45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 8

 

Why can't things just go along without conflict? Well, it wouldn't be a good story if everything
went well, would it? The stakes rise and the pressure mounts. This story was a long haul for me to craft, so
I am very happy that it now seems to be being received well by this audience.

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Author's Note:Thank you all for reading and thank you for all the critiques and comments.
Please continue to post your comments. They mean a lot to me. ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 8 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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Chapter 8
 

"Jenny, you'd better come into the booth and look at this," one of the techs said into the headset.

"Look at what?" Jenny asked, a bit concerned. "I've got a lot going on out here."

"Honestly, you need to get in here. This is important."

Jenny huffed and moved quickly into the tech booth. "What could possibly be more important than..." She stopped as she looked at the screen of a computer that had the national news streaming on it. The depicted scene was chaotic and bloody, but the headline in a banner across the bottom of the screen shocked Jenny.

"Jesus Christ, almighty," she gasped as she read it.

'Sixteen people killed, twenty-eight injured in LGBTQ+ Pride Parade massacre.'

"Turn up the volume."

The reporter's voice became audible. "...the parade and its accompanying events had been a staple of this community for the past thirty years. A popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. Today, the parade had been underway for approximately forty-five minutes when the assailant appeared out of nowhere and began to open fire with a sawed off shot gun. The first float to receive gunfire featured members of the Gay/Straight Alliance from the local high school and two members of that group were pronounced dead at the scene. The next victims were..."

"Where did this happen?" Jenny asked

"Here. In Massachusetts. In a town about twenty-five minutes from here."

"So... some of our girls may well know some of the victims, then."

"It's very likely. Especially if they've been active in any community events like this."

"Turn it down, please,"Jenny said, her eyes wet with tears and her voice unsteady. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "I... we..." she trembled and took other breath. "We'll have to tell the contestants. I'm going to call the chief of police about our security tomorrow."
 

~^~
 

Skyler sighed as Regina grabbed his hand and tried to hurry him towards James' work area. "Seriously? Can't I just do the song and go home."

"That's loser talk," his sister chastised. "Come on."

She led him out of the performance space and back to James' makeshift beauty parlor.

"Finally!" James said, sighing and acting as if Skyler had been missing for hours. "Sit. I'll do your hair first."

Again, the feel of his hair being brushed, then pulled, then the heat of the curling iron near his head and the smell of the old hairspray being cooked away. Then bobby pin after bobby pin being inserted... It was a strange kind of torture, but when he stood and looked in the mirror, the odd, Andrews Sisters' style hairdo was pretty amazing!

Suddenly, Regina was sliding his bathing suit straps down his arms and before he knew it, the whole suit was around his ankles. He quickly covered his exposed crotch and exclaimed, "Hey! I'm not wearing any underwear!"

"And your wiener is wrapped in gauze and tape and tucked up between your legs. Who cares?" Regina said, dismissively. "This is how pageants work, Sky. We see each other naked all the time."

"Here are your panties," Hanna said, rushing in with several hangers of clothes, shoes and his undies.

Skyler grabbed the panties and pulled them up as quickly as he could. He turned and reached for the dress he expected to wear for his nineteenthirties style song, but there was something else over Hanna's arms.

"What's that?"

"That," James said, by way of explanation, "is your new costume for the singing part of your performance." He picked up the off-white blouse and displayed it to Skyler. "It's a vintage piece from the nineteen thirties. I borrowed it from a friend who runs a vintage clothing place that caters to high end customers and the movie and television industry."

It was a beautiful blouse. Short, puff sleeves, lace around the shallow V-neck that led to a vertical row of many tiny, pearlescent buttons that were so attractive that they resembled jewelry.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hanna said.

"It's very sheer," Skyler said. "You can almost see through it."

"It's made of organdy," James explained. "It's made to be worn over a lacy chemise." He reached for a chemise that was also over Hanna's arm. "Try it on. I think you'll look perfect in it."

"But... I was comfortable in the other..."

"Just try it on, Sky," Regina said in a quiet voice, as if talking to child. "James is almost always right about these things. If you don't like it, we have your other clothes here for you."

"Oh..." James reached into a bag and pulled out a beige garment that was obviously made of spandex. "Put this on, first."

"What is it?"

"It's a waist-cincher."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Regina laughed. "Hardly! Sky, it's just a little enhancement, like a padded bra. I've worn a waist cincher lots of times. It just gives you a little more curviness and this kind of skirt will look better with a cincher to give you a tiny bit of curve. Besides, this is a pretty light weight one. Only slightly boned, and just a little zipper up the back. James mentioned a full corset at one point, and I talked him out of that. Just try it. It isn't too bad to wear. Kind of like a wide belt. That's all."

Skyler was skeptical but allowed his kid sister to strap the cincher around his midsection. Once zipped up, it wasn't exactly uncomfortable, just a little odd, but he figured he'd get used to it.

Next, he stepped into a vintage, silk half-slip with elaborate lace trim around the hem. Then the decorative chemise.

And then the skirt.

It was made of a very expensive wool, which James assured Skyler would breathe beautifully. It had a wide belt-style top, not as wide as the waist cincher, but wider than anything he'd worn before. It had two rows of four rather large, metallic buttons on each side of a front flap that actually opened in order to pull the skirt on, then fastened closed to stay on the wearer. The buttons sat approximately halfway between the center of the front of the skirt and the place where the skirt turned around his hips on each side. Just a bit snug around the buttocks - in a good way - but then it hung in a shapely, but not particularly tight manner down to his knees, where the bottom of the skirt flared out, just the tiniest bit, to allow for ease of walking, finally exposing just the lower leg from about three inches below his knee down.

It felt a little alien, but very pleasantly so. Like dressing up in something formal, like a tuxedo, for a recital.

And then the blouse.

