Chapter II

 
 
 

     The door to the auditorium made a soft thud behind me as I walked down the aisle between the seats. I was struck by the dustiness of the place. It was strange, but somehow, the theater always smelled like an old dusty warehouse, except for those few days that we actually put on a performance. At those times, it smelled fresh and well aired. It was really kind of odd… Perhaps you just didn't notice it so much with all the people there.

“There you are. Right on time.” Miss Lynn said from somewhere around the stage.

A little current ran through my middle, because until she spoke, I'd though I'd been alone. Looking up, I quickly found her, gesturing me to come through the gap in the curtains at the right of the stage where she disappeared again.

Behind the curtain, to the right of the stage, was a area set out of sight of the audience, and behind that a large communal dressing room. Toward the back were some makeup tables. Around two sides of that room were closets and three deep racks of costumes, mostly covered by white sheets. Along the back wall were a small bathroom, and three other smaller private dressing rooms. Miss, Lynn was standing at the costume racks, going through a rack of what looked like long dresses.

She said without looking back, “I wanted to thank you again for doing this for me.” “I must have soaked my feet three times the first night we had to do this.”

She had turned around, holding up what looked like a green velvet ball gown as she inspected it carefully. “This should do nicely…” She smiled as if she'd found something she had been looking for, for a much longer time. “I also wanted to thank you for coming so early. I thought it might be a good idea if we could set up the place for the lesson, and then take a few moments where you and I could warm up together.” Her eyes were now on me, which of late, made me feel like she could tell what I had in my pockets or something.

“After all,” she finished the thought, “I'm not at all sure how much experience you've had dancing a girl's part, and I though we could go over some of the finer points. You might also give me some of your ideas as well.”

She walked up to me, smiling still, which caused my eyes to constantly shift from her face to the dress, and back again in abject terror. I must have looked like an idiot during a fire drill at the Sunny Hills Home.

I jumped a little when she continued speaking. “I'll be right back, and then we can get started.” She finished, and headed for one of the smaller dressing rooms along the back wall.

I watched the door close behind her with a sense of relief. For a moment or two there, I'd thought that she had some unusual ideas as to how to teach me to dance like one the girls. I was glad she was walking away, as I'm sure that the face of relief I was making must have been pure Broadway.

After watching the door swing softly into place behind her, however, the most interesting thing in the room seemed to be that rack of dresses. I'd never been much for the theater, so had spent precious little time in this part of the theater building. I'd had no thought that these were here. I was impressed by some of the things that had been collected here over the years. Most of the dresses themselves looked like something that would have clothed the extras in a Dickens play.

Running my hand over the closest one, I was impressed by how heavy it was, and I pushed its neighbors away so that I could see it better. Somehow I'd been expecting that these costumes would all be made out of bed sheets, or something else equally cheap, but these were quite real - and quite lovely.

Just as the green gown had been, which I realized only now that the threat of being embarrassed in front of Miss Lynn had faded.

As I moved into the racks where they were pushed to the wall, I peeked under several sheets. Obviously some of them were organized by play, having things such as military uniforms and such. There wasn’t much of interest on those, which is why I noticed the pictures.

Obviously they hadn’t been dusted for some time. There were many, from plays and productions of the past, and some of them were so faded that I knew that the boys in them would be long gone. It made me want to look more carefully.

Some of the pictures had funny things, like one group of boys standing in a boat in long dresses, holding a stuffed marline. Some had them being carried on their classmate’s shoulders, or been kneeling on the tops of pyramids of other boys. Several even had pretty girls in them too, and I read the names listed below…

I looked at the picture again, and read the names. Looking back, I found that the boy’s names sounded a little funny to me, Bartholomew and Nord, but they were all boys’ names.

I don’t now how long I looked but scanning the pictures again, there were at least five of them. Some shy, but most looking confident or serene, as they had stood for their pictures.

My insides tingled as I went back to look at them again, each in their turn, confirming that each was indeed lovely in their own right.

I might have stared for hours, had I not heard a bang from something falling over in the dressing room. Suddenly I wanted to move away. It was too personal to share.

I moved back to the rack that Miss Lynn had uncovered.

The gown that caught my eye was a beautiful royal blue velvet, its material seemingly able to catch light from out of nowhere. Although it was only one color, it seemed to glow with highlights in every hue from sky to royal blue.

Beside that, there was a black dress, of a more modern design, and on the other side, a cream-colored dress that looked like a heavy satin material, with a gold piping around the bodice. They were all very beautiful, and I could not resist looking them over, at the details of the necklines and the sleeves, and of course running my hands over them to sample the softness of fabrics that were barely known to me.

I kept coming back to the midnight blue dress, however; its color and beautiful old-fashioned style drawing my eye over and over again. I'm not sure what prompted me to pick that one up. I suppose it was to see it better free of the crowded rack, and to feel its weight. Deep inside, I already knew why I held it up against my chest. It was the same reason I looked at the fashion, and makeup stuff.

Miss Lynn had been right of course. She had been right back, only I had not noticed her standing behind me, now wearing the pretty green gown. I had all but forgotten her, until I saw her green eyes fixed on me. Perhaps it was the rustle of that gown as its hem swept along the floor; or, perhaps it was an intake of breath that told me that she was there. I'm not sure which had finally caught my notice, but whichever it was, it convinced me that she had been standing behind me long enough to see me hold the dress against myself longingly as I'd rubbed my free hand down the velvet bodice.

Blushing bright red, I carefully put the dress back on the rack without looking back, even as she came up beside me.

“Pretty, aren't they?” She spoke softly, as she reached my side. From the corner of my eye, I could again see her signature smile. “I'd have chosen that one myself, except for the fact that it seemed too beautiful to get dirty or torn just to teaching a bunch of first-timer's how to dance.”

I was sure that she could see my face had turned quite red, as I tried in vain to meet her eyes. I'd never met anyone who could look through me like she could, let alone as easily as she seemed to be doing it. It was like finding oneself suddenly in a crowded room, naked, and trying to explain what you intended to do with that big bowl of jell-O.

Looking away from me, her eyes swept the gowns again, giving me the distinct impression that she was trying to change the subject to allow me to collect myself with no further embarrassment.

“They are quite lovely, actually. I suppose, that is just one of the advantages of being at a school that has had a hundred years of wealthy patrons to donate such as these.” She glanced back at me for a moment only, before she continued. “In the first college I taught in, most of what they had was so cheap they seldom survived the show itself. Nothing like they have here.”

“Wa… Why?” my speech failed me temporarily in my embarrassment, but she knew what I had meant, and ignored my sudden stammer.

“Simple really.” She explained. “Not all of the girls who attend are going to be wearing leather miniskirts. Many, god forbid, will even be in long formal gowns. I thought it might be a good idea to wear one during the class, to help the boys learn what not to step on.”

“You don't intend that I…” was all I got out before she interrupted me.

