45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 2

 

The slope becomes more slippery as Skyler slides inextricably towards femininity.
Thank you so much for all the reviews and the 'welcome back' messages.
It's nice to have completed a story after six months of writing and rewriting.

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Author's Note: As always, I love reading your comments - both positive and negative. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 2 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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Chapter 2
 

"Good morning, beautiful," Hanna said to Skyler in the cafeteria as she kissed his cheek, then sat beside him at the table where he sat doing some homework. She smiled broadly as she prepared to eat her yogurt and fruit. "I don't know about you, but I slept like a baby last night."

Skyler smiled back at her. "I slept pretty well, too, actually."

She squinted at him. "Are you wearing mascara?"

He sighed and looked away, shaking his head. "Yes. Long story, but... this stuff doesn't come off very easily - not at all, actually."

"That's how it's made," Hanna laughed. "And your eyelashes have been curled, too. I like it!" She kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah - Oh, and by the way, thanks for all the hickeys you gave me last night."

"Hickeys!?" Hanna laughed.

"It's not funny, Hanna. My mom would have killed me if she'd seen them. Kathy was covering the hickeys with makeup when my mother walked in. That's how I ended up with 'dinner-date-makeup' last night."

She gave him a big smile and a giggle, then asked, "I guess that explains your pretty eyes. So... have you decided to do the Gala?"

He took a deep breath and said, "I've been thinking a lot about it, Hanna and... if I do it... I don't want you and my sisters making fun of me, ok?"

Hanna put a spoonful of yogurt in her mouth and thought for a moment. "I won't 'make fun' of you, but I need to be able to enjoy it, ok? Like... say... playful things. Things like I said last night. Is that ok?"

He nodded. "I guess so, but... what about everyone else?"

"Like who?"

"Like..." he gestured to everyone in the cafeteria, "... everyone else. Like everyone on campus. What are they going to say about me?"

"Well..." she looked around, "... most of them have no idea who you are now, so they won't be paying much attention anyway, and after you win, you'll be the guy that won all that scholarship money and cash, so... I guess that's what they'll think. I bet they'll be jealous."

He huffed a couple of times. "Ok. I only have one class and a lesson today. So, after that, can you help me fill out the application? If we can send it out before I go to work tonight, that would be great."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "It would be my pleasure."
 

~^~
 

"We are referring to the bill as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill and this legislation will prohibit the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in public school classrooms. Teachers who violate these guidelines - even if they are acting as a confidant for a student - can face termination from their jobs and loss of their retirement benefits for even one infraction..."

"Honest to God," Jenny said into her phone, "the world is becoming unbelievably intolerant. I truly do not understand why these people are so afraid of people who are different."

"You've just hit the nail on the head, babe," his wife said from the other end of the phone. "You're different and that scares them."

"How can gay people be the enemy to all these people? I mean, love is love is love, right?"

His wife chuckled. "You're not really that naïve, Jenny. You knew this was going to happen at some point. Besides, you are definitely NOT gay. Queer, yeah, but gay, no. I can attest to that, and so can the bun that is gestating in my womb right now."

Jenny snickered. "No. Not gay, but... I honestly never expected things to go this insane all at once."
 

~^~
 

"What is wrong with you today, Sky?" Professor Kramer asked, shaking her head. "Five days ago. You played this piece as if it was ready for performance. Today it sounds like you're a first year player who is sight reading."

"I know, I know," Skyler said, a little disgusted with himself. "I'm sorry. My head is not in the music today. I have a lot on my mind."

"And I have told you before what the best solution for that situation is, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And what is that?"

"Knock it off and play the goddamned music," he laughed, having done his best imitation of Professor Kramer.

"That's right - and for the love of God, Sky, stop calling me ma'am. I'm only twenty-nine years old. Now, take it from page six, please. Sit up straight, follow the dynamics, use some peddling technique instead of just holding the damper down all the time, and start behaving like that piano is an extension of your soul instead of your enemy, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sky!"

"I'm sorry! Yes, Professor." He returned to playing the 'Nocturne in B Minor' by Gabriel Fauré, a piece he wanted very desperately to play well.

"Better," his teacher said when he'd finished. "I'll make a legitimate player out of you if it kills both of us," she smiled patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm not in the Classical track, though, Professor," he reminded her. "I'm really much better at pop music."

"You are, and by the time I'm done with you, pop music will seem like child's play. Now... let's look at page six one more time. There's some tricky stuff there."
 

~^~
 

They took the bus from the college to the garage where Skyler's car had been repaired and then drove from there to Skyler's family's house. When they arrived, they saw the car belonging to Skyler's oldest sister, Amanda, in the driveway.

"Hey. You guys are here early," Amanda said with a smile as they entered. She was wearing her nursing scrubs. "I just got home from a shift. We were shorthanded, so, of course, the newer girls had to stay a few extra hours."

"We're just going to do some computer work," Skyler said, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek. "We'll be quiet if you're going to go to bed."

"No, not for a while," Amanda said. "I've got tomorrow off, so I'm staying up so I can have a somewhat normal schedule on my day off. I'm going to have something light to eat and then do some laundry. Want some tomato soup?"

"That sounds great!" Hanna said. "Thanks!"

She sat at the table and opened her MacBook while Skyler retrieved the pamphlet, they'd gotten the day before and Amanda pulled a couple of cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup down from the cabinet. Hanna opened the website and began speaking as she typed.

The 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias application.

Name: Skyler Moynihan

Age: Nineteen

Address: Eight-twenty-seven Maple Ave...

Are you currently a student at an accredited college? Yes

Where? State College

What year? Freshman

Course of study? Music/Performance

Have you ever been paid as a drag performer? No

Do you have..."

"Wait a minute," Amanda said from the stove. "Did I just hear that correctly? Did you just ask Sky if he'd ever been paid as a drag performer?"

"Yeah. I did," Hanna said, smiling.

"Why?"

Hanna offered a brief summary of the opportunity they'd encountered. "Wow, what an opportunity for you, Sky!" She said.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "but I'm not doing a big drag thing. I'll do my best with a womanless pageant kind of thing, but I'm not doing the whole big tits and big lips thing you see on some of those TV shows."

"We'll, good for you," she said, sounding more like his mother than his sister, and looking that way too, as she carefully placed a bowl of tomato soup on the table in front of him.

"Have you ever seen him in a dress?" Hanna asked. "He already looks like a girl, even without makeup."

"Thanks for the support," Skyler said, rolling his eyes.

"Of course I have," Amanda laughed. She used one hand to grip her brother's chin and give his face a squeeze. "And he was adorable."

"Alright. Enough teasing," Skyler said, pulling his face free.

"Hey, you know, I have a friend who did some work with pre-op trans people," Amanda said, putting two more bowls of soup down on the table. "She might be to help you out."

"How?" Skyler asked, genuinely confused.

"Well... I'm not a hundred percent sure, but... maybe things like breast forms or the right kind of tape to use... you know... down there." She pointed to her crotch.

"Tape? What would I want to tape..." Suddenly it dawned on Skyler what his sister was suggesting. "Oh, my God! I'm not going to put tape on my... no way!"

"Ok," his sister smirked, "but there are ways to do that without hurting yourself. Anyway, if you're interested, I can get you in touch with her."

"Thanks, Mandy," Hanna responded, as she continued to type. "I'm sure we'll be taking you up on that at some point." She returned to her computer screen and her questions. "So, you need two talents. Piano and singing?"

"Yeah, I guess," Skyler shrugged. "I mean, those are the only two talents that I have." He thought for a moment. "Can I do them together?"

Hanna scanned the page. "I don't know. There's a meeting this weekend for all contestants. I guess you can ask then."

He nodded.

"Do you have to sound like a girl when you sing?" Amanda asked.

"Ohh, another good question," Hanna said. "We should write these down."

Seemed like a good idea, so Skyler nodded, grabbed a pad of paper and started writing.

Twenty minutes later, the application was complete.

"There's a two-hundred-dollar registration fee," Hanna said, when she reached the end of the form. "Can you afford that after having your breaks done?"

"Yeah, I guess," Skyler said. "It'll leave me broke, but I get paid again in a few days, so... Who knows. Maybe it'll be worth it." He reached for his wallet, but Amanda stopped him.

"Tell you what," she said. "If you're really serious about this - I mean, if you're really going to try and win this scholarship, then I'll pay the entrance fee. But I mean it - you have to be in it to win it."

Skyler smiled. "Ok. Thanks, Mandy. I'll give it all I have."

"Alright," she smiled and grabbed her purse from the back of a chair.

Once that was completed, Hanna said, "All that's left is at least three pictures of the contestant in their female persona. Hmmm, I wish Reggie was home. I'd love to be able to use some of her dresses for this."

"I'll text her and ask," Amanda said, grabbing her phone and typing.

Seconds later her phone chimed that she'd gotten a response. "She says you can use anything you want." She smiled at the two younger people. "Come on upstairs. You do his makeup; I'll pull out some clothing options."

Their mother came home to one of her favorite sounds; the sound of her dear, departed mother's beautiful, old, baby grand piano making music in the living room. By the sound of things, Skyler was going to town on a piece of classical music, something she really enjoyed. Before he went to college, Skyler rarely played anything classical. Now he was always working on one piece or another. All four of her children played piano to some degree, but Skyler took it very seriously.

She peeked around the corner and was surprised to see not Skyler, but Regina at the keyboard. She was all dressed up in a shimmering red dress that she'd worn in a pageant about a year ago. Her hair had been curled, but not 'done' by any means and she was playing more beautifully than her mother had ever heard her play before. She stepped into the double-wide doorway of the living room and found her second daughter, Kathy, standing just inside watching as well. Oddly, her oldest daughter, Amanda, and her son's girlfriend, Hanna, were both over by the piano taking pictures of Regina playing piano.

"Amazing, isn't it," Kathy whispered to her mother.

"I should say so," she responded. "Is this for a pageant?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Kathy smiled. "I never would have expected something like this."

"Me neither."

Just then, the front door opened and closed, quietly and someone entered and stood beside Mrs Moynihan, but she didn't notice until the new arrival said, "Holy shit, he looks better than I do in that dress."

Startled, their mother turned to see her youngest daughter, Regina, standing next to her in the archway. She let out a shocked, "Yeep!" followed by, "Regina! What are you..." she looked at her daughter next to her and then at the same daughter playing piano. "If you're here than... that's..."

"Yeah, mom," Kathy laughed. "That's Sky playing piano in the red sequined dress. That's what I meant when I said 'amazing.' Amanda and Hanna dressed him and did his hair and makeup. He looks a lot like Reggie, doesn't he?"

Mrs Moynihan looked from her youngest daughter to her only son and back again several times. "My, God, you two could be twins. I mean, I always knew you looked alike, but... this is uncanny."
 

~^~
 

"It just gets worse every goddamned day," Jenny growled as she listened to the news on the radio and drove along the highway.

The newscaster spoke. "Montana State Representative, Zoey Zephyr, was removed from the House of Representatives chambers for speaking out in defense of trans-gender rights for minors in that state. This is not the first time a state legislator has been removed from hearings such as these in the past few weeks. The country seems to be split on the subject of trans rights and..."

"I just can't stand it anymore," Jenny muttered as she shut off the radio.
 

~^~
 

"I just cannot get over it," Mrs Moynihan said, shaking her head in astonishment as they sat down to dinner. Uncertain as to whether or not they needed to take more pictures, they had kept Skyler in his makeup, but allowed him to wear a less provocative dress for the time being. Currently, he was attired in a rather simple, flowered, peasant dress with rather puffy, long sleeves that ended in little, belled cuffs. The dress had a tea-stained background with the brightly colored flowers setting off the beauty of the simple design. The dress had actually been Amanda's quite some time ago. She had passed it to Kathy who, in turn, had passed it to Regina - who now was now trying to pass it along to Skyler. It was very light and even Skyler had to marvel at its comfort. "You two are absolute twins. It is remarkable."

"And we have certainly remarked upon it," Skyler said, feeling a bit on the spot at the moment. "Maybe we could discuss something else."

"I can't think of anything else as interesting as suddenly having a twin sister," Regina smirked at her brother, who was older by five years, yet somehow suddenly looked more like a high school freshman girl than a college boy. "Of course, my hair isn't that mousy brown color, anymore, and no one seems to be commenting on his posture, but it is cool to have a sister I can share my clothes with."

"Hanna, what do you make of all of this?" Amanda asked.

"Oh," Hanna shrugged with as much nonchalance as she could muster, "it's no big deal. I mean, I have to admit, when we first discussed having Sky enter the contest, I didn't expect him to look THIS much like Reggie, but I guess it makes sense - them being sisters and all."

That brought some laughter from the family - not from Skyler - from his mother and sisters.

"What's so funny?" Hanna asked.

"You called me and Regina sisters," Skyler said, shaking his head.

"Oops. Freudian slip, I guess," Hanna giggled. "You know what I mean."

"Well, I know that Sky is going to be wearing a lot of Freudian slips for the next few weeks," Regina teased, and it brought on more friendly laughter.

"Hey, what happened to not making fun of me?" Skyler said, sounding a bit pissy.

"Hey, what happened to having a sense of humor," Kathy said, giving him a bit of a maternal scowl.

"Oh, don't mind him," Amanda said, shaking her head at his bratty behavior. "He can't help it. You know how boys are when they're on their periods."

That brought on the biggest round of laughter. Even Hanna couldn't help but guffaw a bit as she reviewed the photos on her phone, which included the photos that Amanda had taken as well her own. Before Skyler could speak, she did. "I think we have all the pictures we need, Sky. You can wash your face and change after dinner."

"Good," he huffed a bit. "I have to be at work in an hour."

Things got quiet for a few minutes until Regina spoke up. "Can I ask a pertaining question?"

"You mean pertinent," her mother corrected.

Regina shrugged. "Ok - a pertinent question."

"Of course," Mrs Moynihan nodded.

"If Sky is going to compete in a womanless pageant, and I've looked at a bunch of these online, then maybe he should be talking to some of the consultants that I use to for my pageants."

"That makes sense," Hanna said.

"But I didn't hear a question," Kathy pointed out.

"Sky," Regina said, "would you like to come with me Saturday morning, when I see my beauty consultant, James? He is the best around and an appointment with James can usually take months to schedule, but if I ask. I'm sure he'll see you at the same time that he sees me."

Skyler was about to laugh at the offer and decline as quickly as possible, but Hanna jumped in too quickly. "What a great idea, Reggie! Thank you!"

"That is a great idea, Reg," Amanda agreed. "After all, Sky is in this to win the big prize, so he needs all the help he can get."

"That's a very generous offer, Regina," their mother said, with a smile. "Why don't you give James a call and see if he'll see Skyler and, if he will, see how much it'll cost. We don't want to invest too much in this pageant, but if it's a reasonable amount, then we should do it."

"Ok," Regina smiled and bounced out of her chair. "I'll call him now." She left the room.

Skyler looked around at everyone. "Seriously!? You all want me to go see Reggie's beauty consultant!?"

"Sky, there's a lot of money on the line I'm this competition," Kathy pointed out. "I guarantee a lot of other boys will be seeing consultants, too."

"Besides that," Amanda said, "I'd bet that all of the other boys are more experienced at presenting themselves as girls. You've got a lot to learn, Sky, and even though mom and Kathy and I have all done a few pageants along the way, Reggie has the most experience, and she has won more pageants than all the rest of us put together. She's your best resource if you want expert advice. If she says you should see James, then I suggest that you see James. That is... if you want to win."

He shook his head and picked up his napkin to dab his lips. "I have to get ready for work. Uncle Bill will be ticked off if I'm late."

Kathy laughed at that. "Uncle Bill is an old softy, and you know it. Besides, of all of us, you're his favorite. He never once raised his voice to either Mandy or me the whole time we worked for him, and let's be honest, neither of us were very good about getting there on time."

"Yeah, well, I am," Skyler said, standing and carrying his dish to the sink to rinse it before putting it into the dishwasher. "Can someone help me get this goop off my face?"

"I think you should go just like that," Amanda teased. "You look very pretty that way. Maybe he'd move you from stocking shelves to the front end. That's a much nicer job."

"Very funny," he said, closing the washer and scowling at them.

"James says that you can come on Saturday and as long as he doesn't have to change his schedule, he'll just charge the usual rates for any services. Nothing for creative services," Regina said, thrilled with the news she was relating.

"That's wonderful, Regina," her mother complimented. "Thank your sister, Skyler."

"Thank you, Reggie," Skyler said, as nicely as he could.

"Oh..." Regina snapped her fingers as she remembered something, "he did ask that you remove your body hair before you come, though."

"My body..."

"Well, that makes sense," all the women agreed.

"He suggested that you used Nair or something along the same line as that. He says that shaving might lead to razor burn, so use a product."

"I'll get you some tonight," his mother said. "I can help you to use it tomorrow afternoon."

Skyler shook his head. This was more than he expected, but it seemed inevitable at this point. "Ok, but... please... can SOMEONE get this makeup off of me so I can go to work?"

"Sure," Regina bubbled. "Come with me."
 

~^~
 

"Hey!" Uncle Bill shouted, as he always did whenever Skyler entered, "Look, everyone! Elton John is here!" Sometimes it was Elton John, sometimes Billy Joel, sometimes Jerry Lee Lewis - Skyler had had to look that one up when he first called him that - or one of another half-dozen piano players of whom Uncle Bill was aware, but he always made a big deal out of Skyler whenever he entered the neighborhood grocery store that Uncle Bill owned and where Skyler had worked part since he was sixteen.

"Hey, Uncle Bill," Skyler smiled, just a bit embarrassed.

"You should hear this kid play piano," Uncle Bill said to the customer at the checkout counter at that moment. "He's like a regular Liberace. Unbelievable!"

"No kidding?" The customer asked, actually interested.

"It's true," Uncle Bill said with a big smile. "This kid is brilliant. You should hear him play. He can sing, too. Someday we're all going to be going down to the arena downtown to hear him in concert. I guarantee it."

The customer looked at Skyler and nodded. "What's your name, kid?"

"Skyler," he replied. "Skyler Moynihan."

"And where can I hear you play?"

"Right now, I'm mostly just playing at my school. I'm a performance major at State."

The customer winked at Skyler. "I'm going to keep my eye out for you, Skyler Moynihan. I look forward to hearing you play."

"Oh... thanks," Skyler said with a nervous smile. He grabbed a clean, store apron, put his head through the opening and tied the string around his waist. "What's on the schedule first, "Uncle Bill?"

"Start in the dairy case, will you, Sky? Check the dates and load up everything for tomorrow."

Uncle Bill was Skyler's long departed - not dead, just departed - father's brother. A born shopkeeper with an endless amount of energy and an endless gift of gab. He was a big guy with a bushy beard and greying, black hair that made him look distinguished. He never married, nor dated to Skyler's knowledge, but always showed up at every event for Skyler, his sisters and all of his cousins. He never missed a concert, a sporting event or a family function for any of them - even if he wasn't specifically invited, he still was there to applaud for his family.

As far as Skyler was concerned, Bill was one of the greatest guys in the world.

As far as Bill was concerned, Skyler was a very special kid. The one with all the talent.

Skyler was only working a three hour shift that night, so he only had one, fifteen-minute break later that evening. When the time for that break came, he bought himself a bottle of apple juice and headed out to the picnic table that they jokingly referred to as 'the break room.' There he met his Uncle Bill who was just finishing up a late dinner.

"So, how's school, big guy?" His uncle asked.

"It's actually really good," Skyler said, sipping his apple juice. "I've got a four-point-oh GPA and I'm doing really well in my classes - especially my music classes."

"Hey, that's great, Sky," his uncle smiled, very proud of his nephew. "You know, your dad played some piano as a kid. Nothing like you can, but he did ok. He was in a couple of bands that were pretty popular around the area. He had this big old organ-thing that he used to haul around from one gig to another. That thing weighed three hundred pounds if it weighed an ounce and he would haul it in and out of one dump after another every night of every weekend. He used to do handstands on the damned thing while he played, too! And he played pretty damned well, too."

He looked at his nephew and smiled.

"He would be proud of you, too, Sky, I can tell you that. I have no idea what got into his head and made him leave, and I have no idea where he is, but trust me - if he knew about your playing, he would be pretty danged proud of you."

Skyler smiled and shrugged, just a little uncomfortable with the conversation. Any conversation about his father made him feel uncomfortable. "Thanks, Uncle Bill. I'd like to think that he would be." He took another sip as his uncle gathered his plastic ware and cleaned up from his meal. "Hey... umm.. Uncle Bill... can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Sky. What's up?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "Well... I have this opportunity to make a lot of scholarship money and even some real money for myself, too, and... well, I kind of promised my mom that I'd do it, but... well... I'm a little concerned that I would, maybe... embarrass... the men in our family if I do it. Men like you."

Uncle Bill smiled and patted Skyler on the shoulder. "Sky... let me be very clear about this. There is nothing that you could do that would ever make me any less proud of you. Whatever you need to do, you do... and Sky... I'm always here if you need me. Ok?"

Skyler nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Bill."
 

~^~
 

"Look, if you'd rather have your mother help you do this, that's fine with me." Hanna was just about fed up with Skyler's complaining as she spread the hair removal cream all over his body.

"Ok. I'm sorry," Skyler said, apologetically. "This is just all so weird to me."

Hanna shook her head. "Well, it's not weird to me, or your mom, or any of your sisters or any other girl. This is just part and parcel of what the modern world expects from a woman. If you're going to pretend to be a woman for this thing... then you need to man-up and start acting like a girl."

"Ok," he nodded. "Sorry."

She went back to spreading the slightly foul-smelling cream over her boyfriend's body once again as he stood wrapped in just a towel around his waist.

"You know," Hanna teased, "even after the contest, you may find that you prefer to be hairless. A lot of guys trim their hair."

"Trim, yeah," he smirked. "Remove... not so much."

She stood straight and handed him the bottle. "Here. You do your privates. If I do it, I suspect you'll get too wound up." She smiled and winked. "Sometimes a girl needs to do things for herself."

He took the bottle and poured some of the fluid into his hand, then reached beneath his towel and spread the cream everywhere.

"Now, wait ten minutes and shower it off. Hopefully, that takes away all your hair. Although you don't have all that much and it's pretty wispy to begin with."

He stood there with the cream spread thickly across his skin, feeling very uncomfortable. "God, why do women put themselves through this?"

"For the same reason you are," Hanna smiled. "To look pretty. Now, remember, tomorrow, when you go with Reggie to see this guy, James, you need to be upbeat and cooperative the whole time. No sulking or whining. James is doing Reggie a favor and Reggie is offering you the most help she knows how to give. Don't disrespect that, ok?"

"Why would I disrespect that?" Skyler asked, a little surprised that Hanna would suggest such a thing.

"Well, because you've been kind of weird about this whole thing. Like... one minute you're one hundred percent going to do what needs to be done in order to win, and then someone tries to help you and you're surly and mean to the people who are trying to help you." She waved her hands over his coated body. "Case in point: Your mother offered to help you with this, and you went from being ok about having her help to being a whiny little bitch about it. You've even been a bit of pain in the ass to me about it, too. Just... be nice to Reggie, ok. This is a big deal to her."

"Me looking like a girl is a big deal to her?"

"Her being able to help you is a big deal to her. She's never been in the position of being able to help someone like this before. She's really excited to be able to share her expertise with you. Just... be nice and go with the flow, ok? Whatever she suggests, whatever this guy James suggests... the answer is just 'yes.' Ok?"

Skyler nodded. He loved his younger sister, and he helped her anyway that he could - that's how he ended up in this situation in the first place - but he could be a bit superior towards her at some times, and he knew it. He understood what Hanna was saying. "Ok. Whatever Reggie or James says, I'll just go with the flow."

Hanna smiled and looked at her phone. "I'll start the shower. You'll be ready to rinse off in a minute or so."
 

~^~
 

"Turn in here," Regina instructed her brother as he drove. "James' place is in the back of those stores. Pull around back and you'll see it."

Skyler had never expected that he'd be spending a Saturday morning seeing a beauty consultant, but this was where things had led him. He had even worn a pair of shorts that morning, a pair that Regina had insisted that he wear in order that James could see how nice his legs looked in heels now that all of his body hair had been removed. He was wearing a pair of Croc slides to drive, but Regina had brought along several different pairs of heels in varying heights for James to see.

"Around this way?" He asked as he took a left into what seemed to be a loading area.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "See, over there? That door that says 'Dancer's World'?" They sell all kinds of things for dancers and pageant contestants and even brides and stuff. His salon is in there."

To say that this whole thing seemed a bit sketchy would be an understatement. It looked very shady, but all of his sisters had gone to James at some point, so he must be legit.

He pulled into a parking spot and shut off the car's engine.

Regina looked at him, excited. "Ok... so... James is kind of... oh... a touchy-feely kind of guy, you know? Don't freak if he starts to touch you. He just does that so he can explain how he can help." A big smile spread across her face. "Are you ready?"

Skyler let out a big sigh. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"Ok!" She bubbled. "Let's go!"

They got out of the car and as they approached the door to the shop, Regina took her brother's hand and gripped it firmly. "This is so exciting!"

Nerve-wracking would have been a better description to Skyler, but he chose to follow Hanna's advice and just go with the flow. So, he smiled and let Regina lead him into the salon.

He was a bit surprised by the look of the facility. It was bright, neat and had a feminine flare to it - lots of pink and pastels - but it also had a certain manly quality to it as well.

"There she is!" A very good-looking man in his thirties said, entering the salon. "Come here, my little champion and give me a hug." The man was very well put together, but nothing like the swishy stereotype of the male hairdresser that Skyler expected. This guy obviously worked out and took his fitness very seriously. He had a very trim, muscular body, a tight button-down shirt that showed off his physique, and biceps that were in danger of ripping the short sleeves of the shirt that he wore. He engulfed Regina in a fraternal hug that spoke of a very close relationship. It actually made Skyler a bit sad that this stranger seemed to have a closer relationship with his sister than he did. "Are you ready for your pageant this afternoon?"

"I will be after you're done with me," Regina's smiled.

"Well, who do we have here?" James said, looking at Skyler.

When their hug ended, Regina indicated Skyler and smiled. "Well. Here he is. This is Skyler. Sky, this is James."

James extended his hand and gave Skyler a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you, Sky. So... you're here to become a champion, huh? Well, let's see what I have to work with here?" He looked more closely at Skyler and then started touching his shoulders. "Stand up straight for me, sweetheart," he said, not paying much attention to the fact that he was speaking to a boy - a young man, in fact.

"Hmmm..." he mulled. "Good figure... needs some shape, but we can provide that. Nice hair, good length, needs some color and a little shape, but lots to work with. No more elastics to hold your ponytails, please, sweetheart." He sighed. "It'll take some work to get those dents out."

He scrutinized further. "Small shoulders - good. Soft features - good. You need to start moisturizing, my dear. A princess doesn't have dry, flaky skin on her forehead, now does she?"

Skyler looked at Regina intending to roll his eyes at her, but she gave him a look that said, 'answer him.'

"I... guess not," he managed to reply.

"Alright," James said, stepping back and eyeing Skyler to get the 'big picture.' "I'd say we have a lot to work with, but we have a lot to do as well. When is your pageant?"

"Umm... the COMPETITION is in three weeks," Skyler said, hoping that he could distinguish his serious attempt at scholarship money from Regina's frivolous beauty contests."

"Three weeks!" James said with a ton of dramatic flair. "Well, in that case, young lady, we don't have a second to spare. Let's start with the basics. In the chair. Go on, go on. Hair style and color, eyebrows, good Lord you don't even have pierced ears. Come on. Chop, chop! Lots to do and little time."

Before he knew what was happening, the back of the chair in which Skyler was seated was laying down flat and his head was in a sink, and he was being shampooed by another person for the first time since he was a very young boy. This time, though, the water was very hot, and the scrubbing was very aggressive. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was certainly different than he expected a shampoo to feel.

"I think a honey blonde, just like yours, is our best choice, what do you think, Reg?" James asked Regina. "You share the same skin tone and facial features, and heaven knows you look amazing. So, why not just repeat our success on Sky?"

"Makes sense to me," Regina said with a smile and a shrug. It did make perfect sense to her. She'd had mousy-brown hair, darker than Skyler's in fact, before James took over her look. She loved the way she looked now, and besides, she had won several pageants with this hair color, and she had received hundreds of compliments on the color. If it worked well on her and she won pageants, then having Skyler mimic her look made a lot of sense.
 

~^~
 

"He says that they're just around the corner and will be here in a minute or two," Kathy said, looking at her phone in the living room of her mother's house.

"Boy, I hope so," Hanna said, shaking her head and looking at her phone. "If he's not here in the next few minutes, we'll never make it to the orientation on time. I thought this was just a consultation."

"It was supposed to be," Skyler's mother said, "but James had to get Regina made-up for her pageant, and he can get carried away - and when he does... there's no stopping him."

"They're here," Amanda said from her spy post in the front window.

Hanna grabbed her purse and they all hurried out the front door. Hanna needed to hurry and join Skyler so they could get going. His mother and sisters wanted to wish Skyler good luck and see if James had made any suggestions, but all four of them came to a dead stop when instead of seeing Skyler and Regina stepping out of the car, two Reginas stepped out. Yes, the one on the passenger side was dressed better and had more makeup on, while the one on the driver's side was wearing a pair of what were obviously boy's shorts and a tee shirt that displayed a flat chest - not that the real Regina had been granted an abundance of bosom - but for the most part, these two people were twins - no - clones of one and other.

"...because you asked him to make you look beautiful, Sky," the real Regina was ranting as they got out of car. "That's why you go to a beauty consultant in the first place! To make yourself beautiful! And James did that, Sky! He made you beautiful enough to win a pageant."

"He made me look just like YOU, Reggie!"

"And I win pageants, Sky! What are you not getting here? I look this way because James brought out the best in me. You already looked a lot like me, so when he brought out the best in you... tada! Twins!"

"Alright, enough!" Their mother shouted. "Do want the neighbors to think we're all crazy in this house?"

"Come on, Sky, let's go," Hanna said, taking his hand in the hopes of (A) getting their trip to the meeting underway and (B) putting an end to the ranting that she (correctly) imagined had been going on since Skyler and Regina had left James' salon.

"Go?" He said. "I'm not GOING anywhere, except maybe a barbershop so see if I can undo some of this!" He indicated his face and hair and that was the moment that Hanna realized that her boyfriend's eyebrows had been sculpted and his skin looked smoother and its tone more even than ever before.

"Oh no, you are not going to a barbershop," Amanda said, sternly. "I've already invested in you, Sky. You said you'd do whatever it took to win. Well, this is a start. Now, you start acting like a man and go to that meeting to make sure you know what you need to do to win."

"And I'm sure that whatever services James provided will cost me a pretty penny," his mother said. "You told us you were committed to doing this, Skyler. Now, stop acting like a twelve-year-old and go do what you need to do to win that money."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" He said, as he turned, stamped his foot and stormed back towards his car.

"Umm..." Hanna said, "maybe I should drive. You seem too upset and I don't want to end up in an accident."

Amanda, Kathy, Regina and their mother stood on the walkway until Hanna backed the car out of the driveway and had pulled around the corner before they relaxed a bit.

"Oh, my God, Reggie," Amanda laughed. "You had James make him look just like you!"

"That wasn't very nice," her mother said, also laughing, but her laugh was a bit more nervous. What had she been thinking entrusting Skyler's transformation to a fourteen-year-old?

"I didn't do anything," Regina defended herself. "James said that he'd done so well on me, and I've won a lot of my pageants, so it only made sense to make someone who already looked a little like me, look just like me so she could win her pageants, too."

"He, Regina," her mother corrected. "HE can win HIS pageant."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Kathy chuckled. "Except for being flat chested, I think that Sky looked a lot more like a SHE than a HE."
 

~^~
 

"Your name?" The woman sitting at the greeting table asked, with a shockingly low voice for such a lovely face.

"Skyler Moynihan," Skyler replied.

"Ahh," the woman said, finding his pink name tag. "We didn't have a stage name for you, so we just wrote 'Sky' on your tag. I hope that's ok."

"That's perfect," Hanna said, taking the tag to hurry things along. She could hear the sounds of the meeting coming to order in the ballroom behind the greeting table.

"And you are?" The woman asked Hanna.

"Oh... I'm his girlfriend. "I'm just here for moral support and to take notes."

"Oh, his girlfriend?" The woman said, sounding a bit surprised. "You'll need a name tag, too. Your name?"

"Hanna," she said, sticking Skyler's name tag to his shirt. "Just one 'H.' H. A. N. N. A."

The woman scrawled it in a flamboyant script onto a standard 'Hello, My Name Is ____" adhesive tag and handed it to Hanna. "You may both go in, now," the woman said. "Be sure to grab a gift bag by the door."

They entered and Hanna grabbed a bag for Skyler, then guided him to a seat in the fifth row, towards the side of the room. The meeting had not yet begun, but the man at the podium was asking everyone to take their seats.

"Wow," Hanna muttered looking into the gift bag. "There's some real high-end makeup and hair products in here. A gift certificate for services at a day spa and a little bottle of shampoo that probably costs sixty dollars at Neiman's or Bergdorf's. Geez, this stuff is nicer than anything I own!"

"Alright ladies and... well... ladies," the MC said into the microphone eliciting a soft rumble of laughter. "Let's get this started so we can all go home. So..." he smiled and looked around, "as you all probably know already, the Gala of Tiresias takes place in different parts of the country every year. Now, let me emphasize - THIS IS NOT A DRAG SHOW. This is a salute to our mothers, our sisters, our aunts and our female friends. If you present yourself as a cartoon of a woman, I doubt that you will get through the early rounds, which are just based on presentation and a question-and-answer section. Understood?"

A hand went up in the front.

"Yes?"

The questioner, who was a tall, thin, bald man, stood up, but immediately began to flounce in a very drag-queen-esque manner. "So, this is drag show, but no drag is allowed? Bitch, what are you playing at?"

The audience laughed a bit at that.

The MC was unflustered. "I'm telling you that the intent of the show..." the MC squinted to read the man's name tag, "...Miss Goodlay."

"It's Emma Goodlay, actually," the questioner persisted. "And Baby, my name is my promise to you." He became very flirty to the delight of the crowd.

The MC had obviously seen it all before, though. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, if I may continue..."

He went on to explain that the completion was laid out in five rounds over three to four hours:
 
 
Round 1: Presentation in formal wear and Q&A

Round 2: First round of Talent

Round 3: Swim suit

Round 4: Second round of talent. Should be a different talent.

Round 5: Final five contestants in cocktail dresses for final Q&A and judges' decision
 
 
"The questions in round six will all be regarding how you plan to use the scholarship money and the cash prize. So, think about that." The MC said.

"Now, once again," he continued, "you are expected to present yourself as beautiful women. The kind of woman that you might see everyday."

Hanna leaned over to Skyler and whispered, "Well, since you definitely see Reggie every day, I think you're on the right path."

Skyler just rolled his eyes and gave his head a little shake.

"Now, before I talk about some homework you all need to do," the MC said, "I'd like to introduce last year's winner and one of this year's coordinator's, Miss Jenny Jacobs. Jenny, come on up."

A rather tall, but startlingly beautiful woman walked from the back of the hall to the front and up the couple of steps to the dais. She was dark skinned with long, straight hair and flawless makeup. She was wearing a tailored pantsuit with what appeared to be no shirt or blouse beneath the jacket.

"Hi, everybody," she said in what sounded like a natural woman's voice. "I just want to wish everyone good luck in the competition and to just tell you a quick story. See, about this same time last year, I was about to start my post graduate work to become a lawyer."

The word 'lawyer' drew some boos from the audience.

"I know, I know," Jenny said with a laugh. "It's like the old joke: What do you call a million lawyers' bodies at the bottom of the ocean? A good start. Right?"

That got some laughs.

"Anyway, I had no idea where I was going to find the money for school until my wife came home with the brochure for this event, which took place in Illinois last year. Now, I had actually attended the 35th Annual Gala of Tiresias when I was a teenager back Indiana and then again, a few years later, but I was just in the audience. Anyway, up until that moment, I'd never once even thought about dressing as a woman, but it turns out that with the help of a determined wife - or sister, or mother or girlfriend, or boyfriend - you can accomplish a whole lot more than you might expect. So, my advice to you is to take the next three weeks of prep time very seriously. Spend as much time as possible 'en femme' and when you arrive for the show, leave any manly parts of you outside. This is a 'Girls Only' club. No boys allowed. Ok?"

There was some applause and some hoots as well.

The man at the podium thanked Jenny, kissed her cheek and retook control of the meeting.

"Ok, so there's forty of you signed up for the event. Check the paperwork in your gift bags. It has the descriptions of what we expect for the formal wear, swimsuit and cocktail dress portions of the event. Also, we want to make sure that no one is planning on doing the same talent presentation as anyone else. So, we need all of you to submit your planned presentation no later than a week from today. Please be as specific as possible regarding what you are planning."

A hand went up.

"Yes?"

"Will our plans be confidential? I mean, if we submit specifics of our act, no one else in the competition will know about it, right?"

"I'm sorry, but no. We will be posting your performance plans to our webpage. We are only doing this to avoid having... oh, say... a half dozen contestants dressing up like Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz,' and lip syncing 'Over the Rainbow.'"

That got a comical groan of disappointment from the crowd.

Suddenly Hanna's hand was in the air.

"Yes?"

"If a contestant plans to play piano, will one be available?"

"Yes, there is a nice baby grand at the The Ansonia Mansion. It's a Mason-Hamlin, I believe. There is a Yamaha grand in the lobby here and we can use that for rehearsal purposes."

"Ok. Thank you. And if a contestant plans to sing, rather than lip sync, that's ok as well, right?"

"It is," the MC nodded, "but keep in mind that she needs to sound like a woman."

"Understood. Thank you," Hanna finished with a big smile. "You've got this," she whispered to Skyler. He wasn't as sure, though.

As the meeting adjourned, Skyler stood and headed for the door, but Hanna grabbed his arm and led him to where Jenny Jacobs was standing, talking to one of the women from the greeting desk.

"Excuse me, Ms Jacobs," Hanna said.

"Oh, hi!" The reigning queen of the competition said with a wide, engaging smile.

"Hi," Hanna returned the smile. It was hard not to, Jenny seemed so personable and engaging. "Umm, my name is Hanna, and this is my boyfriend, Sky. I was wondering if, maybe, we could buy you lunch, or a coffee or something and ask you a few questions? See, this will be Sky's first womanless kind of thing, too and I was wondering if you might have some advice."

"Well," she said, still smiling, "I am VERY hungry and frankly I'm dying for some company. Maybe just a coffee and a nibble in the hotel restaurant. I can give you forty-five minutes or so, if that'll help."

"That will be wonderful!"
 

~^~
 

Amanda's phone rang and she picked it up. "Hey, Elsie, thanks for calling back."

"No prob, Manny," the voice of her nursing colleague said. "What's up?"

She gave a quick explanation of her brother's attempt to win The Gala of Tiresias, then asked, "I was wondering if, since you worked with trans women who need prosthetic breasts, I thought you might be able to help him out with some artificial breasts?"

There was a chuckle from the phone. "Normally, there wouldn't be much I could do to help, but you're in luck right now. We just changed suppliers, so I have a lot of samples from the old supplier that are going to be disposed of. I can help by using some of those. They may or may not match his skin perfectly, but a little makeup will fix that."

"Oh, Elise, that would be great!" Amanda said.

"Do you know how big he wants to go?"

"Actually, I think the plan is for him to be the same size of our little sister, Regina. She's kind of small. I'd say an A cup or maybe a small B. We can measure her before you come over, though."

"Cool," her friend replied. "I actually have a lot of choices in in smaller sizes. Are you still living at your mom's?"

"I am."

"Great. I'll come by after my shift - say around six - and let's see what we can do for him."
 

~^~
 

"You're kidding me?" Jenny asked as she nibbled on her BLT. "You've never dressed before? Little girl, you look like you were born and raised in panties and dresses."

Skyler glanced at his smiling girlfriend, then replied. "Thanks, I guess. I'm only doing this to try to win the scholarship money, though. I have three sisters. One already finished college, but my mom is still paying for that, another sister is a senior and my younger sister has already been winning pageants that offer scholarship money in order to have that money ready when she goes to college."

"And how old is that sister?"

"Fourteen."

"That is one intelligent and determined young lady," Jenny said, impressed. "She must be very pretty."

"Now that Sky has had his hair colored and styled, he looks almost exactly like Reggie. Oh - that's her name. Reggie." Hanna was beaming with pride at how pretty her boyfriend looked.

Jenny reached across the table and lifted Skyler's chin so she could see his face more clearly. "Then she must be a very pretty girl indeed."

She smiled in such a way that Skyler couldn't help but blush a bit. "Thank you." He felt the need to tell Jenny that his new look was not his choice. "I didn't... plan on looking like this... like Reggie. She just... she brought me to see this guy... a beauty consultant, I guess you'd call him, and... Well, that guy and Reggie... they did this to me."

"And you don't much care for what they did?"

"I feel like... like... like I'm not me anymore, I guess. Like I'm a clone of my little sister."

"Hmmm..." Jenny thought. Then she said, "Ok. Some advice. First, from the moment you get home, you should start wearing girls' clothing. Not necessarily a dress all the time, but panties and - and this is very important - a padded bra or a bra with falsies of some kind. Sky, I am telling you, no matter what you may think, if you are not used to wearing a bra and presenting as having breasts, you will be thinking about the fact that you have breasts during the pageant and it will throw you off. Most of the other boys will have been wearing their sister and mother's bras for years. You need to have one on twenty-four seven from here on out. Ok?"

"Well, yeah..." he said, "...but... what about school? I still have classes and things to attend. I can't just show up on campus wearing a bra."

"Then you won't win," Jenny said flatly. "Those clothes feel very different than your normal clothes. If you are thinking about your clothing when you are talking in the Q&As or performing in the talent segments, then you will not be living 'in the moment.' And besides, trust me, with that hair and those eyebrows... you'll look much more natural with breasts than without them."

He nodded, knowing that what she was saying was true.

"Second," she said, "remember that the winners don't just dazzle the judges with their talents. They are charming and entertaining. They smile and invite the audience to smile with them. To be honest, I'm not sure I've seen you smile one time since I met you."

"I guess I'm not really a smiler," he shrugged.

"Then become one," Jenny said, firmly. "Think of it as an acting exercise if you want, but if you want to stand any chance of getting into the final rounds, let alone win the whole competition, then you need to make the judges believe that you could win a regular beauty pageant - a pageant with real women." She leaned forward a bit. "Do you know anyone who has won a real beauty pageant?"

He nodded.

"Who?"

"My sister. Reggie."

Jenny smiled. "So, maybe it might be a good idea to listen to what your sister Reggie has to say, then, hmm? Maybe she and her beauty consultant have actually helped you to look the most beautiful that you can look already. What do you think?"

He sighed and looked at Hanna who gave him a sort of 'I told you so' look.

He then sat up a bit straighter and blinked a few times. "Yeah. Ok. I see what you're saying."

"Do you?" Jenny asked. "Let me be very clear, just in case you don't. I won last year's competition. I'm giving you advice and your response is to be resistant. Then you tell me that you have a sister who is a pageant winner and you're not listening to her advice, either. In my opinion, you are not serious about winning this competition."

He didn't know quite how to respond to that, so he just looked at the tabletop.

"I wonder if you might be willing to get serious enough to win, though?" Jenny asked. "Serious enough to listen to my advice. Serious enough to listen to your sister's advice. Serious enough to smile and be a pretty girl - because that's what it takes to win, and it sounds like your family could use the kind of financial help that winning would offer."

Skyler nodded. "Yes. Yes, I can do it."

Jenny looked at Hanna. "You heard him say that, right?"

"I did," Hanna smiled. "I heard him and I'm going to hold him to it."

Jenny looked Skyler and smiled. "Her," she said. "From now on, until after the Gala, Skyler is not a boy. Understood?"
 

~^~
 

There was someone sitting at the kitchen table who Skyler did not know when he and Hanna got home from their lunch with Jenny. The lunch was meant to last forty-five minutes, but had extended to nearly three hours.

"Here he is now," Amanda said as he entered. "Skyler, this is my friend, Elise, from nursing school. Elsie, this is my brother, Sky, and his girlfriend Hanna."

Elise stood and shook Skyler's hand. "Nice to meet you, Sky." She smiled, but Skyler noticed that she was eyeing him oddly. Without speaking any further to him, she looked at Amanda and spoke. "I think we picked the correct pair. They should work perfectly."

"What should work perfectly?" He asked.

Elsie smiled and picked up a box from the kitchen table, held it in front of her and opened it, revealing two very realistic looking breasts. "These."

"Oh, shit!" Skyler said, taking a half step back as if he was afraid of the items.

"Wow," Hanna said, reaching out and poking the side of the silicone prosthetics. "It even feels real."

"They hang realistically, too," Elise said. "If they are attached correctly, that is."

"How do you attach them?" Hanna asked, still touching the breasts.

"I use an adhesive," Elise said. "Usually, I use a medical grade adhesive that can hold the appliance in place for weeks, but I can also use a theatrical grade adhesive that will allow the appliances to be removed after a rehearsal, or performance."

Hanna glanced at Skyler, who was both frightened by the breasts and fascinated by the idea of having these faux pectoral pieces attached to him. "Well, if we take Jenny's advice seriously, you should probably have them attached with the stronger adhesive so that you get used to wearing them. Right?"

Both of Skyler's hands were suddenly on his cheeks as he considered the ramifications of suddenly having not only the haircut and color he was currently sporting, but a pair of realistic breasts that couldn't be hidden.

"I mean," Hanna continued, "if you're going to be wearing a bra all the time, anyway, then you may as well have breasts in the cups."

"Why would you be wearing a bra all the time?" Amanda asked, finding the idea odd.

"So, he won't be distracted by it when he's performing in the pageant." Hanna went on to explain what Jenny had told them. "So, wearing breasts all the time will help, too. Don't you think, Sky?"

He just looked worried and tried to find a reason to say 'no.' "Gee, Hanna, I don't know..."

Hanna looked surprised. "You don't know? You just told Jenny that you would follow her advice and take the advice of the people with expertise." She looked at Elise. "What would you recommend he do? Wear them full time or just when needed?"

Elsie shrugged a bit. "Well, I have to say, this is the first time that I've ever dealt with a client who wasn't a pre-op trans-girl, so this is a bit of a different situation than I'm used to, but... Yeah, I suppose that, if you want to be completely acclimated to wearing the appliances in three weeks, then... yeah... wearing them full time would make the most sense."

"Alright," Hanna said, rubbing Skyler's back. "Are you ready to get more girly?"

He sighed. He had actually made a lot of promises to do whatever needed to be done in order to win, so... what choice did he really have? "Ok. I guess I am."

About a half hour later, Kathy entered with Regina in tow, both carrying grocery bags. They were about to put the bags down when they spotted their brother standing in the living room with a lacy bra on, and that bra was encasing two very realistic looking, although modest, breasts.

"Wow," Kathy smiled. "Sky... is there something you haven't been telling us?"

"Holy cow, Sky," Regina giggled, "you look even more like me now than when you left for the meeting? Did they give you some shots, or something?"

"They're fake," Hanna laughed, "but they look pretty freaking real, don't they?"

"They do," Regina giggled, bouncing over to her brother. "Are we exactly the same size? That girl, Elise, measured me so we'd be as close as possible."

"Judging by the way your bra fits him, I'd say you're a little bigger, but he's close enough to share your clothes," Amanda explained.

"That's great," Kathy nodded. "That way you don't need to buy anything for the pageant."

"Or school, or bed, or anything else," Hanna said, her smile turning a bit mischievous.

"Why would he need to wear Reggie's clothes to school?" Kathy asked.

"Because" Amanda explained, "his breasts are on until Elise takes them off. Kind of... semi-permanent, I guess you'd say. He's 'avec décolletage' until after the pageant."

"What does that mean?" Regina asked as she looked at her new mirror image of a brother.

"It means that he'll be borrowing bras from you every day for the next three weeks," Kathy said with a smirk. "Isn't that adorable?"

"I think it's pretty cool, actually," Regina said, smiling broadly. "Can I dress him everyday?" She didn't ask the question of Skyler, she asked the other women in the room.

"As a matter of fact, you can," Hanna said. "Tell Reggie what Jenny said."

"Who's Jenny?" Regina asked.

"She won the pageant last year," Skyler explained.

"Oh. And what did she say?"

Skyler sighed. "She said that, since you've won so many pageants, I should..." he mustered his courage before saying the next part. "... I should do whatever you tell me I need to do to win."

Regina's mouth fell open, followed by her body bouncing and her hands clapping in joy! "Oh My God! This is awesome! You are going to be the cutest brother in the world for the next three weeks. This is even better than winning the pageant I was in today! I can't wait to start picking out your clothes!"

"Ok, now, let's not go crazy," Skyler said.

"Go crazy!?" Regina said with a look of shock on her face. "Sky - when I'm getting ready for a pageant, I start about six weeks ahead of time, getting my hair looking just right, making sure my skin is flawless and wearing the cutest clothes I own so that, come pageant day, I feel confident and beautiful. You've only got three weeks, little sister. Get ready for a whole lot of pretty!"
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

Faure Nocturne in B Minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKblUPU5_QE
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 3

 

Skyler has to make some decisions - should he resist his transformation or should he go all
in to try to win The Gala? Thank you for all the reviews and comments. I did understand that using
a real life political issue would not agree with everyone. I'm sorry if my point of view veers from
yours, but that is the nature of political discussion. At times, we must just agree to disagree.

---

 
Author's Note: Please continue to leave comments and reviews! I truly appreciate it and
it's awfully nice to be back here with you all again. Please, if you like my story, leave me a review?
Good or bad I read them all! ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 3 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 3
 

That night, Skyler drove Hanna back to her dorm a little earlier than usual. He was still getting used to the feeling of having the breasts attached to him, but he was still dressed in shorts and a shirt - the only difference was that the current shirt and shorts were borrowed from Regina and the shirt was clingy and plunged a lot lower than any tee shirt he'd ever worn before while the shorts barely covered the bottoms of his butt cheeks.

"Come on up," Hanna said from the elevator door in the lobby. "Let's talk about the next few weeks."

They sat in her dorm and, at Hanna's suggestion, sent emails to Skyler's professors explaining the situation and asking them to be understanding. All responded with a simple 'ok' or 'good luck' or things like that, but Professor Kramer, his piano teacher, responded, "Come see me ASAP. I'm in my office all day Monday. This is important."

"I wonder what that's all about?" Skyler mused aloud.

"Go see her Monday morning and find out, I guess," Hanna smiled. Then she opened a drawer and pulled out the chemise she'd borrowed from Regina a few days earlier. She held it by its spaghetti straps in front of Skyler and smiled. "Let's see how much better this looks on you, now that you have the right equipment."

"Seriously?" Skyler whined. "Isn't this top bad enough?"

"There's nothing bad about that top, Sky, and for crying out loud, are you going to act like a baby every time you have to put on a piece of women's clothing. I mean, one minute you're making promises and the next you're upset because I'm asking you to do exactly what you promised. Are you going to try to win this or not?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to try to win it. I just wonder if you think you're dating me or my kid sister."

"Well, if I had a lesbian bent to me, I could do a lot worse than Reggie, but I really prefer to have a partner with a wee-wee rather than a hoo-hoo."

He shook his head as he took the chemise and pulled his shirt off. "Do I keep my bra on?"

"Nope," Hanna laughed. "You can keep your panties on if you want, but I promise you - they won't be on long."

He turned his back and asked, "Can you undo that for me?"

Hanna's hands touched his back and gave him shivers. Before she undid the hook and eyes on his bra strap, though, she ran her hand around his torso, and touched the underside of his new breasts. He could feel the touch of her hands, but he could also feel the movement of the appliance on his body and that sent tingles through him as well.

As she prepared to undo the clasps, she moved his light blonde hair gently to side so that it all hung over the front of his right shoulder. Then, slowly, she undid his bra and let it hang limply on his back.

"I've never done that for a date before," she said. Then she kissed his back and worked her way up to his left shoulder. "I better stop if I want to see you in that chemise, huh?" She chuckled.

Skyler took off the bra and lowered the chemise over his head. Then he pulled off the very short shorts that he was wearing. He turned and faced his girlfriend, who smiled down at him.

"You look amazing," she smiled. "Those breasts look so real and the chamise is hanging beautifully on you now, too. I love it. Come on. Lay on the bed."

"Are you sure you're not a lesbian?" He asked, only half-teasing.

"Are you sure that your chromosomes aren't messed up?" She asked in return. "Because nothing about you looks like a boy right now." She caressed the front of his chemise, rubbing the silken nylon of the chemise on the silken nylon of the panties he'd been loaned. He couldn't help but get turned on by the touch and she couldn't help but gloat a bit about getting him wound up. "Oh wait! Maybe there is something a little like a boy in there. Yes... I think I feel it. It needs to grow up a bit though. It must be hard to be a penis attached to the body of a pretty fourteen-year-old girl."

He wanted to argue that point with her, but her touch had him too excited. So, when he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out was a short, girlish gasp.

"That's right, my pretty, little girl," Hanna smiled and continued to arouse him, "just let me take care of you. I know how to make pretty, little girls like you feel... wonderful."
 

~^~
 

When the Uber driver pulled up in front of Skyler's house that Monday morning, Hanna got out of the car and hurried into the house, anxious to see how things were going.

The answer was: not all that well.

She entered the kitchen to find Kathy leaning against the counter sipping a cup of coffee and looking far too exhausted for someone who had just gotten up and dressed. She was shaking her head as off in the distance Hanna could hear the sound of Skyler's mother's voice - it was raised, sounded impatient and a bit irritated as she came down the stairs. "Damnit all, Skyler, you asked for your sister's help, and she gave it to you. Now, just get dressed and go to school so that the rest of us can get on with our lives, too."

"Should I go up and help him?" Hanna asked Kathy.

Kathy rolled her eyes. "If I were you, I'd just leave now, while you have the opportunity."

"I swear," Kathy's mother said, entering the kitchen, "it would probably be easier to take out a second mortgage on the house to pay for his education than go through all of this nonsense."

Kathy looked at Hanna and explained, "'The Twins' have not been getting along very well since Sky saw the clothes that Reggie picked out for him."

"What did she pick out?" Hanna asked. "A ball gown? A French maid's uniform? What has him so upset?"

"A sweater and skirt," their mother said.

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Hanna said.

"Just remember," Kathy pointed out, "that it's Reggie's skirt and Reggie's sweater. Think about how she dresses - especially just before a pageant."

"Uh-oh," Hanna said. "I better go help."

"Good luck," Skyler's mother said, shaking her head and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Hanna hurried up the stairs and arrived at the landing just as Regina stepped out of her room wearing just her bra and panties. She was obviously upset as she turned back towards her room and screamed, "Then get out of my room so I can get dressed, because I am done trying to help you! You say you want my help and then act like a spoilt little bitch when I give it to you! Well, I am done! GET OUT!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Hanna said, arriving at the bedroom door and putting her arm around the younger girl. "Calm down. Let me help."

"Help!?" Regina sneered back into the room. "He doesn't want my help. He thinks he knows everything."

"Ok, Reg... relax, please. He needs your help he's just... you know... a guy. And guys act like that."

"A guy?" Regina sniggered. "Yeah, right. Well, see if you can get that 'guy' to get dressed, because I am done." She stormed off down the stairs.

Hanna shook her head at the lingerie clad teenager. Then she stepped into Regina's bedroom to find her boyfriend sitting on the bed, his head down, wearing a white, lacy bra and a pair of black, super sheer tights that allowed his lacy, white panties to show through. His makeup was done, but his hair was filled with hot rollers, a beauty item which Hanna had never used.

"So?" Hanna asked, already perturbed.

He looked up, surprised to see his girlfriend there. "What?"

She sighed. "This is the end of all this BS, Sky. Either you're doing this or you're not, but you promised me that you would at least be nice to Reggie when she helped you."

"Hanna... she picked the most ridiculously girlish clothes for me to wear and then expects me..."

"To put the damned clothes on, Sky," Hanna hissed, losing her patience and trying hard not to yell. "Sky, Reggie is only a kid and being able to help you is a huge thing for her. Finally, SHE'S the big sister instead of being the baby." She picked up the white sweater and gray plaid skirt and looked at them. "There's nothing wrong with these. The sweater has a crew neck so it's modest for your first day with breasts and the skirt is very stylish."

"And very short."

"Which is the style that Reggie prefers, Sky, and it's also the style that will teach you some modesty in a skirt. So, let's do this: Let's act like we're the more mature people, here, get you dressed, then we'll go downstairs, apologize to Reggie, have her help you with your hair and then she can come back up here and get herself ready for school. How does that sound?"

Skyler shook his head. "Hanna... Hanna, how can I suddenly show up on campus looking like this? Everyone is going to..."

"Everyone is going to go about their usual day without noticing anything, Sky. Maybe a half dozen people will even notice and that's because you're friends with them and friends will understand, once you explain things to them."

He sighed and nodded. She was probably right.

"So, come on," she insisted, "pull on your big girl clothes and let's go apologize to Reggie before she decides not to help you anymore."

A few minutes later, Skyler was wearing a simple, slightly oversized, light weight, white crew neck sweater that was decorated with just a hint of white lace trim around the breast area. The skirt was a traditional, grey plaid, with white and black squares to set off the grey. It had a slightly wide waist band, zippered in the back and was pleated enough to let it sort of take on a little bell shape as it hung. It was quite short, although not as short as many of Regina's spring skirts, reaching about a third of the way down Skyler's hairless, sheer tights covered thighs. The hem of the skirt didn't quite reach his fingertips if his arms hung at his side.

Hanna had suggested that they tuck the sweater into the skirt, and then she bloused that out to enhance the loose, oversized fit of the cute sweater. Even the sleeves were designed to be a little too long, so they bloused a little as well. On his feet were a pair of black, pointy toed, low-heeled pumps that only covered his toes, then exposed his foot until the strap around his ankle. The whole look was very young, Skyler might have said 'infantilizing' if he'd been asked. Very cute, very feminine and very, very flirty.

"Mind your posture," Hanna coached, as they walked down the stairs. "I think you need to walk around with a book on top of your head for a few hours every day to straighten out that spine of yours."

"It's these shoes?" he complained. "I'm not used to heels."

"There's hardly any heel to worry about, Sky. Heck, your cowboy boots have a bigger heel than those. Just relax and walk, putting one foot in front of the other."

He did and it did get easier pretty quickly.

When they entered the kitchen, Skyler's mother was sitting at the table, dressed for work and drinking coffee, Kathy was dressed to go to her own classes, still leaning on the counter and drinking her coffee, Amanda had come home from her shift at the hospital wearing lilac scrubs and pouring herself a glass of orange juice, and Regina was still in her bra and panties, still irked, obviously so, and standing between Skyler's other two sisters - a small phalanx of sisterhood, united in being ticked off at the only male in the house.

"Hey, umm, Reggie..." Skyler said, trying to be gracious, contrite and friendly without surrendering all of his 'big brother' persona. "...I'm sorry if I was a little... grumpy. Thank you for your help. I hope you'll forgive me and continue to help me."

Regina let out a very irritated breath. "You weren't grumpy, Skyler, you were a pissy little bitch, and I don't want to be treated that way ever again."

"I understand and I apologize for my behavior," Skyler said, truly sorry that he'd upset someone who was trying to help him. "I promise... if you continue to help me... I'll show you more respect. Honest."

She considered that for a moment, then said, "Alright. Sit down - and make sure to smooth that skirt or it'll wrinkle - and I'll brush out your hair."

He did as he was told, smoothing his skirt as he sat, which caused his mother, girlfriend and older sister to exchange smirking smiles.

"Well, if my opinion counts for anything, Sky," Kathy said, rinsing out her cup, "I think that Reggie's choice was perfect and that you look adorable in that outfit. And when I say 'adorable,' I mean that you look natural, and young, and very pretty and very... normal. If anyone does notice you, it'll only be because they find you attractive."

"And that was meant as a compliment, too," Amanda said. Then she mused over his outfit for a moment or two before saying, "I miss getting dressed up every day. I loved looking pretty."

"What are you talking about?" Her mother scoffed. "You're beautiful every day of the week."

"Thanks, but you know what I mean," she smiled as she sipped her juice. "I used to get up and find the perfect outfit to wear to school. The outfit that would attract this guy or that guy - Or the perfect skirt that would impress the girls - Or just the outfit that would make me feel..."

"Like a princess," Kathy helped. "I know what you mean. That's really a high school thing, I guess. I wear jeans and a flannel shirt to classes most days, now."

"For me, it's scrubs, every day," Amanda lamented. "I try to get the prettiest ones I can, but... no makeup, no perfume, no jewelry... I just miss all the prettiest parts of being a girl."

"See, Sky," Regina said in a slightly condescending tone, "you're getting to enjoy all the best parts of being a girl. Being pretty... having your hair done..."

"Boobs," their mother said, causing all the girls to giggle.

Regina brushed his hair gently and used a strategic approach to the dispensing of hair spray to make his hair hold its form as she worked. "Now," she continued to speak as if she was a well-worn teacher with a student who needed guidance, "as you go through the day today, I want you to try to stand and walk with a nice straight back, always smooth your skirt before sitting and try to smile a lot more than you usually do. A pretty smile is a girl's best beauty secret."

"That's funny," Hanna chuckled. "Jenny told him to smile more, too."

"Then maybe he should listen," their mother said.

When Regina was done, Skyler's long, honey blonde hair looked full of body and life and had wide, rich waves flowing down past his shoulders to the middle of his back. She gave it all a once-over with the hairspray before running to her purse and coming back with a little bag, from which she produced a tiny, pink bottle. She held the bottle over his head and pushed down the bottle's spray pump several times, producing a light mist that wafted down onto his hair and shoulders.

"What's that?" Skyler asked, a bit surprised.

"What does it smell like?" Regina asked.

He sniffed. "It smells like vanilla."

