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Chapter *8* Well have you ever heard of such tummy rot! Well the girls thought we needed
schooling in sitting, standing even eating and drinking so we had our first
crash course. (Well strictly speaking second, but our Meadowhall efforts were
apparently only just passable in a crowd. We were going to a school dance, which
would mean closer scrutiny by our peers.)
So we spent another hour learning how to do it properly.
"Well I think you need to practice"
"A lot!"
"Cheers, thanks for the vote of confidence"
"Well you want us to be honest"
"And you don't want the rest of the school clocking you!"
"I guess"
"Well both of you need to practice as much as possible"
We both chorused "yes miss" which got us each a whack with a cushion.
"Ow that hurt!"
"Sorry"
I grabbed my left ear
"That really hurt," I felt something hard in the lobe, "what's this?"
Maddy leant in to take a look.
"Erm, hang on"
"Ouch!"
"Let's look at your other ear"
"Why?"
"Just do it"
Maddy squeezed the right lobe and it felt like a spot bursting.
"What is it?"
Jules and Maddy shared a smug grin.
"Well?"
"You remember I put those studs in at Meadowhall?"
"Yes" I could feel bad news coming.
"Well I must have left the plastic keepers in when I took them out"
"My ears are pierced!"
"Er sorry Drew"
"Mum will go ballistic"
"Did she notice up to know?"
"No"
"Well she probably won't now then"
"But they will heal over wont they?"
"Not now, they've healed"
"You'll look so cute"
"I don't want to look cute!"
What was even worse was that Mum wouldn't let Juliette have her ears pierced
yet and of the others only Maddy had hers done.
In a way I thought it was cool to have pierced ears, a lot of the older guys
wore earrings, and if anyone noticed at school I might gain a bit of sadly
lacking street cred. Mum was the real problem but Ally was probably right, if
she hadn't noticed yet she likely wouldn't soon.
We left for home soon after and I mooched along beside my sister.
"You knew didn't you?"
"What?"
"The sleepers"
"Did not"
"Come on, fess up, you cleaned them up the other Sunday, you must have
known"
"Ok I knew"
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Why didn't you take them out?"
"I don't know, I thought you'd work it out yourself and then I just forgot"
"I bet"
"I did, honest"
I sulked the rest of the way home.
I'm sure someone had said something at school next day, I kept getting funny
looks from some of the other girls in our year. Whatever.
I decided to get a head start on the shoe thing after school.
I pulled out the list
I was sure that the girls already had some of this stuff but it was going to
be up to me to pull it all together. A test I suppose.
I mentally went through what I had seen people wearing, I had some sandals
that Bernie could wear and I was certain that either Rhod or myself could borrow
something from Jules. The hosiery was another matter. Jules I knew did have some
tan tights but as I had only seen the girls wearing socks, I thought that I
would need to buy the rest. I decided to ring round to see if anyone had
anything on my list and my list soon didn't look so daunting.
So I had cut the list to three pairs of shoes and four pairs of hosiery -
and so far I hadn't had to go to a shop. There was a Baker day (Staff training,
after the politician who introduced them) at our School on Friday so I planned
to go to Mansfield and get it over and done with.
Each night, my sister chided me to practice 'my moves', which I ungraciously
did when the olds weren't about. Friday was not going to be quite as planned,
the others all wanted to meet up so instead of all day I would just have a
couple of hours in the morning before we met at BK. I got the eight fifty bus
armed with the girls twenty pounds and another thirty of my own (you never know
what you might see) and sat in a daydream until we pulled into the bus station.
(For those not up on their UK geography, Mansfield is a small town on the
edge of what remains of Sherwood Forest, like home to Robin Hood! Where I live
is on the edge of the forest too. Mansfield is famous, at least locally, for
beer and more widely leather, the Oak Forest providing essential tanning
ingredients. So it's not surprising that there are more than a couple of shoe
shops in town including a couple of discount stores.)
I decided on a strategy, I would only buy one pair of shoes per shop, it
would be easier to say they were a present, particularly if I needed to change
any. The hosiery I would try to get in one of the bigger stores where I would be
less conspicuous.
There was a flaw in my plan, I hadn't allowed for shop assistants. I went
into the first shop and rather self-consciously went to the girls department.
"Can I help you"
"Wh..!"
"Are you looking in the right place?"
"Oh right, yes I'm looking for a pair of shoes for my sister. For a present"
my nervousness was clear to anyone watching the exchange.
"That's a nice idea young man, do you know what style and size you are
looking for?"