“No.” She was grinning good-naturedly, again, which was somehow making my blush that much worse. “Heavens, I'm all for doing our best to help the boys out, but I'm not about to push you quite that far.” Looking away for a moment, I imagined that I could actually hear the corners of her mouth crinkle, when her smile became just a little more mischievous, “unless of course you'd like to try one on?”

“I'm not sure if that would be such a good…” I began, but as I looked back her smile was anything but mischievous. She was watching me very closely with a kind but serious look, “…idea.”

She just watched me, giving me the feeling that she could hear what I was thinking, too. I was suddenly certain she knew the answer I longed to give.

Turning away, she moved over toward a record player that was sitting beside the wall nearest the stage. “Well, I can only say that you have excellent taste, Chris. I think that's the most beautiful dress there and that the color would be very good for your complexion.”

If she could see my complexion at that moment, I think she might have had to change her mind rather quickly, as I felt the flush of heat finally rise past my eyebrows.

“Now, what I'd like to do quickly is to try to show you some of the differences you'll need to use as you try to follow your partner's lead. If your partner is a good dancer, it can be very easy, but if like most men, he was born with two left feet…”

It was hard to pay as much attention as I should have been. I can't describe it, exactly. Dream, nightmare, or broken circus ride, all I knew was that right then the feelings moving through me blocked out even the sound of her voice most of the time with all that rushing in my ears. Not only had Miss Lynn offered to let me wear the gown, but it became obvious that she now intended to dance with me, without any further warning.

It was certainly a state of shock.

Pushing a button that caused the curtain between the stage and the dressing area to draw back, she took my hand and drew me onto the stage proper.

“It's very good that you are a little smaller than I, because it will make it much easer to show you how to follow my lead. I want you to listen to the music, and try to be relaxed. I won't hurt you, you silly thing.” She grinned a little at my resigned terror. “Besides, you may even find that it's rather nice to have someone lead you around a dance floor.”

On the brighter stage, I could see that Miss Lynn was also wearing more makeup than I'd ever seen her in. She was very pretty to start with, but the sophisticated look made me just stare at her like a little sheep with nothing in its little woolly head.

“Very good.” She smiled, as she placed her hand on my waste, and took my hand in hers. “You need to be willing to lend yourself to your partner.”

By some instinct, my other hand just naturally reached for her shoulder, more for balance than anything as she drew me closer, I'm sure. “You should just watch me, and try to feel me lead you where we are holding hands, and the cues that I give you when I press you here.” She finished her instruction by pulling me a little closer to her with her hand on my waist.

Somewhere behind me I heard the sound of the ancient phonograph record fall onto the turntable, followed by a scratching of the needle over the speakers around the stage.

I'm not sure what the waltz was, but since most sound much the same, it really did not matter. I was still looking up at Miss Lynn's pretty face as the gentle tug of her hand forced me to take a step with her. My fear left me weak and devoid of volition, as another step followed, and then another.

I'm sure that if it had been my place to lead her that I'd not have been able to move at all.

The biggest hurtle had come, though, when I had to remember to breathe, somewhere on the other side of the stage. Miss Lynn said, “Just relax, and breathe normally, or you'll soon be out of breath.” This once tried, also gave me my first good whiff of the beautiful scent she was giving off as her skin began to heat up. I can't imagine how silly I looked, as I just could not drag my eyes away from her face. I simply continued to gaze up at her as we waltzed several times around the stage.

Before I knew it, I was standing alone in the middle of the stage, and Miss Lynn had stepped back clapping her hands together several times.

“My god, Chris that was very good.” She said, her breathing a little heavier in what seemed like excitement. “Where on earth did you ever learn to do that? With a little practice, I think you could be quite marvelous,” she said coming forward putting her hand on my shoulder. “I've been told that the best dancers look only at their partner, but I've never been able to do that myself. You make it look easy. I wish I had you around when it was time for me to learn to dance. You make a much better partner than my college roommate, that's for sure!”

My brain kept asking itself what she was saying, as I struggled to understand what it was that she was trying to tell me, while most of my brain tried to make me breathe. Before I knew it, she was back in front of me once more. “Let’s see how you like this next one.”

She began to tell me all sorts of little things about how a girl needed occasionally to take longer steps to avoid getting her skirt stepped on; or, that higher heels often made a girl's steps more graceful, simply because of the need to keep her feet under her body. She did that more and more, until after the third waltz, when she paused for a moment to smile down at me.

“Chris, I can't tell you how impressed I am. If you'd just remember how to breathe, you'd probably be a much better dancer than I am.” She panted good-naturedly, a little out of breath, “with a little practice of course,” she giggled.

Then she paused for just a moment to press a button on the old phonograph before she continued. “The last waltz on this side is the one I'm sure you know. It's Roger's and Hammerstein's waltz from Cinderella.”

I could not help but blush again. I checked out that DVD, at least one weekend a month. I hid it under my shirt to get it to my room, and only listened through headphones. It was most prominent on the list of my loans, surely.

“…Not that you need the practice really, but I'd appreciate it if you'd do one more dance with me. I've always loved this one, ever since I was a little girl. Shall we?” She asked finally.

I nodded dumbly as she once again drew me toward her in step with the music.

 
 

 
 

     “OK gentlemen, please come in, and line up along the back of the stage.” She said loudly, some time later.

“Would you look at that!” someone amongst them said loudly from the darker audience seating, which was only the loudest exclamation that the boys made as they all took note of how Miss Lynn was dressed. Most just nudged or tapped a buddy, out of sight behind the lights.

Miss Lynn was unfazed, and was in fact a lot more business like than she usually was in a classroom, and certainly much more so than she was outside of one. “Line up quickly, men, we have very little time.”

There was some shuffling of feet, as the other students, most of them I noted in classes two or three years ahead of me, got into position. Mrs. Pierce obviously gave Miss Lynn the more mature students where she could. Few, if any noticed me, which was a good thing, as I was still a little flushed and unsteady on my feet from my own 'lessons.'

Most of the brief instructions I had received fled from my memory, as I tried to decide wither or not the fact that I barely knew these boys would make my job easier, or harder.

“For those of you who don't know, this is Chris.” She indicated me without looking in my direction, which all of the other students there did do. “You are very lucky, because it turns out that Chris here is a superb dancer.”

Superb!, Shit. …Behind a jet ski, blindfolded with dog-bone in his teeth… Oh forget it. Christ!..

“Yeah. Of course he is. Look at him.” A boy who was positively skulking near the back in fear, said loudly, causing only about a third of those present to laugh a little.

“You.” Miss Lynn pointed right at his nose from across the stage. “Front and center. Causing the boy to shuffle out to meet her, where I could see that he was the boy who had jokingly volunteered in the general assembly. Now that his fate was upon him, he looked distinctly less enthusiastic. A quick scan of his classmates showed me that most of them had little regard for what he thought was humorous.

“Now.” Miss Lynn said to the group rather more loudly than usual, as she nodded to me to push the lever on the turntable with a small twinkle in her eye. “I rather think that this will be an example of how not to make yourselves look like asses.”