The blouse felt different than anything he'd ever worn before. The material was almost unbelievably light and sheer. It sat AROUND his torso more than ON his torso. Somehow, the very large puff of the sleeves, which inflated from his shoulders and then kind of pegged back in by his elbows, but never close enough to make contact with his skin, producing a very feminine image, and it made his already slender arms appear even more slender and childish.

"Here," James said, kneeling and reaching for one of Skyler's feet, "try these on."

After weeks of Regina training him in the proper way to move in the most elegant and narrow heeled high heeled shoes, these seemed clunky and frumpy. They were vintage nineteen thirties era, black leather, women's Oxford shoes that had a heel approximately one and a half inches high. They had a pattern on the leather tops. Little raised ridges that formed bands that ran across the toe box of the shoe. Each band was about a quarter of an inch wide and there were tiny holes punched through the shoe leather to form a pattern. The shoes also laced up with a kind of wide shoelace, almost like the shoelaces you'd wear on sneakers.

"What do you think?" James asked

"I kinda feel like an old lady," Skyler shrugged. "I mean, isn't this all kind of... frumpy?"

"Frumpy!?" Hanna laughed. "Babe, I could eat you up, you look so cute!"

"Really?" Skyler was incredulous.

James quickly grabbed his phone and did a quick image search. "Look at this girl from the nineteen-thirties, Sky. Does she look frumpy?"

Skyler looked at the phone where the image of an actress (who he would later learn was a named Myrna Loy) looked back at him seductively.

"No. She's beautiful."

"Well, I based the look I created for you on a several of her looks. None of them are frumpy, I assure you. So, with that in mind, Hanna, please take the young lady to a mirror so she can see herself more fully."

Once again, Hanna rushed her boyfriend into the dressing room, which was very busy, and guided him to the space that had been reserved for him in front of the mirror. "Look," she instructed.

Staring back at Skyler was a wholly different version of himself than he expected. He was used to looking like Regina's twin by now, but this was different. Staring back at him this time was a the perfect nineteen thirties, twenty-something, overly attractive secretary who probably worked in a slightly disreputable detective's office. Her hair had been pinned under itself to appear to be cut into a stylish, pre-World-War Two bob and then a curling tool had been used to create a faux-Marcel look to the hair with prominently displayed waves running from side to side.

In short, this creation looked as if the reflected image had just stepped out of a film noir retelling of a Raymond Chandler story. She was perfect! She didn't look anything at all like a frumpy old lady. She looked like a stylish young woman of that era dressed impeccably in the style of her day

"Wow!" Skyler muttered. "I look..."

"Perfect," Hanna said when he was lost for the correct word.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Ok, let's go."
 

~^~
 

The contestant rehearsing prior to Skyler was just starting his routine when Jenny walked out into the stage and called for everyone to come out and sit in the audience. When they were all assembled, she took a microphone and looked at the contestants and shook her head.

"Ladies," she said, tentatively, "I cannot tell you how impressed I am with all of you. You've all been so cooperative and enthusiastic... you're all just so beautiful and... God, this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." She looked around and fought back her tears. This just was not the time. "Ok, let me just say this... There was a mass shooting today at an LGBTQ+ Pride parade just a few miles from here. A lot of people were hurt and... nearly twenty were killed."

A serious murmur rolled through the contestants.

"This is crazy," Hanna muttered.

"Sky, we should go," Regina said, quietly.

"No. Let's just listen for now." Skyler wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he was too close to being a finalist, possibly the big winner, to just walk away right then.

"Are we in any danger?" One of the contestants asked.

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I honestly don't know. I mean... there have been shootings in queer nightclubs, at queer beach parties, at a queer parade... I don't know if we're a target or not."

"It sure seems like we'd be an obvious target," another contestant said.

"Why are they targeting Queer Culture?" Still another shouted.

"I need to call my boyfriend. He was in that parade," yet another said in near panic as he stood and headed for the dressing room to get his phone.

"Listen... girls..." Jenny said, trying to form a plan. "... I don't know what can, could or will happen tomorrow, but... girls... ladies... my friends... I am at a loss. Look... if you don't feel safe and need to withdraw... I'll understand."
 

~^~
 

A very sad and concerned Skyler walked into the kitchen of his mother's house about two hours later.

"Oh, my God, Sky," Cathy nearly shouted as she jumped from a kitchen chair and threw her arms around her brother's shoulders. "Sky, Sky, Sky... I've been so worried about you."

"Is that Skyler?" Their mother called from the hallway. She was in the kitchen in seconds. "Skyler, baby..." she also hugged him. "Thank God you're safe."

"Mom, I was nowhere near the parade. You guys know that." Skyler said. He was sad and concerned, and he was grateful for the love being thrown at him, but...

"Well, you're definitely not doing the Gala, tomorrow," his mother said with finality.

"No, of course not," Kathy agreed. "Things are just too dangerous right now."

"Is Sky home, yet?" Amanda half shouted as she entered through the back door.

"Yes," Kathy answered. "Safe and sound."

"Oh, Sky," she said, nearly out of breath. "Come here." She hugged him, too.

"Ummm, guys..." Skyler said with some concern in his voice. "I know that you were all scared today, but... I can't quit the Gala. I just can't."

"Skyler..."

"Mom," he interrupted, "it means too much to me and... I really think I stand a good chance of winning. I just can't quit."

Suddenly, Kathy, Amanda and their mother were all talking at once. They were all concerned and were offering Skyler reasons to step away from the competition.

"What's going on," a voice asked from the hallway doorway. They all turned and saw Uncle Bill.

Everyone was a bit surprised to see him just appear in the house and they got quiet. They all looked at Uncle Bill, but no one spoke for a moment.

Regina was first to speak. "Uncle Bill... did you hear about the shooting today?"

"Shooting?" The store owner said, sounding surprised by his niece's choice of words. "It wasn't a shooting. It was a slaughter of innocent people. Is that what this is all about?"