Regina smiled. "That's what it is. Vanilla scented body spray. Take it with you and give yourself a light spray of it every time you go to the ladies' room. It'll make you smell and feel pretty all day long."

"Oh geez," his mother said, "he needs a purse. Anyone have one he can borrow? Something small."

"I have something right here in the hall closet," Kathy said as she walked out to the hallway, returning with a small, quilted, black bag with a silver clasp and a long silver chain. As an added bonus, it had a fairly large, pink Pom-Pom hanging off of one side of the chain. It was plain and simple, yet kind of adorable at the same time.

Hanna took the purse and held it open so that Regina could lay the perfume, a tube of lipstick, a compact and some other pieces of makeup paraphernalia in the purse. Then Hanna added Skyler's wallet and car keys to the contents and closed the pocketbook.

"Perfect," she said with a smile, watching Skyler arise from the chair, looking pretty much - no - exactly like his youngest sister. "A perfect, pretty little purse for my pretty, perfect, little girlfriend." That produced a little giggle from the others.

"She really is pretty, isn't she?" His mother said with genuine admiration.

"Well, she looks just like your prettiest daughter," Kathy said, patting Regina on the shoulders, "so... yeah... she is pretty."

"Could we maybe use the correct pronouns," Skyler said, walking out into the hallway to see himself in the mirror on the inside of the closet door.

"We are using the correct pronouns, little girl," Hanna teased. "Now - if it's not too much to ask, could we possibly stop admiring ourselves and get going? I have class in forty-five minutes and Dr Kramer wants to see you as soon as possible for some reason."

"God, I really do look just like Reggie, don't I?" Skyler stared at the beautiful young woman in the mirror, amazed that that woman was in fact him.

"Come on, babe," Hanna said. "Let's go."
 

~^~
 

The walk across the campus was thoroughly uneventful. The people they encountered barely acknowledged that Skyler was passing them, let alone take note of whether he was male or female.

There was one interesting interaction in the cafeteria, though. While Skyler was getting himself a bottle of water and Hanna was grabbing a coffee, another student, a young woman who looked to be either a senior or a grad-student, went out of her way to catch up with Skyler to say, "I love your skirt! Where did you get it?"

Skyler sputtered for a second before he remembered what he'd been told by everyone who'd offered him any advice thus far: Smile. So, he smiled and said, "Oh, thank you! Actually, I don't know where it came from. I borrowed it from my sister."

"More like stole it from her sister," Hanna chimed in. "This one is a clothes horse and just keeps 'borrowing' anything that's cute from her sisters. She's shameless."

The stranger smiled back. "Well, I doubt your sister looks as cute in it as you do."

"Oh, thank you!" Skyler replied, staying in this new female character remarkably well for someone who'd never acted at all before.

"Gotta run," the stranger said with a glance at her watch.

They left the cafeteria and walked through the performing Arts Center lobby where Hanna said her goodbyes and hurried into her lecture on the music of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. "I'll see you in in the cafeteria in two hours," she said. "If I don't show up, come look for me in the lecture hall."

"Why will you still be in there?" Skyler asked.

"I may be asleep," she chuckled. "Have you heard the music of Hildegard of Bingen? It's beautiful but very dull. I'll never survive two hours of listening to it." She kissed his cheek. "Now remember to move like a girl - little steps, straight back, one foot in front of the other - and go see what Professor Kramer wants to talk to you about."

Skyler walked down the hall and felt the strange juxtaposition between the familiar surroundings and the unusual feel of the soft, feminine clothes that he wore. It was odd to be certain, but it was also kind of... cool. He was fascinated by the binding feel of the tights and the loose feel of the skirt, the feel of his prosthetic breasts bouncing on his chest and the way that his hair bounced along with them. It was all so alien, yet kind of exciting and interesting.

And then there was the odd head-rush of catching glimpses of himself in the reflective surface of a darkened window, or the polished metal of a decorative piece along the wall. No, he hadn't WANTED to dress this way, he hadn't WANTED to get his hair done, he hadn't WANTED to go out in public like this, BUT... it was kind of... amazing. He felt kind of... different... pretty, actually. And Regina had been right - the constant scent of vanilla was a reminder that he was looking, moving and even smelling different. It was all pretty cool.

He reached Professor Kramer's office and he knocked at the door.

"Come in," came his piano tutor's voice from inside.

He grabbed the doorknob, but it was locked. "The door's locked." He called in.

"Just a second," Dr Kramer called back. There was the sound of movement inside and then the door swung open. "Sorry about that. Good morning. How can I help you?"

Skyler was surprised by her odd greeting. "Oh, yeah... umm... you said you wanted to see me ASAP, professor, so..."

"I did?" The professor said, tilting her head in confusion just a bit. "Why would I need to..." Her facial expression changed entirely as she realized who she was speaking to. "Oh, my God! Skyler! Is that really you?"

"Oh, umm... yeah, it's me," he said, letting out a nervous giggle, which, if anything, made him sound as girlish as he looked.

"Oh, my..." she smiled. "You look... amazing! I guess I didn't expect you to have changed this much since last week, but... WOW, SKYLER! You look GREAT!" She stood there smiling at her student for a good long moment before she suddenly realized that she hadn't invited him in. "Oh... I'm sorry... come in, come in."

Skyler entered and took a seat that the professor offered in front of the desk, smoothing his skirt beneath him, while the professor took her place in her desk chair, staring at Skyler and smiling broadly.

Finally she shook her head a little bit. "Sky... I just can't get over it. You look like an entirely different person."

"Actually, I look exactly like my kid sister," Skyler laughed. He'd always been comfortable with Professor Kramer. "These are her clothes, my hair is cut and colored just like hers and she's been coaching me on how to behave more like a girl."

"Like a woman," the professor corrected.

Skyler chuckled and blushed a bit. "Actually, she's only fourteen, so..."

"Oh, well... like a girl is correct, then, I guess," the professor laughed.

She took in his new appearance for a few more moments, then said, "So... you're probably wondering why I asked you to come see me."

Skyler nodded.

"Ok, well... see... a few years ago, when I was getting my PHD in New York City, I was hired to accompany a person who was competing in the same competition as you. His name was Ron and for the pageant he went by the name Ronetta Rage-er. As Ronetta, she was a huge personality. Stole the show every time she was on stage, but she was being kind of a drag queen, so that kind of exaggerated personality worked against her and, even though she was the audience favorite, she lost.'

'Anyway, I watched the whole pageant and talked to all of the judges, then I attended each of the following Galas, so I think I have a few ideas to offer. I'd like to help you, if I can. I mean, obviously, you're not going for a drag queen look. You look like a biological female already. So, what are you doing for your two talents?"

"Oh, well, for the first one, I was planning on playing piano."

"Ok. Good. What piece do plan to do?"

Skyler sighed. "I'm not sure. I was thinking, maybe, 'Tipitina and Me.' You know, the Allen Toussaint solo. I think I play that pretty well."

The professor nodded. "Yes, you do, but pick something else."

"What!? Why? If I play it well, I should just play it, right?"

Professor Kramer smiled. "No, Sky. You see, you're missing the point. Whatever you play needs to be explosive and exciting, BUT it also has to have a feminine quality to it. If it sounds like a piece being played by a man - and 'Tipitina and Me' always sounds like it's being played by a man, even when I play it - you will be disqualified."

"So..." Skyler thought about his repertoire for a moment. "... any suggestions?"

"What light classical pieces do you know?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Oh... maybe the Chopin piece I did last semester. The Waltz in C-sharp minor, Opus 64 Number 2. I play that pretty well."

Professor Kramer straighter. "An excellent choice - EXCEPT - instead of playing Number 2, play Number 1."

"But..." Skyler was confused, "... I don't know how to play number 1. Number 2 is beautiful."

"And tedious for a crowd that doesn't appreciate classical music. This is entertainment, Sky, not a concert of legitimate music! The Waltz in C-minor, Opus 64, Number 2 is a beautiful piece, but Opus 64, Number 1 - in Db Major - is fire and life and will amaze the audience."

"Yeah, but..." he was feeling a little overwhelmed, "... I've only got three weeks and..." Then it struck him. "Wait a minute! Opus 64, Number 1... that's the Minute Waltz! You want me to master that in three weeks."

"Well, first, it's not 'Minute Waltz,' it's 'The My-Noot Waltz,' as in 'little.' Chopin wrote it as a musical representation of a hyperactive little dog running around the living room. He titled it 'Valse du Petite Chien,' or 'Waltz of the Little Dog.' Somehow, the French nicknamed it 'The My-Noot Waltz' and English speakers bastardized that to 'The Minute Waltz. AND - Yes, I do expect you to master it in just three weeks. What's the big deal? You're a piano major in performing arts college. I've seen dozens of little kids play that piece brilliantly. I've seen video of Yuja Wang playing it professionally when she was only ten or eleven. If she can do it, why can't you?"

"Well, for one thing, she's Yuja Wang, so there's a lot more talent in her fingers than mine, and for another thing, I doubt she only had three weeks to learn it."

"Nonsense," the professor scoffed. "You're mistaking talent for hard work. Park your butt in front of a piano and start working. I guarantee that you can have that piece mastered and memorized in two weeks."

"But... I'm not even in the classical music program."

"Well, frankly, I think that having separate programs for classical and pop music is ridiculous. It's all music and you should be able to play whatever you're required to play. End of story. That's how a musician makes a living. So, stop whining and learn the piece. It's the perfect piece for that event. Now - what about your second talent segment?

"Oh," Skyler was still reeling from his professor's sudden proclamation that he'd be playing such an iconic piece in such a short time. "... I'm singing."

"Good," she nodded. "I think you have an excellent voice. What are you singing?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Skyler shrugged. "I was thinking about an Adele song, but my girlfriend says I should sound more like a girl than I do when I sing that piece - you know, Adele's voice is pretty low - so I don't know."

"Ok," the professor stood. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To see Professor Marino in the Musical Theater Department. She'll have some suggestions, I'm sure."
 

~^~
 

"But don't you think that forcing young people into closets is harmful?" The interviewer asked the blonde congresswoman.

"Not at all," she laughed. "I think indulging young people before they are old enough to make their own decisions is the harmful thing to do. We are their parents, aunts, uncles... we need to set a good example for them. Show them how to be REAL men and REAL women. Not these caricature role models in the media. We are not 'keeping them in closets,' we are giving them the chance to grow up, learn their roles in life and conform to the societal norms that we all..."

"Oh, give me a break," Jenny snapped as she shut off the car's radio.
 

~^~
 

"Honest to God, that's my older brother," Regina said to her friends at the high school cafeteria table.

"No, it's not," one of the girls scoffed. "That's just you."

"No, it isn't. Look. Here's one of the two of us together. See? I got his hair, eyebrows, makeup, everything done just like mine. He's even wearing my clothes to his college today. I'm serious. That is my brother, Skyler. Isn't that amazing?"

"And he's doing this just to win a scholarship?" Another girl asked.

"It's a big scholarship," Regina nodded, "but... yeah."

"So... when can we see him dressed like this?" A third girl asked.

"Want to come over after school today?" Regina shrugged. "I don't know what time he'll be there, but he'll be there eventually."

"Cool," girl number one said. "I'm going! I want to see what he really looks like!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"
 

~^~
 

Hanna couldn't concentrate on her lecture. She knew that Hildegard of Bingen was an important figure in the history of Western Music, but how could she possibly concentrate on 'O Virtus Sapientiae' when all she could think about was how adorable her boyfriend looked in that sweater and skirt this morning!? Oh, and the tights and heels!

Eventually, she gave up on trying to listen and opened a new Google tab on her laptop, opened Amazon's site, and started shopping. There were lots of different fashions that she would love to see him wear, but the ones that leap out the most and tickled her fancy were really designed for young, very fashionable teens - like Reggie. Soon, her Amazon basket was filled with all kinds of cute clothes, dresses, skirts, panties, bras, shoes, even a few pieces of jewelry. Each item was fairly reasonably priced, but the total of the cart was a little higher than she expected. Should she splurge and just get all of it? She'd been pretty good about money lately and she did have a good amount in the bank. She wasn't going to be broke before she got her next paycheck. Heck, how many opportunities would she have to dress up her boyfriend this way? She loved seeing him in clothes like this, too. And besides, Reggie could wear it all after Sky was done with them, so they wouldn't be wasted. Yep. She was buying it all.
 

~^~
 

"Hmmm... an interesting choice to have to make," Professor Marino said as she mulled over the enormous number of choices available to the young man who looked like a very young girl sitting on the other side of her desk. "I agree with your friends and family - the Adele song is just too... aggressive might be the word I'm searching for... for this kind of performance. Should we, maybe, be looking to gay and trans icons for a piece? You know... Judy Garland? Barbara Streisand? Marilyn Monroe?"

Professor Kramer shook her head and held up her phone. "I've been talking to a friend at the Gala to see what other contestants have already listed as their acts. You can't repeat a song or act. Everyone needs to be different. So far, there are contestants lip syncing to 'Over The Rainbow,' 'Don't Rain On My Parade,' and 'Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend.'"

"Yeah, but they're just lip syncing," Professor Marino shrugged. "Skyler would be singing - God knows he's got the range for pretty much any song written for an alto." She had spent a good ten minutes having Skyler singing scales and arpeggios to determine how high he could sing, and she had concluded that he could sing anything in an alto's range without much difficulty.

Professor Kramer shook her head. "I don't think they'd allow two Marilyns or two anyone else's in the show."

Skyler sat quietly and listened, wondering why every woman in his life seemed so obsessed with this competition.

Professor Marino nodded and mulled some more. "So... a song that's sung from a woman's point of view... about being a woman would be best... and something like 'I Enjoy Being A Girl' from The Flower Drum Song is no good because..."

"Well, besides the fact that it's kind of old and hackneyed, I think it's probably been done to death," Professor Kramer pointed out. "I'm sure the judges would be ambivalent about it."

"Yeah, probably..." Professor Marino nodded. "I can see that. So... a song about being a girl... being a flirt, maybe? Maybe being a tramp?"

Professor Kramer laughed. "A tramp!? Come on... Look at Sky. If he tried to look like a tramp, he'd look like a little girl dressed up like a hooker for Halloween."

"Hey," Skyler said, a tad defensively, but he realized that stamping his foot and insisting that that he 'could too look like a tramp' seemed counterproductive.

"I'm sorry, Sky, but come on," Professor Kramer chuckled, "you look more like an honor student than a tramp. You need a song about being a good girl."

Suddenly, something clicked in Dr Marion's mind. "A good girl!" She said aloud.

Professor Kramer looked at her colleague. "Did you think of something?"

"I may have," the professor said. "Let me think." Then she started muttering words with a bit of a tune to them. "I come from a long line of good girls, who chose the wrong guy to be sweet on. The girl with a face that says 'welcome,' that men can wipe their feet on. I'm there when he wants me the trusted girl Friday, alright, but what good does it do me alone on a Saturday night?" She snapped her fingers and looked at Skyler and Professor Kramer. "I've got the perfect song! It's flirty, and girly, and kind of naughty... I think it's perfect! Here, let me call it up and play it for you. Ummm... you can look up the lyrics on your tablet if you want. It's called, 'You Can Always Count On Me,' from the musical 'City of Angels,' and if you decide to do this song, Skyler, there are plenty of great karaoke tracks available for it."

Professor Kramer was looking at the lyrics before the music even started. "Oh, yes, I love these lyrics. Like you said, it's funny and flirty and definitely girly. Sky, I think we have a winner for you."

He looked at the lyrics as the song played. It started off as a slow, kind of a 1930s/1940s sound, and then became a faster song with more and more dirty lyrics - well, that wasn't true. Perhaps Professor Marino had used a better word: naughty.

"What do you think?" Professor Marino asked when the song ended. "It'll fit his range, it's not a real well-known song so no one else will chose it and it's a pretty great lyric."

"I think it's perfect," Professor Kramer said. "What do you think, Sky?"

Skyler was in shock, looking at the sexually playful lyrics. He'd probably like the song a lot if he'd just been listening to it, but the idea of singing it in front of people... "I don't know... I mean... it's pretty... sexual... you know? Like, it says that the singer defrocked a priest. I'm not sure I can sing that in front of an audience."

"What?" Professor Kramer laughed. "Why not? The judges will love this and the audience will go nuts over these lyrics. They're hilarious."

"I'd be saying that I had sex with a priest, though!"

"It's a joke, for crying out loud, Skyler, it's just a joke," Professor Kramer laughed.

"Skyler, in the detective films of the nineteen thirties and forties," Professor Marino explained, "every detective time had a secretary that not only seemed smarter than everyone else, but also was the most attractive woman in the movie and she almost always had an unrequited crush on the main character. It's an archetypical character from the era that most people over a certain age understand. This song is just a parody of that character. A pretty darned well written parody, in fact. So, the judges, who will all be old enough and experienced enough to understand the parody, and your audience will either get the cultural references, or they will just enjoy that silliness of the naughty subject matter. See, you have a very 'girl next door' look to you and we should play to that. This song will do that perfectly. I think it's a great choice for you."

"I agree with Professor Marino, Skyler," Professor Kramer said. "Sky... this is a winning song - IF you do it well, and she's here to help you prepare it for performance. I think it's a great choice and, just like I'm willing to see you as often as necessary for the next three weeks to help you prepare the Chopin piece, Professor Marino is willing to do the same to help you prepare this song. I think you should take advantage of that offer."

Skyler thought back to his conversation with Jenny a few days earlier and her advice to let people in the know help him, so he put aside his misgivings about the song and and nodded.

"Thank you, Professor Marino, and Professor Kramer. I will do the Chopin piece for my first talent and this song for my second. And thank you both for your assistance. I really do appreciate it."
 

~^~
 

Skyler's mother would sometimes spend her lunch hour at the outlet mall near her workplace. Usually, she would wander from store to store, looking for anything cute that caught her eye that might be appropriate for herself or one of her daughters. Skyler was easy to buy for, as a rule - just jeans and tee shirts ninety percent of the time, with the very occasional new suit coat or sports jacket for a recital.

This day, however, she kept picking up piece after piece and wondering which daughter might like it, and invariably, the name Skyler kept coming up. She was buying cute, feminine and even intimate items for her son and it was actually kind of wonderful. She was actually enjoying herself. '

Was this pastime indulgent on her part? Of course.

Was it a bit odd? Without question.

Did she need to step back and think about this a bit before spending any more money? No. For some reason, she was actually enjoying buying the cutest little things she could for her son. It wasn't a punishment or a fetish, it was just... fun. She'd never done this for him before. It was just a lark.
 

~^~
 

"Hey," the handsome boy in the cafeteria line said with a smile. "I'm Alan. Are you new here?"

Skyler glanced up, assuming that whoever was speaking, he wasn't speaking to him. When he realized that there was no one else around except the boy and him, Skyler responded in a slightly confused way. "Oh... I'm sorry... were you talking to me?"

"Yeah," the boy chuckled, uncertain as to whether or not this girl was pretending to be obtuse or if she was acting like a bit of a snot - like she was too good to speak to him. He chose to give it another shot, after all, she was pretty cute. "I said, I'm Alan. I asked if you were new here."

"Oh..." Skyler was still surprised that this guy, who he had noticed around the campus before, was talking to him. "Umm... no... I'm not new here."

"Really!?" Alan asked, surprised that he hadn't noticed this fashion plate before. "How have we not met before?"

Skyler smiled and shrugged, not knowing what to say, so, he grabbed a yogurt from the cooler and turned to head to the cashier.

"Oh, hey," Alan said, anxious to keep the conversation going, "can I buy you a Coke or something? Maybe we could have lunch together?"

'Oh, I'm, umm..." Skyler was very confused. No boy had only ever flirted with him before, and the only girl who'd ever flirted this aggressively with him was Hanna and he hadn't known what to say then either. "...I'm, ummm... meeting someone for lunch."

"Oh," Alan was a bit deflated, but not defeated, "a boyfriend?"

"A girlfriend," Hanna said, arriving in a nick of time. She leaned down and kissed Skyler full on the lips. "Hi, Alan. How are you doing?"

"I'm ok," he said, kind of shocked by what had just transpired. "I... thought you were straight, Hanna. Since when are you a lesbian?"

"I'm not a big fan of labels, Alan," she smiled and put her arm around Skyler's shoulder, "but I've been dating Sky for a while, now."

"Oh," he nodded. "Ok. Well... I'm sorry if I overstepped or anything. I was just... you know... trying to be friendly. I hope no one's upset about that."

"Not at all," Hanna smiled. "Hey, I'd invite you to sit with us, but we have a lot to talk about today. Another time, though?"

"Yeah. Absolutely," Alan smiled and nodded. If this girl wasn't interested in him right now, at least there was still a window of opportunity. Maybe, if he could get to know her, she would be interested in him when her relationship with Hanna ended. "I'll look for you later in the week."

"Cool," Hanna said, casually. "See you then." She turned and led Skyler towards a booth that was set aside from the rest of the dining room.

When they'd taken their seats, Hanna asked, "So... how'd it go?"

Skyler explained about the 2 pieces that had been chosen for him by the two professors. Being a Classical Music performance major, she was very familiar with Chopin's Minute Waltz, but she needed to listen to the Broadway show tune before she could pass judgement. She called it up on her phone, put in her Air Buds and listened.

"I think those are both great choices," She enthused. "Are you happy with them?"

"I've got a lot of work to do, that's for sure," Skyler sighed and shrugged. "I guess I just thought that this would be a lot easier."

"You thought earning a hundred grand would be easy?" Hanna laughed.

"Easier than this, I guess," he shrugged.
 

~^~
 

They stopped at a nail salon on the way home. Hanna had proclaimed that Skyler's nails were heinous and felt his look suffered by the lack of nicely polished nails. When he left, he had nicely manicured 'French nails' that were barely longer than his natural nails. They did shine nicely, though and caught the light in a way that seemed to fascinate Skyler.

They pulled into the driveway at Skyler's house, with Hanna driving, got out of the car and headed into the house.

"So, I have to write an analysis of this Bach adaptation for guitar I'm working on," Hanna was saying. "I've written a ton of notes, but I have to assemble it into an actual paper before my lesson tomorrow." She was carrying her guitar case in one hand and her backpack in the other.

Skyler walked in front of her, just a purse over his shoulder, his short skirt, tights, cute, low heels and blousy, white sweater still looking adorable as he searched the purse for his house key. "Ok," he muttered as he looked. "I need to practice this Chopin piece. You want to work in my room?'

"No, I can set up on the sofa near the piano. I just need a folding table or something to..." she stopped as they entered the house and, instead of finding it empty as it was every day, they found Regina and three friends sitting around the kitchen table drinking tea.

"There he is!" Regina said with a grin. "See... I told you. He looks just like me. Right?"

"Oh, my God!" The girl sitting in Skyler's typical seat said, wide eyed. "That can't possibly be your brother! She's really your sister, right? Like, your twin or something, right?"

Another girl stood right in front of Skyler and looked him up and down. "Nope. That is not your brother. No way. I've met your brother."

"Look at that girl's legs," the last girl said. "There's no way a boy has legs like those."

The girl standing in front of Skyler smiled. "This is so cool! You have your own Regina Doll. If you want to know how you'll look in an outfit, you can just have your Regina Doll try it on for you."

"Hey, that is a good idea!" Regina said, grinning. "Sky, we have to go shopping together. You can try on clothes for me, and I can do the same for you!"

"What!?" Skyler finally managed to say. "Reggie... who are all these girls? Why are they here?"

"They're my friends, Sky, and we're doing our homework," Regina said defensively. It was true that these girls were her friends and that they were doing their homework, but that was not why they were there. They were there to see Skyler in Regina's clothes and no other reason.

"We've met before, Skyler," the girl in front of him said. "You drove Reggie and me to dance class a bunch of times. Remember? I'm Paula."

Skyler looked more closely at the girl in front of him. Last time he'd seen her, she was cute, but little and skinny. Now, she was a good couple of inches taller than him, much more mature looking than the last time he’d seen her and kind of attractive. "Oh... sorry. I didn’t recognize you. You look a lot different than you did the last time I saw you."

The girl smirked. "Yeah. ‘I’ look different. It seems to me that the last time I saw you, you were a boy. What happened there?"

"I’m still a boy... I mean... a man," Skyler insisted. Before he could protest further, the second girl spoke again.

"Geez, Sky, Reggie tells us that you’re going to be in one of her pageants. Will you be up against Reggie? Do you think you can beat her?"

"He’s not going to be in the same pageant as Reggie," Hanna said, stepping in front of her boyfriend who seemed almost helpless in the face of several fourteen-year-old girls. "He’s going to be in womanless pageant of a sort."

"Oh," the first girl said, happily. "They had one of those at my cousin’s school. I went. It was pretty cool seeing all the boys in makeup and dresses. They didn’t look as good as you do, though, Skyler. You really look exactly like Reggie. It’s like you’re actually twins."

"That is true," Hanna said, "but right now, THIS Regina has to practice a piece of music for her pageant. Ok? So, you guys please stay out here and let us use the living room to do our work. Alright?"

"Sure," the real Regina said, satisfied that her friends had seen her brother looking just like her. "We won’t bother you."

When Skyler’s mother came home, she found Regina and her three friends hard at work at the kitchen table – unusual, but a good thing to find – Kathy making dinner in the same space, and she could hear Skyler playing piano in the next room.

"Hi," Kathy said, greeting her mother with a kiss on the cheek. "What’cha got there?" She asked, pointing to the collection of bags that her mother was carrying.

"Oh," her mother smiled, "just a few things for Skyler to wear over the next few weeks. I assume that’s him playing piano."

Kathy nodded. "Hanna’s in there too."

Her mother nodded. "I’ll just take these up to his room."

As she passed the doorway to the living room, Hanna looked up and Skyler’s mother motioned for her to join her upstairs.

"I’ll be right back," Hanna said to Skyler as she passed the piano.
 

~^~
 

"This is interesting," one of the gala organizers said as he reviewed the entrant information.

"What’s that?" Another asked.

"This contestant is planning on singing – not lip syncing but singing."

"We’ve had a couple of singers before, haven’t we?"

"Yeah, a couple, but they’re always disqualified in the first talent round."

"Can I see that?" Jenny asked, entering the room and sitting. She was in fairly endogenous clothing that morning, but still had the air of femininity about her. "Oh, this is Skyler you’re talking about. I had lunch with her and her girlfriend the other day. I liked her."

"Really?" The first man said. "Do you think you can talk him out of singing?"

"Well..." Jenny read the form, "...it looks like singing would be her second talent. Playing piano is her first. So, singing would come late in the process. If she doesn’t make it that far, then it won’t be an issue anyway."

"I don’t know," the second man said. "He’s got a great, natural, girl next door kind of look. Just looking at the submitted photos, I’m already rooting for him."

"Well," the first man shrugged, "let’s hear him sing at the talent rehearsal next weekend and see how he does. If it doesn’t work, Jenny, would you have a word with him?"

"Her?" Jenny said, with a little defiance. "I will."
 

~^~
 

"He’s not a toy for you to be showing off to your friends," Amanda scolded her youngest sibling after her friends had left. She spoke quietly so Skyler, still practicing in the living room, couldn’t hear. "No wonder he was upset."

"But he has to get used to showing off while all dressed up," Regina defended herself. "That’s exactly what a pageant is! Showing off! I was just helping him!" It was a feeble defense, but it was the one she was going with.

"It wasn’t very nice," Kathy said, pouring a pot of boiling pasta into a colander that rested in the sink. "We’re supposed to be supporting Sky as if he’s our little sister. Not making fun of him."

"I didn’t make fun of him!" Regina insisted. "Believe me, by the time my friends left here, they were determined to get their brothers into pretty skirts, too! They couldn’t get over how pretty Sky looked. They want him to hang out with us sometime."

"That might actually be a good idea," Kathy said, busying herself with the food prep.

"Why would that be a good idea?" Amanda asked.

"Well, you remember what it was like to be Reggie’s age, don’t you? We were just discovering how to be women. What clothes we liked. What makeup looked good on us. How to flirt. All that stuff. Maybe spending time with Reggie and her friends would open up Sky to those ideas and feelings, too. You know what I mean?"

"I do know what you mean," Amanda chuckled. "It means you’ve taken a couple of Psych classes and think you know how the human mind works."

Just then, Hanna and their mother appeared in the kitchen carrying several storage bins. "Open the garage door for us, Regina, please," their mother said.

"What’s all that?" Amanda asked.

"It’s all of Sky’s clothes," Hanna answered. "Your mom thought it’d be a good idea to take temptation away for the next few weeks."

"Nothing but girl’s clothes until after the pageant," their mother said, before disappearing into the garage.

Amanda shook her head. "You’ve all gone crazy."

"Sky! Come to dinner," Kathy called.
 

~^~
 

"So, no real problems at all?" Sky’s mother asked.

"No. Not really," Skyler said. "I was a little nervous at first, but once I got used to everything, it was ok."

"He even had a boy flirt with him," Hanna said with a smirk. "A cute boy, too."

"Ooh," both Kathy and Regina said teasingly.

"He just assumed I was a girl," Sky said, shaking his head.

"Well, you certainly look the part," his mother smiled. "If I could offer some advice, though, most girls change out of their nice clothes when they get home. You don’t want to wrinkle them or get food on a sweater as pretty as that one."

Skyler nodded. "Ok. I’ll change when I get home tomorrow."

"I bought you a few things when I was out today," his mother continued. "I put them in your dresser drawers."

"Oh," Sky replied, surprised that his mother had picked up anything for him. "Thanks."

"Hey, Sky," Amanda said, sounding very serious and practical, "I saw this person who was pulled over by a cop on the way home, and it got me thinking... You don’t look anything like your license at the moment and, to be honest, you don’t really look old enough to be driving. Maybe it’d be a good idea if you didn’t drive for a while. You know... until you look like yourself again – or at least until you look old enough to be behind the wheel of a car."

"That’s actually a really good point," Kathy agreed. "The last thing you want right now is to be in some kind of trouble with the police that will require you to have to prove who you are. You’d better not drive until all of this is over."

"But..." Skyler was shocked. "... how will I get to school? And work? And... well... wherever?"

"I can drive you to school," Hanna said. "I don’t mind taking an Uber over in the morning and driving you."

"Oh, that sounds time consuming and expensive," Skyler’s mother said. "Maybe you should just take Skyler’s car for the next few weeks. There’s no point in paying all that money for car services when his car is just sitting in the driveway."

"Yeah, and Uncle Bill’s store is only a few blocks away," Kathy pointed out. "You used to walk there before you had a car. If one of us isn’t available to drive you, you can always walk."

"Walk!?"

"Yeah. Walk," Kathy laughed. "You do know how to do that, don’t you? You used to have to do it all the time before you got a license."

"Yeah, but not dressed like this!" He protested.

"Sky, you look amazing," Hanna said, calmly.

"Yeah, but I look like a girl!"

"So? Isn’t that the point?" Regina said, matter of factly. "I mean, if you want to win, then you need to learn how to be a girl. Girl’s walk all the time, Sky. Heck, I walked home from school today. So what?"

"Yeah, but... people I know will see me..."

"And probably just think you’re Reggie," Amanda said. "Face it, Sky – you’re not a nineteen-year-old boy anymore. For the time being, you’re a fourteen-year-old girl and with that comes a lot of new experiences and a few limitations. One of those limitations is that fourteen-year-olds don’t drive. You’ll be fine."

Hanna petted his tights-covered leg. "Don’t worry, Sky. We’ll work it out."

He sighed and went back to his meal.
 

~^~
 

His shower took longer than usual. Regina had laid out a series of bottles – shampoo, conditioner, color enhancer, volume enhancer, body wash, skin exfoliators, acne scrub, skin cream, and on and on. All of it was expected to be used in the shower and by the time he’d read each label and used each ointment, he’d been in there almost forty-five minutes.

As he dried off, he was nearly overwhelmed by the fragrances on his hair and skin.

And it didn’t end in the shower. There was a series of bottles for after-shower use as well. Each of those was applied as well.

When he looked into the mirror, the reflection he saw wasn’t a familiar one. Staring back at him was a girl, not a woman, decidedly younger than Skyler had been a few days earlier. Small breasted, but those breasts were very real looking. Narrow eyebrows, skin shiny from the face cream, ears adorned with tiny, faux-diamond studs and lips already plumper than they’d ever been due to the products that had been applied to them over the last few days.

This was for real. He needed to start taking this seriously if he was going to win this competition and get back to his normal life, but for now – he needed to take Jenny’s advice to heart and start being the best girl he could be for the next three weeks. Then he could go back to jeans and tee shirts – and a flat chest.

Regina heard the bathroom door open, and she peeked out into the hallway where her older brother was walking towards his room, one towel wrapped around his hair, turban style, another around his waist, skirt style, his small, very real looking breasts exposed. She giggled, just a little before saying, "I put out the new nightie that mom bought for you. After you get it on, come see me. Since your hair is still damp, I’ll put your hair up in curlers tonight, so it’ll look nice tomorrow. It’s healthier for your hair to use regular curlers than to always use hot ones."

"Ok," he said as he entered his room.

A few minutes later, he was standing in her doorway, still wearing the turban-towel to keep his wet hair off of his back, but now also wearing the nightie his mother had bought him. It was pink with small white polka dots scattered here and there about the fabric. It had a modest, tee shirt style neckline, elbow length sleeves that ended in big, white lace covered bells and it was knee length. The bottom hem had a white lace covered ruffle.

It was cute and modest and feminine, but the kind of thing that Regina would have viewed as ‘too young’ to wear herself. She thought it was perfect for her older brother, mostly because it made him look, and hopefully feel, like her younger sister. A younger, less experienced girl, ready to accept her ‘older’ sister’s tutelage.

"Come and sit, Sky," she said with a warm smile and welcoming tone. Let’s get that hair up so you have nice, wavy hair in the morning.

Downstairs, Hanna looked at the time. "I wonder what’s keeping Sky so long," she said to Amanda and Kathy as they all watched ‘Jeopardy!’ on the TV. "I need to head home, soon."

"My guess is Reggie is playing with her new doll," Kathy chuckled. "I think she’s enjoying having a life-sized replica of herself to dress and play with."

Amanda looked around to be sure her mother was not within ear shot. "I think Hanna’s enjoying it a lot more than Reggie is."

Hanna blushed a bit. "Well, to be very honest... I am sort of enjoying having a soft, sweet-smelling boyfriend who looks pretty when he’s dressed up and wearing a little makeup. I’ve always been a kind of jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl, you know? And having a pretty boy on my arm is pretty awesome."

Amanda thought about that for a moment. "Hmmm... I suppose it would be kind of cool. Especially if he was fulfilling all the wifely duties at home."

"You mean," Kathy checked for her mother, too, "being a saint in the kitchen and sinner in the bedroom?"

"Well," Amanda laughed, "I was thinking more about being a saint in the kitchen. I was thinking about having someone who would take care of the house for me. You know... cooking and cleaning... taking care of the kids... things like that."

"Oh," Kathy nodded. "You want a maid."

Amanda laughed and shrugged. "Ok. Maybe that’s what I need."

Hanna was laughing too. "You know, Sky would look pretty cute in a nice maid’s uniform."

"Hey, that’s my little sister, you’re talking about," Amanda said, still laughing.

"Ok, come on," Kathy chuckled, "let’s not be mean to Sky. She’s... I mean... he’s working hard to do a good job in this pageant thing, and we shouldn’t be teasing..."

She stopped talking because she saw Regina coming down the stairs with Skyler following close behind. Regina was wearing a cute, spaghetti strap, silk sleep top with wide legged, boxer-style, silk panties. The typical pj set for a teenaged girl. Behind her though, Skyler followed wearing that pink nightie with the white polka dots and his hair all rolled up in huge, jumbo sized, lilac-colored curlers and those were somewhat covered with a pink head scarf that was decorated with large, childish, oddly feminine strawberries.

The whole look was sweet and young and girlish.

"Oh, my," Kathy smiled, being the first to catch sight of him. "Aren’t you the cutest thing?"

"She is, isn’t she?" Regina beamed with joy at having gotten Skyler ready for bed.

"She really is," Hanna said, standing and feeling all kinds of stirrings and emotions flooding her body. This... girl... this... little girl... was her boyfriend. Small and vulnerable and girlish. That was Skyler! Granted, Skyler had never been ‘manly’ in any usual sense of the word, but... holy cow. He was so... cute... and she wanted to be alone with him so badly.

But that wasn’t possible. She needed to get home and he was all done up like a tween ready to be tucked into bed.

"Someone’s not going to sleep well tonight," Amanda laughed.

"Why?" Skyler asked.

"The first time you sleep in curlers is always a tough night," his oldest sister laughed, "but sleeping in curlers THAT BIG is a sacrifice to beauty that I was never willing to make."

"I wear them all the time," Regina shrugged, indifferently. "She’ll get used to them and fall asleep soon enough." She touched the curlers in his hair and smiled with pride.

"I... ummm," Hanna said, picking up her backpack and slinging it onto her shoulder, "I should probably get going, I guess. I mean, it’s past eight and I need to shower and stuff before bed, so... I kinda have to go."

"Oh," Skyler said. "Let me get you my car keys." He turned and ran barefoot back up the stairs.

"Wow," Kathy whispered. "If I hadn’t seen him looking like that myself, I never would have believed that he’d allow himself to be dressed that way."

"And the curlers!" Amanda spoke quietly as well. "I am in shock."

"Pretty is as pretty does," Regina giggled, looking proud of herself. "She needs to really FEEL pretty in order to convey her confidence to the judges. By the time I’m done, Sky will be as happy to be a girl as I am."

"And I’ll be dating a ten-year-old girl, if you’re not careful," Hanna said, shaking her head as she pretended to not love what she’d just seen.

"Hey, I only did her hair and added some moisturizer to her face. Mom bought her the nightie," Regina said, holding up her hands in innocence. "It’s cute, though, right?"

They all agreed that it was, but they did so quietly as Skyler’s bare feet ran back down the stairs.

He held the keys out to Hanna who took them and asked him to walk her to the back door.

"That’s quite a look you’re sporting, there, Sky," she smiled. "I hope you get some sleep."

He shrugged. "I’m so tired right now I could sleep on a bed of nails."

She smiled, partially in sympathy, partially because she found Skyler’s vulnerable state very appealing. "So... this is kinda... for real, I guess, huh? Like Jenny said... you’re becoming a girl for real for the next few weeks, huh?"

He shrugged. "I guess. I mean... I looked at myself in the mirror after my shower and I... well, I guess I realized that I was already a long way to being a girl, so... it just makes sense to go all the way and try to win this thing."

Hanna’s smile widened a little. "I agree. You know that Chopin piece is already sounding pretty good." She chuckled before she said her next sentence. "Especially for a pop music major."

That made Skyler giggle a little, which only endeared him to Hanna more.

"So, what’s the deal then?" Hanna asked. "What Reggie says goes?"

He nodded. "That’s what you and Jenny told me to do."

"What your other sisters say goes, too, right?"

He nodded again.

"What Professor Kramer and Professor Marino say goes?"

He nodded again.

"Sounds like you’ve decided to be a good girl from now on, then."

"I decided I want to win," he shrugged. "If I want to win, then I guess – yeah - I’m a good girl from now on."

Hanna bent down and planted a soft, warm kiss on his lips. "I can live with that," she whispered. "I kind of like my boyfriend in a pink nightie and with great big curlers in his pretty, blonde hair. I think it’s sweet and... maybe it’s the way our relationship is meant to be."

Skyler cocked his head at that remark. Did she really mean that she actually preferred him this way?

It didn’t matter, though, because before he could speak, Hanna planted another kiss on his lips, and this time, it wasn’t a soft, little kiss. This time it was a firm, passionate kiss, and it turned into several more, more passionate, firmer kisses, that made Skyler want to melt into her embrace.

But it ended too quickly.

"I’ll pick you up in the morning, ok?" Hanna said, then kissed him once more. "Goodnight... my pretty, little girl."
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

Tipitina and Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMBUbTA1eG4
 
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Opus 64 Number 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v21x-DApYg
 
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Opus 64 Number 1 (Minute): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2JCxapd5hU
 
Hildegard of Bingen - O Virtus Sapientiae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg58CGFxHao
 
You Can Always Count On Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jASlyLiYss
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 4

 

Skyler's prep for The 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias continues and he has to make a decision about
how seriously he is going to take his prep work.

---

 
Author's Note: Thank you again for all the comments, reviews and even the emails regarding this story.
Please continue to offer your opinions. It's always great to hear from all of you! ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 4 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 4
 

Tuesday found a much more cooperative Skyler in Regina's room. That day, Regina chose a sky-blue dress with a square neckline, a shirred bodice that snugged up to his breasts, wide, flounce sleeves that reached his upper forearms and ended in gentle elastic with wide bell cuffs, and a overly wide skirt that ended above his knees with a four-inch ruffled hem. It was extravagant and eye-catching.

"Are you sure this is ok to wear to school?" Skyler asked, finding the dress pretty ostentatious, even for his fashionista sister.

"You want to be noticed, right?" Regina smiled. "Well, I guarantee that you'll be noticed in this dress."

"Why would I want to be noticed?" Skyler asked, surprised by the suggestion.

"All girls want to be noticed, Sky. Why do you think we spend so much time on our hair, makeup and picking out our clothes?"

"Ok," he shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it." He touched the dress' material.

"It's soft, isn't it?" Regina smiled. "Nice, right?"

"Yeah. It's soft."

"It's one of my favorite dresses. Believe me, you wear this to that college of yours and both boys and girls will be staring at you and wondering who 'that girl' is." She smiled at him. "You already look cute as heck and you're still wearing your curlers and I haven't put any makeup on you, yet. Come on, let's get you ready.
 

~^~
 

"Oh shit," Hanna gasped as she caught sight of her boyfriend in that dress, with his wavy blonde hair hanging down his shoulders, back and even some over his breasts, his makeup perfectly done by the expert hand of Regina and his feet in adorable, platform sandals.

"Funny," Kathy snickered, "that's exactly what I said when I saw her. She doesn't look much like my brother anymore, does she?"

Hanna's face was flush with warm, sexual excitement. This was a huge thing. She and Skyler had been taking things nice and slow, but... shit... she wanted this creature in front of her and she wanted her badly.

"How do I look?" Skyler asked as he entered the kitchen. "What do you think? Reggie says it's good for school, but I think it might be a little... much."

Hanna let out a long, steadying breath, which actually made Kathy let out a quiet chuckle. "I think it's perfect," Hanna smiled.

They arrived on campus and headed to their first class, which was a lecture on 'Legal Protection and Exploitation of Musical Materials' that they shared. It was a class that focused on copyright laws and publishing practices in a digital marketplace. It might have been an interesting subject if the lawyer/professor who taught the course had had a personality of some kind. But he didn't. He just droned on and on and expected everyone to take copious notes for the irrationally difficult tests he'd be giving at the mid-term and end of term.

As they approached the lecture hall, a female student passing in the other direction said, "Hey, I love that dress," to Skyler.

"I do, too," the female student's female companion joined in with a broad smile. "It's really cute.'

"Oh," Skyler smiled at the compliment, "thank you."

"Well, well, well," Hanna smirked, "look who's the popular fashion plate."

"That would be Reggie," Skyler smiled.

"It's Reggie's dress, but you're making it work," Hanna laughed. "You know, I've noticed a big change in the way you're moving today. You're standing straighter... you seem more confident... you're walking with one foot in front of the other, just like Reggie does. I think you're actually getting into this 'being a pretty girl' thing."

Skyler smiled up at his girlfriend. "I think you're getting into it more than I am."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I saw the way you got all red in the face when I walked into the kitchen this morning. You like me this way, don't you?"

"Sky - I like you any way. I don't care if you're wearing an army uniform or ball gown, I think you're just about the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

He blushed a little. "But these clothes turn you on a little, don't they?"

"Sky... those two girls that walked by were turned on by seeing you in that dress. God, if every man could look as sexy in a dress as you do, no one would ever wear pants again!"

He smiled at the compliment, but worried, just a little, that Hanna would never see him as a guy again.
 

~^~
 

"Just stand there and sing along with the karaoke track," Professor Marino instructed. You've got the vocal range; you should be familiar with the lyrics and I'm guessing that you're feeling pretty attractive looking the way you look. So... just get into it and I'll stop you if I need to."

"Ok," Skyler nodded, bit nervous to sing in front of the Musical Theater professor. He'd sung a million songs while playing the piano as well, but this... just standing there, in a small room, with Professor Marino just a few feet away watching his every move... and add to that the vulnerability he felt wearing the short, feminine dress... this was odd and nerve-racking.

The professor began playing the backing track.

"I'm one of a long line of good girls," Skyler sang,

"Who choose the wrong guy to be sweet on

The girl with a face that says welcome

That men can wipe their feet on..."

"Ok, stop," Professor Marino said, stopping the backing track. She looked at him and sighed. "Who is singing this song?"

"I am."

"No... you are an actress, playing a part. Tell me about the character."

Skyler shrugged. "I... I don't know. I've never seen the show. I'm just singing the song."

"And the song tells your character's story. Now... tell me about yourself."

He took a big breath and thought. "Ok, well... I guess that she's a..."

"No. Not 'she,'" the professor stopped him. "I asked you to tell me about yourself as the character. So, what's the correct pronoun?"

"'I'" Skyler said, understanding what she meant.

"Good. Now, start again."

He nodded and thought. "Ok... well, I guess I'm essentially a good girl..." that felt odd to say "... who makes a lot of bad decisions."

"What kind of decisions?"

Skyler shrugged. "I fall in love too easily."

"And?"

"And... with the wrong kind of... man..." that felt even weirder to say.

"Ok, so how do you feel about that?"

He sighed. "I don't know, exactly... I guess I feel... insecure and... like... I don't know... like... a little ashamed, but I really need someone."

"Why do you need someone?"

"Because... I don't know... Maybe I'm lonely."

"Or maybe just needy," Professor Marino said. "Ok... thinking of the lyrics, who does your character have a crush on?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "My boss," he finally answered.

She nodded. "That's what I was thinking, too. Again - just thinking of the lyrics, what kind of a guy are you attracted to?"

"Umm... it says, 'riff raff,' so I guess I'm attracted to rough guys who don't think about women very much."

"And how do you feel about being in this situation?"

Skyler blinked. "Do you mean me 'Skyler,' or me the character?"

She shrugged, looking theatrically indifferent. "Is there a difference?"

He sighed and said, "Well... I guess I'm a little ashamed, but... I think there's a little bit of pride there, too. Like... yeah, I've made a lot of bad choices, but... hey, I'm a pretty independent person."

"An independent, what?"

"An independent woman," he smiled, brightening up his face dramatically.

"Ok," the professor said, "no movement, yet. Just stand still and sell this song to me. We'll put in a little movement later, but for now, just stand still and sing."

When he started singing, he started with more confidence, but he was still pretty self-conscious. As the song went on, though, he began to understand the character's point of view better and better. When he finally reached the part that went, "I go for the riff-raff, who're treating me so-so, if I can play the second fiddle, I'm a virtuoso..." he felt like he understood the song a lot better and he stopped thinking about the motivation and just sang.

When he was done, Professor Marino applauded. "That's what I'm talking about!" She stood and hugged him. "There's our starting point, Sky. Now, don't back off and don't think about 'pretending to be a girl,' just be one and keep moving forward."

Shocked by the teacher's sudden hug, he sputtered a bit when he responded. "I... I will, Professor. Thank you for helping me."

"Oh, it's a pleasure, Sky. A real pleasure."
 

~^~
 

"PLEASE!!!" Regina begged her brother over the phone. "It'll be fun, and you'll learn a lot about how girls act by being with me and my friends."

"You just want me to come so I can try on clothes for you, and you can see what you'd look like wearing them. I'd be nothing more than a mannequin for you and your friends would laugh at me." He spoke quietly into his phone so that no one else in the cafeteria could hear him.

"No, they won't," Regina assured him. "They think you're really cool."

"Yeah, I bet," he scoffed.

"Okay, okay... how about if it's just you and me and Paula? You know her and she's not a giggly as the others," Regina suggested.

"Reggie..." he hesitated.

"Oh, please, Sky, come on! We never had anything that we could do together before, and I've had a great time helping you. I really just want to spend time with you. You know... sister time. Like Amanda and Kathy have together. Even when I get to do stuff with them, I'm still the baby sister. It'll be a lot more fun with you. It's just a little shopping. Come on."

Skyler sighed. She was right. He'd never felt as connected to his younger sister before, but now he was very dependent on her and... that wasn't so bad, really. She was happy to help him out, and she was genuinely proud of him when he achieved something that Regina acknowledged as another step down the road to feminine demeanor which only brought him closer and closer to doing well in the upcoming pageant. She was a good sister and spending time with her, learning from her, well... that would be a good thing, right?

"Ok," he finally relented. "But it'll have to be a little later. My piano professor booked me ninety minutes on the Steinway in the performing arts center at one o'clock. Then I have to work at Uncle Bill's store for three hours. So, I can't get to the mall until at least six-fifteen."

"THAT'S PERFECT!" Regina bubbled through the phone. "I have dance class until five thirty. I'll have mom drop me off at the mall and we'll all meet in the food court, near the Panera. Then you can drive us home. Ok?"

"Meeting at Panera is fine," Skyler said, "but I can't drive us home. I don't have a license anymore - at least not for the time being. Remember? I had to surrender it to mom last night."

Regina giggled on the other end of the call. "Oh, yeah. Sucks to be a kid again, doesn't it? No worries. I'll talk to Kathy. She'll pick us up, I'm sure."

He let out another sigh. He'd given up a lot already for this pageant. Hopefully it paid off. "Ok. See you at six-fifteen."

"Great!" Regina said, sounding very self-satisfied. "Love you, sissy,"

"What!?" Skyler asked, shocked and insulted.

"I said I love you," Regina replied.

"And you called me a sissy," Skyler whispered angrily.

"Oh... well... I didn't mean it like I was calling you a sissy, Sky. I meant like... well, like I do when I call Amanda or Kathy sissy. It's just something that a sister calls a sister. I guess I just think of you like a sister now."

"Oh," he replied. He'd heard his sisters call each other 'sissy' a dozen times a day for nineteen years, now. It just never occurred to him that the term of affection would ever be applied to him and, since he'd always been a lot smaller than the other boys his age and he always spent more time playing piano than playing sports, he'd been called 'sissy' a lot, but never out of affection before. "Ok. See you then."

He'd barely disconnected the call when a voice sounded right beside him. "Oh, hi. Sky, right?"

Skyler looked up to see the boy who'd spoken to him the day before. "Oh. Yeah. I'm Sky. Alan, right?"

"Yeah," the boy smiled as he pulled out a chair and sat at the cafeteria table with him. Skyler glanced around the room. There couldn't have been more than fifteen or twenty people in a room that contained a couple of hundred chairs. Alan had definitely sought his chair out and chose to sit with him. "So... how's your day going so far?"

Oh, good. Small talk.

"Ummm... ok, I guess," Skyler said. "Look, Alan..."

"Yeah, I know. You and Hanna are a couple, right? I get it. But we can still be friends, right? I mean, Hanna and I are friends... well... friend-ly, anyway," he laughed. "I just want to get to know you."

Was this normal? Did boys usually impose themselves on girls in this way? He'd never done so, but then again, he'd always been rather passive and quiet. Alan was obviously outgoing and confident. And he had reason to be. He was very good looking. Skyler guessed that Alan was about six foot one and very trim. There was probably a set of six pack abs under the vintage-looking Led Zeppelin tee shirt that hung comfortably over the boy's torso. He was the kind of boy who naturally attracted girls. He probably viewed Skyler's reticence to his come-ons as a challenge.

"I see," Skyler muttered, uncertain of what else to say.

"So... what track are you in?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm a Pop-Music Performance major with a Traditional Comp minor."

"Oh, cool," Alan nodded, digging into his pocket for something. "Vocals?"

"Umm, no. Piano."

"Really?" Alan looked surprised. "I thought I heard you singing in Professor Marino's office earlier. I wasn't being nosy; I just heard a song that sounded interesting, and I looked in to see who was singing. If it wasn't you, then you have an identical twin... and she has the same amazing blue dress as you."

The last compliment made Skyler blush a bit. "Oh... well... funny thing is, I do have a younger sister and we do kind of look like twins and... this is her amazing blue dress."

"No kidding!?" Alan laughed. "So that was her I heard singing in Marino's office?"

"No," Skyler giggled. "That was me. But it is my sister Regina's dress."

"I bet she doesn't look as good as you do when she wears it," Alan said with a broad grin.

Skyler felt a wash of warmth pass over him. The handsome boy opposite him had just paid him a very nice compliment and that compliment made him feel... what?... Pretty. Yes, it had made him feel very... pretty. What was happening. Change the subject, Sky. Change the subject.

"Ummm... what track are you in?" That should get the boy talking about himself instead of Skyler.

"Oh, me? I'm in the Screen Writing track. I take classical guitar lessons as well, though. That's how I know Hanna. My lesson is right after hers. She's a really good player, though. I'm kind of a hack."

That made Skyler laugh. "Hanna is a great player. I'm a hack on guitar too. I like to say that I 'play' my piano, but I 'beat up' my guitar. I'm just a pop music strummer."

"Oh, I bet you do better than that," Alan laughed. "So, if you're a piano major, why are you taking lessons from Professor Marino?"

"Oh," Skyler blushed a bit deeper, having to explain this to the boy. "I'm in this... thing... in a few weeks and I have to have two talents prepared. So, I'm playing a Chopin piece for my first talent and singing for my second."

The boy thought for a moment. "Umm... correct me if I'm wrong, but Chopin isn't exactly a pop-music artist, is he? I mean, I don't know my music history very well, but he's been dead a few years, hasn't he?"

"Yeah. He's been dead awhile. Since eighteen-forty-nine, actually."

"Ohh, someone knows their music history," Alan said, sounding impressed.

"It helps that his dates are written below his name on the music I use, and I've done a couple of his pieces."

"Really? Why? If he's not pop-music, why are you playing his stuff? I mean, shouldn't you be playing, like, Adele or Lady Gaga or something?"

"You'd think, wouldn't you? I auditioned for the program playing a whole bunch of stuff by John Legend and Alicia Keys, but my private piano teacher thinks that I need bigger challenges than just playing pop music, so she keeps throwing Romanic Period composers at me." He used his right hand to push his hair back from his face, smiling as he did so, kind of enjoying the conversation and beginning to forget that he was dressed and made-up the way he was. He was smiling now, and Alan was finding that smile very attractive.

Alan nodded and smiled. "I get it. My professors know that my classmates and I are here to learn how to write for TV and film, but they're always demanding that we read Shakespeare and Shaw and O'Neill... I mean, I'd like to write something like a 'Jack Ryan' kind of thing, but they're always having us look at things like 'The Iceman Cometh,' or 'Pygmalion' - and not the cool, Greek mythology 'Pygmalion,' but the tedious George Bernard Shaw 'Pygmalion.'"

Alan laughed at his own joke, which made Skyler laugh, well, giggle actually, as well.

"So, is this thing you're doing like a talent show, or a beauty pageant or something?" Alan asked.

"Umm... kinda a mixture of both, I guess."

"Well, you'd win a beauty pageant in a heartbeat, even without having all the talent you have."

"I'd..." Skyler didn't know what to say. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just mean... you know... you're so... pretty... Oh, heck, you know you're beautiful, right? I mean... Someone as pretty as you must be told that they are beautiful all the time, right?"

"No," Skyler replied, thoughtfully. "Not even once until a few days ago, actually."

"What? How is that possible?"

At that moment, Hanna appeared at the table. "I'm not interrupting, am l?" She asked, smiling.

"Oh, no. Not at all," Alan smiled. "I was just getting to know your girlfriend." He said that in that way to indicated that he knew that Hanna and Skyler were a couple. "That's all."

"That's nice," Hanna said. "Sky, I need to go to the dorms and grab a couple of things. You want to walk with me?"

"Oh, sure," Skyler said. He swung his legs to the side and stood, absentmindedly straightening his dress as he did so. "It was nice talking to you, Alan," he said with a smile.

"You, too," he smiled. "I'll see you around."
 

~^~
 

"You really think he has a chance of winning the grand prize?" Professor Marino asked her colleague.

Professor Kramer finished chewing a mouthful of her tuna salad sandwich and nodded. "Sue, I spent a lot of time at the Gala a few years ago and no one looked as convincing as Sky does right now. He's one of the most talented students I've ever had and he is wasting his talent in the pop music track."

"I don't know, Alma," Sue Marino said, shaking her head, "there's a lot of money to be made in pop music and there's not much to made in the classical world anymore."

The piano professor rolled her eyes. "Education isn't about making money, Sue. It's about improving yourself. Sky can play any piece of pop music put in front of him. He needs the challenges of legitimate music to broaden his mind and improve his skill."

Sue nodded. "So... you have him playing a Chopin piece and I have him singing an old style, pop-ish song from a little-known Broadway musical. Do you think I'm under-utilizing his abilities?"

"Not at all," Alma smiled. "You picked out the perfect song for him, and it is obviously a challenge for him. No, I think we both chose well for him. It'll take some work, but we'll make a girl out of that boy, yet."

They both chuckled a little at that.

"You know," Sue Marino shrugged, "I think his girlfriend and his family may have already done that. All I really need to do is make her a believable actress."

"Well, if anyone can do that, it's you," Professor Alma Kramer said with a smile.
 

~^~
 

"What do you need?" Skyler asked as they entered Hanna's small dormitory.

Hanna closed the door, put her arms around Skyler and planted a firm, passionate kiss on his lips. "I need you," she whispered as their lips parted.

She kissed him again. "I have needed you since I walked into you house this morning and saw you in that dress. My God, Sky, you are gorgeous. And you smell absolutely beautiful too."

He wanted to thank her, but the sensation of having his ear and neck kissed was too exciting for him to be able to gather his thoughts.

Within seconds, Hanna's hands were pulling up the skirt of Skyler's dress and she was caressing his pantied bottom with her soft hands. The sensations were coming so fast and so furiously that Skyler couldn't even think.

"Lay on the bed," Hanna grunted in a heated rush.

He didn't really have to move on his own because Hanna practically picked him up and dropped him where she wanted him.

The whispered grunt that escaped Skyler's lips was a reaction to his skirts being lifted, his panties being pulled down a few inches, his penis being pulled free and Hanna's lips and tongue suddenly devouring his member while he struggled to grasp what was happening.

He looked down his torso to where Hanna's head was bobbing up and down. Between her head and his face, the soft fabric of the blue dress either clung to his body or flowed about him in feminine disarray. It was impossible not to notice that there was a pair of breasts heaving in his bodice as well.

"I'm going to..." he started to say, but Hanna shook her head with his appendage still trapped in her mouth and he could not manage to utter anything more than little gasps and high pitched moans. He bent his legs and tried to raise and lower his pelvis to meet her rhythm, but it just wasn't possible. She was moving too fast and pushing with too much force for him to lift his butt off of the bed.

Skyler began to feel light headed and his lips began to tingle as the pressure in his body began to focus on one point in his groin.

"H...Hanna..." he gasped, "I'm... I'm close... I..." but that was all that he got out before he exploded into Hanna's throat, but she never faltered for a moment. She swallowed every drop down and even kept him in her mouth as he relaxed and softened.

When she was sure that he was done and he had become limp against her tongue, she carefully released him, grabbed for a tissue and wiped him down, drying him completely. "There," she smiled as she tucked his flaccid boyhood back into his lace covered panties, "I feel much better now. I bet you do, too."

He was still trying to catch his breath as he sat up, slowly, and fluffed his hair a bit before bushing any hair from his face with his fingers.

"That was great," he said, standing and going to a mirror. He pulled a brush from his purse and used it to carefully repair the damage done by having laid down on it. Then he grabbed a couple of tissues and dabbed the sweat from his forehead before taking his lipstick from his purse to touch up his lips.

Hanna smiled as she watched him behaving so much more girly than she'd ever acted in her life. "Wow. Reggie really has you trained, doesn't she?"

He shrugged as he returned the lipstick to his purse and straightened his dress, also checking that in the mirror. "Maybe, but she put a lot of work into getting me ready and I still have a long day ahead of me. I should try to look my best, right?"

Hanna walked over to him and hugged him from behind, sharing the mirror's reflection with him. "I guess," she smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you ever really like being a boy?"

He stopped and looked at her, a bit surprised. "What do you mean 'did I?' I'm still a boy. Remember what we just did? That's not something a girl can do."

"Of course she could," Hanna laughed. "If I weren't afraid of messing up your makeup, I'd ask you to do it to me right now."

"Ok, but... this is just until the gala, though. You know that. You pushed for me to do this as much as my mother did. I'm just doing this to try to win the money and scholarship."

Hanna nodded. "Yeah, but... you seem to have adapted to being a girl very quickly. You obviously enjoy it."

"A little, I guess, sure. I mean... I like being attractive for a change, instead of scrawny. And... well... look if this is getting too weird, then I'll just stop."

"Are you kidding?" Hanna's smile spread. "This is just getting fun. I love this... you like this, I mean. I just wonder if you'll ever go back to being a boy."

"Of course I will!"

"Oh, come on. Look at you, Sky. That hair, your makeup, the way you carry yourself... Now, I never knew that you wore your sister's clothes before, but it's really obvious that you enjoy it a lot."

"I only wore Reggie's clothes as a dress model for my mom when she was sewing. The very first time I ever wore a dress outside of the house was that night at the dress shop."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And... now that you're wearing dresses all the time... come on... admit that you love them, and it'll be hard to go back to being a boy."

Skyler closed his purse and shrugged. "Yeah. So what? I do love looking like this. I like the way I feel in these clothes, I like the way people look at me in these clothes and... yeah... it'll be hard to go back to jeans and tee shirts. So, I'm going to enjoy it while I can."
 

~^~
 

"Hi, Uncle Bill," Skyler said as he hustled past the front end of the store to get to the employee cubby area as quickly as possible.

"Hi, Skyler," his uncle called back, but then he did a double take and looked again. "Regina?" The person in the blue dress didn't answer, though. Instead, the person hurried into the door on the side of the store.

