Chapter 4

Robb had drained about $1200 from the bank card that bore his name. He
bought a backpack at a thrift store. He broke the card in half and
threw it away. He walked and walked, and walked...

...and walked. During his internet musings he discovered the idea of
the Walkabout.

Walking until you meet yourself, considering the events of the week,
that seemed like the most likely thing in the world. He knew that there
wasn't an explosion behind him. He also knew that he wasn't walking in
slow motion. But that's how he felt, happy and sad tears running
rivulets of mascara and eyeliner down his face. Walking down the long,
long road towards... Where?

First thing's first... Frank.

Frank was the Fake ID guy. Could damn near fake anything except money.
This should be easy.

He knocked on the door. It buzzed and he pushed.

"Frank?"

"Hey, Do I know you?" Frank put down his taco and wiped his hand on his
well stained Mountain Dew shirt. He reached under the table for the
little Seecamp.45 he kept there.

"Yeah, umm." Bobbie looked down at her feet. "Melanie sent me. I don't
wanna go back...."

"She said you could help me. I left my parents, they were in some weird
cult. I need to get some I.D., I just can't go back , I just can't...."
Bobbie was trying to sound genuinely upset, luckily she already looked
like she'd been crying. His expression became less hard.

"... and Mel said you were the one to see. I need ID, Social Security
Card, Birth Certificate and School Records. I've got money. I have no
one else to turn to."

"Close the door behind you," Frank said, Bobbie suddenly remembering
where she was and who she was talking to.

"That's gonna cost you. Three hundred at least, or you could blow me."

That sleazy fucker. Bobbie threw three crisp hundred dollar bills on
the table, careful to hide his horror. Tears came unbidden, slowly
leaking down his face, creating new tracks of makeup.

The hopeful look in Frank's eyes died, he grimaced. "Okay. Miss. Give
me a few minutes to set up and we'll be ready. Ummm." Frank looked
around. "I'm gonna need a picture. There's a bathroom over there to
freshen up, if you want. Are you okay? Can I get you a coffee of
something? It's gonna be a bit, Miss?"

"Sharpe, Bobbie Sharpe," Bobbie said as she headed toward the bathroom.
She saw the makeup that had ran down her face like a rural roadmap.
God, she must have looked terrible. Well, Frank didn't think so.
Blowjob, Bobbie forced the thought out of his mind, the thought of it
was just... EWWW!

The makeup came right off, leaving his{her} face clean, eyes slightly
puffy. But there it was. For the first time in his life, he cared what
a picture of him would look like. Ironically, he wouldn't look his
best. Or, like him at all. Satisfied that this was the best he was
going to be able to do for now, he went back out to face Frank.

There were questions, things to fill out. He never realized how much
paper a single life generated. Then the all important picture, he
hastily parted his hair down the middle, allowing it to flow over his
shoulders.

An hour later, Frank had done his magic. And there was a Colorado
Driver's License and Social Security card for One Bobbie Sharpe, Born
11/13/1995, even had school transfer records from California.
Everything she would need to start fresh.

Frank thanked her for her business, and told Bobbie to tell Melanie he
said hi.

"Okay, sure," she said.

Fat chance, she thought.

* ************

When Melanie came out of the bathroom, she expected to find Robb
sleeping. When the body was gone, she was concerned. When she noticed
the bank card was missing. She went ballistic. Nuclear missile
ballistic.

That....fucking bitch. Melanie thought. After all I did for him. She
was so mad, she broke a few things, screamed. When none of those things
were able to assuage her anger, she went to the drawer and pulled out
the stash box she kept the drugs in. She started with the marijuana and
cocaine.

Then came the alcohol, then the oxycontin{which she crushed and
snorted}. The anger started to subside, mellowness radiating out from
her belly. Her reactions slowed as tiredness crept into her. She began
to nod off. The cigarette she was smoking was fresh... half gone...
burning her fingers as it dropped onto the carpet

And everything went black.

"Melanie," a sexy voice purred into her ear. She opened her eyes.

They were in an old, abandoned hospital. Sort of. That's what was in
front of her, her neck wouldn't turn. It felt like her body had been
encased in wet concrete. All of her movements seems geologically slow.

The stranger stood in front of her. She looked vaguely Asian, with
large breasts and luscious hips. "You're probably wondering what's
going on? Turn around and look. Suddenly released, she spun around.
Melanie saw her body splayed out on the sofa, foaming at the mouth,
unconscious.

"Oh, You're in trouble, aren't you?"

Melanie felt the wrongness in her body. Oh, God. She overdosed. She was
always so careful about what she took and how much. Fuckin' Robb. Wait,
what's that smell?

Smoke? Fire? Oh, God. WAKE UP! Melanie was frozen in place.

"Yes, Fuckin' Robb. Tell me about him."

"Help me!, I don't wanna die," Melanie pleaded to the stranger.

"Shhh! I won't let anything happen to you. just as long as you help,"
the stranger purred the dark light glinting off of her purple lips.
"Tell me about Fuckin' Robb, we have just oodles of time." Melanie
watched the flames start to rise. It was like watching slow motion
footage of a car crash, everything gracefully moving, lapping up into
the air.

"I..."Melanie began, quickly turning from the flame to the stranger.

"Tell me. I can just leave you here, you know?"

"Tell me," she growled.

"He's an ungrateful bastard," Melanie blurted. Fuck him. he just took
the money and ran off, leaving you alone. "I helped make him a cooler
person. All he ever did was a bunch of nerdy shit. I had him in the
palm of my hand, who doesn't want that? After he became a girl I..."

"Became a girl, yes, tell me about that." There was a kind of Cheshire
Kitten look to her grin.

"He got shot, I left. He was a girl when I got back. I didn't believe
him at first. Didn't make any sense at all. But absolutely nobody could
have known those things. He was all blond hair and blue eyes, and..."

"OOOH! An Advocate. It's been sooooo long." She clapped her hands,
jumping up and down. "Melanie, this may be the beginning of a beautiful
friendship."

"What do you mean?" The stranger came right up to her. Stroking her
face. Fear replacing anger in Mel's face.

"Don't worry, there won't be anything to be afraid of. Nothing's going
to hurt you anymore, or ever again." Melanie saw her body sit up, and
walk zombielike to the door.

"You can get them back, get them all back." She smiled, a grin suddenly
voracious. "They will beg for your forgivness. And, you don't have to
give it to them."

"Who are you?" Melanie asked, both frightened and fascinated

"You can call me Lust. I think we're going to have some fun together.
But first, we're going to HAVE to do something about that thing you're
wearing."

*********

Bobbie had been walking for quite a while. The feeling of wearing a
backpack on her front was going away, fading into the 'new normal',
much like the new sway his hips had. Wearing a backpack helped,
providing a counter weight.

Five miles. Where to go? Only know one place. Home. Bobbie thought
about everything that had happened. Memories cascaded.

