Gaby Book 1 - The Anime Days Chapter *35* Cheer Again 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?

I awoke after a restless night just as confused as before, on one level the whole idea of Gaby petrifies me. I mean I’m a boy, why do so many people think I’m a girl even when I haven’t been conned into dressing as one? That alone is scary, but what is more scary is that when I’m dressed up I sort of quite enjoy it! That is really starting to spook me out.

On another plane, Gaby seems to get involved in some fun situations, I mean take this party of Pinkies. There is just no way that me, that’s Drew, would be invited but cute little Gaby gets an invite to spend the night with the girls. It’s not as though it’s the first time either, remember my ‘makeover’? Sheesh. What’s worse is that I’m even considering going! I really have got to get a grip.

I got to school on autopilot and I couldn’t tell you what went on all morning.
 
“Hey Drew”
“Oh hi Mad”
“Your bike’s still in our garage”

I really was losing it.

“I’ll get it tonight Mad”
“You all right Drew?”
“Yeah I guess, just a bit pre-occupied”
“What’re you doing tomorrow?”
“I’ve got a race tomorrow, why?”
“Well we were thinking of going to Meadowhall”
“Oh”
“Hey cheer up, it might never happen”
“Sorry Mad. Hey why don’t you guys come to the race with us?”
“I’ll ask the others Drew”

I brightened up a bit.

“We’ll be going into Lincoln afterwards” I tried to make it sound more appealing
“Okay, you’ve convinced me, I’ll try to get the others to come”
“Great Mad, I’ll see you after school”
“Later”
“Bye”
 
The afternoon went better and it was soon time to go home.

“There you are Drew”
“Yeah, no one else coming?”
“No I said I’d call them later”

We started walking.

“Are they going to come tomorrow?”
“The girls are but Rhod’s cried off again”
“That’s not like him, do you think there’s something wrong?”
“Could be, I’ll ask mum to ask Sylv.”
“Good idea”
“Are you in a better mood now?”
“Oh, yeah”
“You seemed really out of it earlier”
“Yeah, well I’ve been thinking”
“Now that’s dangerous! What about?”
“Well Pinkie…”

She cut me off.

“Who?”
“Pinkie, you know, Anna”
“Does she know you call her that?”
“Don’t think so”
“I suggest you keep it that way”
“Yeah okay. Well anyway she invited me to a party next week”
“You are honoured”
“Yeah but like there’s a catch”
“Go on then”
“Well she wants Gaby to go not me”
“That is well screwy”
“That’s what I thought, but I still wouldn’t mind going”
“You’re actually considering going?” she exclaimed
“Well I did sort of think about it”
“I didn’t think you were going to dress up again (worse luck!)”
“What?”
“Nothing, you coming in?”

We had reached the Peters mansion.

“Er ok then”
“Hi Drew”
“Hi Mrs Peters”
“You staying for tea?”

I didn’t have an exactly full diary.

“Yes please”
“Okay then”
“Come on Drew, we’ll check the email”

Maddy booted the machine up.

“Well what did you decide?”
“About what?”
“The party dummy”
“I’m not going” I tried to make a joke of it, “after all I haven’t got a thing to wear!”

I should have known better.

“Well if that’s the only reason we can soon sort that out”
“I don’t want it sorting!”
“I was just saying, oh look there’s one from Britney”
“Lets have a look then”

I scanned the email

‘Hi Drew,
We didn’t realize that me and Debs would both be staying with you, it will be real fun with all four of us girls together. (What?) We are so looking forward to coming. What do you guys do out of school? I guess you saw from the picture that I cheer for our school, besides that I enjoy hiking and I work part time in a hiking store.

Britney’

“Where did she get the idea that I’m a girl?”
“Perhaps she just assumed, after all Drew is sometimes a girls name”
“Yeah but we sent that picture of us in our uniforms, I’m wearing trousers and everything” I was getting a bit paranoid now
“I guess she thinks you were the end girl, or perhaps she thinks you look like a girl”
“That’s all I need!”
“Hey calm down”
“Sorry Mad”
“That’s what you were thinking about earlier wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it just bugs me when this sort of thing happens” I motioned toward the email.
“Well…” Mad gave me a shrewd look; “ …you could play it back on them”
“What are you on about?”
“Well give them what they want”
“You mean let Britney think I am a girl?”
“Yeah, you don’t say anything one way or the other, neither confirm or deny”

I thought about that for a minute

“It’s not very honest is it?”
“Perhaps not entirely, but they’re the ones making the assumptions”
“What about you, do you think I look like a girl?”

By the look on her face I must have asked the $64,000 question!

“Erm, well I know you can look like a girl, a very pretty one”

I felt a blush rush up my face. She went on

“I know you’re a boy but sometimes you’re just like one of the girls. There, I said it”
“Sheesh”
“And I reckon you should call Anna’s bluff and go to her party too. I mean why miss out on the fun”

The conversation was brought to a halt by Mad’s mum

“What are you two plotting?” she asked leaning over to read the email like parents do
“Nothing mum”
“Looks like someone has a problem to me” she offered, “well anyway, get ready tea’s nearly ready”
“Mum?”
“Yes?”
“Could you ask Sylv if everything is ok with Rhod? He’s cried off doing stuff the last couple of weeks and he’s usually up for anything”
“Ok, I’ll call her later”

We ate a classic ‘Aunt Carol’ meal, spag bol; I could eat Mrs Peters cooking all the time! Us kids cleared up and retired once more to the dining room.