"Uncle Bill," Kathy said, "there's been so many acts of violence against people like the ones who will be in the Gala tomorrow... and now this thing today... we all just feel that Sky shouldn't do the competition."

"Not all of us," Regina said. "Hanna and I think he should do it."

"You do?" Skyler's mother asked, shocked.

Hanna realized that she was speaking to her. "Yeah... Mrs Moynihan. I think he should do it."

"Why?"

Uncle Bill jumped in. "Because Skyler is the bravest, most talented of all of us. Of course she's competing tomorrow."

"Bill! Are you out of your mind!?" Skyler's mother nearly screamed.

"Uncle Bill, this is insane! Sky is barely old enough to vote," Amanda shouted. "This is not something he NEEDS to do, so it is not something he is going to do."

"I do need to do it, though," Skyler said, louder than he'd intended.

"Sky," Kathy stopped him from continuing. "We all love you and we all have been impressed by your efforts, but... come on. This is just too dangerous."

"I'm doing it," he said, with defiance.

"Sky, honey..." his mother started, but Skyler shook his head and continued.

"Mom... a month ago, I would have agreed with you, but not now. Now... Mom, I've become a whole different person in the last three weeks. I'm not even sure how I became who I am now, but... I am who I am... and I'm not hurting anybody by being who I am. Something changed in me, mom, and at some point, I discovered that I am different than other boys. I am different from other girls. I am different from nearly everyone... except... maybe the girls in the Gala and those people who were attacked today. If I don't do the Gala, mom, I'll be denying who I really am and I'm not doing that. I'm not. So... I'm sorry if it's not what you want me to do, but... tomorrow, I'm doing the Gala... and I will understand if you guys decide not to come."

Hanna and Regina both smiled at Skyler's determination.

Uncle Bill stepped forward and hugged the feminized boy. "I'll be there for you, Sky. Nothing could keep me away."

"Thanks, Uncle Bill."

Unexpectedly, other people joined in the hug. "I'll be there too, Sky," Kathy said.

"Me too," said Amanda.

"Oh, my baby, my baby," Skyler's mother said, quietly. Then louder, "I'll be there, too, my baby."
 

~^~
 

"What time are you expecting your crew to arrive?" The police chief asked Jenny.

"Originally, we were going to have them show up at three," she replied, "but with all of these threats, I asked everyone to get here earlier. They'll be here at ten in the morning, if possible. A couple have to work in the morning and are not able to change their schedules."

"Ok," the chief heaved a big sigh. "I know these people are acting like they're going to cause a lot of trouble, but honestly... I don't think it'll be anything more than a little demonstration down by the road."

"Let's hope so. After yesterday..."

"I know, but, trust me, Ms Jacobs, we are doing everything we can to keep you safe."
 

~^~
 

"Reggie!? Can I borrow a big tote bag or something like that to pack up all the stuff I have to take with me!?" Skyler hollered from his bedroom, down the hall.

Regina appeared almost immediately with a rather large, brown overnight bag that was decorated with pale pink straps and a familiar, yet odd design on it that featured the combined image of an 'L' and a 'V'. "You don't show up to a pageant with your things stuffed into a tote bag, Sky. You show up calm, collected and reeking of class. Here. Use this bag. It's a Louis Vuitton."

Skyler's eyes popped open. "You own a Louis Vuitton overnight bag? Don't those cost like a few thousand dollars?"

"Not when you buy them from a guy selling them from the back of a van in Times Square," Kathy chuckled, looking into the bedroom. I bought that on a field trip to New York City when I was in tenth grade. I always called it my Louis Fauxton."

"It looks real," Skyler said.

"And that's all that matters," Regina said, a bit smugly. "Fold everything neatly and put all of your accessories into the little bags in there. You need to arrive looking like a queen."

"Interesting choice of words," Kathy said, a little smile on her lips. She took the bag from Regina and entered the room. "You ok, Sky?"

He nodded. "Nervous, but... yeah. I'm ok."

His sister nodded and sat on the bed and opened the bag, taking out the little accessory bags and organizing things for her younger sibling. "It's been an interesting few weeks, having another girl in the house. Have you enjoyed it?"

Skyler busied himself with folding and organizing his things. "I have, Kath. I've enjoyed it a lot more than I ever expected I would."

Kathy nodded. "So... what happens tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's assume that everything goes well and that we all come home from this thing in one piece, come tomorrow morning, will I have two sisters and a brother or three sisters?"

Skyler snickered at the question because his answer was going to seem so vague. "Both, I think."

"Both? How is that going to work?"

Skyler stopped folding and sat next to her. "I think that I am meant to look like this, Kath. I mean, I feel right when I look like this. Right in a way that I have never felt right before. I think I'm going to stay this way. I don't think I could face going back to who I used to be."

Kathy put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, so his head rested on her shoulder. "I understand, Sky. Just so you know, though, I always liked the kid you used to be. I like this one, too, though."

Skyler smiled. "So... you ARE coming today?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
 

~^~
 

"Three arrests were made yesterday as protesters violently clashed outside a Los Angeles County school district building, where board members had convened to vote on whether or not to recognize June as Pride Month, according to the Glendale Police Department," The television reporter said.

"Hundreds of people gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters both in opposition and in support of the school district's LGBTQ policies. Anti-LGBTQ protesters waved American flags and chanted "Leave our kids alone" and the names of the five school board members who were supporting the Pride Month recognition. Counter protesters waved Pride flags and held up signs rebuking anti-LGBTQ sentiments, according to the Los Angeles Times."

"The board was about an hour into hearing comments from the public when police declared the protests an "unlawful assembly" due to instances of physical violence, including unauthorized pepper spray use," police said. Attendees of the school board meeting were ordered to shelter in place, and police cordoned the building entrance with yellow tape..."