Ten miles, fifteen. The more walking she did, the clearer he felt,
smelling the crisp air. There were things about what he was doing that
set him on edge. What would he tell them? Well, I could have been
Robb's girlfriend. Rehab?? It would sound good, he reasoned. It would
at least sounded like I was trying to get better. Yeah, Melanie was
cheating on me...him, damn. We met in the rehab clinic. For what,
though? Painkillers? Black Tar Heroin?

What if they didn't buy it? What if the records or ID didn't work. What
if Melanie came back? All of these questions were asked, but went away
as he stood there. He had blindly gone to the one place in the universe
that, while you can occupy its space again, it's never the same.

Home.

He knocked on the door, and waited. Then she answered. She stood there
looking at him, with no recognition in her eyes.

Here Goes, and before any rational thought occurred. Bobbie leapt
forward. "Oh, God. Mom," she whimpered, and hugged her. Startled, the
woman eased and returned the embrace.

"Mom? Do I know you? Are you one of Kim's friends?"

Composing herself, Bobbie let the tears that were threatening to burst
go. "No, I'm...I... I mean I was Robb's Girlfriend. He's... He's."

The woman's face twisted. She collapsed to her knees. "NO!" she cried.
Bobbie moved forward.

"He wanted me to..." It was her turn she hugged Bobbie, who hugged
back. Bobbie's voice went unheard. It felt like a geological age before
either of them moved.

She looked at Bobbie, wiped her eyes, smiled lightly. "Why don't you
come in?"

Bobbie walked into the house he had grown up in... Robb had grown up
in. He stood in the room where, years ago, he had screamed and
screamed. In a way, it was good to be back. In another, it felt very
strange and awkward. The furniture was different. The carpet the same,
memories hung there like so many dust motes.

"God, when he was a kid it was all movies and comics. I knew the other
kids thought of him as a nerd. I felt sorry for him. But when he
brought..." Her mouth moved like something distasteful was in it.
"...That girl, Michelle?"

"Melanie," Bobbie said, nodding. "He told me about her. He wasn't happy
about how things ended with her. And what she wound up doing to all
three of you."

"How did they end?" Sylvia asked.

Bobbie exhaled, crossed her legs and hoped for the best.

She told him about how Robb knew that Mel was cheating on him. How they
had met at a rehab clinic, both seeking treatment in the medical wing
due a former partner's indiscretion. She talked about how he tried to
clean up, and get himself together. He was clean and about to start
working, when the accident happened. With nobody around to make the
decision, he'd been cremated. His ashes scattered in the Mojave desert.

"Because," Bobbie admitted with a wan smile, "that's where they shot
the jet car sequence in."

"...Buckaroo Banzai. God, he loved that movie.

"He wanted to come back. He felt so bad about the way he left things
with you and Kim. Before he died... He wanted to come back to you so
badly, always told me what he wanted to say. 'No matter where you go...
there you are' Does that mean anything to you?... umm," The act seemed
to be working, so far

Sylvia chuckled through the tears. "Sylvia, please. It's from the same
movie. When his father was alive, they would watch it together every
weekend... I know the quote. Still don't think I've seen the whole
thing."

The door suddenly opened. "Hi, Mom." It was Kim. Bobbie remembered Kim
just four years ago, pigtails and dresses. The teenaged girl before him
looked radically different. Skinny jeans, brown hair cut into a faux
hawk, Ear plugs and a Laberet piercing. A pink camouflage babydoll
shirt that read "GRRL ARMY" emblazoned on the front.

"This is..."

"Kim?" Bobbie asked. Kim was taken aback. It had only been four years.
Seeing her now, Bobbie really wanted to know about those four years.
With the guitar slung on her back, she looked ready to trash an
expensive hotel room.

"Kim, dear. Come sit. I think we need to talk. It's about Robb."

Kim slowly lowered herself to the sofa. It could only be one thing. How
did it happen? She wondered. Overdose? Robbery? It didn't matter to
her. She just wanted to hear him call her Kimster again. Her face
contorted as she started to cry, her head in her hands. Bobbie went to
put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She batted it away angrily. She
spun while standing, grabbed Bobbie by the shoulders, shaking her.

"Where is she?" Kim hissed through clenched teeth. "I'll... I'll." From
anger to tears, a switch was flipped. Bobbie reached out and hugged
Kim. "Robb," she sobbed.

"It wasn't her, Kim. It was a car accident," Sylvia said, she hated
seeing Kim this way, the anger that constantly simmered beneath her
surface. And now, with Robb gone she feared that Kim's anger might stay

"He was so sorry. He wasn't even mad at you. He always said if there
was one thing that he could take back. It would be the last thing he
said to you. He knew things were screwed up. He only wanted to come
home."

Kim let go of Bobbie, grabbed her wrist. Sniffing, she said. "Mom we'll
be back." So, she still did that, Bobbie mused. Grabbing him and
leading him to whatever it was she wanted to show him. Bobbie felt like
Robb did for a moment, being pulled along. It felt good, familiar.

"Kim," Sylvia exclaimed.

"It's okay, Mom. "She shouted over her shoulder. And, just like that,
Sylvia was left alone in the house. She had to admit, at least Robert
had straightened out there near the end. What had Robb said to Bobbie
about them? She needed to know.

But, she mused, at least now she could know. Bobbie seemed nice. At
least someone could fill her in about her son. Once a block had passed,
Kim turned around and looked keenly. Pulled a pack of Newports out of
her pocket and fumbled with the lighter. She lit the cigarette. The
light flickering, highlighting her red eyes. She inhaled and exhaled
twice in rapid succession.

Wanting to break the ice, Bobbie said, "You think I can get one of
those?"

Kim looked at her suspiciously, flipped open the pack and offered her
one. Her lighter was out by the time Bobbie had the cigarette in her
mouth. Leaning in to the lighter, Kim said, "Bobbie, tell me what
happened."

Bobbie inhaled, the smoke burned her throat, the menthol flavor doing
nothing to make it easy. She coughed lightly. Kim chuckled.

"Not much of a smoker, huh? You're not his type, y'know. Blond, way too
hot. Too much of a good girl. How did you know him?"

"Met at a clinic." Bobbie waved the cigarette. "Melanie gave him
something. We were trying to get him clean and back to school. His
death came out of nowhere. It's hard to believe that Robb's gone," It
was so weird to say that.

"Oh, how I wish she were here." She let the cigarette dangle from her
lips as she smacked a palm with her fist. She flicked the cigarette
away. "I wish I could have seen him one more time. Wish he could meet
me now. So much has changed."

"Yeah," Bobbie said, inhaling on the cigarette again. She looked at it
distastefully, stepped on it. "What happened with you? From what he
told me you should be sporting a pair of pom poms by now."

Kim grinned a lopsided grin. "I'm gay. He wouldn't have known. I only
came out last year," she chuckled. "Decided I liked girls more."

"How did Mo... um... Sylvia take it."

