madison breathed a sigh of relief as we moved to the sinks. “Sucks that you had to dance with a boy like that, but she was right to tell you about his girlfriend. The sooner she did, the better, for both you and his girlfriend!”

“Yeah, totally!” As I touched up my lip gloss, I wondered aloud, “So, what did you think of those looks that I got after our punch break? Do you think they were more curiosity – well, no need to explain the boys,” I laughed.

“Yeah. Boys care more about what’s in your bra than what’s in your brain and that’s pretty much all they’re thinking about.” Amy snarked, winning a round of giggles.

“Yeah. I’m not so worried about them, but how about from the girls?” I pressed.

“Well, I-I didn’t see anything alarming, Lily. I mean, it’s pretty dark in there, so it’s hard to see much.” Madison reassured.

“For sure! I can’t see shit in there,” Amy half-joked.

“Me either.” Ella chimed in. “I think you’re fine.”

“Well, okay. I-I mean, I’m not feeling worried or anything... at least, not yet.” I smiled. “I guess I just thought I’d check with my besties. Come on, let’s go dance some more. My feet are starting to hurt, but I have a few more dances left in me,” I kidded.

“Awww, are you having girl problems, Lily?” Amy zinged.

“Yeah, I think she is!” Ella blushed.

“Yeah. I’m having girl problems!” I acknowledged.

Who would have thought?

“Welcome to womanhood, Lil’.” Madison shrugged, with a sly smile.

The DJ played more of my favorite tunes to dance to. I heard “You Spin Me” by Dead or Alive and “Borderline” by Madonna. There were a few boys who wanted to dance with us, but with our feet on the verge of wearing out, we begged off. We took another punch break at which point my besties checked up on me again, making me love them more than I already did. Then a slow song came on and it was one that Madison and I loved. It was “Still Loving You” by Scorpions. Madison grabbed me for a slow dance, making me beam like the sun – and making a few boys scowl. Madison and I paid them no attention. We were too busy holding each other and swaying to the mournful guitar riff at the beginning. We sang to the lyrics as we danced together.

When the song ended, we took another bathroom break in the same bathroom in the middle building. This time, however, when the others decided to return to the dance, Madison held me back, saying she wanted to talk to me alone. As the others left, and the bathroom door swung shut with a soft thud, I could tell that Madsion had something on her mind. However, as anticipated, the bathroom had become more busy during the course of the night and animated conversation echoed from the walls. She leaned close to speak to me.

“Let’s go somewhere else. My feet are killing me and, besides, I’d rather be alone with you,” she finished sotto voce, smiling at me with a sparkle in her eyes.

“I would rather be alone, too,” I replied in kind. “What’s a good spot?”

With that, she took my hand and led me to the rooftop basketball court located atop the lower building, high above the entrance where we had arrived.

Wow! You know it’s a nice school when the rooftop basketball court has a great view of the bay! This is impressive! I wonder how they focus on sports?

The sun had set a while earlier and the moonlight played on the water, making it wink and dance. I could make out Alcatraz Island, with the revolving light shining from the lighthouse of the disused penitentiary, but I blocked it out and focused on the moonlight. It was much prettier.

“You picked a romantic spot,” I smiled at Madison, grateful that we were alone. The music from the dance was muffled to the point of a beat and little else. It was mostly quiet, save for the occasional passing car.

“Yeah. I’ve wanted to bring you up here since I’ve known you.” She confessed.

“Really?” I beamed.

“Yeah.” She nodded, her face serious, but full of love.

For the next few minutes, we chatted about a variety of things and admired the view. It was a wonderful time, perhaps the best of my life so far. It reached its highest point when Madison made a suggestion.

“Hey, erm... we won’t be together at midnight, so... there’s something I would like to give you now.” she blushed. “Happy New Year!” With that, she kissed me, squarely on the lips. In no rush to end the kiss, I just... held her for a while as it lingered. Afterwards, in the warm afterglow of the moment, she rested her head on my shoulder and I rested mine on hers.

“Happy New Year, Madeline.” I whispered.

We gazed at the view in silence... until we heard an M-80 in the street below, making me gasp.

“What the--?” I blurted.

“Oh, no. I hope to God that’s not Charlie!” Madeline groused.

“Well, it is New Year’s Eve. It could be a lot of people.” I murmured.

“Yeah,” she supposed. “There’s no shortage of idiots this time of year!”

But that didn’t stop us from leaning over to look down at the street below at the distant sound of a familiar chuckle. Sure enough, standing across the street, taking a furtive glance in either direction, was Charlie!

“Oh my God, it’s him! Come on, we’ve got to warn Liv! Fast!” Madison grabbed my hand and hurried us both back into the building.

When we rushed back into the gymnasium, out of breath, it took a minute to spot Liv standing at the punch bowl with Ella, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as, “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell came on.

Whoa. What a creepy time for that song to play! That is just disturbing!

As Madison and I approached Liv, we exchanged glances and I knew that she’d had the same thought. As we drew near, Ella’s smile fled her face as she got a look at ours. Liv turned around to see what was the matter, the question in her eyes needing no words.