"Please shut that off!" Jenny said, coming out of the bathroom, fussing with an earring. "You know, two years ago, I barely paid attention to the narrow minded hate mongers that prowl the face of this earth, but since becoming 'Jenny,' I seem to have become the enemy of everything that is good and right to these people. What the hell did I do to them in the first place?"

Her wife got up from the chair she'd been using, with some difficulty due to her pregnancy, and hugged her beautiful husband. "It's not you, baby. It's anything they can't get their minds around. It's like that lyric that the mob sings in 'Beauty and the Beast.' 'We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us.'"

"So, I guess that makes me the beast, then?"

"Kind of," her wife smiled and fussed a bit with his beautiful hair. "But that's kind of good thing though. You do know that that song is really about fear of homosexual men during the AIDS epidemic, right?"

Jenny looked at that gorgeous smile of hers and kissed her wife's cheek. "You're a very smart woman, Professor Jacobs, but I think you're stretching for meaning in a children's song right now."

"No, you're right," she nodded, pretending to concede. "Howard Ashman, a gay, HIV positive man writes a lyric like that at the height of an epidemic that is killing his friends and alienating him from the rest of society as he awaits his own early grave, but he does so with absolutely no sub-text. That makes much more sense."

Jenny smiled and kissed her again. This time on the lips. "Ok. I concede. My college professor wife is smarter than I am. That's why you're lecturing doctoral students on great literature while I'm dressing up boys in gowns to parade in front of spectators."

"Damned right I'm smarter than you," she grinned playfully. "You know, it's a good thing you look so sexy in those tailored skirt suits you like to wear so much, or I'd be looking for another husband."

Jenny chuckled. "Thanks for coming. I know that traveling isn't easy for you right now. Things are... crazy, though. I never expected people to be behaving this way. I am seriously concerned about what might happen today."

"Nothing bad will happen, Jen. You've got the police on standby, you're bringing all the contestants in early... You've got this. Remember what Shakespeare wrote: 'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny. It is in ourselves.'"

Jenny nodded. "And here come the literary quotes."

"And Dr Seuss wrote, 'Only you can control your future.'"

"Oh, Dr Seuss," Jenny giggled. "You've run out of Shakespeare?"

"Never," his wife grinned. "How about, 'And if we should fail, we fail. But screw your courage to the sticking place and we shall not fail.'" She hugged his little body close to hers.

"Wait! I thought that 'screw your courage' thing was from that same song you were quoting before from Beauty and the Beast."

"Everything goes back to Shakespeare, dear. Even Disney."
 

~^~
 

"Get your crap out of my area," one of the larger contestants was yelling at Rodney as Skyler entered the dressing room.

"Look, Brunhilda," Rodney snapped at the larger person, "we all know that you don't stand a chance of being in the final five today, while I am a shoe in to win. Now, I need some space, sasquatch, so find someplace else to smear that war paint all over that big ugly puss of yours."

"Hey!" one of the other, larger contestants said in a raised, angry voice. "You know the rules! Keep your shit in your own space."

"Was I talking to you, She Hulk?" Rodney snapped.

"Listen to me, you smart mouthed little..."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Another contestant yelled, stepping in between the angry parties. "Look, we're all really stressed and worried, but before anyone gets thrown out of the competition, let's all calm down and work this out."

Skyler touched the arm of the first contestant to have been in conflict with Rodney. "Hey," he said, softly, "my name is Sky. What's yours?"

"Elliot," the contestant said, "but I go by Ellie."

Skyler nodded. "Look, Ellie... I have someone helping me somewhere else, so all I really need in here is a place to hang my stuff. You can use my area on the other side of Rodney."

"Yeah, but... why should he get twice as much space as anyone else?" Ellie said, still angry.

"What difference does it make?" Skyler said, smiling a bit. "We've all worked hard to get to this point. Let's not let him ruin everything for us."

Ellie took a deep breath and calmed down. He nodded. "Ok. Thanks."

Skyler hung up his garment bags and headed back out the door.

"I don't think you should have done that, Sky," Regina said in a stressed whisper.

Skyler shrugged. "What difference does it make? I'm not using the space and it put an end to the argument."

"Yeah, but you just handed Rodney a victory. That's not a good idea. He already was a smug jerk. Now, he's a smug jerk with a victory to enable him. That just makes him feel even more entitled. That's the kind of energy that he thrives on."

Skyler shrugged again. "I can't change the way that Rodney behaves, but I can control what I do. Giving Ellie my space wasn't a strategic decision. There's too much going on around us for me to care about how Rodney behaves. It was just the right thing to do. Ok?"

"Ok."
 

~^~
 

"God hates fairies!" The protester yelled at every car that passed him on the main road.

"Stay out of our city!" Yelled another.

"Perverts! Perverts! Perverts!" Yelled another, over and over in perfect quarter note rhythm.

There were others out there, too. About thirty-five of them in total and all of them yelling their own chants with no interest in what was being shouted by the people around them. The result was a din or conflicting sounds that assailed the people entering the driveway of the Ansonia Mansion. There was nowhere near a large enough crowd to dissuade someone from entering, and the protesters were contained in an area across the main road from the mansion's property, but there were enough protestors to create some noise and create concern on the part of some attendees - especially those who had loved ones in the Gala's competition.

"Good God, I hope nothing gets too out of control," Skyler's mother said, feeling the heat of fear rising in her chest. "Maybe we should just get Skyler and go home."

"Not an option, mom," Amanda said, driving the SUV. "Sky's pretty focused on doing this thing. I don't think we could stop him if we wanted to."

"He's right, mom," Kathy agreed. "There are plenty of police around, anyway. Nothing will happen."

"I hope not."

"Not to worry," Uncle Bill said from the passenger seat. "These jerks just want to hear themselves yell. They won't cause a ruckus inside."
 

