As Tom walks from his last class of the day he contemplates what a terrible day it has been.

What had been worst?

The laughter and jeering when he arrived a bit late in the gym wearing his leotard? Yes, his leotard! To add insult to injury he’d had to buy it!

Afterwards when changing out of his leotard and into the skirt?

Lunchtime when John and Harry, supposedly his best friends, had come back and led the other boys in taunting him?

The amused looks from teachers when he had to go up to the desk in front, thus displaying the skirt to all, and hand over a note from the Headmaster stating that he, Tom, was “appropriately” dressed?

No, it probably was when he entered the PT teachers’office and the way Miss Archer barely refrained from laughing when seeing him wearing a skirt and asking for a leotard. The way the leotard felt when he tried it on (Miss Archer left the office when Tom changed). The way his very small bulge was visible and Miss Archer’s giggle when seeing him changed and to top it off her offer to join the girls instead. Though, in hindsight that just might have been better, or rather less bad.

Only one thing to do before he finally could slither home. The lists of groups for the obligatory “Free” after-school activity for this term should have been put up now. OK so he’s short but he had ticked Basket on the form since his mates John and Harry had. It couldn’t be any worse than the other options.

Looking at the four different Basket group lists he can’t find his name so he goes into the secretary’s office (and yes, she smiles that amused smile he had begun to hate when she sees him).

The school secretary: A runt like you play Basket? But you didn’t tick Basket and it’s too late to change now. I remember that your selection surprised me. Yes, here’s your form. See for yourself.

From the corridor he could hear John and Harry who, reading the lists, bellowed in amusement and he could distinctly hear his own name and the words sissy and fag.

Looking at the form he could see what had happened. He had made the tick rather quickly and “expansively” and though the point of the tick was in the box for Basket the obvious reading was that he had ticked the box above: Ballet!

It definitely was a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!