"Excuse me for a moment, please," Uncle Bill said to the customer he'd been chatting with.

He walked to the side of the store and opened the door to the back room, stepping in and looking around. There she was. His niece, Regina, putting an apron on over her head.

"Regina?" The person turned and looked at him. "It is you. Regina, honey, you're too young to be working here and this area is for employees only. Look, sweetheart, if you need a little extra money or something, then I can find some odd jobs for you to do back at my place, but there are strict rules about..."

"It's me, Uncle Bill," Skyler said, a little embarrassed. "It's Sky. I just... look... like Regina."

The older man blinked a few times as he gathered his thoughts. "You're a bit over dressed today, aren't you?" Skyler just shrugged, so his uncle persisted. "Is there a reason for this, Sky?"

Skyler nodded and proceeded to explain the circumstances that had led to his current appearance. "So, if I win, I'd be all set for college. Maybe even some grad school."

Uncle Bill nodded and looked at his nephew, who was, without question, a carbon copy of his niece. "Ok," he mumbled as he nodded and thought, "but take that apron off. People won't react well to seeing a very well dressed fourteen-year-old girl stocking the shelves."

"But Uncle Bill, I'm still Skyler. I can still do the same job."

His uncle sighed. "Sky... I'm not sure how to say this, but... seeing you like this... you're NOT the same person. Not by a long shot."

"Uncle Bill..."

"Sky... I don't know what you think you're doing, but... I've known guys who have... well, I guess 'crossdressed' is an out of fashion phrase, but that's what we used to call it... and they never looked or moved like you do. YOU are not just wearing women's clothing, Sky. YOU... look... sound... move... even smile or frown like a woman... well, like a girl, really. I think there might be a lot more to this than you're letting on."

Skyler shrugged. "I'm really just..."

"You know, Sky... not everyone is born with the body their brain desires." He looked around the stockroom, suddenly feeling
uncomfortable. "I guess what I'm saying is...If you're going to invest this much time and effort into this... disguise... think about what it really means to you and... make sure that you make the right decision before giving up this new life of yours."

Skyler blinked, confused. This was truly the oddest conversation he'd ever had with his Uncle Bill.

Coincidentally, his Uncle Bill was thinking the same thing.

"Alright..." his uncle said, shaking off the moment and handing Skyler a sleeveless, longish vest with the words 'Bill's Neighborhood Grocery' embroidered on the left breast. "For the time being, you're working the front end checkout. Ok?"

"Ok, Uncle Bill," Skyler mumbled, taking the uniform and putting his arms into the armholes, the dark blue vest seemed to emphasize the soft, light blue color of the dress he wore, and the large, blousy sleeves stood out even more against the dark color. If anything, he looked even more over-dressed now than he had before.

He worked his short shift at a register, ringing up groceries and chatting with customers - all of whom seemed much more friendly than they had been when he had worked the front end in the past.

The only other person working a register that day was a high school girl named Lynn who had been working for Uncle Bill for a few months. She was a pretty girl. A little chunkier than curvy. She dressed well and she was always well presented, at least from the waist up. Oddly, though. she also typically wore a long, denim skirt. It wasn't as stylish as the rest of her outfit, but it was a staple of her attire. He had even seen her wearing the heavy skirts in the hot weather.

The first hour and a half was pretty busy, but as the afternoon wore on, things calmed down a bit.

Skyler checked his supply of bags and realized that he was running low. The bags were stored in a metal cabinet at the side of the front end, so he headed there to get some more.

"Do you need any bags?" He asked Lynn.

She glanced under her counter and nodded. "Yeah, I could use a few."

Skyler closed the cabinet, then dropped off a pile of bags at Lynn's station before returning to his own. He was loading his bag into their storage location when he heard Lynn speak.

"It's a sin, you know?" She said.

Skyler looked up, then looked around to see to whom Lynn's remarks had been directed, but no one else was around. "I'm sorry?" He asked.

"It's a sin, I said," Lynn said, looking a bit superior. "What you're doing.. it's a sin."

"Restocking the bags is a sin?"

"A man dressing as a woman is a sin," she clarified. "It's in The Bible. Deuteronomy 22:5. It says quite clearly that there should be no articles of men's clothing upon a woman and no articles of women's clothing upon a man. What you're doing is a sin."

Skyler nodded. Suddenly the unfashionable denim skirt worn everyday by his coworker made some sense... but only SOME sense. "I think that the people who wrote The Bible would understand if they knew WHY I was dressed this way."

"God wrote The Bible, not 'people,' and HE wouldn't understand."

"Hmmm..." he knew that this was a no-win argument, but what the heck? She brought it up. "I'm not really a church going person, Lynn, but I have read The Bible for a class last year and if God wrote The Bible and every rule in there must be followed to the letter, then why are you wearing makeup? It specifically tells women not to braid their hair and adorn their skin. You're also wearing a gold chain with your name on it. Wearing gold jewelry is forbidden for women, too."

"Those aren't sins, though, Skyler. Those are just guidelines."

"Because they apply to you they're only guidelines, I guess," he said, shaking his head and finishing up stowing the extra bags.

"So, if you disobey the rules because you want to eat bacon or ham, or that lobster salad wrap I picked up for you at the deli last week, then that's ok, but if I NEED to dress this way in order to try to win a scholarship, then that's a sin?"

She snorted. "Yeah. Win a scholarship... I'm so sure that's why you're dressed that way."

"Why do you think I'm dressed like this, then?"

"Because you're queer and you want to attract a man," she said, as if that was the most obvious reason for anything.

"Lynn... you've met my girlfriend. You know I'm straight."

"I know you WERE straight, but obviously you're not anymore. Somehow you got yourself turned gay and now... this."

He took a different approach. "Wait, back when it was really, really hot out, I remember you wearing shorts. Shorts are just pants, so they are men's clothes. Isn't that a sin?"

"My shorts?" She laughed. "The shorts that went last my knees and have flowers all over them? You think those are men's shorts?"

"They're pants."

"Made for women."

"And if I wore a dress made for a man?"

"There's no such thing!" She laughed.

"Of course, there are. If the dress was made for a man, then it would be a man's dress, so that would be ok, then, right?"

"Of course not," she said, as if he was an idiot. "The only reason for a man to wear a dress is because he wants to have sex with another man."

Skyler's face screwed up into a look of confusion. "Is this what they talk about at your church?"

Lynn shrugged. "It's what my father tells me, and my father is a very wise man."

"Who could sell you into slavery if he wanted."

"What!?"

"According to The Book of Exodus, if you are not taken as a wife, then your father can sell you as a slave and you would then be betrothed to your master. That's laid out very clearly in The Bible. I remember it very clearly because I couldn't believe what I was reading. But it's in there."

"That's not what it means, though. That's just there because women couldn't own property or anything and fathers needed to make sure they had a husband before the father died, so she wouldn't be destitute."

"It says slavery."

"That's not what it means though. You should come to my church on Sundays. Then you'd understand these things."

Skyler sighed. This was pointless. "Look, Lynn, until just now, I thought you were a nice person..."

"And I didn't think you were a gay until today," Lynn sneered. "I'm just trying to help set you back on the path to righteousness, Skyler."

He shook his head and continued. "... as I was saying, I thought you were a good person, but you've said some pretty hurtful things to me in the last few minutes and I don't see the point in fighting, so I think we should probably just work side by side and not chat any longer."

"Alright," Lynn said, behaving as if she'd won the argument. "But if I see you trying to seduce a man, I'm going to tell him what you really are."

Skyler shook his head some more. "And if I see you trying to seduce a man, I'll do the same."

"What does that mean?"

"I'll tell him what you really are a mean, self-righteous jerk who'd rather belittle people than be nice to them."

Lynn harrumphed and turned away from him.

Skyler felt badly about this interaction, though. He didn't like confrontation at all, and he'd been a little more aggressive than usual with Lynn, but... come on... she'd mean mean first and he couldn't just roll over and take it.
 

~^~
 

"I'm going to have some chicken from the Japanese food place before we start shopping," Paula said with a happy smile, thrilled to be in her happy place - the local, high-end mall. "Dance class killed me tonight. Im starved." She was wearing a pair of tight fitting, black yoga pants paired with a white, long sleeved, turtleneck, light weight sweater that was designed to expose her very trim mid-drift, so her pierced belly button and its elaborate, pendant decoration were on display.

"I know," Regina chuckled. "Sometimes I think that Miss Tabitha has a sadomasochistic streak in her. She really seems to enjoy torturing us."

"Speaking of torturing someone," Paula's eyes brightened a bit, "where is that brother of yours. I can't wait to get him into some pretty, little dresses."

"Oh, come on. Be nice. He's really trying hard to learn how to be a girl so he can win that money."

Paula's grin broadened. "You 'come on.' I know you're enjoying seeing your older brother brought down a peg or two and being made to look like your twin sister - or maybe your younger sister. Admit it. It's fun."

"It is fun," Regina giggled, "but I don't think of it as taking him down a peg or two... I think of it as elevating him. Sky was..." she sighed, "... substandard... as a boy - and I'm not saying that to be mean. I'm saying it because it's true. I mean... as far as boys go... he was too short, too thin, too weak... and to be honest, too pretty to be a boy. Now... I think he's turning into a pretty awesome girl."

"Oh... My... God," Paula said, separating each word. "You put Sky in that awesome blue dress you bought last month?"

"Yeah," Regina smiled. "He... well... she looked so cute in it! You should have seen her."

"I can see her... him... no... her. She's headed this way. Reggie... she looks as hot as you do! Oh, this is too good! Can we do my brother next?"

"Your three-hundred-pound brother who only plays video games and eats Doritos all day and night? I don't think it'll work as well for him."

"Shh. Here she comes."

"Hey," Skyler said as he approached the girls. "He was walking more naturally in his heels than he had been a day earlier, and his posture and manner both screamed 'look at me. I am a beautiful girl.'

"Hi," Regina smiled. "So... what's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Skyler asked.

"I mean... well... you were kind of slouched and acting a little... boyish... when you left the house. Now... well... you look... hot. Your hair and makeup haven't changed. Still the same shoes and dress, so... what's up?"

Skyler smiled. "Well, I started embracing the New Me today and, see, this girl who works for Uncle Bill... well, she kind of got into my face about how dressing like this is evil and... I don't know... I guess that now I feel like I have something to prove. I may not win this pageant, Reggie, but I'm going to be the best girl there. Screw everyone else, I'm going in there looking and acting like you do. Like I'm the prettiest girl in the world."

Regina looked at Paula and after a moment, both burst into laughter. "Sky, I don't think I'm the prettiest girl in the world. I just try to exude as much confidence as I can to impress the judges. It's just bluster. You make me sound kind of stuck up."

"That's not what I meant," he said, apologetically. "I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just trying to be like you."

"Great!" Regina smiled. "Then you're going to love this shopping trip. Paula and I LOVE shopping time. You will too." She took Skyler's right arm under hers, Paula did the same with his left arm, and they started walking towards the Japanese take-out counter.

"You're making a good choice, Sky," Paula said. Then a thought occurred to her. "Ohh, you could come to school as Reggie and see what it's like to be a popular girl."

"I'm not going back to high school, Paula. End of story."

"I was just saying that it'd be cool for you to spend some time at school as Reggie," she smiled. "Ohh - and Reggie could go on a date with your girlfriend!"

"Yeah," Regina laughed. "That WOULD be cool."

Thinking back to the scene in Hanna's dorm room a few hours earlier, Skyler blushed a bit as he said, "Ummm... yeah... well... let's just put a pin in that idea for now. I'm pretty hungry."
 

~^~
 

"Hello?" Jenny Jacobs, the winner of last year's 'Gala of Tiresias' answered her phone. "This is Jenny."

"Hi, Jen," the gala's coordinator, Ben Phillips replied. "How is everything going?" Ben was a fairly well-known celebrity having hosted several game shows on network television over the last few years.

"Very well, Ben. I'm working with the team to coordinate all the rehearsal times for next weekend."

"Any issues?"

"Well, we do have one girl who is playing piano, and the hotel is giving us a little grief about using theirs. They're acting as if it's some kind of precious treasure. It's just a Yamaha baby grand. I don't know why they're making such a big deal about it."

"Hmm," Ben mumbled as he thought. "Is it just the one contestant using a piano? No one's singing with an accompanist or anything like that?"

"Nope. Just the one."

"Alright," the coordinator concluded, "if the hotel doesn't let us use their piano, just tell this girl that she's S-O-L and she'll have to find another talent."

"Wait... but Ben... I'm sure we can find her a piano to use. I mean, with all the individual items we rent to make this whole event work, a piano seems like a small item. Besides, at the hotel, it's just for rehearsals. There's a piano at The Ansonia Mansion for the performance."

"No, they're bulky and in the way and expensive to rent. She needs to rehearse for us. If the hotel says 'no,' then the answer is 'no' from us as well. Ok?"

"Ok, Ben, but..."

"No buts, Jen. It's too expensive to rent something like that for one contestant. So, it's the hotel's piano, or no piano. Ok?"

"Ok," Jenny said, sadly.

"Thanks, Jen. I'll see you over the weekend."

Jenny didn't bother to say goodbye because the call was disconnected before she could. Instead, he called the hotel once again and when someone answered, Jenny's voice shifted from her natural male sounding voice to a higher, sweeter voice as she spoke. "Good afternoon. Would you please connect me to the hotel's manager? Yes, my name is Jenny Jacobs, and I am the personal assistant to Mr Benjamin Phillips. Yes, that is the same Benjamin Phillips who hosted 'Brainiacs' on NBC." Jenny had spoken to this same person several times but had always used her legal name and natural voice, and had gotten nowhere. Now, the man was impressed by the celebrity of Ben Phillips, and he was willing to spend some time flirting with this interesting sounding lady on the phone.

"Yes," Jenny continued, "I know that someone else from our organization spoke to you earlier, but Ben asked me to call and speak to you directly - and, of course I was only too happy to have this conversation..."
 

~^~
 

"Oh, that's the cutest dress I've ever see you wear!" Paula praised as Regina looked at her reflection in the three-way mirror at the high-end store that anchored the local fashion mall.

"It's a little revealing," Regina said, looking at her own cleavage. "My mom would never let me wear this out in public."

"Oh, come on," Paula laughed. "I've seen you wear bathing suit top that barely cover your nips before."

"Yeah, at pageants, but not on the street. When it comes to winning a pageant, my mom knows how serious I am, but when it comes to day-to-day clothes, she's much more prudish."

"That's crazy," Paula laughed. "Besides, you don't have that much to show off, anyway."

"They're not big, but they're perky," Regina laughed. Then she looked at her brother. "We have ample breasts, don't we, Sky?"

Skyler blushed a bit, knowing his current breast size was based on his younger sister's size. "I guess?" He shrugged.

"Trust me," Regina giggled at his shyness, "we have plenty." She returned her gaze to the mirror and sighed. "There are times that I wish I had 'big ol' jugs like you, Paula, though. You do get to show yours off more easily than I do."

"Hey,"Paula laughed. "I am, what my mother refers to as, 'well endowed.'"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I thought that was just a way people referred to guys with big junk in their pants."

"Or their panties," Paula giggled, looking at Skyler. "Right?"

"Alright, change of topic," Skyler insisted, not as amused as the girls. "This conversation is inappropriate for either of you."

"Oh, lighten up," Paula laughed. "This is how girls talk, Sky. Besides, if anyone were to look at us, they'd definitely think that I'm older than you." She put her arm around the older boy's shoulders and turned him towards the mirror.

"Me too," Regina said with a huge smile. She put her arm around his back from the other side, "and I LOVE having a little sister to teach all about clothes and fashion."

"Umm, excuse me, ladies," a voice came from a few feet beyond Paula. All three turned and saw a very good-looking woman in her mid-twenties, dressed casually in a slightly oversized, cable-knit sweater and a very tight pair of jeans and very fashionable boots. "I hate to interrupt, but I couldn't help but notice the three of you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Regina said, grimacing a bit, "are we getting too noisy?"

"Oh," the woman chuckled, "no. I'm not with the store, I just, well... I know this sounds a little crazy, but, well, I'm a fashion photographer and I was just wondering... have any of you done any modeling?"

"Not professionally," Paula said, "but we've all done pageants."

"Well, we have," Regina corrected, pointing to Paula and herself. "Sky is just about to do her first."

"I see," the woman nodded. "Well, all three of you are just gorgeous... and I was just wondering if you might be interested in doing some modeling for me. I pay a good rate - higher than most local photographers - and I work around school hours. I assume you're all in high school."

"Yes, we are," Regina said before her brother could say anything and ruin this for them.

The woman dug out some business cards and handed them to Paula. "Here. Have your moms call me and I'll talk to them. My name is Fawn Wernick - it's a terrible name, I know, but I didn't pick it. Anyway, I'd love to work with you girls." She was about to leave, but stopped and said, "Oh, by the way, I do pay extra for twins. I look forward to hearing from your moms." She left.

Paula kept one card for herself and handed the other two to Regina saying, "Isn't that just great? Finally, a dream comes true! An actual fashion photographer offers me the opportunity to become a professional model and you're STILL going to make more than I will. It's not bad enough that you've beat me in every pageant for the last two years, now you're going to beat me at this too." She was smiling as she said this, but Regina could see that there was some truth to what she was saying.

"Oh, come on," Regina said, looking at the card. "We don't even know if this lady is legit. She might just be some kind of weirdo who wants to get three girls alone in her house. Besides, she'll only pay more fore TWINS. Sky and I are NOT twins, so..." she looked at her brother and so did Paula.

Sky saw that both girls were waiting for him to say something. So, he did. "No. No way. I just want to get to the gala and then go back to my boy-clothes and my old life. I don't need a whole bunch of pictures of me in fancy dresses published in magazines or catalogs. You're right: We are NOT twins, so let's just get that out our heads right now."

Regina looked at her friend and shrugged. "See. She may look like a girl, but she's still just a cowardly, little boy under all my clothes and makeup. Even though I'm helping him, Sky will never help me. I mean, he won't even try on a couple of dresses for me so I can see how I'd look in them. Here she is, with us, not helping. I made her look so pretty that a professional photographer thinks she'd make a great model, but he's not going to help with that, either. This is just a one-way thing for Sky. I help her, she does nothing."

Skyler shook his head. "Oh, fine. I'll try on a few dresses, but that's all. I am NOT doing any modeling. Where are the dresses?"

Regina smiled. "In the second dressing room. The ones on the left as you enter are the ones I haven't tried on, yet."

He shook his head and sighed as he headed into the dressing rooms.

Regina pulled out her phone.

"Who are you calling?" Paula asked.

"My mom," Regina said with a smile. "I'm going to ask her to check this photographer out."

"Are you going to tell her about the 'twins' thing?"

"Of course," Regina giggled. "Sky is doing all of this to make money, right? If I can help her make a little more, then... well... I mean what kind of a big sister would I be if I didn't help my protégé make as much money as possible?" She pushed the contact button for her mother's cell phone, and as she waited for her mother to pick up, she said, "And I'm telling her girlfriend, too. She'll be so into this!"

"Really? His girlfriend is enjoying this?"

"Oh, so much! Turns out she's a super freak with all this girly stuff. I think she's more..." suddenly her tone changed. "Oh, hi, mommy. It's Regina. I just wanted to talk to you about something that just happened to me at the mall, today. Well, me and Paula. Well, to be honest, me and Paula AND Sky, but he'll never do this... Oh, nothing like that. You see this lady came up to us out of the blue and started talking to us..."
 

~^~
 

"Mom, come on! This is getting ridiculous!" Skyler said as his mother went over the numbers with him. "If I do this, then everyone will know that I'm dressing as a girl. All of our relatives... all the people I went to high school with... everyone."

"Now YOU'RE being ridiculous," his mother said. "Skyler, you've already invested a lot of time, money and effort into this gala thing and there is no guarantee that you'll win a penny there. This is a guarantee of one-hundred-dollars-per-hour for at least seven hours, possibly twelve. Just the seven hundred dollars is enough to payback everything that any of us has spent on your clothes and makeup in the last few days. Besides, even if we're not talking about just you, it's money that Regina could use, and it might even be an opportunity for her. You never know what something like this could lead to."

"She can do it without me."

"Yes, but she'll lose out on thirty-five-dollars-per-hour. That's the increase in pay for twins."

Skyler shook his head, then looked at Hanna. "What do you think?"

Hanna shrugged. "It's just one afternoon, Sky. It'll mean a lot to Reggie... and it'll be another exercise to help prepare you for the gala. And I don't think that EVERYONE will see it, it's just a layout for a store in Boston. The chance of anyone you know actually seeing the photos is pretty small, and the chances that they'll recognize you are pretty close to zero."

Skyler shook his head. How had things gotten so far out of hand? When he'd agreed to try to win the gala, he assumed there'd be A LITTLE dressing up at home to prepare. Now... Now he was dressing en femme full time, his hair had been dyed and styled, Regina put it up in curlers every night, his ears had been pierced, his eyebrows had been sculpted...heck, even if he gave all this up and returned to wearing his regular clothes right then, it'd take weeks for him to start looking like a guy again!

This would mean a lot to his younger sister, too. That much was true. Regina had wanted to try her hand at modeling since she learned what a model was. Who knows. Maybe this could be a break for her. He had no way of telling how things would work out, but he knew for certain that, if he didn't do this and things went badly for Regina, she'd blame him for it forever. He didn't want that.

"Alright," he finally nodded, "but this is as far as I go. Nothing girlier than this."

"What could be girlier than this?" Cathy laughed. She and Amanda had been mere observers of the conversation.

"Maybe," Amanda said with a smirk, "breast feeding a baby while wearing a Swan Lake tutu."
 

~^~
 

"It's coming along really well, Sky," Professor Kramer said when he finished playing the Chopin piece. "Now that you have the notes laying comfortably under your fingers, you should start increasing the tempo a little at a time. Use a metronome."

He nodded. "I always do. I have an app on my phone and on my watch."

"Good. Don't just rush ahead on the tempo. Add a few beats per minute each time you practice and by the time you come back to campus on Monday, I'll be telling you to slow it down."

He chuckled at that.

Professor Kramer looked at her student sitting by the Yamaha C-2 baby grand piano in one of the school's recital halls and she couldn't help but be impressed with how far he'd come in just a week. Not just with the Chopin waltz, she expected him to do that, but with the whole look he'd cultivated - or someone had cultivated. He'd been wearing the hair and makeup all week, now, but he'd seemed to have become very accustomed to it and now moved a lot more naturally than before. He tossed his hair more femininely. Smiled more easily. Sat more gracefully - well, that was necessary in the clothes he wore. Everything was high-end and a lot of the skirts were pretty short. So, gracefulness was required.

On this Friday morning, for instance, he was wearing a very tiny, but very flouncy, black skirt that was covered in a print of bold red, yellow, orange and blue flowers with bright green leafs and stems. The skirt was so short that it barely reached the palms of Skyler's hands when he stood and had his hands by his side. Above that, he wore a loose, very soft, pale yellow, cable knit sweater and a deep red 'infinity' scarf hung loosely around his neck. Those scarfs were a look that the professor loved, but never seemed to be able to pull off herself. Here was a boy doing it with ease.

Below the very short, very flouncy skirt, he wore hose of some kind that were sheer enough to allow the pale skin of his very shapely legs to show through, but opaque enough for the sheer black material to offer a complimentary shading to enhance the shape of his legs. On his feet he wore the cutest, dark gray, low boots she'd ever seen. They had a nice, two-and-a-half-inch heel and looked as comfortable as they were stylish.

She'd been around boys and men pretending to be girls and women before, of course, but Skyler's transformation had been nearly unbelievable. She had to let him know how remarkable she found all of this.

"You know, Sky... you've really done a remarkable job in just a week."

"Oh, thanks," Skyler replied with a shy smile. "I guess I just thought that 'The Minute Waltz' was going to be a lot harder for me, but it's really well written. Like, it's written by a player, so everything lays out nicely on the keyboard and..."

"No, no, no..." the professor interrupted. "I mean... yes... you're doing a great job on the Chopin, but I expected that. You're a much better player than you give yourself credit for. And you're doing great on the song you're going to be singing, too. I heard you singing in Professor Marino's office yesterday, and I swear, if I didn't know it was you, I would have sworn it was a woman singing it... and... THAT'S what I'm getting at. Sky... last weekend, when you sent out that email to tell us all about participating in The Gala of Tiresias, well, I thought, 'Skyler can do this. He's small, slight and talented.' But Sky... when I saw you Monday morning, I was shocked. I mean, you didn't look at all like a boy in a dress... you looked... lovely. But now... Skyler... looking at you sitting there and playing, I can't see any indication of a boy at all. You don't just look like a girl, Skyler... you've actually become a girl."

Not sure whether or not this was a positive critique, Skyler, just waited for her to go on.

"So... I guess I need to ask... Is all of this JUST for the gala, or are you thinking about making a more... permanent... change?"

The boy looked surprised. "Permanent? No. Of course not! I'm just... you know... trying to win this thing. That's all."

The professor nodded. "Ok... but... if you need to talk to someone... you know I'm always here for you, right?"

He nodded, a bit confused.

"Now, before you play through the Liebestraum Number 3, tell me... What are your plans for the weekend."

He sighed and tried to change the subject. "Professor Kramer... couldn't I just play something from my pop-music project? I've been working on that Elton John song..."

"No. You're too talented to concentrate on something that simple. Even if you choose to do that for the rest of your life, I'm going to make sure that you know how to REALLY play this instrument before you graduate."

"But... my girlfriend, Hanna... she's a classical guitar major and she can't play any pop music at all. I don't think that the techniques of classical music always translate well to..."

"I'm sorry. Am I Hanna's private tutor?" The professor interupted. "No. Is that an eighty-eight stringed guitar in front of you? No. I am SKYLER'S tutor and that, young lady, is a piano. The instrument on which all modern western music is based. It's my job to make you proficient on that instrument and that means technique, interpretation and reading skills - all of which you'll need in order to make a living in ANY GENRE for the rest of your life. So, play Elton John at home. Play Elton John at bars. Play Elton John at parties, but in my lessons, we're playing REAL piano repertoire. So, the Liszt piece is up next. But you are avoiding my question. What are you doing this weekend?"

He sighed. "Tomorrow morning, I have to go to a meeting with the coordinators of the gala. Then, tomorrow afternoon, I have a..." the end of his sentence was quiet and garbled.

"What are you going tomorrow afternoon?"

He sighed a bigger sigh. "I have... a... modeling job."

"Modeling? Modeling what?"

"Clothes."

Professor Kramer laughed a little. "Clothes? Girls' clothes?"

He nodded.

"How on earth did that happen so quickly?"

He explained about the chance encounter at the store and how important all it was to his younger sister.

"So... you'll be a twin model with your fourteen-year-old sister?"

He nodded.

She shrugged. "Well, either you're the most generous brother in the history of mankind, or..."

"Or what?" Skyler asked when she let her thought hang.

"Nothing," she said, brightly. "Let's hear the Liszt, please."
 

~^~
 

"Good evening, ladies," the well-dressed waiter said as Skyler and Hanna entered the restaurant. "Just the two of you this evening?"

"Yes, thank you, Richard," Hanna answered, reading the man's name tag and displaying far more control of the situation than Skyler had ever felt he could display.

"Table or booth?"

"A booth, please," Hanna said, then she smiled and said, "something private, if possible."

"Of course. This way, please," the waiter said, grabbing two menus and leading them into the restaurant.

He led them to a booth near the rear of the restaurant that appeared to have been set aside for people who asked for a bit of privacy.

"Your server will be over on a few moments," the waiter said as he placed the menus in front of each of them. "Enjoy your meals."

Hanna was wearing a pair of fairly expensive, black leggings and a belted, tunic length, emerald green silk blouse. She was also wearing evening appropriate makeup, a rare thing. She looked stunning, but while her makeup was designed to make her look more mature, Skyler's makeup and clothing definitely had the air of youth about it. He looked like Regina, and she was still very young.

"Can I get you something to drink?" A waitress said, approaching almost as soon as the server who had seated them left.

"Oh, two cold, bottled waters, please," Hanna replied for both of them.

"Of course. Our specials tonight are..." she launched into a description of the non-menu food being offered, then left, promising to return in a few moments with their drinks.

"This is a fancy place," Skyler said, looking around the high-end restaurant. "Why did you chose this place?"

"I don't know," Hanna smiled. "I guess I just wanted to show off my new girlfriend a bit. You've looked so nice all week, while I've looked like an unmade bed. I just thought it'd be nice to take you someplace worthy of your new look."

Skyler smiled and blushed a bit. "Aww. Thanks. I mean, this is mostly Reggie's doing, but I'll take the compliment anyway."

They discussed what looked good on the menu, then when the server returned with their drinks and asked if they'd made a decision, Hanna said, "Yes. I'll have the pork roast and The Lady will have the Cobb Salad with no dressing. Oh, and can you ask them to be sure that the chicken in The Lady's salad is baked and not fried? Thank you."

"Very good," the woman said and left.

"Umm, I was going to get a burger," Skyler said. "I mean, a Cobb Salad is fine, but I'd intended to have a hamburger and steak fries."

Hanna shook her head. "Not for the next couple of weeks, I'm afraid, sweetie. According to your beauty consultant, James, anything that might bloat you or impact your skin is off the menu until after the gala. That includes bread, potatoes, anything pan fried or deep fried... all of it is verboten."

"When did you talk to James?"

"I didn't. He emailed Reggie and gave her the information. He also said to go easy on the avocado in the salad. They are high in fat."

"Then why can't I just have some fries," Skyler pouted. "I mean, if I'm eating something high in fat, why can't I eat something high in fat that I enjoy."

"Because the fats in an avocado are mostly unsaturated fats, so your body won't reject them and cause acne and bloating."

Skyler shook his head. "This isn't fair."

"Oh, pouting," Hanna laughed. "That makes you look very manly."

"I didn't think I was supposed to look manly."

"You're not, and you don't. You look adorable, Sky, and I'm loving it. You know... I think you might be acting even girlier than Reggie at this point. Everything about you just screams 'girl.' It's amazing."

"I can't help it," he shrugged, still pouting a bit. "It's these clothes. They just sort of make me act this way. Like... wearing them REQUIRES a certain attitude and behavior. You know what I mean?"

"I do," Hanna smiled, "which is why I tend NOT to wear things like that. I prefer the feeling of slacks and a top that covers me well."

"So do I."

"Oh, come on," Hanna laughed a bit loudly. "Look at yourself, Sky. You are in your element dressed this way. That body of yours may have a penis, but it was meant to be soft and feminine. Maybe not female, but feminine."

"I don't agree," Skyler argued, although not very convincingly. "All of this is just a means to an end," he insisted, "and you know that. I didn't chose to start wearing these things. You and my mom... and Reggie... did. As soon as the gala is over, I'm right back to my jeans and tee shirts."

"Well, that would be a shame," Hanna replied, shaking her head, "because I think that would be a wasted opportunity for you. Not everyone finds themselves by becoming someone else, but you did. It would be a shame to give that up."

Skyler squinted at his girlfriend. "Hanna... I haven't found myself... I've... become a version of Regina because Regina wins pageants and I want to win this pageant. That's all."

Hanna smirked a bit. "Is that really all, babe? I mean... You let Reggie pick out your clothes the first couple of days, but you've been giving her your opinion for a couple of days, now, haven't you? Don't get me wrong, you're as cute as hell in that outfit, but I can't imagine someone picking out something that cute without loving how it looks and feels on her."

Skyler stared at his girlfriend, surprised by what she'd said and her use of a feminine pronoun.

"Come on," she smiled seductively, "admit it. You like looking like a cute girl, don't you?"

Skyler blushed and looked around, feeling a bit trapped by this conversation.

Hanna continued. "I'll admit that I find you incredibly sexy this way. I mean, don't misunderstand me, I always found you sexy. I guess I'm just kinda attracted to men who are... you know... a little... dependent on me. Not in a motherly way, but more like... I guess... I just always preferred to be 'the man' in the relationship. The one who protects and provides, you know? Now... I kinda am 'the man' for real, right? And I find that... exciting."

"So..." Skyler considered what Hanna had just said. "... are you saying that you're... a lesbian?"

"Oh, my God, no!" Hanna laughed. "I like having you looking nice and pretty, Sky, but I wouldn't be attracted to you if I didn't know that you had a cute little wiener down there in your silken panties. But what difference does that make? I mean... most couples love to have silky lingerie as part of their sexual playtime, right? Sure, usually the woman wears it, but the woman is usually the smaller and less powerful one. In our case, the woman is the taller, stronger and more dominant one, right? So, in our case, the woman will 'wear the pants,' as they say." She ran her hands along the material of her trousers. "Usually, that's a metaphorical term, but in our case, it's both metaphorical and literal. And..." she leaned forward and smiled almost lasciviously, "...I really like things this way. I hope that you do, too."

Skyler stared at Hanna as the weight of her words settled on him. She preferred him like this. Small, pretty and vulnerable. Why? Didn't women want men who could take care of them? Wasn't that what evolution had bred into women?

But...

Since they'd started dating, even though it had never really been discussed, Hanna had always been the more dominant member in their relationship. She had asked him out originally. She always paid for dinner. They always took his car because she didn't have one at the college, but more often than not, she drove - and now she actually had his car and he had to rely on her to get anywhere he needed to go. When they were intimate, Hanna always took the more aggressive role, guiding the events and usually on top.

"So..." he thought about her words as he formed his own, "...I've always been 'the girl' in our relationship?"

Hanna shrugged and grinned. "In a way, yeah, I suppose so. I've always been the one in charge, right? So that kinda makes me 'the man.' So, if I'm 'the man,' I guess that makes you 'the girl.'"

'The girl.' Not even 'the woman.' She was 'the man,' and he was 'the girl.' Little, young, defenseless... her pretty little companion.

How did that make him feel?

Could he live with this?

Could he be 'the girl' for his 'man?'

Maybe...

Probably...

He sighed.

Yeah... he could. In fact, if he was honest with himself, he liked it when she took care of everything for him. He liked being pampered by Hanna - he even liked the attention he now got from his mother and sisters. It was almost like he was part of their team, now. They treated him differently. Very differently and he really liked it. Like... he liked it a lot.

He was still processing all of that when their meals showed up. "Who has the pork roast?" A new server asked.

"That would be me," Hanna said.

"And the Cobb Salad for the pretty, young lady," the server said as she placed the dish in front of Skyler. "Watching your figure, huh? I suppose that a girl as pretty as you has to make sacrifices for her beauty, huh?"

"You have no idea," Skyler smiled.
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

Liszt Liebestraum Number 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InKk1aowFZ4
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 5

 

Skyler becomes more determined to win the Gala, especially after discovering that not all
of the contestants are nice. He joins Regina and Paula for their first modeling gig and then, of
course, life gets more complicated. P.S. There are no music links at the end of this chapter.
Only 2 new pieces are mentioned and they are fairly modern songs that are easily googled
if you don't know them.

---

 
Author's Note: Please continue to comment and review. I truly love to read your comments, and, even though this story is pretty much completed, your comments do influence my writing. Thank you for your assistance!!! ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 5 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 5
 

"Alright, ladies," the director of the gala said, clapping his hands and calling everyone to attention, "let's get this rehearsal underway. My watch says it's eight o'clock. I know it's early for a Saturday morning, but we have a lot of work to do. So, gulp down your coffee and let's get this road on the show."

A few of the people in the hall giggled at that, but most just moved to their seats.

"Alright," the director said again once the room had settled down, "this morning, we're going to start by rehearsing the opening presentation, then discuss how you'll be doing your swimsuit and evening gown presentation and some of you will be doing your talent portion for our technical team so they know what to expect and can make you look and sound your best. Ok?"

"Ok," the contestants all responded in mumbles.

That morning, both Hanna and Regina were sitting with Skyler, one on either side. Hanna was there both as Skyler's chauffeur and to offer support. Regina was there both because she and Skyler had to get to their first modeling session very quickly after the rehearsal and because she was curious as to how this pageant would be
different/similar to the pageants in which she'd participated.

Skyler was feeling a bit confused by the way everyone was dressed that morning - which is to say, several were wearing flowered shirts, but all wore jeans or slacks of some kind while he was wearing a lace covered, white silk blouse and knee length, black, pleated skirt along with a pair of two inched heeled pumps. He was the only contestant dressed entirely as a woman.

"Good. Now, I'm hoping that you were all truthful about your height when you filled out your applications, because I'm going to call you up to the stage and put you in order from the tallest to the shortest and then put you into the positions you'll be in AT THE END of the opening presentation. Then, we'll teach you how we plan on getting you there. So, please come up when your name is called and stand where my Assistant Director tells you."

He began calling out names and it became obvious that he was calling up the back row because the contestants were all tall.

"I know that most of these people aren't in makeup or costumes yet," Regina whispered to Skyler, "but I honestly don't see a ton of competition here. You're way cuter than any of these guys. Most of them would still look like guys, even in dresses."

"She's right," Hanna said from the other side of Skyler. "You're three times more girly than any of these guys."

Skyler looked around at his fellow contestants, many of whom were just ordinary looking guys, but some of whom were very feminine, one might even say effeminate, or even... well... as if they were putting on a show of their own at all times. Being told he was three times girly than some of these contestants was a lot to take in.

"Skyler... Skyler Moynahan," the director said into the microphone.

"Good luck," both girls said to him as he stood and headed to the stage.

As he climbed the stairs to the platform, one of the contestants said to the Assistant Director, "I thought that people who are transitioning or already on HRT were not allowed to compete."

"That is correct," the Assistant Director said without realty looking up until Skyler was right in front of him. "Skyler Moynahan? You go..."

He took a look at Skyler, and Skyler's somewhat low-cut top and stopped. "Wait here," he said.

The director called the last contestant to the stage just as the Assistant Director whispered something in his ear. The Director turned and took an evaluating look at Skyler before saying, "Skyler? May I see you for a moment?"

Skyler looked a bit nervous as he approached the Director. "Yes?"

The Director looked him over very closely before saying, "You know that this competition is limited to non-transitioning contestants, correct? If you are already taking hormones, or already had enhancement surgeries, you're not qualified to participate."

Skyler nodded. "Yes, sir."

"So..." the Director lowered his voice a bit, "you're telling me that you're not in transition? That you're not receiving any hormone treatments? That you are one hundred percent male?"

"Yes, sir," Skyler affirmed.

The Director considered his words for a moment, but ultimately decided to be blunt. "Skyler... I'm looking at some very real tits on you. Care to explain?"

His remarks could easily be heard by everyone, and everyone was a bit taken aback by them, but only Hanna heard Regina saying, "Tits? Did that asshole just say 'tits' to a pageant contestant? Who the fuck does he think he is."

She started to stand and make a scene, but Hanna grabbed her arm. "Relax, Reggie. They're not real breasts and Skyler can handle this."

"I doubt that," Regina huffed, but she did sit back, her arms crossed and her face red with anger. "Sky is afraid to stand up for himself."

Skyler, who had only just started feeling comfortable with this new addition to his chest, was caught off guard. "They're... umm... they're artificial breasts."

The Director looked closer. "The don't look artificial." He stepped closer. "May I touch them?"

Feeling completely humiliated, Skyler sigh, but nodded.

The Director reached out and squeezed the prosthetics. He looked at the Assistant Director and scowled. "They feel pretty real to me." He looked back at Skyler. "Open your blouse for me, please."

"What?" Skyler asked, looking around at the rest of the contestants standing nearby, waiting. The breasts weren't his, but they had become part of his body over the past week, and he had come to treat them the same way that any woman would. "Here? Now?"

"Yes," The Director said, matter of factly. "Now. Open your blouse. Unless, of course, your tits are real."

"That's it," Regina announced as she stood and stormed towards the stage before Hanna could stop her. "This guy's an asshole."

"Reggie," Hanna snapped, but the irate fourteen-year-old was already on her way down the aisle.

"You're holding everything up...," The director said, checking the name of the contestant in front of him, "...Skyler. Show me your tits now, or go home."

"Hey, dickhead!" Regina shouted as she mounted the stage, Hanna following behind her, uncertain of what Skyler's little sister was doing. Regina pulled the loose sweater she'd been wearing over her head and past her mane of thick, blonde hair. "If you're that interested in seeing a pair of real breasts, take a look at mine." She indicated her own modest, but perfect breasts that were now displayed in a rather beautiful push-up bra. She reached behind her back as if to undo the bra's clasps, but Skyler stopped her.

"Reggie! What are you doing! Stop!" Skyler shouted, hurrying towards his sister.

"What's going on here?" The Director shouted.

"If you're that anxious to see a pair of real tits, then I'll show you mine," Regina said with vehemence, but Skyler was already shaking out his sister's top and helping her get it back over her head.

"That's enough," Skyler scolded, sliding the head hole onto her.

"Are you two twins or something?" The Director asked, partially confused and partially bemused.

"She's my brother," Regina snapped. "Well... HE's my brother, but he's not required to show you his tits. That's a violation of the rules of any pageant. His are fake anyway. If you're so desperate to see a pair, though, mine are right here. Just leave him alone."

The Director shook his head and smirked in an incredibly irritating and condescending way. "I don't want to see your... breasts... young lady. Thank you all the same."

"I wouldn't mind seeing them," one of the contestants said from where he was standing on the stage.

Skyler's head snapped and he stared at the smart-Alec. "Hey!" Skyler said angrily as he stormed across the stage. "That's my fourteen-year sister, you asshole!"

The fact that he was in a lace blouse and pleated skirt didn't diminish the look of anger on his face.

"Step off, Mary," the contestant laughed and waved a limp-wrist at him. Then he looked at the contestant next to him and said, "Geez, some of these bitches are just toooooooooo touchy." He looked back at Skyler and then at Regina and his look of superiority and disdain was enough to fire up Skyler's anger. Not so much because the contestant was behaving this way towards him, but because he was being disrespectful to Regina. Things got worse when the contestant rolled his eyes and smiled as he said, "Maybe these two have linked their cycles. I bet they're both on their periods."

Both Skyler and Regina dropped their jaws in shock and their identical looks made some of the others laugh.

"Listen to me, you fucking asshole," Regina hissed, clenching her fists and stepping forward towards the insulting contestant, but Skyler put his arm around her shoulder and stopped her.

"Alright, Reggie..." he said, then let out a tired sigh. "... let's just go. We're done here. I don't want to be with these people and and I don't want them near you, either."

Regina's head snapped around in shock. "But, Sky... the scholarships... you've worked so hard..."

"Not to be treated like this, though," he said, still looking the other contestant in the eye. "Let's go."

"What in the world is going on here!?" Someone shouted from the wings as they walked into to the light on the stage. It was last year's champion, Jenny Jacobs.

"Nothing to concern you, Ms Jacobs," the director said, sounding a bit sheepish. "Just a little squabble among the contestants.

Jenny stopped as she reached the front of the stage and saw the twin visions of Skyler and Regina. She looked at the two and finally settled on the slightly smaller, more girlishly dressed of the two. "Skyler, right?"

"Yes, Ms Jacobs. I'm sorry. We're leaving," Skyler replied, turning to Regina and bobbing his head towards the stairs as he took her hand in his.

"Leaving?" She sounded astounded. "After all that I went through to get you a good piano for your talent segment? I don't think so. Someone tell me just what the devil is going on."

The director paused to think of a plausible explanation as to how things had gotten out of hand, but one of the other contestants spoke up. He pointed to the offending contestant "This bitch decided to butt her nose into that little girl's business and he," the contestant indicated the director, "took the bitch's side."

"Who are you calling a bitch, bitch!?!?" The offending contestant spat.

"Alright, ladies," Jenny shouted, "ENOUGH! YOU," she pointed at the contestant who'd challenged Skyler, "and YOU," she indicted Skyler, "come with me." She looked at the director. "I'll have these two back in a few moments."

"Are you going to be ok?" Regina asked her brother.

"Me? I'm fine," he replied. "I'm more worried about you."

"Why?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"Because a few seconds ago, you were about to expose yourself in front of a room full of men."

Regina shrugged. "I doubt any of them would have cared."

Skyler gave her a sad smile, then kissed her cheek. "I'd care."

Regina smiled back at him. "Are you SURE you'll be ok? I'll come with you if you want."

Skyler nodded. "I'll be fine." He took one of Regina's hands and put it into Hanna's hand.

"Skyler?" Jenny called across the stage. "If you don't mind?"

"Coming," he called back. He gave his little sister a hug. "Thanks, Reggie."

She chuckled. "No prob. Besides, I need you to be ok so we can get the 'Twin Pay Rate' for the modeling job later today."

Skyler smiled. He knew she was just teasing.

"Skyler?"

"Yeah," he replied and crossed the stage.

"What we're you two thinking!?" Jenny scolded when she had Skyler and the belligerent contestant alone in a smaller room to the side of the main ballroom. "A hundred thousand dollars at stake, and you two are behaving like a couple of pubescent seventh graders on a playground. Now, what the hell happened."

Neither Skyler nor the contestant said anything.

Jenny looked at the contestant and asked, "What is your name?"

"Pussy Boots," the contestant responded resentfully.

"Not your stage name," Jenny snapped. "Your real name."

He sighed and crossed his arms. "Rodney."

"Alright, Rodney, would you please explain what happened out there?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Look... I may or may not win this thing, but I just don't want to lose because someone else cheated." He glanced at Skyler. "Look at that girl. There's no way that she's not taking hormones. Hell, she looks just like the other girl who ran up onto the stage. And those little t... breasts... They have to be natural. You know as well as I do that no one goes 'little' on their boobs around a show like this. We all go huge!"

Jenny shook her head. "Listen, Rodney, just a week ago, I had the opportunity to meet Sky, and when we met, not only did Sky not have breasts, she looked almost nothing like she does now. All of this," she indicated Skyler's entire body, "is new. So, unless you're aware of some AMAZING hormones that encourage realistic breast growth that will take someone from zero to a generous A cup in a week, she is wearing prosthetic breasts. Good ones, yes, but prosthetic nonetheless."

Rodney shrugged and rolled his eyes. "If you say so, I guess," he muttered.

"I do," Jenny said, emphatically. "So... where do we go from here, then? Do I send you both home, or do I send just one of you home, or do you both agree to put on your big girl panties, and we all move on?"

They both stood in silence for a few moments until Skyler finally said, "I'd like to stay, Miss. I've worked pretty hard to get this far and I don't want to give up."

Jenny nodded. "Rodney?"

"Well, yeah, I want to stay, of course." He gave Skyler an appraising and slightly disdainful look. "I mean... if this is my only competition..."

"That's enough, Rodney!" Jenny interrupted. "If you stay, then you start acting like an adult. Is that clear?"

He smirked. "As crystal. I'll be a good girl from here on out."

Jenny nodded but kept her air of leadership about her. "Alright, then. You can both stay, but I'll be watching you."

They both nodded and turned to leave.

"Sky? A word?" Jenny said.

After Rodney had left, Jenny asked, "Who is that girl? The one who looks like your twin?"

"She's my kid sister."

"She doesn't look like a kid to me," Jenny chuckled. "Why was she shirtless when I arrived?"

Skyler explained about the director's demands and how Regina was trying to protect her brother. "I know it was kind of a rash thing to do, Miss, but she's only fourteen and she was trying to keep me from being hurt."

Jenny nodded. "I understand. I'll be speaking to the Director, too. Go ahead out there and join the others." Skyler nodded and turned to leave, but she stopped him, "Oh, and Sky... don't let people like Rodney get into your head. If they have to tear down others just to feel good about themselves, then they're not worth thinking about."

Skyler nodded. "Miss... my whole life, I've been picked on because I didn't fit in. I was too small to play sports, not smart enough to be an honor student, the only brother in a house full of sisters... Heck, I even PAID piano teachers to tell me I wasn't good enough. Bullies have always seen me as a good target. Rodney's no different. I understand that they lash out to make themselves feel better, but... they still get into my head. I don't know how to keep them out."

Jenny stepped forward and looked him in the eye, gently touching his cheek as he spoke. "Get this in your head, then, Skyler. No one ever expected me to win this pageant last year. But I did. Half of the contestants in this pageant are just like Rodney, but the other half are sweet, supportive girls who just want to compete and, let's be honest, Sky, they're just looking for acceptance, too. Just like you. So, find the nice girls out there. Support them and they'll support you. And... you know what... for someone who says that she doesn't fit in... I noticed that your girlfriend and your sister were right there on the stage, ready to jump in and help you when they thought you were in trouble. So... I'd say you fit in just fine."

Skyler nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Miss."

Jenny smiled back. "Jenny, Skyler. Call me Jenny."

"Yes, Miss," he smiled a bit more broadly and turned to return to the stage.

"Pink, blue, pink, blue, pink, blue," the stage manager looked at Skyler as he returned to the rehearsal. "You go here," the stage manager said, obviously perturbed. "See me for the blocking you missed. Pink," he said to Skyler, then to the last contestant, who was the only one shorter than Skyler, "blue."

"Alright," the stage manager said, noticing that the Director was leaving the stage with Jenny, "to review: The opening presentation requires you to be in a formal gown. You've been assigned a color, either pink or blue. Please make sure your gown is appropriate. We're looking for baby blue and ballet slipper pink - not navy blue and certainly not fuchsia. And keep the gowns tasteful. Remember, this is a salute to womanhood, not a drag show. If you have a question about the style or color, then you should send a photo to either Ms Jenny, or me. Our numbers were in your packet. Alright, let's run this again. You," he pointed at the contestant next to Skyler, the one who was shorter than Skyler, "lead everyone to the back of the house. Everyone follow and then you," he pointed to the tallest, "lead them all back in. You," he pointed at Skyler, "follow the person in front of you and do what they do."

"Ok," Skyler nodded.

The rehearsal continued for the next hour and a half until the stage manager, who seemed to have taken over the rehearsal since the Director disappeared with Jenny, said, "That'll do for today. Now, if you're scheduled to show us your talent today, please stay on the stage. If you're not on the list, you're done for today. You can stay if you want, but please sit in the back of the house. Ok, those of you who are done, please exit the stage. Oh, and thank you all. I'll see you all back here next Saturday."

About half of the contestants left the stage and most of them sat towards the back of the ballroom. Skyler, whose name was on the list to rehearse that day, remained with the half on stage.

"Ok," the stage manager said grabbing a small paper bag, "there are twenty plastic tags from the coat room in here. They start at number one and go to twenty. Each of you come forward and grab a number from the bag. If you get numbers one, two or three, stay up here. Anything from four and up, please sit in the first two rows."

They all stepped up and grabbed a number. Several people grunted at their numbers, probably because they were higher numbers that would keep them there longer. Skyler pulled number three and stepped to the side so the others could pass. When the stage was cleared, only the stage manager, one of the taller contestants, Rodney and Skyler remained.

The stage manager spoke to a woman in her forties, who nodded and tapped on her iPad continuously.

"This is our technical director, Karen. This part of the rehearsal is so she knows what you are doing and she's sure that you're hearing your tracks. Do what Karen tells you, ladies. She's run the technical side of the gala for seven years and knows more about stage production than all the rest of the staff put together."

"Hi, everyone," Karen said, giving a self-conscious wave to everyone.

"Who got number one?" The stage manager asked.

"That would be me," Rodney said, thrusting out a hip and holding up his number to display it.

The stage manager motioned him over and checked the iPad. "So, for your first talent, you're dancing to 'S&M' by Rihanna and, if needed, you're doing a gymnastics routine to 'Firework' by Kati Perry. Correct?"

"Correct," Rodney said, dismissively, taking a superior attitude.

"Ok, give me a sign when you're ready and I'll start the playback for you," Karen said.

Rodney sashayed to the center of the stage and nodded to Karen, who in turn hit the play button on her iPad. The rhythmically aggressive song began, and Rodney began dancing and lip syncing to the song. The dancing was impressive, that was for sure. He was obviously an experienced dancer and threw himself into the dance with abandon.

When the song ended, the crowd gave him a supportive round of applause.

"Ok, now before we play 'Firework,'" the Stage Manager said, "will you be lip syncing while doing your gymnastics routine to that?"

"Yes, of course," Rodney shrugged. "It wouldn't be much of an act if I just did the gymnastics."

"I suppose not," the stage manager agreed, "but that means that your first and second talent sections are essentially the same talents, and you are required to have two different talents."

"It's a different song," Rodney said, shocked at the stupidity of this underling. "Pussy Boots is the popular performer at my college. This is what she does."

The stage manager nodded, not wanting to start the tech rehearsal with a fight that might cause a delay. "Alright, run the routine and we'll have to let the Director make a decision as to whether or not you need something different."

Rodney looked about. "He's not even here."

"It's all being videoed," the Karen, the Technical Director said, sounding rushed. "Are you ready?"

'Firework' was an impressive routine as well, but not all that different from the 'S&M' presentation.

When he'd finished, the stage manager called up number two. His first talent was a juggling bit, which didn't go all that well - Skyler could see that the contestant was nervous and assumed that was the reason for his poor performance. His second talent section was another lip sync act. It went better, but not as well as Rodney's had.

"Number three?" The stage manager called.

"That's me," Skyler said, crossing the stage.

"Skyler Moynihan," the assistant Director said, looking at Karen's iPad. He let out a sigh. "You're the piano player, right?"

"Yes," he nodded.

The stage manager shook his head. "Do you NEED to run that today?"

The question surprised Skyler. His first reaction was to just accommodate the assistant director and say that he was fine, but the truth was, he did need to try the piece in front of an audience. It was a new piece to him, and he had no idea what the audience reaction would be like, so... "Yes. I kinda do need to run it today."

The stage manager was obviously irritated. "Alright. Can someone bring in that piano, please?"

It took a few minutes to maneuver the piano into position. Skyler looked at it. It was a Yamaha C, similar to the one in most of the recital halls at the college. A decent model, certainly, but one that could have a lot of variations in playability from one instrument to the next.

He smoothed his pleated skirt under him as he sat and touched the keys a bit. Hmmm. A bit high-end sounding and the action wasn't as responsive as he'd like, but not terrible. He played a two-handed scale exercise and got his bearings.

"Skyler?" The assistant director asked, impatiently. "I need you to play your piece. We don't have an awful lot of time."

He nodded, looked at the highly polished top of the instrument, placed his fingers and took a deep, calming breath. Then he closed his eyes and began to play.

With his eyes closed and his hearing focused on the music, he didn't see the reaction of everyone in the audience who stopped their conversations and looked up as Chopin's notes filled the hall. There were even some impressed gasps as his fingers sped across the keys.

Jenny stood in the back of the hall room and watched. She'd heard Skyler's audition recording, but this... hearing this boy in this cute outfit playing live... this was unbelievable. "Holy cow," she whispered.

When he finished the song, the first thing he heard was the sound of applause from all of his fellow contestants - well, all except one. The only contestant to not participate was, of course, Rodney, who scowled and shook his head.

That was impressive," the assistant director said, trying to sound unimpressed. He glanced at the iPad that Karen held. "So... for your second talent, you're lip sync-ing to a song..."

"Not lip sync-ing," Skyler interrupted, "singing."

The stage manager raised his eyebrows. "Singing?" Of course, he already knew Skyler was singing. He'd been in the room when the discussion about Skyler's choice of talent had been discussed. He was just offering Skyler an opportunity to change his mind.

There was a twitter of laughter through the audience when they heard the word 'singing.'

The stage manager looked at Karen. "Can we get the lady a microphone?"

Karen reached down and into a large pocket on the cargo pants she was wearing and produced a wireless microphone. She switched it on and tapped on its windscreen until a quiet thump was heard in the ball room. She handed the mic to Skyler who nodded in thanks.

"You have his song cued up?" The stage manager asked Karen, who nodded. "Alright..." he smirked at Skyler, expecting him to fail miserably, "... you're on."

Karen pushed 'play' on his track and Skyler heard the rambling introduction to the song he'd been preparing. He took a deep breath and released it as he placed his voice correctly in a mix of head and chest voice and then began.

"I'm one of a long line of good girls

Who choose the wrong guy to be sweet on

The girl with a face that says 'welcome'

That men can wipe their feet on

I'm there when he wants me

The trusted Girl-Friday, alright

But what good does it do me

Alone on a Saturday night?"

From there the song picked up its tempo and Skyler sang it as well as he could, still a bit nervous about the choice of songs and its wide range.

He nailed it, though.

When he got to the part that went,

"I go for the riff-raff,

who're treating me so-so

If I can play the second fiddle

I'm a virtuoso..." he was much more comfortable and got more playful, physically.

The contestants in the audience went wild with supportive applause and despite his nervousness, Skyler smiled at the support and began to actually enjoy his own performance.

By the time he reached the end of the song and was supporting the long note the finished the song, he was loving the feeling of success he felt. The audience was loving it too. They all leapt to their feet and applauded - well, not all. Rodney turned his back and walked to the snack table at the rear of the room to grab a water and shake his head at stupidity of the rest of the contestants. He knew who the best, most talented performer was. He just needed to make sure that the judges knew as well.

"Well," the assistant director said, taking the microphone back from Skyler and giving him a pat on the shoulder, "I must say... I am impressed. Good job, Skyler Moynihan. Good job."

"Excellent work, Skyler," Karen said with a wink and a smile.

"Thanks," Skyler smiled, shyly. He turned and headed down the stairs to the ballroom floor, where contestant after contestant congratulated him on his performances.

"That was great, babe," Hanna said, hugging her boyfriend's head to her chest.

"You showed that jackass," Regina said, gloating a bit as she glanced towards Rodney, who was sulking against a wall, arms folded across his stomach.

Skyler smiled at his sister and girlfriend, then picked up his purse and said, "Come on. Let's get going. You've got a modeling gig to get to, tough girl."

Regina smiled. "We both have a modeling gig to get to."

"I guess that makes me the chauffeur for you two fashionistas" Hanna smiled as she joined the two siblings and headed to the rear of the hall, but before they got to the exit, they were intercepted by Jenny Jacobs.

She smiled at her favorite contestant and said, "That was very impressive, Sky. Well worth the effort I had to put in to get that piano here for you, but..." she shook her head, "... your singing was also a huge surprise. I have to admit, I never expected that. The staff had discussed trying to talk you out of singing. Thank heavens we let you prove us wrong."

Skyler smiled shyly. "Thank you, Miss. That means a lot coming from you."

She half smiled at Skyler's continued unwillingness to use her first name. "I think the judges will be impressed. You've set a high bar for the others. The trouble is, they all know it now, so be careful. Don't slack off and... don't let your guard down. Ok?"

That seemed like an odd thing to say. "What do you mean?"

Jenny raised her eyebrows. "I mean... don't leave your makeup or costumes unattended. Check the tuning on the piano before the show. Things like that. There's a lot at stake in this gala. Some of your competition is liable to resort to underhanded tactics to win. Just... be cautious."

"Oh, she will," Regina answered for her befuddled brother. "I've been in a lot of pageants with a lot of conniving contestants. I will be backstage helping and guarding the whole time. You can count on it."

Jenny chuckled at that. "I bet I can," she said, impressed by the young woman. "I bet I can."
 

~^~
 

When they arrived at Fawn Wernick's studio, Regina's friend Paula was already there and was exiting the dressing room wearing an elegant wedding gown. Her hair and makeup had been done appropriately for the event.

"Hey, look at me!" Paula laughed, "I'm a bride!"

"Holy shit!" Regina laughed. "You look amazing! Like... like you're twenty-five or even older!"

"I know," Paula laughed. "My mom had a conniption when she saw me come out of the makeup chair."

"Not a conniption," Paula's mother said, appearing from the inner room, "I was just surprised to see you looking so grown up. You look beautiful dear. I just didn't expect you to be a bride."

She glanced at Regina and Skyler. "Oh, my God. Paula was telling me the truth. I can hardly tell you two apart." She scrutinized them for a moment or two. "You're Reggie," she said, pointing at the correct sibling.

Regina looked a bit confused for a second and shook her head. "No. I'm Sky."

"Oh, my God!" Paula's mother repeated. "You're Sky!?"

"No, I'm really Reggie," the real Regina laughed. "I was just teasing."

"Oh, good, you're here," Fawn Wernick, the photographer, said, entering the outer room. "Excellent. There are robes in the changing rooms. Run in there, strip to your undies, put on the robe and see my makeup person, Carl, as quickly as possible."

"Ok," Regina bubbled, grabbing Skyler's hand and pulling him to the changing room.

Fawn took Paula, while Paula's mother ushered Hanna to a seating area.

"So...?" Paula's mother asked as they sat.

"What?" Hanna asked when Paula's mother didn't continue.

"So... what do you think of this?"

"Of the photographer's studio?" Hanna asked. "It's very professional looking. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. You know what I mean... a stranger approaches a group of girls at the mall and offers to pay them to model, well, I suppose that could lead to anything, but this is obviously a very professional studio and..."

"No, no, no," Paula's mother interrupted. "I meant, what do you think about having a boyfriend that is dressing like his fourteen-year-old sister? It's got to be a bit odd. Right?"

"Oh," Hanna laughed a bit and shrugged. "No. Not really. I mean... it's just clothes, right?"

Paula's mother gave her a skeptical look. "No. It's not just the clothes, and you know it. I didn't see a nineteen-year-old man in a dress. I saw a teenaged girl with dyed hair, a layered hairdo, sculpted eyebrows, impeccable makeup and bright, excited eyes, wearing a cute skirt and top, a fabulous pair of heels and a pearl necklace who was very comfortable in her own skin in a way that Skyler never looked. So... what do you think of all that?"

Hanna sighed as she considered her answer. "Well... I think it's a great opportunity for Sky - and his mother, too, of course. It's a huge prize if he wins and I think he's got a really good chance of winning, so..."

"So?" Paula's mother stopped her, "none of this bothers you?"

"Bothers me? Why should it bother me. Sky looks amazing and I get to enjoy seeing him looking so nice." Hanna tried to sound convincing, but she was blushing as she spoke.

"Hmmm," Paula's mother smirked. "Admit it - there's something... shall we say... exciting... about feminizing a boy this way, isn't there?"