Madison gripped her shoulders and shouted in her ear over the music, “Charlie’s outside! We’d better hide!”

“What?? Oh no!” She gawped.

“Oh yes! Let’s make sure he doesn’t find you!” Madison insisted.

With that, Liv turned to Ella to repeat the message. Her face blanched as she nodded.

Meanwhile, we scanned the room, trying to find Amy but we couldn’t see her in the crowd. The room was too dark for that. Just then, the song changed. The sounds of “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men At Work made Madison and I stop in our tracks, exchanging glances.

After resuming her visual sweep of the room and coming up empty, Madison shrugged in resignation. “Well, I can’t find her. Let’s just get Liv out of the room and come back for Amy in a bit.”

“Yeah, we don’t have much choice.” I agreed, uneasy but without a better idea.

With that, we made our way for the door as the song continued.

Somehow, I don’t think Liv would want to dance to this one, either!

In the corridor, it was Madison who decided our next move. “Alright, girls! First things first!” she thought aloud. “The dance is over in half an hour, so let’s grab our coats. That way, we can keep Liv in hiding until we’re outta here. Amy’s gonna have to grab hers when she can.”

“Yeah. I really hate to ditch Amy, but I don’t know what else to do. That guy scares me!” Liv murmured as we stepped into the coat room, donned our coats, and grabbed our purses. That done, we stopped outside of the coatroom.

“Okay. Now we need a hiding place.” Ella thought aloud. “Suggestions?”

“Let’s go to the rooftop basketball court to see if we can still spot Charlie from there.” Madison offered. “Then we’ll know that at least he’s still outside.”

Just then we could faintly hear another M-80.

“Well, we can sure as hell hear him,” I jibed. “He’s definitely out there.”

From the rooftop basketball court, we peered down at the street trying to spot Charlie, but we couldn’t find him.

“Damn it! Where’d he go?” Madison groused.

“Oh God! You don’t think he’s in the building?” Liv tensed, with a look on her face that suggested a pit in her stomach.

“I don’t know, but knowing him... and his problem with authority... it wouldn’t surprise me,” I glanced at her.

“Well, let’s not go back to the dance to find out. Let’s... stay here for now and keep an eye out for him. That’ll give us time to think up where else we can hide if we have to.” Madison decided.

The girls’ bathroom crossed my mind, but I knew that was a boundary he would never respect – not if it meant winning his stupid game with Liv. It had to be something he wouldn’t think of. “How about a Kindergarten classroom?” I pitched.

“Good suggestion. We’ll keep that in mind!” Madison smiled at me. “I had thought of the Library but they always lock it – which is really too bad. I doubt he’d ever set foot in there.”

“Do you think he’ll talk to Amy to try to find us?” Liv worried.

“Well, if he does, it’s not going to work. She has no idea where we are – and she’ll avoid him like a disease.” I assured her.

“Yeah, she was the one who said avoiding him is a no-brainer, which it totally is.” Madison agreed.

“For real! Anyway, we couldn’t find her.” Liv acknowledged.

“No, we couldn’t.” I mumbled, casting an unsettled glance in the direction of the dance.

For a few minutes, we held an uneasy vigil on the rooftop basketball court, in the cold moonlight. We talked about summer camp to keep us warm, but eventually, Liv glanced at the double door that opened onto the walkway leading up to the rooftop basketball court.

“Oh shit! It’s him!! Run!!” She gasped.

“Follow me!” Madison ordered, darting for an outdoor staircase on one end of the basketball court. We had made it down to the next landing, praying that he hadn’t seen us, when I glanced through the glass door to that hallway and spotted a couple holding hands and strolling down the deserted corridor inside. Judging from their attire, they were clearly attendees of the dance. Stopping in my tracks, I started knocking on the door and waving frantically.

“Open the door! Let us in! Please.” I hissed, pointing at the knob. “Hurry!”

“Lil’, is someone in that hallway?” Madison came back up to me, followed by Liv and Ella.

“Yes!” I informed, turning back to the door. “Come on! Hurry up! Open it!” I knocked again, gesturing at the knob.

With a puzzled expression, the girl reached out and opened the door for us. “Hey guys. What’s going on?” She inquired, as we herded inside.

“My stalker is out there. Don’t let him in!” Liv begged.

“He’s the one who isn’t dressed for the dance. You can’t miss him!” Ella advised before we turned and fled down the corridor.

As we reached a central stairwell, we heard Charlie banging on the door behind us. “You know, now that he’s locked outside, this is probably the best time to get to Amy,” I pointed out.

“Definitely! Let’s grab her and get her ready to leave so we can find another place to hide.” Madison agreed.

“Okay!” Liv followed along.

This time, we found Amy dancing with a boy to “I Ran” by A Flock of Seagulls, another great dance song! It was clear to me that she liked him and I hated to interrupt. However...

“Sis, we gotta go! Charlie’s here and he’s chasing us!” I warned in her ear.

“Oh shit! Are you serious?!” She stared.