Kim looked at her unevenly. "Did you just almost call her 'Mom'?"

Shit! "Ummm, I...I," Bobbie stammered.

Like a flurry, Kim was on him. Bringing her right foot around Bobbie's
left and positioned her hand for a blow to the chest.

Bobbie saw it in slow motion, she brought her right foot back and
absorbed the blow on her left breast, but the leg sweep failed. As it
happened, she was amazed at how quickly it all came back, and how
quickly she was able to call her limbs back into position.

"Ow," Bobbie said, rubbing her chest. It hurt, much like a kick in the
groin used to. Only, somewhere else.

"Okay, what's going on? He taught me that, not much else. But I haven't
lost a fight yet."

"Kimster," Bobbie whispered, tears brimming.

"Did he tell you that, too?" She moved in again. Raising her fist for
another attack

Bobbie brought up her hands. "No, no"

"Who are you. What do you want?"

"It's like I said, really. I'm here to fix what Robb broke. I think I'm
the only one who can." Kim lowered her hands. "No Matter where you
go..."

"... there you are, right?" Kim said, softening. "I guess. You only get
where you're going by being where you've gone.

Bobbie's eyes widened. "You saw that?"

"After he left, I watched his movies, read his books, stole his cds. I
just wanted to feel close to him again. I missed him, the asshole," Kim
said, sniffing back tears. "C'mon, we should head back. There's
something you should see."

She grabbed Bobbie's wrist again and ran back to the house. They re
entered the house, Kim bolting up the stairs, Bobbie in tow. "Taking
Bobbie into Robb's room." Up the stairs they went and then into the
second door on the left, Kim opened the door.

It was just like Robb left it. DVDs, videogames, comic books, The
Bettie Page poster on the wall. Bobbie walked in, stunned. Was he so
mad at the time? God, why am I so emotional? As if in a trance, Bobbie
opened the top drawer of the dresser.

I wonder if it's still there? She reached up inside to the secret spot,
and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. Unrolling it, she was
stunned to see that it read "Drugs are bad, m'kay."

Kim's eyes went wide, she turned around and closed the door.

"Okay, there's no reason you should know about that. I got rid of that
joint and left that note there. I knew he'd find it. If he ever came
back," she said quietly. She looked up at Bobbie, eyes narrowing.

"Who are you. Really? I scream, and Mom'll..."

Fuck it, I need someone. Please let her believe me.

"Kimster, it's me. Robb."

"Bullshit. That's not possible. It's just... not."

"And yet, here I am."

Kim reached forward and squeezed Bobbie's breasts.

"Hey," Bobbie said, trying to slap her hands away. Seizing the
opportunity Bobbie pinned her to the wall, just like he did when they
were kids.

"You never could get out of this. So just listen. For once, listen to
me. I am in here, you've gotta believe me. You've got to," Bobbie
pleaded. "I just really needed..." As the crying started, Bobbie
loosened her grip. She collapsed on Kim.

"Oh, Kimster. I needed you guys... Mom." Bobbie flopped down on the
floor. Head in her hands. "I don't know what to do." That moment
crystallized it for Kim.

Trust. Automatic, unflinching trust. The kind of trust she had been
unable to have with anyone else, not since...

"Robb?" She smiled, she saw it. It was him in there. Had to be. The
joint, Kimster, calling Sylvia 'mom'. The 'Spider' hold. It made
absolutely zero sense, but this girl who called herself 'Bobbie' was
her brother. "Oh, God. Robb." She flung herself to him and clung
tightly. "What happened?"

Bobbie looked at his sister. "I got shot in a robbery with Mel. I just
remember being cold and there being a lot of blood. Then this... Wait a
minute. Just like that? You believe me?"

Kim punched him in the chest, again.

"Ow, stop doing that."

"Regular girl would've tried to hit me. You walk kind of like a guy,
you knew about the hidden joint." She ticked off the reasons on the
fingers of one hand. "Maybe I don't believe you, and this is all part
of my devious plan to get you into my evil clutches." Kim leaned in, as
if to kiss.

Bobbie let Kim go and released her. "Jesus, Kimster I'm your..."

"And there's the clincher," To punctuate, Kim punched him in the
opposite breast. "I Can't very well kick you in the balls, can I. You
fucking jerk," She hugged him again. "Besides, you had to be telling
the truth. How could you not wanna get with this?" Kim flaunted her
body. "Bee Tee Double Ewe, you're really cute, bro."

"Thanks," Bobbie said dryly. "I think I died, but then I woke up like
this." Having this conversation was hard enough. She wasn't even going
to try to explain Justice.

"Like a second chance?" Kim grinned. "Cool. I get my brother back.
Well, sort of."

"Let's not get too excited. I still don't know what I'm doing. I don't
have a place to live. I just barely got a new license. I knew I had to
come here first, I needed to apologize to you both. I didn't really
mean what I said, I needed to say I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm
going to do. I am going to finish school, this time though."

"Place to live, huh? I think I might be able to arrange that. I'll talk
Mom into it. Since you left, it's just been the two of us. And, to
answer your earlier question. Mom didn't handle my gayness very well,
not at all. But, she also didn't want to lose both of us, she just kind
of let me be. I think she finally accepted it."

She hugged Bobbie again. "I'm so glad you're here." The embrace
tightened. "But, if you ever die like that again. I'll kill you," They
both laughed.

"And, well..." Bobbie suddenly flushed, the red showing against the
smooth, alabaster skin. "I've gotta be honest with you, Kimster. This
whole 'girl' thing," She sighed exasperated.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

Bobbie looked at her embarrassed. "I had a period the day after it
happened. I thought I was going to die... again. I freaked out. Melanie
showed me how to sort of deal with it. But"

Kim laughed, a lot louder than she should have. "I'm sorry," The
laughing continued. She wiped her eyes. "I just can't picture..." Still
chuckling. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Bro," Kim
said reassuringly deepening her voice as she finished.

Bobbie wished everyone would stop saying that.

"You know I'm going to spend hours messing with you, right?"

Bobbie Glared at her.

"You know that 'Scanners' shit isn't real right?"

"Yeah? Neither is having your 'y' chromosome grow another leg," Bobbie
said, relieved that he open up to someone.

"Fair enough," Kim surveyed the body her brother now inhabited.

"There is one thing I've wanted to ask you for years," Kim said

"Sure, what?"

"Can I have your Bettie Page poster?" Kim asked sheepishly.

Bobbie laughed, happy to see her sister acting happy. "Sure."

"C'mon, Juete."

"Hey," Bobbie shot back. "Juete had pink eyes, mine are blue..."

They went back downstairs.

o ***********

Sylvia ordered pizza and they ate and talked, just the girls. It was
nice to see Kim not being angsty for once. She and Bobbie were getting
along. It did her heart good. She had brought down some boxes from
the attic. "These are all of his old stories, school papers, and book
reports. I...I just wanted him to come back."

Was he still writing?"

She kept all those, really?