Hanna's eyes opened a bit wider in surprise. "Exciting!?" She tried to play innocent, but her voice cracked, and it made both of them giggle a bit. "Ok, I admit there is something very exciting about seeing a boy dressed so beautifully, but..." she thought for a moment. "... Oh, to heck with it. There are no buts. It's exciting as hell and I'm enjoying seeing him in pretty clothes and looking so girlish. Who wouldn't, right? It's adorable and... yeah... exciting."

Paula's mother smiled at the younger woman's nervousness and honesty.

"Over here, girls," Carl, a very good looking, masculine looking, man in his late forties with just the perfect amount of gray in his otherwise dark hair, waved Regina and Skyler to a couple of chairs near a mirrored wall. "Let me get you two ready. Now, it might feel like I'm putting on your makeup with a trowel, but I assure you, it is necessary for the camera. You'll look very natural in the photos."

They both nodded and watched Paula being photographed in the wedding gown while they were prepped.

"You both have lovely eyes," Carl said as he worked. "I'm going to use a very dark liner, so they pop out in the lens. I know it sounds odd, but if I put a nice, thin line around your eyes, they'll actually look bigger."

"My Beauty consultant says that the eyes of a beautiful woman are the most important thing to emphasize," Regina said. "He always tells me to keep it simple. To stay away from Egyptian linings and things like that. He says that thin lines are always the best."

"He's correct," Carl smiled. "Who is your beauty beauty consultant?"

"Oh, I go to James over by the shopping center near the college."

"I know James. He's an old friend," Carl smiled. "So, you're a pageant girl?"

"Yeah," Regina smiled a big, wide smile. "Both of us are, now. Sky is doing her first pageant in a couple of weeks."

Skyler blushed, but smiled a bit, too.

"No kidding!?" Carl grinned. "You two aren't competing against each other, are you?"

"No," Regina explained. "I've been doing the 'junior' competitions for a few years. Sky is doing 'The Gala of Tiresias' next..." She stopped as she realized that, in her excitement, she had revealed a secret.

Skyler stared at his sister in shock. How could she have done that?

Carl looked at Skyler, looking just a bit askance. "Oh... you're a boy?"

Skyler looked about for support, but there was only Carl and Regina nearby and one of them looked petrified, while the other waited for an answer.

"Umm..." Skyler muttered and thought for several moments before finally saying, "...yeah."

Carl nodded and acted very nonchalantly. "Well, you look beautiful. And don't worry, sweetheart... I'll keep your secret." He gave Skyler a friendly wink.

Skyler relaxed a bit glanced at his younger sister. "It'd be nice if you could keep it, too."

"Sorry," Regina whispered back. "I guess I'm just excited and... sorry."

"Hey," Carl smiled, easing the tension, "it's better that I know. Now, I can help you. There are a few things that can be dead giveaways to the camera lens. I can help avoid those things. To tell you the truth, though, I don't see any of the tell-tale signs on you. I guess you're still young enough to pass. What are you, sweetheart? Thirteen?"

That made Regina burst out laughing while Skyler just blushed.

"What's so funny?" Carl asked.

"Sky is nineteen," Regina laughed. "I'm fourteen, but he's going to be twenty in a few months!"

Carl looked shocked as he gave Skyler another appraising look. "Really?" He muttered, shocked. "Nineteen?"

"Ok, girls," a woman said, arriving with two dresses on hangers, "these should fit nicely. You," she pointed at Regina, "wear the purple one. You," she pointed at Skyler, "wear the pink one."

The dresses were identical in style with a V-line neckline that seemed to be composed of material that was wrapped around the wearer's bust, but it had thin straps, and the back was open and to expose the shoulders and back. They were tastefully colored in a dusty hue of purple and pink, made of layer upon layer of chiffon that flowed down in a long fall from just below the bust to the floor. 'Grecian' was the word that Skyler would have used to describe them.

"Oh, so no bras?" Regina asked, sounding a bit nervous, when she saw the way her back would be exposed. She wasn't the most well-endowed girl on the planet, but she did have breasts, and although she could probably get away with not wearing a bra under a heavy shirt or sweater, she was concerned that a nipple or two may actually be visible through this sheer material. And if a picture of her wearing a dress with her nipples pressing through the top ever got publish and her mother saw it... well, she couldn't allow that to happen.

"There are bras built into the gowns," the woman smiled. She understood fully why the young model was concerned. "Don't worry, sweetie," she smiled. "We're here to make you guys look beautiful. Not trashy."

Regina smiled and looked relieved. "Thank you."

In a few minutes, Carl was done with their makeup. He consulted with Fawn, who stepped away from photographing Paula in the wedding gown, and they both discussed how to do 'the sisters' hair. They finally chose to put Skyler's in a messy bun behind his head, and let Regina's hair hang loose, but add a jeweled hair clip in the back.

Just a few minutes more and they were done.

Regina, bubbling with excitement, grabbed both dresses, handed the dusty pink one to Skyler and hustled them to the dressing area, which was really just a section of the outer room that was secluded due to the hanging of several large curtains.

"You guys need any help?" Hanna asked as the 'sisters' blew past Paula's mother and her.

"Nope!" Regina smiled. "We'll help each other."

It just took a few moments for both of them to be stripped to their panties. Skyler kept his eyes averted to preserve his sister's privacy, which Regina found silly.

"We're both girls, now, Sky. I don't mind if you see my breasts," she giggled.

"No, we aren't," Skyler corrected her as he sorted out her dress and prepared it for her to step into. Once she'd pulled it up and over her shoulders, he drew the zipper up from the top of her rump to her lower back where the dress laid.

Still barefoot, Regina grabbed Skyler's dress and prepped it for him, then turned and was about to bend to hold the gown open for him when she spotted his breasts. "Wow! Those really do look real, don't they?"

"Yeah," Skyler replied, feeling very exposed.

"Huh," she muttered looking at his body more closely.

"What?"

"Oh... nothing. It's just... well, I always kidded that you looked just like me, except for your boobs and butt. The thing is, though, even though your boobs are fake, your butt is, well... cuter... than I would have expected. You know? Rounder. Girlier."

Skyler blushed a bit. "Is it?"

"Yeah... Oh, I didn't mean that as a bad thing, Sky. I really meant it as a compliment. Honest." She looked a bit longer. "Ummm... can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Ummm... I mean... I haven't seen a lot of boys in their underwear before, but... should you have at least a bit of a bulge down there? I mean... you had one the first time I dressed you, but... now, nothing."

Skyler rolled his eyes. "I... ummm... I tuck it, now."

"Where?"

"Where!? Where do you think!? I tuck it between my legs, Reggie."

"Oh," she said, satisfied with that explanation, but still curious, she asked, "Is that comfortable?"

Skyler shrugged. "It wasn't at first, but I'm used to it now."

"Cool," Regina smiled. "Can I ask one more question?"

Skyler sighed and shook his head. "Alright... but then we have to get out there."

"Oh, yeah," Regina nodded, suddenly realizing that her fascination with her brother's disguise was actually taking her attention away from the most exciting event of her life up till that point - her first modeling job. "Do you like the way it feels when you wear panties?"

Skyler blinked at his sister. "Do I like the way it feels? Reggie... you know I'm only doing this to try to win the money for school."

Regina shrugged. "Yeah, that's why you STARTED wearing panties, but... now that you're wearing them... they must feel nice, right? I mean... they're a lot softer and hundreds of times prettier than boys' shorts. Honestly, I think it's tragic that boys don't enjoy the softness of clothes that girls enjoy. You get to do it, so I'm just wondering... do you like it?"

Skyler wanted desperately to tell her that he hated wearing these foolish, lacy panties. That the high maintenance of the girls' clothes that he wore everyday now, was a massive pain in the neck. That it was none of her business how he felt. That he was a man, not a boy, and certainly not a girl, and that he was fed up with being treated the way he was being treated when he was all dolled up to look like her clone...

...but none of that was true.

So, he told her the truth.

"Yes," he whispered, partially defeated by the loss of his masculinity and partially relieved to tell her the truth.

Regina could see that she'd asked him something that he'd found hard to answer and she was grateful that he'd trusted her enough to be honest. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Sky." She kissed his cheek, making him feel very small in her presence. Then she whispered into his ear, "I love having you as my sister, Sky. Thank you for giving me that."

She patted his cheek.

"Thank you, Reggie. I love having you as my sister, too."

She smiled and held his gown low and open wide for him to step into it.

Seconds later they both stepped, barefoot from the dressing room, holding the long, elegant, A-line skirts of the gowns up so they could walk without stepping on them.

"We left our shoes in there," Regina giggled as they passed Paula's mother and Hanna. Skyler was smiling, too as he skipped along behind her.

When they were around the corner, Paula's mother looked at Hanna with a smirk. "Is that really the kind of man you want to be with?"

Hanna smiled broadly. "Absolutely. Who wouldn't? I'm going on to watch." She stood near the back wall of the studio and watched the photographer work her craft.

And she was not disappointed. She saw Skyler in his pretty, dusty pink gown holding a bouquet and smiling the sweetest smile she'd ever seen. She saw him holding one side of the skirt to the side to demonstrate the vastness of the material, while Regina mimicked his movement in the other direction. She saw him straightening out the train Paula's wedding gown, she saw him giggling with joy along with Paula and Regina when Fawn complimented how they looked, or moved, or how the clothes looked on them. His beautifully made-up face glowing with joy. She adored every moment of the photo shoot.

As the afternoon progressed and Skyler found himself in one beautiful gown after another, Hanna found herself becoming more and more fascinated by the feminine shape of her boyfriend. His shoulders were so narrow and girlish. His neck seemed so long and elegant. His lips seemed so full and luscious.

And then there were his movements. It was as if he'd been wearing these cumbersome, elegant gowns his whole life. He moved freely in the complicated garments and his smile was genuine and so very innocent. She didn't see her boyfriend anymore. She didn't even see a woman. She saw a girl. A very pretty, very innocent looking girl, who was happy to spend time with her 'twin' sister, but who would be very happy to cuddle with Hanna later.

"What more could a girl ask for?" She muttered.
 

~^~
 

"The United States of America was founded by men," the congresswoman said with great authority at the press conference. "Men. Men who knew the importance of being MEN. You don't seriously believe that George Washington, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were swanning about in their wives' corsets and gowns, do you? They were men, through and through and in our day and age, the media and the teachers in our children's public schools have been encouraging our young men to grow soft and feminine over the last few decades. A man who was once considered to be the greatest athlete in the world, an Olympic champion, a man's man who was once the envy of every man in the world and the fantasy of every woman in the world, was pictured on the cover of Vanity Fair Magazine in women's lingerie with his hair and makeup done to make him appear as if he had become a woman. But he is still a man. He says he was born in the wrong body. Please! God doesn't make mistakes like that."

"So," a reporter with a British accent asked, "it is your intention to make any and all gender affirming therapy, including hormone treatments, talk therapy and surgery, illegal in the entire country?"

"It is," the congresswoman said with disdain.

"But Madam Congresswoman, these services would still be available to American citizens if they leave the country. That means that the welloff will still be able to have the treatments in question. Therefore this will only impact the most needy and least able to help themselves. These are the same people, particularly young people, most likely to be at risk of self-harm? Aren't you just attacking the most vulnerable members of American society with this legislation?"

"Attacking!?" She laughed. "This bill will protect them!"

"I don't understand, congresswoman..."

"Of course you don't," the congresswoman interrupted. "You're not an American."

Jenny used the remote to shut off the C-SPAN transmission to her hotel's television. "God, I hate that woman."
 

~^~
 

It was well past dinner time when Regina, Hanna and Skyler entered the kitchen of the Moynihan home. As the back door closed, Kathy, who was loading the dishwasher looked at them with great concern on her face.

She looked at Regina, who'd been having the best day ever, and said, "Reggie, do you have any idea what kind of trouble you're in?"

"Trouble?" The poor girl responded, her face quickly changing from a smile to a frown. "What did I do?"

Kathy looked over her shoulder, made sure their mother wasn't near, then said, "Mom got an email from your school today. If you don't pass history this year, you're going to be repeating your freshman year. Did you know that?"

Regina's demeanor had gone from elation to depression in a matter of seconds. "Repeat the year? No. I mean, I knew my history grade was bad, but... I mean... it's just history. It's not like it's something important."

"Not important!?" Came the voice of their mother from the kitchen doorway. "You listen to me, young lady, I am very upset about this situation. You told me that you'd gotten that grade up since your last report card. Now, I find out that your grade has actually gone down. Regina, I am at my wits' end with you."

"Mom..."

"No, you listen to me... according to the email conversation I've had with your History teacher, you have an exam coming up on Monday. If you fail this test, you will fail for the quarter and most likely for the year, which would mean you'd be repeating your freshman year. If you get an eighty-five or higher, however, you will pass the quarter and possibly avoid having to repeat. So, you WILL pass that test with at least an eighty-five, although a ninety-five would be better."

"Mom how am I supposed to pass when I just don't get the subject. I can't memorize all those names and dates. I just can't do it!"

"Well, you'd better figure out a way to do it, Regina, because if you don't do it, then YOU ARE GROUNDED! Do you hear me? GROUNDED UNTIL YOU PASS FRESHMAN HISTORY! AND I DON'T CARE IF THAT MEANS AN ENTIRE YEAR!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?"

Hanna leaned down and whispered into Skyler's ear. "I'm going to get going, babe. I think this is a family thing and I should bail now." She gave his soft cheek a peck of a kiss. "Love you. Bye."

Skyler whispered he loved her too and she left.

"Do you understand what 'grounded' means?" Their mother continued. "It means you go to school and come right back here, EVERYDAY! No phone! No shopping with your friends. No texting Paula! No dance classes. No visits to your beauty consultant. NO PAGEANTS! Do you understand?"

"Mom!?" The poor girl was overwhelmed with the amount of potential punishment being piled onto her. "How can I possibly pass a test in a class that I'm already failing!?"

"You study!" Her mother snapped. "There's no trick to it, Regina. You'll pass the same way that everyone else passes. They sit down and do the work. Now, you have tomorrow to review everything for the test. I suggest that you get up early and get started."

"But mom!"

"No buts!" Her mother turned to walk away. "You need to get a good grade, Regina, or you're grounded. End of story!"

"I'll help her study!" Skyler shouted above the excited voices. "I'll help you study, Reggie."

Everyone turned to face him.

"Alright, then," their mother said, nodding with a bit of satisfaction. Skyler was a bit of a history buff and had not had any issues in that subject while in high school.

Skyler looked at his younger sister. "We have all day tomorrow to work. I'm sure I can help you pass, Reggie."

Their mother turned to walk up the stairs to her room. "Let's hope so!" She called back into the kitchen.
 

~^~
 

"OH, MY GOD!" Regina screamed in frustration. "Mr Casey is crazy about all of these names and dates! I will never remember all of this. And besides... who cares about a war that ended, like, a hundred and sixty years ago!? Nobody cares!?"

"A lot of people care, Reggie, and it's important," Skyler tried to calm her down. They were only about fifteen minutes into this study session and Regina was already very frustrated. "You know the saying - People who do not know history are doomed to repeat it - right? And if for no other reason, you need to know it just to pass this test. I remember Mr Casey being a pretty big Civil War buff, so he takes all of this very seriously. Just try to remember the order of commanders of the Union Army. First it was Winfield Scott, then he was replaced by George McClellan, who was replaced by..."

"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," Regina spat. "I don't know, and I don't care. I'm going to fail anyway, so why even bother with all of this pretending?"

Skyler knew this attitude. Whenever Regina was faced with any situation that challenged her in a way that would make her feel inadequate, she'd lash out at the existence of that situation. She wasn't the smartest kid in school, but she was far from the dumbest. She just hated feeling unintelligent and this History class situation was frustrating her beyond her limits.

"Look, Reggie... I felt like I couldn't possibly pass as a girl a few weeks ago. Now... well, nobody questions whether I'm a boy or a girl and yesterday I had my first modeling job as a girl. If that's possible, then anything is. Right?"

"Wrong," Regina insisted. "I knew how to make you pretty - well, prettier. You were already slender, small and had those big eyes. All I had to do was add a few touches and... viola! I had a new, twin sister. That was easy. Learning all of these names and dates, though... that's impossible."

"It's not impossible, Reggie. If I can do it, so can you."

"'If I can do it, so can you,'" Regina mocked. "God, I am so tired of people saying that to me! 'If I can do it, so can you.' It's like everyone is supposed to have the same talents. I mean... you know about music, and I know about fashion. You know about History, and I know about... wait... YOU know about History!"

"Yeah. I know. That's why I'm helping you."

"Yeah, but... YOU... know... about History, and I made YOU my twin! Sky! You can take the test for me!"

Skyler shook his head. "No, Reggie. That would be..." he tried to continue, but Regina interrupted.

"Sky... Mr Carney is a jerk. He calls me stupid all the time and I hate it."

"He doesn't really call you, stupid, Reg."

"Yes, he does, Sky. Well, not in so many words, but he treats me like I'm an airhead, Sky, and it really makes me feel bad. Sky - I get so stressed in his class that I can't even think straight."

Skyler shook his head. He hoped that Regina was exaggerating, but she sure seemed sincere, and as far as he knew, she wasn't a very convincing actress. "Look, Reggie... I'd like to help you, but..."

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please," she begged with machine-gun-like repetition. Eventually, she took a breath, but before Skyler could get a word in edgewise, she continued. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please..."

"Alright, alright! Stop!" Skyler said, half desperate and half laughing. "I suppose I do owe you quite a bit at this point, but, so help me, if mom ever finds out about this..."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Regina bubbled as she hugged him and planted quick, peckish kisses on his cheeks. "She'll never know, Sky! Thank you, thank you!" She jumped back to her side of her bed when she heard the door knob turning. Luckily, it was just Hanna.

"Hi, guys," she smiled. "How are things going?"

"Pretty good, actually," Regina said, unexpectedly upbeat. "Come in and close the door. We're going to need your help to do this."

"Do what?"
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 6

 

Well, I obviously did something wrong yesterday when I attempted to post this chapter. Oh, well, better
late than never. Things are moving even faster for Skyler as he plunges deeper and deeper into girlhood. And
now some decisions regarding what will happen after the gala need to be considered.

---

 
Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews and comments. Please keep them coming.
It is always wonderful to hear from you. And again, I read each and every review you leave!!! ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 6 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 6
 

Monday morning started like any other school day. Perhaps the only unusual thing of note, and a thing that both Regina and Skyler hoped would go unnoticed, was the fact that both Regina and Skyler were wearing very simple, somewhat similar dresses. Both were a soft peach color, slightly differently designed, and both reached the knees of the wearer. Very plain, but very pretty in their simplicity.

Skyler was just washing out the bowl he'd used for the fruit that he'd eaten for breakfast when Regina entered the kitchen.

"Whoa! You two are actually dressed like twins today!" Skyler's oldest sister, Amanda said looking at the dresses worn by Skyler and Regina.

Kathy looked up from the article she was reading on her tablet and was struck by the similar dresses as well. "Wow! Did you two plan this?"

Skyler shook his head. "No. I just grabbed this out of Reggie's closet last night."

"And I just pulled out the first thing I saw this morning," Regina shrugged, grabbing a small container of non-fat yogurt out of the refrigerator. "Just a coincidence I guess."

"Well, you both look cute," Amanda said with a smile.

"So, how do you feel about this test today?" Her mother asked Regina as her mother entered the kitchen.

Regina shrugged. "Ok, I guess. A little nervous, I guess, but ok."

"Well, do your best," her mother said, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry if I added extra stress to you, Regina, but sometimes you just don't take care of business the way you should. Let's hope you don't have to repeat freshman year."

"Thanks, mom. No pressure, right?"

Her mother just shook her head.

A car horn beeped outside. "That Paula's mom. I gotta run," Regina announced, grabbing a spoon and heading for the door.

"Good luck!" Her mother called after her. "And make sure that spoon ends up back in my silverware drawer!" She shook her head and looked at her other children. "Somewhere, either in Paula's mother's car or in Regina's backpack, there has to be a pile of 'Gamman' style spoons from IKEA that that girl has taken and never brought home. Those aren't disposable." She gave that 'tired mother' sigh that all her offspring knew quite well.

"Hi, all!" Hanna greeted everyone as she entered through the same door through which Regina had just exited. She went to the sink and leaned down to kiss Skyler. "Ready to go?"

Skyler nodded and grabbed his purse and backpack before giving each of his sisters and his mother a peck on the cheek. He said, "Bye," and headed out the door, followed by Hanna.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Amanda said, looking a little confused, "but he never kissed us goodbye before he started wearing dresses, did he?"

"No, he did not," her mother said, as surprised as her daughter.

"Maybe all those chemicals in his hair have leaked into his brain and infected his mind with lethal femininity," Kathy joked.

"Well, he certainly acts a lot more femininely than he ever did before," Amanda conceded. "Maybe this is going too far."

"Maybe," her mother said, "but I'm not sure there's a cure for someone who's been 'Regina-fied.' He's worked really hard to win this pageant, though, so... let's wait this out and see what happens after the contest."
 

~^~
 

"Hey, Sky!" A voice called as Skyler was about to enter the performing arts building at his college. Skyler turned and saw Alan, the boy from the cafeteria, hustling to catch up. "Hey," he smiled. "How was your weekend?"

Skyler entered through the door that Alan now held open in a very chivalrous manner.

"My weekend?" Skyler asked, a bit befuddled by the young man's behavior. "Good, actually. How about yours."

"Great!" He smiled. "Some of my buddies and I went to Fenway and saw the Sox/Yankees game yesterday. We sat out in the bleachers, but it was awesome! Tied two to two in the ninth... extra innings and the Sox pulled it out in the twelfth with loaded bases and the batter sends a bunt just far enough down the first base line to give the guy on third enough time to cross home plate! What a great game!"

"Oh... that's great," Skyler smiled, not sure of exactly what information had been given to him. He knew that Fenway Park was where the Red Sox played and that they had a rivalry with the New York Yankees, but he'd never played or even seen a baseball game, so nothing else registered. But since Alan was smiling, the results must have been positive. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Yeah, I did," he chuckled. "Hey... I saw you Saturday."

"You did?" Skyler asked, surprised.

"Yeah. You were downtown... at that fancy hotel. The old one that looks like it came out of a movie."

"Oh... yeah... I WAS there on Saturday," Skyler said as he thought of a reason to have been there - a reason other than being at a rehearsal for a pageant that featured pretty men. "I... well, I mean... Hanna... you know Hanna... she took me there for lunch. Me and my sister, I mean."

"Nice," Alan smiled and nodded. "That probably cost her a pretty penny at that place."

"Oh, umm... I think she had a gift card from Christmas or something," Skyler sputtered.

Then he wondered - Why am I lying about this? So what if I'm in a womanless pageant? Why don't I just tell Alan the truth? He is bound to find out eventually, anyway. In a few weeks, when pretty, little Sky disappears and a quirky, homely, little Skyler reappears on campus, Alan is bound to take note. Why not just come clean, now.

The truth was that Skyler knew exactly why he was avoiding the the truth. The truth was, he enjoyed Alan's attention. The truth was, he felt good when Alan looked at him and saw someone worthy of note, rather than a skinny weakling. The truth was, he liked the way Alan had just opened the door for him, he liked the way that Alan sometimes got him napkins, or a straw when they were together in the cafeteria. The truth was, he really liked the way Alan - and frankly every other boy on campus - smiled at him and treated him like the lady he'd become.

He wasn't attracted to Alan, at all, though. No... really... he wasn't. No, he wasn't. He was attracted to Hanna and only Hanna. This was just all part of the game. A way to see life from the other side of the fence. Professor Marino, Hanna and Jenny all said that he had to act like a girl at all times. That's all that this was.

It was.

Really.

It was.

"That's cool," Alan said, with a bit too much enthusiasm. "So, where are you headed first?"

"Oh..." Skyler had kind of lost track of what he was doing. "I'm going to see my private teachers, Professor Kramer and Professor Marino. They're helping me get ready... I mean... They're... They're helping me... a lot. I mean... I'm learning a lot from them."

What the heck was all that about? He'd never been tongue-tied in his life before!

"Yeah, I bet," Alan nodded, seemingly understanding the odd flow of words that had come from his small, pretty companion.

"Well, here I am!" Skyler said, relieved to have arrived at his voice teacher's office.

"Ok," Alan said, trying and failing to make his departure less awkward. "Well... I'll see you later. Have a good lesson."

"Thanks."
 

~^~
 

"Are you serious!?" Paula asked, shocked at the audacity of her friend's plan.

Regina nodded, then whispered, confidentially, "At eleven thirty-five, when second block ends, I have to walk from the science wing to the cafeteria. I'll just go by way of the parking lot where Hanna will be waiting with Sky. We're dressed pretty much the same today. He'll get out of the car, and I'll get in. He'll go to lunch here, then take my History test for me. After third block, we'll do the same thing and I'll go to Spanish class with Señorita Polanski."

"What if they won't let you go to the parking lot?"

"I'll say that I just need to grab my lunch out of my car."

"But you're a freshman and freshmen aren't allowed to drive to school."

"Most of the teachers don't know me, so they don't know I'm a freshman."

"But what if they do?"

"They won't"

"What if you get caught?"

"I'm not going to get caught." Regina sighed. "Just hang by the door after second block so you can let Sky in if the door locks."

Paula let out a long, uncertain breath. "Ok, I guess."
 

~^~
 

Sky sat in the passenger seat of his own car with Hanna in the driver's seat to his left. They were parked in the back of Regina's high school's parking lot, waiting. He glanced down at his crossed legs and followed the smooth skin of his lower leg to where his small foot was gently encased in a ballet-slipper-style shoe that Regina wore on the rare occasions when she would forego her heels. They were very comfortable and the little bit of embroidery and rhinestone decoration on the slipper made them a very pretty addition to his simple dress, but... oddly... he really missed the pump-style shoes he'd been wearing for the past few days. These were pretty, sure, and very comfortable, but they just didn't feel as... elegant, maybe... as the pumps did.

"So, this is where you went to high school, too?" Hanna asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah," he nodded. "This is it. The place I dreaded going every day."

"Really?" Hanna asked, surprised. She had always known Skyler to be a good student. She thought he enjoyed school.

Skyler nodded. "I never felt comfortable in there. You know... the small, kinda smart, artsy kid... not many friends... kind of antisocial... I pretty much just kept my head down, went from one class to the next and hid in the music room as much as possible."

That made Hanna feel bad. "No friends? Really? Not even in the band, or chorus?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I mean, my freshman year, my sister, Kathy, was still there, but then she graduated, so... nope. No one. No real friends."

"I'm sorry, babe. Well, you've got me, now. And Alan likes you..."

"Alan thinks I'm a girl and wants to get into my panties."

Hanna considered that for a moment. "Speaking of Alan... How do you feel about him?"

Skyler shrugged. "I don't know. He seems like a nice enough guy. Why?"

Hanna smiled. "Oh, come on. You like it when he gives you attention, don't you? I mean... he's a good-looking guy, he seems sweet and talented and, like you said - he's into you. You like that, don't you?"

"That he's into me? No! I don't like it, and I am certainly not 'into' him. I just... kinda like having friends. I'm not really used to it."

"And you like it when girls look at you in the halls... and when guys glance up to watch you pass. I know! I see the way you eat it all up."

He shrugged, embarrassed. "So? I'm just enjoying it while it lasts."

Hanna squeezed his hand again. "It can last as long as you'd like. Forever, if you want."

"You mean... just go on presenting as Reggie for the rest of my life?"

"No. Not as Reggie, but... as Sky. Just a more feminine version of Sky. I mean... you look great and you seem to love it and you're turning a lot of heads, so... why not?"

"My mother, for one reason."

"Your mother? The woman who had you dress in a pageant gown in front of your girlfriend a few weeks ago? You think your mother might not want you in dresses? Sky, I think she prefers you in dresses."

"My mom?" Skyler considered that for a few moments, but it seemed odd, didn't? Why would his mother prefer him to present as a girl? "Why would you say that?"

Hanna shrugged. "What are you wearing under your dress?"

"A bra and panties."

"Did you buy them?"

"No."

"Did I?"

"No."

"Who bought them for you?"

"My mom."

"Did you ask her to?"

"No."

"I rest my case."

Skyler was about to argue, but someone knocked on his window. He turned and saw Regina. He opened the door and stepped out.

"You have to hurry," his sister said. "I got held up after second block and now we're way behind schedule. Paula's waiting for you by the door to the C corridor." She checked her phone. "You have two minutes to get to Mr Carney's class. Go!"

"Love you!" Hanna called behind him as he hurried towards the building.

"Love you, too," he called back.

Regina got into the car and quickly donned a pair of large sunglasses to wear as they left the campus.

"Come on," Paula hissed, closing the door after Skyler entered. "The bell's going to ring and Mr Carney will lock the door. We'll have to go sit in the office and take the test after school."

Seconds later, they were stepping into Mr Carney's Freshman History class, seconds ahead of the bell. Paula showed Skyler where to sit, then took his phone and put it and her own into a big shopping bag on the teacher's desk.

"Alright, friends," the young-ish teacher said, closing the door behind him, "it's test day, and we all know what that means. Griffin?"

"Yeah?" A young man said, looking up from his book, a little taken aback by the sound of his name.

"It's test day," the frustrated teacher said. "What does that mean?"

"Ummm," the confused student looked around, then, finally replied, "A test?"

"Two extra points!" Mr Carney said, clapping his hands. "Everyone ready? All phones are in the phone bag on my desk, right?"

There was an audible groan as students nodded and removed everything from their desks. "Yeah, my heart bleeds for you," the teacher said with a crooked smile, picking up a stack of paper tests. "Take out a pencil. If you do not have one, one will be provided for you."

"Everyone else gives tests on our computers," a student said, digging through her purse for a pencil.

"Everyone else teaches a subject that is not as easy to Google as History, Olivia."

"If it's easy to Google, then why do we need to memorize any of this," another student asked.

"Because, Jake," the teacher sighed, "I need my paycheck and in order to justify my check, I must find a way to torture you. The state won't allow me to actually cause physical pain, so I must do it
psychologically by forcing you to memorize a few dates and places."

That brought a little chuckle from the students.

Skyler thought Mr Carney seemed to be a pretty decent guy. Regina must have imagined his targeting of her.

"Ok," Mr Carney said with enthusiasm, "we have ninety minutes. Take your time and check your answers." Then he began passing out test sheets. As he reached Skyler's desk he paused and scowled a bit. "I certainly hope you're prepared for this, Regina." He spoke more quietly than he had before, but everyone in the class could still hear him.

Skyler, who was actually a bit of a history buff, was a bit irritated by the teacher's words, but horribly embarrassed for Regina by the odd sense of pity and condescension written on the teacher's face.

"I am," Skyler said, quietly.

Mr Carney looked skeptical. "I hope so. You need at least an eighty-five to pass, or else you and I will be spending another year together."

Skyler looked around at the other class members, all of whom were looking and listening. This teacher seemed like a nice guy, but he obviously had a problem with Regina and he seemed to have some kind of need to make her feel small and stupid.

"Well," Skyler sighed, "neither of us wants that to happen, Mr Carney, do we?"

That sent a ripple of giggles through the classroom.

Mr Carney placed the test papers on Skyler's desk, shook his head in dismay and moved on.

Skyler took out a pencil and looked at the first question: '1. Explain how the events of the Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856 and the events at Harpers Ferry in 1859 were connected and how those events contributed to the outbreak of hostilities that led to the Civil War.'

Skyler shook his head. The question seemed too broadly worded, but it was not his job to argue. It was his job to answer the question. So, he did.
 

~^~
 

"Hey," Alan said as he placed his tray of food on the cafeteria table. "Holy cow," he grinned, playfully, "we've run into each other twice in one day! People will be talking about us."

"Excuse me?" Regina asked, a bit peeved before looking up from her phone to see a very handsome, blonde college boy pulling out the seat opposite her and sitting. "Oh..." she said, regrouping. "Hi."

Alan smiled as he opened his packet of ketchup to spread on his burger. "So... how did your lesson go?"

"My lesson?"

Alan laughed. "Not well, I guess, huh? I mean, if you can't remember how your voice lesson went, it must not have gone well. Honestly, a voice lesson at eight thirty on Monday morning seems pretty tough to me. I think I'd rather go to a lecture or even a regular class to kick off the week, but you music majors... you seem to be gluttons for punishment. Always going into tiny rooms with judgmental tyrants who get paid to destroy your confidence." He looked across the table at 'Sky' and had to ask, "Hey... are you ok?"

Regina, suddenly feeling very flirty, moved her shoulders in an oddly seductive manner as she leaned forward. "I'm fine," she said in a husky voice that, she hoped, made her sound older.

"Really?" Alan asked. "Because you're acting kind of weird."

"Am I?"

"Yeah," Alan said, feeling a bit uncomfortable about flirting with Hanna's girlfriend, but also kind of excited that maybe, just maybe, Sky was finally finding him attractive.

"How am I acting weird?" Regina asked, a bit awkwardly, but still kind of sexily.

"Well..." Alan started to say, but he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Hanna, who plopped herself into the chair beside the sexy girl opposite him.

"You're acting weird because you're pretending to be a college girl, Reggie," Hanna said, flatly. Then she looked at Alan. "I see you've met Sky's little sister, Reggie."

Alan took a double take. "Little sister!?" He paled a bit. "Oh, geez... I'm sorry. I mean... you guys look so much alike and, well, I was talking to Sky earlier and she was kinda dressed like you, too...:

"That's Reggie," Hanna smirked. "She always wants to look just like Sky."

"Oh, please!" Regina said, shocked. "Sky was a mess before I became h... her fashion guide."

"Yeah," Hanna said with a condescending grin. "Of course, she was." She looked at Alan and shook her head. "You know how kids are..."

"Yeah, sure," Alan nodded. "I have a little cousin who's always trying to be like me."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Regina grumbled folding her arms and slouching against the back of the chair. Just a few minutes ago she was pretty sure that she was about to score a date with a college boy. Now, Hanna was treating her like a kid.

"So," Alan smiled at the petulant girl, "what year are you in?"

"Huh?" Regina asked, sulking.

"She's a freshman," Hanna replied.

"Oh, cool," Alan smiled. Maybe there was a chance to get to know this girl. God, she was pretty enough! "Do you go here?"

"She's a freshman in high school," Hanna clarified, smiling at Alan's rather transparent bid for attention.

"High school!?!?" Alan said, shocked! How! She looked so grownup!!! "So, that means your only, like... fifteen?"

"Fourteen," Hanna replied, again.

"No shit..."
 

~^~
 

"Pencils down," Mr Carney said. "I've laid out all your phones on the table by the window, so go up to my desk, drop off your test, grab your phones and you can return to your seats until the bell rings." he walked up the aisle and stood in such a way as to prevent Skyler from getting out of his seat, which was attached to the desk.

"Umm, excuse me," Skyler said, politely.

"Just wait," Mr Carney said, quietly. Just then the bell rang. When everyone else was moving, he reached down and picked up Skyler's paper. As he looked at it, the expression on his face changed from one of expected disappointment to surprise. Then he shook his head a few times and said, "Don't move from this seat. You're staying here so I can correct this."

"But... I have to get to my next class..." he muttered, a bit scared that he'd been discovered and not even sure what Reggie's next class was.

"Ms Ralston can wait a few minutes," the teacher said. "I want to go through this test with you before you leave."

Skyler sighed and looked at Paula who shrugged. This was just great! Hanna and Regina would be waiting outside for him by now, and this teacher was going to hold him up. No phone or computer, so no way to contact them and let them know. Just great.
 

~^~
 

They heard the bell ring from the parking lot.

"He should be out in a second," Regina said. Then her cell phone buzzed, and she looked at it. "Shit."

"What?" Hanna asked, anxiously. "Is it from Sky?"

"No, Paula, but... Shit... Mr Carney is holding Sky after class to go through the test with her. Shit, shit, shit."

Hanna shook her head. "What do you want to do? It might be better to go in and confess than to get caught."

"Are you nuts!? No! Sky can pull this off. We just need to wait."
 

~^~
 

"Oh, my God," Jenny spat at the computer screen broadcasting the news, "it's just a can of beer for crying out loud!"

"The spokesperson Anheuser-Busch said that the company was standing behind their decision to release their Pride decorated cans and bottles and that they would support the LGBTQ+ community despite the backlash they have received from many of the nation's largest communities, which are also some of their largest markets..."

Jenny closed the tab while the newscaster was still speaking. This whole goddamned world was going crazy.
 

~^~
 

Skyler sat in his chair while the teacher reviewed his work.

Without looking up, the young teacher asked, "Who was the Commander of The Army of The Potomac at the time of The Battle of The Crater?"

"General Meade."

"His Lieutenant Commander?"

"Grant."

"Who set off the explosives?"

"General Burnside." Skyler wondered why the teacher was asking those questions since none had been on the test.

Finally, he put down the papers, leaned back in his seat and folded his arms.

"Ok. I give up. How did you do it? How did you cheat?"

"I didn't cheat," Skyler said, insulted.

"Well, you didn't know the answers to a single question on this test when you failed last week's quiz and now, somehow, you know everything there is to know about the most trivial facts of the Civil War. I find that suspicious. I also find it odd that you only answered two questions incorrectly and those were actually pretty simple. So... how did you do it?"

"I studied."

Mr Carney snickered. "When? While you were looking into mirror to check your makeup or trying on new dresses?"

"I beg your pardon?" Skyler couldn't believe anyone would talk to him that way and the very idea that someone would talk to his baby sister that way, really upset him.

"Oh, come on, Regina," the teacher laughed. "We both know that you didn't really pass that test. You hate history and, to be blunt, you're just not smart enough to retain this information with just a weekend to study, and we both know it."

"Wow," Skyler said, folding his arms in imitation of the teacher, "are you this insulting to all your students or just to me?"

"You should watch your tone, young lady."

"And you should consider getting a job that doesn't involve dealing with young people," Skyler said flatly.

"Alright," he said standing. "Leave everything where it is. We're going to the office and calling your mother. Come on."
 

~^~
 

"This isn't good. This isn't good. This isn't good!" Regina said in a panicked chant as her mother's car pulled into the school driveway.

"No, it is not," Hanna agreed. "This is really not good. Maybe we should leave."

"No," Regina said, actually shaking with fear. "Sky will deal with it and I need to be here when she comes out."
 

~^~
 

"Thank you for coming in so quickly, Mrs Moynihan," The very well dressed principal said. She smoothed the pencil skirt of her suit under her as she sat at her desk. Opposite her sat Mr Carney, holding the test Skyler had taken, Skyler's mother and Skyler, who was looking out the window, avoiding his mother's glare.

"Well, obviously, I am very upset about this situation," Mrs Moynihan said with a sigh, "but I am very confused as to what is going on. From what I understand, Regina passed her test, but Mr Carney has concerns of some sort?"

"I do, Mrs Moynihan," Mr Carney said, looking to the principal for approval before continuing. The principal nodded, so he went on.

"Mrs Moynihan, Regina, as you know, has not done well this entire school year..."

"Well, yes, Mr Carney, I WAS made aware of Regina's poor grade two days ago. Until then, I was not aware of any serious issues. She had a low C on her last report card. I did expect her to improve those grades, but I was not aware that her grades had gotten so out of hand until your email on Saturday."

He nodded, but continued. "Yes... well, today Regina passed an exam on the Civil War with flying colors. Mrs Moynihan, the very idea that your daughter was capable of passing this test, considering her previous quiz grades, is absurd. The idea that she could pass it with a grade of ninety-one, is ludicrous."

"He did it again," Skyler muttered, still looking out the window. "He just blatantly insulted Regina. This guy was just an asshole.

"Do you have something to say, Regina?" the principal asked.

"He just called me stupid, again. He called me stupid after class, too. I'm not stupid, mom. None of your children are stupid."

Despite the odd remark, Mrs Moynihan turned to Mr Carney and asked, "Are you calling my daughter stupid, Mr Carney? Because that's what it sounded like to me as well. For your information, Regina spent most of this weekend with her brother, Skyler, preparing for this test. Isn't it possible that she was able to learn some things from her brother that you were unable to teach her?"

"Well, yes, Mrs Moynihan, it is possible that Regina was able to learn a few things over the weekend, but the very idea that she could fail each and every quiz on this unit and then ace the exam... That just doesn't seem like something that Regina is capable of."

"And there it is again," Skyler's mother said, with disgust. She looked at the principal. "I believe that your teacher has called my daughter stupid twice since I arrived and, according to my daughter, he called her stupid in class, too."

"Well, Mrs Moynihan, I think what Mr Carney is trying to say is..."

"I am capable of understanding the English language," Skyler's mother interrupted, "and I am insulted that you seem to think that I am so stupid that I need an interpreter. So, before I get angry, I think that my daughter and I will be leaving." She stood and gave Skyler's arm a touch to indicate that he was to follow. "When I entered this office, I was willing to believe that two professional educators were prepared to discuss my daughter's grade with me in a professional manner. However, I have sat here and listened long enough to understand that no matter how hard Regina tried, Mr Carney was never going to see her as a real student. He was only ever going to see her as some air-headed, pretty doll. In my opinion, Regina passed the test, even though both of you failed her. Come on, Regina."

She turned to leave, but stopped for a moment when the principal said, "Mrs Moynihan, please sit down again and let's talk this over."

Skyler's mother seemed to grow into some kind of giant when she turned and straightened herself. "No," she said, with no emotion. "I came here to discuss my daughter's education, but you both just want to tell me that she's just a pretty face with a vapid brain. Well, I'm done talking to you both. From now on, my daughter is going to be a consistent student with high grades, aren't you, Regina?"

"Yes, ma'am," Skyler replied, looking at the floor.

"That's right," his mother said. "And if you chose to fail my daughter, then you can bet that I will be on the phone to the superintendent's office to let her know just how viciously my daughter has been treated by both of you. Now, let's go."

Skyler grabbed his pocketbook and cell phone from Mr Carney and followed his mother out the door.

"The nerve of those people," she said as she stormed out into the parking lot. "Calling my daughter stupid! Who do they think they are!?" Then, when they were well out of the sight of the people in the main office of the school, she turned on Skyler and said, "And what on earth were thinking, taking that test for Regina? Are you insane?"

Skyler felt all the blood leave his body as he stopped and stared at his mother. "What?"

"Don't play coy with me, Skyler. Do you think I'm so stupid that I wouldn't recognize my own child?"

"Ummm... No... I didn't think you'd ever find out," he mumbled, again looking at the ground, but this time feeling ashamed of deceiving his mother.

"So... where is she? Where's Regina?"

He looked to where he'd left his girlfriend and sister earlier and saw them waiting. He pointed.

His mother shook her head and headed towards the car.

When Regina saw her headed that way, she tried to hide by slouching down in the front seat, but there was no point. Her mother walked to her door and opened it.

"Out," she ordered.

Regina sighed and pulled herself out of the car.

Mrs Moynihan crossed her arms across her torso and snarled. She looked from Regina to Skyler and back again. "I'm not sure if I'm angry, disappointed or just plain shocked, but I have to honestly admit that I never ever expected to find myself in this situation."

"Mom, I'm sorry," Regina said, "but I couldn't repeat my freshman year just because of history."

Her mother shook her head and looked at her son. "And you? What have you got to say for yourself?"

Skyler sighed. "Mom... Reggie helped me so much lately that... look, I know it was a stupid thing to do, but Reggie told me that Mr Carney made her feel stupid and that made me feel terrible. And mom... when he thought I was Reggie, he made me feel stupid, too. The guy's an asshole."

"Well, that's as may be, but..." their mother shook her head, then seemed to come to a decision. "Alright, both of you listen closely: I don't care who is an asshole and who isn't. All I care about is that (A) My children take their education seriously and (B) My children don't lie to me. So - Skyler, I know you're working hard on this pageant and school, but your little escapade today just earned you another job. From now on, you are Regina's personal tutor. Every night, Skyler, and I mean EVERY NIGHT, you will be checking in with Regina to see how she's doing in EVERY class, but especially History, because if that worm of a teacher ever finds out that you two cheated, I will look bad and I have no intention of looking bad in front of that jackass. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Skyler nodded.

"And as for you," she said to Regina, "you are about to become the best student in this high school. Every day, you will check in with your brother and you will be very specific about what classes you're struggling in. Then, you and Skyler will work together to get you up to speed. You WILL NOT EVER fail another test. Am I being abundantly clear?"

"Yes, mom," Regina nodded.

"Not EVER, Regina! NOT EVER, and Skyler, you will make damned sure that never happens. Do you both understand me!?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both said in unison.

Ms Moynihan looked from one of her children to the other and she did not look happy. Not at all happy. She shook her head. "I should have suspected something when the two of you came into the kitchen dressed the same. I just never expected that you'd ever try something this crazy."

"Sorry," both siblings said, both embarrassed.

Mrs Moynihan sighed. "I guess this is all just a testament to how much you two love each other. So, I guess I can't be too angry."

Skyler put his arm around his younger sister's shoulders. They looked at each other and smiled a bit. They'd never said it out loud until recently, but... their mother was right. They did love each other. They kinda knew that before, but... yeah... they loved each other.
 

~^~
 

"Hey, mom... can we talk?" Skyler asked his mother. She was at her desk, going through the bills for month and trying to make her budget work correctly. She was wearing a cheap pair of reading glasses she'd bought at CVS that rode low on her nose and made her look a bit older and more severe than usual.

She looked at Skyler and said, "Well... sure, Skyler, but if this about today... I think you know how I feel about what you did, and I certainly understand why you wanted to help Regina deal with that jerk if a teacher."

"Ummm... no. It's about something that Hanna said earlier, and I've been thinking about it a lot, all day."

She took off her glasses and placed them on the desk, then swiveled her chair to face her son, crossed her legs and indicated a chair. "Sure, Skyler. Sit down. Let's talk."

He smoothed the skirt of his tan dress beneath him and sat. He also crossed his legs at the knee, but then leaned forward a bit, utilizing his long, blonde hair as a shield from his mother's gaze.

"Umm..." he started to gather his thoughts. "Mom... earlier today, Hanna and I were talking, and she said something in passing that really made me think and..." he took a deep breath. "Mom... do you prefer me like this?"

Now, it was his mother's turn to gather her thoughts. What was her son asking her? "I'm not sure I understand what you're asking me, Skyler. Are you asking me if I prefer you as a clone of Regina, or do I prefer you in dresses, or do I prefer you as a girl...? What are you asking me?"

"Well... all those, I guess. I mean... I was just kind of daydreaming in the car and thinking about how pretty these shoes are," he pointed to the bejeweled ballet slippers he was wearing, "and Hanna asked me if I wanted to continue dressing this way, even after the pageant."

"And do you?"

"I don't know, mom. I really don't. See... I do like how the clothes feel and all, and I like looking pretty because, God knows, no one ever thought I was handsome as a boy, but... do I want to present as a girl forever? I don't know."

His mother nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you want to become a girl? By which I mean, have the surgeries and actually change your sex?"

"No," he replied very quickly and emphatically. "I can't think of myself that way, but... being part girl - like - maybe getting implants or something... if I decided to stay this way... I might consider something like that."

"So, you ARE considering it?"

"I don't know, mom," Skyler said, bringing his hand to his forehead as if to use his fingers to organize his thoughts. "Mom... ten days ago, I would watch TV and just watch TV. Like... just enjoy the plot. Now... God, I look at every actress and wonder how she developed her look. I wonder what kind of makeup she's wearing, how she puts it on and where she got her dress. I used to go on the computer and look at musical equipment and wonder how anyone can afford a Nord 3 keyboard. Now... now, I find myself scrolling through dresses on Amazon or on women's clothing sites. I think 'How would I look in that?' and 'Would Hanna think I look pretty in that?' and I wonder how soft this kind of dress or that kind of blouse would feel on me? Mom... I am just... so... confused right now!" He was shaking and a bit confused, frustrated tears were running down his cheek.

"Skyler, Skyler, Skyler," his mother said, leaning forward and taking her son's hands in hers, "take a breath and calm down." She kissed the top of his head, then released his hands so she could take his chin in her hand and raise his face to look at her. "Sky... this is all new and confusing, I know, but no matter how you choose to live, all of us - Regina, Amanda, Kathy, Hanna and I will always be here to help you and love you. No matter what, you will not be alone."

He nodded. "But... would you love me more if I looked like a girl or a boy?"

"More? Skyler, I love you just as much in a pair of jeans and sneakers as I do when you're in a dress and heels. Skyler... you're a wonderful person. Talented... kind... loving... You are such a gift to all of us, baby. I don't care about what you're wearing. I just care that you're happy. That's all."

He sniffled a bit. "But... Hanna said she thought that you preferred me like this."

His mother was taken aback. "Why would she say that?"

"Well, because you had me dress up like Reggie for the fitting that night and then... you know... you bought me bras and panties and stuff. I've been buying my own boy-clothes since I was like twelve, mom."

She nodded. "Sky... I just... I was just trying to help my kids. I needed you to stand in for Regina and, yes, I should have asked ahead of time, but I get tunnel vision sometimes and lose track of what I'm doing. I'm sorry if that was embarrassing. As for buying you your new necessities... it just didn't make sense to have you sharing Regina's underwear and... did I get a kick out of buying them for you? I suppose I did - but not because I prefer you this way, but because it was just such a novel thing to do."

She wiped a tear from his cheek. "Skyler... I love you now, I loved you before and I will love you later. Nothing will change that, and I will support any choice you make regarding how you present yourself. Ok?"

He nodded.

"Good," she looked at her watch. "It's after ten. Have you tutored Regina yet?"

He nodded. "I did and, mom, she is a really smart kid. She knows pretty much everything she's expected to know in all of her classes except History. She just kinda has a hard time accessing that information when she needs it. I had a similar problem in like seventh grade. I think I can help her."

"Of course, you can, Skyler. She's in good hands with you helping her."

"Thanks, mom. She's helped me so much to get ready for the pageant. I'm glad I can return the favor."
 

~^~
 

"Hey! I met your kid sister yesterday!" Alan said with a big grin as he approached Skyler the next morning. "Man, you two look like twins! It's really amazing how much you two look alike. 'Uncanny' my mother would say."

"You met Reggie!?" Skyler said, surprised that he was just hearing about this.

"She didn't tell you?" Alan asked, a bit deflated.

"No, but things were pretty chaotic at home yesterday. I'm sure she will bring it up tonight."

"Yeah," Alan smiled, back to his usual golden-retriever-type personality. "Hey, I'm going to the cafe. Wanna join me?"

"Sure," Skyler nodded, and they began walking. "How was your improv class this morning?"

"Ok. I keep saying 'yes and,' but then I kinda get into my head and I don't think I'm keeping up with everyone else. I'm working on it, though. I'm not sure how this will help me write screenplays, anyway." He smiled and shrugged. "How about you? How was your voice lesson?"

"Ok, I guess," Skyler chuckled. "Since I started taking voice lessons, Professor Marino has been having me sing higher and higher songs. I think it's getting a little ridiculous at this point."

"What did you sing today?"

"On, it's this song from a nineteenth century opera. The opera is called 'The Mikado' and the song is called 'The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze." It's really high for me. I keep telling her I'm not a soprano, but she's not listening."

"I bet you sounded great, anyway," Alan grinned.

They went into the cafeteria and got their lunches. Alan got a burger and fries, while Skyler got a low-calorie yogurt and a spinach salad. When they sat at their usual table, Alan asked, "So, do you have any other brothers or sisters?"

Skyler nodded. "I have three sisters. My older sisters, Amanda and Kathy, and my younger sister, Regina, who you met." Skyler prepped his salad and glanced at Alan. "Did she tell you she's only fourteen?"

Alan laughed. "She didn't even tell me she wasn't you. Hanna told me she was only fourteen. She looks older, though."

Skyler nodded. "She does, I guess."

"What about your older sisters? Are they as pretty as you and Regina?"

"All my sisters are pretty," Skyler smiled. He liked the compliment.

"Wow. Four beautiful sisters. Your dad must be a nervous wreck."

Styler snickered derisively at that. "My dad's long gone."

"Sorry. Did he pass away?"

Skyler shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. He's just gone. We came home from school years ago and he was just gone. All his clothes, all his stuff, all the money in my mom's bank accounts... gone."

"Wow," Alan said, mid-bite and uncertain as to what else to say.

Skyler shook his head, almost as if to shake the thought of his father's departure. "It is what it is," he sighed.

"Yeah... I guess..." Alan said. "Hey... I'm sorry that I brought it up."

Skyler smiled sympathetically. "It's ok."

Alan nodded. "So... back to the matter at hand... Do your other sisters look just like you and Regina?"

Skyler laughed. "Are you trying to date my sisters?"

"No!" Alan laughed, a little embarrassed. "I'm just... curious."

Skyler smiled at the blushing young man across from him. "No, Alan. Kathy and Amanda are very pretty, but they don't look that much like Regina."

"And you."

"And me."

"Too bad," He smiled and then searched for a way to change the subject. "Oh, hey! I got a new job."

"Really? Congratulations!"

He smiled. "Well, it's not a full-time thing or anything. My roommate got me a job working for a catering company when they have things on the weekends. I'll be waiting tables and helping out at the bar... stuff like that. The money's good, though, so... I'm psyched!"

"That's great!" Skyler said. "I'm happy for you. I hope it goes well for you."

"Thanks."

"I'm starting to get suspicious of you two," Hanna said, arriving at the table with a tray carrying a piece of pizza and a soda. She smiled at Alan. "Yesterday I found you flirting with Sky's sister and today I find you flirting with Sky."

She was only teasing, but Alan wasn't sure how to respond. "I... we... she... I mean, Sky... Look... Hanna, Sky and I... we're just friends. Honest."

Hanna laughed as she sat beside Skyler. "I know, you big goof. I'm just pulling your chain."

Alan let out a nervous laugh.

"Pulling his chain!?" Skyler laughed. "My God, you're crass!"

"We can't both be prissy little girls," Hanna joked. "One of us has to act like the man in the relationship."

"Well, thank God you're here, then," Skyler smiled, but the remark still bothered him a bit.
 

~^~
 

"Oh, great," Lynn said, shaking her head as she saw that she'd be working the front-end of the store with Skyler. "Look who it is. The owner's pretty, little nephew."

Skyler let out a sigh as he put his cash tray into the register drawer. "Hi, Lynn," he closed the drawer and set about prepping his work area, checking to be sure he had enough bags, a pencil, just in case, extra receipt tape roles, things like that.

"Why?" Lynn said with an overly dramatic set of hand gestures.

"Why what?" Skyler asked, knowing perfectly well what she was asking.

"Why do you dress that way? Why the dress? Why the hair? Why the makeup? Why!?"

"Because I like it and I look nice like this."

"You look like a girl."

"I look like a pretty girl."

"But a girl... and that's a sin."

"You look like a girl, Lynn. Is that a sin?"

"I am a girl."

"And you almost always wear the same long, drab skirts, but I don't complain about it."

Lynn was quiet for a few moments. "You think my skirts are drab?"

Skyler was surprised by the suddenly sullen tone of her voice. "Well... kinda, I guess."

The slightly chubby girl looked at her skirt. "I... like this skirt. I thought it was pretty."

When Skyler realized that he'd hurt the girl's feeling, his first reaction was 'good,' but that just wasn't in his nature.

"Oh... Lynn... look... forget what I said. Your skirt is fine."

They both stood in silence for a few moments, neither looking at the other.

"I don't..." Lynn, began, but then stopped.

"You don't... what?"

"I don't pick out my own clothes," Lynn said quietly.

"What?" Skyler asked, with a bit of a scoff in his voice. "What are you, like seventeen, and you don't pick out your own clothes?"

Lynn shook her head. "I'm eighteen and... I'm not allowed to."

"Why?"

It took a moment for Lynn to face Skyler. "My dad. He's a minister and he says it's a sin for women to wear anything but long, shapeless dresses and skirts."

Skyler stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to say. Finally, he asked, "Is this a Christian church? I mean... does he cite the Bible to justify this?"

She nodded. "Deuteronomy 22:5. It's the same verse that says that you wearing a dress is a sin."

"This can't be true." Skyler pulled out his phone and did a quick search of 'Deuteronomy 22:5. "Huh... there it is. Right between 'don't leave an ox or an ass on the side of the road' and 'never take a mother bird when you steal her eggs.' Interesting placement."

"See," Lynn said, sadly. "It says it's a sin."

"Actually, it says that I'm an abomination, so... to be honest, people have said worse about me."

She did smile a bit at that joke.

"It doesn't say that you have to wear shapeless..."

"Look up '1 Timothy 2:9,' or '1 Corinthians 11:5-10,' or 'Proverbs 31:30.' They all say that a woman has to be as plain as possible. My father... well, he really focuses on those verses at our church, so I have to live by those rules, too."

"So... are you... ok with this?"

"I guess," Lynn shrugged. "I believe in God, and I don't want to offend Him, but... I do wonder why it'd be a sin if I wore a flowered dress for a change. That might be nice."

Skyler nodded. "Yeah. I suppose it would."
 

~^~
 

"No, Skyler. No!" Professor Kramer said, stopping Skyler's prepared piece with an irritated tone in her voice. "This is a passionate piece! Clara Schumann wrote this Variation on a theme written by her husband while he was dying. It's sad, and beautiful, but the way you're playing it, it sounds like an exercise from a method book. Put some life in it!"

Skyler shook his head and sighed.

"Dr Kramer..."

"Alma, Sky. My name is Alma. All of my students call me Alma. I am only a few years older than you."

Skyler started again. "Alright. So... You seem to keep forgetting that I am not a classical piano major. I am a Pop Music piano major. Before I was assigned to you, I was playing songs by The Beatles, or Lady Gaga, or Carole King. These pieces that you're giving me... They're just too hard for me!"

"Oh, bullshit!" His private piano teacher spat at him in a very uncharacteristic burst of irritation. "If you want to make a living playing Elton John songs, fine, but you need to be prepared to play anything. Frankly, I'd like to see you get a lot more proficient at jazz before you leave, too, but I'm not the best teacher for that. Dr Trilby would be your best bet for that. Regardless, though, it's my job to make you the best pianist you can be, and that means being able to play the great works of piano - Like this one. I'm sure Reginald Dwight's teacher would insist on the same."

"Whose Reginald Dwight?"

"That's Elton John's real name."

"Seriously? You think Elton John can play this stuff?"

"Well, since he attended the Royal Academy of Music where he focused on playing Bach, Handel and Chopin, all of whom are more technically demanding that Clara Schumann - OR Robert Schumann who wrote the original theme - my guess is that he could sit down and sight-read this quite easily."

"Oh," Skyler said, quietly.

"And I hate to break this to you, Sky, but you are not Elton John, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Carole King or a member or The Beatles, and until you are, you should be prepared to play anything and everything that will help you to make a living. Alright?"

He took a deep breath and let it out. "Alright."

"Good," Professor Kramer said, then calmed things down. "Have you done your research on this piece?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Tell me about it. Start with the title."

Skyler sat a bit straighter and said, "Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann" by Clara Schumann. It was written as a birthday present for Clara's husband, Robert, and presented to him on his last birthday that he would spend at home with his family. The next year, he was in a sanitarium where he eventually died."

"How did he die?"

"Probably from syphilis, but there are other theories."

"How old was he when he died?"

"Forty-six."

"And how old was Clara when she became a widow?"

"Thirty-seven."

"How many children did they have together?"

"Eight."

"Tell me about Robert Schumann."

Skyler took a breath and said, "Well... He was a very promising composer and pianist until he injured his hands."

"And how did that happen?"

"The first story is that he was studying with Clara's father, Frederick Wieck, and was having problems with his finger strength. Due to Wieck's constant prodding that he improve, he used a finger-strengthening tool that he made out of a cigar box and he ended up injuring his hand, paralyzing several fingers."

"And the other story?"

"He may have contracted his syphilis at an early age and he would have been treated with mercury. Either the disease, or the cure could have caused that kind of paralysis."

"Good. So... how did he make his living?"

"He wrote a lot of music, and he published a music magazine in which he wrote a lot of critiques."

"And?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "That's all I know about him."

"And he lived off of the money his wife, a very good composer in her own right and one of the most popular and well-paid pianists in Europe, earned. At a time when men ruled the roost and earned all the money, Robert's dependence on Clara to make a living was a source of shame for Robert. Here he was, one of the most prolific composers of his time, and he watched while his wife and his friends, like Brahms and Berlioz, became massively popular. He stayed home and worked while his wife, the mother of his eight children, earned the bulk of the family's income. He was not a happy man."

"Huh..." Skyler nodded. "I guess you just kind of assume that, since someone is important and famous that they're happy, too."

"When, in fact, that is rarely the case." She waited while her student absorbed that information. "So... when Clara Schumann, a woman who was married at nineteen, began mothering children when she was your age, eventually mothered eight children, had to carry the younger ones with her as she worked as a touring pianist because she was still breastfeeding them, made oodles of money that was managed by a bitter, unhappy husband who was dealing with a disease that impacted his physicality and mental stability, wrote this piece as a gift for her dying husband - What was she feeling?

Skyler shrugged. "I don't know. Sadness, maybe?"

"Yes... sadness and grief and fear, but more than anything...?"

"I don't know."

"Love, Sky. She was feeling love. Because, despite all the ups and downs of their marriage... despite all the challenges of being a touring musician with children at home and in tow... despite the embarrassment of a husband dying of a disease that almost certainly was contracted due to socially inappropriate behavior... Clara loved Robert with all of her heart. She was deeply and completely devoted to him and the thought of losing him was tearing her apart. THAT is what I need to hear when you play this piece."

Skyler nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Skyler..."

"I mean... yes, professor."

She smirked at her student's inability to use her first name. "Ok. Let me hear it."
 

~^~
 

"So, how is 'The Feminization of Skyler Moynihan' coming?" Hanna's roommate, Yuki, asked, as they both vied for space at the mirror that morning.

"Sky?" Hanna asked, a bit confused by the tone of Yuki's question. "Sky is fine. Why?"

"And you?" Yuki smirked. "Are you still getting all hot and bothered by feminizing him?"