“Yes! He was setting off M-80s outside but now we don’t know where he is, so we’re going to grab your coat and hide somewhere until our ride gets here in twenty minutes,” I outlined. She nodded with vigor as I pulled her away from her partner. “I’m really sorry, it’s an emergency!” she told him. I felt bad for them both, but she knew that we couldn’t afford pleasantries just then.

A couple of minutes later, we emerged from the coat room, ready to leave.

“Where do we hide?” Ella probed.

“Why don’t we try the auditorium? There are always multiple ways out.” I offered.

“Yes! That’s a good idea! It’s a comfy place to sit, too!” Madison agreed.

“Do they lock it?” I checked.

“Well, they usually do, but... pobody’s nerfect.” Amy kidded, making us laugh. “Look! I made a paux fas.”

“It’s worth a shot.” Madeline playfully smacked Amy.

It took a minute to get there, but when we arrived, it was unlocked – and deserted, as expected. It was creepy in the dark, the way most theaters are, but someone had left a single light on over center stage. It was enough to see where we were going while affording us the luxury of staying in the shadows. Turning to face the audience seats, I saw two exits on either side behind the back row, marked with glowing, green signs.

“Let’s sit right in front of that left exit up there and sneak out that way if he finds us again.” I suggested.

“Sounds like a good plan.” Madison concurred, smiling at me.

At length, we turned left into last row in front of the exit. At first, nobody spoke as we sat in the darkened corner. We were too tense. Then Ella broke the silence.

“So how’d you find out that Charlie’s here?” She probed.

Madison and I explained the whole saga, starting with the moment we’d heard the first M-80 from the rooftop basketball court and bringing her up to speed.

“Wait, you two went up to the rooftop basketball court?” Amy gasped. “That’s so romantic! I wish I’d had a chance to do that with Doug. I probably would have, too, if not for fucking Charlie!” Amy shook her head.

“Yeah, well, he’s ruining everybody’s night!” Liv muttered.

“So you two are a thing, then!” Amy grinned.

“Yeah, we are.” I confirmed, as Madison and I put our arms around each other. “We kind of have been for a while. It’s just... I had to be me for it. That’s all.”

“Yeah,” Amy murmured, looking at me with an intense expression as though realizing something. Before she could ask the question on her mind, however, Liv took the conversation in a different direction, unwilling to let her guard down.

“You guys, erm... where do you want to hide out next if he finds us,” she worried.

We had just enough time to talk it over before we heard someone coming to the auditorium.

“Sshh! Quiet!” Liv hissed.

We froze, motionless as statues as we listened to the footsteps. Then we saw who the footsteps belonged to. It was Charlie!

How the hell did he find us? I guess somebody must have seen us come in here and told him where we were.

He hopped up on stage and began to check behind the wing curtains.

“Oh, Li-iv? Come out, come out, wherever you are!” He taunted.

Exchanging alarmed glances, we quietly stood to sneak out the top exit as planned, being as quiet as we could. However, Liv ended up being the last one out. She was just about to step through the door when Charlie spotted her.

“Hey, I see you!” He shouted after us.

With that, we ran downstairs to the ground floor level of the building where we had entered the school. We made our way down the gray, commercial-grade carpet of a darkened corridor. It ran parallel to the exterior wall of the building and led to classrooms overlooking the street. We hoped to find a room left open where we could find refuge until Mrs. Sutcliffe picked us up. Alas, all were locked. With a glance behind us to make sure that we were still unseen, Madison dug in her purse.

“Let me try something,” she volunteered, stepping to the door of the fourth grade classroom.

She pulled out her membership card to her health club that looked to be made out of credit card stock. She shoved it between the door and the jamb near the knob, dislodging the tumbler, and pushed the door open.

“It worked! I’ll be damned!” She whispered, beckoning us to follow her inside.

We hustled into the classroom and closed the door, keeping the lights off. Beneath the windows, across that entire wall, was a low wall of built-in, white shelving that came up to the windowsill. We sat on it to keep an eye on the street. The clock on the wall indicated that we had less than fifteen minutes before our ride was due.

Bathed in the dim glow of the street lights, we spent the first minute resting, checking the street or pointing our ears toward the door, just in case. Soon, however, Madison got the conversation started, keeping her voice down since we weren’t supposed to be in that room.

“Hey, Lily.” She waited for me to look over at her. “I know tonight didn’t end so well... again,” she rolled her eyes, “but... we have some time to talk and it’s just us girls in here. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m curious.” She paused, as if uncertain whether to ask. I nodded my permission and she continued. “Have you enjoyed your first real outing? Well, apart from you-know-who, obviously!” She glanced at the door.

“Actually,” I beamed. “I have. It’s been pretty great,” I glanced at Madison, who knew what my favorite part was. “Where do I begin?”

“Wherever,” Madison encouraged.

“I still can’t believe that I was actually having girl problems!” I snickered, getting the others started.

“What do you mean?” Amy prompted, giggling with amusement, her blush revealing that she thought I was talking about the monthly girl problem.

“Not that, you goofball!” I chastised her, rolling my eyes.

“Well, what, then?” She pushed. “Are your boobs itching or something?” She kidded, making us giggle.