"He was trying, wasn't really finding anything that worked. I think
that what happened with you threw off his rhythm. " She took some of
the old pages out. Bobbie stared at them incredulously.

"I can't believe you kept these," Bobbie felt herself wanting to cry,
again.

"Of course, he was my little boy," Sylvia cried. Bobbie put out a hand.
"And now he's..." Her voice broke.

"It's okay. It wasn't anything you did. He just wanted to be wanted.
He was always so alone..." Bobbie started to speak. She went on for
about an hour, with eloquence about Robb's shortcomings. Bobbie saw
them with such striking clarity. When it was over, Sylvia was all cried
out. But felt better than she had in the whole time he'd been gone, and
went to bed feeling lighter than in recent memory. Kim offered some
room space to Bobbie. "We've got a lot to talk about, Bobbie and I."

Kim stayed up late with Bobbie. She snuck out of the window of her room
to sit on the roof. Bobbie went with her.

"So, when did you start smoking?" Bobbie asked Kim.

"When I stole your pack right before you left," she giggled, inhaling.

"You know that's bad for you, right?"

"Not as bad. See, lights? And you should talk. How do you like being a
girl?"

Bobbie shrugged. "I'm not sure 'like' is the right word. I mean, it's
still difficult to remember to sit to pee. It's been a rollercoaster
these last few days. I was watching TV and I cried over that damn Sarah
Machlachan commercial with the hurt animals."

Kim nodded and smoked in silence.

"Everybody cries at that commercial. So, do you like guys now or what?"
she said, sending pieces of silence scattered by her warhammer.

The question took Bobbie aback. "I... I don't know. Haven't really
thought about it much. I did some stuff with Melanie after..." She
waved her hand up and down. "This. Honestly I only remember part of it.
She... we... I took ecstasy."

"Just wondered. Y'know. Though maybe we could check out girls. Wanted
to do that with you since I found out I was gay." She reached over and
grabbed Bobbie's ponytail. "C'mon Whaddaya say? We get you a pixie cut
and some Birkenstocks. And we can listen to Melissa Etheridge and The
Indigo Girls all day." She dropped the still smoldering butt into the
coffee can she kept there for that exact reason.

Bobbie chuckled. "It's casual. Let's get some other things sorted out.
First, I wanna finish school. I'm going to finish something. I feel so
much better now that Mel's gone."

"School?" Kim lit another cigarette. "You could always go back to
Delacroix. Things are different now."

"No shit," Bobbie said.

"No, really. There are more people like you used to be there now.
Somehow, being a little geeky became cool. Plus, you look like that.
The greatest fortress is to be found in the love of the people and all
that..."

"Besides." She smacked her fist into her palm. "They'll have to deal
with me this time."

Bobbie looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Yeah, I'll be the first guy to
say 'I'm gonna get my little sister to beat you up'." They both snorted
with laughter.

"You're not a guy," Kim reminded her. "Maybe you should learn all the
Penny Priddy quotes."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you. Buckaroo Banzai? The Man Who Never Missed?
Bug bit you, huh?"

"Yeah, some," She smirked. "Hey, you like some cool shit."

"And the bass?"

"Oh, that. Just picked it up. Been playing for about two years. Started
the band with some girls I met through Facebook. Y'know I wrote like
five songs about you after you left?"

Bobbie smiled. "Really?'

"Yeah, you big jerk. I was so fucking mad at you. Choosing Melanie..."

"Over it now, completely."

"No, 'Choosing Melanie' was one of the songs." Bobbie looked down.

"I'm sorry," She breathed

"Look. I think I can get Mom to let you stay here. There's plenty of
space. And, quite frankly, Mom needs another girl around. We'll go out
tomorrow, I've got practice, you can come with me. Meet the other
girls. Once we get you integrated, this should be fun."

Integrated? Bobbie sensed a project, he was wishing that there could be
an 80s movie montage that would just leave everything finished. But if
she was going to get a new life, she had to start somewhere.

Chapter 5

"I fucking want his head, her head, whatever," the One Who Was Melanie
said, rage coloring every fiber of her being." Her body swayed, the
difference in it's weight and proportion still new to her. Still riding
the waves of hate from Lust, all of her senses were in overdrive.

"And you'll have her, But you need to be patient. We can both get
everything we want."

The One Who Was Melanie looked at the mirror. Her features had
softened, the damage from the drugs disappearing. Her face had changed,
as had her skin, deepening to a golden hue. Her was body more supple,
voluptuous. Her hair had changed to a vibrant red; all of her tattoos
had disappeared save one. The 'tramp stamp' remained save one
difference.

Some purple Kanji characters sat in the center now.

##: The characters for Lust.

Lust looked at The One Who Was Melanie. "We are going..." Lust slinked
forward, raising her arms to feel her newest work press against her
body

"..to take." She slid an arm around her waist.

"Her world." She bent in to Not-Melanie's face.

"Apart." Lust kissed her passionately. The anticipation warming her
loins in a way not felt since the last Thrall didn't work out. She
thought of Faye. How she figured it out was beyond her. But, that plan
would have to wait for the moment.

Yes, Lust. OOH! The One Who Was Melanie thought. This was better than
drugs, lost as she was in Lust's grip. Pleasure tingling every ending
of every nerve. Lust smiled. She knew that The One That Was Melanie
knew the Advocate, could help find and defeat her. It was just a matter
of time.

And Lust had all the time in the world.

* ************

Sylvia woke up early the next morning to the sounds and smells of
frying bacon and coffee. When she came down, there was Kim sitting at
the counter, drinking coffee.

"Hi, Mom," she said. "Bobbie thought we'd like breakfast.

"Smells good. " Sylvia said. Kim was already moving to get her mother's
coffee."What are we having?" she said, stifling a yawn.

Bobbie was jumping around. Kim had put her band's disc on. The music
orchestrated her movement as she skipped around like a ninja on a hot
tin roof. Things were flipped and moved with a minimum of effort. There
was a style to movement now. Bobbie still remembered Robb, the memories
so much easier to grab now. She glided around the kitchen, flipping
pancakes, making omelets and plating with an ease that surprised even
her.

Sylvia looked at the plate, containing a small vegetable omelet, two
pancakes, two slices of bacon, and hash browns. "How long have you two
been up?"

"Not long," Bobbie yelled. Sheepishly, she turned down the music.
"Sorry, Sylvia. Only about an hour"

She nodded, sipping coffee. "I know all those songs, they used to
practice here," She dug into the omelet. Her eyes opened. "Mmm. This is
delicious. You did all this in an hour? What.."

"Eat mom. I finished mine already. Try the pancakes," Kim said,
grinning. Sylvia looked at her daughter. When was the last time she saw
Kim grin like that? The pancakes were creamy, fluffy, and delicious.

"Oh, my gosh. Bobbie, you're a wonderful cook. Who taught you?"