She'd bought my story. I decided to go for Ally's blue sandals first.
"Well she takes a six, I checked this morning and I know she really wants
some blue sandals"
"Hmm, we might have something up in the ladies department, follow me"
I followed, what else with a command like that.
"Here we go, size six"
She shuffled along the shelf and returned brandishing a couple of shoes.
"You're in luck, these are both in the sale"
She showed me the footwear; the first pair was going to be a no-no, a high
heel and sky blue. I quite liked them but the reality was they'd look good on
mum but Ally was thirteen and I just knew they would be wrong. The others, by
default would have to do; I didn't intend going back and forth like a girl to
get just the right pair. The second pair was a pair of slip ons with a chunky
sole and were a darker blue, much closer to Ally's costume. Even better they
were really cheap, just four pounds.
"Mum won't let her wear heels so it will have to be these"
"Ok luv, let's pay for them"
She escorted me to the cash point and I was soon relieved of the cash but up
one pair of shoes.
"Hope she likes them luv"
"Yeah so do I"
Once outside I drew a sigh of relief. I figured I would try the big discount
store next, they had fewer staff and I could browse easier. I made my way to the
store, on the edge of the main shopping area and entered 'The World of Shoes'.
I had to get my shoes and Juliette's boots, both white and looking round not
this season's colour! But my luck was holding I found some off white knee boots
with a chunky sole and I guess about a two-inch heel. After a bit of a scrabble
through the stock I found a pair in the required size six and I would only have
to pay nine ninety-nine as they were an end of line. I should have just got the
boots but I decided to see if they had any shoes, after all I could get them on
another visit.
The only white shoes well strictly cream, were wedding shoes, well that's
what the header board said. I was probably lingering a little too long because
in a store devoid of sales assistants, one was suddenly at my shoulder uttering
that great starter.
"Can I help?"
If I ran I would have to abandon the boots, I was sure I could bluff my way
out.
"Er I'm not sure"
"Are you looking for anything in particular"
I'm sure that they all go on the same course or something. Before I realised
what I was saying it was out,
"I need to get some shoes for a dance"
"What colour is your dress"
What?
"Eh?"
"What colour dress are you going to wear miss?"
Then it clicked, despite my combats sweatshirt and short haircut she thought
I was a girl. Mixed emotions roiled around my head
"I'm not" she cut me off
"Not sure yet?"
I decided to roll with it.
"No, I mean yes, it's sort of off white"
"Heels?"
Not getting her meaning I just nodded.
"I'm Sarah,"
"Gaby" I mumbled
"Just sit over there, I'll bring some over for you to try."
Stunned at this turn of events I just followed her instruction. She was
kneeling in front of me just a minute later.
"Shoes off please," seeing my socks she hardly broke stride, "hang on I'll
get some footsies so you can try them properly"
She disappeared for a minute and I was left sat bare foot in the ladies shoe
department, help! What if anyone from school sees me? Well she reappeared and
slipped a pair of thin sockettes on my feet.
"Now then Gaby, how about these?"
Well to cut a long story short, for nearly three quarters of an hour I tried
on shoe after shoe, Sarah seemed to take me as just another awkward (as in
clumsy) teen girl and she was some sales woman. I think I managed quite well,
putting my girl lessons to use and I left the store thirty pounds lighter, but
that did include Jules boots and a pair of very fine pearl coloured stockings,
besides my shoes. I settled on a closed toe sandal, they have a pointy toe, open
vamp and thin ankle straps perching on a three-inch heel. Sarah insisted I would
be ok on them and they were essential if it was a formal dance. (Well that's
what she told me and who am I to argue?)
"Bye Gaby, have a nice time"
"Thanks Sarah, bye"
Had I really spent best part of an hour as a convincing girl, well tomboy
anyway? If this kept up I'd be thinking I could pull this escapade off!
Well I can tell you, I was glad to get out of there alive. I hurried back
into the centre and had to grab a coke at Maccy D's to settle my nerves. Surely
I didn't look that much like a girl? But Sarah seemed to think so; perhaps it
was just the setting? After all I was holding a pair of ladies boots, stood
looking at ladies shoes. I was well shaken up.
With resources dwindling, I hit an ATM and withdrew another twenty before
starting to look for the remainder of my list, thick tan tights for Bernie,
white for Rhod and black stockings for Maddy. Walking along I was drawn to a
costume shops window, all gaudy wigs and false noses. I decided to take a look
inside and to my delight discovered they had a bargain bin that I delved into
with gusto. I left the store with the two pairs of tights I needed, a false nose
and on impulse, a pair of long pink hair braids.