“Well, first, when I danced with Jordan, we only caught the last half of that song and I so I thought any girl would give him another dance because... he... I-I mean... well, all of the other girls would think he’s pretty hot. But I’m not into him that way, or boys at all, really.” I giggled, starting another round of laughter.

“But that didn’t matter,“ I continued, “because I had to keep him convinced that I’m a girl and so I had to dance another song with him to be fair – and, you know, not to be a cold bitch. Then during that next song, I was dancing to Panama and I couldn’t shake my head like a rockstar the way I usually do because I didn’t want to mess up my hair.”

I took a breath, my speech accelerating in a run-on-sentence. “Then, Marnie started looking at me funny and I thought I might be dancing with her boyfriend except he’s not her boyfriend but he does have a girlfriend and she’s here but he was still really attracted to me.” I paused to catch my breath. “And now my feet are killing me!!” I winced. “So, you see? I’ve been having girl problems! In fact, I think that’s all of ‘em... except I don’t have periods and my boobs don’t itch!” I joked, looking pointedly at Amy, winning another round of laughs.

All of a sudden, I found myself marveling at the way I had indeed had so many girl problems and yet... I felt as though I could never be a real girl. I felt so far from that!

I’ll never even have boobs!

“Well, those are all girl problems, all right. Welcome to our world.” Madison smiled, but it dimmed as she seemed to notice my own muted expression.

“Well, I like it much better than the boys’ world.” I shrugged. “I mean, I’m used to struggling just to fit in, and... usually failing... but tonight, none of my girl problems had anything to do with that, really. They were the kind of stuff that every girl has to deal with and they... well, they made me feel like a normal girl. Besides, for once, I wasn’t having problems just because I’m me. It was the best dance I ever went to!” I glanced at Madison again, “until Charlie showed up.”

“Yeah.” Amy murmured, trailing off... before voicing a thought she’d had in mind since our previous hiding place. “Hey, Lil’,” she started, “in the auditorium, you said that you had to be you to be with Madison.”

“Yeah, I did say that. Why?” I wondered aloud.

“You really are Lily, aren’t you?” Amy realized.

“Yeah. That was what I meant. I am Lily. Dylan’s the one who needs to disappear.” I admitted. “I guess I’ve just... been afraid of that. I don’t even know what to do about it, really.”

“We’ll figure it all out as a family,” Amy reassured, putting an arm around me.

“Yeah.” I supposed.

Then Amy seemed to shift gears, mentioning another thought on her mind.

“You know, Lily... I think I knew. I could always tell you were more comfortable and confident while you were visiting us.”

“Same here,” Madison agreed. “I could tell.” She paused, as though she had something else to say. “You do know that Lily’s the one I love, right?” she smiled.

“I know,” I murmured with a dreamy smile.

Gawd! Why do I sound like Han Solo in Star Wars?

With that, the conversation paused, switching to discussion about the dance and ultimately drifting to the topic of which boys the other three girls liked dancing with the most and which they liked in the romantic sense.

“You know, Lily, I was super jealous when Jordan asked you to dance. I had a crush on him,” Ella giggled.

“Yeah, well, like I said, he was really attracted to me, even though he has a girlfriend, so... he might not exactly be the faithful type.” I warned.

“Yeah, that was what ruined him for me.” Ella’s face fell. “Well, the hell with him!” She decided, having lost all interest.

Finally, at a couple of minutes before ten, Liv spotted her mother’s enormous, white Surburban pulling up outside.

“Hey guys! My mom’s here – and I don’t see Charlie anywhere.” Liv reported.

“This is good!” Madison noted.

“This is very good! Let’s go!” Liv agreed.

With that, we stood to head outside, with the sounds of Auld Lang Syne wafting from the Gymnasium as we passed the lobby. We were able to get into the car and leave without incident, all of us wondering where Charlie had gone. On the way home, we told Mrs. Sutcliffe all about our adventures, hoping that Charlie had finally gone home.

As we drew close to Liv’s house, and Mrs. Sutcliffe stopped the car to maneuver into the same parking space blocking the driveway, Liv let out a nervous squeal.

“Oh my God! He’s here! He must have decided to come back while we were hiding in the fourth grade classroom!” She wailed, sliding down in her seat.

“Oh, dear God,” Mrs. Sutcliffe sighed, tired of dealing with him. “Alright. I want everyone to please stay in the car once I get it parked. Understood?”

A minute later, she stepped out of her car, locked the doors, and strode over to Charlie, bold enough to reach over and ring her own doorbell a few times, while staring him dead in the eyes. Meanwhile, Charlie stayed put, a sneer on his smarmy face.

“Charlie, go home this instant! I will not have you hassling my daughter! I’m serious. If this doesn’t stop we are going to have to call the police.” She threw down her gauntlet as her husband opened the front door.

“Charlie?! What the hell are you doing back here! I told you to leave! Now, get out of here,” he ordered, shoving the iron gate open and almost knocking Charlie to the sidewalk.

Just then, Liv stunned us all by getting out of the car and stomping over to Charlie.

“What the hell do you want?” she demanded, her fists balled at her sides.