Everyone was still laughing at the blushing boy, when after the music had begun, she had to ask him loudly, “Well?” To his credit, he did try at that point, but it was obvious that he'd never danced with a human girl before. Even I felt bad for him, when he tripped Miss Lynn. Not half of the first waltz was over, before she let him skulk back to the seats in the first row, to sit and recover all but his dignity. That was gone forever.

With a slight gesture toward me, Miss Lynn indicated that I should stop the music.

“Now, Gentlemen,” She began again, but this time in her normal kind voice, “I trust that will not be necessary again. You see this is not as easy as it looks, but you can all learn. Unlike some of the more modern dances we all do, all you have to do is to know the steps of a waltz, and anyone, no matter how many left feet they were born with, can do it -- adequately.”

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

“However, you can't just expect to walk out onto the dance floor in front of all of those girls, and be able to do it because you saw it in a movie.”

She looked at them then, catching each one of them by the eye. Every face was serious. “Good. In addition, if any of you feel the need to say something stupid like that again, try to remember my physical education credits were all in judo. So help me.” She said it simply, without stresses, and then turned to the boy who had embarrassed himself so badly. “Are you, Okay?”

“Yeah.” He answered her while trying not to sound sulky, but failed at that as well.

“Well, just remember this, Mr. Bradford, I promise that I will teach you how to dance with me, in an acceptable fashion before we are done.” She looked back at the group, and then took everyone by surprise. “Chris, would you start the music, and come over here please?”

My knees were shaking with fear, as I dropped the needle on the edge of the record, and quickly walked over to Miss Lynn.

“Now, I'm going to lead here, just to let you guys see what you are missing, but I promise that if you pay attention, you will all not only find that you can do this too, but that you'll enjoy it.”

Well that was all she was able to say, when I once more felt the tug of her hand on my waist. Somehow, I did manage to see a few of their faces over her shoulder, but as usual I found that I was watching her face almost all of the time. When the music ended, the guys were just staring, about half of them open-mouthed.

“Thank you, Chris.” She said, and then continued too softly for the others to hear. “That was lovely. When the class is over, you'll have to tell me how you do that.” She turned to scan the faces. “You. Mr. Lee. You're up.”

Jacob Lee was perhaps the most athletic of the seniors present, but we all looked up to him more now for the confident way he strode out to Miss Lynn.

“Chris, if you please…”

The first class went very quickly, after that. Miss Lynn got every one of the group to dance with her first, and then began to lecture them on ways to dance properly and well. All I did was to turn the music on and off. Later, I was told that in some of the other classes, several of the guys had declined to dance with the other teachers. I guess it was better to do this with someone very pretty and closer to your own age.

After we were through, and the boys filed out, she turned to me. “Thank you, Chris. Tomorrow I'm going to run into town, to look for a new skirt, and to pick up a couple of CD's. By Friday, you should be off phonograph duty. Sorry.” She patted my upper arm gently.

I started to pack up the records we had used, when I realized she was still watching me.

“Now for the question I've been dying to ask. Where on earth did you learn to dance like that? It's so lovely.”

I just shrugged a little, looking a little silly and immature I suppose. “It's simple, really. It's one of the things that I used to do with my mom.” I could see her eyes filling with compassion when I got the courage to look into them.

“When I was a kid, both my parents used to play with me a lot whenever they were around.” She made a face at that, and for a moment I thought I saw her lips move to tell me I was still a 'kid', but she said nothing. “My Mother used to love this kind of dancing, and from the time I was very small, she used to love to play the music, and dance with me. I enjoyed it. She's very pretty too.”

There seemed little to say after that. It was a painful memory just then, which it had never really been before now. "I miss them terribly. I really do.” I finished sadly.

“I'm sorry, Chris. I didn't realize it would hurt you, and I should have guessed.”

I shrugged.

“Well, you should know that your mother did you a very big favor. You dance wonderfully, and when the dance comes, you'll have your pick of all the girls to dance with … including me.” She grinned.

“Yeah,” I answered, feigning chagrin, “but what good will it do me when all I'll know how to do is to follow?” I was gratified when she laughed at the joke.

“Don't worry Chris. This is the twenty-first century. Lots of girls like to lead…” We both cast off my sadness of only moments before.

“Did you really take Judo?” I asked.

“No. I actually taught Judo for the extra money, for a while, but now I just keep a golf club in my car at all times.” She giggled like a girl talking with her friends.

 
 

 
 

     The next day was conspicuous only in that I did not get teased at all. I was called 'Ginger' or 'Chrissy' a couple of times, but it was more like being referred to as one of 'the Gingers'. Once, I realized that one of the guys was actually asking my advice. It was weird but nice of him, since he seemed very nice and very grateful for my help. There was little I could do except to tell him to practice as much as he could, and then head for my civics lecture.

Friday was an easy day for me - usually. I'd somehow managed to come up with only two classes on that day, both in the morning, which was probably the only way I'd ever impressed any of my classmates till now. I hung around for a little while, before I somehow found myself drifting toward the theater by mid afternoon.

The theater had that unused smell again, even though I knew that the janitorial staff had just recently cleaned up the stage area. Even after finding the one light switch that seemed to control actual lights, the place still had a distinctly deserted feel to it.

Without any conscious decision, I set about clearing the stage area of the few props that had been left there, and quickly moved the small table for the player over to its former place.

That had taken all of three minutes, leaving me to look around for anything else that needed to be done. Given that I had almost a half hour before Miss Lynn wanted me to be here, there was little else to do, besides paint the walls. I had actually intended to set up, and then head to my room. However, with more time and curiosity than common sense, I began to poke about.

Several storage closets that lined the far wall looked mildly interesting, so I opened the first one, to find it was full of small props. It had several pairs of lamps, a couple of old style telephones, and a few potted plants made of silk, and, god forbid, a pair of fake plastic ruby slippers.

“Dorothy,” I murmured, realizing I might have gotten off easy.

The next closet had a couple of boxes piled in front of it, which looked like they hadn't been moved for a couple of years until I slid them aside. It was full of ballet costumes. The tutus, about a dozen of them, looked as if they’d come out of a school for dancing gorillas, complete with pink leotards and net skirts that stuck straight out. The shelves above held ballet slippers for elephants.

Closing the door, I could not help but laugh to myself. No matter how bad the guys thought they had it now, apparently some of the poor souls who had come before, had had it much worse. School administrators, as all students knew, were a sick and twisted bunch.

“What's so funny Chris?” Miss Lynn said unexpectedly behind me, startling me out of my wits, which I suppose was okay, that being my normal state around her lately.

I turned just in time to see her set a new CD player on the small table that I'd placed for that purpose, and watch her walk over to flip a couple of switches I'd not seen behind a cabinet along the front wall.

Walking toward me, I couldn't really think of a better way to explain what was so funny, so I just threw the door to closet number two fully open.

“Oh, my word!” Miss Lynn said, as she came closer. Shaking her head, she started to laugh too, as she told me, “You guys thought that you had it bad.”