She added half and half to a cup. "Hmmm?" She looked around at Sylvia
and Kim. Lost in seeing them all together, there was a love and joy
that replaced the hollowness. This is what was missing, from Mel's
presence,s he decided.

"Me? Oh, no one. Just call it a knack," she said, sipping coffee and
crunching a piece of bacon.

"Mom, Bobbie and I were talking. She's almost done with school. D'ya
think we can keep her?"

Bobbie spluttered. "Kim, I..."

"Mom, she came here just to tell us about Robert, she's got no one to
go back to. She needs to finish school. I think she'll be good to have
around.

She nodded. "You stay in school." She looked down at the plate, It was
gone. She was full from breakfast, but felt... somehow complete. Kim
was probably right. "And you keep cooking, and you've got a deal."

Kim looked at her mother. "Wow, that was easy."

Bobbie would be good to have around. Sylvia decided. Kim looked... not
so angry. She had to admit that she herself felt comfortable around
Bobbie immediately, even though she couldn't understand why. It made no
sense, but it felt right having her here.

"Good, now that that's settled. I've got band practice today. Bobbie's
gonna come with me, meet the other recruits." Bobbie went up and
changed back into the jeans and t-shirt she had in the bag she came
with.

After leaving, Kim looked at Bobbie. "We need to build you a life.
Clothes, friends, everything. Nobody's gonna believe that you just came
up out of the concrete. You don't even have a facebook profile or a
phone. Don't worry, Robb. This is going to be so much easier than it
was last time."

Bobbie gave a sideways look, eyes narrowed to the width of dental
floss.

Kim laughed. "I said easier, I didn't say it was going to be easy. No
matter where you go, remember?"

"Umm Kim. I think it would be better if you just called me Bobbie from
now on. 'Robb' just sounds weird now," Bobbie chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Kim asked shaking a Newport out of the pack.

"Melanie gave me that name. Seems like the only thing she was right
about."

I am Bobbie Sharpe. She thought. And, I'm going to be a good person.

Chapter 6

Bobbie had some cash left from retaining Frank's services. Not much,
about $900. It was still sitting in 'Robb's' wallet.

"Nice," Kim said. "Boba Fett wallet. That was weird... you know, with
mom back there."

"I just think she felt some part of me in here still," Bobbie said.
"So, where are we going exactly? I mean now that you've got me out here
and all."

"Told you, band practice. You need to meet the others. Let's just rip
that band aid off now," Kim said, flipping out her phone. "Call
Heather."

"Hey, I'm bringing someone.... No, I'm pretty sure that she's okay."
She looked at Bobbie. "You guys are gonna wanna meet her anyway.
Kaybai."

"'Rip that band aid off'?" Bobbie eyed his sister suspiciously. "What's
that supposed to mean?"

"Well, that's the thing about us. We kinda don't fit. We're all
different. See, that's the philosophy of the band. We're GRRL ARMY, we
are all different kinds of girls, and that makes us different. But
we're all girls, and that makes us the same. Well, Bobbie. What kind
of girl are you?

"It doesn't matter what kind of girl you are, just be the best kind of
whatever girl you want to be."

Bobbie whistled. "That's some deep thought. Worthy of Dr. Banzai."

"I am occasionally brilliant," Kim said, shrugging.

"So, what happened after you left?" Kim asked.

"Lotsa drugs, lotsa sex, lotsa criminal shit. When you're high, things
just kinda, I dunno, slip by. I thought I was happy, but now." It was
Bobbies turn to shrug. "I'm not sure what kind of girl I am yet.
There's just so many things. I..."

"Don't worry, Bro...obbie. You might learn a lot. How many guys get
this opportunity? I mean, if this kind of thing happened often, we'd
hear about it right?" She deepened her voice. "In a secret government
base, top soldiers were transformed into women..." Kim laughed loudly.
"That sounds like the worst movie ever..."

"It could work as a comedy." Bobbie sighed. "But this-" Bobbie covered
his breasts. "Isn't so funny. I mean to live with."

"I see what you mean. Don't worry. I'm sure this will all work out."

The house loomed in front of them as Kim and Bobbie strolled up to the
door. Kim's guitar looking like a samurai sword in the shadow. She
knocked.

The door opened, and a dark haired girl who was obviously living in the
wrong decade stood there, in an ensemble that looked more at home on
Rita Hayworth or Jane Russell. A large, purple flower attached to the
left side of her head.

"Hey, Heather. This is Bobbie, she's new around here. So, I thought I
would introduce her to the most kickass band in all of Delacroix." Kim
watched as Heather studied Bobbie.

"Yeah," Heather looked over her sunglasses at Bobbie. "Everyone's here
already. To the garage!" Heather's dress twirled as she spun.

"Oh, boy. You're in for it now," Kim whispered.

Bobbie shot a confused glance at Kim.

"If she looks over her glasses at you. It means she sees a challenge."

"Challenge?" Bobbie didn't like the sound of that. But before she could
ask about what that meant, the garage came into view. The garage looked
like a common garage. Old sofa. Musical equipment. Off in the corner
was a full length mirror. Next to it was a sewing table, littered with
scraps of fabric.

"Bobbie, this is Bella on Drums." The blonde at the drum kit brought up
her hand and flashed the devil horns. "...and Amber on lead guitar."
The redhead nodded. "They wore similar GRRL ARMY shirts," Kim said,
indicating the girls in turn. "You met Heather."

Heather was crossing over to Bobbie. Removing her sunglasses, she took
a good look at her. Sizing her up as if for a fight. She walked up to
Bobbie, nervousness flooding her.

Wait, is this like, girl hazing or something? Heather reached up and
pulled the scrunchie from her hair. "Hey, I..." She ran her hands
through Bobbie's hair.

Heather opened her mouth, and Bobbie heard a beautiful mezzo soprano
voice say. "You have beautiful eyes." She moved hair out of Bobbie's
face. "Striking features. Hmm...Bangs. Definitely bangs"

"Excuse me, I..." Bobbie was a little shocked by the sudden attention

"No earrings?" Heather said, shocked. "Where did you come from?"

"Jesus fuck, Heather. You've only just fuckin' met her. Give her some
fuckin' time before you mercilessly rearrange her look," said Bella,
resting her arms on the drum kit.

"Well, excuse me," Heather said. "I see someone in need and I help. Oh,
honey. Who did those eyebrows? And the shirt... none of this stuff fits
right at all. Kim, you did the right thing bringing her here. C'mon."

Bobbie followed along, was that what his life had been like? Constantly
pulled this way and that. Heather stopped at the wardrobe, flinging it
open.

"So, are you a zero or a one?" Heather asked.

"Is that a computer joke?" Bobbie asked blankly.

"What's your size?" Heather responded like one would a slow dog.

"Never did much shopping outside of shirts and jeans."

Heather eyed Bobbie suspiciously.

"Oh," Bobbie said. Remembering what Melanie said it was. "Zero."