“Nothing,” he smirked, thinking he’d won his game. “Just wanted to say hello.”

“Well, you said it.” she stood her ground. “Now, you need to get something straight! I don’t like you! I never did and I never will!” she spat. “Oh, and by the way, we are calling the police to report the damage you did to those cars across the street when you threw that M-80 – and your father is going to pay for the damages!” Charlie began to look uneasy, but Liv wasn’t through with him. “And from now on, whenever I see you, anytime I see you, I will watch every single thing you do and call the police for any damage that you cause! Every! Time! If you don’t want to end up in juvie* then you are just going to have to stay the hell away!!” She finished with a triumphant roar.

“Well, fine! If you’re going to be a total bitch then who wants you anyway?!” he sneered, realizing that Liv had just turned his win into a humiliating, final defeat. What that, he turned and strode off in the direction of his home.

Liv looked at her parents. “Well, he’s never going to stop being a deliquent, so that ought to keep him far away, now that he knows that attention from me will no longer be pleasant. Gawd, I should have thought of that a long time ago!” She paused to take a breath as she made a decision. “Let’s call the police to report those damaged cars. I’ve got to show Charlie that I mean it and, like I said, Charlie’s father should pay for that damage.” Liv suggested.

“I couldn’t agree more! I’ll go in and call them right now! I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of you, my dear Olivia! I don’t know what changed tonight, but I love it!” Mr. Sutcliffe praised, hugging her tightly before stepping inside to use the phone.

“Yes, I agree! You’ve made us both very proud, Liv. Remember this moment when the next jerk comes along. You’ll know you can handle it!” Mrs. Sutcliffe assured, hugging her child. “You’re going to be just fine! Just out of curiosity, hon, I was wondering the same thing as your father. What did bring about this change in you? You’ve been so afraid of him but tonight, out of nowhere, you were truly a lioness!”

She shrugged. “It just hit me, while I was sitting in the car, watching and listening. I had to take my life back from him or this was never going to stop.” she explained. “Sadly, I’m sure he’s only going to find another girl to follow around, but it won’t be me!”

“Oh, he’ll find someone else, alright, but you did the right thing, Liv. You had to do something,” Madison agreed. “And we’re behind you!”

“Yeah!” Ella chimed in.

“Yeah, we are!” Amy spoke for us both.

With that, we took the opportunity to head inside. Liv wore a bright smile, showing confidence that I hadn’t seen in her before. I knew that someone was going to find that attractive. After all, it was part of what drew me to Madison!

As we reached the top of the stairs, Ella and Amy followed Liv into Chloe’s room, perhaps to make sure that Charlie was really gone or to stay on the lookout. My feet brought me, instead, into Liv’s room. I didn’t have to look to know that Madison had followed me. Charlie was the farthest thing from my mind. Coming up the stairs, I had realized that the end of Lily’s visit was upon me and my mood had plummeted at the thought. Then Liv’s mirror had beckoned to me with the promise of a quick pick-me-up. Attempting to accept its offer, I stood before it. Alas, seeing Lily in all of her glory only crystallized my feelings about Lily’s imminent departure. Everything seemed to have changed. Before, I had never wanted her to return and now I never wanted her to leave!

I want Lily to stay... and I want Dylan to disappear. Forever. But Dylan has to come back... at least for a while... at least for school.

“You really meant it, didn’t you?” Madison murmured, with her arms around me again.

“Yeah, I did,” I replied in a mumble. “I see a girl in the mirror – not a boy in girls’ clothing, but a girl. I bet I’ll still see a girl even after I put Dylan’s clothes back on.”

“Yeah, you will. But you will know who you really are,” she kissed my cheek, “and that I love you.”

That made me smile, turn to look at her, and return her gesture.

“I love you, too.” I sighed.

With that, my mind shifted gears, insisting that I do some thinking about my exit from the Sutcliffe residence – and it would not be ignored!

I considered aloud, “You know... we need to figure out how Lily’s getting out of here. Liv’s parents know that she’s here. They’ve both seen her... and they never saw Dylan arrive.” I murmured.

“Yeah. What’re you going to do?” She prompted.

“Well, there’s only one thing I can do.” I shrugged. “Lily has to stick around until Amy and I get home. I mean... neither Liv’s parents nor mine allow any of us to be outside late at night. That means the Sutcliffes are planning to bring Amy home. They would have to be; my parents are out at a New Year’s Eve party until after midnight. That means Dylan can’t show up to bring Amy home.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “You’re right. You’re just going to have to be Lily until you get home.”

“Of course, that’s not exactly a bad thing.” I shrugged. “It means that I don’t have to make her disappear for a little while longer!”

“Yup. Exactly,” Madison smiled.

“So... this dress I’m wearing was hanging in a dress bag in Liv’s closet, wasn’t it?” I queried.

“Yeah, it was. Why?” Madison replied.

“Is it hers?” I checked, looking at Madison.

“No, it’s mine.” Madison smiled.

“I think I’ve seen the shoes before, so they must be Amy’s. How about the coat and the purse?” I followed up.