“That's why I was laughing.” I told her closing the door. “If you have any trouble with any of the guys tonight, I guess you could show them these, and tell them that the next dance they attend will be an exhibition.”

She giggled a little more, but quickly began to move over to place several items on a small worktable near us. “I don't think that would work out, and besides, I'm pretty sure it's illegal, and even if it's not, it should be. Don't worry. After yesterday, I don't think that anyone is going to be giving either of us a bad time.” She started to sort out a few things on the table, before asking “You're a little early, Chris. Hiding out?”

“No, Ma'am.” I shrugged, while pulling open the next closet, that contained what looked like wigs, and possibly a couple of road kills near the bottom. “I just have a light schedule on Fridays, because I have a long day on Monday. The Math Tutor comes in for a late class on Monday, so I get Friday afternoons off.”

“Oh,” she said not paying much attention, really, as she glanced around the door to look into the third closet. “Ewww!” She said softly. “What do you think that is? A squirrel?”

This time, she made me laugh, as I answered amazed at the way she mirrored my own thoughts.. “I was ready to vote for raccoon, myself, but I'm pretty sure that it's long past the time that it makes any difference for that poor creature, whatever it was.”

I suppose she had finally put me at my ease, because when she laughed, it relaxed me almost completely.

“You are very funny too, Chris. The girls who get to dance with you will be the lucky ones.” She said finally, beaming at me without further explanation. “Here.” She said, shoving several CD's and a small Radio-shack bag into my hands. “I'm going to change real quick, why don't you see if you can hook the CD into the sound system. I think I bought the right adaptor, but the stuff over there is so old, and the guy at the store was about twelve at best.” She raised her eyebrows to mock my surprise, and headed off to the small dressing room at the back.

I found the proper adaptor for the old system. It was in a small kit that she had purchased, leaving a couple of other adaptors she'd bought in individual packaging as useless. I yelled to her, that I'd been successful.

“Great.” Came her muffled reply. “Just throw the other stuff into the bag with the receipt, so I can get some of my money back.”

I'd not even finished that, before she came swishing back out to lean over a makeup mirror that she lighted, and began putting on some makeup. “Be good, and throw one of the CD's in to try it out, will you?”

I popped it in, and then without realizing what I was doing, I found myself drifting over to stare at her progress. I'd seen plenty of makeup on girls, but I'd never seen anyone except my mother putting it on before. I guess it showed.

Suddenly, her eyes cut over in my direction, and she smiled at me again. “No big sister's at home, aye Chris.”

I shook myself physically.

“I'm…, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…” I began to apologize, suddenly feeling as if I'd been caught peering up her dress or something.

“It's Okay Chris.” She said, and then continued to finish off her eyes. “I've never met anyone, male or female that wasn't fascinated to watch someone putting on her makeup. It's perfectly normal, and it's perfectly Okay. I don't mind, even though some girls would rather you watch them putting on underwear.” She paused. “Sorry, that came out wrong, but you know what I mean.”

She finished herself off quickly, but I couldn't have told anyone exactly what it was that she had done. She was blazingly fast with a makeup sponge. Must have been the judo, I thought to myself.

“Well, how do I look?” She smiled.

“You look, beautiful.” I said before I had been able to think. “I… I mean…”

“What? I don't look beautiful?” All I could do was blush, which made her laugh at me again.

“Well thank you, very much.” She said, deliberately taking it the wrong way, to torture me.

Time to surrender, and tell them all I knew. “You do look very beautiful, Miss Lynn.” I said, without any other recourse. “You know that I think you are just about the prettiest woman I've ever seen.”

That stopped her, teasing me. “Why thank you, Chris.” She even blushed a little herself, this time. “I think that's the nicest compliment I've gotten in quite a while.”

“You're welcome, Miss Lynn.” I said, glad finally to be able to talk around her. “Which leads to the question as to why you're doing it. Why do you wear the makeup at all?”

“Well, it's simple, really. I like makeup, but if I wear it too much, I tend to break out. I also wanted to get the guys used to the idea that the woman at the ball are going to be fully made up in their finest. Mrs. Pierce suggested that it might be a good idea for them to realize that, and to get used to the idea. It's like a warning sign for girls, Chris. When they take the time to look pretty for a boy, he has to realize she needs to be treated more like a lady than one of his chums.” She paused, before smiling in admission, “And, since it gave me the chance to wear a nice dress, I thought it would feel nice too.”

“That makes sense, I guess.” I said mulling it over. “Not the part about getting the guys used to girls dressed up, the part about feeling nice…”

Most people think old sneakers smell bad, and they probably don't spend anywhere near as much time with them in their mouths as I seem to lately.

Miss Lynn just patted my shoulder, and went to inspect the CD, which was playing some song softly over the sound system.

“Very good, Chris. Now lets see if…” She began to look through several CDs on the table. “They didn't have a very good selection, but I found one good one. here it is!” She quickly changed the disk, and came toward me. “Wait till you hear this. I have not heard it in years, and it's very nice.”

Softly, the waltz began to play, and she was right. It was very pretty. Without further preamble, she stepped to me, and slipped her hand onto my waist to lead me onto the stage…

 
 

 
 

     “I'm certain that you can all hear me just fine. Everyone line up in order of height. The tallest of you should be on my extreme right, and the smallest of you right over here.” Miss Lynn directed with her left hand, as the guys shuffled about trying to sort themselves by height.

In the end, it took only a few moments, and Miss Lynn changed several of the boys around a little, to get it right.

“Very good. Thank you.” She finally said, as she surveyed the group with some sense of satisfaction.

One of the guys looked over to where I was still trying to catch my breath from Miss Lynn dancing me around the stage for a quarter of an hour. All I could do was to shake my head. I had no earthly idea what she was up to.

“Now, you are paired off.” She said simply, as starting from the smallest, she separated the boys into pairs. “As may have become obvious to all of you, there is no way that even Chris and I together can give you the kind of practice time that you all need.” No one even groaned, it was so obvious to all of them. “So, look at the boy you are paired with, because they will be the person you will have to practice with while we are working with other students. Chris and I will be taking turns with you, but you will need to try to work together. So, just like I showed you all last time. The taller boy will lead.”

The groans now interrupted her long enough to take notice of the opposite side of the stage where four boys had switched partners, obviously to avoid someone they did not get along with. “That's fine, just as long as you stay that way…, and as for you two, I don't care who leads now. We will all be taking turns.”

Then Miss Lynn directed me to set the selection she intended to play, and taking my hand directed me toward one of the taller boys, who I knew as Tom something or other.

Somehow, the fact that he was more embarrassed than I helped a little. “It's OK, Tom. I don't expect you to bring me flowers or anything.”
We both laughed, me because I had no idea where it came from. “Here. You put your hand on my waist, and hold my hand out like this…”

It got a lot easier. Several of the boys, I realized, were not bad dancers. Not quite as good as Miss Lynn, but at least they were more used to leading. The boy, Tom Anders, a senior was at least as good as I was, because he had had some lessons at some time or other.