"I think," she said, glancing at Bobbie as she flipped through the
dresses. "Yeah, blue... definitely blue." She pulled a blue dress out
and thrust it at Bobbie. "Put this on."

Bobbie looked at Kim pleadingly. Amber broke the silence. "Fuck,
Heather. We gonna practice or play dress up? Bobbie, she doesn't have a
concept of personal fucking space, sees everyone as the next makeover
project." She sighed. "You better go fuckin' put it on, or we'll never
get started.

Bobbie pulled off her top, revealing the bra that obviously was
slightly off in the size department. The undergarment sagged some, her
nipples becoming visible.

"Ummmm, Bobbie?" Heather began. When Bobbie turned to answer, Heather
shielded her eyes. She pointed without looking. "There's a changing
screen over there. Put the girls away."

"Damn, Bobbie," Amber said. "You got balls." She turned to Kim. "I like
her."

Bobbie inwardly grumbled at the mention of balls.

Hugging the dress to her chest, Bobbie went behind the changing screen.
It took a couple of minutes to get settled. How in the hell do you put
this thing on.? She thought. If you had told me a week ago that I'd be
talking to my mom and sister again, but standing here, trying to figure
out how to put a dress on. She fed her legs into it, pulling the
garment up over her breasts.

"You need help?" Heather asked. "I think maybe I made that zipper too
long."

Sure enough, Bobbie couldn't reach it. Sigh. "Yeah, I just... can't."
Suddenly Heather was behind him, pulling up the zipper.

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself
together. Liz Taylor said that. Smart girl. Life is too short to look
normal. Stand out, declare your personness to the world," Heather said
with a flourish. ZIP! "Turn around, let's see." Bobbie threaded her
arms through the straps.

Heather admired her work. "I think that is a massive improvement. Blue
is certainly your color. Brings out those eyes..."

"Fuck, Heather. Can't you see she's embarrassed," Amber asked, pushing
up her glasses

Bobbie was blushing, red creeping into her face. The openness of the
bottom was all kinds of breezy, the fabric sensually brushed against
her smooth legs. She knew she was covered in the important places, she
felt almost naked.

"That'll do for now." Heather stepped back. "Much better, okay. Carry
on."

The hum of an amp was heard as Kim plugged her bass into the Marshall
Half-Stack, and started playing the bass solo from Rush's Freewill.
Bobbie recognized it, nodded. Heather grabbed her keytar and slung it,
The pink camouflage of the strap standing out against Heather's dress.

"Alright, it's about fuckin' time," Amber said, turning one of the
tuning pegs on her Fender. "What are we playin' first?"

Kim, finishing the bass solo with only a few mistakes, turned to
Heather. "Choosing Melanie, I think Bobbie needs to hear that."

"1...2...1...2...3...4," Bella started, knocking her drumsticks
together as the base, guitar, drums and keyboard all came together.
Bobbie listened. It was an angry song, about being jilted and left
alone in the world. To Bobbie's ears, it seemed more like a song about
alienation, about having the only light in your world turned off.

And with that, she knew. Felt what Robb had done to his sister. Her
eyes misted.

Kimster. I never meant to do that to you.

...Then you turned around and left with that bitch

Knew I'd have to find a way to scratch my own itch.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Heather's scream... well, for lack of a better term, Bobbie jumped. It
was the eldritch scream of angrydeathscreamometal And Bobbie couldn't
believe it came out of Heather. The song finished. Heather smiled at
Bobbie. "I guess I should have told you about that. No one ever sees it
coming. Girl needs to keep some secrets," She batted her eyelashes.

After a few more songs, the band broke for lunch. Lunch consisted of
frozen pizza and Diet Coke, and the discussion turned to Bobbie.

"What grade are you in?"

"Why don't you have your ears pierced?"

On and on, Bobbie sat silently, sipping her soda. Well, Bobbie, she
thought, what kind of girl do you want to be?

"Oh." Bobbie looked down. She hoped that this story would hold. "My
parents were in some cult. No makeup, no fiction, you get the idea.
When I got old enough, I...I ran away. I met Robb," She felt weird,
talking about him as a regular person.

"Hang on, I'll be right back," Heather said, suddenly getting up,
forgetting the half slice of pizza. She disappeared out the door.

"Now you've gone and done it. So much for practice..." Bella said,
resting her sticks on the snare.

Before Bobbie could ask what that meant, Heather came in carrying what
looked like tackle boxes for fishing. "Project," Kim whispered in her
ear. Bobbie remembered what Melanie had put him through, and felt a
twinge of trepidation.

"Don't worry. I got this look from her," Kim said, as if to reassure.
"From the hair to the pants, she's got style."

"...Something I am willing to give to you," Heather said opening the
box. "Now, this isn't gonna hurt a bit."

"OW, fuck," Bobbie exclaimed, drawing surprised stares.

*

Her ears hurt dully. Bobbie resisted the urge to touch them. They
looked good, she had to admit that. Kim and Bobbie walked back home.
Heather had insisted that she wear the dress, stating that the clothes
she came in should be burned.

"Yeah, Heather's like that. But, hey, I wouldn't be this sexy thing
without her help. Earrings look good." Robb hadn't let Melanie pierce
his ear, that being one thing he stood up for himself on. And yet, here
was Bobbie with a matching set of studs.

Kim lit a cigarette and said, "She's right, you know. If you're gonna
go back to school. You're gonna have to..."

And suddenly, she remembered High School...

...as Robb

His obscure t shirts winning him derisive comments, his awkward nature
and vocabulary not there for the assist, it was a terrible almost four
years.

"You're gonna need more clothes than you have. How are you for... you
know... girl stuff?"

"Just that bag. 3 panties, 2 bras, 2 shirts, 2 pants, some socks, and
these shoes." Clothes shopping, ugh, just kill me now. "Oh, God,"
Bobbie lamented.

"Well, I think we should probably hit the mall tomorrow. You have any
cash?"

"Yeah, about $900. Everything I have in the world is in my bag.

"Where did you get $900?" Kim asked, eyes wide.

"You remember when I said I did some stuff with Melanie? It was on a
webcam show." Bobbie stopped, looked at her feet.

"You little slut," Kim said jokingly. When Bobbie started to cry, Kim,
seeing what she had done, flipped her cigarette away and rushed to her
'brother'(sister). "Oh, jeez, fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't mean... Oh,
shit."

Bobbie returned the hug. Ragged sobs and torrential tears shook and
flooded Kim's shoulder as Bobbie explained. "... I felt, I don't
know... used, taken advantage of. Plus, I was rollin' pretty hard. It
just felt... wrong," That also being the moment when he saw his life as
the sum of wasted time, meshed the two into a weird miasma of failure
and regret.

"Maybe we could go, just you and me?" Bobbie asked, memories of school
shopping with his mother leaping into memory.

"Ahh, that might not be too good an idea. Heather pretty much defined
my look, I don't go shopping without her anymore. She seems to know
what she's doing. Y'know, you might just wanna let her make you over.
School doesn't start for a few days yet. That dress is definitely a
keeper," She leered at Bobbie.