“The coat is an old one of Ella’s that she grew out of and the purse is hers, too.” She trailed off as her face turned serious. “You know, Lily, I need to get something off of my chest.”

“Go on,” I invited with a smile.

“Christmas made me miss you a lot and I knew that you were happier being Lily. I just had to bring you back, so I decided to do exactly that. I knew that we wouldn’t all be together again until tonight, the five of us, so I picked tonight to make it happen. I called the others and told them what I wanted to do and they all jumped right on board. Then I bought your gifts while I was out Christmas shopping, so they’re kind of Christmas gifts. I had to sneak them past my mom. From there, it was just like I said. We wanted you to share in the fun of getting all dressed up for the dance even though we never expected to actually bring you there! You were only supposed to be out on the sidewalk for five minutes before coming right back in but one little flat tire changed everything. It really was supposed to be just a baby step.”

“Well, that was a hell of a baby step!” I laughed, getting her started.

“Yeah, but you liked it!” She teased.

“Yeah, I did! Thank you for everything!” I grinned, but then my face turned serious as I realized that precious time was passing. “Oh God! I’m sorry but I have to make sure we get Lily out of here before she gets caught! Erm... where was I with my planning?”

“Your clothes.” Madison reminded with a smile.

“Yes! I was thinking about my outfit. Should we maybe... no, let’s not bother changing me into a casual outfit,” I decided, turning to face her. “I mean, the others aren’t changing, so if I do it might raise questions. No, I can just go home like this. Even though my feet are killing me!” I giggled, making her chortle.

“Yeah, tell me about it! You know, I think you’re right. Stay as you are until you get home.” She nodded. “Come on, let’s sit on the bed!”

“Yes, please!” I accepted.

Now seated, with the weight off of my sore feet, I worked out the rest of my exit strategy... since my mind wouldn’t let it go.

“So, what do we carry Dylan’s clothes home in? Can we borrow a backpack and tell Liv’s parents that I borrowed a sweater, just...” I shrugged, “to wear something different?”

“Now you’re thinking like a girl,” Madison kidded, with a wink. “We lend each other stuff all the time.”

“What about Dylan’s shoes? Will they fit in the back pack?” I continued my planning.

“Hmm, let’s see.” Madison stood, stepping out of her shoes, and padding over to the closet in her bare stockings. Rifling through Liv’s closet, she found an unused backpack and held it up. “I think it’ll all fit in here.” As she spoke, she grabbed Dylan’s clothes from Liv’s closet and put them in the backpack.

Good idea. Let’s pack them up right now before the Sutcliffes see them.

“Perfect.” I stood, picked up my shoes, and handed them to Madison to finish the job before I froze. “You know what? Amy has to be the one borrowing stuff from Liv. The Sutcliffes just met Lily and I don’t want to draw their attention to that backpack any more than absolutely necessary. That means Amy will have to carry the back pack home so that any attention from Liv’s parents is on her.” I smiled. “That just leaves what to do when I get home...” I thought for a moment. “Well, we’ll put the girls’ clothes in Amy’s room until you and Ella can pick up your stuff – or until we can sneak it back to you. Hopefully, we can keep it out of sight until then. I think that’s everything!” I finished.

“Yup. I think you’ve got this all planned out.” She grinned.

Just then, the others returned from Chloe’s room.

“Hey, you two! The police have arrived. I think they’re going to want to talk to us.” Liv announced.

“Oh, yeah, they probably are. Any sign of Charlie?” Madison inquired.

“No, there’s no sign of him. Not a peep!” Liv smiled, her confidence still showing.

“Ugh. I hope he blows himself up,” Amy blurted, making us laugh. “So what have you two been up to?” she teased.

“Planning my exit strategy,” I replied sotto voce, noting the open door. “Amy, you borrowed a sweater and a pair of shoes from Liv, just because.”

“I did?” she blurted.

“Yes! We have to play it that way. I realized that the Sutcliffes are bringing you and your cousin Lily to our house since we’re not allowed to be walking around this late at night. That means Dylan can’t be seen here and Lily has to stick around until we get home. That means we have to smuggle my clothes out of here. If the Sutcliffes see them, I’ll be outed.” I warned in a low voice, giving her the short explanation.

“Ooh! You’re right!” Amy realized. “Okay. So I borrowed some stuff!” She shrugged. “It ain’t the first time!” she grabbed the backpack and slung it on over her coat and purse.

“Good,” I smiled, feeling more confident that my exit strategy would work.

As if on cue, Mr. Sutcliffe hollered up the stairs, “Girls? The police are here about those damaged cars across the street. Would you come down, please?”

“Coming!” Liv answered for all of us.

We herded down the stairs and told the police about witnessing Charlie setting off several M-80s before finally throwing one across the street, where it damaged the two parked cars. Taking everything down, they informed us that Charlie would receive yet another hefty fine and another charge of misdemeanor vandalism would be added to his record. With that, the police left to inform the neighbors across the street as to how their vehicles had come to be damaged so that they could seek compensation from Charlie’s father.