Knowing that I was a little shy, Tom began talking to me as we danced around the stage with the half of the 'couples' who could fit at any one time.

“No! Please, Gentlemen.” Miss Lynn said with some exasperation in her voice, as she pulled a remote from somewhere to kill the Music.

“Listen up, boys.” She said shaking her head. “I have to confess that this is not the problem that I expected to have. Many of you are dancing too closely to each other. This is a waltz, not Greco Roman wrestling. When there are other modern slow dances, what you are doing is fine, but in a waltz it is important for you to keep your proper distance. If you don't, you'll wind up pulling your dates dress off…”

That got their attention, as grins broke out everywhere.

“… And for God's sake, Mr. Bradley, if you are going to let your date keep his hand on your rear the whole time, you'd better wear something ultra conservative and high cut, or it's going to look really trashy!"

“Now…”

With a heavy sigh, Miss Lynn took the bridge of her nose in her fingers to meditate. “Perhaps you are all right about this. Perhaps I should just go back to my apartment, and use the extra time for making up more tests for every class…”

That got their attention too.

“Ah!” She said looking back up. “So you were listening after all. Very well, lets try this again once more,” and she pressed the remote for another waltz.

Stepping forward, she seemed to be trying to fix the torn front hem of her dress as she said to another boy, “Now John, don't be so nervous. Just follow me for this dance, and I'll show you that you don't need to pick up your feet so much to move. It's a waltz, not a square dance.”

“Yee - Ha!” Tom whispered softly, causing me to giggle out loud in spite of myself. “If she doesn't think this is a square-dance, just wait till she gets to dance with my cellmate, Richard Collins.” He chuckled to himself, causing me to raise an eyebrow in query.

“He's been practicing in our room at night, trying to get the steps down, and just in case you’re curious - no he wasn't born with two left feet.” He smiled down at me. “He has about six.”

It was something in his face that caused me to laugh so hard that I almost tripped myself.

“I'm serious.” Tom said. “He broke a chair, and my other roommate had to move out for fear of personal injury. Poor bastard should take that week off if he knows what’s good for him, or at least buy more insurance.”

Amused by his animated descriptions, I was still laughing when the music stopped. “So tell me, Tom.” I asked him trying to keep a straight face. “How long have you guys been dancing in your rooms?”

“Since our first year.” He tried to look dead serious “It helps us unwind from so much studying.”

“Oh.” Was all I could say, before I broke out into giggles, shaking my head.

“Chris?”

“Yes, Tom?” I asked him as the music went to the next track.

“Would you be my date for the prom?” That was it, we both fell apart.

“Well, Chris, what did I tell you?” Miss Lynn said from right behind us. “If you can dance well, you are sure to get a date for every dance.” She looked behind us and told everyone it was time to go and get ready for dinner, “So, that's it for tonight gentlemen. Good job. I'm seeing a lot of progress, and I'll be too tired to make up any new tests.”

The guys cheered, everyone was joking and laughing, happy that it was over.

“Good night then, Gentlemen, and I'll see you all on Monday afternoon.” She finished to the backs of the boys who were already racing for any exit.

I had already begun to move the table over toward the wall. Two blinks, and we were alone.

“I'm glad to see you were having a nice time, Chris.” She said, quietly, as I put back the props I'd moved earlier. “It's a nice change to see you smiling so much.”

I did not know how to respond other than to say 'thank you', to her.

“I think that Tom is a nice boy.” I could see that she was watching me again. “I was wondering what it was that you were talking about, that seemed so funny.”

Turning to look at her, I could see that she had already put all of her things on the table, and had as per her usual, stopped to watch me.

“It was nothing really. He was just telling me about one of his roommates, and about how he's been trying to teach himself how to dance.” I then proceeded to recount much of what he'd told me.

Miss Lynn said very little, and just listened, with that slight smile on her face. Then suddenly she said, “Come here for a moment.”

Something about her manner gave me pause. It was like when she found out about my parents all over again. I know we had been laughing quite a bit, but I was sure that she wasn't mad about that. Still, there was something in the way she watched us. I walked over to her slowly, only to have her put a hand on my shoulder and steer me over to the rack of gowns.

She looked down at the tear on the front of her skirt.

“Can you fix it?” I asked.

“Not me. I'm much more of a duct-tape kind of girl, but our school administrator can fix anything. It' not as bad as it looks. Mind you, most girls learn in their first year in college, to take any dress that's three sizes too big stay on for at least one evening. Safety pin here, hairspray there.., Duct-tape, everywhere…”

She smiled up at me as I giggled again. I was ashamed to act so girly but she was very funny and always nice to me.

“Help me with the cover on this one, Chris.” She pushed me to the opposite side of the rack, and took up the opposite end of the cover herself. It slipped over the gowns, and onto the floor easily with two.

“Are you looking for another gown to wear?” I asked, realizing the one she had worn tonight was one that she'd brought with her.

“Not really.” She said looking at me out of the corner of her eyes for a moment, as she pulled the blue velvet gown out. “I think we should save this one,” she said to herself softly “and then picked out the Green gown that she had first chosen for herself that first night. Holding it up to herself, she looked at me questioningly for a moment or two.

“Chris, I'd like you to do something for me.” She said quietly. “Come here please.”

“Anything, Miss Lynn.” I said no more loudly. “I owe you, big time, for keeping some of those guys off me.”

“I've told you at least twice, that you don't owe me anything, Chris.” She shook her head as if I'd said something particularly stupid. “In fact, I think I'd really like to do something for you.”

“What is it, Miss Lynn?” I asked her, finding it suddenly harder to breathe than it should have been.

She just shook her head a little, and then turned the gown around and held it up to my front, causing me to freeze.

“I'd like you to try this on for me.” She said, watching my face very closely.

I must have been doing a pretty good fish impression.

“It's just as good a color as the blue one, and I think it will be an even better fit for you.” She said softly. “Please, take it.”

Instinct alone caused me to wrap an arm around the gown, allowing her to lay it down over my forearm. She was already moving toward one of the closets that I'd not opened, before I could speak.

“Why, Miss Lynn?”

She stopped to look back at me for a moment, and it gave me the distinct impression that she was a little sad.

“Are you thinking of making me wear a dress to the dance class?” I asked, in a husky voice.

I could see that the closet she'd opened contained shoes.

“Well…, I guess so. Or a skirt really.” She looked at my feet, and began rummaging through the shoes. “Would you please do this for me?” She added. “You can say no if you like. I'd never do anything to upset or frighten you, but it would help me a lot.”

My eyes had fallen to the gown on my arm, which meant that when I looked up, I could see her eyes locked on mine.

Looking at her, I felt my head nod slowly, and my feet began to take me toward the dressing room she had used.

“Thank you, Chris” She took a step or two toward the same door. I did not look at her at all, because the light in the dressing room door was beginning to look like the end of a long dark tunnel. “I promise that this will only take a moment, and if it makes us late for dinner, I'll take you with me to grab something off campus.”