"Kim, Jesus." Bobbie wished he could pull the hem of the dress down
further.

"Hey, 'Robb' may be in there, but that body, hawt!" Kim said
sheepishly, then smiled.

"Didn't think I was you're type? What was it you said 'too much of a
good girl'?"

"Honestly," Kim began, "I don't really know what my type is. Oh, God, I
hope I'm not into good girls. Or maybe..." An evil, sly grin looked out
from behind her face. "I'll get to corrupt them," Bobbie and Kim both
laughed as they continued their way home.

Entering the house, Kim bolted up the stairs. The door to 'Robb's' room
was open. Sylvia was putting sheets and blankets on the bed, something
that obviously hadn't been done for a while."Oh, there..." She gasped.
"Bobbie! You're stunning," She turned to Kim. "Heather, right?"

Kim looked at her. "Who else hasn't figured out what decade she's in?."

Sylvia nodded approvingly. "I just thought, we should move this stuff
out."

Great, back to my room. "Hold it. You don't have to get rid of it. I'd
kind of like to see some of the things he told me about."

"Yeah, Mom. Let's just leave it. I'm sure Bobbie will find some use for
it." She glanced sideways at Bobbie.

"Well, if you're sure," Sylvia said, encasing a pillow in its case.
Bobbie went in a trance to his old DVD of Buckaroo Banzai, he picked
up, fingered the spine.

"No matter where you go..." she breathed.

"There you are," Sylvia finished, choking back a sob.

Keeping the DVD in her hand, Bobbie hugged Sylvia. "I know... I know."

Kim joined the hug. Bobbie was the first to laugh. "Why don't we go
downstairs, I can get dinner done, and we can watch it. Have you seen
it?"

"Not all at once," Sylvia admitted. "But, you know what? I'm game."

Bobbie went through the kitchen. Hmmm, eggs, ground beef, crackers,
potatoes... meatloaf. She began mixing the ingredients as the oven
heated. Turning on the radio, she stopped at KGIG, the dance pop
station. Some throbbing bass and keyboard loops stopped her, she synced
her movements to the music. Lost in the beat and the act of creating,
Bobbie felt... connected, to everything, in a way that seemed to put
her in phase with the heartbeat of the world.

...As if listening to the Music of the Spheres.

Before she knew it, it was a waiting game for the forces of heat to do
it's work on the meat. After it finished, Bobbie took it out of the
oven and allowed it to rest. She served out three portions, inserted
the DVD and watched 'Robb's' Favorite film, with his sister and mother.
Sylvia laughed in most of the right places, punctuated with "That's,
(insert name of random actor here.)" When it finished, she declared it
weird, but good. She saw why her son loved it so.

"Mom, Bobbie and I were wondering if we could hit the mall tomorrow?
With school starting soon, she's going to need clothes, and we should
probably set up Robb's old desktop," Kim said, using her persuasive
voice.

"Sure," Sylvia laughed, "Let me just..." she said, moving toward the
dishes.

"Mom, it's cool, we got this," Kim said, indicating herself and Bobbie.
Sylvia stretched herself out, said goodnight, and went off to bed.

Later that night, Kim and Bobbie went off to the rooftop again.

"Okay," Kim began. "Looks like we are a wardrobe and room straightening
from getting you into the realm of 'normal'" She made quotation marks
with her fingers.

"I'd kind of like to still have some Robb in here." Bobbie tapped her
head.

"Bro, 'some' Robb? What is it exactly that you want to keep? Your
clothes? Interests? Sorry, dude, the clothes don't fit. Interests, on
the other hand..." Kim waved her hand dismissively. "None of that shit
really matters anymore. Yeah, there's still jocks and cheerleaders,
drama nerds, all that shit. But it's like everybody is allowed to like
everything now. Where did this cooking thing come from by the way?"

"I don't know really, I was watching some Cooking Channel and looking
up recipes for cookies. Next thing I know, I'm reading up on cooking
methods... It just kinda seemed to stick."

"Yeah? Well, we don't normally eat this well around here. I might get
fat." Kim put her hands on her stomach. Bobbie chuckled.

Kim extinguished her cigarette. "Well, we should get to bed. Big day
tomorrow."

Bobbie sighed. "Yeah."

Chapter 7

The next day had everyone up early and ready to lead their assault on
the edifice of consumerism that was Delacroix Mall. As the trio passed
the entrance, Bobbie noticed the mass of long haired, shabby clothed,
skater "dudes" that laid claim to the mall. Bobbie noticed one of them,
while he was dressed like them and had the same mannerisms, he just
didn't belong. A darkness hung around him like a comfortable cloak.
Bobbie hadn't seen anything like it. It just seemed so... wrong.
Shrugging it off, Bobbie walked in her ill-fitting 'Robb' clothes. She
realized she kind of looked like them. One caught her looking, nodded
approvingly. He pointed Bobbie out to the rest, causing their attention
to shift focus. Bobbie just ignored them.

They went and found Bobbie easy to shop for, picking up enough bras and
panties to get her through at least a week. Bobbie realized that while
'Robb' would have been bored stiff, this was different. When school
shopping all those years ago, it was all pants and shirts, which all
pretty much look the same. She'd seen the necessity of bras as soon as
she put one on. The new ones fit better than the ones Melanie had
picked up, so had the panties for that matter.

They passed a cell phone kiosk, where Sylvia had said Bobbie needed a
phone. Bobbie insisted on paying for it, Sylvia wouldn't hear of it.
"You took care of Robert as he was getting better. This is the least I
can do," She looked at the two of them "Who's hungry?"

They were in the food court, sitting with their Bamboo Panda boxes.
Bobbie found the food pleasant, which was strange because it was never
something she liked before. In fact, after Kim asked about the cooking
last night, it struck her.

...The connectedness she felt.

...The Completeness.

...The Joy.

Cooking, huh? Bobbie mused, the train of thought derailed by the
distortion laden sound of Kim's phone. Bobbie recognized the song as
Slayer's War Ensemble.

"Hey... yeah, food court... alright, seeya." Kim flipped her phone
shut. "Heather'll be here in a minute." Kim wanted to laugh so badly,
knowing Bobbie's secret.

Heather showed up in another dress befitting the red carpet of 1947,
This one a one a forest green. Her oversize sunglasses giving her an
air of aloofness, she was carrying a large purse. "Hello, Ms. Pointe,
Kim. Bobbie, let me see," Bobbie looked at her, puzzled. Uninvited, she
reached over and moved her curtain of hair. "Hmmm, they seem to be
healing fine. Okay, Bobbie. We should talk."

They talked, about music, current events, Bobbie clammed up when it
came to guys, not having any idea of what to say.

"You've obviously had boyfriends, what were they like?" Heather
pressed.

"I dunno," Bobbie shrugged. "Broken, I guess."

Heather laughed. "Not going to get at a straight answer? That's jake."

Sylvia got up from the table. "Well, I'll leave you girls to it."

Bobbie flushed, she opened her mouth. Kim cut her off. "Bye Mom.
Heather will give us a ride, right?"

"Absolutely."

Shopping was different with Heather. Bobbie watched as she looked at
thing with the eyes of a jedi ninja. Her face was a mask of impassive
calm. There was a moment when she stopped, removed her sunglasses and
put one earpiece in her mouth. The red of the earpiece disappeared in
the red of her lipstick. She looked back at Bobbie, then back at the
window.

"Yep, I think we'll do most of our shopping here," Heather declared.
Kim stifled a laugh, Bobbie shot her a glance and a scowl. The girls
entered the store.

"Don't worry, Bobbie. I can tell, you could use some help. I try to
help whenever I can. But you have to trust me. Here," She thrust out
some separates, Bobbie took them and scanned for the dressing rooms.
She found them and headed in.

Here I am again. Please let this be easier to put on. But, pants were
pants, and shirts were... well, tops. After a few adjustments it met
with Heather's approval. Bobbie opted to wear it out, just wanting
clothes that fit right for the first time in. She checked her memory.
Five days? It's only been five days?

Heather insisted on stopping for a chocolate milkshake. "If I'm
shopping, there might as well be some chocolate? Right?"

Bobbie did insist on two pairs of jeans and three shirts with bands on
them(Rush, Depeche Mode, and The Clash)

Sipping the shake, Heather looked at Bobbie. "Now, Bobbie," She
reached out and took her ponytail. "Hmm," She studied. "No split ends,
healthy. We've got to do something about that hair. We're going to go
where I get mine done. Do you trus...

* *******

...two years ago.

"You trust me, right?" Melanie said, brandishing the clippers.

"I...I guess." Robb was stoned, as usual. His hair never did what he
wanted it to. He had too many cowlicks, his hair kept trying to do that
emo thing, drooping over his right eye. So, Melanie had decided to get
rid of it. All of it."It'll look good," She whispered. It didn't take
her long, and soon his hair was everywhere except on his head. Robb
studied himself in the mirror. His brown eyes looked darker, he
noticed. He wasn't too sure about it, thought it made him look
thuggish.

Melanie, on the other hand, couldn't keep her hands off of it for the
first week, insisting that he shave, with a razor.

Worst reason to keep a haircut. But, whatever works.

His mother hated it. "Do you want to look like a...a... skinhead?"

Kim laughed, not sure what to think.

* *******

...t me?" She put out her hand.

Kim nodded from behind Heather, mouthing 'yes'.

"I...I guess so," Bobbie said.

"Good," Heather said. "Kim, shall we?"

Heather had a car waiting in the parking lot. It was old, but it was
hers. They began the drive to the salon.

Kim turned to Bobbie. "Heather gets the whole style thing."

Heather turned to Kim. "Oh, please. Anyone could see you were screaming
for help. I knew your secret," Bobbie blushed, again feeling sorry for
leaving the Kimster to stew in her own juices while...

"So, Bobbie. What's your story?" Melanie asked, changing lanes.

"Not much to tell. I guess I'm kind of a blank slate. I only know what
Robb showed me."Bobbie said.

Melanie eyed her mirror. "Oh, don't worry, Bobbie. We'll have you
dolled up in no time. Frankie'll have this sorted out, that's why she's
the best.

Trepidation crept into Bobbie as they pulled into the parking lot. The
salon was called Shear Ecstasy. Seeing the word 'ecstasy' sent a shiver
up her spine, remembering the webcam and all the horrible, trashy ways
it made her feel. Going into the salon they saw another woman, Her hair
was red, an obvious dye job. More to color than quality. "Hi, Heather,"
The new woman looked at Bobbie.

"New Project?" she said, implying this was a common occurance.

"Hi, Frankie, this is Bobbie. She's new, starts school with us next
week, and... Bobbie, pull that scrunchie out of your hair," She did,
and like quicksilver it spilled over her shoulder. It hung just below
her bra strap. Frankie and Heather spoke in hushed tones for a moment.
Frankie nodded.

"You're absolutely right," Frankie said, turning her chair toward her.

Bobbie sat in the chair, apparently this was a full service salon.
Bobbie was shampooed, conditioned, and cream rinsed. It seemed to last
forever. She was lost in it, the warm water jets relaxing her muscles.
She was moved back to Frankie's chair. There was combing, spraying, and
cutting. It seemed like an eternity of cutting. Finally, Frankie turned
the chair around and allowed Bobbie to see a new reflection for the
umpteenth time that week.

Just like Heather had said earlier, 'Definitely Bangs.' She had Bettie
bangs, resting just about a quarter inch above her eyebrows. "Those
came out perfect. Might have to call them 'Bobbie bangs', now. Come
back every three weeks for a trim," Frankie said, handing Bobbie her
card. Bobbie paid and left. "Okay, Bobbie. One more stop and then we
are done."

One more stop? Heather pulled out of the parking lot and headed for her
house. It wasn't long before they were back at Heather's. "C'mon. My
room is easier for this." The three girls went into the back of the
house...

And walked into, to Bobbie's eyes, a cathedral of girliness. Makeup,
musicians, clothes everywhere, and a closet that seemed to go on for
miles. "My mom's a costume designer. She's in New Zealand for that new
Wheel of Ages movie, so I'm alone until March. I make clothes, too.
Plan to go to school for that."

Kim started to protest.

"Only if the band doesn't work out, hey, I could transition. Anyway,
Bobbie. What size shoe do you wear?" Bobbie looked down at her feet.
She was still wearing Melanie's shoes, hadn't thought about it. Heather
looked down. Oh, honey, those shoes came from the same person who did
your eyebrows, didn't they," she tittered, Bobbie looked down.

"Well, come on. We'll get you fixed up." They found some shoes that
fit. Thankfully, Heather was the same size. Then, when Heather called
Bobbie to her makeup table, he felt dread again. There was more
tweezing and plucking, but it strangely didn't bother him. Heather was
gentle, where Melanie was ripping off chunks of her face off. She
worked quickly and professionally.

"Now, that's more like it," Heather said. Bobbie looked, she had to
agree. It was more elegant looking, the shape more defined. Bobbie was
a little shocked at what a difference was made.

"Makeup," Heather said, lowering her voice to a bass. Kim practically
howled in laughter. "You are lucky I'm going to teach you. What I don't
understand is..." Bobbie looked down.

"Well," she instantly brightened. "That's all the more reason to learn
now," Heather worked on her for forty five minutes. When she was
finished, Kim pulled out her phone and snapped several pictures.

Kim went to Heather, speaking in the whisper of complete silence.
Heather nodded, left, then returned with a pink box. They left,
gathering their things. In a small way, Bobbie wondered what was next.
'Robb' wasn't visible to her.

Girl: absolutely no way to hide it anymore.