“Alright, ladies. Now that all of the unpleasantness is taken care off, it’s getting late. Who’s being picked up?” Mr. Sutcliffe asked.

“Just Ella and I.” Madison replied.

“Yeah, Amy’s folks are out at a New Year’s Eve party.” I added.

“Well, I see a couple of cars out front. I guess your rides are here. I’ll walk you two outside and walk these ladies to Amy’s house.” he announced.

Damn! I was hoping he’d drive the two blocks! I guess they don’t want to lose that parking spot.

The second Mr. Sutcliffe turned his back to open the front door, Madison grabbed me for one last wonderful kiss before hurrying to fix our lips. “Goodnight, Lily! I was so happy to see you again!” She smiled.

“I had a great night tonight, Madison!” I marveled, before whispering, “Especially on the rooftop basketball court!” That made her smile a thousand times brighter!

With that, we walked out the front door, which Mr. Sutcliffe held open.

“I’ll be right back, honey!” he called to his wife. “Okay, love. Keep an eye out!”

“Oh, we will!” He rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him.

The walk home was uneventful. Charlie was nowhere to be seen. Liv had finally warded him off – and that was before the cops showed up. Mr. Sutcliffe walked us all the way up the front stairs to our front door to make sure we got in safely. When Amy opened the door, I realized, with a start, that the house was too quiet!

Oh God! The place sounds empty! The TV should be on! Think fast, Lily!

“Gee, it’s quiet in here! Dyllie must have fallen asleep, the goof! I’ll go wake him up!” I giggled, with an eye roll, at which point Amy broke out laughing. “Goodnight, Mr. Sutcliffe. Thanks for walking us home!” I finished.

“My pleasure, ladies!” He smiled.

With that, I darted up the stairs, stopped out of sight, and made believe that Dylan and Lily were having a conversation, switching between his voice and hers.

“Hey Dylan! We’re home!” I made Lily tell the thin air.

Then, in Dylan’s voice, “Oh, hey, Lily! I fell asleep reading a book. Thanks, Mr. Sutcliffe!” Dylan finished with a shout.

“You’re welcome, Dylan. Goodnight!” Mr. Sutcliffe acknowledged.

This is so ludicrous! Well, I’d better keep talking until he’s really gone!

“So, did you girls have fun?” Dylan chatted to nobody.

“Yeah, we had a blast, though that creep Charlie showed up...” I paused as I heard the front door slam. I waited a few seconds until I heard Amy.

“Coast is clear!” She hollered from downstairs.

“Phew!” I breathed a sigh of relief. “D’you think he bought it?”

“Oh, totally!” she giggled.

“Thank God!” I grunted, plopping down at the top of the stairs and removing my shoes. “Gawd, my feet!! I completely understand this now!” I complained, breaking out into a chuckle which only got Amy started again.

“Yep. Now you know!” She smiled, plopping next to me. “Hey, wait a minute. You’re a lesbian. You should be wearing comfortable shoes!” She teased, making us laugh.

As the conversation trailed off, our sisterly joking reminded me of something I’d noticed when Amy had fixed my makeup before the dance.

“You like having a sister, don’t you?” I smiled.

“Of course! I love it!” She grinned. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love Dyllie, too. He’s pretty great, as far as big brothers go. But it’s so great having a sister!”

“I don’t blame you. I’d rather have a sister any day.” I smiled, giving her a hug.

“Duh!” She half-joked.

“Okay. We have the house to ourselves for awhile, but we could use the time. How would you like to help me take off this makeup and nail polish before Mom and Dad get home?” I suggested.

“Well...” she paused, with an impish look, “you know, could stay the way you are and tell Mom and Dad about Lily tonight. You have to tell them sometime.”

“Well, yeah, I do.” I admitted, dreading that moment.

“Besides, you know what?” Her face lit up. “Tonight, they’ll be in a festive mood and... knowing them, they’re probably having some drinks,” she giggled. “You know how Dad’s a pussycat when he’s had a few,” she kept laughing, doubling over.

“Yeah, he is!” I laughed. “Hey! Now that I think of it, both their cars are outside! They must be taking a cab or getting a ride! You know what that means!” My eyes twinkled.

“Yeah. They’re knocking ‘em back!” She giggled, getting me started.

“Do you realize this could work??” I smirked.

“Duh! That’s why I said it!” She smiled.

“Well, hell, let’s tell them tonight!” I grinned. “Hey, you know what else? This really is the best time to mention that Lily accidentally went to the dance, too! They’re going to be glad they’ve had a few when they hear that.”

“Yeah! Beats the hell out of telling them when they’re stone sober!” She smirked.

“Totally!” I sighed. “Okay, then. We tell them tonight.”

The digital clock on Amy’s nightstand displayed 12:10 AM. Amy and I had counted down to the new year together. I was glad to be starting 1986 with honesty to my parents, but I was scared. In preparation for Lily’s introduction to our parents, Amy and I had put our formal shoes back on after resting our feet in slippers. Standing before the full-length mirror on the inside of her closet door, I checked my lip gloss and took a good look at Lily... just in case. My nerves were a mess and I had a knot in my stomach. I had panicked when Mrs. Sutcliffe drove off to the dance with me in the rear seat, but somehow, it didn’t compare to this.