~^~
 

"So far, so good," Jenny said to Karen. "Have all of the contestants signed in?"

Karen checked her iPad. "It looks like it. I haven't checked on them in person, but they've all checked in online."

"Is everything going smoothly?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "For the most part. One of the backstage coordinators reported some kind of argument between Rodney and Elliot, but that seems to have been resolved - or at least it got quieter before a staff member had to get involved."

Jenny shook her head. "Rodney. Rodney is one of those people who can get under your skin in a heartbeat, and the biggest problem is, he loves to do it. If he weren't so freaking talented, I'd be even more ticked off than I am."

"I've already asked the backstage people to keep an eye on him."

"Ok. Thanks, Karen. How is everything else going?"
 

~^~
 

"Hors D'oeuvres?" The handsome young server asked Kathy, Amanda and their mother. A lovely assortment of meats, vegetables and cheeses were laid out on several large tables that stood between the catering staff and the guests. "We are offering scallops wrapped in bacon, chicken teriyaki, a spinach dip with various vegetables and several different cheeses with crackers."

"Oh, well, that all sounds delicious," their mother said, taking a small plate from the table and putting a little feast together for herself.

"HE looks delicious," Kathy whispered to her sister, causing them both to chuckle a bit.

"Would you ladies like some as well?" The young man asked.

"Why, yes... I'm sorry. I can't make out your name tag," Kathy said, flirtatiously.

"Oh," the young man said, standing straighter and indicating his name tag.

"Thank you, Alan," Kathy smiled. "I would love to try your hors D'oeuvres."
 

~^~
 

"Thirty minutes!" One of the assistant stage managers called down the hallway to the contestants.

"Thank you, thirty," about half the contestants called back out of habit. Most of them had some stage experience either as actors or dancers in community theater.

Skyler stood in his soft pink, silk gown and looked into the mirror. "Boy, if you'd told me a month ago, I'd be here doing this right now, I'd have told you that you were crazy. Now... it just seems like what I've always been working towards this."

Hanna stepped behind him and looked in the mirror as well. "Well, if you ask me, I think that destiny played a part in all of this. It's almost like a fairy tale. We had this kind of introverted, shy boy and, with the help of his fairy godmother - Reggie and her assistant James - we found the kingdom's princess right under our very noses. You look..." she sighed. "...just unbelievably beautiful, Sky. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have you as a boyfriend."

She gave him a gentle hug on his shoulders and softly kissed the back of his head. "Mmm... and you smell as good as you look."

"That's 'Ariana Grande MOD,'" Regina said, proudly. "It's my good-luck scent."

"Turn and give me a hug for good luck," Hanna said.

"A soft hug," James warned. "That dress was steamed to get out all the wrinkles and her hair is perfect. If you mess up any of it, I will not be happy!"

Hanna resisted the impulse to give her boyfriend a nice, firm squeeze and instead kept her hands on his exposed shoulders, squeezed just a bit and said, "Good luck, babe. Remember I love you. I'll be watching from the wings."
 

~^~
 

"No room for perverts in this town! No room for perverts in this town!" The protestor shouted over and over again, but then he suddenly grew quiet. "What the hell?" He muttered, looking across the street at something or someone in the parking lot. Suddenly, he dropped his sign and hurried across the street.

"Hey!" another protestor who knew him shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

The man stopped and turned. "I'm going up to the mansion. I think I just saw my daughter up there, and if I did, then she going to rue the day that she was ever born."
 

~^~
 

"Here you go," Uncle Bill said, smiling broadly, thrilled to be dressed up and out with his brother's children and his sister-in-law. "A glass of champagne for everyone to celebrate."

"Oh, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bill," the girls' mother said. "We have a long evening ahead of us before we know if Skyler wins or not."

He sipped from the glass flute. "Oh, that's not what I mean. You know that Skyler has always been my favorite nephew."

"He's your only nephew, Uncle Bill," Kathy pointed out.

"Which make the bond I have with him that much more special. Anyway - I've always felt that Sky wasn't... quite... happy. You know what I mean? I mean, he's always been such an achiever with that piano of his, but he always just looked a little... sad all the time. But I gotta tell you, after I met the new Skyler in my store a couple of weeks ago... I saw something very special in that child's eyes. I saw someone who'd finally found out who he was and... well... Isn't that what we're all trying to find out?"

"I guess so," his sister-in-law agreed. "You know, when Skyler was just a baby, and he was born much smaller than any of my girls, I used to wonder..."

But something had caught Bill's attention. He was looking across the crowded lobby of the mansion and watching someone moving through the crowd. When he was sure of who it was, he shouted, "Lynn!?"

The young woman turned and gave an embarrassed wave.

"Lynn, come on over and have some food with us. We've got plenty."
 

~^~
 

"Tech, are you all set?" Jenny called from the stage.

"All set!" The new Tech Director called back.

"Stage manager, are you all set?"

"All set!" The stage manager called back

"House, are you all set?"

"All set!" The house manager called back.

"Alright," she said, then took a deep breath. "You can open the doors."

Moments later, the audience members began flowing into the space.

"Let's sit near the front," Jenny heard someone say as he and the rest of his party passed her and moved in with the rest of the crowd. "I have my good camera, but I only have a wide-angle lens."

"Ok, Uncle Bill," a woman in her mid-twenties said with a smile, and it was that smile that caught Jenny's attention. She'd seen it before on another, similar face. She watched the group settle into seats in the thirds row behind the judges table and couldn't help herself. She had to say hello.

"Excuse me," she said quietly to the woman who'd spoken on the way in, "but I have to ask... Are you Skyler Moynihan's family?"

"Why, yes, we are," the twenty-something woman responded.

"Oh, hi," Jenny said, extending a hand. "My name is Jenny Jacobs and I just had to tell you what a pleasant, beautiful and talented young person Sky is."