"Yuki... I may have supported Sky's decision to try to win this contest, but I am not 'feminizing' him in any way."

"Yeah, sure," Yuki laughed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that... before Sky was a pretty, little princess, I would be able to come back to my room in the evening and, only occasionally would you two be screwing around. Now..." she giggled, "...now it's like I'm rooming with rabbits! I'm getting texts to stay away pretty much every night and the other night I walked in and found you with your jeans down by your ankles while Sky was wearing a frilly, little dress and on his knees in front of you giving you oral orgasms. Face it, girl... you have some pretty extravagant lesbian fantasies going on in that twisted head of yours."

Hanna shrugged. "I don't think that they're necessarily lesbian fantasies. I have no desire to have sex with someone else with a vag. I need that little pointy bit of his to make things worthwhile for me."

"So, what is it? Just a domination thing?"

"Oh, God, no!" Hanna laughed, finishing up her light makeup and fluffing her hair a bit. "Being a dominatrix is way too much work. I don't have the patience for that kind of makeup, and I look too skinny in leather. Can't I just enjoy seeing my boyfriend looking pretty? Is that really so weird? Guys enjoy seeing their girlfriends in nice dresses, with their hair and makeup done, right? Why? Because it makes the girlfriend beautiful and exotic. Something completely different than themselves. Guys are tough and they like someone who is soft and delicate. Well - I've always been a bit of a tomboy. I mean, I'll wear a dress and makeup for a recital or if I have to wear it for a social event, but usually, I just look like this. Just enough makeup to keep people from staring at me combined with sexually ambiguous jeans and tops. Let's face it, Sky and I fit perfectly into traditional sexual stereotypes. It's just that I'm a little bit more of a guy than Sky is and he's a lot more of a girl than I am."

"And that's traditional?"

"It's 'The New Traditional.'"
 

~^~
 

"Much better," Professor Kramer said, as Skyler finished the Clara Schumann piece. "See... all it needed was a little emotion. Sky, the best way to be a great player or singer is to remember that all the muscles in your body are of no use whatsoever unless you use that big muscle in your chest to interpret the music. It's not your fingers or your diaphragm or even your brain that will make the music great. It's your heart. Always play with your heart. Ok?"

"Ok," he said, standing and closing the cover of his iPad, from which he'd been reading the music.

His teacher looked at her student and smiled. "That is a very pretty dress, Sky." He was wearing a very simple, baby-blue, sleeveless, cotton dress that fit comfortably in the bodice - just tight enough to indicate that there were breasts beneath, but not tight enough to indicate the size of said breasts. It was high waisted and blossomed into a loose, slightly old fashioned, skirt that just covered Skyler's knees as he stood.

"Thank you," Skyler replied. "It's actually a dress I bought on my own and not a hand-me-down from my younger sister."

She smiled at his pride. "You seem to be developing your own sense of style."

He shrugged. "I guess. I mean... I've been listening to my sisters and my mother talking about fashion for my whole life, so I guess I just kind of picked up a lot without thinking about it at all."

"That makes sense," Dr Kramer acknowledged. "Tell me, Sky, have you considered what you'll be wearing to the departmental recital in a few weeks?"

"Not really. I mean, that's like two weeks after the pageant, so... who knows?"

"Does that mean that you're not sure how you will present after the pageant?"

"Yeah," he said, blushing. "It's funny that you brought that up, because this has been the topic of conversation pretty much everywhere I've gone for the last few days. Everyone wants to know what I'll do after the pageant and the truth is... I have no idea."

"I see," she smiled. "I guess this has made your life kind of confusing, huh?"

"A little. I think... I think I just didn't realize how much I'd actually LIKE being a girl. I mean... I had worn girl's clothes a bit before this. What I mean is, I have plenty of hand-me-down shirts from my older sisters that button on the wrong side, and some sneakers that had a pink stripe on them before I took a Sharpie and colored them black or something - and ever since my kid sister, Regina, got to be the same height as me, I've kinda been a stand-in model for my mom or other seamstresses, but... actually living this way - like a girl, I mean - it's just so much different than I expected it will be."

"How?"

"Well... I wake up kind of excited about what I'm going to wear. I have so many different choices than I did before and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING feels so wonderful and... just different, I guess. You grew up wearing dresses and all, but it's all new to me. And then there's the way people look at me."

"Boys you mean?"

"Boys, girls, men, women... everyone! Before, I was just a scrawny boy. I think that people just dismissed me if they thought of me at all. Now, it's like I'm a damsel in distress at all times! People open doors for me, pull out chairs for me... My own uncle won't let me stock shelves in his store anymore. I am working the registers at the front end now. Since people started seeing me dressed this way, they've started thinking of me differently and, to be honest, I kinda like it."

Dr Kramer touched Skyler's hair in a very sisterly manner. She felt the almost childishly feminine butterfly hair clip that held his hair back while he played, and she smiled. "Actually, I do understand, but from the other side. See, that was me growing up. Always the damsel in distress. Always the one whose mother insisted on having her wear the most frilly and feminine items. So, when I had the chance, I went the other way and started wearing more slacks and jeans and things like that. But to be honest, I could never pull off a dress as cute as the one you're wearing in my whole life! My mother would love to dress you."

He smiled at that. "My mother loves to dress me. So do my sisters and my girlfriend. I don't know what it is about women and guys in dresses, but they can't seem to stop themselves."

"Well, remember not to just be their doll, ok? Remember that, whether you are a lady or a gentleman, you are a talented, strong, intelligent person. Stay that way, Sky."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, I hate it when you call me ma'am!" she laughed.
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

'The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze' from THE MIKADO by Gilbert & Sullivan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2qJXT3olM
 
'Variations on a theme written by Robert Schumann' by Clara Schumann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP6-K8CAx0A
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 7

 

As the Gala approaches, Skyler focuses more and more on what needs to be done,
while outside forces threaten to cancel the event.

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you for all the reviews and comments. I'm really thrilled you are all enjoying
the story. Please continue to post your comments. They mean a lot to me.
PS. And I have asked Sephrena to stagger the stories so they will not be up at the same time. ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 7 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 7
 

"Hey, girls," one of the high school's cheerleaders said as she sat down at the cafeteria table opposite Regina and Paula.

"Hi, Ellie," Regina said, not thrilled to see this particular girl sitting with them. Ellie was a social diva at the school. She was popular and she could be very manipulative at times. A 'Mean Girl' in every sense of the word.

"So," Ellie leaned in and whispered, "I heard that Mr. Carney got into a lot of trouble because he accused you of cheating on that test."

Regina shook her head. "I don't think so. He was just being Mr Carney, right? I worked hard last weekend, and I was prepared for that test. I guess he was just surprised."

"Maybe," Ellie said, licking her glossed lips and looking around, "but he's not in school today, the sweater he keeps on the back of his chair is gone and his coffee mug isn't on his desk. I think he may have been fired."

"I sincerely doubt that, Ellie," Paula said, shaking her head.

"We shall see!" The cheerleader rose and strutted away.

"You don't think he was really fired over this, do you?" Paula asked, concerned.

"I don't know," Regina replied, "but I'm going to find out."
 

~^~
 

"Hi, Sky," the voice on his voicemail said. He was playing the message through his phone's speaker so Hanna could hear it. "This is Fawn, your photographer friend. I'm just calling you, Regina and Paula to tell you that the clients loved the pictures we took last weekend. I'd like to book you all again for another session in a month. I have your mother's number, so I'll call her to confirm things, too, but I just wanted to let all three of you know that the session was a huge success! I look forward to seeing you all here again in a few weeks."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Skyler said to Hanna. "Reggie is going to be really thrilled."

"You seem pretty thrilled, too," Hanna grinned. "Look at you, getting all excited over the prospect of putting on more, fancy dresses."

Skyler shrugged. "Like I said, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts."

"The modeling gig is in a month, Sky. The Gala is in ten days. Have you made up your mind to remain like this after the Gala, then?"

Skyler gave her a little smirk. "I'm considering it."
 

~^~
 

"According to Bea Santos, who is an office aid, Mr Carney didn't quit, but he took a leave of absence until the end of the school year," Regina told Paula. "I guess he had a fight with the principal after my mom left and she gave him the option of taking the leave of absence or she would consider having him fired for insubordination."

"Wow," Paula said. "Is that fair? I mean... you did cheat..."

Regina nodded. "I admit, I'm not happy about it, but he is kinda a dickhead and he called me stupid pretty much everyday." She thought for a moment. "I don't know if it's fair or not, though."
 

~^~
 

"That was excellent, Ladies," Karen, the technical director said after the second rehearsal. Once again, most of the contestants wore jeans and men's shirts, while Skyler was wearing a very pretty outfit that he'd bought himself at the mall. "Now, those of you who have not yet run your talent sections, please sit in the first three rows. The rest of you are free to go. If you want to watch the others rehearse, please sit near the rear of the house."

"Are you playing today, Skyler?" One of the contestants asked, rather loudly, while they all stood in formation on the stage.

"No," Skyler said, surprised by the question. "I played last week."

"I know," the contestant said with a smile. "I wanted to hear you play again, but if you're not playing, then I'm going home."
 

~^~
 

"This really has nothing to do with you, Regina," the principal said. "I can't really discuss it with you, but I will say that Mr Carney's attitude towards many of his students became abundantly clear to me last Monday, and the decisions that were made were inevitable. If your situation hadn't been the straw that broke the camel's back, another situation would have become known in the very near future. Your issue was not his first infraction."

"I just feel bad," Regina said. "Like... it's my fault he's fired."

"He's not fired, Regina. He took a mental health leave and has plenty of sick days to maintain his employment until the fall. So, relax, Regina. He's getting the help he needs to be a better teacher."

"Ok," Regina nodded, feeling better about the situation. "Thank you."
 

~^~
 

"Hello?" Skyler said, answering the call from the unfamiliar number.

"Sky?" the voice asked.

"Yes."

"This is Jenny Jacobs from the pageant."

"Oh... hi," Skyler said, surprised to get a call from last year's winner. "How are you?"

"I'm well, Sky, but I'm calling to be sure that you saw the email that went out about this weekend's rehearsal."

"An email? When did you send it?"

"Just a few minutes ago, but Sky, dear, it is not great news."

Sky opened his iPad and read the email quickly, then touched the link that brought him to a news story. "This is nuts!" he said.

"I agree, dear, but here's the situation. Some jackass who is not on the city council is demanding that The Gala of Tiresias be shut down. They are calling it a 'drag show,' which it isn't, but who cares if it was, and they are threatening to hold protests outside of the Ansonia Mansion during the show. They've even called for the removal of local officials who approved the permits for the event. It's all quite a mess at the moment."

Skyler took all of that in and considered the consequences. "So... what's going to happen? Are you cancelling the Gala? Moving it to a new location?"

"No, dear, not at this time, anyway. No, right now we are moving ahead as planned, but I'm sure this whole mess will escalate over the next few days. We really just want to make all of our contestants aware of the situation and give you all time to process everything. We are also offering to refund all deposits and fees to any contestant who wants to withdraw."

There was an awkward silence that seemed to go on for a very long time.

"You're not considering withdrawing, are you, Sky?" Jenny asked in a concerned tone.

"I... I don't know," he finally answered. "To be honest, I need to think about it. I never considered that things could turn hostile like this. I mean... what if these people want to really hurt us? I can't put my family in danger."

"I know, dear, but we can't let the bullies win, can we? We in the queer-community have to stick up for ourselves and stand up to these holier-than-thou people who want to shove us back into our closets. I hate to say this, Sky, but it's time for gurls like us to man-up and defend who we are. No one ever said that being a trans-girl was going to be easy."

Trans? Was that what he really was? A Tran-girl? He hadn't even considered that he'd fit in that category, but Jenny had just used that term to describe him. Maybe, before he agreed to fight for who he was, he should at least figure out who that really was!

"Jenny, I... I need to think through this, ok? Can I call you back tomorrow morning?"

There was a sad, disappointed sigh from the other end of the conversation. "Ok," Jenny raid, sadly. "Call me tomorrow." Then, in a hurried voice, Jenny said, "But Sky..."

"Yes?"

"Don't withdraw, sweetheart. You're very talented and... I probably shouldn't say this, but... as far as I can tell, you are this year's front runner. If... if you don't do this competition, Sky... well... you'll regret that for the rest of your life."

Skyler didn't know what to say, he was just too confused and scared right then.

"Don't let the bad guys win, honey. These are troubling and dangerous times for people like us. We have to stand up for ourselves and tell the people who want us to go away that we are here to stay."

Silence.

"Are you still there, Sky?"

"I am."

"Ok... call me."

"I will."

"Bye."

"... bye."
 

~^~
 

"Now, wait a minute," Uncle Bill said to Skyler as they sat on opposite sides of the desk in Bill's small office. "You're saying that there is a group of people in this state who think that a bunch of guys who get dressed up as women for a competition are somehow a threat to them? Am I understanding this correctly?"

"Yeah, in short, yeah, but they're claiming that we're a threat to the children of the community, somehow, and that they will do whatever it takes to shut down the gala."

"Well, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," the older man scowled. "I mean, don't these people have jobs or anything else to occupy their time? Where do they find enough hours in the day to develop all this hate and stupidity?"

Skyler was about to say something, but his uncle pushed on.

"This is not the same country I grew up in. Sky, I am forty-eight years old and when I was growing up, all this talk about hate was just in our history books. Policemen turning firehouses on civil rights marchers in the sixties, riots in Boston over school bussing in the seventies... I guess we were just naïve to think it was all over. Or, maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention until recently.'

'Sky, I spent two and a half years in the Persian Gulf doing my duty for this country. My father, your grandfather, spent twenty months in Vietnam doing the same. We didn't question WHY the government asked us to do what we did, we did it BECAUSE our country called on us and we answered the call. We both felt it was the best way to preserve the rights and freedoms of the people back home. But this... this... bull shit, pardon my French, is not what we fought for. This whole country has lost sight of the important things and everyone is just sniping at everyone else. 'I'm right/you're wrong.' It's ridiculous and I'm fed up."

"I get what you're saying, Uncle Bill," Skyler said, "but isn't saying that 'the whole country' is to blame kind of judgmental, too?"

Bill smiled. "You are too smart for your own britches, young... lady. You know that?"

Skyler laughed at his Uncle's use of such an outdated, folksy phrase.

"So..." Bill got serious, again, "what do you plan to do?"

"I don't know, yet. I need to talk to the family and figure everything out. What do you think I should do?"

Bill opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out an envelope. Then, from the envelope, he began extracting laminated tickets to '45th Annual Gala of Tiresias' to take place in a few days at the Ansonia Mansion. He laid each ticket in front of Skyler and commented on each one as he did so. "This one is for your mother. This one is for Kathy. This one is for Amanda. This one is for Regina. This one is for Hanna. And this one is for me. That's six tickets at two hundred dollars each, plus handling fees, whatever those are. I am the most frugal man I know, and I've spent over twelve-hundred dollars to see my nephew win one of the most prestigious competitions in the country. No matter what, I'm going... and I'll be very disappointed if my nephew isn't there to show everyone that he's the most talented and beautiful young woman in New England."

"Wow," Skyler said, looking at the tickets. "This is a whole new level of pressure. What if I don't win?"

Bill smiled. "If you walk out on that stage for even a moment, Sky, then you've already won. The prize is arbitrary. Showing the world who you are and what you can do... that's winning."

"Thanks, Uncle Bill," Skyler smiled. Was this who he really was, though? He still hadn't figured that out completely.

Bill made a show of looking at his watch. "Holy smokes! You're almost three minutes late for your shift. I'd hate to have to fire you after everything we just talked about."

"Ok." Skyler laughed as they both stood.

Skyler turned to leave the office, but Bill stopped him with, "Hey. Come here."

Skyler stepped towards his uncle who enveloped him in a firm, warm hug. As he embraced his nephew, Bill said, "I know I don't say this much, but I love you, you know."

"I know, Uncle Bill. I love you, too."

"I know Sky, but... I should say it more often." He released the younger man but held him at arm's length and looked at him. "Your father would be so proud of you if he were here. I just wish he wasn't so goddamned stupid. Look at what he's missing out on."

Skyler shrugged. "This is how he wanted it, Uncle Bill. He chose to leave. Now... As mom always says - it is what it is, right?"

Bill nodded. "Well... my brother is a moron. He may be gone, but I'll always be close by if you need me, Sky."

"I know. Thanks, Uncle Bill."
 

~^~
 

"We are considering reversing our decision to allow the event to take place," a City Councilor said on the newscast.

"What a sniveling, little coward," Jenny muttered while watching the TV.

"Our constituents have raised their voices and made it very clear to us that this event is not something they want to take place here. There are issues of morality that we had not considered," he continued.

The camera shifted to a reporter. "Let me clarify for our viewers. This city recently hosted something called 'SatanCon' at a convention center that is owned by the city, and you hosted a huge event to celebrate the start of online gambling in the state?"

"Yes, I believe that's true." The councilman nodded.

"So, Satanism and online gambling events can take place in PUBLICLY owned venues, but what is essentially a womanless beauty pageant that has been taking place for nearly half a century and never once caused any public strife, is too amoral to be allowed to take place in a PRIVATE venue - even though the city has already approved all of its permit requests?"

The councilman smirked at the reporter. "Things are more complicated than your obviously slanted question would indicate. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"But councilman..."

"I'm sorry. I need to go."

"What an asshole," Jenny muttered.
 

~^~
 

"If you're asking me if it's worth risking your safety so that you can be in a pageant, then I'd have to say no... I don't." Amanda said, crossing her arms and looking around the room at her mother, sisters, brother and his girlfriend.

"Well, it is a substantially bigger prize than the typical pageant," her mother said, still considering the pros and cons.

"Mom, have you been following the news, lately? Do you know what has been going on in states like Tennessee, Texas and Florida. Even in Montana, people's lives are being destroyed just because they are trans or because they are supporting trans rights." Amanda protested.

"Yes, but we don't live in those states, Amanda," her sister Kathy tried to point out.

"I can't believe you're so relaxed about this!" Amanda said, more riled up to anyone. "I mean, I can understand mom being cavalier about it because the financial stuff falls in her lap, but you and I were more like mothers than sisters to Sky! I remember teaching you how to change his diapers when you were barely out of diapers yourself! I'm not going to stand by and see him hurt over a stupid pageant!"

"I think we all need to calm down a bit," her mother said. "We all know how Kathy and Amanda feel - one in favor of Sky continuing and one opposed. Now, let's move on. Regina? What do you think?"

The fourteen year old sister looked uncomfortable. "I'm not gonna lie, I really prefer Sky like this. It's not that I didn't love you before, Sky. I did, but... we've just gotten so close lately and, to be honest, I'd really miss having my sister Sky around if she went away."

"So... you're in favor of Sky doing the pageant?" Her mother asked.

"I don't know," Regina shrugged and wiped a tear from her eye. "I mean, I don't want Sky to get hurt, so..." She thought for a moment. "Can I ask a question?"

"Of course," her mother said.

Regina looked at Sky and finally asked, "Are you trans?"

"Oh, come on," Amanda snapped, frustrated. "Just look at him! He's as cute as you are, Reggie! Of course, he's trans."

"Well, it's just that..." she tried to organize her thoughts. "See, I know some trans people at school and... well... being trans isn't just wearing the clothes and looking cute. It's a real need to be someone other than who you are. So, maybe we're using the wrong word for Sky." She looked at her brother. "Sky... do you want to be a woman?"

"No," he said, quietly.

"Ok, so if you're just doing this for the money, even if it's a lot of money, it's just not worth the risk," Amanda pointed out.

"So, after the pageant," Kathy asked, "will you just go back to being a boy again?"

"No," he responded just as quietly.

"I don't understand," Kathy said.

Skyler took a deep breath and explained. "Ok... I've spent most of the last twenty-four hours thinking about this and I'm not sure how to explain how I feel." He thought before he spoke. "See... I was never really comfortable in my own skin before, but I kind of thought that everyone felt that way. Now... now I feel... right. Like this is who I'm meant to be, but I need to be THIS me. Me looking like a girl, but Me being a guy, too."

"Is that even possible?" Kathy asked, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Yeah," Amanda, the nurse answered, "but it's not easy."

"Neither is having your junk cut off, I shouldn't think," Kathy said under her breath.

"Now, none of that nonsense," her mother said. "Let's keep things civil and supportive." She looked at her son. "So... you're not attracted to boys, then?"

He did a double take and then looked at Hanna. "How could you ask that, mom? I'm in love with Hanna."

"You could still be in love with Hanna but be a lesbian who is in love with Hanna," Regina posited.

"A...? But I'm not a lesbian! I'm a man... kinda. I guess I'm what you'd call me 'non-binary.' I'm someone who's kind of halfway between being a man or a woman. I don't know how else to explain this."

Hanna touched his shoulder. "You've explained it fine, babe. It's ok."

Amanda cleared her throat. "Let me be very clear here," she said. "I am one hundred percent in favor of Sky living anyway he wants to... I'm sorry... any way he needs to. It's just this pageant that has me concerned. Why risk your safety for something like that?"

"Because it's important to me," Skyler said. "I want to do it and I think I could win."

There was a silence until their mother said. "Hanna? Skyler says he loves you and that makes you part of the family. What do you have to say?"

Hanna looked around at the concerned faces of her boyfriend's family and braced herself before she spoke. "Ok, look, let me start by saying very clearly that I love Sky a lot." She looked at his mother. "I did before you pulled into that custom dress shop's parking lot, and I still do now. Also," she took a breath, "and I know this might sound weird, but... I kind of prefer the way he looks now. Actually, it's not just the way he looks... it's him. It's like he's more self confident, more secure in his own abilities now than he ever was. I find that very appealing. And, let me be clear about this too, I'm not a lesbian, either. Part of the attraction to seeing Sky looking like this is that I know that under all that makeup, hairspray and pretty clothes is a really cute, sweet, passionate guy."

Everyone smiled, relieved to hear that.

"Now, regarding The Gala of Tiresias... I think that he should absolutely do it. He's worked incredibly hard to prepare and the two professors he's been working with at school think he stands a really good chance of winning. So does Jenny, right Sky?"

He nodded.

"Who is Jenny?" Kathy asked.

"She won the Gala last year and she's one of this year's coordinators. Actually, she's kind of running everything this year," Sky explained. "She's the one who called me this morning."

"Alright," Mrs Moynihan said. "So, Kathy, Hanna and Regina are saying 'do the pageant. Amanda says no and I'm still on the fence. I think I have to say that I will support whatever you decide, Sky. So, it's up to you."

"Wait," Amanda interrupted before Skyler could speak. "Sky... this whole thing scares the crap out of me, but... if you decide to do it, then I'm on board, completely. I'll support everything you chose to do and I will never, ever say 'I told you so.' Ok?"

Skyler smiled. "Ok. Thanks, Mandy." He thought for a moment. "I think that I have to do it. I've worked really hard and, like Hanna said, everyone seems to think I could do really well. So... I'm doing it."
 

~^~
 

"It's something new, just to challenge you," Professor Marino said, retrieving music from the printer and handing it to Skyler. "It's not a belting piece like the one you're doing at the Gala. It's a controlled, beautiful piece, but anything in that range will make you more comfortable. Play through it and sing it as you do. It'll be a combined sight-singing and sight-reading exercise."

"Alright," Skyler sighed, uncertain as to the purpose of this exercise.

He glanced at the music. Key of F major - easy enough. Looked pretty straight ahead and he was good at both sight reading and sight singing.

"It says, 'from Jekyll and Hyde.' Is that a musical?" He asked.

"It is."

"Is it good?"

Professor Marino smiled and shrugged. "It's Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, so it has its moments. And this song is one of those moments."

"How fast is it?"

"It's slow. Say around eighty-six to ninety BPM."

"Ok." Skyler subtly bounced his head to the tempo for a few measures, then began playing. The four bar introduction was pretty. Then he sang the lyrics.

"I peer through windows

Watch life go by

Dream of tomorrow

And wonder why

The past is holding me

Keeping life at bay

I wander lost in yesterday

Wanting to fly

But scared to try

But if someone like you

Found someone like me

Then suddenly

Nothing would ever be the same

My heart would take wing

And I'd feel so alive!

If someone like you

Found me."

He continued to sing and play, getting more involved in the song with every note. As he reached the last refrain, he opened up his newly found high range and let the notes flow out with passion.

"Oh, if someone like you

Found someone like me

Then suddenly

Nothing would ever be the same

My heart would take wing

And I'd feel so alive!

If someone like you

Loved me!

Loved me!

Loved me!"

When he'd finished, he realized that his eyes had closed as he'd held the last note. He opened them, turned and saw Professor Marino and Professor Kramer and Hanna smiling at him.

"That was beautiful, babe," Hanna said, looking as if she was about to cry.

"It really was, Sky," Professor Kramer nodded. "Congratulations, Sky. I think you just crossed some kind of a threshold. You definitely played and sang that song from your soul. I'm very proud of you."
 

~^~
 

"So, what is your decision?" Jenny asked Skyler through the phone.

"I'm going to do the gala," he said, feeling very happy with his decision.

"That's my girl!" Jenny half-cheered through the phone. "It looks like we're only losing five contestants at this point. I'm so glad you're sticking with us, Sky. Now, remember, this weekend is final dress at The Ansonia Mansion - not the hotel. Bring all your costumes and you're Agame. Ok?"

"Ok, Jenny. I'll see you then." He disconnected the phone and pulled the foil top off of his yogurt container.

"Hey," Alan said with a big grin, sitting opposite him. "How are you today?"

"Really good," Skyler smiled. "You?"

"I'm good too. You know that job I told you about? Well, I'm starting it tonight. I'm going to be waiting tables at a wedding at a hotel downtown. I think I'll be making some decent change."

"That's great, Alan!"

"Yeah, and provided I don't screw up royally, I'm booked for the next four weekends. Boy, what a relief. I was running out of pocket money since the store I worked in before went out of business. My parents aren't really able to help me out financially. I feel much better now."

"Hey, that's wonderful," Skyler said with a friendly smile. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," he said, happily.

"Well, don't we all have happy faces," Hanna said, arriving with her tray.

"Alan has some great news," Skyler explained.

"Oh? What's up?"

Alan told Hanna all about his new job and Hanna listened attentively and even asked him about his previous experience in the service industry. He was thrilled to share his stories with the two pretty girls.
 

~^~
 

"I don't know," Skyler's mother said, looking at her son as he modeled the fourth pageant gown that Regina had supplied. This was Regina's favorite, but something about it didn't appeal to their mother.

"What?" Regina asked. "It's a beautiful dress!"

"It is, but... I think, even though you and Skyler look like twins, clothes hang just a little differently on each of you. Honestly, and no offense, Skyler, but I don't think that he has the confidence to pull this gown off. It shows so much skin..."

"I agree," Hanna said. "Reggie, you can wear something like this and you have a kind of 'Look at me, world. I'm beautiful' attitude, but Sky has only been wearing dresses for a couple of weeks. I don't think he has the confidence or experience to wear that."

Regina sighed, frustrated by the situation. For the last couple of weeks, she'd been dressing her big brother in her clothes and there had been no problems. Now... there were problems. Sky had no real experience with this kind of clothing. Yes, he'd been a dress model for fittings she couldn't attend, but that didn't involve moving, or performing.

They'd found a gown for him to wear in the opening. It was a fairly simple, pink silk gown that hung nicely, moved easily and didn't require complicated underthings.

They also found a nice retro-style blouse and skirt set for him to wear while singing his song - which was actually his second talent, so there was no guarantee he'd even need it.

At this moment, they were trying to find a gown he could wear while playing his Chopin piece on piano. It couldn't be restricting because he needed to be able to move. It also needed to fit securely because if he did move while playing, and the last thing anyone wanted was a boob, fake or real, to suddenly pop out of a revealing top. He also needed to be comfortable in it.

"Well, what are you looking for?" Regina asked.

"Oh, I have an idea," Hanna said, pulling out her phone. "This is Khatia Buniatishvili. She's one of the best pianists in the world right now. Take a look at what she wears."

She pushed play and a video played.

"Oh, I think that Sky is too small in the bust to wear something like that," their mother said.

"Ok, look at this one," Hanna said moving to another video.

"Oh! That'll work!" Their mother said.

Regina looked at the phone and said, "Oh. I thought you wanted something more elaborate. I have something similar to that. It's black with little gold squares kind of randomly arranged on it."

"The one you wore to your cousin's wedding last year?" Her mother asked.

"Yes."

"That would be perfect."

Moments later, Regina returned with the dress. Skyler stripped off the gown he was wearing and stepped into the new arrival. Regina pulled it up onto him.

It was designed for a smaller girl than Regina had become. A more modestly breasted girl who was, perhaps, just a little more petite overall. So, it fit Skyler perfectly.

Black spaghetti straps crossed his shoulders to support a princess neckline bodice that may have plunged just a bit more than Skyler had worn before. Below the bust line was a section that appeared to wrap around the upper belly for six inches or so, then the soft chiffon material bloused out into a spacious skirt that hung nicely and provided a loose and easily maneuvered, but formal look. It was black and it did have little gold squares that sparkled and caught the light when the dress moved.

There was a zipper up the lower back that tightened the band around his upper belly and made him look even more slender than he already was. When the zipper was raised, the gown fit perfectly.

It was simple, yet startling and incredibly feminine.

"I love it!" His mother praised, unable to keep herself from touching the soft material.

"I agree," Hanna smiled. She touched her boyfriend's soft, hairless cheek. "You look like an angel, Sky. You're just beautiful."

"You look great, Sky," Regina chimed in, "but wait until James pulls your whole look together for you. You are going to be as hot as hell when you step onto that stage. Every guy there, straight or gay, is going to get a boner when he looks at you."

"Regina Marie!" Her mother half-shouted/half-laughed. "Where on earth did you learn to talk like that?"

"From Kathy and Amanda," the youngest sibling shrugged.

"How does it feel, babe?" Hanna asked Skyler. "Are you comfortable in that gown?"

"Yeah, I guess," Skyler said, but he only said that to avoid having to say that this was the softest material he'd ever felt in his life and that he would LOVE to wear something that felt this nice all the time.

"And all he'll need to wear under it is a strapless bra, a pair of panties and shoes," his mother said, thinking aloud. "I don't think we're going to find anything more comfortable than that." She fussed some more with the dress, brushing the wrinkles out of it.

"You look sexy as hell, Sky," Regina grinned, happy to have helped to find a suitable gown for her brother. "Doesn't he, Hanna?"

"He does to me, Reggie." She winked at the younger girl before saying, "Let's just hope that not too many men end up getting boners as Sky walks by them.

Regina and Hanna laughed, but Mrs Moynihan tried to sound like a responsible parent. "Alright! That's enough from you two. Boners," she laughed, "I haven't heard them called 'boners' since Bill Clinton was President. Don't use that word, Regina. It sounds so... childish. Find another word, please."

"Can I call it an erection?" Regina asked innocently.

"Why are we having this conversation at all?" Her mother winced.

"Because, mom... guys get boners when they look at beautiful woman. And Sky is going to be the most beautiful woman at that all male pageant."
 

~^~
 

"So, that's sixty-eight-fifty from eighty, so that's fifty-cents makes sixty-nine, one dollar makes seventy and ten makes eighty. Thank you for your business. Please, come again." Skyler smiled at the older woman who was in the store pretty much every day at around two thirty.

The woman smiled at him. "I love your dress, Sky."

Skyler glanced at the light green, knee length sundress he was wearing, then grinned at the older woman. "Oh, thank you, Mrs Stoller. That's very kind of you to say."

She picked up her bags and glanced at the other register. "And how are you today, Lynn?"

Lynn, who'd seemed agitated all day, forced a smile. "I'm good, Mrs Stoller. Thank you."

"Well, you two girls have a nice day, now." Mrs Stoller took her bags and left.

"Are you ok?" Skyler asked Lynn.

"Huh? Me? Yeah... I'm ok," Lynn said. "Why?"

"Well, you just look a little pale."

A customer started unloading his groceries at Skyler's station.

"I'm fine," but Skyler could tell that something was bothering her. Maybe it was an upset stomach or something, but she didn't look well.

He needed to do his job for the moment, though, so he grabbed a box of pasta and passed it over the scanner. He moved on to the next item, and the next, and the next, not really looking at the customer. He was aware that the person had finished loading his groceries onto the counter and he'd pushed the shopping cart to the end of the bagging area and now was standing opposite him with the scanner section of the counter between them. The man was fidgeting with something over there, Skyler assumed he was looking for his wallet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Skyler saw something pass him. What was that? A fly? A moth? Oh, well...

Then something bounced off his shoulder. He stopped scanning for a moment and looked up to see if something was falling off the ceiling. While he was looking up, though, something hit his cheek.

What the heck!?

He looked down and saw something he never expected to see sitting on the counter. It was something he had never used himself. Something he recognized because he was the only boy in a house full of women who used these things.

It was a tampon.

A used, dirty tampon on the counter.

Skyler looked around, confused, when another filthy sanitary item bounced off the front of his dress.

He looked at the customer who held in his latex-gloved hand, a plastic freezer-sized bag of dirty, used tampons.

"I thought you might need these to make you feel more like a woman," the customer said.

"What?" Skyler muttered, shocked and confused.

The customer threw another tampon at Skyler. "What's the matter, fairy? Don't you know what a tampon is? Doesn't your fantasy of being a girl include having a period?"

"What?" Skyler muttered again, still unsure of what was happening.

"What are you doing?" The next customer in line, a woman in her late thirties shouted, both uncertain of what was happening and angered by the actions of the other customer.

"This doesn't concern you," the first customer snapped at her. "This is between me and this faggot."

The woman pulled her carriage out of the aisle and stepped towards the man. "I'm calling the police if you don't stop." She tried to grab his arm. "Leave that girl alone."

"He's not a girl, lady. That's why I'm here." He threw another another dirty item at Skyler.

"That's none of your concern," the woman customer stated, pulling out her phone. "I'm calling the police."

"Dad, stop!" Came from the other register, but Skyler was still shocked and confused, so he couldn't process what was happening.

"What's going on here?" Skyler's Uncle Bill shouted, moving quickly and approaching the front of store from the meat counter where he'd been working.

"This asshole is assaulting this girl," the second customer explained. "I'm calling the police."

At that moment, the male customer threw the entire remaining contents of the plastic freezer bag at Skyler, making a mess of soiled menstrual products all over the work area.

"What the hell...?" Bill shouted both as a business person whose store was being violated and as an uncle whose nephew/niece was being assaulted. He hurried around the register area and pulled the man's grocery cart out of the way, then gripped the man by the front of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "What is wrong with you?" He screamed at the man.

"Dad!"

Skyler turned and looked at Lynn. "That's your father?"

Lynn was already coming around the back of her cashier station and headed towards her father and Uncle Bill in the hopes of keeping her boss from throttling her father. She looked at Skyler as she passed him, and she looked as if she was going to burst into tears. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Skyler looked around the typically peaceful, neighborhood market that his uncle so loved and took in the mayhem around him. Uncle Bill was screaming and threatening to beat up a customer, Lynn was begging them both her calm down, her father was grinning broadly and spouting Bible verses at Uncle Bill, and the female customer who had called the police was saying, "Yes, at the corner of Claremont and Elliot Streets. Oh, they just pulled up now." Skyler looked out the window and saw two police officers approaching the door: one male, one female.

This was crazy!

What had he done to incite this?

Why was Lynn's dad so angry?

"Alright, now everybody just calm down," the tall, broad, male police officer said as he entered the store. Then, to Uncle Bill he said, "Sir, if you'll please release this man and step back, we'll handle things from here."

Reluctantly, Uncle Bill released Lynn's father and took a step back.

The female police officer, who looked just as powerful as her male partner, spoke to Uncle Bill as the other officer spoke to Lynn's father. "Are you the owner?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Can you tell me what happened here?"

Uncle Bill cleared his throat. "Well... I was working out back when I heard a commotion up front. When I got here, that guy was throwing something... a whole bunch of somethings at the cashier, my... niece... and calling her names. My other cashier was screaming at the man to stop... I think he might be her father... and another customer had called you people. I pulled the guy away from my... niece... and then you two showed up. That's about all I know."

"Had there been an altercation between your niece and the customer prior to the customer assaulting your niece with the soiled tampons?"

"I... I don't know, but... I doubt it. Sky is very polite."

"That's your niece's name? Sky?"

"Yes."

The female police officer turned to Skyler and asked what precipitated the attack.

"I don't know," Skyler said at first, but then he realized he knew the answer to that question. "Actually... I think it's because I'm... not... a girl... and I think he knew. He's a minister at a church that really frowns on... well... people like me."

"So, you're a trans-girl?"

Skyler shrugged. "I... guess." Then he thought for a moment and regrouped, gathering his courage. "Yes. Yes... I am a trans-girl."

The officer let out a sigh, which Uncle Bill interpreted as a judgement of Skyler.

"You're not insinuating by that sigh that Sky is responsible for what that guy did, are you?"

"Not at all, sir," the officer said with calm efficiency. "It's just that, since this may be interpreted as a hate-crime, this could turn into a federal case. I apologize for the sigh, sir. It was more about the amount of paperwork this could result in rather than a judgment of any sort."

"A federal case?" Skyler asked. "What does that mean?"

"It could mean some serious jail time for your assailant - IF he's found guilty on both state and federal charges."

Skyler looked towards the back of the store where Lynn was sobbing as her father was being handcuffed. Was he responsible for any of this?

"Sir," the female officer said to Uncle Bill, "if I could get a statement from you and your niece, please?"

Just then, Skyler heard the male officer say into the microphone that was attached to his shirt front, "This is badge number six-nine-one-seven requesting a unit to transport a detained suspect. Suspect is hand cuffed and cooperative."

"Unit is en route, six-nine-one-seven," came an electronic voice through the small speaker.

The male officer guided Lynn's father past the checkout area, with Lynn trailing behind, weeping uncontrollably. She looked at Skyler with huge, sad, wet eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sky. I..." she couldn't find the right words. "I... I'm... just... so... sorry."

Skyler wanted to reach out and hug her, but he was still frozen in shock at the whole situation.

Lynn took off the vest that she wore at her cashier's station and handed it to Uncle Bill. "Here," she said, sounding even sadder. "Thank you for giving me this job. I'm sorry it all... I'm... I'm just sorry."

Uncle Bill took the vest, uncertain of what to say in this situation.

"Wait," Skyler said, louder than he'd intended. "Does this really have to go this far? I mean... what if I didn't press charges."

"Well, I certainly intend to," Uncle Bill said. "That man not only assaulted you, but he disrupted my business."

"Yeah, but... Uncle Bill... yeah, he's hateful and all, but... he is Lynn's father. If he goes to prison, then... what happens to his family?"

Uncle Bill looked at Lynn with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Lynn, but he broke the law. I have to protect my business and MY family. You understand, don't you?"

The sad girl nodded.

Uncle Bill sighed, upset by the sight of his employee. He looked to the police officers. "What are my options here?"

The male officer answered. "Well, you could press charges. That will mean that this man will appear before a judge, and he will either be found guilty or innocent. If found guilty, then he could be sentenced to anything from community service to several years in prison. Should you choose not to press charges, then he will be released, and you could end this now, or you could still file a restraining order to keep him from entering your store again. It's up to you, sir."

He looked at Skyler. "What would you have me do, Sky? I'd rather take our chances with the courts, but... he attacked you, Sky. It's your decision."

Skyler looked at the man, then at the pleading eyes of his daughter. He took a deep breath and finally said. "Let him go, please."

The officers looked at each other and shrugged. "Ok," the male officer said, pulling out his keys to unlock the handcuffs and speaking to Lynn's father, "but just be aware that we will be filing a report. So, if you decide to pull something like this in the future, there will be a record of your behavior here today. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Lynn's father replied, seeming to be unfazed by the officer's authority.

"How do I go about filing a restraining order?" Uncle Bill asked.

"It's a simple procedure," the female officer said and then she went on to explain.

"Thank you," Lynn whispered to Skyler.

He shrugged. "Why did he do that?"

"I guess he thought it was the right thing to do," Lynn said, sniffling. "He said it was God's will."

"Is that what you think, too?"

Lynn shook her head. "I don't agree. I used to, but... then I got to know you. I told my father that you were a good person, but..." she looked around the store, thoroughly embarrassed and confused. "I'm just... sorry."

Skyler nodded. "I know."
 

~^~
 

Alan sat down in a chair opposite Skyler, placing a full tray on the table. "Here you go," he said with a big smile, taking a dish of chocolate, soft-serve ice cream from the tray and placing it on the table in front of Skyler.

"What's this?" Skyler asked, surprised.

"I'm celebrating," the big boy smiled. "I got my first paycheck from the catering company, so I bought you an ice cream."

"Oh, Alan, that's so sweet of you, but..."

"I know, I know, you and Hanna are a couple. Don't worry, I'm not trying to seduce you with frozen treats." That made Skyler laugh. "I got one for Hanna and one for me, too." He pointed to his tray.

"That's very generous, Alan, but you shouldn't be spending your money on us."

"Ooh! Ice cream!" Hanna said, joyfully, sliding into the seat beside Skyler and looking longingly at his dish. "Can I have a taste?"

"I got you your own bowl," Alan said triumphantly. "Vanilla or twist?"

"Oh, I love vanilla," Hanna smiled.

"Perfect," Alan grinned, "because I love twist!"

Hanna took the bowl. "Thank you, Alan. What's the occasion?"

"Alan got his first check from his new job," Skyler explained.

"And I thought that a great way to celebrate is to buy ice cream for my two favorite girls!" The boy beamed.

"Ohhhh, how nice," Hanna half-sang in that way that only girls of a certain age can. That sing-song voice that flirts with the boy, infantilizes the boy, and excites the boy, all at exactly the same time.

Alan blushed and Hanna turned to Skyler. "Don't eat too much of that. You need to fit into all those slinky dresses this weekend."

"Slinky dresses, huh?" Alan gave Skyler a playful smirk. "Do you have a performance this weekend? And don't worry - it's fat free frozen yogurt."

"She does have a performance. I pageant, really... for a big scholarship," Hanna said, glancing proudly at her pretty boyfriend.

"A pageant?" Alan's eyes widened in surprise. "I never would have taken you for a pageant girl. You're too... nice."

"It's my first one," Skyler smiled and licked a little ice cream from his spoon.

"I don't think pageant girls get nasty until their third or fourth pageant," Hanna teased.

"Hey," Skyler laughed, "my sisters are all pageant girls and Reggie has done like twenty or so, and she's not nasty."

"Reggie?" Alan joined in, "I met her... right?"

"You did," Hanna grinned, "and she never said she was only fourteen, did she? See? Nasty."

They all laughed.

"So what time is your performance, or pageant thing? Maybe I can come." Alan was genuinely interested and supportive.

"It starts at seven in the evening," Hanna said, sounding helpful, but Skyler wondered why she'd offer any information about the pageant. After all, Alan didn't know the truth about Skyler.

"Oh, damn. Can't make it," Alan said, disappointed. "I'm working that night. Sorry."

"No big deal," Skyler smiled, relieved.

Alan went to stand. "I gotta get a drink. Can I get you girls anything?"

"I'm good," both replied in unison. He walked away.

"Why would you invite him to the pageant?" Skyler asked, a little peeved.

"I thought he'd enjoy it."

"But he doesn't know about me."

"Well," Hanna drew her hand through Skyler's soft, blonde hair, "maybe you should tell him. He is obviously attracted to you."

"To you, too."

Hanna kissed his forehead. "No, baby. He likes me as a classmate, but he's attracted to you. You should tell him."

"After the pageant," he finally said.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Alan said, returning. "If you two need some time alone..."

"No," Hanna smiled, "we're good. Sit down."

"There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, no, no," Hanna smiled. "Just... you know how girls are. We live on emotional roller coasters."
 

~^~
 

"I don't know what more we can offer by way of security," the police chief said to Jenny. They were in the chief's office with his sergeant standing behind the Chief. "The Ansonia Mansion is a privately owned facility, we will have a detail on duty, but these threats are probably unsubstantiated anyway. I'd advise that you just move forward with your plans."

Jenny sighed and shook her head. They'd fought the battle with the city council and were still able to hold the Gala at The Ansonia Mansion. Now, it was time to make sure that everyone stayed safe. "Chief... are you aware that there have been eighty-six trans people of color violently attacked - thirteen of them killed - in this country since the start of this year and we are barely halfway through the year?"

"Yes, but none of those occurred in this state, ma'am. This is a more open minded and accepting state than many others. You have nothing to worry about."

"Chief... I am a trans-woman of color in a country where eighty-six trans people of color have been violently attacked - thirteen of them killed and you're response is 'You have nothing to worry about.' Well, I disagree. This weekend there will be several dozens of trans-girls in this facility, many of them people of color, and I do not feel safe under the circumstances. Had the City Council just told the 'handful of people' who are trying to disrupt this event that they were just narrow minded bigots and if they decided to act on their small minded pettiness they would be arrested, then I would feel better - but they didn't. They nearly canceled the event and that gives credence to the claims of the bigots. It is entirely possible that they will be cowed by the decision to allow us to move forward, but it's just as likely that they will show up with the intent to disrupt because the City Council was indecisive - and that worries me because their kind of hateful energy frequently leads to violence."

The Police Chief let out a tired breath. "Look, ma'am..."

"Jenny."

"Ok. Look... Jenny... I fully understand your concerns, but I can't arrest people for being small minded, hateful bigots. I can't arrest them for what they are thinking. I can only arrest them for what they've done. So, I will have officers there and visible as a deterrent. Should they sense a threat, or if any situation begins to escalate, I will have more officers here in moments. I have also requested that the State Police stay close at hand. If that isn't enough for you, I'd suggest hiring a private security company. I can give you some recommendations if you'd like."

Jenny shook her head and stood, causing the chief to stand as well. "Alright. Thank you, Chief. I hope you don't think I'm crazy. I just don't want anyone hurt and I certainly don't want people to associate the words 'Gala of Tiresias' with violence." She nodded, uncertain of what else could be said. She cleared her throat, turned and left.

The chief sat and opened a file, while the sergeant walked to the doorway and watched until Jenny disappeared from sight.

"Gawd almighty," the sergeant said, shaking his head, "it's hard to believe that's a man, isn't it, Chief?"

The Chief glanced up and looked down the hallway to where Jenny had disappeared. "I guess. She certainly is an attractive woman."

"Woman?" The sergeant scoffed. "That's no woman, Chief. That's just a perv in an expensive dress."

The chief leaned back in his chair. "I take it that you don't much care for the way that Ms Jacobs chooses to live her life, then?"

"Can't say that I do, Chief. It's just not natural, you know? I just feel that boys should be boys and girls should be girls. My pastor says that these people need to be reformed or removed."

The chief nodded. "You know what? I think this would be a great weekend for you to take a little time off."

"What?" The Sergeant turned and looked at his supervisor.

"Look, Tony... I have to make the safety of the people at the Ansonia my priority this weekend, and if you're going to pass judgement on these people before we even begin working with them, then... just take a few days off. I'd rather you weren't here, just in case things get heated. I need to know I can count on my people and... obviously, I can't count on you."
 

~^~
 

"So," James, Regina's beauty consultant said, "as I understand it, we're looking for four distinct looks on Saturday." It was Wednesday evening, he was sitting at the kitchen table at Skyler's mother's house and he was doodling hairstyle ideas on a paper napkin.

"Four?" Skyler asked, shocked since he had only expected James to do his hair and makeup once at some point on Saturday and then he'd be on his own for the pageant.

"Yeah, four," James nodded. He held up a different finger for each look, starting with his pinky finger. "A formal look for the gown parade, a nineteen-thirties-Secretary look for that 'long line of good girls' song, something sporty for the swimsuit competition and something amazing and elegant for the classical music piece you're playing. Four looks."

"If I might ask," Kathy asked from where she was leaning on the counter, "how much is all of this going to cost?"

James smiled and put his arm around Regina's shoulders. "Normally, for me to actually attend a pageant and work all day, I'd be charging about thirty-five hundred dollars, but," he shook Regina's shoulders a bit, "as a favor for my favorite pageant girl, I'll be working gratis. Besides, turning boys into beautiful girls is a massive challenge and... at the risk of sounding immodest... look how well Skyler turned out with no real preparation. I didn't know what else to do, so I just made Skyler look like this one, here. Now that I know how pretty I can make him without breaking a sweat, I'm kind of excited to see how far we can take him."

"Aww, thanks, James," Regina smiled as she leaned against the beauty specialist, one of the only men in the world she truly trusted.

James grinned at her, then got back on track. "If you only needed one or two looks, I'd suggest a wig for the nineteen-thirties look. That would give me the opportunity to get everything organized well in advance and style that over the top look without a lot of urgency. Then you throw the wig on and run out on stage - no muss, no fuss."

"So, we need to buy Skyler a wig, then?" Sky's mother asked.

"No, I don't think we should go that way this time," he said seriously. "The wig would make his hair sweaty and it's a lot harder to make sweaty hair look pretty than to make over sprayed hair look pretty. Sky has beautiful hair..."

"Thanks to James," Regina complimented.

"...so I don't want to have him in a wig all night." He looked at the feminine young man. "I think the best way to approach this is for me to work backstage and I'll restyle you as needed. Reggie, I'll need your help as my hair assistant."

Regina squealed, thrilled to be a useful member of the 'Make Sky A Pretty Girl' team.

"And you, Hanna," James continued. "I'll need you to help as well. Sky will need a dresser. Will you do that for him?"

"Sure," Hanna smiled, also happy to be included.

"Great. Until this weekend, then, I need the rest of you to help keep Sky's hair soft, clean and shiny, and his skin smooth, hairless and well moisturized." James looked at everyone. "Can I count on you to do that for me."

They all nodded and muttered their assent.
 

~^~
 

"Alright, ladies!" Karen the pageant's technical director, shouted to get everyone's attention. "This is final dress. The competition is tomorrow, so this is your last opportunity to work through everything. Your playback music is all on my computer and I will start it when you are at the microphone, or, if you're not lip syncing, when you're ready for your routine. Now - We are going to send you backstage to your dressing areas. Now, remember, space is limited, so if you have people helping you, make sure that you keep to your own space and be respectful of the other contestants. Questions? No? Good. All contestants with last names A through H, head back to Dressing Room A. Last names I through P, go to Dressing Room B. The rest of you, please go to Dressing Room C."

The rehearsal had been quietly moved from the downtown hotel to the location of the actual performance space at the Ansonia Mansion, a palatial home of the Gilded Age that occupied a couple of acres of grassy land not far from the center of the city. The house had been owned by the Anson family until the mid-nineteen-eighties when they could no longer afford to maintain the property. Since then, it had been owned by a private group of wealthy families and local banks and insurance companies. By moving quietly to this location, the organizers were able to avoid the handful of Anti-Trans/Anti-Gay/Anti-Anything-WeDon' t-Understand demonstrators that had assembled outside of the hotel.

"Ok," James said, patting Skyler's shoulder, "go into the dressing room, hang up your garment bags, find your counter space and lay out the products I gave you. Reggie and Hanna, you help him. I need to talk to Karen for a moment. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Regina led the way into the dressing room, being more used to these sorts of events than the others, she was wholly unconcerned about what needed to be done. As the other contestants mulled around, looking for their name-cards on the counters and clothes rack, Regina seemed to have an innate sense of where she was going. In seconds, the garment bags were hung up and a small makeup case was open on the counter in front of the mirror. Skyler's stake had been claimed.

"Oh, it's the cute little blonde songbird with his twin sister," a sarcastic voice said from behind them.

They turned to find the contestant who called himself 'Pussy Boots.' He was wearing male clothes, but over doing his campy female persona to an extreme.

"Hi, Rodney," Skyler said, trying to be friendly. He had noticed the name tag on the counter to his right had Rodney's name on it. He was trying not to sound disappointed about this. "I guess we're neighbors here." He smiled in as friendly manner as possible.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Neighbors. Just keep your shit and your... team... out of my area, ok?"

"Look, Rodney, there's no reason for us to be hostile to each other. We're all here..."

"I'm here to win, bitch," Rodney said, with a dismissive, backhanded wave of his hand. "As far as I'm concerned, you, and everyone else here, is here to lose. That is all. Now, out of my way and let's do our best to avoid ever having to speak to each other again." He stepped to his area, slamming his shoulder into Hanna's as he passed her. He took a large bag from his shoulder and began laying out his makeup and tools on the counter.

Hanna was considering engaging this person in an argument, but at that moment James leaned into the doorway and called them to them to follow him.

"I spoke to Karen, and as I suspected, they have an extra room where I can set up my work area. It's not exactly a private area. There will be some catering people running in and out with their equipment, but as long as we're set up in the back of the room and don't take up a large amount of space, we should be ok. Here." He had arrived at the room, about thirty steps down the hall from the dressing room. He opened the door and stepped in, the others following. The room looked more like a kitchen prep area than a dressing room, but there was a small alcove in the rear that looked as if it may have housed a large piece of kitchen machinery in some bygone day. It wasn't a big an area but there was plenty of space for their purposes.

"How come we get extra space while nobody else does?" Hanna asked.

"Because I knew enough to ask first," James smiled. "I been through this a million times, Hanna. I knew WHO to ask, WHAT to ask and HOW to ask."

"You're amazing," Regina said, bouncing and clapping.

"Alright," James clapped his hands one time, getting down to business. "Hanna, help Sky get into his pink gown, then come back here and I'll do his hair and makeup. Reggie, I need you to help me get set up." He clapped his hands twice. "Let's get to it."

Hanna hurried down the hall, well ahead of Skyler. She was, after all, wearing a tee shirt, jeans and sneakers, while Skyler wore a loose, pale yellow sundress and moderately high heeled sandals, so there was a difference in their mobility.

When they got into the dressing room again, Hanna went straight to the garment bags and unzipped the longest one, which contained the gowns. "Take off your dress and put on your heels."

Skyler pulled the four inch high, silver shoes that went with the baby pink gown. He took off his dress and sandals, and put on the silver shoes before pulling the sundress carefully over his head. He put that dress on a hanger and hung it in his area, then turned to put on the gown, but he found Rodney standing uncomfortably close, smirking as his eyed Skyler from head to toe.

"What?" Skyler asked, a little frustrated, standing in the heels, baby pink silk panties and a matching, baby-pink, strapless bra.

Rodney shook his head. "Those tits still look too real to be fakes and..." he glanced down to Skyler's crotch, "... you're mighty smooth down there. Of course, you are a white boy, aren't you? Maybe you have so little equipment that it doesn't show. OR - Maybe you're really a white girl."

Skyler shook his head. "We've already discussed this. My breasts aren't real, and my genitals are tucked and taped. Ok?"

Rodney shook his head. "I don't think so." He walked away.

Hanna lowered the pink gown carefully over Skyler's head and shoulders, then guided the arm holes up his arms, finally moving behind him and pulling up the zipper. The low cut, low back silk gown hung just tight enough to enhance the shape of a woman's breasts, then hung loosely down to the floor in the front and continuing onto the floor behind Skyler to form a small train behind him.

"Ok, let's go," Hanna said. "Remember to lift your skirt as you walk."

He'd been practicing moving in this gown for a few days by then, so he'd gotten used to reaching down with his right hand and lifting the skirts of the gown a few inches whenever he walked.

By the time they returned to James' prep area, the space had been organized into a makeshift beauty salon with a banquet chair placed in the center.

"Very pretty," James said with a nod. "Now, sit and let me make you beautiful."

Twenty minutes of curling irons, hairspray, lots and lots of hairspray, and makeup later, and Skyler was standing on the stage in his pink gown for the rehearsal of the opening 'gown parade' in which each contestant would be introduced.

"Excellent!" Karen shouted and clapped.

"Really good work, ladies!" Jenny said, as well, appearing from the audience. "Goodness, you all look so beautiful!" She looked at Karen and then back at the contestants who were all still on their final marks. "I suppose I should make it official - After our problems with our original production team, the other coordinators met with Karen and me and we made a decision." She held an arm up towards Karen. "Our FORMER technical director, Karen, will take over as DIRECTOR for the show. So let's give Karen a big round of applause. I know she's going to do a great job."

The contestants all applauded and Karen blushed a bit as she nodded and thanked everyone. "I'm not doing this alone, though," she said. "I only agreed to do this if Jenny was helping. So, thank you all, and thank you Jenny. Now, before we move on, I just want to point out that THIS part of the performance that we just rehearsed is far and away the most subjective and... shall I say... misogynistic... section of the pageant. I say that knowing that there are three judges and none are male, but still the idea of judging contestants purely on looks has a very misogynistic feel to it. Anyway... The judges will eliminate five contestants on looks alone. I know that's not a very modern approach to these kinds of things, but it is how it works."

"So, I'm probably out at this point, then?" A larger contestant in the back row asked.

"Of course not," Jenny said. "You look lovely - as you all do. I would just suggest that you carry yourselves with as much grace and feminine decorum as possible in the gown parade."

"Good advice," Karen said, anxious to move forward, "So... after those names are announced, and we are down to twenty-five contestants, we will move on to the first of our talent sections. Now, the following five names are our first talent contestants." She read the names and Skyler was relieved that his name was not among the first five. "But remember - we are doing the first talent section in five groups of five, so you may get moved to an earlier group if someone in that earlier group is eliminated. Just... remain flexible, please. Anyway - while the first five are preparing, some of our other contestants will be answering the 'Five Questions' section of the performance. So, for now, these five contestants, please stay for the questions."

This time Skyler's name was called.

"So, those five stay. The first five talent performers, please go get ready, and everyone else, please hang tight. You will see your placement in the performance and question order posted in the dressing rooms. As the first five talent performers return to the stage, the rest of you can change and do your makeup. Questions? Great. Let's move, then!"

Jenny came onto the stage. "Of course, our guest host will be asking you the questions. I'm going to ask you three questions that will also be asked tomorrow night, but the host will have a list of questions that they can refer to for questions four and five. So, you won't know what those questions are until you hear them. Skyler Moynihan - You're first."

Skyler stepped forward apprehensively.

Jenny welcomed him and moved to question one.

"Tell me, Sky," she said officiously, "where do you go to school?" Before he answered, Jenny added, "And try to elaborate a bit. Where the school is and why you chose to go there."

Sky answered with a bit of a story attached.

"And what are you studying and why?"

He answered as well as he could without thinking about it ahead of time.

"And, if you should win the scholarship today, how would you use the money?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "Well, the bulk of the money would be used to complete my education. See... I've got three sisters - two older and one younger - and my mom is taking care of us by herself. My oldest sister graduated last year and is now a nurse. My next oldest sister is graduating this year and she is going to become an elementary school teacher. Then there's my younger sister, Regina. Reggie is only fourteen and will be headed to college in a few years, too. So, my mom has taken out loans against our house to pay for all of this, so I guess that the remainder of the scholarship money, if there is any, would go to my mom to pay down some of that debt."

Jenny nodded. "Very good." She turned to the rest of the contestants on the floor. "I will ask you all the same three questions. As I said, questions four and five will be different for each of you."
 

~^~
 

"You look good," Regina said as she looked at her brother wearing a one piece, ocean blue bathing suit with little anchors printed all over it.

"Pretty damned good!" Hanna said in a whole different tone of voice.

"And now you made it weird," Regina said, shaking her head.

"Let me deal with your hair," James said, attacking him with a brush and hair pins.

A few minutes later, Skyler walked across the stage with as much confidence as he was capable of displaying. He was in the same place in line as he had been for the parade of gowns.

"So," Karen said, "at this point we will lose another five contestants. We started with thirty of you. We lost five at the gowns, five at the questions, five at the talent and five here. So, only the final five will continue from here. Next will be the second talent sections and then we will announce who will win the four smaller scholarships, and finally the winner. Any questions?"

"When they announce my name as the winner, do I have to pretend to be surprised?" Rodney asked, provoking some chuckles, but lots more groans from the others.

Karen gave him a small smile for his joke. "When the winner is announced, she will receive a large bouquet of flowers and then she will proceed to walk down the central stage extension to be celebrated and photographed before returning to this mark by the host."

"I'll act surprised anyway," Rodney said.

"Let's run all of your second talent performances now," Karen said. "It's been a long day and we need to get some rest before tomorrow. If anyone is willing to just do your performance in your bathing suit, you can go first and then leave. Have a seat in the first row of the audience if you don't need to change."

Skyler took his seat in the audience, figuring he could just sing his song to the recorded track and then go home. He was very tired and anything that would get him home fastest seemed like the best choice.

He was seated in the audience for about five minutes before Regina leaned over his shoulder from behind and asked, "What are you doing? James needs to try your nineteen-thirties look out and he has a new costume for you."
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

Someone Like You from Jekyll & Hyde:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YZtdLOo3XQ
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 8

 

Why can't things just go along without conflict? Well, it wouldn't be a good story if everything
went well, would it? The stakes rise and the pressure mounts. This story was a long haul for me to craft, so
I am very happy that it now seems to be being received well by this audience.

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you all for reading and thank you for all the critiques and comments.
Please continue to post your comments. They mean a lot to me. ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 8 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 8
 

"Jenny, you'd better come into the booth and look at this," one of the techs said into the headset.

"Look at what?" Jenny asked, a bit concerned. "I've got a lot going on out here."

"Honestly, you need to get in here. This is important."

Jenny huffed and moved quickly into the tech booth. "What could possibly be more important than..." She stopped as she looked at the screen of a computer that had the national news streaming on it. The depicted scene was chaotic and bloody, but the headline in a banner across the bottom of the screen shocked Jenny.

"Jesus Christ, almighty," she gasped as she read it.

'Sixteen people killed, twenty-eight injured in LGBTQ+ Pride Parade massacre.'

"Turn up the volume."

The reporter's voice became audible. "...the parade and its accompanying events had been a staple of this community for the past thirty years. A popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. Today, the parade had been underway for approximately forty-five minutes when the assailant appeared out of nowhere and began to open fire with a sawed off shot gun. The first float to receive gunfire featured members of the Gay/Straight Alliance from the local high school and two members of that group were pronounced dead at the scene. The next victims were..."