I was closing the door, when she handed me another item, that seemed to come not from the rack, but from the bags she had brought with her. It was in a new plastic wrapper.

“Here, put this on first. Leave your shorts on, if you like, but take off your t-shirt if you are wearing one.”

When I closed the door, I could see that the bag contained a long slip. I also found a package of panties there as well. I know that I spent several minutes just looking at them, but I could not move for the longest time.

“I can help you, if you need me to, Chris.” I heard from just the other side of the door. “There are curtains for privacy.”

That caused me to move, finally.

“No. That's all right.” I said, somehow afraid that someone else would hear me admitting what I was about to do.

“What did you say, Chris? Do you need help?” She asked me again.

I answered more than a little panicked. “No. I think I can manage.” I said as loudly as I dared. “I'm just a little nervous.”

Now why did I tell her that? Because I'm very nervous! I felt like my knees were going to buckle.

I turned the package with the slip over, and carefully peeled the back, freeing the garment. It easily shook out, falling almost to the floor. It was extremely soft, and silky, although I did not think that it was made of silk. It was all white, but had a texture to the upper bodice, that was different from that of the skirt, which was smoother and more shiny.

Hanging the slip on the door, I kicked off my shoes, and began to unbutton my shirt.

My eye caught the package of panties, thinking that it was very weird thing to give me, but it was the perfect chance. I dropped my shirt on the floor, and picked up the package, and found that it needed to be torn open, which I did. The panties were in three colors, blue, pink, and white. All were very silky too, with a lace pattern around the leg and waist.

Miss Lynn had not said one way or the other, but by telling me that I could keep on my shorts, it was obvious that I need not wear them. I realized, suddenly, that I'd torn them open without really thinking. She couldn't either use or return them now. Why had I done that?

It shocked me to hear my own voice answer the question. “Because you are dying to try them on too,” I whispered to the fool in the mirror.

From the other side of the door, I heard. “Is everything all right?” Then a little more softly “Are you freaking out on me in there?”

“Yes.” I said too softly for her to hear, probably, as I dropped my pants and stepped out of them. “I'm just fine.”

“Well don't worry, Chris. It's just you and me and everyone else is gone. No one comes in here ‘till Monday.” She was right on the other side of the door again. “Besides, if anyone asks anything, we have a perfectly legitimate excuse. You must have heard, Mrs. Pierce has had Mr. Thomas in a skirt since Wednesday.”

“Really?” I asked, surprise raising the level of my voice to clearly audible finally. “I can't believe that I've not heard that.” I was shocked. News like that is the only thing in the known physical universe that travels faster than light.

“Not surprising, because she's been having him practice outside of the class with her. She hasn't made him wear it to a class yet. Only the teacher's know.” I could hear her smile again.

“Great.” I said, loading the word with sarcasm.

Miss Lynn just chuckled. “Are you sure you haven't fallen in, in there?”

I'd finally begun to move a little faster, as I reached for the white panties, and stepped into them. “I've got it now. Just a moment.”

The sensation was incredible. It was not just that the panties were soft and silky. It was more. The sight of them in the mirror seemed to bring a sense of calm over me. I paused for only a moment, to look at them front, back, and every angle, before I tucked myself under a little more tightly. I loved the way they looked in the back, which was very much like the picture on the package.

More quickly, I lifted the slip, and knowingly dropped it down over myself. It was weird, having it fall so far, and that caused me to get an arm through the neck hole for a moment or two. Once I'd straightened it out, I found that it was much like the panties, only more so. I could feel it slide over the silky texture of the underwear, which felt kind of nice. I paused to look at myself, and found that I was running my hands all over the garment, feeling the texture, and inspecting the differences in how I looked.

I wanted more, so I turned to pick up the gown with even less hesitation, and tried to do the same with it, but it got hung up on the back of the slip.

“Miss, Lynn?” I called as loudly as I dared.

“Yes, Chris.” Again the voice was just outside of the door.

I was about to say 'help', when I felt the door open behind me.

“Oh, my,” she said softly. “Here let me help you.” She began pulling the skirt of the dress down around me, quickly causing it to fall almost all of the way down, in a manner that I'd not been able to accomplish.

“With the gown, it's easier to step into them usually.” She tugged again.

“Ah!” She said behind me. “There are loops inside of the gown to help hang it. You got one caught on the buttons on the back of your slip. Hold still, dear.”

Something in the way she spoke made my knees shake.

I felt her hand pressing my back for a moment, as she reached down the back of the gown. “It's okay, Chris. Calm down. You are in no danger.” She said, sounding like a paramedic lending aid to an injured person while watching me blush in the mirror..

“I'm all right.” I managed.

“No you're not.” She said, finally slipping the two garments apart, allowing the dress to fall completely to my feet.

“Now listen for a moment.” She said while rubbing my back and shoulders absently. “It really is okay. This is just another type of clothing, that's all. They are much softer, and much prettier than boy's clothes, but they are only clothes just the same. They don't leave any permanent marks. I understand if you feel nervous, but that's just a feeling. You are perfectly all right, and I won't let anything happen to you. Right?”

I was somehow able to nod my head again. I really did believe her, even though it could have been a distinct lack of oxygen reaching my brain. Next year, I was going to go out for the underwater swim team.

“Do you need a minute?” she asked, leaning to one side, looking at me now from all angles.

“No.” I managed a one-word answer, sure that I could not have managed two.

“Do you want to keep going.” She asked gently, her hands on my shoulders now to steady me, even as I struggled to make my lungs work as nearly normally as possible.

I knew that her simple question was a turning point. If I said 'no', then I'd change, and it would be over. I'd at least have the illusion of… Yes, that's what I'd have - an illusion. Somehow I felt my head nod.

“Do you want me to help you getting dressed?” She asked, in a very soft and very friendly voice that left no doubt as to what she meant by dressed.

My heart answered for me, somehow fearing that if it left the decision to my brain, I'd end up saying something really stupid. “More than anything, please.” I said, as I once more nodded my head.

It took the last of the reserve oxygen in my body to say it, but it embodied all of the feelings that I'd felt pent up inside of me. Once out, it made room for the air to rush back in finally.

“Good.” Her voice said, as she steered me toward the mirror. “Usually, Chris, you'd put all of your things on, including your shoes, but for now, I just wanted you to be able to try this on for me.”

I caught sight of the dress in the mirror. It was beautiful, even blurry from the moisture that was affecting my vision.

Miss Lynn began to fasten the back. “In order for you to wear the blue gown properly, I think it will need a corset. Mr. Darcy told me that he has some of those around here, but that he's never required them. We can see if we can find one, if you like, but for now I thought this dress would be easier for you to manage as it's a looser style with a fuller waist… Just to see how you like it.”