That only left the black stockings and I reckoned I could get those in
Woolworth's before meeting the others. I was right, and they were cheap,
emboldened by my time in the shoe store I got a bag of pick'n'mix and waited to
pay. I was slightly annoyed when the bored cashier didn't even glance up as she
rang my purchases through the till.
"There he is"
"Drew, over here"
The others had already got a table and food before I got to BK; I dumped my
bags and went to fetch a bacon double cheese and coke.
"What you got Drew?"
"The last things on my list"
"You've got everything?" Bernie asked
"Let's see then"
So to my embarrassment I had to do a show and tell sat in Burger King.
"Ally's sandals, Jules boots, my shoes"
"Cute shoes Drew"
"Let him be"
"What else?"
I flourished the hosiery, braids and false nose.
"You got stockings?"
"Yeah?"
"I think he's getting to like the idea of being a girl"
"What?"
"Well those braids and the stockings, they're sooo sexy"
"Did you get suspender belts?"
"Eh"
"Well like duh, you need something to hold the stockings up, garters or
suspenders"
"I thought they had elastic or something"
"That's hold ups silly"
"I don't think he knew the difference"
"I guess we'll have to get some suspenders then"
I had mucked up big style. The girls almost had to drag Rhod and I to the
lingerie shop, but they failed to get us inside! However they managed to keep
the embarrassment level up by bringing various bits of female underwear to the
door to show us. I don't know why I stayed there, why I was doing this whole
thing, I suppose I was sort of enjoying it all and I guess Rhod was too. After
all how many of our peers got to hang out with some of the nicest girls and do
stuff with them?
Eventually the three girls (Jules was hanging with her own mate's back in
the village) made their selections and joined us outside. Rhod suggested we went
bowling and everyone agreed, so we hit the Superbowl for a couple of hours.
Boy's v girls, I have to admit I was glad when Paul turned up as Rhod and I were
losing badly. We just about pulled it even for a draw by the end of the session,
then gladly accepted a lift in Paul's mum's Toyota Previa. I managed to get
Maddy to claim my shopping when we got back to Church Warsop and Paul, Rhod and
I went round to Clive's bungalow to play on his X-Box.
Saturday followed it's usual pattern, a ride up to Tickhill with mum, tea
and hot buttered teacakes at Oldcotes and then back home. An afternoon catching
up with my homework then off to Worksop for dinner at the Beefeater restaurant.
Sunday had me out with Mum again, meeting the others at Lincoln for lunch. We
had a walk round before we all piled into the camper to go home, there was a
really strong wind and neither mum nor I relished crossing the flat Trent plain
into the gale. I might be fanatical but I'm not stupid!
Maddy Bell 02.02.03 © 2003
To Be Continued...
 |
Gaby Book 1 - The Anime Days Chapter *8* Boots and Shoes by Maddy Bell Drew is just an ordinary thirteen year old. Well perhaps not that ordinary. The girls challenge him to wear an anime costume to the Easter dance, however they forgot to mention that he'd be going as a girl! Enter Gaby! First it was his friends, then it's his family — everyone seems to want Gaby around except Drew. And when perfect strangers think he's a girl, well the lad's got problems! Can he ‘kill' Gaby? Or will he get dragged ever deeper into girldom? |
Maddy Bell is selling her works in book form at Maddy Bell's Book Shop and has Gaby Character Dolls for sale.
Her Official Web Site is at MaddyBell.com Please Visit!
Chapter *8*
After the humiliation of my sister watching while I stripped to my undies then measuring me, I was ready to call it a day but everyone else thought that Gaby and Pippa could do with some girl lessons.
| 'Bernie | flat sandals 4 | |
| thick tan tights | ||
| Ally | blue sandals 6 | |
| thick black tights | ||
| Rhod | flattish shoes or sandals 5 | |
| white socks or tights | ||
| Juliette | white knee boots 6 | |
| tan tights | ||
| Drew | white sandals or shoes 5 | |
| white stockings or hold-ups | ||
| Maddy | black sandals or shoes 41/2 | |
| black stockings or hold-ups' |
| 'Bernie | ||
| thick tan tights | ||
| Ally | blue sandals 6 | |
| Rhod | ||
| white socks or tights | ||
| Juliette | white knee boots 6 | |
| Drew | white sandals or shoes 5 | |
| white stockings or hold-ups | ||
| Maddy | ||
| black stockings or hold-ups' |
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