"Oh, well... thank you," Amanda said with a grin.

"And what is your name? So I can tell Sky to look for you from the stage."

"I'm Amanda. I'm Sky's oldest sister. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is my sister Kathy, my mom, my Uncle Bill and that's Lynn; she works with Sky at my Uncle Bill's store. Everyone, this is Jenny Jacobs."

"Hi, everyone," Jenny half purred. "I am one of the show coordinators, and I was just telling Amanda how much I have enjoyed working with Sky. Congratulations Mrs Moynihan. You have raised a wonderful and talented child."

"Thank you," their mother blushed, thrilled with the compliment. "I must tell you, though, all of my children are amazing and talented."

Jenny smiled. These people were just as pleasant as Skyler was. How nice. "Well, even more congratulations, then," Jenny smiled. "I assume you've all seen Sky in her outfits for today. She does look stunning."

"Yes," Skyler's mother smiled. "Of course, this is all kind of new for Skyler. He really has taken to being a girl remarkably well."

Jenny chuckled at the odd statement. "I think Sky is an egg, just like I was."

"An egg?" Uncle Bill asked.

"Yes, an egg," Jenny smiled, then explained. "In our world, an egg is a trans-person who doesn't know they're a trans-person until they explore that side of their personality. I was an egg. I had no interest in looking like this until my wife dressed me for last year's Gala. From the moment I first saw my new self in a mirror, I knew I needed to be this person for the rest of my life. I think Sky made the same discovery."

"I think you're right," Amanda nodded. "Sky is an egg."

"I have to do a few things," Jenny said with a cordial smile, "but I just wanted to say hello. I will tell Sky where you are seated."

As Jenny turned to leave, a voice said, "Jenny, hi!"

"Alma! How are you!?" Jenny replied and she had a brief conversation with the woman and her companion.

The name 'Alma' struck Hanna as unusual since she was only familiar with one person named 'Alma,' and that was Professor Kramer, Skyler's piano teacher. She turned and looked and was surprised to see both Professor Kramer and Professor Marino, Skyler's voice coach for the event. How nice of them to have come to support Skyler!

Dr Marino glanced in Hanna's direction, so Hanna gave a small, friendly wave. Professor Marino returned the wave and nudged Professor Kramer and pointed. When Professor Kramer spotted Hanna, she waved as well.
 

~^~
 

Rodney looked around the hallway where all of the contestants were lined up, ready to march out for the Parade of Gowns and shook her head. These peons were no competition. He had this in the bag. The only one she was concerned with was that Sky bitch.
 

~^~
 

"We are ready," Karen said into her headset microphone after checking in with all the overseers of each aspect of the performance. "Tell Jenny 'ten seconds' and let's bring the house to black and... on my cue... Music go... lights up."

The music started and the dramatic lighting filled the stage as Jenny walked out, in a stunning, gold dress, to the applause of the excited crowd.

"Good evening, everyone," she greeted in a voice that in no way betrayed her XY chromosomes, or her concerns about the security issues threatening the event, "and welcome to The Forty-Fifth Annual Gala of Tiresias! My name is Jenny Jacobs and I am a former winner of the gala."

There was some applause.

"I'd like to introduce our three judges for this evening. First, a contributing fashion journalist for Elle and Cosmopolitan Magazines and a frequent guest on The Today Show - Ariana Mosely!" There was applause. "Next, from the Lifetime Network show, 'Queer Like Me' - Sofia Ramirez!" More applause. "And finally, from 'America's Got Talent' and 'American Idol,' Colombia Music recording artist, "Nevaeh Colby!"

More applause.

"And now, I'll be handing off my hosting duties to your guest host for the evening. Star of the Marvel Comics 'Avengers' Universe and the Disney Channel series, 'Wanda-Vision...'" she paused for anticipation to build. "...Elizabeth Olson!"

The audience applauded wildly as the actress stepped out onto the stage, waving to the crowd.

"Oh, my God!" One of the contestants said, backstage, excited. "We're going to meet Elizabeth Olsen!"

"Who's that?" Another asked.

"The Red Witch," one contestant explained, but that didn't help the person who asked the question.

"Wanda Maximoff," another contestant explained.

Didn't help.

"Mary-Kate and Ashley's little sister," someone else said.

"Oh," the contestant responded. "I know who Mary-Kate and Ashley are, so... cool."

"What difference does it make?" Rodney asked, sounding disgusted. "You're most likely getting eliminated after the gown parade, anyway. So, you won't have the opportunity to meet her."

"Geez, why are you like that?" Ellie, the larger contestant who'd had a run in with Rodney early asked.

"Because I'm a winner, Godzilla," Rodney sneered, "and you're a loser and I don't like having the smell of losers around me."

"Ok, enough," Skyler said with uncharacteristic forcefulness.

"Oh, great. Another loser heard from!" Rodney said with great flourish and exasperation.

Skyler took a breath to calm himself, then turned to Ellie. "She's just trying to get us revved up so we'll have a bad show. Ignore her and just focus on your performance. Ok?

Ellie nodded. "Ok."

"Ok," Rodney mimicked in a low, bass voice. "You sound more like a fullback than a woman."

"Just shut up, Pussy," another contestant said, using the first part of Rodney's stage name, Pussy Boots. "You're getting on everyone's nerves... including mine."

Rodney gave him a frustrated, dramatic wave and turned away as if insulted.
 

~^~
 

"Excuse me sir, but do you have a ticket to the Gala?" an usher asked as Lynn's father attempted to enter the front doors of the Ansonia Mansion.

"A ticket?" he responded, actually confused at being questioned. "No. But my daughter just went in a few minutes ago and I need to get her out."

The usher, a medium sized man with a cleanly shaved head and a sense of authority about him, said, "I'm sorry, sir, you can't enter without a ticket. Is your daughter a minor?"