I knew that she was trying to make me feel better, by chatting to me like she was, while I felt her hands quickly fastening the long row of buttons on the back of the dress. I'd need her to get out of this thing, I realized, but I could only watch myself in the dress, as the image in he mirror became familiar to me. As she closed the back, it took shape around me, like a long slow hug. It not only looked beautiful, but it felt wonderful too, which was something that I'd never expected. My hands began to roam over the dress, even as my eyes watched every part of it in the mirror.

“Pretty?” Miss Lynn asked me.

“Oh, Miss Lynn...” I saw the person in the mirror commit before even I thought to stop him. “It's beautiful.”

She giggled then and said. “I think that you can call me Amy just this once, Chris.” She giggled more . “When we are alone of course. Okay?”

I nodded.

“Okay. Now come here.” She took me to a seat along the side of the wall, and began to fluff up my hair, taking a green ribbon from a table, and looping it under the back. “Fortunately your hair is long enough to be a short hair style for a girl. I'll do a little with it now, but If you ever get the chance, you have a very cute face that would look nice with some of the shorter haircuts for girls.” She said cheerily.

I could not see a mirror, but could feel her pulling the hair in front into bangs. Then, she picked up some scissors, and quickly made little snips in the front. To think, I'd been just about to get the haircut that my other teachers were saying was long overdue.

Long hair met the dress code, but teachers were always on you to keep it neat.

I'd closed my eyes, partially to keep any hair out of them, and partially because I felt like swooning, when I felt her pull a cloth around my shoulders, and start to pat something wet on my face.

“This will only take a moment, and I promise it will be worth the time.” I wanted to open my eyes, but I did not until she told me to. I could feel as she put makeup around my eyes, having me open them, looking up and down when she told me to. I sat still as she brought a brush close to my lashes, and brushed them, let them dry, and brushed them again after drawing around my eyelids. Then she had me close them, as she brushed my eyelids repeatedly, from the crease to my brows. Finally she brushed my cheeks again softly, and told me to open my eyes.

“Now make your mouth relaxed, dear.” She said, her eyes watching my mouth. “Good, now just relax, and don't make kissy faces.”

I could smell the lipstick over the other makeup, even before I could feel it on my lips. It was like the slip and panties - very soft and silky. I sighed out loud as she slid it over and over my lips, causing her to giggle at me.

“I had a girlfriend once, who had this weird lipstick fetish.” She confided, as she slid another coat onto my lips. “She used to ask me to do this to her too.”

I could not believe that she was confiding this to me, which she must have read on my face, causing her to smile.

“Oh grow up!” She said over a giggle. “How else do you think they'd let me into this school at my age?”

I was stunned.

“It was only that my aunt could tell them that she was certain that I was no danger to you little monsters, if you don't' count the three wood in my car. I mean, I'm not completely sure of the conversation, but I'm pretty darned sure of the impression she must have given them.” She finished, standing back to inspect her handiwork.

“I mean, no danger. What I can tell you is, that that boy Tom is very nice, but before you make any big decisions, you should really try kissing another girl wearing lipstick. The feeling is indescribable.”

I opened my eyes, I'm sure quite widely at that.

“Wow.” She was shaking her head. “Well I was wrong about one thing, Chris. You don't have a cute face. With a little makeup, you are damned pretty. I think you may just be the only student in this school who may actually be in danger from some of my friends.” She smiled, to tell me that she wasn't really serious.

“No kidding though, Chris, You need to look at this.”

She took me by the hands, and pulled me up facing her.

“Now I want you to stay calm. No fainting or anything. If you feel the need to sit, just tell me. okay?”

“Is it that bad?” I asked, suddenly very frightened.

“It's that good, Chris. You are beautiful. More than enough to give the ladies at the ball a run for their money. Look.”

At first it made no sense. Then it dawned on me that the pretty girl in the mirror was me. I was... Just like the dreams. All I could do was stare as I took a step foreword. I watched the eyes growing larger as my breathing was beginning to strain. I realized too, that Miss Lynn had never taken her hands off my arms, as she stood behind me watching.

“I'm okay. I won't faint.” I managed to lie. “Is that really me?”

“It sure is. Amazing, is all I can say.” Her eyes were fixed just as mine were, as I began to turn my head a little to see how she'd fixed my hair. It was gathered around the back, with bangs in the front, and a ribbon tied in a pretty bow at the top of my head. She was watching very closely, as she spoke, “And just for the record, Chris, the last thing that my brother said before he fainted, was that he wouldn't faint. Do you want to sit?”

I nodded my head, and she helped me over to the chair. My knees gave no resistance.

She left the room for a moment, only to come back with one of those paper cups full of water, which she held up to my lips.

“Careful of the dress.” She said as I sipped a little. “Almost anything stains silk.”

“Well, what do you think?” She asked me after a moment.

Once more, it was my heart that answered. “It's better than I ever dreamed. Do you really think I'm... that it looks good?” I asked, my stupid eyes watering a lot now.

“Oh, my god, yes.” She said, taking my hands. “I'm not kidding. You are adorable. I mean I thought you'd look nice, but even I didn't think you look like this. It's really very good.” She promised me sincerely.

She asked me a question then, which seemed so natural. “Tell me, Chris, isn't this what you've wanted, looking at those catalogues and fashion books and magazines?”

I looked at her, still afraid, even after all she'd done. I also knew that this was something that I could never hide from her, too. I closed my eyes, and nodded, even as I felt tears finally slid onto my cheeks. “As long as I can remember.”

For a time after than, we just sat there, me with an occasional tear slipping from my eye, and she rubbing my arm. For part of it, I really felt like I might pass out, but she began talking to me, and I think I was too excited by all of it to let myself relax that much.

After several minutes, I composed myself, and went to stand once more to go and look in the mirror.

“Hold on a moment, Chris.” She held my arm with one hand, and reached for a tissue with the other. “Give me a moment to fix your makeup. Most of what I used was waterproof, but as your first lesson in cosmetics, nothing works just as advertised. If it does, it's probably luck.”

I knew that I'd not rubbed my eyes, because of the makeup, so I was a little surprised as I turned politely to face her again. “Did I make much of a mess?” I asked, sorry to have ruined what I'd seen in the mirror that looked so good.

“Not at all, Chris.” She dabbed my eyes. “In fact, you did very little. It will only take a moment to fix it up as good as new. Don't worry. I kind of expected some emotion, which is why this will take a little longer to get off of you. I'll teach you, later. Girls fix their makeup constantly, although by your age, they've lost the instinct to rub their eyes, or pick their noses.”

We both giggled just a little.

“You aren't really doing this for the dance, are you, Miss Lynn?” I asked in a voice that sounded much more calm that I felt.

“No.” She said as she pulled me to my feet. “I could have said so, but the truth is, that this is more about what you've been checking out from the library, and the way you reacted to the dresses. ” She shrugged a little then too. “Sometimes girls just know things too, Chris.”

That sank in fairly quickly. I already knew that I had given away how I really felt. “Amy?”

“Yes?”

“Can't you get in trouble?”

She paused then. “I guess I could, if you were to turn me in.” She smiled at me even then. “I don't think you'll do that, though.”