I’m confused. I knew I’d be okay going to that dance as a girl once I got myself to relax, just like I knew I would love what I saw in the mirror and I knew that I would never want to make Lily disappear again. Why don’t I know it’ll be okay with my parents? Maybe it’s because they think I’m their only son and I’m afraid they’ll want to keep him?

“Are you okay?” Amy asked, coming up to stand behind me and making eye contact in the mirror.

“Yeah... I think so. I just can’t help being nervous.” I sighed. “I guess... I feel like the rest of my life depends on this going well. We both know who I really am. Dylan’s the one that needs to disappear.”

“Yeah, he does.” Amy rested her left elbow on my right shoulder and I knew I’d much rather be a big sister than a big brother any day! Being a brother had only put up walls between us that were now crashing down – and I didn’t want them coming back up.

Just think of all the stuff we could do together. Wow! I just realized that Amy might never call me her “Big Bother” again – of course, knowing her, she’s going to start calling me her Big Pisser instead.

Just then, I heard a car door slam out front.

“Oh, God! They’re home!” I tensed.

Then the sound of giggling wafted in through the front windows. Amy went to look out at the street, chuckling herself. “Yeah, they’re on the sauce for sure!”

Unable to help myself, I laughed along with her. It helped to ease my nerves.

“Well, it’s time to face the music. How should we do this?” I wondered.

“We make it look like the most normal thing in the world!” Her face lit up. “Let’s turn on the TV in the kitchen, quick! Come on! We’ll have an after party!” Amy grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs.

We had just enough time to get down there and flip on MTV before we heard the front door open – to the sound of more laughter. Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” played from the TV’s tinny speakers. I stared at the wall behind the TV on the counter, listening to my parents’ footsteps heading into the kitchen.

“Come on, Lil’!” Amy grabbed my hand and made me dance one more time.

Owch!

Groaning, I danced with my back to the kitchen door. We were giggling when my parents walked into the room.

“Well, hello, girls! You havin’ a friend over, Amy?” Mom smiled.

“Not exactly, Mom!” I replied, turning around, with my head tilted to one side with a nervous grin. To my surprise, my father laughed out loud.

“I had a feeling, hon! I always knew that you loved it too much when your friends dressed you up. So, what do we call you?” He smirked, holding on to Mom.

“I’m Lily.” I smiled. “And you guys are plastered!” I tittered.

“Yes, I’m afraid we’ve been a little naughty - and we’ll pay for it in the morning.” she chuckled, coming over to hug me before taking a long look at me. “You look adorable!” Then her brow wrinkled. “In fact, you look ready to—” she gasped, looking back and forth between Amy and I. “You didn’t, did you?”

“Well... not on purpose.” I shrugged. Amy hid a round of giggles behind one hand.

“Wait a minute. Do you mean—” Dad glanced at Mom before looking at me. “Are you saying that you... went to the dance at Webster? As a girl?” He marveled.

“Yes.” I confessed.

“How on Earth did that come about?” Mom asked.

I explained the intended baby step, the flat tire, and all of the girl problems I had at the dance. Somehow, Amy caught on that I left Charlie out of the discussion, knowing that it wasn’t him we needed to talk about. She didn’t say a word about him.

Mom stared at me in wonderment as she blurted, “Honey, the way you talk about your evening you even sound just like any other girl!” Mom marveled.

“Yeah, I noticed that, too, Babe,” Dad agreed. “Like I said. I had a feeling.”

“Alright, my girls, your father and I need to go upstairs and pass out.” She giggled, “not because we’ve been drinking but because it’s after midnight.” She rolled her eyes. “Lord! We haven’t had that much!”

“Oh, God, no! Well, I’m ready to crash.” Dad yawned. “But I’m delighted to meet my... other... daughter,” he rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “We will make an appointment with somebody and... get this all figured out, okay?”

“Thanks, Daddy!” I smiled.

With that they hugged us both.

“I know you don’t have school tomorrow, but don’t stay up too late, okay?” Mom admonished.

“We won’t!” we assured.

“Whew! That went better than I thought!” I sighed as Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” played on MTV.

“Yeah! I thought they’d put up at least some resistance!” Amy agreed.

“I’m just glad they know now.” I sighed. “Well, I wonder what happens next?”

(* Juvie is juvenile detention, where they put young offenders in the USA... unless, of course, they’re charged as adults. In those days, however, they were never charged as adults... and few juveniles committed serious crimes.)

THE “SOUNDTRACK”

1. “Jump” by Van Halen
2. “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League
3. “Lucky Star” by Madonna
4. “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
5. “What’s On Your Mind” by Information Society
6. “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC
7. “Panama” by Van Halen
8. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police
9. “Into The Groove” by Madonna
10. “And She Was” by Talking Heads
11. “You Spin Me” by Dead or Alive
12. “Borderline” by Madonna
13. “Still Loving You” by Scorpions
14. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell
15. “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work
16. “I Ran” by Flock Seagull
17. “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper
18. “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang