When we ride to the skating rink we need every seat to get everyone in the two cars. I have to scoot in the middle of the front and get cozy with Sal. Sal puts an arm around me draws me in as close as possible. Justified by the need room I oblige him and I'm comfortable since it is a short trip. He thanks me with a kiss to the cheek and says I could lean my head on his shoulder.

It will be the only time at Skateland that I will get the pretty white skates for girls, mine even had pom-poms on them. I need to put a pair of socks over my pantyhose. Sal compliments me, “You are very pretty and have great legs. You must be a very good skater to get away with wearing such a short skirt.”

“Thank you, Sal, unfortunately, this is the most appropriate thing I have; I am praying I won’t be falling much,” I tell him. Thankfully, Sandy had suggested a second panty over my pantyhose and I’m now appreciative. Better yet would have been not being in the group.

Sal’s a very good skater being able to skate backward and as a dancer with his arms around my waist. It takes me two tries before I can also turn with him in a complete circle. I enjoy the challenge of being able to skate in sync with him. Sandy and Deb take turns with their dates in spending time with us.

Several times I almost fall but I am caught by Sal before it happens. The first time he kisses me, as he asks if I’m okay. The second time I see the kiss coming and kissed him first. I tried to kiss him on the cheek but miss and our lips locked which I had not planned.

There are always a few contests at the roller rink and we’re in the dance competition. Sal does most of the hard dancing but I needed to stretch out a couple of times and then twirl as we finish. I’m already a good skater and I enjoy doing tough moves with Sal.

Sandy giggles, “I have a couple of really nice pictures of you Cami.” I tell her I'm glad

“Did you get one of her legs stretched out behind her; I bet that won us a few votes,” Anne says with a big smile. I ask why and several say, “Most of the guys liked seeing your panties.” Not having thought about that I blush.

Sal and I tied another couple and we’re in a dance-off. I wanted to concede the prize but it was not allowed. This time we decide I need to bend down, even more, lean back go through his leg as well as the twirl, stretches and a kiss to end the dance.

Sandy pulls me aside as I act as though I resist going through with it. Sandy says, “Cami if you do this and do it successfully I will give you a kiss that will clean your tonsils.”

“My sister would never let me forget this and my Mom will kill me if she ever found out,” I say. I am not excited about skating with Sal, but I am very competitive.

Needless to say, I have all the incentive I need from Sandy to say “yes”. I shake as we skate to the middle of the rink and nearly fall. But once the music begins the butterflies leave and I focus on each part of the dance we do. Going through his legs is tough and I feel his pant legs as I go through. This time I enjoy stretching out and feeling him pull me around. We know we won the contest as the crowd roars as we finish as he kisses me. We won two shirts and we’re now in the raffle for season tickets and money prize.

We go for hamburgers, fries, and cokes after skating and everyone has fun being together. Sal is very nice and pays for mine and we have a nice talk. When Sandy mentions my detail work on their fingernails, I make the mistake of bragging about doing the detail painting on cars.

Sal asks, “Do you think you could paint Bugs Bunny?” I speak up without thinking but catch myself, saying, “Yes I do... but I don’t live in the area.” When everyone’s ready to leave and Sal kisses me and I'm ready to swoon. I say, “I wished I could see you Saturday, but I need to spend the day with my grandmother.”

As they pull away, Sal says, “I will come back with the guys Saturday even if it is just for a short visit over at your grandparents’.”

It is 9:30 p.m. when they leave and I still have homework to do. The good news is the curls I did shampoo out, except for one in the back under my ponytail. It hadn’t and I didn’t notice. Jenn shows me how to properly take off my make-up and to take care of my skin. “Hal, I appreciated what you did. You were exceptional in doing your part so well. Too bad I don’t think we can tell anyone, how great you were. The other girls appreciate it as well.”

“Yea, but I kind of put my foot in my mouth at the end. It sounded like Sal will be coming back.”

“That will not be your problem, Hal. I’m sure one of us will be able to get another girl to help us out. Sal has enough things going for him that finding someone shouldn’t be hard,” Jenn told me.

“I saw you were using your left hand all night, what was that for?” Jenn asked me.

“You know I’m ambidextrous; so I thought I would act left-handed to help me stay in character,” my sister laughs at my thinking.

“That was very smart of you; leave it to you to think of little things like that.” Despite what we put you through, I hope you had a good time. It looked like you enjoyed skating which isn’t a surprise.”

I found myself doing my homework, writing left-handed and things seemed to flow. I even got up in the morning, showered, ate breakfast, and got to school in plenty of time.

Miss Robbins my first teacher set us to work on a little essay about lesson one and I set out writing. Miss. Robbins walk around she comments about my hair, “Did your sister try out one of her hairdos on you last night?”

“Something like that,” I responded. “Does it show that much?”

She says “No, but you missed the curl in the back when you shampooed your hair. After you’re done with your paper, I want you to go to the bathroom and check the corner of your eyes for color, you missed something.” She’s right, it's eye makeup. Tricia sitting next to me says, “Don’t worry I won’t say anything.”

It upset me enough that she knew, but I kept my focus on the classwork. “You’re lucky that your eyelashes are naturally long; I don’t think anyone will notice you didn’t get the mascara all off either. But next class I suggest you don’t sit right next to anyone.” I realized Tricia is being nice to point things out and I tell her thanks.

When I got home for lunch, I asked Jenn if she had found anyone yet. She said, “Two girls I’ve asked said they can’t. Don’t worry, our outing last night was quite the buzz, I am sure it will be taken care of today or tomorrow.”

I am down to Roy’s by 1:00 p.m. and casually painting flames onto the side of a 1940 roadster. Most people thought it was a clunker, but after Roy worked the engine it purrs like a kitten and runs like a cheetah, for a 1940 roadster that is. He likes what I did which made me happy and I’m happy he trusted me.

After dinner, I set my attention on my homework but couldn’t keep my attention on it. That is until I rummage through Jenn’s discarded clothes and come up with a summer tank top and shorts. I blocked my door, put on the clothes, and got back to my homework.

My sister was out seeing friends so when I need to use the bathroom I hadn’t worried, but I forgot to put things back in front of the door. When Jenn got home early, she comes to my room and checks on me. When she first sees me, I forget what I am wearing. So when she asks, “Are you comfortable?” I reply with a simple “Yes”. I had not realized why she is asking.

“Well, how often do you dress like that?” That’s when I notice and remember.

“I’m sorry Sis, I can explain,” I say.

“I’m sorry too, it is my fault you thought of it,” she says. “But go ahead and tell me, I would like to hear your explanation.”

I first asked about the things noticed at school this morning; “I want to ask if you noticed the curl at the back of my hair or the eye makeup I missed taking off?”

“I didn’t see any makeup did you miss some?” she asks. So I told her about the eyeshadow and the mascara. “Oops I guess you wouldn’t have known to look closer, and your eyelashes are long enough they didn’t look much different from normal. Who noticed?”

I tell her, “Miss Robbins and Tricia, who sits next to me in my first class. Luckily they’re nice enough and talked to me quietly, apart from the other students.”

“So that doesn’t explain the clothes tonight,” Jenn says as she sits down.

“I had trouble concentrating and this morning at school I continued to act left-handed. Tonight, I thought if I just put on something and write left-handed maybe I could concentrate better. Besides being caught by you, it worked.”

“It sure did, isn't that a Hal record of doing homework two nights in a row,” she giggles. We both giggle, and she is amused by just watching me.

She asks, “Do you want a nightgown or teddy bear pajamas to help you sleep?” I thought she was joking and I didn’t dare ask. Before I got to bed, I took a shower and when I got back to my room there was a pink nightshirt with a note, “I am sorry.”

I didn’t use the nightshirt until I had trouble getting to sleep which isn't unusual. But, after I put on the nightshirt I went asleep within ten minutes. I was nicely rested in the morning.

That day summer school and painting for Roy went well. The teachers both said, “I don’t know what you are doing differently but keep it up.” But Miss Robbins did know one thing that was different. I don’t think she related the two.

There was a message when I got home to return a call. I thought it might be from Miss Robbins or Mom as I hadn’t recognized the number. I call and it was Sal. He wanted to talk to Cami, so I made an excuse that she was taking a shower and couldn’t answer the phone. He wanted Cami to call him back. I told him I would give her the message if I saw her before she went to Grandma’s. He was a bit aggravated when I wouldn’t promise to make sure she got the message.

“I just wanted her to know I enjoyed seeing her and hoped we could arrange a time to get together.”

“She was impressed by you too, but her time with our grandparents is very important as well,” I said. “You shouldn’t be too disappointed if you don’t see her, Jenn said they’re lining a wonderful date for you anyway.”

“She said she was impressed by me what else did she say?” he asked. “Did she say if she liked me a little or what?”

“She said, she had a nice time and asked if I would do some detail work on your car. She said it would hurt to see you especially if you were going out with another girl,” I told him. “I’m just as good as Cami is in painting if not better, especially on cars. “

Sal said, “But it would be from her, and by her if she does it.”

I joked that he had it bad, but he didn’t see the humor in it. I was about to break with emotion so I excused myself and quickly hang up. Come dinner time, I told Jenn what had happened. She got upset then and more upset after dinner when Sandy called.

“Sandy is coming over in a little bit; she said she wanted to talk to you.”

I hoped it was about cleaning my tonsils. I asked, “Jenn would it be alright if I talked to her in private?” Jenn was ecstatic to do as I requested.

I would have my first test in both subjects come up Friday so I felt a need to study so I went to my room and studied. I got one small paint project done today. Like the guy who I am, my room is not picked up, but unlike a regular guy, some of the clothes were shorts, tops, and a nightshirt from Jenn’s wardrobe. I hadn’t realized that until Sandy came in and she saw them.

Sandy had practiced softball and was a bit tired when she made it to our place. She knocked on my room door and came in as I gave permission. I thought it was my sister, but I was really happy to see Sandy. Even from softball practice, she looked better than most girls.

“We have a home game tomorrow night; did your sister tell you I asked if you could be there? We’re going out after the game. I hope I am still in the mood. Are you willing and able to go out with us?” My face goes to one of bewilderment as I not been asked to be part of things before. I’m always the little brother who’s not wanted around.

“No one told you or asked you had they?” she asked. I am sure, she regretted she came into the room as we were now both put in a hard place.

“No, I hoped that you came to… well never mind,” I said.

She giggled, “You’re in boy mode and I was thinking… well, not that. No, we’ve had a comedy of errors. We tried to get a date for Sal and then that didn’t happen. Then I thought someone would have asked you and all I needed to do was to polish you up a little.”

“I should have known better; I’m not much as a guy or a girl, guess. Seemingly however someone wanted Cami, even if it’s me dressed as a girl,” I smirked.

“I’m sorry Hal, we like you more than we probably show; but I guess I need to ask if you will do us a favor again. What did you think about Sal earlier in the week when we went skating? It looked like you had a great time and you even won the dance contest.”

“It was fun and he treats a girl like I think a guy should.” I didn’t want to say yes too quickly so I paused a bit. “Well if I went dressed as a girl and went out on a date, he’d be the kind of guy I would like to do it with. He makes a girl feel good.”

“You know if we hurry we could get a new outfit for you?” She’s joked but I responded too fast and eagerly. “O girl, you were smitten, I didn’t know. Hurry, change, and get a face on, then we’ll get to the mall.”

“No, I didn’t mean…”

“No, you did mean it, but I won’t tell. It would be the least we could do. Plus I needed some pantyhose.”

“I would rather no one else knew,” I said. “Could you do it for me?”

“I won’t even mention it again to Hal, but your sister needs to know where we are going.”

“So you felt good, was it being dressed as a girl or being with him?” I stopped in my tracks, I knew not what to say.

“I guess that means both to some extent,” Sandy smiled and squeezed my hand.

I put on Jenn’s bibbed overall shorts and a pink blouse. Sandy brushed out my hair to a casual girl style and we went to leave. She told Jenn and Jenn came as she had mom’s check card.

“Thanks, Hal… Cami; I was afraid you would say no. I wouldn’t blame you if you had,” Jenn said.

I knew my sister giggled behind me as I walked into the department store. We’re approached immediately by a young woman at the cosmetic counter; she asked if anyone wanted a makeover. Jenn very nicely volunteered me and I was soon sitting on a stool having my face done. The cosmetician noticed I did not wear earrings. “We are piercing ears for free today with the purchase of two pairs of earrings, and many of the earrings are on a special promotion.”

Sandy walked away and I wondered why until the salesgirl said she needed permission from a consenting adult. Sandy soon returned with a note from my mother. It granted her permission. I got the pink starters and Jenn got tear-drop earrings she had asked for.

Dee, my cosmetician, and did my makeup lightly. She said, “You being a young teen and having such a nice complexion, a lot of makeup isn’t needed and it’s actually counterproductive. I know I should be selling as much as possible, but this pink for your lips and this light blue eyeshadow are probably the most important to add to your make-up. I do suggest the concealer for would-be blemishes and a light foundation.”

Jenn spoke up and got me a discount on the make-up along with the earrings and a make-up bag. Dee also loaded me with a small bag of samples and her card. I got so nervous as I needed to go to the restroom. But I would have gone in the wrong one if Sandy had not called to me to wait for her.

I resisted going to the women’s room but Sandy joked, “You would have had your make-up reworked if you went into the other restroom looking like that.” She remained in the restroom and guided me through fixing my makeup.

The dress I like the best had a short light yellow skirt. We picked two tops that worked with a nice short culotte skirt as a backup. I was to wear the culotte skirt to Sandy’s next softball game.

To be continued…