"Where did this happen?" Jenny asked

"Here. In Massachusetts. In a town about twenty-five minutes from here."

"So... some of our girls may well know some of the victims, then."

"It's very likely. Especially if they've been active in any community events like this."

"Turn it down, please,"Jenny said, her eyes wet with tears and her voice unsteady. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "I... we..." she trembled and took other breath. "We'll have to tell the contestants. I'm going to call the chief of police about our security tomorrow."
 

~^~
 

Skyler sighed as Regina grabbed his hand and tried to hurry him towards James' work area. "Seriously? Can't I just do the song and go home."

"That's loser talk," his sister chastised. "Come on."

She led him out of the performance space and back to James' makeshift beauty parlor.

"Finally!" James said, sighing and acting as if Skyler had been missing for hours. "Sit. I'll do your hair first."

Again, the feel of his hair being brushed, then pulled, then the heat of the curling iron near his head and the smell of the old hairspray being cooked away. Then bobby pin after bobby pin being inserted... It was a strange kind of torture, but when he stood and looked in the mirror, the odd, Andrews Sisters' style hairdo was pretty amazing!

Suddenly, Regina was sliding his bathing suit straps down his arms and before he knew it, the whole suit was around his ankles. He quickly covered his exposed crotch and exclaimed, "Hey! I'm not wearing any underwear!"

"And your wiener is wrapped in gauze and tape and tucked up between your legs. Who cares?" Regina said, dismissively. "This is how pageants work, Sky. We see each other naked all the time."

"Here are your panties," Hanna said, rushing in with several hangers of clothes, shoes and his undies.

Skyler grabbed the panties and pulled them up as quickly as he could. He turned and reached for the dress he expected to wear for his nineteenthirties style song, but there was something else over Hanna's arms.

"What's that?"

"That," James said, by way of explanation, "is your new costume for the singing part of your performance." He picked up the off-white blouse and displayed it to Skyler. "It's a vintage piece from the nineteen thirties. I borrowed it from a friend who runs a vintage clothing place that caters to high end customers and the movie and television industry."

It was a beautiful blouse. Short, puff sleeves, lace around the shallow V-neck that led to a vertical row of many tiny, pearlescent buttons that were so attractive that they resembled jewelry.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hanna said.

"It's very sheer," Skyler said. "You can almost see through it."

"It's made of organdy," James explained. "It's made to be worn over a lacy chemise." He reached for a chemise that was also over Hanna's arm. "Try it on. I think you'll look perfect in it."

"But... I was comfortable in the other..."

"Just try it on, Sky," Regina said in a quiet voice, as if talking to child. "James is almost always right about these things. If you don't like it, we have your other clothes here for you."

"Oh..." James reached into a bag and pulled out a beige garment that was obviously made of spandex. "Put this on, first."

"What is it?"

"It's a waist-cincher."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Regina laughed. "Hardly! Sky, it's just a little enhancement, like a padded bra. I've worn a waist cincher lots of times. It just gives you a little more curviness and this kind of skirt will look better with a cincher to give you a tiny bit of curve. Besides, this is a pretty light weight one. Only slightly boned, and just a little zipper up the back. James mentioned a full corset at one point, and I talked him out of that. Just try it. It isn't too bad to wear. Kind of like a wide belt. That's all."

Skyler was skeptical but allowed his kid sister to strap the cincher around his midsection. Once zipped up, it wasn't exactly uncomfortable, just a little odd, but he figured he'd get used to it.

Next, he stepped into a vintage, silk half-slip with elaborate lace trim around the hem. Then the decorative chemise.

And then the skirt.

It was made of a very expensive wool, which James assured Skyler would breathe beautifully. It had a wide belt-style top, not as wide as the waist cincher, but wider than anything he'd worn before. It had two rows of four rather large, metallic buttons on each side of a front flap that actually opened in order to pull the skirt on, then fastened closed to stay on the wearer. The buttons sat approximately halfway between the center of the front of the skirt and the place where the skirt turned around his hips on each side. Just a bit snug around the buttocks - in a good way - but then it hung in a shapely, but not particularly tight manner down to his knees, where the bottom of the skirt flared out, just the tiniest bit, to allow for ease of walking, finally exposing just the lower leg from about three inches below his knee down.

It felt a little alien, but very pleasantly so. Like dressing up in something formal, like a tuxedo, for a recital.

And then the blouse.

The blouse felt different than anything he'd ever worn before. The material was almost unbelievably light and sheer. It sat AROUND his torso more than ON his torso. Somehow, the very large puff of the sleeves, which inflated from his shoulders and then kind of pegged back in by his elbows, but never close enough to make contact with his skin, producing a very feminine image, and it made his already slender arms appear even more slender and childish.

"Here," James said, kneeling and reaching for one of Skyler's feet, "try these on."

After weeks of Regina training him in the proper way to move in the most elegant and narrow heeled high heeled shoes, these seemed clunky and frumpy. They were vintage nineteen thirties era, black leather, women's Oxford shoes that had a heel approximately one and a half inches high. They had a pattern on the leather tops. Little raised ridges that formed bands that ran across the toe box of the shoe. Each band was about a quarter of an inch wide and there were tiny holes punched through the shoe leather to form a pattern. The shoes also laced up with a kind of wide shoelace, almost like the shoelaces you'd wear on sneakers.

"What do you think?" James asked

"I kinda feel like an old lady," Skyler shrugged. "I mean, isn't this all kind of... frumpy?"

"Frumpy!?" Hanna laughed. "Babe, I could eat you up, you look so cute!"

"Really?" Skyler was incredulous.

James quickly grabbed his phone and did a quick image search. "Look at this girl from the nineteen-thirties, Sky. Does she look frumpy?"

Skyler looked at the phone where the image of an actress (who he would later learn was a named Myrna Loy) looked back at him seductively.

"No. She's beautiful."

"Well, I based the look I created for you on a several of her looks. None of them are frumpy, I assure you. So, with that in mind, Hanna, please take the young lady to a mirror so she can see herself more fully."

Once again, Hanna rushed her boyfriend into the dressing room, which was very busy, and guided him to the space that had been reserved for him in front of the mirror. "Look," she instructed.

Staring back at Skyler was a wholly different version of himself than he expected. He was used to looking like Regina's twin by now, but this was different. Staring back at him this time was a the perfect nineteen thirties, twenty-something, overly attractive secretary who probably worked in a slightly disreputable detective's office. Her hair had been pinned under itself to appear to be cut into a stylish, pre-World-War Two bob and then a curling tool had been used to create a faux-Marcel look to the hair with prominently displayed waves running from side to side.

In short, this creation looked as if the reflected image had just stepped out of a film noir retelling of a Raymond Chandler story. She was perfect! She didn't look anything at all like a frumpy old lady. She looked like a stylish young woman of that era dressed impeccably in the style of her day

"Wow!" Skyler muttered. "I look..."

"Perfect," Hanna said when he was lost for the correct word.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Ok, let's go."
 

~^~
 

The contestant rehearsing prior to Skyler was just starting his routine when Jenny walked out into the stage and called for everyone to come out and sit in the audience. When they were all assembled, she took a microphone and looked at the contestants and shook her head.

"Ladies," she said, tentatively, "I cannot tell you how impressed I am with all of you. You've all been so cooperative and enthusiastic... you're all just so beautiful and... God, this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." She looked around and fought back her tears. This just was not the time. "Ok, let me just say this... There was a mass shooting today at an LGBTQ+ Pride parade just a few miles from here. A lot of people were hurt and... nearly twenty were killed."

A serious murmur rolled through the contestants.

"This is crazy," Hanna muttered.

"Sky, we should go," Regina said, quietly.

"No. Let's just listen for now." Skyler wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he was too close to being a finalist, possibly the big winner, to just walk away right then.

"Are we in any danger?" One of the contestants asked.

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I honestly don't know. I mean... there have been shootings in queer nightclubs, at queer beach parties, at a queer parade... I don't know if we're a target or not."

"It sure seems like we'd be an obvious target," another contestant said.

"Why are they targeting Queer Culture?" Still another shouted.

"I need to call my boyfriend. He was in that parade," yet another said in near panic as he stood and headed for the dressing room to get his phone.

"Listen... girls..." Jenny said, trying to form a plan. "... I don't know what can, could or will happen tomorrow, but... girls... ladies... my friends... I am at a loss. Look... if you don't feel safe and need to withdraw... I'll understand."
 

~^~
 

A very sad and concerned Skyler walked into the kitchen of his mother's house about two hours later.

"Oh, my God, Sky," Cathy nearly shouted as she jumped from a kitchen chair and threw her arms around her brother's shoulders. "Sky, Sky, Sky... I've been so worried about you."

"Is that Skyler?" Their mother called from the hallway. She was in the kitchen in seconds. "Skyler, baby..." she also hugged him. "Thank God you're safe."

"Mom, I was nowhere near the parade. You guys know that." Skyler said. He was sad and concerned, and he was grateful for the love being thrown at him, but...

"Well, you're definitely not doing the Gala, tomorrow," his mother said with finality.

"No, of course not," Kathy agreed. "Things are just too dangerous right now."

"Is Sky home, yet?" Amanda half shouted as she entered through the back door.

"Yes," Kathy answered. "Safe and sound."

"Oh, Sky," she said, nearly out of breath. "Come here." She hugged him, too.

"Ummm, guys..." Skyler said with some concern in his voice. "I know that you were all scared today, but... I can't quit the Gala. I just can't."

"Skyler..."

"Mom," he interrupted, "it means too much to me and... I really think I stand a good chance of winning. I just can't quit."

Suddenly, Kathy, Amanda and their mother were all talking at once. They were all concerned and were offering Skyler reasons to step away from the competition.

"What's going on," a voice asked from the hallway doorway. They all turned and saw Uncle Bill.

Everyone was a bit surprised to see him just appear in the house and they got quiet. They all looked at Uncle Bill, but no one spoke for a moment.

Regina was first to speak. "Uncle Bill... did you hear about the shooting today?"

"Shooting?" The store owner said, sounding surprised by his niece's choice of words. "It wasn't a shooting. It was a slaughter of innocent people. Is that what this is all about?"

"Uncle Bill," Kathy said, "there's been so many acts of violence against people like the ones who will be in the Gala tomorrow... and now this thing today... we all just feel that Sky shouldn't do the competition."

"Not all of us," Regina said. "Hanna and I think he should do it."

"You do?" Skyler's mother asked, shocked.

Hanna realized that she was speaking to her. "Yeah... Mrs Moynihan. I think he should do it."

"Why?"

Uncle Bill jumped in. "Because Skyler is the bravest, most talented of all of us. Of course she's competing tomorrow."

"Bill! Are you out of your mind!?" Skyler's mother nearly screamed.

"Uncle Bill, this is insane! Sky is barely old enough to vote," Amanda shouted. "This is not something he NEEDS to do, so it is not something he is going to do."

"I do need to do it, though," Skyler said, louder than he'd intended.

"Sky," Kathy stopped him from continuing. "We all love you and we all have been impressed by your efforts, but... come on. This is just too dangerous."

"I'm doing it," he said, with defiance.

"Sky, honey..." his mother started, but Skyler shook his head and continued.

"Mom... a month ago, I would have agreed with you, but not now. Now... Mom, I've become a whole different person in the last three weeks. I'm not even sure how I became who I am now, but... I am who I am... and I'm not hurting anybody by being who I am. Something changed in me, mom, and at some point, I discovered that I am different than other boys. I am different from other girls. I am different from nearly everyone... except... maybe the girls in the Gala and those people who were attacked today. If I don't do the Gala, mom, I'll be denying who I really am and I'm not doing that. I'm not. So... I'm sorry if it's not what you want me to do, but... tomorrow, I'm doing the Gala... and I will understand if you guys decide not to come."

Hanna and Regina both smiled at Skyler's determination.

Uncle Bill stepped forward and hugged the feminized boy. "I'll be there for you, Sky. Nothing could keep me away."

"Thanks, Uncle Bill."

Unexpectedly, other people joined in the hug. "I'll be there too, Sky," Kathy said.

"Me too," said Amanda.

"Oh, my baby, my baby," Skyler's mother said, quietly. Then louder, "I'll be there, too, my baby."
 

~^~
 

"What time are you expecting your crew to arrive?" The police chief asked Jenny.

"Originally, we were going to have them show up at three," she replied, "but with all of these threats, I asked everyone to get here earlier. They'll be here at ten in the morning, if possible. A couple have to work in the morning and are not able to change their schedules."

"Ok," the chief heaved a big sigh. "I know these people are acting like they're going to cause a lot of trouble, but honestly... I don't think it'll be anything more than a little demonstration down by the road."

"Let's hope so. After yesterday..."

"I know, but, trust me, Ms Jacobs, we are doing everything we can to keep you safe."
 

~^~
 

"Reggie!? Can I borrow a big tote bag or something like that to pack up all the stuff I have to take with me!?" Skyler hollered from his bedroom, down the hall.

Regina appeared almost immediately with a rather large, brown overnight bag that was decorated with pale pink straps and a familiar, yet odd design on it that featured the combined image of an 'L' and a 'V'. "You don't show up to a pageant with your things stuffed into a tote bag, Sky. You show up calm, collected and reeking of class. Here. Use this bag. It's a Louis Vuitton."

Skyler's eyes popped open. "You own a Louis Vuitton overnight bag? Don't those cost like a few thousand dollars?"

"Not when you buy them from a guy selling them from the back of a van in Times Square," Kathy chuckled, looking into the bedroom. I bought that on a field trip to New York City when I was in tenth grade. I always called it my Louis Fauxton."

"It looks real," Skyler said.

"And that's all that matters," Regina said, a bit smugly. "Fold everything neatly and put all of your accessories into the little bags in there. You need to arrive looking like a queen."

"Interesting choice of words," Kathy said, a little smile on her lips. She took the bag from Regina and entered the room. "You ok, Sky?"

He nodded. "Nervous, but... yeah. I'm ok."

His sister nodded and sat on the bed and opened the bag, taking out the little accessory bags and organizing things for her younger sibling. "It's been an interesting few weeks, having another girl in the house. Have you enjoyed it?"

Skyler busied himself with folding and organizing his things. "I have, Kath. I've enjoyed it a lot more than I ever expected I would."

Kathy nodded. "So... what happens tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's assume that everything goes well and that we all come home from this thing in one piece, come tomorrow morning, will I have two sisters and a brother or three sisters?"

Skyler snickered at the question because his answer was going to seem so vague. "Both, I think."

"Both? How is that going to work?"

Skyler stopped folding and sat next to her. "I think that I am meant to look like this, Kath. I mean, I feel right when I look like this. Right in a way that I have never felt right before. I think I'm going to stay this way. I don't think I could face going back to who I used to be."

Kathy put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, so his head rested on her shoulder. "I understand, Sky. Just so you know, though, I always liked the kid you used to be. I like this one, too, though."

Skyler smiled. "So... you ARE coming today?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
 

~^~
 

"Three arrests were made yesterday as protesters violently clashed outside a Los Angeles County school district building, where board members had convened to vote on whether or not to recognize June as Pride Month, according to the Glendale Police Department," The television reporter said.

"Hundreds of people gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters both in opposition and in support of the school district's LGBTQ policies. Anti-LGBTQ protesters waved American flags and chanted "Leave our kids alone" and the names of the five school board members who were supporting the Pride Month recognition. Counter protesters waved Pride flags and held up signs rebuking anti-LGBTQ sentiments, according to the Los Angeles Times."

"The board was about an hour into hearing comments from the public when police declared the protests an "unlawful assembly" due to instances of physical violence, including unauthorized pepper spray use," police said. Attendees of the school board meeting were ordered to shelter in place, and police cordoned the building entrance with yellow tape..."

"Please shut that off!" Jenny said, coming out of the bathroom, fussing with an earring. "You know, two years ago, I barely paid attention to the narrow minded hate mongers that prowl the face of this earth, but since becoming 'Jenny,' I seem to have become the enemy of everything that is good and right to these people. What the hell did I do to them in the first place?"

Her wife got up from the chair she'd been using, with some difficulty due to her pregnancy, and hugged her beautiful husband. "It's not you, baby. It's anything they can't get their minds around. It's like that lyric that the mob sings in 'Beauty and the Beast.' 'We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us.'"

"So, I guess that makes me the beast, then?"

"Kind of," her wife smiled and fussed a bit with his beautiful hair. "But that's kind of good thing though. You do know that that song is really about fear of homosexual men during the AIDS epidemic, right?"

Jenny looked at that gorgeous smile of hers and kissed her wife's cheek. "You're a very smart woman, Professor Jacobs, but I think you're stretching for meaning in a children's song right now."

"No, you're right," she nodded, pretending to concede. "Howard Ashman, a gay, HIV positive man writes a lyric like that at the height of an epidemic that is killing his friends and alienating him from the rest of society as he awaits his own early grave, but he does so with absolutely no sub-text. That makes much more sense."

Jenny smiled and kissed her again. This time on the lips. "Ok. I concede. My college professor wife is smarter than I am. That's why you're lecturing doctoral students on great literature while I'm dressing up boys in gowns to parade in front of spectators."

"Damned right I'm smarter than you," she grinned playfully. "You know, it's a good thing you look so sexy in those tailored skirt suits you like to wear so much, or I'd be looking for another husband."

Jenny chuckled. "Thanks for coming. I know that traveling isn't easy for you right now. Things are... crazy, though. I never expected people to be behaving this way. I am seriously concerned about what might happen today."

"Nothing bad will happen, Jen. You've got the police on standby, you're bringing all the contestants in early... You've got this. Remember what Shakespeare wrote: 'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny. It is in ourselves.'"

Jenny nodded. "And here come the literary quotes."

"And Dr Seuss wrote, 'Only you can control your future.'"

"Oh, Dr Seuss," Jenny giggled. "You've run out of Shakespeare?"

"Never," his wife grinned. "How about, 'And if we should fail, we fail. But screw your courage to the sticking place and we shall not fail.'" She hugged his little body close to hers.

"Wait! I thought that 'screw your courage' thing was from that same song you were quoting before from Beauty and the Beast."

"Everything goes back to Shakespeare, dear. Even Disney."
 

~^~
 

"Get your crap out of my area," one of the larger contestants was yelling at Rodney as Skyler entered the dressing room.

"Look, Brunhilda," Rodney snapped at the larger person, "we all know that you don't stand a chance of being in the final five today, while I am a shoe in to win. Now, I need some space, sasquatch, so find someplace else to smear that war paint all over that big ugly puss of yours."

"Hey!" one of the other, larger contestants said in a raised, angry voice. "You know the rules! Keep your shit in your own space."

"Was I talking to you, She Hulk?" Rodney snapped.

"Listen to me, you smart mouthed little..."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Another contestant yelled, stepping in between the angry parties. "Look, we're all really stressed and worried, but before anyone gets thrown out of the competition, let's all calm down and work this out."

Skyler touched the arm of the first contestant to have been in conflict with Rodney. "Hey," he said, softly, "my name is Sky. What's yours?"

"Elliot," the contestant said, "but I go by Ellie."

Skyler nodded. "Look, Ellie... I have someone helping me somewhere else, so all I really need in here is a place to hang my stuff. You can use my area on the other side of Rodney."

"Yeah, but... why should he get twice as much space as anyone else?" Ellie said, still angry.

"What difference does it make?" Skyler said, smiling a bit. "We've all worked hard to get to this point. Let's not let him ruin everything for us."

Ellie took a deep breath and calmed down. He nodded. "Ok. Thanks."

Skyler hung up his garment bags and headed back out the door.

"I don't think you should have done that, Sky," Regina said in a stressed whisper.

Skyler shrugged. "What difference does it make? I'm not using the space and it put an end to the argument."

"Yeah, but you just handed Rodney a victory. That's not a good idea. He already was a smug jerk. Now, he's a smug jerk with a victory to enable him. That just makes him feel even more entitled. That's the kind of energy that he thrives on."

Skyler shrugged again. "I can't change the way that Rodney behaves, but I can control what I do. Giving Ellie my space wasn't a strategic decision. There's too much going on around us for me to care about how Rodney behaves. It was just the right thing to do. Ok?"

"Ok."
 

~^~
 

"God hates fairies!" The protester yelled at every car that passed him on the main road.

"Stay out of our city!" Yelled another.

"Perverts! Perverts! Perverts!" Yelled another, over and over in perfect quarter note rhythm.

There were others out there, too. About thirty-five of them in total and all of them yelling their own chants with no interest in what was being shouted by the people around them. The result was a din or conflicting sounds that assailed the people entering the driveway of the Ansonia Mansion. There was nowhere near a large enough crowd to dissuade someone from entering, and the protesters were contained in an area across the main road from the mansion's property, but there were enough protestors to create some noise and create concern on the part of some attendees - especially those who had loved ones in the Gala's competition.

"Good God, I hope nothing gets too out of control," Skyler's mother said, feeling the heat of fear rising in her chest. "Maybe we should just get Skyler and go home."

"Not an option, mom," Amanda said, driving the SUV. "Sky's pretty focused on doing this thing. I don't think we could stop him if we wanted to."

"He's right, mom," Kathy agreed. "There are plenty of police around, anyway. Nothing will happen."

"I hope not."

"Not to worry," Uncle Bill said from the passenger seat. "These jerks just want to hear themselves yell. They won't cause a ruckus inside."
 

~^~
 

"So far, so good," Jenny said to Karen. "Have all of the contestants signed in?"

Karen checked her iPad. "It looks like it. I haven't checked on them in person, but they've all checked in online."

"Is everything going smoothly?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "For the most part. One of the backstage coordinators reported some kind of argument between Rodney and Elliot, but that seems to have been resolved - or at least it got quieter before a staff member had to get involved."

Jenny shook her head. "Rodney. Rodney is one of those people who can get under your skin in a heartbeat, and the biggest problem is, he loves to do it. If he weren't so freaking talented, I'd be even more ticked off than I am."

"I've already asked the backstage people to keep an eye on him."

"Ok. Thanks, Karen. How is everything else going?"
 

~^~
 

"Hors D'oeuvres?" The handsome young server asked Kathy, Amanda and their mother. A lovely assortment of meats, vegetables and cheeses were laid out on several large tables that stood between the catering staff and the guests. "We are offering scallops wrapped in bacon, chicken teriyaki, a spinach dip with various vegetables and several different cheeses with crackers."

"Oh, well, that all sounds delicious," their mother said, taking a small plate from the table and putting a little feast together for herself.

"HE looks delicious," Kathy whispered to her sister, causing them both to chuckle a bit.

"Would you ladies like some as well?" The young man asked.

"Why, yes... I'm sorry. I can't make out your name tag," Kathy said, flirtatiously.

"Oh," the young man said, standing straighter and indicating his name tag.

"Thank you, Alan," Kathy smiled. "I would love to try your hors D'oeuvres."
 

~^~
 

"Thirty minutes!" One of the assistant stage managers called down the hallway to the contestants.

"Thank you, thirty," about half the contestants called back out of habit. Most of them had some stage experience either as actors or dancers in community theater.

Skyler stood in his soft pink, silk gown and looked into the mirror. "Boy, if you'd told me a month ago, I'd be here doing this right now, I'd have told you that you were crazy. Now... it just seems like what I've always been working towards this."

Hanna stepped behind him and looked in the mirror as well. "Well, if you ask me, I think that destiny played a part in all of this. It's almost like a fairy tale. We had this kind of introverted, shy boy and, with the help of his fairy godmother - Reggie and her assistant James - we found the kingdom's princess right under our very noses. You look..." she sighed. "...just unbelievably beautiful, Sky. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have you as a boyfriend."

She gave him a gentle hug on his shoulders and softly kissed the back of his head. "Mmm... and you smell as good as you look."

"That's 'Ariana Grande MOD,'" Regina said, proudly. "It's my good-luck scent."

"Turn and give me a hug for good luck," Hanna said.

"A soft hug," James warned. "That dress was steamed to get out all the wrinkles and her hair is perfect. If you mess up any of it, I will not be happy!"

Hanna resisted the impulse to give her boyfriend a nice, firm squeeze and instead kept her hands on his exposed shoulders, squeezed just a bit and said, "Good luck, babe. Remember I love you. I'll be watching from the wings."
 

~^~
 

"No room for perverts in this town! No room for perverts in this town!" The protestor shouted over and over again, but then he suddenly grew quiet. "What the hell?" He muttered, looking across the street at something or someone in the parking lot. Suddenly, he dropped his sign and hurried across the street.

"Hey!" another protestor who knew him shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

The man stopped and turned. "I'm going up to the mansion. I think I just saw my daughter up there, and if I did, then she going to rue the day that she was ever born."
 

~^~
 

"Here you go," Uncle Bill said, smiling broadly, thrilled to be dressed up and out with his brother's children and his sister-in-law. "A glass of champagne for everyone to celebrate."

"Oh, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bill," the girls' mother said. "We have a long evening ahead of us before we know if Skyler wins or not."

He sipped from the glass flute. "Oh, that's not what I mean. You know that Skyler has always been my favorite nephew."

"He's your only nephew, Uncle Bill," Kathy pointed out.

"Which make the bond I have with him that much more special. Anyway - I've always felt that Sky wasn't... quite... happy. You know what I mean? I mean, he's always been such an achiever with that piano of his, but he always just looked a little... sad all the time. But I gotta tell you, after I met the new Skyler in my store a couple of weeks ago... I saw something very special in that child's eyes. I saw someone who'd finally found out who he was and... well... Isn't that what we're all trying to find out?"

"I guess so," his sister-in-law agreed. "You know, when Skyler was just a baby, and he was born much smaller than any of my girls, I used to wonder..."

But something had caught Bill's attention. He was looking across the crowded lobby of the mansion and watching someone moving through the crowd. When he was sure of who it was, he shouted, "Lynn!?"

The young woman turned and gave an embarrassed wave.

"Lynn, come on over and have some food with us. We've got plenty."
 

~^~
 

"Tech, are you all set?" Jenny called from the stage.

"All set!" The new Tech Director called back.

"Stage manager, are you all set?"

"All set!" The stage manager called back

"House, are you all set?"

"All set!" The house manager called back.

"Alright," she said, then took a deep breath. "You can open the doors."

Moments later, the audience members began flowing into the space.

"Let's sit near the front," Jenny heard someone say as he and the rest of his party passed her and moved in with the rest of the crowd. "I have my good camera, but I only have a wide-angle lens."

"Ok, Uncle Bill," a woman in her mid-twenties said with a smile, and it was that smile that caught Jenny's attention. She'd seen it before on another, similar face. She watched the group settle into seats in the thirds row behind the judges table and couldn't help herself. She had to say hello.

"Excuse me," she said quietly to the woman who'd spoken on the way in, "but I have to ask... Are you Skyler Moynihan's family?"

"Why, yes, we are," the twenty-something woman responded.

"Oh, hi," Jenny said, extending a hand. "My name is Jenny Jacobs and I just had to tell you what a pleasant, beautiful and talented young person Sky is."

"Oh, well... thank you," Amanda said with a grin.

"And what is your name? So I can tell Sky to look for you from the stage."

"I'm Amanda. I'm Sky's oldest sister. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is my sister Kathy, my mom, my Uncle Bill and that's Lynn; she works with Sky at my Uncle Bill's store. Everyone, this is Jenny Jacobs."

"Hi, everyone," Jenny half purred. "I am one of the show coordinators, and I was just telling Amanda how much I have enjoyed working with Sky. Congratulations Mrs Moynihan. You have raised a wonderful and talented child."

"Thank you," their mother blushed, thrilled with the compliment. "I must tell you, though, all of my children are amazing and talented."

Jenny smiled. These people were just as pleasant as Skyler was. How nice. "Well, even more congratulations, then," Jenny smiled. "I assume you've all seen Sky in her outfits for today. She does look stunning."

"Yes," Skyler's mother smiled. "Of course, this is all kind of new for Skyler. He really has taken to being a girl remarkably well."

Jenny chuckled at the odd statement. "I think Sky is an egg, just like I was."

"An egg?" Uncle Bill asked.

"Yes, an egg," Jenny smiled, then explained. "In our world, an egg is a trans-person who doesn't know they're a trans-person until they explore that side of their personality. I was an egg. I had no interest in looking like this until my wife dressed me for last year's Gala. From the moment I first saw my new self in a mirror, I knew I needed to be this person for the rest of my life. I think Sky made the same discovery."

"I think you're right," Amanda nodded. "Sky is an egg."

"I have to do a few things," Jenny said with a cordial smile, "but I just wanted to say hello. I will tell Sky where you are seated."

As Jenny turned to leave, a voice said, "Jenny, hi!"

"Alma! How are you!?" Jenny replied and she had a brief conversation with the woman and her companion.

The name 'Alma' struck Hanna as unusual since she was only familiar with one person named 'Alma,' and that was Professor Kramer, Skyler's piano teacher. She turned and looked and was surprised to see both Professor Kramer and Professor Marino, Skyler's voice coach for the event. How nice of them to have come to support Skyler!

Dr Marino glanced in Hanna's direction, so Hanna gave a small, friendly wave. Professor Marino returned the wave and nudged Professor Kramer and pointed. When Professor Kramer spotted Hanna, she waved as well.
 

~^~
 

Rodney looked around the hallway where all of the contestants were lined up, ready to march out for the Parade of Gowns and shook her head. These peons were no competition. He had this in the bag. The only one she was concerned with was that Sky bitch.
 

~^~
 

"We are ready," Karen said into her headset microphone after checking in with all the overseers of each aspect of the performance. "Tell Jenny 'ten seconds' and let's bring the house to black and... on my cue... Music go... lights up."

The music started and the dramatic lighting filled the stage as Jenny walked out, in a stunning, gold dress, to the applause of the excited crowd.

"Good evening, everyone," she greeted in a voice that in no way betrayed her XY chromosomes, or her concerns about the security issues threatening the event, "and welcome to The Forty-Fifth Annual Gala of Tiresias! My name is Jenny Jacobs and I am a former winner of the gala."

There was some applause.

"I'd like to introduce our three judges for this evening. First, a contributing fashion journalist for Elle and Cosmopolitan Magazines and a frequent guest on The Today Show - Ariana Mosely!" There was applause. "Next, from the Lifetime Network show, 'Queer Like Me' - Sofia Ramirez!" More applause. "And finally, from 'America's Got Talent' and 'American Idol,' Colombia Music recording artist, "Nevaeh Colby!"

More applause.

"And now, I'll be handing off my hosting duties to your guest host for the evening. Star of the Marvel Comics 'Avengers' Universe and the Disney Channel series, 'Wanda-Vision...'" she paused for anticipation to build. "...Elizabeth Olson!"

The audience applauded wildly as the actress stepped out onto the stage, waving to the crowd.

"Oh, my God!" One of the contestants said, backstage, excited. "We're going to meet Elizabeth Olsen!"

"Who's that?" Another asked.

"The Red Witch," one contestant explained, but that didn't help the person who asked the question.

"Wanda Maximoff," another contestant explained.

Didn't help.

"Mary-Kate and Ashley's little sister," someone else said.

"Oh," the contestant responded. "I know who Mary-Kate and Ashley are, so... cool."

"What difference does it make?" Rodney asked, sounding disgusted. "You're most likely getting eliminated after the gown parade, anyway. So, you won't have the opportunity to meet her."

"Geez, why are you like that?" Ellie, the larger contestant who'd had a run in with Rodney early asked.

"Because I'm a winner, Godzilla," Rodney sneered, "and you're a loser and I don't like having the smell of losers around me."

"Ok, enough," Skyler said with uncharacteristic forcefulness.

"Oh, great. Another loser heard from!" Rodney said with great flourish and exasperation.

Skyler took a breath to calm himself, then turned to Ellie. "She's just trying to get us revved up so we'll have a bad show. Ignore her and just focus on your performance. Ok?

Ellie nodded. "Ok."

"Ok," Rodney mimicked in a low, bass voice. "You sound more like a fullback than a woman."

"Just shut up, Pussy," another contestant said, using the first part of Rodney's stage name, Pussy Boots. "You're getting on everyone's nerves... including mine."

Rodney gave him a frustrated, dramatic wave and turned away as if insulted.
 

~^~
 

"Excuse me sir, but do you have a ticket to the Gala?" an usher asked as Lynn's father attempted to enter the front doors of the Ansonia Mansion.

"A ticket?" he responded, actually confused at being questioned. "No. But my daughter just went in a few minutes ago and I need to get her out."

The usher, a medium sized man with a cleanly shaved head and a sense of authority about him, said, "I'm sorry, sir, you can't enter without a ticket. Is your daughter a minor?"

"A minor? No. She's eighteen, but..."

"Then there's nothing I can do for you, sir. If she entered, then she purchased a ticket and I can't interrupt the show to find an adult who entered on her own. So, if you don't mind, sir... I must ask you to leave."

"But..."

"If you don't leave now, sir, I will have to call a police officer and have you removed."

Not wanting to have a repeat of the embarrassing experience of being arrested, he shook his head and left.
 

~^~
 

"The Gala of Tiresias has been the most prestigious womanless pageant in the country for more than four decades," Elizabeth Olsen was saying on the stage, "and I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of tonight's pageant. Tonight, we shall see thirty beautiful ladies who are actually handsome gentlemen in real life. Some intend to continue down the road of transition, and some are just imitating the female form for this event, but all are beautiful and eager to show you what they have to offer. So - without further ado, may I present... The Parade of Gowns!"

With that, the rather theme-park-sounding music that was used for the parade began playing and each contestant appeared on the stage in their beautiful baby-blue or pink gown, walking with a straight back and as much poise as they could muster.

The taller 'girls' entered first because they would end up in the back of the tableau they were creating. They paraded across the stage, smiling, stopping briefly at center stage for a quick head-nod-style bow, and the audience applauded appreciatively for each of them. They each had, after all, created a remarkably beautiful image of femininity.

"There she is!" Uncle Bill said to his sister-in-law as her son appeared on the stage.

"My God," she said quietly, "she's one of the most beautiful girls on that stage."

"Of course she is," Uncle Bill smiled. "All my nieces are beautiful." He chuckled with delight and put his arm around her shoulder, then shouted out as Skyler stopped for a moment at center stage, "THAT'S MY NIECE!"

That caused Skyler to smile just a bit more naturally as he glanced in the direction of his family. More than beautiful, Skyler was truly attractive and just... naturally lovely.

As the last of the contestants took the stage, the parade ended with the contestants standing in a well-planned formation, a tableau, and they all stood in feminine, modeling positions with Miss America quality smiles plastered on their lovely, made-up faces.

They stood still while the applause crested and fell. Then, Elizabeth Olsen reappeared on the stage. She made a short speech about how difficult it was to be the bearer of bad news, but then she announced the names and number of the contestants who were already being cut. Those five came forward for a round of consolation applause from the audience before leaving the stage.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Elizabeth Olsen said, "We shall begin a round of questions and answers and demonstrations of talent. We shall keep five contestants here to answer questions while the others all go and prepare for their talent portion of the event. We shall be alternating between question and answer sections and performances. At the end of these sections, ten more contestants will be eliminated and we shall continue our way towards selecting our final five contestants and, ultimately, our winner. So, the following contestants, please remain on stage for now and the rest, please go prepare for your talent presentation."

Skyler was the first person called upon to answer questions. The first three questions were the same questions he'd been asked at rehearsal, and he answered in pretty much the same way that he's answered before. Then came the fourth question.

"So, tell me, Sky," Elizabeth Olsen said, smiling, "now that you've taken on a woman's persona, what do you find most attractive about women?"

The question seemed incredibly broad at first, but he thought about it for a moment and then answered, "When you say 'attractive,' I immediately think about how a woman looks, but that isn't what I find the most attractive. I think that... Well. what I think is most... not attractive... but... miraculous about women is their warmth. Their nurturing. Their ability to be mothers in all the ways that that word implies. Giving birth to a child, feeding a child, loving a child, nurturing a child... all of that. Sure, women wear beautiful, soft, comfortable clothes, but they aren't just beautiful on the outside. Women are... everything to me. My mother, my three sisters, my girlfriend... they are everything to me."

The actress shook her head, impressed by the answer. "And if you could become a woman right now, would you do it?"

Skyler thought for a moment. "I don't know. I love looking this way, but... I don't know."

She smiled at his sincerity. "Ok," she said with a nod. "Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Sky!"

The crowd applauded appreciatively, and Sky waved as he smiled and headed towards the stage right exit. He did hear the big, familiar voice of Uncle Bill shouting, "That's my girl!" as he crossed the stage. It made him smile.

As soon as he cleared the stage door, Regina was waiting. "You were great!" she said, grabbing his arm and hurrying him towards James' work area. There were a few members of the catering staff in there loading up equipment that would not be needed for the rest of the evening.

Hanna immediately grabbed the pull on the dress's zipper and lowered it, guiding the dress down to the floor.

"In the chair, quickly," James said. "Hair and makeup first, then the dress. Hanna, go grab the light green robe Sky used earlier."

"Where is it?" Hanna asked.

"The main dressing room," Skyler said. "On a hanger in my area."

"Ok." Hanna rushed down the hall and grabbed the garment then rushed back.

"Oh, excuse me," a good-looking young man in caterer's clothing said, looking behind the curtain in the extra room, not realizing that it was being used as a prep space for a contestant.

Skyler's mouth dropped open at the sight of the young man, but the young man turned and let the curtain close behind him.

What Skyler couldn't see was that the young man stopped and was thinking about the person in the chair. For some reason, she looked familiar. He was searching his memory for a match to the face when suddenly Hanna entered the room with the robe in her hand.

"Alan?" she said, sounding confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working a catering gig," he said, matter of factly. "What are you doing here?"

"I... we... I mean..." she sputtered, not knowing how to answer the question without outright stating that Skyler was in the show.

"You're not..." he started to say, but then the identity of the girl in the chair hit him. He turned quickly and pulled the makeshift curtain aside. "Sky!?" he said, shocked. "You're a guy!?"

Everyone - Skyler, Hanna, James and Regina - everyone - held their breath for a moment until Skyler answered with a quiet, "...yes."

Alan stood shocked and staring. "Wh... Wh... Why didn't you tell me? I mean... we're friends, right? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to," Skyler said, honestly. "When I first met you, I didn't think we would become such good friends and..."

Alan nodded, then he looked at Hanna. "Are you a guy, too?"

"No," she said, with a shrug. "I'm all girl. Sorry."

He looked at Regina with a confused look.

"I'm a girl too," she said.

"Look, Alan," Skyler said, "I'm really sorry that things worked out this way. I really need to win this scholarship money and... I mean... How could I tell you that... you know."

Alan nodded. "Hey, it's your business, Sky, but..." He shook his head. "I guess I'm just having a hard time processing all of this. You're just... like... one of the prettiest and most feminine girls I ever met and..."

"I hate to interrupt," James said, "but we have to get this lovely lady sitting here in just her bra and panties, ready for her talent section of the evening. So, if you don't mind..." He reached to take the robe from Hanna and laid it backwards across Skyler.

"Yeah, sorry," Alan said, turning to leave, but then stopping and turning back to Skyler. "So... on Monday... will I meet the REAL Sky?"

Skyler looked at his girlfriend and sister while James brushed out his hair. "Actually... I think that you already met the REAL Sky. To tell you the truth, I only met the REAL Sky a few days before you did and... she's staying."

"Ok," Alan said, again planning to leave, but again stopping. "Look, Sky, you've obviously been dealing with a lot and I don't want to add to it. I admit I'm surprised and I'm a little disappointed that you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth, but..." Suddenly, Alan leapt forward and laid a gentle kiss on Skyler's soft cheek. "Good luck, Sky. I hope you win. I'm going to be in the audience for the rest of the evening and I'm going to be applauding the loudest for you."

Skyler smiled. "Thank you, Alan."

Alan winked. "You'll hear me in the audience."

"You're going to have to shout a lot louder than our Uncle Bill," Regina said with a giggle. "He's pretty loud."

Alan smiled. "I'll find them and stand near them so we're the loudest section in the hall."
 

~^~
 

The applause ebbed as Rodney took his bows, wearing his Tina Turner style leotard dress. Essentially it was a dancer's leotard made with fabric that matched Rodney's skin fairly well, with the area around his body covered in half-inch wide circles of glittery metal that hung in a tattered skirt to his thin, athletic knees, and shimmered as he did his elaborate, jazz-style dance to Rhianna's 'S&M.' Rodney took his deep bows, blew kisses and half skipped off the stage as the guest host took command of the stage again.

"Beat that, Mary," he hissed at Skyler who waited in the wings for his introduction. Skyler just rolled his eyes and focused on the performance just ahead of him.

"That was great, was it it? And now, we present Sky Moynihan playing Chopin's immortal 'Minute Waltz,'" Elizabeth Olsen introduced. She swung her arm to the right where an eight-foot grand piano had been wheeled into place by two stagehands. The spotlight picked up Skyler as he walked onto the stage in his spaghetti strapped black gown with the little gold squares scattered randomly about the fabric. He smiled and bowed as he sat on the artist's style piano bench and took just a moment to adjust the height of the seat.

"God, she looks just like Regina," Uncle Bill whispered to his sister in-law. "It's almost like watching Regina up there."

"Until he plays the piano," Skyler's mother laughed. "Then you'll know for sure that it's Skyler."

Skyler took a deep breath and then his fingers exploded on the keys of the piano. His attack was precise and his emotions were conveyed perfectly through the simple percussion of the hammers on the strings. He played Chopin's novelty piece with precision, flair, and above all, passion.

Even though most English speaking audiences pronounce 'minute' the word for the accumulation of sixty seconds, the word 'minute' in this case is really the French word for 'miniature,' and, despite the
mispronunciation of the title, the piece is meant to be played in the time span of one minute and forty-five seconds to two minutes and thirty seconds. Skyler took it at a very brisk pace, and it took just about one minute and fifty seconds to complete.

That was one minute and fifty seconds of fire and musicality that shocked and elated the audience, who, as one, sprung to their feet in a standing ovation.

Skyler stood beside the piano and smiled while bowing and looking almost embarrassed by the adulation.

Elizabeth Olsen came over and put her arm around Skyler's shoulders while addressing the crowd. "How Cow!" she said with a huge smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, Sky Moynihan!" The applause grew strong again and Skyler took another bow. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to take a fifteen minute break here. That will give you all the opportunity to stretch your legs, grab a drink, visit the lavatory and give our judges the opportunity to discuss their scores. When we come back, we will find out who is proceeding to the swimsuit round and who is not. Thank you."

She kept her arm around Skyler as she led him off stage, speaking as they walked. "My God, girl, you are a phenomenon. How did you ever get that good?"

Skyler shrugged. "I pretty much just play piano twenty-four-seven, so you just kinda get good at it, I guess.
 

~^~
 

"These degenerates are infiltrating our schools and poisoning the minds of our children with their 'woke' philosophies," the congresswoman said into her bullhorn to the crowd assembled across the street from the Ansonia Mansion. She represented a district in the south, but her philosophy of self-righteous intolerance made her very popular with a certain faction of the electorate nation wide - including the people assembled.

"These people... these... entertainers... teachers... whatever... they are setting an evil example for our young children. They are setting them off on a road that leads straight to hell and eternal damnation. They are undermining everything that the USA has stood for since our forefathers came to this country to escape the persecution of the 'free thinkers' of Europe. We are a Christian country, founded on Christian values and we cannot - WE WILL NOT - allow these perverts to destroy everything that your fathers and my father fought for. We are the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave and I call upon each and every one of you to be brave and show these evil people that we shall not sit back and let them destroy the greatest country on earth! We shall not let them destroy this Eden that God gave us! We shall not let them indoctrinate our children! We - you and I - are the true Americans. It is up to us to stop these people and stop them now!"

The medium sized crowd erupted in applause and cheers. It was at that moment that the man who'd been escorted out of the mansion noticed the CVS store at the end of the parking lot.
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 9

 

Halfway through the gala and Skyler is still in the running. In fact, he's doing quite well.
Hopefully things go smoothly from here.

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you so, so much for all the comments! You are all amazing.
I am so happy that you're enjoying this story. Please let me know how you like the rest of the tale
with possibly a review. ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 9 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 9
 

"Excuse me, Mrs Moynihan?"

Skyler's mother turned to see a woman approximately the same age as Amanda standing at the end of the row. "Yes?"

"Hi," the younger woman smiled. "I'm Alma Kramer; Sky's piano teacher at the college. And this is my colleague, Sue Marino, Sky's voice teacher. I just wanted to say congratulations! I can't believe how well he's doing up there. Shy little Sky is turning into a star right before our eyes! You must be so proud of him. I know I am."

"Oh, yes!" Skyler's mother said, actually out of breath with excitement. "I can't believe that is my little boy up there!

Kathy heard what her mother said and looked at Amanda. "I don't think Sky is her little boy anymore."

"That was unbelievable!" a big, good looking young man shouted, coming up beside the two professors. "She is amazing! I mean, I knew she was good, but I didn't know she was GOOD!"

The two women laughed. "Alan, this is Sky's family," Professor Kramer said. "Everyone, this is Alan, a friend of Sky's from the Performing Arts Department."

"Hi, everyone," Alan waved, still excited. "Did you expect her to be THAT good! I sure didn't!"

"Son," Uncle Bill said, standing and patting Alan on the shoulder, "you have figured out that Sky is a boy, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Alan said with a nod, "but... you know... she's not a boy either, right? You know what I mean. I just don't see her as anything but a girl, I guess. And WOW! What a girl! I've still got goosebumps from watching her play that piece! Wow! Wow! Wow!"

Uncle Bill smiled and patted Alan's shoulder again. "I know what you mean, son. I feel the same way."
 

~^~
 

"That looks good," James nodded, looking at Skyler's crotch while he stood in his one-piece swimsuit. He looked a bit closer.

"I've got to admit, I'm a little uncomfortable with you examining that particular part of me," Skyler said.

"Relax," Regina said, having undergone this kind of inspection dozens of times. "He's just checking for camel toe."

"Well, I definitely don't have camel toe," Skyler joked.

"No," James said, being very professional, "what you have could be a bigger problem. Especially if something started making IT bigger."

"No chance of that," Skyler said with a sad face. "It's wrapped, tucked, taped and bent backwards. It's pretty uncomfortable down there, actually."

"I can imagine," James laughed. "You look good, though. No sign of anything that shouldn't be there." He handed Skyler a pair of sandals that looked kind of like beach sandals, except for the four-inch wedge heels. "Here."

Skyler looked at them. "Seriously? I didn't practice in these. I'm not sure I can even walk in these."

James checked his watch. "You've got eight minutes to practice."

"But... why?"

James looked at Skyler with confusion. "Why? Because I said they'd work, that's why. But if you really want a reason, it's because the taller heels will elongate and strengthen the look of your leg, make you walk even more femininely and improve your posture. So, put them on and practice NOW so that you're comfortable with them when you go out on stage..." he checked his watch again, "... in seven minutes."

Regina took the shoes from James and knelt to slide Skyler's feet into them, while Hanna offered assistance to keep him balanced until the shoes were strapped in place.

"Now, walk," Regina insisted.

He took a few tentative steps, then began moving more confidently. "Wow... these are really comfortable," he said surprised.

"They should be," James smirked as he watched. "They cost eight-hundred and forty dollars."

"Eight hundred...?" Skyler sounded shocked. "What if I don't win? I can't afford eight-hundred-dollar shoes!"

"Relax," James smiled. "They belong to a friend who is very stylish, very wealthy, and very generous to her friend, James. She loaned them to me for you to wear."

"Three minutes!" the stage manager shouted down the hall.

"Thank you three!" came from the communal dressing rooms.

"Ok," James said. "You're good with the shoes. Now, sit for a moment and let me redo your lip color and gloss."
 

~^~
 

"Say..." the chief of police said, looking around at the crowd of protesters, which had grown a good deal since the start of the show. "... what happened to that guy with the beard that they threw out of the mansion?"

The officer beside him looked around and shrugged. "Must have gotten bored and gone home."

"I doubt it."
 

~^~
 

The names of ten more contestants were announced and those contestants left the stage - leaving ten smiling and posing. Skyler thought that it was just a little mean to have those ten contestants get all dressed up in their swimsuits just to have them be told to leave the stage, but he was also very relieved that he remained on the stage. Ellie and Rodney were still there as well.

"So, with ten beautiful girls still in the running," Elizabeth Olsen announced, "we have our swimsuit competition at the end of which five more will be eliminated. Then our final five will give us one more look at their various talents before our winners are announced."

The crowd applauded.

"This round is judged by the sound of audience applause. So, as each of our lovely ladies approach the center of the stage, please show your support for her with the volume of your clapping, hooting and hollering. Our decimal meter will indicate who you, the audience, chooses to continue into the last round. Are you ready!?"

The audience cheered.

"Then, let's start."

The music began coming through the speakers and the first contestant began to walk across the stage. They stopped at the center and turned this way and that to allow the audience to inspect their legs, bottom, etc. The audience did their job well, applauding for the contestant, who then moved on, allowing the next contestant to do the same thing.

Skyler was the sixth to take center stage and the applause that greeted him was both unexpected and exciting. They really seemed to like him!

"So, the time has come," Elizabeth Olsen said as the last contestant arrived back in the rear of the stage. "As much as we love all these girls, we must say goodbye to five of them. As I say your name, please come forward and take your bow before leaving the stage for the last time."

Skyler held his breath as the names were announced, and, luckily, his name was not among them.

"And then there were five!" Elizabeth Olsen said. "This is the final round of the competition! The ninth inning of the football game!" That brought a big laugh from the audience.

"We are going to send our first two performers off to pretty themselves up while I have a little chat with the other three. So, at this time, please go get into your performance attire..." she checked the index card in her hand, "...Pussy Boots and Ellie."

Both contestants stepped down and smiled as they headed off stage right.

"Sky, come on down and chat with me a bit," the star said.

Skyler smiled and strutted downstage in the high heeled sandals.

"Well, Sky, I think it's safe to say that we were all pretty blown away by your piano playing. Is your goal to be a concert pianist after college?"

"Not really a concert pianist," Skyler said. "My true passion is for pop music. I'd really like to be a songwriter. You know, someone who stays in the background and writes for performing artists."

"So, you don't want to be on stage yourself?"

"Not really."

"Well, that would be a huge loss to the world, Sky. You are an amazing pianist and if this audience is any indication, the world would love to hear you play."

The audience applauded loudly. As the volume decreased, someone from the audience shouted, "That's what I've been telling him for a year!" The audience laughed at that too.

Elizabeth Olsen shaded her eyes and looked out into the audience. "I think that woman knows you, Sky."

Skyler shaded his eyes and looked as well. "That's my piano professor, Alma Kramer," he said with a smile. "Thank you for coming."

"I would not have missed this for the world, Sky!" Professor Kramer shouted.

Elizabeth Olsen laughed. "Where do you go to college, Sky?"

"I go to State."

"And you're a music major?"

"I am."

"And do you have a lot of friends at State?"

"Not really. My friend Alan is here..."

"I sure am!" Alan yelled from the back of the house.

"...and my girlfriend, Hanna who is helping me backstage."

"A girlfriend? Really?" Elizabeth Olsen asked, surprised.

"Yes," Skyler answered oblivious to her tone.

Someone waved from stage right and Elizabeth Olsen announced, "Well, it looks like Pussy Boots is ready to perform, so... Thank you, Sky, and you can go get ready now."

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Skyler said, smiling and then he exited just as Rodney was entering in his gymnastic gear to perform his routine.

"Come on, quickly!" Hanna rushed Skyler towards James' workstation.

"Not too fast! I'm wearing these skyscraper shoes! I can't run."

"Skyscrapers," Hanna scoffed. "I've worn four-inch heels dozens of times. You'll not get any sympathy from me. James is panicked, though. He says that he didn't plan for that little chat on stage so his timeline to get you looking like a nineteen-thirties secretary is all messed up."

They hustled into James' work area with Hanna pulling Skyler's swimsuit off as he entered the masked off are. Skyler stepped out of it and Regina guided the soft, nylon, pink robe up his arms before he was pushed down into the seat.

James barked out orders to Regina and Hanna as he worked on Skyler's hair. He worked quickly and precisely with no smiles, no jokes and no regard for how hard he was pulling Skyler's hair.

"Bobby pins!" he'd yell and one of the girl's would provide them.

"Hair spray!"

"Hair clip!"

"Gel!"

"More bobby pins!"

"Mousse!"

"Bobby pins!"

"More pins!"

"More pins!"

Then, with a strange suddenness, his demands changed.

"Base!"

"Color pallet!"

"Reggie, do his nails over in that classic red!"

"Eye Liner!"

"Lash curler!"

"Powder!"

"Hanna, hand me the classic red lipstick!"

"Reggie, how are her nails coming?"

"Almost done!"

"Lip gloss!"

"Hanna, grab the waist cincher!"

"Reggie, grab the nineteen-thirties shoes? Get them on her!"

"Blot!"

"One of you get the blouse, the other the skirt! Let's go, let's go, let's go! Rodney's song is ending!"

"I don't think Sky is next," Hanna pointed out. "I think that Ellie goes next."

"I want Sky in the wings getting focused during Ellie's performance. There. You're ready. Check the mirror."

Skyler turned to look in the mirror and saw the image of a nineteenthirties secretary, straight out of a black and white movie, staring back at him and looking a little flustered for having been rushed by everyone.

"You look perfect, baby," Hanna said.

"You do, Sky," Regina confirmed.

"Let's get you into the wings," James said, and they all took a step in that direction, but they stopped when they heard all hell breaking loose in the performance hall.
 

~^~
 

No one really noticed when the door to the control room opened and closed quietly halfway through Rodney's gymnastic performance. The intruder stood quietly by the door and looked at the disgusting, accursed performance on the stage. That skinny man shaking his body in the manner of a whore. Writhing and rolling all over the stage. Pretending to be something he was not. Enticing innocent, Christian men to have impure thoughts and fantasies about him.

This was why God had put this preacher on earth. To send a message to these phonies and fornicators. To put an end to the support that this audience, this misguided, hypnotized audience provided for these sick, evil, instruments of the devil.

He unscrewed the caps of the bottles in his gym bag.

"What's that smell?" one of the lighting crew said.

The person next to her sniffed. "Smells like alcohol."

The first person to speak turned just in time to see Lynn's father run from one side of the tech area to the other, pouring rubbing alcohol onto all the computers, sound board and lighting board on the desk top computers in the confined space.

The techs all let out screams of 'stop!' 'Hey!' 'What are you doing?' etc. and were all too confused by the behavior to do anything to stop him before he'd dumped all of the six bottles of alcohol onto the technology.

By the time he'd reached the other side of the small room, they were all standing, yelling and staring in shock. What had just happened?

"Security!" someone yelled into the hall and several private security employees came running, one of them radioing the police that something had happened in the tech booth.

As the security people entered the booth, Lynn's father produced a retractable police baton and began using it to slam every piece of tech he could see in the room. Screens were breaking, computer keys were flying into the air, glass was shattering and the lights on the stage went out, just as Rodney was leaving the stage.
 

~^~
 

"Oh, no," Jenny said as her heart sank while she waited in the wings of the stage. She touched the 'speak' button on her headset. "What's going on out there?"

"I'm not sure," Karen replied through her headset. "Something in the tech booth. I'm on my way there now."

"Let me know when you find out," Jenny said, grabbing her iPad with all of her notes from the table she'd been using as a desk and headed out onto the stage. "Somebody turn on the goddamned house lights before this turns into a full-blown riot."
 

~^~
 

"You and Reggie stay put," James said with authority and concern. "Hanna, come with me. Let's find out what's going on." They left in a rush.

"What do you think is happening?" Regina asked, sounding very frightened.

"I don't know," Skyler said. Then, in an attempt to calm down his younger sister, he said, "Probably just a tech issue. I'm sure it'll be resolved in a minute or two."

The sound of a lot of people screaming came from the performance hall.

"That doesn't sound like a technical problem to me," Regina said.

Suddenly, Hanna ran back into the room. "Grab your stuff, Sky. Reggie, get your pocketbook and mine. Come on, we're leaving through the back door."

"Why? What's going on?" Regina asked.

"Some crazy guy broke into the tech booth and is going nuts on the equipment and now the police are running up the hill to stop him. James said to just grab what we need and leave as quickly as we can. Come on."

Regina grabbed everything she could, but Skyler ran to the door and listened. He could hear Jenny's voice as she shouted from the stage.

"Shh," Skyler hissed, waving to the others. "Listen."

"Please, just sit and let the police do their job," Jenny shouted plaintively. "I'm sure we'll be able to continue in a few moments."

Skyler turned and looked at the women. "You guys go. I'm staying."

"Sky..." Hanna said, not wanting to have a conflict, "... you could get hurt. Reggie could get hurt. Come on... we have to go."

"You guys go." He turned and walked towards the stage.
 

~^~
 

"Maybe we should go," Uncle Bill said to his family and Lynn.

"What about Skyler and Regina?" his sister-in-law asked. "I'm not leaving without them."

He looked around at the tense crowd. "This could get bad very quickly," he said. "I'll go see if I can find them."
 

~^~
 

"Let me through," the police chief said with authority as he pushed through the small hallway that led from the lobby to the performance area, the hallway from which the entrance to the Tech Booth was located. "Come on, move!" There were a couple of dozen private security people and police officers standing near the booth's door. Some of the police had their guns drawn.

"Put those things away," the chief ordered. "Christ, do you want to fire a gun in this crowd? You'll incite a panic."

He reached the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. What was wrong with his people? They'd all been trained on how to deal with a situation like this and here they were, huddled in the hallway, guns drawn and no idea what was happening in that room.

He stepped in and announced in a big, powerful voice, "I'm The Chief of Police. Everyone stop what you're doing and stand still." Astoundingly, they all did just that.

He looked around the small space and there was no doubt as to who had been responsible for the disruption. He looked at Lynn's father and said, "You. What's this all about?"
 

~^~
 

Uncle Bill was nearly to the side door when Skyler walked out onto the stage. Jenny was still asking for calm. Ellie, who was supposed to be performing, was standing in the wings, baffled by what was happening.

Skyler could see Uncle Bill speaking, but his adrenaline was high, and his hearing was focused on Jenny, who sounded panicked as well.

"Ellie," Skyler said, motioning for the other contestant to come out on stage.

Almost in a daze, Ellie came out onto the stage, but Skyler guided him to the rear of the stage. "Help me push this piano to the front of the stage."

It just took a moment to roll the large, heavy instrument downstage. The crowd was still a bit unruly, but somewhat calmer than a few moments ago when it had been dark.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Skyler shouted as loudly as he could. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!" He shouted louder and this time the crowd turned to see what was being said.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Whatever is happening in the tech booth, it seems as if the police have a handle on it. So... Please take a seat and, while we wait for the show to continue, please join me in singing a song that I think we all know."

The crowd seemed leery, but they began to take their seats as Skyler took his perch at the piano and started playing. Two beats of a C major chord. Two beats of a G major chord. One and a half beats of an A minor chord, then a G major that led down to two beats of an F chord.

In the biggest voice he could muster, Skyler instructed, "Please sing with me."

And... they did.

"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be."

By this point in the song, most of the audience had returned to their seats and singing along.

"And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it bd

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be, be."
 

~^~
 

"Hands behind your back, sir," the police chief instructed. Lynn's father did as instructed and the hand cuffs were locked around his wrists.

The door opened and Jenny entered. "What is happening in here?"

Karen gave her a quick summary of the mayhem that had ensued.

Jenny looked at Lynn's father as the chief led him towards the door. "What would possess you to do something like this?"

"I'm doing the Lord's work, fairy," he spat as he passed her.

Jenny just shook her head. "Can we continue?"

Karen shook her head. "I don't know, Jenny. I think we can get the lights up and run them manually, and the PA system will work fine with just the sub-board to run three or four mics, but... he smashed the two computers with all the playback music for the second round of talent and it doesn't look like the external hard drive I had everything backed up on is working either. He did a hell of a lot of damage in just a couple of minutes."

"Wonderful," Jenny huffed. "So... what now? Pussy Boots is the only contestant to have done her second round of talent. Do we just do away with the last round and have the judges make a decision based on what they've seen, or do we give Rodney points for his performance and declare him the winner?"

Just then, the sound of a new song started wafting into the room. The audience sang along.

"Why are there so many

Songs about rainbows

And what's on the other side?"

"Who is singing?" Karen asked.

"Sky," Jenny said, glancing out into the audience. "And thank God he is. He's calmed everyone down out there."

"Rainbows are visions

But only illusions

Rainbows have nothing to hide..."

"I think we need to talk to the judges and see what they have to say," Jenny said with finality.

"Regardless, though, I think we owe Sky a lot. Everything out there was getting pretty ugly until he started playing. That kid's a life saver."

"Agreed. Let's go talk to the judges. Take them into the box office. I'll talk to the crowd and meet you there as soon as I can. What a freaking mess."
 

~^~
 

"Are you crying" Uncle Bill asked Skyler's mother. She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Why? It's a Muppet song, for crying out loud. Nothing to cry over."

"Bill..." she said his name in such a way that it almost sounded like a kindergarten teacher talking to a child who just didn't understand anything. "... it has nothing to do with the song. It's Skyler. Bill, I always loved to hear him play and he's been singing a lot lately, too, but look at these people, Bill! They're mesmerized. They love him, Bill. I'm amazed by the power of my baby boy."

"Your baby boy in the puff sleeved blouse and long skirt," Bill teased. "I do understand. Honestly, I could not be more proud of Sky, either. I always told my customers that he would be famous. Now, I believe that's the truth."
 

~^~
 

"Now, look across the street," the congresswoman said into her bullhorn. "The fascist enforcers of the woke agenda are arresting a true American patriot. He stood up for you and for me and for our children and for our children's children. But the 'woke' left called out their storm troopers and took away that man's First Amendment rights! They stifled his free speech. That is your tax dollars at work, right there. Taxachusetts citizens, you should rise up and take back your government!"

"Shouldn't we do something, chief?" a younger police officer asked.