“You gonna mail Britney back?”
“I guess so”
“I know, we can send her another picture”
“You mean dressed up?”
“No silly, just you in jeans and stuff, you know give her a chance to spot her mistake”

I breathed a sigh of relief. That didn’t sound such a bad idea, I wouldn’t have to make any real decision yet. Mad started to type the reply; she’s quicker than me.

‘Dear Britney
Good to hear from you again. We are all excited too; we’re already planning some cool things to do when you come over.

Bye
Drew’

I didn’t think I looked anything like a girl in the picture, which was good. Maddy pressed the send button and the mission was accomplished.

“That’s one job done, now what about Anna?”
“What about Anna?”
“Well are you gonna go to her party or not?”
“I guess it could be good fun”
“Is that a yes then?” her eyes lit up. When she had that look I just melted (oops).
“I guess so”
“Great! Come on lets find something for you to wear”
 
Dressing up, I hate dressing up! I managed to escape trying anything on, I mean we knew what it would look like and that it would fit, after all I had worn Maddy’s stuff before and I knew what most of her stuff looked like on her. Mrs Peters once more interrupted us.

“There you are” she scanned the pile of clothes, “you gonna be Gaby again?”

I tried to hide my embarrassment

“Er, yes Mrs Peters”
“What’s the occasion or is it just for fun?”
“Drew or rather Gaby has been invited to Anna’s party next week” Maddy rescued me.
“Well you know my stance on all this. You’d best get ready here before you go”
“Thanks Mrs Peters”
“I think you’d better call me Aunt Carol don’t you Gaby Peters?” she emphasised the Peters bit.
“I guess so”
“Right you two, time for Drew to go home, and take your bike!”
 
I laid in bed thinking about what had gone off today. Maddy had sorted it all out for me in the end, I felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders. For the first time in days I slept soundly.

“What time are we picking the girls up Drew?” Dad asked at breakfast
“They’re coming here for nine”
“That’s ok then. You’ve got yourself a regular supporters club there” he stated
“I guess”
“Let’s hope they can inspire you like last time eh”
“Maybe”

Later

“Come on Drew” Bernie shouted

I could see Ally and Mad jumping up and down next to Dad as I came up the finish straight with a lap to go. The race was going well for me, I managed to hang on as the older lads upped the pace and now with just a mile to go I was still hanging in there.

I concentrated on the job in hand; the others in the group had eased off to prepare for a sprint finish, which gave me a chance to get my breath. I had seen Mum in similar situations so I based my strategy on hers. I couldn’t hope to get anywhere in a straight sprint, the others were much bigger and more powerful so plan B swung into action.

As we got to the half mile to go point the others were watching each other and the pace had dropped to less than twenty mph. Biding my time, I selected the right gear, keeping an eye on the others. It was getting close now, spotting the moment (I hoped), I made my move. I sprinted across to the other side of the tarmac and changed up the gears. On the face of it I had made a beginners mistake, going too early and the others assumed that was what I had done so they didn’t give immediate chase. Whata mistaka to makea!

Through the chicane and I could see the red sprint flag that marks 200 metres to go. Again I angled across the circuit; they would probably follow behind which actually gave me more distance. I could only vaguely see and hear the crowd; I was well into race mode concentrating hard on crossing the last few metres first.

I really turned the screws down resisting the temptation to look behind. My vision was becoming a red tinged haze as I put my all in and then I was over the line and surrounded by other riders. I freewheeled to the grass and collapsed off of my bike, taking huge lung fulls of air. I saw my supporters club running up to me concern on their faces.

“You ok Drew?” Dad asked
“Uuhh, uuhh, uuhh” I wheezed

Maddy knelt beside me and rubbed my back, which did seem to calm my breathing down a bit.

“Did, uuhh, I, uuhh, get, uuhh, it?” I eventually got out
“They caught you on the line” Ally informed me
“It’s a photo finish” Bernie further advised, “but that big redhead thinks he’s won”

My breathing was nearly back to normal now.

“Well I, uuhh, at least gave, uuhh, it a go”
“Sure did son, I can tell you’ve been watching your Mum”

Mad was still rubbing my back and I was enjoying her ministrations.

“Come on you two love birds, lets get Drew to the showers” Dad instructed

I blushed, and the three girls giggled as I started to formulate a denial.

“Come on Drew” Mad beat me to it.
 
As we approached the pits, the big red headed lad was throwing his dummy, when he saw us approaching he shot me a venomous look and I wasn’t the only one who heard his “little twat” comment. However the spontaneous round of applause had me looking round to see who was behind me.

“Congratulations lad”
“Great ride”
“Just like his mother”

It dawned on me that the comments were directed towards me. Dad reappeared.

“You got it Drew” even Dad was quite animated.

The girls started jiggling about and Maddy grabbed me in a hug.

“It was just a tyre width, another yard and you would have been out of it!”

I was still graciously accepting hugs now from all three girls. I could get to like this. A camera flash went off but I was too taken up to take any notice.
 

Maddy Bell 26.05.03