"A minor? No. She's eighteen, but..."

"Then there's nothing I can do for you, sir. If she entered, then she purchased a ticket and I can't interrupt the show to find an adult who entered on her own. So, if you don't mind, sir... I must ask you to leave."

"But..."

"If you don't leave now, sir, I will have to call a police officer and have you removed."

Not wanting to have a repeat of the embarrassing experience of being arrested, he shook his head and left.
 

~^~
 

"The Gala of Tiresias has been the most prestigious womanless pageant in the country for more than four decades," Elizabeth Olsen was saying on the stage, "and I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of tonight's pageant. Tonight, we shall see thirty beautiful ladies who are actually handsome gentlemen in real life. Some intend to continue down the road of transition, and some are just imitating the female form for this event, but all are beautiful and eager to show you what they have to offer. So - without further ado, may I present... The Parade of Gowns!"

With that, the rather theme-park-sounding music that was used for the parade began playing and each contestant appeared on the stage in their beautiful baby-blue or pink gown, walking with a straight back and as much poise as they could muster.

The taller 'girls' entered first because they would end up in the back of the tableau they were creating. They paraded across the stage, smiling, stopping briefly at center stage for a quick head-nod-style bow, and the audience applauded appreciatively for each of them. They each had, after all, created a remarkably beautiful image of femininity.

"There she is!" Uncle Bill said to his sister-in-law as her son appeared on the stage.

"My God," she said quietly, "she's one of the most beautiful girls on that stage."

"Of course she is," Uncle Bill smiled. "All my nieces are beautiful." He chuckled with delight and put his arm around her shoulder, then shouted out as Skyler stopped for a moment at center stage, "THAT'S MY NIECE!"

That caused Skyler to smile just a bit more naturally as he glanced in the direction of his family. More than beautiful, Skyler was truly attractive and just... naturally lovely.

As the last of the contestants took the stage, the parade ended with the contestants standing in a well-planned formation, a tableau, and they all stood in feminine, modeling positions with Miss America quality smiles plastered on their lovely, made-up faces.

They stood still while the applause crested and fell. Then, Elizabeth Olsen reappeared on the stage. She made a short speech about how difficult it was to be the bearer of bad news, but then she announced the names and number of the contestants who were already being cut. Those five came forward for a round of consolation applause from the audience before leaving the stage.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Elizabeth Olsen said, "We shall begin a round of questions and answers and demonstrations of talent. We shall keep five contestants here to answer questions while the others all go and prepare for their talent portion of the event. We shall be alternating between question and answer sections and performances. At the end of these sections, ten more contestants will be eliminated and we shall continue our way towards selecting our final five contestants and, ultimately, our winner. So, the following contestants, please remain on stage for now and the rest, please go prepare for your talent presentation."

Skyler was the first person called upon to answer questions. The first three questions were the same questions he'd been asked at rehearsal, and he answered in pretty much the same way that he's answered before. Then came the fourth question.

"So, tell me, Sky," Elizabeth Olsen said, smiling, "now that you've taken on a woman's persona, what do you find most attractive about women?"

The question seemed incredibly broad at first, but he thought about it for a moment and then answered, "When you say 'attractive,' I immediately think about how a woman looks, but that isn't what I find the most attractive. I think that... Well. what I think is most... not attractive... but... miraculous about women is their warmth. Their nurturing. Their ability to be mothers in all the ways that that word implies. Giving birth to a child, feeding a child, loving a child, nurturing a child... all of that. Sure, women wear beautiful, soft, comfortable clothes, but they aren't just beautiful on the outside. Women are... everything to me. My mother, my three sisters, my girlfriend... they are everything to me."

The actress shook her head, impressed by the answer. "And if you could become a woman right now, would you do it?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "I don't know. I love looking this way, but... I don't know."

She smiled at his sincerity. "Ok," she said with a nod. "Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Sky!"

The crowd applauded appreciatively, and Sky waved as he smiled and headed towards the stage right exit. He did hear the big, familiar voice of Uncle Bill shouting, "That's my girl!" as he crossed the stage. It made him smile.

As soon as he cleared the stage door, Regina was waiting. "You were great!" she said, grabbing his arm and hurrying him towards James' work area. There were a few members of the catering staff in there loading up equipment that would not be needed for the rest of the evening.

Hanna immediately grabbed the pull on the dress's zipper and lowered it, guiding the dress down to the floor.

"In the chair, quickly," James said. "Hair and makeup first, then the dress. Hanna, go grab the light green robe Sky used earlier."

"Where is it?" Hanna asked.

"The main dressing room," Skyler said. "On a hanger in my area."

"Ok." Hanna rushed down the hall and grabbed the garment then rushed back.

"Oh, excuse me," a good-looking young man in caterer's clothing said, looking behind the curtain in the extra room, not realizing that it was being used as a prep space for a contestant.

Skyler's mouth dropped open at the sight of the young man, but the young man turned and let the curtain close behind him.

What Skyler couldn't see was that the young man stopped and was thinking about the person in the chair. For some reason, she looked familiar. He was searching his memory for a match to the face when suddenly Hanna entered the room with the robe in her hand.

"Alan?" she said, sounding confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working a catering gig," he said, matter of factly. "What are you doing here?"

"I... we... I mean..." she sputtered, not knowing how to answer the question without outright stating that Skyler was in the show.

"You're not..." he started to say, but then the identity of the girl in the chair hit him. He turned quickly and pulled the makeshift curtain aside. "Sky!?" he said, shocked. "You're a guy!?"

Everyone - Skyler, Hanna, James and Regina - everyone - held their breath for a moment until Skyler answered with a quiet, "...yes."

Alan stood shocked and staring. "Wh... Wh... Why didn't you tell me? I mean... we're friends, right? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to," Skyler said, honestly. "When I first met you, I didn't think we would become such good friends and..."