"About what?" he asked, then he said to Lynn's father, "Watch your head," and he said as he guided Lynn's handcuffed father into the back of the police car.

"About her! She's getting all those people revved up. Something's going to happen."

"Didn't they teach you anything in your training?" The Chief asked, shaking his head. "Right now, she's just a feisty, blonde windbag who is speaking her mind to a peaceful assembly. We have no legal cause to arrest her. AND IF WE DID ARREST HER, she'd become a martyr on certain news stations."

"So, we ignore her?"

"Never ignore anyone, kid. Watch and take notes but know your legal limitations. It's a free country, kid. Even hate mongers have rights. You can't legislate love and you can't fix stupid."
 

~^~
 

"Let's have a big round of applause for Sky!" Jenny said into the now working microphone. By that time, Skyler had already led the audience in three familiar songs. The impromptu sing-along calmed people down and kept them from leaving, but it was time to let the audience know what was happening. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have had an unfortunate incident in our control room, and we need a few moments to figure out how we are going to proceed from here. So, if you would be so kind as to give us enough time for a very brief meeting, we will be right back with a new plan. Sky, I think everyone is enjoying your music, so... please continue. I will be right back."

Jenny left the stage and Sky started playing Elvis' 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You.' The crowd, of course, joined right in.

Jenny entered the hallway in a rush, but was slowed down by Rodney, who was waiting for her.

"What's going on here?" he asked angrily.

"The computers with all of the other performers' backing tracks were destroyed - even the external hard drive was broken. We need to figure out what to do now."

"What to do? Listen, I did my performance. The judges saw it and the judges loved it! I could tell. So, what's the big deal? Declare me the winner."

"What about Sky, Rodney? Sky has been entertaining the crowd for ten minutes or more now. Should her performance be considered?"

"No," Rodney said, shocked at the notion. "The rules state very clearly that you can't change your performance after it has been approved. You made a big deal out of that at one of the rehearsals. Whatever trash that bitch is playing out there, it doesn't count. Only my performance counts. So, I win."

Jenny had heard enough. "Rodney... just get out of my face, will you? I have important things to deal with right now. If you bother me again, I'll disqualify you just for being a pain in my ass."

Jenny walked through the hallway door and towards the box office while Rodney turned on his heels and stormed back to the dressing room.
 

~^~
 

"Do you think they'll disqualify the girls who haven't been able to perform?" Alan asked his professors. "I mean, that Pussy Boots girl was really good, but we all know who the winner should be. I overheard someone saying that all the music Sky has been playing doesn't count. That doesn't seem fair."

"I really don't know what will happen, Alan," Professor Kramer said. "This is the fifth Gala I've attended. I played piano for two of them and I've been in the audience for three and nothing like this has ever happened before. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Alan shook his head. "This is just wrong. Sky is the prettiest and most talented girl on that stage. If they don't give her a chance... well... it just wouldn't be fair. That's all I'm saying. It just wouldn't be fair."
 

~^~
 

The final five contestants were gathered backstage. All were nervous. Ellie, Skyler and the two that Skyler didn't really know, their names were Austin and Keely, were seated. Rodney stood with his arms crossed, aggressively impatient.

"Alright," Jenny said, entering, "let me speak first and then you can ask questions. Now, first, we have never had anything like this happen before, so we're trying to do what's fair for everyone. After talking with the judges, we think the best thing to do is to just eliminate the last talent round and..."

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!" Rodney screamed. "I did my second round of talent, and I did it well. That HAS to be considered. Just because these losers can't do their acts doesn't mean that mine should be disqualified."

"Rodney, please," Jenny sounded defeated already. "We all need to be a little more understanding at times like these."

"Understanding!?" Rodney shouted. "Listen, lady, there is one hundred thousand dollars involved here! I can't afford to be UNDERSTANDING with that much money on the line! If you change the rules now, you can expect a massive lawsuit and as much bad publicity as I can muster!"

This is exactly what Jenny had feared. Any of the contestants would be defensive in Rodney's position, but Rodney had been unreasonable from the start, and this was fueling the fire of his righteous indignation.

She looked around the room. "I... I don't know what to do," she said. "I know this isn't fair, but Rodney does have a point."

"So, that's it?" Ellie asked. "All that work and we're just out because some asshole upset everything? She wins and we lose, not because she's the best, but because the world just sucks? Look, if I do my best and lose, I'm fine with that, but this? This is just not right!"

"I know, Ellie," Jenny said with a tired sigh. "I know. I just don't know what else to do."

It was quiet for a few moments while the others thought, and Rodney stood with a gloating expression on his face.

"I'm out of ideas, girls," Jenny finally said. "I'm sorry."

She stood and had her hand on the door knob when Skyler offered an idea. "What if... What if I played for everyone?"

Jenny stopped and turned. "Played? You mean played piano? For the other contestants?" She looked at Karen who had the rules of the Gala opened on her iPad. "Karen?"

Karen skimmed the rules quickly. "According to the rules, the contestants must use the same MUSIC that has been approved. It doesn't say that it has to be the same RECORDING, though."

Jenny's eyebrows rose. This was interesting. "Can you actually play the music they're using?"

"Probably," Skyler shrugged.

"Probably isn't good enough," Jenny said.

Skyler nodded. "Yeah. I can play them."

Jenny was a bit dubious. "Ellie, what are you doing for your talent?"

"I'm stacking cups," he replied.

"What?" One of the others asked.

"I stack cups," he explained. "I do it different patterns and I do it quickly. I'm a regional cup stacking champion."

"Great," Jenny said. "What song do you use while you're doing your stacking?"

"Ellie uses 'The Sabre Dance' by Khatchaturian," Sky said quickly. "I've seen you rehearse, and I know the tempo. I can play that piece by heart."

"Keely, how about you?" Jenny asked, suddenly sounding excited.

"I do a ribbon dance to Bette Midler's 'Wing Beneath My Wings."

"Any problem there?" Jenny asked.

"None," Skyler answered confidently.

"Austin?"

Austin, a good looking guy, but a slightly awkward looking woman, said, "I juggle"

"To what music?"

Austin looked a little uncomfortable. "I'm not sure of the title. My boyfriend picked it out for me."

Jenny looked around and asked Karen, "Do you know?"

Karen shrugged. "I don't. It's like a circus thing, isn't it?"

Austin nodded.

"How does it go?" Skyler asked.

Austin shrugged. "I can't really sing."

Skyler looked at Karen. "Can you sing it?"

Karen thought for a moment, then sang, "Daaa da da daaaa. Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da."

"Oh," Skyler said, holding up his finger. "I know that piece, but... I'll need the music."

"Oh, well," Rodney gloated. "No time to go buy sheet music."

"If I could sign into my Scribd account on your iPad, I could find it," Skyler said.

Karen handed her iPad to him, and he signed into the app. He entered a title and... then he looked confused.

"What's the matter?" Jenny asked.

"I... I thought that piece was called 'Barnum and Bailey's Greatest,' but that's not the melody I see here. It must have a different title."

He did a quick Google search, but nothing came up using the key words he entered.

"Shit," he whispered.

"Well, that's that," Rodney glowed.

"No!" Skyler said, snapping his fingers. "Someone go get Hanna, my girlfriend. She'd know the title! She knows all that kind of stuff."

"I'll get her," Jenny said, running out the door. She found Hanna by the stage door.

"Hanna!"

"Yeah," Hanna said, a little confused.

"Come with me!"

Seconds later, she was with the others. "What's the title of this song?" Skyler asked. He sang the melody.

"'March of the Gladiators,'" Hanna said, a bit surprised that no one else knew that.

"That's it!" Skyler said, excited. He went back to the iPad. "Who wrote it?"

"Fucik," Hanna said.

"How do you even know that?" Karen asked.

"How do you not?" Hanna asked, not at all sarcastically. "I thought everyone knew that."

Karen shook her head, a bit amazed.

"I got it!" Skyler said.

"What's going on?" Hanna asked.

"I'm going to play for everyone," Skyler explained, standing. "I will need to use your iPad for Austin's song, but I'm good with the rest. Can you hold this?" He handed Hanna the iPad and took a moment to adjust his skirt and blouse.

"Alright, let's go," Jenny said.

As everyone filed out the door, Hanna stopped Skyler. "Wait, wait, wait," she said. "YOU are playing for everyone else? That's not fair, baby. You can play your own piece, but... this isn't right. You'll be distracted with all this new music and," she held up the iPad, "look at this piece. It's in D Flat, babe. Five flats! It's quick, it's in a tough key and you'll be sight reading. Baby, they're asking too much of you."

"Hanna," Skyler smiled. "They didn't ask me to do anything. I volunteered to do it. It's the right thing to do."
 
 
MUSIC LINKS:

Let It Be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4
 
Rainbow Connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deebKNI-dTE
 
I Can't Help Falling In Love With You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipJtTQkYZZk
 
The Saber Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUQHGpxrz-8
 
Wind Beneath Your Wings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93dkoUtrnZM
 
Entrance of the Gladiators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0CyOAO8y0
 
 
To Be Continued...

45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 10 Final

 

Our story comes to an end with this installment. I am so grateful that so many people
seem to have enjoyed this story. That really is the paycheck for an author on BigCloset.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who read the story and many extra thanks to those
who took the time to leave comments and critiques. Have a wonderful winter, or summer for
those of you in the southern hemisphere. I hope to be back with you all very soon!

---

 
Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for all the comments! Please let me know
how you liked the story with possibly a review. ~Clara.
 
This version of 45th Annual Gala of Tiresias: 10 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

---

 
 
Chapter 10 Final
 

"Did she just say that Sky is going to accompany ALL of the rest of the contestants?" Kathy asked Amanda.

"I think she did," Amanda replied.

"Why?" Kathy asked confused. "I mean, playing for himself makes sense, but giving the others a hand up...? Isn't that like helping the enemy?"

"You obviously don't know Sky very well," Lynn said. "I used to think that Sky was a weirdo, but once I got to know him, I realized that he is always trying to do the right thing. He was patient and generous to me when I was mean to him. I came today to offer support because he was so kind to me. Helping out the other girls in the pageant makes perfect sense to me."
 

~^~
 

Ellie went first. Skyler played 'The Saber Dance' beautifully while Ellie stacked and unstacked plastic cups in pyramids or other shapes. Ellie was very good at it. It was an oddly impressive display of skill and speed. Because he knew the piece well, Skyler was able to keep an eye on the performance and end at the exact moment that the last cup was in place.

The crowd was very supportive and applauded their appreciation for Ellie.

Next came Keely doing a ribbon dance to 'Wind Beneath My Wings.' Again, Skyler knew the music very well and was able to play it without any problem while also watching the performance. It went without a hitch and again the audience showed their appreciation with lots of applause.

Then it was Austin's turn to do his juggling act.

"I need your iPad," Skyler said to Karen, who stood in the wings.

Karen passed the tablet to him and whispered, "Good luck."

"Sky," he heard Hanna call from the wings. He turned and looked at her. "Don't take it too fast. I just listened to it. It's only supposed to be played at about one hundred and twelve beats per minute." She held up her phone and hit the 'play' button on a metronome app and it clicked off the appropriate tempo. It wasn't very loud, but he could make it out. That was actually very helpful. This song was a march and marches are usually played at a tempo between one hundred and twenty beats per minute and one hundred and forty beats per minute, so having the knowledge that this piece is usually played a bit slower allowed him to relax just a bit.

He tapped the tempo with his foot, which was shod in a woman's oxford from the nineteen-thirties, and he looked across the stage where Austin was taking the stage, after several different juggling props had been placed on a small table where he could grab what he needed.

Austin gave Skyler a small, concerned smile and then a nod that indicated that he was ready.

Skyler took a deep breath and started to sight read the piece.

It went very well, but he couldn't watch Austin's act as he played. He had played the piece through and was just about to take the last repeat when the audience applauded loudly. Skyler looked up to see Austin's hands up in air, about to take a final bow. It gave Skyler just enough time to take the final ending and end the song at the perfect moment.

"Wow!" Elizabeth Olsen said into the microphone. "Great job, Austin! Let's hear it for her amazing juggling."

"The audience applauded appropriately.

Then Elizabeth Olsen turned to the piano and said, "Sky, come on over here and talk to me for a moment."

A little surprised, Skyler stood and walked to center stage.

"I love this outfit you're wearing," the star said. "Tell us about it."

Instinctively, Skyler touched the soft blouse and skirt. "Oh... for my song, I'm supposed to look like a nineteen-thirties secretary. You know, the kind that would work for a detective or someone like that, in one of those old black-and-white movies."

"I get it," she smiled. "Well, you look perfect, Sky. You really do."

"Oh... thanks..."

"Now, Sky... before you perform your song... I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what you've done for your fellow contestants here, today. Honestly, I can't imagine someone else doing so much to help out the competition." She looked at the audience. "I think that deserves a big round of applause, don't you?"

"YES!" Came the sound of Uncle Bill's voice over the roar of applause.

Skyler blushed and smiled.

"So, what's the name of the piece you're playing for us Skyler?"

"It's called, 'You Can Always Count On Me,' from the musical 'City or Angels,' but I'm not just playing it. I'm singing it, too."

"Oh, you sing, too?"

"You bet your ass she does!" Professor Marino shouted, causing a wave of laughter to waft across the space.

"Are you all ready to perform?" Elizabeth Olsen asked.

"I hope so," he shrugged and smiled.

Elizabeth Olsen kissed his cheek, which surprised him further. She kept her microphone down by her hip as she whispered into his ear, "Good luck, Sky. I'm rooting for you."

Skyler smiled even more broadly and headed towards the piano stool. He was surprised to see the other four finalists in the stage right wing, all in their cocktail dresses. Rodney had his arms folded and a smirk on his face, but the other three were grinning from ear to ear and offering thumbs up and other gestures of encouragement. He smiled at them and returned a little thumbs up to them.

When he looked into the stage left wing, he noticed that all of the other contestants were gathered there, all wearing their cocktail dresses and all offering as many encouraging gestures as possible.

He sat at the piano and then realized there was an issue.

"Umm... I need a microphone on a boom stand." He said, not realizing that while he was helping everyone else, he hadn’t considered what he’d need for his own performance. Originally, he was planning to stand and hold the microphone, but that wasn’t possible, anymore.

There was a bit of a commotion backstage before a stagehand held out her empty hands and raise her shoulders, indicating that there was not boom stand available.

Suddenly, someone hurried through the darkness and grabbed the microphone from Elizabeth Olson, then hurried onto the stage.

From the audience, it looked like Skyler’s identical twin sister had appeared with a microphone in her hand. Obviously comfortable on stage, she grabbed a chair and slid it up beside Skyler and held the microphone in its proper position for him.

He smiled at Regina and whispered, "Thanks." It was a whisper, but it went through the public address system and the audience heard it, too.

They also could hear Regina whisper to her brother, "You’re doing great, Sky. Show them who you really are."

Skyler smiled at her.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You can do this, Sky. I love you."

"I love you, too, Reggie."

It was at that point that they realized that the audience could hear them because they let out a collective ‘awww.’

Skyler shook his head and nodded. Time to start.

There was the short, pretty introduction. Then...

"I'm one of a long line of good girls
Who choose the wrong guy to be sweet on
The girl with a face that says welcome
That men can wipe their feet on

I'm there when he calls me
The trusted girl Friday alright
But what good does it do me
Alone on a Saturday night?"

He played the triplet figures that led to the body of the song.

And everything felt good. His voice, the piano, the way his voice sounded in the hall. All of it felt good. And then there was Regina, just a couple of feet away from him, smiling. That felt good, too.

"If you need a gal
To go without salary and work too hard
You can always count on me
The kind of a pal
Who'd sneak you a file past the prison guard
Loyal to the "nth" degree

The boss is quite the ladies’ man
And that's my biggest gripe
Till I showed up he'd never hired a girl cause she could type

I'm no femme fatale
But faithful and true as a Saint Bernard
Barkin' up the wrong damn tree
You can always count on me."

The volume had been building, so he brought it back to mezzo-piano and gave himself some more room to grow from there to the end of the song.

"I don't need a map
I naturally head for the dead end street
You can always count on me
I'm caught in a trap
When joy is approaching then I retreat
I'm at home with misery

I've been "the other woman" since my puberty began
I crashed the junior prom
And met the only married man
I'm always on tap
For romance or chocolate that's bitter sweet
You can always count on me"

Then, he got bigger.

"I go for the riff raff
Who's treating me so-so
When I can play the second fiddle
I'm a virtuoso
I should be playing for a wedding band
But there're no wedding rings attached
Though you can bet there're strings attached"

This time he only reined it in a little so he’d be able to crescendo little by little from there to the end of the song.

"A matter of fact,
If you want an ill-fated love affair
You can always count on me

Though I’ve made a pact
To carry out research before i care
Men don't give a warranty"

At this point, he got playful and flirty.

"One Joe who swore he's single
Got me sorta crocked, the beast
I woke up only slightly shocked that I’d defrocked a priest

Or else I attract
The guys who are longing to do my hair
You can always count on me"

And then, he headed for the big ending. Start at mezzo-forte and build towards the big ending. It all felt so good!

"Though my kind of dame
No doubt will die out like the dinosaurs
You can always count on me
I'm solely to blame
My head gives advice that my heart ignores
I'm my only enemy

I choose the kind who cannot introduce the girl he's with
There're lots of smirking motel clerks who call me, ‘Mrs. Smith.’

But I’ve made a name
With hotel detectives who break down doors
Guess who they expect to see
You can always count on
Bet a large amount on
You can always count on me."

He hit the last note and it sat perfectly in that spot where he’d rehearsed it. The placement was perfect, the syllable was formed correctly, and he opened up to let the note flow just perfectly.

And then it was over.

And it had gone perfectly.

And the audience LOVED it!

They applauded.

They hooted.

They hollered.

They whistled.

He could hear the sound of his family’s voice, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

He felt Regina’s lips on his cheek again, and she was helping him up to a standing position. "Go take a bow!" She screamed into his ear over the din.

Skyler stood and was about to head towards the stage’s apron, but he was stopped by Hanna’s embrace. She couldn't help it. She’d run onto the stage from the wings and threw her arms around her small, beautiful boyfriend and said into his ears, "Oh, baby, you were so great!"

She kissed his cheek, too, then turned him so he could take his bow.

He arrived at center stage and took a quick bow, intending to retreat to the stage right wing to join the other finalists, but Elizabeth Olsen appeared and spread her arms in the ’give me a hug’ gesture. He hugged her, too, and she held him by her side and said into the microphone, "Isn’t she amazing!? Let's have one more round of applause for Sky!"

The audience was more than willing to comply. The swell of noise crescendoed again and as the swell receded, Elizabeth Olsen spoke again. "Let’s get our other four finalists back out here for the judges’ final decision."

Austin, Ellie and Keely hurried out, all in their cocktail dresses, and grabbed Skyler for a huge group hug. "You were great!" One said. "Unbelievable, Sky," said another. Skyler, being somewhat smaller than the other three, was blinded by the press of fake breasts against his face, so he was uncertain as to who said what.

Rodney came onto the stage as well. He held back a little and applauded a little, but had a fake smile plastered to his face.

Elizabeth Olsen was handed two envelops. One contained the names of the three lesser award winners. The final envelope contained the name of the first runner up. So, the name not announced would be the winner.

"As you all know," the guest host said, "all of these lovely finalists will receive a scholarship of some kind. These prizes range from a five thousand dollar prize to a one-hundred-thousand-dollar prize. So, no matter what, all these girls are big winners."

She opened the first envelop. "Our Miss Congeniality for this year’s Gala of Tiresias, and the winner of a five-thousand-dollar scholarship is... Keely!"

Keely smiled and stepped forward to receive an envelope and a peck on the cheek. He was disappointed to not have done better, but having made it to the finals was pretty amazing.

"This year’s Tiresias Junior Princess and the ten-thousand-dollar scholarship winner is... Austin!"

Austin was thrilled to have won the ten-thousand-dollar prize and beamed with joy as he got his envelop and peck on the cheek.

"And now... Our second runner up and winner of a fifteen-thousand-dollar scholarship... Ellie!"

Ellie was thrilled, too. She would have liked to have beaten Rodney, but this was still a huge victory for a fairly big guy who’d never really dabbled in pageants before. She got her envelop and peck on the cheek, then she and the other two moved to the rear of the stage, leaving Rodney and Skyler together by the end of the grand piano.

Skyler leaned towards Rodney and said, "Good luck, Rodney. You did a great job."

Rodney shook his head. "Don't condescend to me, Sky. There’s no way you're not winning this. If they make me the winner, there will probably be a riot in here. The whole audience looks at you like you are the second coming or something."

Suddenly, Skyler felt a little sad. "I’m sorry, Rodney. I was just trying to help everyone out."

"Well, you did. You helped them and you helped yourself, too."
 

~^~
 

"Now is the time," the congresswoman said into her megaphone. "You saw what happened to that man! They arrested him - and for what? For speaking his mind against these perverted degenerates. We have asked our local legislators to protect us, and they have not. We have asked our national legislators to protect us, and THEY have not. Now is the time for us to retake our land. It is time for each and every one of you to march on this mansion and stop the moral turpitude going on within."

"Moral turpitude?" the younger police officer asked the chief as they watched the crowd across the street. It had grown bigger - more than a hundred people had ultimately gathered there, most of them arriving after hearing that the celebrity congresswoman was there through social media. "It's just guys who look like women. Why are they so threatened?"

The chief shrugged and grabbed the microphone connected to the radio in the nearby patrol car. "I want everyone lined up in the front of the mansion right now. I think these people are about to try something. Now, remember, we are only keeping them back, not using any violence unless they use violence first. NO GUNS, OFFICERS! We want to retain order, not have another Kent State Massacre. Now, let's go. Everyone do your job and everyone will go home in one piece."

Then he took out his phone and pressed the number for the State Police Captain who was waiting about a block away with a contingent of troopers in well-marked cruisers. "It’s time for you and your guys to arrive, Cap," the Chief said. "If you can get here in the next two minutes or so and pull straight across the road to form a wall with your cars, that would be great. Oh, and Cap... I doubt the congresswoman will be planning on marching up the driveway in her sixteen-hundred-dollar shoes, but if one of your people could diplomatically keep her from leaving the scene, I think she has yet another charge of incitement in her very near future. Thanks, Cap."
 

~^~
 

"And our first runner up and winner of a twenty-thousand-dollar scholarship is..." She opened the envelop and with a great deal of joy and announced, "Pussy Boots!"

"Huh. Big surprise," Rodney said, shaking his head and then shunning Skyler by not offering the traditional, congratulatory hug. But he did stop after a few steps and turned back to say, "You’re very talented, Sky. I didn't want to lose, but at least I'm losing to someone with a lot of talent." Then he smiled. "But my ass is way nicer than yours." He continued to center stage to receive his envelop and peck on the cheek.

When Rodney had moved away, Elizabeth Olsen turned and motioned for Skyler to join her.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, "this year’s winner of The Gala of Tiresias and the winner of a one-hundred-thousand-dollar scholarship goes to..."

Skyler knew that she said his name, but the roar of the crowd was too overwhelming for her voice to be heard. He smiled and waved as a crown was placed on his stiffly sprayed and heavily pinned hair. A sash that read ‘Queen of the Gala’ was placed over his puff-sleeved, sheer blouse, a huge bouquet of roses was laid in his arms, and he was handed an envelope.

He took many bows and waved his thanks to the crowd. He blew kisses to his mother, his sisters and his Uncle Bill as he walked down the central stage extension. And then he noticed Lynn was there - and not just one, but two of his professors - and then he spotted Alan. Everyone got a wave, and he blew them each a kiss before he turned and saw all of the other contestants standing behind him, all dressed in their cocktail dresses. They all looked so beautiful!

He was blowing them kisses as well, when he was redirected by an arm around his shoulders. When he looked, it was Jenny Jacobs who held a microphone in her hand.

"Congratulations, Sky," she said into the microphone. "How are you feeling right now?"

He smiled and looked around at everyone on the stage. They were all wearing such fancy dresses, while he was still in his costume for his song. "Kind of underdressed," he laughed. "Everyone else looks so beautiful, and I look like a character from a Humphrey Bogart movie."

"Oh, I think you look adorable, don't you Elizabeth?" Jenny said sincerely.

"I certainly do!" the star said with a huge grin.

Jenny held up a hand to quiet the still noisy crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen... I have attended several of these events. I sat in the audience for some, participated in one and this year, coordinated this one and I can say, with all honesty, I have never... ever... met a contestant as generous with their talent as Sky. Sky... I can’t think of anyone more deserving of winning this year’s award than you. Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" he said into her ear as she hugged him.

She handed him the microphone. "I just want to thank you all for being so supportive... the judges for choosing me... my family for all they've helped me with the last few weeks... my mom... my Uncle Bill... my older sisters, and of course my younger sister, Regina who was my microphone stand for the last song... my friends, Alan and Lynn for being here... my beauty consultant, James, who turned me from a homely little boy into this princess... my voice and piano professors who both came to support me... and mostly, I want to thank my girlfriend, Hanna." He looked to the wings where Hanna was standing by Regina and James. "Hanna... I love you so much and the fact that you can still love me, even though I've changed so much, proves to me that there is such a thing as true love in this world."

That did elicit an ’aww’ from the audience.

"Oh and thank you to all of my fellow contestants. You are all so talented and so beautiful. It's been an honor to spend the last few weeks with you. I..."

"Faggot!" Came the scream from a fairly sweaty and somewhat out of breath woman who'd entered the hall through slamming doors. She looked as if she’d just run up a steep hill and through a phalanx of state troopers and local police - and there was a reason for that. She was carrying a quart of red paint that she’d brought specifically to throw on a contestant or two, but now that she’d made her way into the performance hall, she realized that she’d not brought anything to open the can. So, instead, she chose to assail someone with vitriol rather than paint.

Everyone turned to see who had said the offending word, and a number of people wanted to attack her, but others held them back. Uncle Bill was halfway up the aisle when Skyler asked everyone to stop.

"No, no, everyone, please calm down!" he asked and, amazingly, everyone did. He put his flowers, his crown, his sash and his envelop on the piano and walked down a small set of stairs on the side of the stage to get to the audience level. Then he headed to the back of the house where the woman stood.

He still had the microphone in his hand when he reached the woman. "Hi," he said into the microphone, sounding as sweet as possible. "I’m Sky. What's your name?"

The woman, who was a bit confused by the calm behavior of her target sputtered a bit. "J... Judy," she said. "My name in Judy."

Now, normally, in a situation like this, Skyler would have moved to the side and let the events unfold, but not that day. That day, he was feeling empowered. Strong in an absolutely feminine way. Yet... at peace with himself and a way that he’d never been before.

"Hi, Judy. Come on up on the stage with me."

He took the woman’s hand and led her to the front of the house and up the stairs to the stage. When they were center stage, he turned to the woman, who seemed to be in a haze, and asked, "Judy... why are you here, today?"

This was not how Judy had expected her day to go – not at all! She looked around the room at the people on stage and the people in the audience and she was confused. She'd half expected to see a room full of semi-naked, sex-crazed demons, writhing on the floor as they indulged in all kinds of fornication! Instead... she saw people who looked just like her neighbors in the audience and some very beautiful looking people on the stage. Sure, some of the contestants were obviously men - they were taller and broader than most women, but they were very nicely and fairly conservatively dressed. This wasn't at all what she'd been led to believe she'd find in this room.

"I..." she spoke as she gathered her thoughts. "I... I'm here because... community... my community... children... Yes! To keep the children safe." She nodded; sure that she'd explained herself perfectly.

"Safe from me?" Skyler asked.

Judy looked at him. That couldn't possibly be a man, could it? "No... not from you... from..." She looked around. "I don't know."

"I want to introduce you to someone," Skyler said. He looked to the others and motioned for Rodney to come forward. "Judy, I want you to meet my friend, Rodney. Rodney... this is Judy. Say hello."

"Hi, Judy," Rodney said, nearly as confused as Judy was,

"Rodney, tell Judy about yourself."

Rodney brought a limp-wristed hand to his chest as his jaw dropped open. "Tell her...?"

Skyler nodded.

"Well..." Rodney shrugged and started speaking. "I’m a design major at RISD in Rhode Island... I'm twenty-one years old and I'm hoping to work in the advertising world after I graduate. I am active in my school’s LGBTQ+ organization where I participate in community outreach – providing meals for the elderly and those who can’t afford to help themselves through fundraisers like... well kind of like this. Fashion shows, talent shows... whatever... you know... we’re doing what we can to help."

Judy stared at the beautiful man confused. "Community outreach?"

Rodney nodded.

Skyler waved Ellie over.

"Hi, Judy," Ellie smiled. "I'm a clinical psychology grad student at Harvard where my focus is on suicide prevention amongst children with gender related anxieties. Young people who are afraid to be themselves because members of society might attack them."

Judy looked around. "You mean... people like me? I... I would never hurt a child. I swear it."

"I would hope not," Skyler said, "but you used a pretty hurtful word when you burst in here, Judy."

"I did?" she asked. That seemed so long ago at that point. "Oh..." she remembered. "Yeah, but they told me... I mean... I was told that there was..." A tear suddenly rolled down her cheek. "I’m sorry, but I thought that you were all..." she looked around again. "I’m... sorry."

By that time, several police officers had accompanied the chief into the performance hall. "Ma’am?" the chief said politely. "I'll need you to come with me. I’ll escort you out."

Suddenly, Judy looked frightened. she nodded, knowing she'd been in the wrong. She walked to the stairs, then turned. "I'm sorry," she said to everyone.

When the Chief had led Judy out, the room remained silent for a moment until Skyler raised the microphone to his lips and whispered, "Thank you."

There really was nothing else to be said, so the audience gave him one last round of applause and he gathered up his flowers, crown, sash and envelop then they all headed backstage.

Lots of contestants congratulated Skyler on the way down the hallway. He received many hugs, many kisses on his cheeks and many, many, many thanks.

When he reached James’ work area, it was pretty much packed up and James was zipping up one of the two large, wheeled suitcases he’d used to bring in everything he needed. When he glanced up and saw Skyler enter, he stopped what he was doing and smiled, his arms held wide.

"There’s my girl!" he grinned. He wrapped his arms around Skyler and swayed from side to side.

"Thank you for everything, James," Skyler said. "I couldn’t have done it without you."

James stopped swaying and held Skyler at arm's length. "Now, you listen to me, young lady. I just made you look pretty. YOU won this competition. It was your grace, your talent and your courage that won, today. Sky... I can’t tell you how many pageants I’ve attended over the years, and I can’t tell you how many times things have gone sideways during a show, but never like this, honey, and never have I seen a contestant take over and save the day the way that you did."

James shook his head and took in the girl in the nineteen-thirties attire before him. "You’re a bit of a miracle, Sky. A few weeks ago, when Reggie first brought you into my studio, I never would have thought you could win this. Now..." he grinned broadly and laughed. "... now... Sky, I believe you could do anything. Congratulations." He kissed Skyler’s cheek.

"Thank you, James. Thank you for everything." He looked at the bags. "Can I help you with this?"

"Are you kidding?" James laughed. "I’ve got this all under control. You need to go see your family. I’m sure they’re waiting to see you. I’m pretty sure you’ll be coming to visit me at the studio again pretty soon." Skyler blushed and laughed at that. "Go on."

Skyler reentered the hallway to find Jenny Jacobs waiting for him.

"Oh, good God almighty," Jenny said, wrapping Skyler in yet another hug. "What happened to that shy little guy that was being pushed into dressing up like a girl by his girlfriend that I met a few weeks ago? How did he become this mighty little woman in front of me?"

"I’m as surprised as you are," Skyler said with a nervous laugh.

Jenny released him and shook her head. "So... what now? Is my beautiful, confident Sky here to stay, or is quiet, little Skyler returning forever?"

Skyler smirked a bit at her teasing. "To tell you the truth, Jenny... I’m not sure that that shy guy you met the first day was ever really here. I think he was just pretending to be here because he was expected to be here. I think that, more than anything else, this pageant taught me who I really am. And I can’t thank you enough for that."

Jenny put her arm around Skyler’s waist, and they headed towards the lobby. "I’m glad to hear that, Sky and I have a proposition for you."

Skyler looked at Jenny, surprised. "What kind of proposition? You know that I can’t just leave school, right? I mean, that was the whole reason for being in the Gala in the first place."

Jenny smiled. "Of course, Sky. School is the most important thing, but you single handedly rescued this pageant from disaster. Like it or not, you’re going to be a legend in this community, so... I need you, Sky. I need your face, your talent and your courage to keep this pageant alive through all of the hate that’s coming at us from every direction. So, I want to work something out with you and my bosses. We’ll figure out a way that you can be the new face of the pageant while still at school. What do you think?"

"But... you’re the face of the pageant."

"I WAS, Sky, but after what you did here today... Let’s talk in a week or so. Ok?"

"Ok," Skyler agreed as they arrived in the lobby and the sound of his family and friends applauding for him caught his attention.

"I knew you could do it, Sky!" Uncle Bill shouted as he grabbed his nephew and lifted him right off the floor, spinning him around as if he was a child. "I have never been more proud of anyone, Sky!
Congratulations!" he finally put him back on the ground. "You're amazing."

Each of his older sisters hugged him and congratulated him effusively. Then his mother got a hold of him and hugged him so tightly it actually hurt.

"There’s my baby boy!" she said into his ear. "Sky... I was so scared when everything went wrong, but you just kept everyone so calm. I am so, so, so proud of you."

"And I won, mom," Skyler pointed out. "I can pay the rest of my college, now."

His mother smiled. "Yes, baby, you can. Congratulations."

The next in line was Lynn, from Uncle Bob’s store. "Hi, Sky," she said, a bit sheepishly.

"Hey, Lynn," Skyler smiled. "Wow, thanks for coming."

Lynn smiled but looked a little scared. "Sky... I’m so sorry."

"About what? The thing at the store? It’s all forgotten."

"No. Not that. I mean... I am sorry about that, but... today, I mean. The person who messed everything up in the tech booth... I found out that that was my dad again. I’m really sorry. I knew he was going to protest, but... I think he only came in because he found out I was in here to support you..."

She probably would have rambled on until she began crying, but Skyler hugged her before she could get to hyped up. "I don’t care, Lynn. Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me."

"There you are!" Alan shouted from across the lobby. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

There was an awkward moment while Alan tried to figure out whether he should offer a handshake or lean down for a hug. Finally, he decided that a hug was in order.

"You... you... you..." he said, partly playfully and partly because he wasn’t really sure what to say. "You are... unbelievable!" He laughed at the inadequacies of his linguistic abilities. "You know what I mean, right? I mean... wow! Wow! Wow! I mean... I knew you were great, but... wow!"

"Thanks, Alan," Skyler smiled. "Thanks for understanding before. I just couldn’t... it was an odd and unexpected position for me to be in, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Alan smiled. "That’s all past. From here on out, just remember, I’m here and you can tell me anything."

Skyler smiled and wanted to reply, but someone grabbed him around the waist from behind, lifted him off the floor and swung him around. When he landed back on his feet, someone was kissing him hard and passionately on the lips.

When, at last, he could breathe again, he realized that the assailant was who he’s expected it to be – Hanna. "You won, baby! You won, you won, you won and kicked fucking ass while did it! Congratulations, my love!" Once again, his mouth was engulfed by hers. "I am so proud of you, baby! So, so proud."

"Thanks," Skyler said. All of this praise was becoming difficult to process at this point, and having Hanna being so affectionate in public was a really unusual thing. So, he just smiled.

Finally, Regina appeared. She smiled at him as she approached. "Sorry. I kind of ended up with the microphone and I was trying to find someone to give it to. I got talking to that woman named Karen and... anyway..." she suddenly ran to Skyler and hugged him. "You won, Sky. I can’t believe it, you won. I mean... I believe it, but... I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! You know what I mean?"

"WE won, Reggie," Skyler smiled and hugged her back. "You helped me sooooo much."

"Sky – I thought I’d taught you everything you’d need to win this thing, but it wasn’t anything that I taught you that helped you win. It was you. You were so brave and so... My God, Sky, I thought you were nuts when you started helping the others! I mean, if you’re here to win, you don’t help the others, but... Sky... I am just so proud of you."

"Thanks, Reggie."

"Oh, and James told me to remind you that those clothes are borrowed, so we need to get them back to him this week."
 

~^~
 

"And with this bill, we shall insure that our children are not exposed to the gay and trans agenda." The blonde congresswoman said.

"Congresswoman," the reporter shouted to get her attention, "what do you have to say about the chargers you’re facing in regard to the violent protest in Massachusetts a few months ago?"

"I have no comment other than to say that these are politically motivated charges and that I am innocent of any and all accusations."

"But a bystander took footage of you telling the crowd to charge The Ansonia Mansion in which the pageant was occurring, and you told them to do whatever needed to be done to stop the event. Isn’t that what led to the charges?"

"That footage is completely fabricated," the congresswoman said, dismissively. "Haven’t you ever heard of video editing or AI?"

"Are you implying that this footage was created using Artificial Intelligence?"

"Well, I don’t know how they did it, but nothing remotely similar to what the media has been touting occurred on that day."

"Just shut it off," Jenny said. "There’s no point in listening to her lies. We can’t argue with her, anyway. She’ll just spout more lies and her disciples will believe whatever she says rather than believe their own eyes."

"I know," Skyler said, smoothing his nonexistent skirt as he sat. It was very hot that day and he was wearing one of several cute rompers he’d bought for himself recently. "It’s just so frustrating to hear her lying about what happened like that. I don’t understand how she can say those things and never get into any trouble.

"She’s not the only one, Sky. She’s just the most vocal, and, as we plan next year’s Gala, we have to prepare, because we know that we are going to be hit with a lot of stupid and a lot of hate coming from every direction."

"I know," Skyler nodded. "I was on a podcast yesterday and they asked me about these kinds of attacks, and I just said that I was not in a position to judge what was going on in their heads, so I was just going to continue to be as patient and understanding with the people who hated me as I could be."

"Great answer," Jenny smiled, "but we need to be very proactive and push forward for the Gala. We can’t give an inch. You and I are the guardians of this great institution, Sky, and we need to make sure that the fortysixth Gala goes off without a hitch."

Skyler nodded and opened his laptop to get to work.

"I loved the pictures you sent me from your last photo shoot," Jenny said. "You and Regina are doing pretty well, aren’t you?"

Skyler smiled. "A little notoriety goes a long way in the modeling business. Reggie is almost as famous as me because she was on the stage with me that night. Hanna seems to love me doing it, too, so... win/win, right?"

"By the way," Jenny said, "I saw you on Fallon the other night. You did a great job. You played and sang beautifully, as always. The footage they showed of you at the Ansonia Mansion really helped make us look good."

Skyler smiled. "That wasn’t my intention at the time. Jimmy just happened to show the video, but I’m glad it helps."

"I thought it was very sweet that they brought Judy out, too. It’s amazing how reformed she has become since the Gala. She’s become an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. I guess you couldn’t ask for a better advocate. She always makes a point of explaining how she’d been told that terrible things were happening in that room and all she found were regular people watching a pageant. Nothing evil. Nothing profane."

"She has a great story to tell, no doubt," Skyler smiled.

"And then YOU wow everyone by playing piano. Lord, you haven’t even started your sophomore year and you’re already a celebrity! You’re like the Greta Thunberg of the Queer Community."

He just shrugged and began looking at the papers in his folder as someone knocked on the door of Jenny’s hotel room.

"Come in," Jenny said, looking up.

"Sorry I’m late," Lynn said, entering with her briefcase and carrying a tray of coffees. "I brought Dunkins as an apology." She put the tray down and began pulling out her laptop. "Hey, Jenny... I know I’ve said it before, but thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I really appreciate it."

Jenny smiled at her. Lynn had come a long way in the past couple of months. Even then, her soft violet sundress was evident of her new found independence. "Don’t thank me, Lynn. Thank Sky. She insisted that I hire you, and so far I’ve been very happy to have you working with us."

Lynn smiled. "I think Sky just got tired of me constantly crying of her shoulder and figured that the best way to shut me up was to give me something to do."

"I got you the job because I like you, Lynn," Skyler said. "And I figured that someone as gifted at writing as you are would be a big help. I shared a couple of your short stories with Jen and she agreed. That’s why you’re here." He smirked a bit before adding, "Besides, ever since you and Alan became a couple, I feel like you’ve become part of Hanna and my family."

"Well, I’m happy to be here, anyway. Thank you both," Lynn said as she began typing.

"So, Sky," Jenny asked, sipping her cup of coffee, "when is your next TV appearance?"

"The View on Wednesday."

"Ugh. You never know how they’re going to swing on that show. Just stay on message."

"Jenny, the message is just that we are no different from anyone else. Sure, we have different desires and needs, but that’s what makes us all human."

Jenny patted Skyler’s exposed shoulder. "You’re right, Sky. Now... let’s get down to business. It’s up to the three of us to make this world a better place."

THE END
 
 
MUSIC LINKS: I know I’ve posted ‘You Can Always Count On Me,’ but here is a live performance by the actress who created the role. Her name is Randy Graff. Kind of a great name for a character in a TG story.

Randy Graff - "You Can Always Count On Me" [Donahue 1990] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN0MjjJ4Qcw

A Boy Called Brook: Summer 2 by Clara Copyright© 2022, 2024 Clara Schumann   A growing relationship, a trip with friends, and a sleepover. Lots of firsts for Brook.

---

 
Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you for the warm welcome here at bigcloset. To be honest, the layout and format of posting here had me kind of put off for a long time (seriously), but Sephrena was kind enough to assist me with my posting (she created the layout). I am still a newbie at this html stuff!
Please, let me know what you think about my story, both good and bad. I honestly read my reviews and am always willing to learn! ~Clara.
 
 
Summer 2
 

The next morning I woke to the sound of my father in the shower. That was unusual. I was usually awake well ahead of him and out in the kitchen well before he came out of his room.

"Damnit," I muttered and jumped out of bed. I slipped on a pair of Dollar Store flip flops I wore as slippers in the summer and I was just about to hurry down the hall when I spotted the pile of soiled tissues on my nightstand. It would definitely not due to have my dad see all that! So, I grabbed them and hustled down the hallway, passing the bathroom, just as the shower shut off and I heard dad push the shower curtain aside.

I dumped the tissues in the wastebasket and grabbed a frying pan, sprayed a little olive oil into it and put it onto a burner, then pulled the bacon out of the fridge. I knew dad would have at least a little bit of a hangover, so I wanted to give him a good breakfast to try to give him something to kick off his day.

The bacon went into the pan and the bread into the toaster and the eggs came out of the fridge along with the tomato juice and the hot sauce. I turned on the coffee maker and put a K-cup in, grabbed his travel mug while the coffee maker warmed up, then put the travel mug under the spigot and pushed the 'brew' button.

I poured the tomato juice, added two dashes of hot sauce and put it where dad would see it. I grabbed the tongs, flipped the bacon and got the butter out just as the toaster popped and I spread the butter nice and thin so it melted quickly, placing the buttered sides of the toast towards each other before slicing them diagonally, the way dad liked. The bacon was set on paper towels to blot, while the excess grease was poured into a small bowl to cool, the frying pan was lightly wiped and then I fried up two eggs, over easy, just the way dad liked.

I put in a second K-cup and pressed 'brew' again so he'd have enough black coffee for breakfast, his commute and for part of his morning at the lumber yard.

The eggs hit the plate as the bathroom door opened and the nicely plated breakfast was placed on the table along with the spiced tomato juice and coffee just as he arrived.

"Good morning, dad," I said. "I thought you could use a big breakfast this morning. Also, I have some chicken cordon bleu and rice from last night. I put some in a bag for you to take with you for lunch today."

He looked at me, took special note of my hair and shook his head. "So, it wasn't a dream. You really have become a faggot, haven't you?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down at the table just after he did. He drank the tomato juice down in one big gulp, then let out a big 'ahh.' He blinked at the hot sauce's impact.
"What are you doing today?" He asked, not looking up from his breakfast.

I shrugged. "I'm doing the laundry this morning, so if there's anything you want me to throw in it that's not in the hamper, let me know."

He nodded and swallowed what he was chewing. "The clothes I was wearing last night are on the floor in my bedroom."

I just nodded. Of course they were. Where else would they be?

"After that?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Brooke is coming over later..."

"Be careful of her," my father interrupted. "You're obviously smitten with this girl..."

"Just like you are with her mother..."

I was only teasing and under normal circumstances, my dad would have just laughed at that, but like I said, when he was hung over...

He didn't interrupt me with words. He interrupted me with a hard slap of his right hand across my left cheek. Something he'd never done before. Heck, he'd only ever spanked me two or three times in my whole life.

"You watch yourself, little girl," he said, in a very menacing voice. "What goes on between Pat and me is none of your business. What goes on between you and that girl is entirely my business, you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," I said, quietly, rubbing my cheek.

"Look at you. Three hours after you met her she had you looking like her little sister. That's not how a man behaves, Brook. You understand me?" His finger was waggling in my face.

"Yes, sir."

"Men don't have hair nearly to their waist. Men don't let girls 'do their hair' for them. Men don't wear pretty, yellow hair ties to hold back their dainty pony tails. Men don't spend their days learning to cook and becoming good housekeepers and..."

I couldn't keep my mouth shut at that moment. I worked hard to keep our house clean and serve healthy and tasty food for us every night. "Dad, someone has to take care of the house and I would think that you might appreciate the work that I do..."

I stopped because he slammed his hand down on the table top and I was afraid that he might take another swipe at my face. "That's enough!" He shouted. "Last night you acted like a little fairy with that girl! It was embarrassing. You'd better learn how to start acting like a man pretty damned soon, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," I said, shying away a bit and hoping to avoid another slap.

He returned his attention to his breakfast. "Now, I'll let you play tea party with your little girlfriend for now, but you watch yourself. I know that you'll do anything she'll tell you. I don't want to come home and find you giving some football player a blowjob in my living room. Are you listening to me."

I looked at him, not believing what he just said to me.

"I asked you a question," he said, raising his hand as if to hit me again.

"Come on, dad," I said, probably sounding like a beaten puppy. "I never... I wouldn't... that's not even something that could ever happen. I swear."

He looked at me and considered me for a moment or two. Then he nodded and returned to his breakfast. "See that it doesn't." He finished his toast and put the last piece of bacon in his mouth, then stood before he'd even closed his lips. "Well... I have to go." He reached into the refrigerator and grabbed the lunch I'd prepared for him. "I'll be home around five, five thirty. I might have Pat and the girls over again. I'll let you know."

"I'll need some groceries..."

He seemed irritated by that. He pulled five twenty dollar bills out of his wallet and tossed them on the table. "You can ride your bike over to Winslows and get what you need."

"Dad," I tried to reason with him, "I can't get good meat at Winslows. They're just a convenience store. Can't I go with you and take the car so I can go to the supermarket..."

"Jesus Christ, Brook," he shouted, "you're worse than your mother ever was. No car. Use your bike. Go to Winslows. You're the freaking chef. Make it work. I have to go earn some money by doing some real work. Some men's work. Not cooking and cleaning like a some housewife. Now, leave me alone. My head is killing me."

He grabbed his travel mug, pulled a bottle of aspirin out of the cabinet, put them in his pocket and stormed out the door, leaving me sitting there with dirty dishes, an achy face and an achy heart. I hated days that started like this. There weren't a lot of them, but when they happened, they were tough. I knew that later that day he'd come home and regret having been such an asshole all morning - he always did - but I always kind of felt like these mornings showed me more of his true feelings towards me than all the regular mornings we shared when he laughed and patted my back and called me Chef.

That morning had brought a couple of firsts in our relationship, though.

It was the first time he'd ever called me a faggot or a fairy. That day he'd called me both.

And it was the first time he'd ever slapped me across my face.

I didn't like any of those things.

I sat at the table and considered those new additions to my home life for a few minutes and then a few minutes more and then an hour or more had passed and I still hadn't moved and I still didn't know how to deal with the situation. He was my father. I was eighteen. I had no money. I had no where else to go. There was nothing to be said. There was nothing to be done.

So I got up and I washed and dried his breakfast dishes, then put the laundry into the washer and made myself some toast and tea and sat at the table and watched an episode of my favorite anime on my phone.

"Good morning!" a very cheery voice woke me from my anime trance.

I looked up and saw Brooke standing in my kitchen, looking just as beautiful as yesterday. Her light brown hair shining, makeup minimal, but perfect, a tight fitting, lavender tank top and tight white shorts, but as gorgeous as her body was, it was that bright, white smile that hit me the hardest and when that smile faded as she looked at me, I felt like I just wanted to fade into the woodwork and disappear completely.

"What happened to you?" She asked, suddenly serious.

I shook myself back to reality. "Oh... I'm sorry. I completely lost track of... I haven't even showered yet." I listened for a moment and heard the washer was still running, so I looked at the clock. "Umm... the laundry will be done in a few minutes." I stood with my tea cup and plate and headed to the sink. "As soon as it stops, I should be able to shower. I usually wait a while for the hot water to build up, but it'll be..."

Brooke grabbed my arms and spun my to face her. "What happened to your face?" Her voice was a mix of concern and anger.

I touched the place where my father had slapped me. "Oh... I... I... probably slept on it funny or something." I tried to move on to the sink, but Brooke stopped me and then touched my face. It's funny... well, odd, really... the previous day, when Brooke touched me, her touch was cool and electric. That morning, though, when she touched my face where I'd been slapped... it was hot... and shameful... and I couldn't look her in the eye.

"Does your pillow have five fingers?" she asked quietly.

I didn't answer and I still didn't look at her.

"Your dad hit you?"

I shrugged.

"Because of me?"

I shook my head.

"Because of what I did to your hair?"

I shook my head.

"Why, then?"

I sighed. "Because he was still a little drunk and he was a really hungover and he was really grouchy and..." finally I looked at her, but only out of the side of my eyes. "... because you guys just moved in next door and he really likes your mom and he knows that, even though she might think he's handsome right now, she's never going to get serious about a guy who works long hours at a lumber yard and makes the kind of money my father makes. So... I said something he didn't like so he took it out on me. That's all. End of story. Nothing to do with you. Nothing to do with me."

Brooke took out her phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked, a little scared.

"Calling the police. Your father attacked you, Brook. He has no right to do that. He thinks he was in a bad mood this morning, well, wait till the police visit him at work and have some words with him. He'll be real happy then!"

"No, no, no!" I said in a panic, grabbing her phone. "No, Brooke, you can't do that!"

"Why? He hit you. That's against the law."

"He's my father, Brooke. It's not against the law for a father to give his son a slap."

She looked shocked that I'd say that. "Of course it is! How often does he hit you!?"

"Never..." I said, trying to calm things down. "...well... that was the first time. I mean... he chocked me a few times back when he was drinking a lot... back when my mom left... but he doesn't drink that much any more. Last night was the first time in a long time and since it was... you know... happy drinking... I thought that he might be a little nicer this morning than he was."

"But he wasn't?"

I shook my head. "No. He was pretty bad." I shrugged my shoulders and heard the rinse cycle of the washer come to an end. "Hey, the laundry is done. I'll put the load in the dryer and take a shower."

She took my cup and plate from me. "Just sit for a minute, Brook. I'll wash the dishes."

"I..." I wanted to sit, but I couldn't do it without dealing with the laundry first. It just wasn't in my nature. "I'll be right back. I just need to put the clothes in the dryer."

When I got back to the dinning room, Brooke was waiting for me. She had me sit and she looked at me with pity in her eyes and... I kind of hated it.

"Can I ask you a couple of questions?" she said.

"Sure," I said, and then trying to lighten the mood, I added, "That was your first one."

She gave me a little smile for my effort, but that was all. "Are you happy?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." But that was a lie. I decided to tell the truth. "Not really, I guess, but... I like..." I stopped when I realized how stupid what I was about to say would sound. "... never mind."

"No. Tell me. I want to get to know you so I can be a good friend. 'But' what?"

I could feel my face redden as I prepared to speak. "But... well... I do like cooking. That makes me kinda happy... and... I was happy when I spent time with you yesterday. That really made me happy."

Her little smile got a little bigger, but only a little, and she reached over and put her hand on top of mine. "It made me happy, too, Brook. You're a unique person... unlike anyone I've ever met before... and I like that about you. But let me ask you this - before yesterday, and putting cooking aside, why aren't you happy?"

I shrugged. "I don't know... because I'm always alone... because I always feel stupid... pretty much no matter where I am... at school... and when I talk to my dad... and... because I'm... ugly..."

"Ugly!?" Brooke really perked up on that word. "Who ever told you you were ugly?"

"Brooke, come on. I'm eighteen years old and I'm five foot three inches tall. I weigh a hundred and fifteen ponds. No one is ever going to find me attractive."

"You're not tall, so what!? That doesn't make you ugly! Geez, my dad took me to see this old rock band called AC/DC last year and the guitar player was probably no taller than you and WAS ugly and people were acting like he was a god! That actor from Game of Thrones - you know who I mean, he's in Elf, too - is shorter than you and he's really handsome. Brook, you are definite not ugly. You may not be CLASSICALLY handsome, but you are a good looking person. I'd go so far as to classify you as a kind of a pretty guy. You know - like Justin Bieber was when he was younger. Or those boys in BTS. Girls go crazy for pretty guys."

I smirked at her. "Yeah, sure. What difference does it make. I don't meet anyone who doesn't already think of me as a loser, anyway. Everyone at school already sees me that way, then I come back here and I'm just my father's housekeeper. All I do is cook and clean. By the way, he's calling your mom later to invite all of you guys over for dinner again. He gave me some money to go to the convenience store on my bike and magically turn crappy frozen meat into a good meal. He wouldn't let me drop him off and take the car so I could go to one of the supermarkets in one of the bigger towns." I shook my head. "I'm just supposed to magically make a meal out of nothing, I guess. That's how foul his mood was this morning."

She shook her head. "I'll drive you wherever you need to go. Ok?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. What if he gets made that I went someplace he didn't want me to go..."

"I'll have my mom smooth everything out. Don't worry. I can handle her and she can handle him. Ok?"

I smiled. I figured she probably could handle her mom pretty darned well, actually. "Can I go shower, now?"

"Ok, but let's put your hair up so it doesn't get body soap in it." She said, leading me into the kitchen.

"How?" I asked. "I don't have any hair pins or anything like that."

"You have this," she laughed, "grabbing a bag of potato chips with a big yellow clip on the top.

She turned me around, twisted my ponytail a few times as she piled it on top of my head, then clamped the Chip Clip to the mass of hair she'd created.

She turned me to face her, a big smile on her face. "See, there's always a solution to every problem. And just so you know, you would look adorable with an updo. Heck, I could glue some glitter to that yellow clip and you could go to prom with your hair just like that."

"And my dad would be so proud," I joked, and started to walk away, but she stopped me and looked straight into my eyes.

"Frankly, I don't give a fuck what your dad thinks about anything, right now."

I was more than a little shocked she'd dropped an F-bomb so casually, but then she touched my face again, and this time... I didn't feel the shame. I just felt her tenderness. And then... she leaned forward... and she kissed my cheek. It was a soft, tender, chaste kiss, but it nearly made my knees buckle.

"There," she smiled at me. "Maybe that will help."

I couldn't even think, let alone move, for the next few moments, until she turned me towards the hallway and gave my bottom a soft Pat. "Go on, now. Take a shower, and don't get that hair too wet. We'll deal with that out here at the sink."

I was in and out of the shower in record time, mostly because all I wanted to do was get back to being with Brooke. After the miserable start to the day, I wanted to get back to her sweet nature and soft touch, even if that touch was just going to be because she was going to be giving me a lesson in how to wash and condition my hair. I didn't care, at least she'd be touching me.

As she dug her fingernails mercilessly into my scalp, she explained how important it was to wash all the way down to the skin of my scalp and that the way my hair looked was a reflection of how clean it was.

After three rounds of shampooing, a goodly amount of conditioner was put in and I was allowed to sit and wait ten minutes while the conditioner did its thing.

"Alright," Brooke said, wiping her hands on a towel, "tomorrow... What are your plans?"

"Well," I said, feeling a bit foolish with one towel over my shoulders and another twisted into a turban on my head, "it's Tuesday, so I plan on doing the dusting and vacuuming in the morning - very exciting, I know - then I might mow the lawn, if it needs it. Why?"

Brooke shook her head. "The house can go a week without dusting and I will help you vacuum today. Tomorrow, my sisters and I are planning on taking a ride to York Beach, and you're coming with us."

"York Beach?" I asked. "Where's that? In New York?"

"What?" She laughed. "No. It's in Maine. York, Maine."

"Maine!? Isn't that like six of eight hours away?"

Brooke looked at me like I was an idiot. "No. It's like an hour an a half from here - at least York is. My dad lives there, now. Maine is huge. I'm sure there are parts that are six or eight hours away, but York is just over the border from New Hampshire. I took Melissa there a couple of weeks ago on a whim just to get her a lobster roll for her birthday. You've never been there?"

"Nope. I've never been to New Hampshire, either. Actually, I don't remember ever going to any beach. There's a picture in an album of me and my mom at a pond in a State Park when I was a baby, but I think that might be the only time."

"Wait a minute." Brooke looked at me with a weird look. "Are you telling me that you live in the middle of Massachusetts, a fairly small state, and you've never been to a beach on the ocean?"

"Nope. I've never even seen the ocean," I said with a shrug.

"Oh my God!" She shouted. "Brook, how is that possible!? You've never seen the ocean? You've never smelled the ocean? You've never been swimming in the ocean? Brook, it's less than an hour from here to the ocean! Cape Cod is only a little further than that! People come from all over the world to go there! And you've never been?"

"Nope," I shook my head.

"Well, tomorrow you're going to Maine to see the ocean for the first time."

"I'll ask, Brooke, but I don't know what my dad will say. He's not a very pro-vacation kind of person."

Brooke shook her head. "A day trip is NOT a vacation. I'll have my mom talk to him. You're going. This is ridiculous." She started unwrapping my hair and then said, "You do have a bathing suit, don't you?"

"No," I half laughed. "Why would I have a bathing suit?"

She shook her head. "Ok. After dinner, we can go to Walmart and get you one."

"You know what," I said, suddenly embarrassed, "maybe I shouldn't go. I have a lot to do here."

"What!? Of course you're going." Then she realized I was embarrassed about something. "Is something wrong? What's the matter?"

I sighed. "Look, Brooke, I just don't have much money. Yesterday, I spent almost sixty dollars on all this hair stuff. That's was pretty much all I had. I can't afford to buy a bathing suit. I can't afford to go away with you and pay for food or anything like that. I really do appreciate the invitation, but... I... I'll just stay here. Ok?"

"Come on. I'll take care of your food. We won't eat too fancy. If you don't have a bathing suit, you can just wear a pair of shorts." She smiled, very happy to have reasoned everything out.

"No, that's ok," I said. "Just... go without me."

"Oh, come on." She stamped her foot. "I don't want to go without you. What now?"

I was really embarrassed, now. "I... I only have these jeans and my sleep shorts and my sleep shorts have a big hole in the crotch. I can't wear those out in public and I'd look pretty stupid on a beach in jeans. Look... things like beaches and stuff... those aren't for people like me. People like me... we just do chores and stay home while other people have fun. You go ahead. It's ok."

"Oh, aren't you a wonderful martyr," she shook her head. "What size waist do you have?"

A little confused, I said, "I don't know. Twenty two or twenty four I guess."

"Perfect. That's the same as Elena. You can wear a pair of her shorts."

"I CAN'T WEAR YOUR LITTLE SISTER'S SHORTS!" I said shocked.

"Of course, you can. Shorts are shorts. They are sexless. No one will be able to tell."

"Look at your shorts, Brooke," I pointed out. "Those don't look like boys shorts."

"And they don't look like Elena's shorts, either. She's still a kid. I'll find you a pair that will fit perfectly. Trust me."

"Ok," I finally gave in, mostly because I really wanted to go, "but don't embarrass me, ok?"

"Have I ever embarrassed you?" She smiled.

"Asks the girl who put my hair in a ponytail that looked like a girl's ponytail last night."

"Oh, that's ridiculous. A pointy tail is a pony tail and you looked lovely."

"I looked lovely. I rest my case."

She laughed a little. "Ok, I get it, but I'll find you something that looks right. Ok?"

"Ok."

Once my hair was rinsed again, it was sprayed with detangler and Brooke brushed and combed and brushed it again then I took the laundry out of the dryer and folded it. I put it all away in either my room or my dad's and then we went outside into the sunshine, where, Brooke assured me, my hair would dry quicker.

She was right, and about an hour later, all dried, my hair received one more brushing and was once again pulled into a ponytail.

"Hey, guess what," Brooke laughed, looking at her phone when her text tone chimed. "We're all coming to your house for dinner tonight."

"Oh, what a surprise," I laughed.

"Come on. I'll take you to the supermarket, if you want."

"Actually," I said, "do you think we could go to the farmer's co-op? The meat is fresher and so are the vegetables and it's a little cheaper, too."

"Sure. Just guide me."

We got what we needed and we spent the afternoon getting everything ready for dinner. I baked some nice buns and made spice cake cupcakes for dessert. Brooke frosted them, not particularly nicely, to be honest, but I don't think anyone cared, anyway, as long as they tasted good.

So, by five thirty, when my dad got home, all the Kerrs were there and I was ready to put a platter of steaks, a basket of buns, a big bowl of mashed potatoes and a platter of corn on the cob on the table.

"Well, everything smells great!" my dad said as he came in. "How's it going, Chef? Anything I can help with?" He was smiling and just as gregarious as always.

"No," I said, as politely as possible. We did have guests, after all. "Everything's ready."

"Alright then," he smiled at everyone. "Ladies, why don't you all take a seat and Chef and I will bring everything in."

When the Kerrs had vacated the kitchen, my father spoke quietly. "Hey... Chef... I guess I was a little rough on you this morning, huh?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

He nodded. "Yeah... well... I'm sorry, but... well, you know how it is when you're hungover."

"Actually, I don't."

"Yeah, well... but you know what I mean. Look... buddy... you know how I feel about you, right? Anyway... we're ok, right?"