I shook my head to confirm it without saying that I'd never have betrayed her.

“Besides,” she continued as she steered me toward the mirror, “with the dance, and Mrs. Pierce putting Thomas in a skirt first, I don't see how this can go that badly for either of us.”

I nodded my head. I understood that she was right.

“I'm a little ashamed, but I don't think that I'd be helping you, without the dance. If we'd just done this, I'd probably be out of here about ten minutes after we were caught, because they think I like pretty girls, I'm sure.” She faced me toward the mirror, and stepped up to my shoulder. “That would have been a shame, Chris.”

I nodded, once more drawn to the mirror by an instinct that was suddenly so much stronger than fear.

She gave me a few moments to check that my face was as pretty as it had been before I had cried. “I was hoping that you'd talk to me now, Chris. I'd like to listen to whatever you'd like to tell me.”

I nodded my head a little, and smiled just a very little too.

“There it is!” She said as she smiled back at the mirror. “You are very much prettier when you smile.” She squeezed my shoulders briefly. “I have a request though. May I please have another dance? You are so pretty, and I'd love to very much.”

I nodded my head, as I felt her spray something along my neck. It smelled pretty and feminine.

“Here.” She said handing me a package of knee-high nylons, and a pair of shoes. “Sit down and put these on for me.”

“What would you like to know?” I asked her.

“Everything, and anything you'd like to tell me.” She answered. “It's not an investigation. I just want to be your friend.”

“Why?” the question was out before I thought about how it would sound.

Thank goodness, she laughed a little to herself.

“Well, that's a tough one. I suppose it's because I like you. I think you are one of the nicest boys I've ever met. I also think that you need a friend you can talk to worse than anyone I've ever met.” She thought for a moment “It's no secret that you've been all but abandoned here by your parents. You teachers have also picked up on the fact that although you are fairly well liked around here, you don't seem to have any really close chums you spend your off time with.” She just shrugged her shoulders.

“Is that why you planned all of this?” I asked her, mortified to find that what I thought I'd kept fairly low profile, had been so obvious to so many.

She laughed, to herself I thought, again. “I hate to tell you this, Chris, but I didn't actually plan any of this. I thought about it, but I didn't plan it until about a half hour ago.” She reached down too take the shoe that seemed a little too big for me, and gave me an identical smaller pair.

“But?” I tried to sum it up succinctly. “The underwear?”

She smiled and shook her head. “Chris, the underwear was originally for me. I bought a couple of slips because I wanted to use some of the gowns in here for practice, and I've found that a lot of them have rough seams in them from years of alterations. They were poking me. The other things, including the panties that you seem to have decided to wear, were just things that I'd picked up for myself. Fortunately, you are just about the same size as me, and have a complexion close enough too mine for my makeup to work fairly well. Well…Very well.”

I was stunned. “So you didn't plan this?”

“NO.” She told me very softly, shaking her head. “The truth is, that I made up my mind to offer you this chance when I saw how you were with Tom.”

“Tom?” I was feeling very confused and frightened again.

She paused visibly then, and I could see her thinking. “Yes.”

She stopped to watch, as I slipped on the shoes that fit me well enough, and stood up on a short heel for the first time. “Woe, there, girl.” She said, as she held her hand out to steady me slightly. “Your balance is bound to be a little off, with all the unaccustomed weight in even short heels. Take a moment to walk around a bit.”

I nodded my head and began to take a few steps with her hand on my arm. In fact, I found the shoes felt a little different, but I had no trouble at all walking in them. “What was it about Tom that made you decide to help me?” I asked her, finally.

She paused again, but only for a moment “I'll be honest here, Chris, because I'm asking the same of you, but you have to promise not to be upset. I really don't want to offend you with what I'm about to say.”

I was terrified, at the thought of what awful thing I'd done, or she thought she needed to tell me, but I somehow managed to nod my head in promise.

“Well, It wasn't Tom. It was you.” She was looking at me again, with that examining look. “Please try to understand that I'm not saying this to be mean or to suggest anything; but, when you were dancing with Tom, you looked just like… Well, I think you're more like a girl. ”

Her eyes were checking out my brain, inside my pockets, my everything, which is why I didn't notice what I was doing, until I'd nodded again.

“In fact, when I first looked over at you, I might easily have thought that someone had slipped one of their friends into the practice. The way you were looking up at him, and laughing at him, and the way he reacted to you… well you looked just like any of my friends when I went to high school. You looked just like any one of us would have, except for the silly looking clothes.”

I thought about that, as she inspected my brainwaves, and every minute expression on my face. I understood. A lot of guys that I knew would have wanted to slug her for saying that. At first I was a little taken back by it to be sure, but mostly I just felt relieved. Then I realized, much to my amazement, that the thought her seeing me looking like that made me feel really good inside. I felt good in the same way as breathing in the perfume and knowing it was me, or in the way I looked so much like a girl in the mirror. It made me feel warm and content. That is why I smiled, I'm sure of it.

Miss Lynn, Amy, smiled too.

“I'm so glad that I didn't upset you.” She said, clearly relieved. “That, by the way is why I told you to call me Amy. I can't imagine being who you are, and never having another girl to talk to. Are you okay?”

“I'm not upset. I'm happy.” I put my hand on hers where it rested on my arm. “Did I really act like a girl would have?”

“You sure did!” she said with some enthusiasm creeping back into her voice, to supplant any sign of worry. “You looked just like one with all that giggling and smiling up at the handsome boy who'd asked you to dance.”

I whispered “Now, I look even a little more like that. Thanks to you.” I said it while turning to the mirror to admire just how nicely the dress and makeup made me look.

“More than that, little one.” She said, even though with the heels I was only about a half an inch shorter than she was now. “In fact, I can tell you that most of my friends, when they were your age, would have killed to look as nice as you do now. We haven't even tried half of the tricks either. You look just like a girl for a reason, Chris - a very pretty girl.”

“Thank you.” I said, a little flustered.

“Oh, and one more thing, you should probably know. It's the kind of thing one girl always tells another.” She said a little more seriously, even though she seemed to be grinning a lot more all of a sudden. I half expected her to tell me that my fly was open, except for the fact that I didn't have one at that particular moment.

“What?” I said, sounding pretty worried.

She giggled. “Well its just that I happen to know that the boy Tom was talking about, Richard, their other roommate moved out several months ago.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, as I stopped to look at her confused.

“I mean that I think he made it all up, just to make you laugh.”
She only paused for an instant.

“I think he was reacting to you, the way you were acting, in the same way really nice boys always seem to react instinctively to really nice girls. I think he wanted you to like him.”

I don't even remember her placing the CD in the player.

Somehow, I don't think anyone can appreciate what a waltz really is supposed to feel like unless you've done it in a dress like that. It was wonderful.

What she said to me then, uncannily mirrored my own thoughts yet again.

“Wow.”
 
 

 
 

My very special thanks to Geoff for his invaluable time and advice.

 
 
 
By

Sarah Lynn Morgan

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