Alan nodded, then he looked at Hanna. "Are you a guy, too?"

"No," she said, with a shrug. "I'm all girl. Sorry."

He looked at Regina with a confused look.

"I'm a girl too," she said.

"Look, Alan," Skyler said, "I'm really sorry that things worked out this way. I really need to win this scholarship money and... I mean... How could I tell you that... you know."

Alan nodded. "Hey, it's your business, Sky, but..." He shook his head. "I guess I'm just having a hard time processing all of this. You're just... like... one of the prettiest and most feminine girls I ever met and..."

"I hate to interrupt," James said, "but we have to get this lovely lady sitting here in just her bra and panties, ready for her talent section of the evening. So, if you don't mind..." He reached to take the robe from Hanna and laid it backwards across Skyler.

"Yeah, sorry," Alan said, turning to leave, but then stopping and turning back to Skyler. "So... on Monday... will I meet the REAL Sky?"

Skyler looked at his girlfriend and sister while James brushed out his hair. "Actually... I think that you already met the REAL Sky. To tell you the truth, I only met the REAL Sky a few days before you did and... she's staying."

"Ok," Alan said, again planning to leave, but again stopping. "Look, Sky, you've obviously been dealing with a lot and I don't want to add to it. I admit I'm surprised and I'm a little disappointed that you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth, but..." Suddenly, Alan leapt forward and laid a gentle kiss on Skyler's soft cheek. "Good luck, Sky. I hope you win. I'm going to be in the audience for the rest of the evening and I'm going to be applauding the loudest for you."

Skyler smiled. "Thank you, Alan."

Alan winked. "You'll hear me in the audience."

"You're going to have to shout a lot louder than our Uncle Bill," Regina said with a giggle. "He's pretty loud."

Alan smiled. "I'll find them and stand near them so we're the loudest section in the hall."
 

~^~
 

The applause ebbed as Rodney took his bows, wearing his Tina Turner style leotard dress. Essentially it was a dancer's leotard made with fabric that matched Rodney's skin fairly well, with the area around his body covered in half-inch wide circles of glittery metal that hung in a tattered skirt to his thin, athletic knees, and shimmered as he did his elaborate, jazz-style dance to Rhianna's 'S&M.' Rodney took his deep bows, blew kisses and half skipped off the stage as the guest host took command of the stage again.

"Beat that, Mary," he hissed at Skyler who waited in the wings for his introduction. Skyler just rolled his eyes and focused on the performance just ahead of him.

"That was great, was it it? And now, we present Sky Moynihan playing Chopin's immortal 'Minute Waltz,'" Elizabeth Olsen introduced. She swung her arm to the right where an eight-foot grand piano had been wheeled into place by two stagehands. The spotlight picked up Skyler as he walked onto the stage in his spaghetti strapped black gown with the little gold squares scattered randomly about the fabric. He smiled and bowed as he sat on the artist's style piano bench and took just a moment to adjust the height of the seat.

"God, she looks just like Regina," Uncle Bill whispered to his sister in-law. "It's almost like watching Regina up there."

"Until he plays the piano," Skyler's mother laughed. "Then you'll know for sure that it's Skyler."

Skyler took a deep breath and then his fingers exploded on the keys of the piano. His attack was precise and his emotions were conveyed perfectly through the simple percussion of the hammers on the strings. He played Chopin's novelty piece with precision, flair, and above all, passion.

Even though most English speaking audiences pronounce 'minute' the word for the accumulation of sixty seconds, the word 'minute' in this case is really the French word for 'miniature,' and, despite the
mispronunciation of the title, the piece is meant to be played in the time span of one minute and forty-five seconds to two minutes and thirty seconds. Skyler took it at a very brisk pace, and it took just about one minute and fifty seconds to complete.

That was one minute and fifty seconds of fire and musicality that shocked and elated the audience, who, as one, sprung to their feet in a standing ovation.

Skyler stood beside the piano and smiled while bowing and looking almost embarrassed by the adulation.

Elizabeth Olsen came over and put her arm around Skyler's shoulders while addressing the crowd. "How Cow!" she said with a huge smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, Sky Moynihan!" The applause grew strong again and Skyler took another bow. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to take a fifteen minute break here. That will give you all the opportunity to stretch your legs, grab a drink, visit the lavatory and give our judges the opportunity to discuss their scores. When we come back, we will find out who is proceeding to the swimsuit round and who is not. Thank you."

She kept her arm around Skyler as she led him off stage, speaking as they walked. "My God, girl, you are a phenomenon. How did you ever get that good?"

Skyler shrugged. "I pretty much just play piano twenty-four-seven, so you just kinda get good at it, I guess.
 

~^~
 

"These degenerates are infiltrating our schools and poisoning the minds of our children with their 'woke' philosophies," the congresswoman said into her bullhorn to the crowd assembled across the street from the Ansonia Mansion. She represented a district in the south, but her philosophy of self-righteous intolerance made her very popular with a certain faction of the electorate nation wide - including the people assembled.

"These people... these... entertainers... teachers... whatever... they are setting an evil example for our young children. They are setting them off on a road that leads straight to hell and eternal damnation. They are undermining everything that the USA has stood for since our forefathers came to this country to escape the persecution of the 'free thinkers' of Europe. We are a Christian country, founded on Christian values and we cannot - WE WILL NOT - allow these perverts to destroy everything that your fathers and my father fought for. We are the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave and I call upon each and every one of you to be brave and show these evil people that we shall not sit back and let them destroy the greatest country on earth! We shall not let them destroy this Eden that God gave us! We shall not let them indoctrinate our children! We - you and I - are the true Americans. It is up to us to stop these people and stop them now!"

The medium sized crowd erupted in applause and cheers. It was at that moment that the man who'd been escorted out of the mansion noticed the CVS store at the end of the parking lot.
 
 
To Be Continued...