I didn't know what to say, so I just handed him the potatoes and corn and said, "We have guests, dad. Here."

He nodded, assuming all was forgiven. "Ok." He winked at me. "Everything smells great, Chef."

Dinner was really good, if I do say so myself. Most of the conversation revolved around Mrs Kerr's work to get everything set up at the house. Her ex-husband's brother had come over to help that afternoon and he had hung pictures and mirrors, assembled an entertainment, center, moved some shelving around... stuff like that... stuff my dad assured her he could do for her as well.

Mrs Kerr assured dad that she knew that. "Mark just wants to stay connected to the girls, though. He keeps telling them that divorce isn't the end of family, just a new phase. He's a nice guy. You'd like him."

Something about my dad's body language indicated that he disagreed.

As the meal was coming to an end, Brooke gave me a gentle nudge under the table and then looked at me, raising her eyebrows as if to say, 'Ask him.'

So, I mustered my courage and I cleared my throat. "Ummm... dad... Brooke and the girls... ummm... they're going to the beach tomorrow and... ummm... Brooke invited me to go with them. Do you think it'd be ok if I did? You know... go with them?"

"The beach, huh?" my dad said, as if I was talking about a trip to Europe or something. "What beach are we talking about here?"

"York Beach, Mr Chapin," Brooke jumped in. "It's an hour and a half up and an hour and a half back."

My father rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Gee, I don't know, Chef. I mean... do you even own a pair of trunks?"

"He doesn't have to go swimming, Mr Chapin. We're just going to hang out on the beach and enjoy the sunshine. Maybe have some fish and chips and come home. No big deal." Brooke had suddenly become my lawyer in this matter.

My dad huffed a bit as he thought.

"Oh, let the boy go, Vic," Mrs Kerr said with a big smile. "He could use a day away and it'll be nice for Brooke to have a friend with her. Otherwise she's just babysitting. Besides, my ex has a condo up there, just off the beach. If they have any problems, the girls' dad is right there to help them."

My dad looked at me with a smile that told the Kerrs that he was a friendly guy, but told me that I had put him on the spot and he wasn't any too pleased about it. "Well, I guess that, under the circumstances I will say 'yes,' but in the future, Chef, I would appreciate a little more lead time when you plan on changing our daily schedule, ok?"

I nodded. "Ok, dad. Sorry."

Brooke smiled. "Thank you, Mr Chapin. We'll be leaving around seven thirty tomorrow morning and we'll get home around nine tomorrow night. Is that ok?"

"I guess it'll have to be," Dad smiled.

"Well, I'll tell you what," Mrs Kerr smiled. "For being such a good sport, and for feeding me and the girls last night and tonight, I'll take you out to dinner tomorrow. How's that sound."

"Now, that sounds like a deal!" My father finally sounded happy.

Brooke stayed with me to help with the dishes and act as a buffer between me and my dad, and it kind of worked. By the time she left, he had been watching a ball game on TV for a while and had mellowed out a bit. So, when I said 'goodnight,' he didn't go crazy, he just waved me over to his recliner and said. "That wasn't very cool, Chef. I don't appreciate being put on the spot like that in front of others - especially Pat. You get me?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry. It's just that Brooke just asked me today and I haven't had a chance to talk to you since..."

He held up his hand to stop me. "I asked you - You got me?"

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Ok. Then I don't expect to have to have this conversation again. Now... about your hair."

"My hair?"

"Yes," he stopped to watch a play on the TV. He shook his head in disgust at the stupidity of the multimillionaires playing baseball on TV. Then, he looked back at me. "You look like a girl like that. Unless that's what you're going for, you need to knock all this girly crap off. Now, I know that Brooke is a hottie, hell, I'd jump her if I was a few years younger, but don't let her cut your balls off on you. You're already in 'The Friend Zone.' If you're not careful, you'll be nothing more than a girlfriend to her."

I shrugged. "Dad... a girl as pretty as Brooke isn't ever going to be interested in dating me..."

"That's probably true," he snickered.

"...but I like my hair long. I'm not going to cut it."

"I didn't say to cut it," he said, focusing on the TV screen, "just stop wearing it like a cheerleader. Now, let me watch my game."

I shook my head. "Ok. Goodnight, dad."

"Yeah," was all he said.

The next morning, I got dad off to work without any confrontations. He was actually in a really good mood because of his upcoming date that night with Mrs Kerr. He even gave me ten dollars to get something to eat on my day trip. Obviously, that wasn't enough to buy a meal, but it was a nice gesture.

At seven, Brooke sent me a text to come over and try on some shorts. So, I locked up the house and headed out for my big adventure to Maine!

My first real day trip.

My first trip with friends.

It was a really big day for me and I was pretty darned excited about it.

I showed up at the Kerr's house in my jeans and my best Pikachu tee shirt, the one that's just yellow, but has the big Pikachu eyes, the red circles on Pikachu's cheeks and the big Pikachu smile. Mrs Kerr met me at the door with a big smile and said, "Good morning, Brook. You look nice. The girls are upstairs. Go ahead up."

"Thank you, Mrs Kerr," I smiled.

"Girls!" she yelled up the stairs, "Brook is on his way up!"

"Ok!" Three voices called down.

"Hey!" Brooke said, meeting me in the hallway wearing a one piece bathing suit that made her already perfect body look even more amazing. "Come on in." She grabbed my hand and led me into her room where she had three pairs of shorts laid out on her bed. "So - I went through Elena's shorts and she didn't have as many as I thought. There may be some more in the garage, but I have these for today, anyway. What do you think?"

I looked at the shorts and there was only one pair I was going to wear; the jeans shorts. The others were elastic waist, cotton shorts that were really short.

"I'll wear the jean shorts," I said.

"I figured as much," Brooke laughed, "but I wanted to give you some options." She picked up the shorts and handed them to me. Then she picked up her own, tiny shorts and pulled them on over her swim suit. She turned and looked at me, confused. "Aren't you going to put them on?"

I looked around. "Here? In front of you?"

"No. Here while I put on my own clothes. I won't be watching you." She seemed amused. You have on boxers or briefs or something, right?"

"Briefs, yeah."

"Then get changed," she laughed.

She turned her back again and started pulling on a top, so I hurried to pull off my jeans. I had just pulled them off and was just putting my right leg into the shorts when Elena walked into the room.

"Brooke, can you put this shirt into the travel bag for me. Oh, hi Brook. Do my shorts fit?" She asked, as casually as could be.

Brooke took the shirt from her sister and placed it onto a tote bag.

I pulled the shorts on as quickly as I could, embarrassed that a kid had seen me half undressed, and buttoned the waist and zipped them up as quickly as I could.

"Kind of, I guess," I said. "Is this how they're supposed to fit?" They weren't really tight, but they kind of hugged my legs a bit and they went down to just above my knees. They also had cuffs at the bottom, which was something I'd never seen before.

"Yeah. They fit nice," Elena said. "Don't you think, Brooke?"

"Perfect!" Brooke smiled. "They're kind of long for the summer, though. Those are really designed for fall. Are you sure you don't want to wear a lighter pair?"

"Nope," I shook my head. "These are great." I took my wallet out of my jeans and went to put it into the pocket of Elena's shorts, but... "Hey... there are no pockets on these."

"Nope," Brooke laughed. "Lots of girls' clothes don't have pockets. I'll put your wallet in the tote bag we're bringing." She held out her hand and I handed over my wallet which contained my license, the ten dollars my dad gave me, thirteen dollars of my own and my school ID.

Brooke went to her dresser and grabbed something, then looked at both Elena and me and said, "Ok, you two, turn around." Then she shouted down the hall, "Mel! Come on! Time to do your hair!"

Suddenly, Brooke was brushing Elena’s hair and asking her how she wanted it for the day.

"I think just a ponytail for the beach, thanks," Elena said, looking forward as if this was a daily event. "Maybe, after the beach, I’ll wear it down, but I don’t want it blowing in my face"

"Ok," Brooke, said as she brushed, then wound a hair tie into Elena’s hair.

Meanwhile, Melissa ran into the room and stood on the other side of me, wearing nearly the same tee shirt that I was wearing. Her Pikachu shirt had the outline of the character’s face, though. She looked at me and laughed. "Hey look – twins!"

"Ponytail?" Brooke asked me.

"I guess," I responded, confused.

My hair was brushed and the ponytail was installed and my shoulder was tapped to indicate I was done.

"How do you want it?" Brooke asked Melissa.

"I was going to wear it down," Melissa responded, "but I definitely want it like Brook’s, though. We need to look like twins."

Brooke looked at me and smiled as if that was the cutest think she’d ever heard. I thought less of it than she did, of course.

It wasn’t long before we were off on our adventure! I was thrilled to be seeing something new. Of course, Highway is Highway, so the first hour was pretty much the same old view with just a few old mills as we passed through some cities up north, but I was excited to see the sign that said we were entering New Hampshire. It was the first time I’d ever left Massachusetts.

Then, just a few minutes later, it saw the sign that said that ‘Welcome To Maine, The Way Life Should Be.’

"Wow, is New Hampshire really that small?" I asked astounded.

That made all the sisters laugh. "Only on the coastline," Brooke laughed. "It goes all the way up to Canada in its interior.

Then we went over a bridge and Brooke told me to open my window and I smelled salt air for the first time and it was amazing! It was so fresh and full of life!

"Wait till we get to the beach," Elena laughed from the seat behind me. "It smells so much better there."

And boy was she right!

When we pulled up to the parking space on the side of the road right next to the beach, the first thing that hit me was the size of the view. I’d never seen anything like it before! The ocean just went on forever. It wasn’t even framed by anything. There was just the dark colored sand and then the water until the sky took over. It was so big that I just sat in Brooke’s Jeep and stared out the window for a long time while they all got ready to go down to the sand.

Finally, Brooke knocked on the window and told me to come with them.

I opened the door and the ocean breeze hit me in the face, salty and a little sticky. It was amazing! Like nothing else I’d ever felt. I inhaled it and tasted the ocean and understood immediately why people loved to come to places like this. I was already in love with the seashore and I hadn’t even walked onto the beach yet.

We walked down onto the sand, which was a lot harder and more compact than I expected, but I later learned that’s just a peculiarity of Maine beaches. We laid out some blankets and we sat down and just enjoyed the sun and the feeling of being young and free and in the beauty of the seaside.

It was glorious and I felt, maybe for the fist time, like I was part of a group. The Kerr sisters treated me like one of their own. I sat with them. I chatted with them. I walked the shoreline with them, both as a group and with each of them individually. Melissa wanted to show me a particularly interesting area where there were crabs, so I walked over there with her. Elena wanted to show me a place where we could climb up on the rocks and feel the ocean spray, so I climbed there with her.

And then I walked the entire length and breadth of the beach with Brooke. She in her amazing swim suit and me in my Pikachu Tee shirt and Elena’s shorts. As we walked, she took my hand and it was different than it had been before. Now, she wasn’t leading me or acting like I was a child. Now, she was holding my hand affectionately. Like we were growing closer the longer we spent together. At one point, as we sat on the beach, she even put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to her. The feel of her embrace, even in this public place, was the most wonderful thing I’d ever felt in my life. Maybe I was imagining things, but I thought that we were starting to connect with each other in a really substantial way. Like... in a kind of... I like you and you like me... kind of way. It was kind of great and very exciting.

We had lunch on the beach, just some pizza from a place across the street, then we enjoyed the beach for a few more hours. We waded up to our knees in the cold water, but never got too wet, until just before we were about to leave. We were near a break water, looking at some things growing on the rocks when a huge wave came up from behind us and completely soaked us. Man, that water was cold, but we just laughed about it as we walked back out onto the beach.

Not long after, we left and went to say ‘hi’ to the girl’s father at his condo, which was really close by. It overlooked the beach from one view and could see this famous lighthouse out another.

"Hey, girls!" He said as we entered. "I’m glad you came by now. I was just about to leave and I wanted to at least get to say hi." He kissed each daughter as they entered.

"Where are you off to, daddy?" Melissa asked.

"Vancouver," he smiled. "You know how it is. Work, work work. And who is this?"

"Oh, this is Brook, our new neighbor," Elena introduced me.

"Nice to meet you, sir," I said, extending my hand.

"Another Brooke! What a coincidence! Welcome," he said and shook my hand very gently.

"Look, girls, I’m really sorry, but I really have to run. I have to catch a plane. You know where everything is. Stay as long as you like, but just lock up when you leave." He reached into his wallet and pulled out some money and handed it to Brooke. "Here, baby. Take your sisters and your friend to The Weathervane for supper on me, ok? I love you all." He kissed them all again and gave me a Pat on the back. "Bye girls." He said and he disappeared.

"Bye daddy!" they all shouted as the door closed.

"That was abrupt," I laughed.

"That’s daddy," Brooke laughed.

"Did he give you money for The Weathervane!?" Melissa asked, excited.

"He did," Brooke smiled.

"Cool!" both Melissa and Elena shouted.

"Yeah, well, that means dry clothes, so get changed," Brooke told them, holding out the tote bag she’d brought from home. The two girls grabbed the bag and ran upstairs.

"What’s The Weathervane?" I asked.

Brooke laughed. "It’s kind of a kind of touristy, mostly fried food place on the way back that daddy has taken us to ever since we were little. It’s not that great, but it’s always been his big treat. It’s not dressy or anything, but you’ll need dry clothes."

I looked at Brooke like she had two heads. "I don’t have dry clothes."

"Did you put your jeans in the tote bag?"

I shook my head. "No. I didn’t know I was supposed to."

"Ok. Don’t panic. We’ll find something."

She walked to the foot of the stairs and called up. "El, do you have any extra clothes here?"

"A few. Not many. Why?"

"Can you see if you have anything for Brook to wear?"

‘Sure."

"Nothing too girly, ok?"

"Ok!"

Brooke smiled at me. "We’ll find something."

And they did.

After Brooke got changed, she called me upstairs to the guest room, which was referred to as ‘the girls’ room. It had three beds and a huge bureau in it. "Ok. It’s not ideal, but no one’s going to know you and you’ll look fine, so just relax and see how you look after we get it on you."

I sighed. "It’s not something crazy girly, is it?"

"No. It’s shorts and a nice top. Take off your wet shirt and shorts."

I turned my back and pulled down the wet shorts, then stepped out of them, then took off my tee shirt. I jumped a little and let out a surprised, "Hey," when she touched my rump.

"Ummm... your underwear is wet, too, Brook. You’ll have to take those off as well."

"And wear what?" I asked, never expecting her to hand me a pair of very pale blue, cotton panties. "I can’t wear those! They’re Elena’s."

"They’re brand new. I just pulled them out of a package in her drawer. Just put them on. It’s really not a big deal."

"Maybe not for you..."

"Come on," Brooke sounded very mature and rational, "it’s only a big deal if you make it a big deal. Just put them on. Please."

I sighed and took them and put them on, praying that I didn’t have an orgasm right then and there. I didn’t, thank God.

"Here," she said, handing me a pair of very short beige shorts.

"Seriously, Brooke!? There’s no way anyone would believe these are men’s shorts."

"I know and I’m sorry," she said, "but I’m just trying to make the best of an unexpected situation. I thought that we’d just be grabbing fish and chips at a roadside place or something. The Weathervane is a big deal to my sisters, Brook. You’ll like it, though. I swear you will."

I huffed, but like I told you already, this was kind of like a dream come true.

I pulled the shorts up and buttoned them and zipped them up. They barely came four inches down my legs, exposing my hairless legs. "These are REALLY SHORT," I pointed out needlessly.

"They look fine," Brooke said. "Hold your arms up and I’ll help you with your top."

I held up my arms and she lowered a kind of blue and red plaid top over my head. It was cotton, wasn’t tight, but had no give to it, the way a tee shirt would. It was more like a dress shirt, but it didn’t button up the front. I felt my arms slip through the arm holes, but there were no sleeves.

Brooke settled the top on my shoulders and said, "Stay still for a moment," and she began buttoning a few buttons near the top of the back of the shirt.

I could see that there was a small, while collar on the shirt, too, with a small opening at the neckline and the shirt’s hem fell nearly to the bottom of the shorts I was wearing.

"Wait... what kind of shirt is this?" I asked, a little panicked.

"Relax," Brooke said, calmly, "you look fine."

"Yeah, but I look fine and like a girl," I said. "Take it off me."

"Come on, Brook. At least take a look at how you look before you make a decision." She took my hand and led me to her father’s bedroom where there was a sliding closet door that was entirely a mirror. "See," she said, guiding my attention to the mirror, "you look fine. No one would even question if you’re a girl. Come on. The girls really want to go to The Weathervane."

I stared at myself for a good long moment, shocked at how good I looked and shocked by how little it had taken to get me looking this good. Just cleaning my hair up, a ponytail and a couple of pieces of clothing and any sign of manhood that I might have possessed was gone – just gone. I couldn’t believe it.

Not only that – I loved it, and it was a good thing that the top was a long as it was, because I could feel myself hardening and I was very grateful that Brooke couldn’t see the evidence of my excitement in her little sister’s shorts.

"See?" Brooke said. "What do you think?"

"Wha..." I tried to say something... anything. "What do YOU think?" I finally got out. "Do you think it looks ok?"

She turned me towards her and she smiled at me. "I think you look adorable, Brook."

Then, with me facing her, she reached behind my head and pulled out my ponytail out of its hair tie and ran her fingers through my hair. Her smile seemed to broaden as she did it. She put her forehead on mine and our noses touched. "You know, Brook... you make a very good looking girl. This could be something that’s kind of fun to explore."

My eyes must have opened opened wider than they ever had before. "THIS is something that could get me killed if my dad ever found out about it."

"Interesting," she said and her smile turned a bit wicked.

"What?"

"You didn’t say ‘no.’"

I must have blushed, but I couldn’t speak because I couldn’t deny that I was excited by the idea of exploring this idea.

"So, here’s the thing," she said, running her hands down my back, "I think this might be fun and you think this might be fun, too, and your new best friend is a really," she kissed my forehead, "really" she kissed it, again, "good cosmetologist. So... I think we are going to have a very interesting summer. What do you think, Brook?"

My throat was so dry, I couldn’t even speak. "I... I... I..."

She kissed my forehead once more. "You’re quivering," she giggled.

"I am?" Hell, I would have been quivering in a three piece Brooks Brothers suit, for crying out loud! She’d just kissed me! Just my forehead, yeah, but it was a kiss. And not a ‘I’ll make your boo-boo all better kiss’ like yesterday.’ This was a real, honest to God, affectionate kiss... on my forehead.

"I’ll take that as a yes."

I just nodded and that made her look very happy.

"Well, alright," she said in a very sultry voice. "Then let’s have a little more fun for your first outing in girl-mode. Ok?"

I still could only nod.

She still looked into my eyes, but she called out the door. "El?"

"Yeah?" her sister yelled back from down stairs.

"Do you have a spare bra here? This top isn’t hanging quite right?"

"Sure," she said and she came running up the stairs.

Brooke stepped away, took me by the hand and we got back to the girls’ room just before Elena got there. She hopped right past me, completely ignoring the bizarreness of her sister’s request, opened a drawer and asked, "Anything in particular?"

"Do you have anything with a little padding?" Brooke asked, winking at me.

"Everything I have has a little padding," Elena said, sounding a bit disgusted with herself. She pulled something from a drawer and handed it to me. "Now WE can be twins, I guess," she smiled, "but no one but us will know." She giggled.

"Turn around," Brooke instructed.

I did and she unbuttoned my top, again, and lifted it off of me. Then she slid the bra up my arms and fastened it behind me. It felt kind of wonderfully odd to have it slightly constricting my chest the way it was. And the way that it created two small mounds on my chest made me move past quivers and straight into shivers. The little bit of lace that outlined the edges of the bra made the garment that much more delicious to have on.

"Arms up," Brooke said, as if speaking to a child, but I obeyed like an obedient toddler. The top came back on and she buttoned it back up and, after she pulled my hair free, I returned to her father’s room and I looked in the mirror again – and I looked even more like a girl than I did before. The addition of the modest little breasts dispelled any doubt that the person reflected in the mirror was a girl – not woman, but a girl. Cute, a little boyish, needing some lessons on eyebrow care and makeup, but that would come as she grew up. For now... she was... adorable. And she was me.

"You like?" Brooke asked.

I nodded. "I do."

She smiled. "I knew you would." Then she shouted, "Everyone downstairs! Hair and makeup and ready to go in ten minutes!"

"Ok!" Her sisters called back and I could hear them hustling about the condo.

"You’re like a general, aren’t you?" I laughed, finally looking away from the mirror.

"Someone has to be," she smiled as she led me back to the guest room to pick up my clothes. "My mom certainly isn’t and daddy was hardly ever home. So... I’m usually in charge. It works out ok, I guess. The girls and I get along pretty well. Come on.

We went back downstairs, and Brooke grabbed a brush and a makeup case from her tote bag. "Come on, Mel. You’re up."

Melissa jumped up and stood before her sister, who pulled out her hair tie and started brushing her hair straight back. When she was satisfied, she gave it a spraying. Then she grabbed her makeup case and applied a light coat of makeup, a little eye makeup and lipstick to her younger sister.

"Ok," she said when she was done. "El, come on."

Elena took the same practiced position that Melissa had just surrendered and Brooke followed the same practiced maneuvers of hair and makeup until she was satisfied.

"Ok," she said when she was done. "Brook, come on."

Having watched the two younger girls, I knew what to do, so I stood and let Brooke work her wonders on my hair. After she’d sprayed my hair, I started to step away, but Brooke stopped me. "Hold on, Brook."

Then, before I knew it, she was applying makeup to my face.

And I didn’t stop her.

"What do you guys think?" She asked, presenting me to her sisters.

"You look good," Elena said.

"Cute," Melissa said. "Are you sure you’re a boy?" That made all of us chuckle.

The truth was, I wasn’t, but I was about to head out the door dressed as a girl for the first time and I could not have been more excited.

When she’d done her own hair and makeup, Brooke, said, "Let’s go." The two younger girls headed out the door, but Brooke stopped me. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

She looked out the door to be sure her sisters weren’t looking, then she leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. I was shocked, but accepted it and bent my head back to accept as much as she wanted to give, but, alas, it was just a brief kiss. "For luck," she smiled.

I stared at her, unable to even breathe for a moment. "Are you ok?" She giggled.

"Wha...?" I muttered. "Yeah... yeah... yeah... I’m... I’m... fine," I finally sputtered.

She smiled. "Cool. Let’s go."
 
 
To Be Continued...

A Boy Called Brook: Summer 3 by Clara Copyright© 2022, 2024 Clara Schumann Brook's summer of feminine exploration is leading to more and more exciting insights into his own sexuality. Things are going along great, until...

---

 
Author's Note: WARNING! This chapter contains EXCESSIVE violence! If you are triggered from such material, please, skip this chapter!
I would like to apologize in advance for having to use this in the story, but, it is necessary to take the story where I wish it to go.

I do hope that you enjoy where the story ultimately takes us! Brooke has a long way to go from this point.

Again, I wish to thank Sephrena for her assistance with the html and to all of my reviewers for their kind reviews and support of my work. Please, continue to let me know what you think about my story, leave a review, it can be good or bad (not too harsh please!)
I am always willing to learn! ~Clara.
 
 
Summer 3
 

The Weathervane truly was nothing special. Just a touristy seafood restaurant on the side of the main road that ran through Kittery, Maine on the way home from York. As someone who had been taught to appreciate good food that is well prepared and presented, I was unimpressed. It was... fine. On a scale of one to ten, it was a solid six - maybe a seven if you really liked fried fish. I LIKE fried fish and it was better than the fried fish my dad brought home from the pizza place on Friday nights sometimes. So... it was fine.

I get why the Kerrs liked it though. It held a lot of memories with their dad. They told me a ton of stories about various visits with their father to the restaurant. The time that dad said this to the waitress. The time that dad told that joke. The time that dad bought them tee shirts. The time that dad said... Obviously, this place held a great deal of sentimental feeling for them and that was great for me to be able to share.

"Dessert, girls?" the waitress asked.

"One Colossal Hot Fudge Sundae and one Wicked Molten Lava Cake, four spoons and four large glasses of milk," Melissa ordered without hesitation.

The waitress looked to Brooke for confirmation. Brooke nodded and smiled. "Coming up," the waitress said.

"So," Elena smiled at me, "how do you like being one of the girls?"

I shrugged. "I just kind of like being 'one of the anythings.'"

"But admit it," she persisted, "you like looking nice, don't you? I mean, I don't want to be mean, but you're a lot cuter today than you looked when we met you."

"That's for sure," Melissa said, raising her eyebrows.

"Hey," Brooke said with a warning tone, "be nice."

"I am being nice," she said. "What I mean is that you look cute now, Brook. I do have to admit, though, I have a hard time believing that you're going to be a senior. I mean, you're like the same size as Elena and she's supposed to be in eighth grade."

That caught me by surprise. "Eighth grade?"

Elena just nodded.

"I thought you two were twins or something."

Brooke chuckled a little. "Nope. Melissa is the talented one and Elena is the brilliant one. She skipped a grade."

"You're talented?" I asked Melissa. "How?"

She shrugged. "I play piano and sing."

"She's being modest," Brooke said. "She can REALLY sing and she plays piano like a pro. You should hear her."

"So, if Elena's the brilliant one and Melissa's the talented one, what are you?" I asked Brooke.

"The pretty one," the two other girls said.

"Yeah, sure," Brooke shook her head. "I'm the bossy one, as you've seen."

"Here we go!" The waitress announced with undo excitement, putting the tray on a tray stand and passing out the glasses of milk, then placing the two oversized desserts in the middle of the table. "Enjoy."

"Oh, God, this is good!" Melissa said in ecstasy, tasting the lava cake.

In my classes we are taught to look for nuisance in flavor. To search for the flavor nodes. The shades of flavor colors. How the chefs and bakers utilize a touch of cinnamon or a hint of cardamom to bring out a completely unexpected flavor.

This tasted just like Hershey's Chocolate Syrup from a can, and you know what... for that night... it was perfect. They were happy and I was happy to be there with them and share time and dessert with them.

"Hey, look at your phone," Elena said at one point.

"Huh," Melissa said. "That's cool."

Brooke shook her head and showed me a text from her mother. 'HI, GIRLS. HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GOOD DAY. GUESS WHAT! VIC SET UP THE TENT IN OUR BACK YARD SO YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE WITH A CAMPING NIGHT. YOUR AIR MATTRESSES, SLEEPING BAGS AND PJS ARE ALREADY IN THE TENT. BROOK CAN JOIN YOU IF HE WANTS. USE THE DOWN STAIRS LAV PLEASE. LOVE YOU. DRIVE SAFELY.'

"What's that all about?" I asked.

"It means your dad is getting lucky," Brooke whispered, sounding a little disgusted. "Mom did the same thing last summer with her old boyfriend. She'd send us out to the tent for the night so she'd have the house to herself."

"Oh," I replied, uncertain as to what else to say.

Just then, my phone chimed. 'HI CHEF. I'M TAKING TOMORROW OFF. I'M NOT GOING TO BE HOME TONIGHT. STAYING WITH PAT. IF YOU WANT A GIRLS NIGHT WITH YOUR FRIENDS THAT'S OK WITH ME. SEE YOU TOMORROW.'

I showed it to Brooke.

"Not as classy as my mom, but at least it's more honest," she said, quietly and shook her head.

Brooke paid the bill with the money her father had given her and we headed home, arriving around nine, just as it was starting to get real dark. We decided to go to my house and watch a little TV before 'camping' in the pretty huge tent that had been set up in the Kerr's back yard. Just to be sure we didn't upset anyone, both Brooke and I sent our respective parent a text to tell them we were back and where we'd be for the next hour or two.

We both received 'Ok' replies.

The girls chose a teen-girl show that I'd never seen before on a streaming service that was pretty silly. Lots of intrigue and female back-biting, but I was just happy to be able to enjoy a little more time in my girly clothes and makeup.

Eventually, though, we used the bathroom at my house to get ready for bed. Brooke took a little extra time and put all of our hair into cute dancer-buns to sleep in and then we went to the tent.

Like I said, it was a pretty big tent. They told me it was a ten-man tent, but I bet you could get more than that in there pretty easily. The four air mattresses were already inflated and there were pillows and a sleeping bag rolled up on each one. I'd brought my sleep shorts with me and a clean tee shirt, and the girls each had a pair of PJs folded on the pillows.

Melissa and Elena turned on a couple of battery operated lanterns that were there for our convenience as well.

"This is really nice," I said, impressed. "Do you guys go camping much?"

"Only in our back yard," Elena chuckled.

"We used to," Melissa explained, "when mom and dad were talking to each other, but it got pretty tense in a tent when they were fighting."

I nodded because I understood. My parents didn't fight that much, but as I remembered our house with both of them living there, things were always pretty chilly between them. I don't think a tent would have been a good idea - even one this big.

Suddenly, Melissa had her back to me and was about to start changing.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Brooke warned.

"Oh!" Melissa said with a laugh. "I guess I forgot you were a guy. She reached up and dropped a panel down, creating a private room in the tent so she could change.

Brooke did the same to a panel by me. "You can change in there." Then she looked at my rolled up shorts and tee and took them from me and looked at Elena. "Hey, El. Want to be a boy tonight?"

Elena laughed. "Sure."

She handed Brooke a neat pile of pink and white checked material.

"Here," Brooke smiled as she handed me her youngest sister's PJs. "Keep your bra and panties on. It'll be more fun for you."

"Yeah?" I asked, uncertainly.

"Sure," she shrugged. "Why not?"

"Ok," I nodded.

Well, it wasn't PJs. It was a very cute, gingham style night gown. It had kind of wide straps over the shoulder, with these ruffles over the chest area, then it just fell loosely to above my knees. Obviously, it was nothing like anything I'd ever worn before and I couldn't believe I was wearing it at that moment. I glanced towards the dividing panel to see if anyone was watching. No one was. I swayed from side to side a bit and it swayed freely about me in such an odd and childish... no... not childish... girlish... way. I couldn't believe I was wearing it, or that I my hair was in a bun, or that I was sharing the tent with three really sweet and pretty girls. It was like every fantasy I'd ever had was coming true!

"Everything ok in there?" Brooke asked.

"I guess," I replied.

"Can I raise the panel?" she asked.

I took a deep breath. "I guess."

When she did, there were three sets of eyes looking at me and three sets of lips smiling at me.

"Aww, you look better than I do in that," Elena said, definitely looking better than I ever did in my ratty shorts and tee shirt.

"Very cute," Brooke said, strangely approvingly. "I like it."

"What do you mean you like it?" I asked.

"I mean," she said, "that I really like how you look right now, and..." she turned to her sisters, "if you two will excuse us, I think that Brook and I need to take a little walk together and talk a bit."

"Ohhh," Melissa said, nudging Elena, then she sang. "Brooke and Brook sitting in a tree..."

"Shut up," Elena said abruptly.

"What's the matter with you?" Melissa said, surprised.

Elena just shook her head at the childish behavior of her older sister.

"We'll be back," Brooke said as she took my hand and unzipped the 'door' to the tent.

"I can't go out there," I said, petrified.

"Of course you can," she said, taking my hand. "It's dark and the yard is fenced in. Come on."

Once again, I was taken by the hand like a child and led by Brooke, this time into the darkness of their yard. She was wearing a tiny, blue tank top with lace around the breasts and tiny, slightly darker blue shorts.

She led me away from the tent, down a little hill, far enough away from the tent so she and I could speak quietly without being over heard.

She laid down in the grass and patted the grass beside her. "Come on," she said. "Lay down here beside me."

Feeling more vulnerable and exposed in the little nightie than I would have naked, I did my best to tuck the skirt of the nightie under me and keep my knees together as I joined her in the grass. At first, we were both on our backs looking at the stars, but after ten minutes or so of quiet talking, she got up on one elbow and looked at me.

She heaved a big sigh before she spoke. "Look, Brook, I have to admit a few things to you right now."

"Like what?"

She thought for a moment. "Ok, umm... I like you, ok. That's the first thing."

"I like you, too," I said.

She shook her head. "That's not what I mean, Brook. I mean I LIKE you. Like... I REALLY LIKE you, and here's the thing, Brook - I've never been the first one to say that to someone else, so that's really weird for me."

"Brooke," I said, "I REALLY like you, too. I really do, and believe me, me saying that at all is a lot weirder than you saying it first."

She let out a little laugh at that. "Ok, but... I don't want this to sound mean, but... you are really different than any other guy I've ever... like-liked before. They've all been..."

"Handsome?"

"You're handsome, Brook. Better yet, you're pretty. No... they've all been... bigger than me. You know... taller and... stronger. This time... I'm the bigger one... the stronger one... and I kind of like that, too."

I just looked at her. What she was saying was certainly true. If she was going to like me, then that's the way it was going to have to be. I was never going to be bigger or stronger than her. That's just the way I was made.

Then she ran a finger down the ruffles of my nightie, between the little breasts created by the bra I'd borrowed from Elena. "Now... here's the weirdest part. I really like it when you look like this."

"Like a girl?"

"No." She played with the ruffles. "Like you, but like a pretty you. Yeah, girlish, I guess, but still you." She ran her finger down my belly and played it over the lump of my penis held captive in Elena's soft panties. "I'm definitely not interested in a girl, Brook, but... seeing you looking so pretty in that cute little nightie and knowing that you're a guy and that you have this..." she flattened her palm gently against my tool, "I can't tell you how exciting that is. I've never thought about a guy like this before." She began massaging me through the nightie and panties and I became rock hard immediately.

She bent low and kissed my lips, softly, but firmly, and she held her lips there for so long, that I raised my arms and wrapped them gently around her neck.

Soon, her tongue worked its way in between my lips and deep into my mouth and she grabbed me down below and squeezed a bit harder. In response, I cautiously slid my hand down her neck and caressed her breast, ready to pull it away if she acted shocked by my actions, but instead, she leaned into my hand and moaned quietly, encouraging me to play with her nipple.

Finally she ended the kiss and raised her head, pressing her chest more firmly against my hand. She stopped manipulating my penis long enough to raise the skirt of my nightie and lower the front of my panties far enough to allow my tool to pop out free of its restraints and she smiled down at me in the semi darkness and whispered, "Am I the first girl you've ever done this with?"

I nodded.

That seemed to please her. She lowered the cup of her lace covered tank top to reveal her beautiful breast, put an arm under my head and leaned a bit lower so I could kiss and suckle her. "Go ahead, Brook."

I took her nipple into my mouth and played with it with my tongue and felt an immediate connection with her. Then I suckled as I continued to play with her nipple and she looked down at me as if I was a child. "Careful, my little one," she whispered. "Not too hard. I'll have a hard time explaining bruises there," she giggled.

Then her hand found my penis again and she wrapped her warmth around it and began running her hand up and down the shaft. No one but me had ever touched me there and no one but me had ever done that to me and, believe me, I had never been that gentle!

"I never thought I'd be attracted to a pretty little guy with long hair that I could put up into a bun. A little guy who would look so cute in a pink and white nightie. But here I am. I think you are just adorable and I am completely taken with you, my pretty, little, girly boy."

She bent low and kissed my neck gently and increased the speed of her hand on my shaft. "So little, so soft and so pretty," she whispered over and over again until I couldn't stand it any more and I burst in a torrent of unfeminine juices all over her hand. "Oops, look what you've done," she teased. "What a messy little thing you are."

"I... I..." I sputtered, uncertain as to whether or not I had done something wrong.

"Don't worry," she smiled. "I'll take care of that." From somewhere, she produced what must have been the pair of panties she'd worn that day and she wiped up the mess I'd made. Then she raised the waist band of my panties to cover my spent organ and lowered the skirt of the nightie.

She leaned over and hugged me tightly. "What do you think the chances are that I could keep you dressed like this twenty four seven?"

"What do you think the chance are that my dad would allow me to live for three seconds if he ever saw me dressed this way?" I asked as we both stood up.

"What if my mother buffered it for you?"

"Oh, come on," I laughed. "Your mom is a beautiful woman, but this is a lot for any father to deal with, and my father doesn't like how I look to begin with. Heck, I don't even know what I look like and I'm pretty sure even I'd be upset if I were my son."

Brooke shook her head. "What a waste. Well, we're definitely going to have to figure out how to find some girlfriend time when your dad is at work."

I sighed. "We'll see."

When we got back to the tent, Melissa and Elena were already half asleep. We crawled into our individual sleeping bags and I could hear Brooke's breathing change to sleep mode pretty quickly. I was too enamored of the new feelings my body was registering from having my hair done up in a bun and being in this pretty little gingham nightie to fall asleep quickly. It took me a good long while to drift off.

That's probably why I was still asleep in the morning when Mrs Kerr and my dad started yelling outside the tent.

"Come on lazy bones! The day is half over! Let's go! Come on! We want to take you all to brunch! You're holding us up! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

We all sprung awake.

"Ok!" Brooke shouted. "We'll be right out!" As we all blinked the sleep out of our eyes.

We all jumped out of our sleeping bags and Melissa was about to open the tent door when Brooke stopped her. "Hold on! El. You and Brook need to switch clothes!" She hissed.

"Oh, shit!" I whispered.

I dropped the panel on my side of the tent and took off the nightie as quickly as I could and handed it through. Within seconds, Elena had handed my ratty PJs back to me and I was putting them on.

Melissa was unzipping the door, but Brooke whispered, "Your hair! Your hair! Your hair!" And started undoing my bun as quickly as she could.

It seemed like it took forever, but we got out of the tent pretty quickly.

"Well, there's a motley crew, if ever I saw one," my father teased.

"What time is it?" I asked, yawning.

"Nine thirty," he laughed. "Half the day is gone. Come on. Let's go get you changed and we can go to breakfast with these beautiful ladies."

"Ok," I agreed and headed home with him.

As we walked, he asked. "Have a good time yesterday?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "We had a great time. I'd never seen the ocean before. It was great."

He nodded. "What about the hair?"

"What about it?" I asked, not understanding what he meant.

"It's all wavy. How did that happen? Did you sleep in curlers of something?"

I touched my hair and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it was wet when I went to sleep or something. I didn't even have it in a pony tail last night."

He glanced over his shoulder as we rounded the corner of the fence into our yard and then, as soon as he was sure that no one could see, he grabbed me by my arm. "Listen, Brook, I told you to be careful with that girl. I know she's pretty and you're a little guy, but I will not have her turn you into her little doll, you got me?"

'Yeah, but that's not what happened, dad..."

"Yeah," he started to sound angry, "well I saw a picture of a dessert that one of the girls sent her mother and I saw you in that picture and I'm not sure what you were wearing, but it sure as hell didn't look like any shirt I ever bought you. What the hell were you doing prancing around in girls' clothing."

"Dad, come on... it was just a shirt. Mine got wet and I had to borrow one to go to dinner. It was no big deal. It was just a plaid shirt. Nothing out of the ordinary."

We were at the foot of our backstairs and he swung me to face him. "Tell me the truth, Brook... are you a fairy?"

"What?"

He shook my arm really hard. "You heard me. Are you a fairy? A queer? A fag?"

"No dad and your hurting me. In fact... I really like Brooke and last night she told me she really liked me too. In fact... we're talking about going out together."

He let me go and thought about that for a moment. "Alright. Well... go get changed. I'll wait here. Make it quick. Wear something nice. We're going to the diner in town."

"Ok," I nodded and ran up the stairs and unlocked the door.

I hurried into the house, kind of wondering what my father might have said if I had told him that I'd slept in a pink nightie, but I was more concerned about getting ready quickly. I hustled into my room, grabbed one of the two polo shirts I owned, a clean pair of boxer-briefs and I pulled off my shirt and sleep-shorts. It was then that I realized I'd need to discreetly dispose of the panties I'd been wearing. For the time being, though, I just wrapped them up in the tee shirt I'd worn that night and I'd hide them in the hamper until I did the laundry. I'd deal with them then.

Then I realized that I had a big problem!

My jeans were still next door at the Kerr's. I'd left them there the day before when I put on the shorts.

I grabbed my phone off the charger where I'd left it the night before and called Brooke and explained the situation.

"I'll be over in ten minutes with them," she said.

"Yeah, well, before you come running over, my dad is sitting on the back stairs and he doesn't know that I wore Elena's shorts."

"Then tell him you wore your sleep-shorts. What difference does it make?"

"Why would I change into my sleep shorts at your house?"

"I don't know..." she hugged. "How about... you were going to bring your jeans, but we told you to leave them because it was too hot. Ok?"

I calmed down. "Yeah, ok. Hurry, though, ok?"

"Ok. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I grabbed my dirty clothes and ran into the bathroom and threw them into the hamper. Then I grabbed my hair brush and went to work on my hair, brushing it as well as I could. Then, I grabbed a black hair tie and made a point tail, again as best I could. I knew it wasn't done as well done as Brooke would have done it, but what else could I do for right then?

"Hey, Chef!" My dad shouted, kind of laughing, "your pants are here!"

I rolled my eyes and hurried to the door. I opened it and leaned out, trying to keep my lower body out of sight, and I reached out to grab my jeans.

"So, how exactly did you end up leaving your pants in Brooke's room?" my dad said, with a snarky look on his face.

"I was going to take them with me, but Brooke told me to leave them behind because it was too hot," I explained.

"Yeah, sure," he said, his voice full of innuendo.

I took the jeans from him, stepped back into the house and pulled them on. "I'm ready," I said, stepping out the door.

Brooke smirked at me. "You did ok on your hair."

"Did I?"

"No," she giggled, "but it's ok. Let's go eat breakfast. I'll help you with it later."

Actually, despite my concerns that someone might mention how I was dressed the previous day or share a picture that would raise an eyebrow (or worse), we had a really nice brunch. Dad and Mrs Kerr seemed to be getting along really well, but I was concerned that, should they, at some point, have a falling out, it could interfere with Brooke and me.

We took the rest of that day as an R&R day and even had some fun throwing around a frisbee in the back yard. That evening, Brooke and I did have a little alone time watching TV, but it wasn't 'alone' enough to revisit the intimacy we'd had the previous night.

The next day, I got dad off to work and got back to my chores, including mowing the lawn, which Brooke helped me with. She heard our push-mower running and came to my rescue. They had one of those John Deere lawn tractors, and she said it was way too hot to be mowing with a push mower, so she took over and had our little yard done in like fifteen minutes.

My dad had left me some money to go grocery shopping and he and Mrs Kerr had already discussed having Brooke take me to the Costco a couple of towns over so I could do the monthly stocking up on non-perishables and frozen things.

Brooke had a list of things to get, too. They didn't have a membership, but they'd use ours.

Since they had nothing else to do, Elena and Melissa tagged along, too. Mrs Kerr gave Brooke a credit card and told her not to spend more than five hundred dollars. My jaw nearly hit the ground. My dad would never trust me with his credit card, number one, and number two, five hundred dollars was a major amount of money in our household. If he gave me some 'fun' money, it was like five bucks, not five hundred!

Brooke and I picked up the paper goods and frozen products on our lists and I got some butter, flour and some cooking oil and other cooking products that I go through pretty quickly while Elena and Melissa went shopping for clothes and treats.

When we were done, we went to find the younger girls so we could check out.

Melissa had gotten a new pair of sandals and a pair of shorts while Elena had gotten a bucket of strawberry twists and a pretty sundress.

"That's really nice," Brooke said, looking at the dress. "Where did you get that?"

"Over this way," Elena said, leading us towards the middle of the warehouse where a substantial display of reasonably priced clothing was set up.

Within a few moments, Brooke had picked out a beautiful summer dress for herself.

"Where do you plan to wear that?" Melissa asked.

"I'll just have to create an occasion," Brooke smirked. She carefully laid the dress in her cart, then looked through the dresses some more, pulling out a very pretty, sage green sun dress. It was nothing really fancy. Just a V neck top with short bell sleeves, a natural waist line, a three tiered skirt that would probably fall to above the knee of the wearer and six oversized buttons down the front enclosure. It was probably too small for Brooke.

"That's pretty don't you think?" she asked me.

"Very," I agreed.

Then she shocked me by holding it up against me. "It'd look pretty on you."

"Stop that," I said, pushing it aside and turning sideways so she couldn't do it again.

"Why?" She looked incredulous. "I want to buy it for you."

"Brooke, you can't just do something like that. I might know someone here. Worse yet, my father might know someone here."

"That's silly," she shook her head. "Boys wear dresses now. At my old school, at least three or four boys wore dresses and makeup to school everyday. You told me you enjoyed it. You shouldn't have to deprive yourself of some fun. Maybe you and I should sit down with your dad and have a chat."

Even though I knew he was at work, I looked around in a panic that he might actually be somewhere close by. "God, don't even joke around about that! The other morning he asked me if I was 'a queer' because my hair was wavy when you took my bun out."

'See," Brooke pouted, "that bun was really cute and I'd like to see you looking like that some more and we can't do stuff like that unless we talk to your dad."

"No," I said, flatly. "Absolutely not. No way. Not now. Not later. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not the next. Not in a week. Not in a month..."

Elena, without looking up from the dress rack, interrupted my panicked screed with, "I would not, could not in a box. I would not, could not with a fox. I will not tell him with a mouse. I will not tell him in a house. I will not tell him here or there. I will not tell him anywhere." Then she smiled at me. "I will not say a girl I am. I will not say that, Sam-I-Am."

Then she looked at Brooke. "You know you're being a bully, right?"

Brooke tsk-ed and shook her head. "You saw how cute he looked in your nightie, El. Some boys are just meant to wear dresses."

"Stop it," Elena shook her head and took my hand. "Come on. We are going to take a break and take a look at the yard furniture. There's a really nice wooden swing I'm going to tell my mom she should buy for our back yard. I want your opinion on it." She looked at Melissa and Brooke. "You two go shopping for ten minutes. I think we all need a break."

"Wow," I said as we walked to the yard furniture section and sat on a very lovely, wooden swing with a canopy top that cost a pretty penny. It had a nice padded seat, too. "I didn't think anyone spoke to Brooke that way."

Elena shrugged. "Usually Brooke is right, but like I said... this time she was being a bully."

We sat and let the swing calm things for a few moments. Then, out of the blue, Elena asked, "Do you want to wear dresses?"

I shrugged. "You know, I really don't know. I know that seems like a stupid answer, but..." I was trying to form an answer, but Elena took my silence for an opening.

"No, not really. I mean being born a girl means that I can wear whatever I want, so I don't really have to explain my choices, but if I started wearing really butch fashions... well... I'm sure I'd probably have to answer some questions, you know?"

I looked at her closely. "Are you really just fourteen?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm twelve. I'll be thirteen next month. Mel is fourteen. Why?"

"Because I don't think I ever said anything as insightful as you just said in my whole life," I said.

She giggled. "The other night I was looking at you in my nightgown and I started thinking about what that must be like for a guy and I wrote about it in my journal. That's how I think through things. I write about it in my journal until I reach a conclusion."

"What did you come up with?"

She shrugged. "I think you must like it, right? Or else you wouldn't do it? Even if Brooke asked you to. Can I ask you a really simple question?"

"Sure?"

"Do you wish you were a girl?"

I thought for a second. "No. I don't think I do. I just wish I could be more LIKE a girl without being judged for it. I've found that I do like looking pretty and I'd like to do that without being afraid of getting beaten up for it."

"Ok," she smiled. "I think I understand you, now. Thank you, Brook." She squeezed my hand and smiled.

I felt really good for having said that out loud, too.

We sat there for a few moments, then Elena said, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"Sometimes, I wish I was a boy."

'Really?" I was surprised. "Why?"

She thought for a moment. "I think... I think I like girls. You know what I mean? Like when I'm with girls and they talk about boys... I just don't get excited the way they do. But then... sometimes I think the same things they think about boys... but about girls."

"So... you think you're a lesbian?" I asked as tactfully as I could, considering I just found out that Elena was twelve years old.

"Yeah," she said matter of factly. "Maybe. I don't know for sure, but I just think it would be easier to feel like that if I were a boy. That's all. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense," I admitted. I squeezed her hand the way she'd squeezed mine. "Can I tell YOU something, now?"

"Sure."

"I think you might be the smartest human being I have ever met in my life."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. That's what people tell me. It's a curse." She giggled and suddenly seemed more like a little girl than the sage I'd been taking with. "May I make one suggestion?"

"Of course," I said, looking at my watch and realizing that the others would be headed our way soon.

"Let her buy you the dress. You know you want it, right? So let her buy it. You don't have to wear it. Put it in your closet as a fantasy and maybe... someday... it'll be a wonderful thing for you to wear... maybe not... and maybe... that precocious, cute girl next door who loaned you her nightie one night could borrow it to go out to dinner or something." She smiled and stuck the tip of her tongue out just a little and made me laugh out loud.

'Ok," I laughed. "Let's go find them."

When we got home, I helped the Kerrs bring in their purchases and then we drove Brooke's Jeep over to our house and unloaded our purchases and put away everything. The last thing I put away was that green dress and I have to admit that I stood at the door of my closet holding that dress on its hanger and looking at it for a long, long time, wondering what it would be like to get all dressed up and going out in it.

And it made my heart flutter just thinking about it.

Finally, I hung it way over to the left in my closet, the part of my closet that kind of extended in behind my wall. Then I took this long, shiny, green, Macintosh style rain slicker that I had for wearing when I had to wait for the school bus on rainy days, and I hung it next to the dress so that it couldn't be seen.

And there it remained - my hidden treasure.

Over the next couple of weeks, Brooke and I got a bit more adventurous and playful with my hair - always when my father was at work, of course. Brooke got creative with her curling iron to give me fullness, or waviness, or even big round curls. Each different look made me want to explore my feminine options more and more - AND - each different look made Brooke more and more amorous and I found myself being the one constantly putting the breaks on our activities.

Of course, I still had to keep up my cooking and cleaning and other housekeeping responsibilities, so my hair adventures would take place in the morning and then have to be undone in the afternoon before my dad came home. When dad got home, the house was always clean, the laundry was always done and dinner was always on the table - and my hair was always in a ponytail and looking as natural as it had the day before.

She bought me a few more dresses, too, but I didn't do anything more than try them on before they took residence behind my green slicker. They were all a little too pretty to just throw on for a few hours and wear around the house. They all would have needed some nice undies to go with them. So, in my closet they remained.

Except for this one, mustard yellow tee shirt dress that she bought me. It honestly looked just like a regular tee shirt except it was the length of a dress. At first I thought it was a nightshirt, but Brooke assured me it was a dress and showed me the picture of it on the web site from which she'd ordered it.

Well, I tried it on and it was really, really comfortable. So, since I was doing the laundry that day, I threw my jeans in the washer and spent the morning in the dress. No bra or anything, mind you, just the dress, and Brooke did my hair nicely in a messy bun.

It was fun. I had a good time doing my chores and cooking in the loose dress, and Brooke had a good time teasing me and being fresh with her hands whenever possible. It was a fun day, but it nearly ended in disaster.

I was folding the laundry just moments after I'd put a fish casserole for both my family and Brooke's into the oven, and Brooke was straightening my hair and putting it back into it's usually evening ponytail when my dad pulled into the driveway almost an hour early. We didn't even notice he was there until we heard him on the the stairs! There was no way I could make it to my bedroom without being seen, so I grabbed my jeans from the pile of clean clothes and bolted into the bathroom just before he stepped into the kitchen.

"Hi, Mr Chapin," I heard Brooke greeting my dad. "You're home early."

"Hi," dad said, sounding surprised to see Brooke and not me. "Yeah, I am. I had a dental appointment. Where's the chef?"

At that moment, I stepped out of the bathroom with my tee shirt dress tucked into my jeans like a tee shirt and the sound of the toilet flushing ringing in the hallway. "Dad?" I said, sounding surprised. "You're home early."

"Yeah," he laughed. "I went to the dentist. Something smells good."

"Oh, yeah," I smiled. "Seafood casserole. I wish I knew you were coming home early. I would have put it in earlier."

"Oh, yeah, well, I lost a filling during lunch and the dentist had an opening so I left work early and had the filling replaced. No big deal. This will give me time to shower." He walked away from us towards his room and we didn't see him again until dinner, but it was far too close a call for me.

"No more playing dress up," I whispered to Brooke.

She just sighed at me as if I was no fun. I think she enjoyed the close call.

We still had plenty of fun, though, but everyday Brooke asked me what I was going to do about my crossdressing in the long term and my response was always, "I don't know."

Several times I said that I wished I could leave my hair nicely done so we could go out to a movie or something and Brooke would say, "Then we have to talk to your father," but I would just sigh and shake my head.

More than once I talked about wanting to get my ears pierced and Brooke would say, "Then we have to talk to your father," but I would just sigh and say 'nope.'

We, the Kerr girls and I, went to a fireworks display one summer night, and it was really hot and I mentioned that I wished that I could wear one of those nice, cool, summer dresses in my closet, and Brooke said, "Then we have to talk to your father," but I just sighed and shook my head.

There was no way I could talk to my father about this. I didn't know how he'd do it, but I knew he'd kill me, if he knew I wanted to wear dresses.

So, we just played our dress-up games. I figured it'd end when school started, anyway. We did have a couple of outings of course, another trip to Maine and one to Cape Cod, and each of those afforded me the opportunity to wear something of Elena's. I never dared to go as far as a dress, of course, but cute shorts with a pretty top was the norm. It was fun. I was one of the sisters as far as the rest of the world was concerned snd I loved that.

It was the second week of August and we had planned a trip to another beach, but the weather forecast wasn't with us, so we decided to stay home and have a movie day at the Kerr's house with the monstrously huge TV they'd had installed in their living room. Dad had taken a vacation day to spend with Mrs Kerr, assuming that he'd have their house alone with her, but we messed that up on him. So, they decided to take a trip to Yankee Candle Factory somewhere out in the western part of the state. To tell you the truth, the idea of my father going to a perfumed candle factory made me laugh a bit. He must really have been smitten with Mrs Kerr.

Anyway, they left late in the morning and we set up camp in the Kerr's living room. A huge bowl of freshly popped, buttered popcorn, cookies and brownies that I'd baked from scratch the night before, cans of very unhealthy soda and lots of equally unhealthy candy combined with every streaming service known to mankind.

We started with a Disney movie called 'The Princess and The Frog,' a film that they all knew by heart, but I'd never seen before.

"How can you have never seen this before?" Melissa asked, shocked. "It's like the best movie ever!"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I just never saw it."

"Unbelievable," she said, despairingly.

I liked the movie, though. It was colorful and funny and the songs were really good, especially one called "Almost There" that the lead character sang.

That was followed up by a movie called 'Mean Girls' that was really funny. I recognized a lot of the actors in the movie from other movies and TV shows I had seen.

The day went on like that, one movie after another. Each one was great and they were all new to me.

By mid afternoon, the rain was coming down really hard outside. The thunder and lightning was putting on a sound and light show of its own that was pretty cool. We took a break to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for supper and sat on their screened in porch to watch the rain come down.

At about six o'clock, the girls got a text from their mom. 'WE'RE BACK, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BOTHER YOU. WE'LL WATCH TV AT VIC'S FOR A WHILE. ENJOY!'

That was cool.

Eventually, we were back in front of the TV watching movies. We were about an hour into 'Miss Congeniality' when I got a text from my dad. 'GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND I MEAN NOW.'

I sat up quickly, catching Brooke's attention. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." I showed her my phone.

Just then, Mrs Kerr came in from the rain in my long, shiny, green, Macintosh style slicker. "Oh shit!" I said in a panic.

"Hi, everyone!" Mrs Kerr half sang. "Brook, I hope you don't mind. Your dad loaned me your rain coat to get home in this deluge."

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," I muttered as I stood and pulled on my sneakers. "I'm dead. I am so fucking dead."

"Calm down, Brook," Brooke said, trying to hold onto me, "it'll be ok."

"What's going on?" Mrs Kerr asked, taking off the slicker, suddenly concerned.

"I'll explain in a minute," Brooke said to her, then she said to me, "I'll go with you and tell him it was all my doing."

"No!" I shouted, too loudly. "That'll just make it worse."

"No, I'm going," Brooke argued, but I grabbed my coat from Mrs Kerr and Mrs Kerr grabbed Brooke by the arm.

The last thing I heard as I ran out the door was Mrs Kerr asking, "Explain to me exactly what is going on here."

I ran home as quickly as I could in the rain. I was petrified of what awaited me, but even more scared of what dad would do if I made him wait.

He was standing in the kitchen when I came in the back door.

"Dad, I can explain..." I tried, but I stopped when he threw one of my dresses at me and it hit me in the face.

"Dresses!?" he shouted. "What the fuck are you doing in this house - IN MY HOUSE - when I am at work? Are you dressing up like a girl and going out looking for boys or something?"

"Dad, no..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU LITTLE LYING FAIRY," my father screamed at me, his face less than an inch from mine. "Do you have any idea how hard I work to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head? And while I'm out breaking my back, you're here flouncing around like some little Tinkerbell, embarrassing me in front of my neighbors. Well, that's just fucking wonderful!"

"Dad..."

"I told you to shut up!"

I never even saw the backhanded slap that he hit me with. I only knew that my head snapped sideways and my world began spinning. "Dad..." I muttered, feeling disoriented.

"Enough" I heard, but I felt a slap that knocked me in the other direction.

"Please..."

Another slap.

"Dad..." my world was spinning and dimming and I was getting confused as to what was happening. All I felt was pain and confusion. I opened my mouth and I think I tried to speak, but if anything came out it probably wasn't coherent. It didn't seem to matter much, though because my dad was yelling and slapping me pretty much nonstop at that point.

As things started to dim, I heard some things that I remembered later - Faggot - Fairy - Liar - Mr Chapin - Stop! - Out! - Vic! - Stop it!...

Then... darkness.

The next thing I remember is the bitter smell of ammonia from the smelling salts that the EMTs were using to revive me and a woman with a slightly deep voice was saying, "...that's it sweetie... you're going to be ok. Just relax. Don't try to sit up. Relax."

Then I saw Brooke beside me, leaning over me, holding something onto my face and looking out of sorts.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Your father beat the shit out of you, that's what happened," Brooke spat.

That cleared my head faster than smelling salts ever could. "Oh," I said and tried to sit up, but the EMT pushed me back down.

"No. You just stay right there for a few minutes. I'll let you know when you can get up." She shined a light in my eyes and pulled my eyelids wide open.

"Is he ok?" Brooke asked.

"I don't see any sign of concussion," the EMT said, "but he's pretty bruised up."

"Where's my dad?" I asked and that's the first I was aware of the pain in my jaw.

"The asshole is in the living room with the police."

"The police!? Ahh..." As I was regaining my senses, everything was starting to hurt. "Who called the police?"

"I did." Brooke looked at me and shook her head. "He was going to kill you, Brook. My mom couldn't even pull him off of you. When you fell down, he was kicking you! We had to call the police."

I tried to sit up, again, but even if the EMT hadn't pushed me back, I don't think I was ready to. "This is all my fault. I have to talk to them."

"YOUR fault?" Brooke shook her head. "That animal beat you half to death and this is YOUR fault? You must have a concussion. You're not making any sense." That was when I realized that Brooke was holding one of those chemical ice packs on my face. She moved it to another spot and the act of touching a new area sent a wave of pain through me as if I was being slapped all over again. "Ooh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said. "I'll be gentle." She bent low and kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

The EMT returned her attention to me and said, "Can you understand what I'm telling you, sweetheart?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Ok, good." She smiled as reassuringly as possible. "We're going to transport you to the university hospital just for an overnight observation, ok? We want to make sure you don't have any internal injuries and it might be best if the doctors had a good look at you, too. They might be able to help with the pain, too. Ok?"

"Ok," I grunted back. Actually, the pain was starting to come on pretty strong at that point.

"Can I go with him?" Brooke asked.

"I'm afraid, not," the EMT said with an understanding tone. "He's eighteen, so he'll have to go alone."

"Can I meet him there?"

"Well, I doubt they'll let you see him for several hours..." she said, then walked away to avoid saying anything more disappointing.

"What about my dad?" I asked before she went too far away, and the effort of raising my voice really hurt.

"I... will ask," she said with a sad smile.

"I hope he goes to jail," Brooke said, but honestly that was the last thing I wanted. What would I do if my dad went to jail? I had no one else.

Eventually a police officer came to where I was laying. The EMT'S raised me up and that was when I realized I was on a gurney. The officer was pretty young, actually. Probably only a few years older than me. "Hey! How you doing?" she asked cheerfully.

"I've been better," I groaned.

"I bet," she nodded. "Ok, so, look... you're going to have to go to the hospital for the night, ok? And your dad is going to go with us for tonight..."

"No, no," I groaned out. "Please. It wasn't his fault. I got him mad at me. He never did this before..." I tried to sit up again, but she pushed me back.

"Ok, calm down, calm down..." the officer said. "It doesn't matter. He's going with us and tomorrow morning he'll face a judge and enter a plea..."

I don't know what else she said because I was crying hysterically at that point and begging them not to arrest my father. Brooke bent down and hugged me gently to keep my convulsions at bay as I sobbed and sobbed and begged and begged, but they pulled her off of me as they strapped me to the gurney and began to take me out to the ambulance. I think I heard my dad shouting apologies to me, but I was making too much noise and I was in too much physical and emotional pain for his voice to make its way to my brain. I really don't know what was going on and I blacked out again until the next morning when I woke up in the hospital.
 
 
To Be Continued...

A Boy Called Brook: Summer 4 by Clara Copyright© 2022, 2024 Clara Schumann   Brook wakes up in the hospital with lots of bruises and a lot of things to think about.

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Author's Note: Brook, confused and not wanting his dad arrested, has a lot on his plate this chapter. I think with Brooke's and her mothers help, this chapter maybe heads to a better place? We shall see.

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far! I wish to thank Sephrena for her assistance with the html and to all of my reviewers for their kind reviews and support of my work.
Please, I would love for you to let me know what you think about my story, leave a review, it can be good or bad (not too harsh please!)
I am always willing to learn! ~Clara.
 
 
Summer 4
 

"Well, welcome back," a nurse said. She was typing something into a computer near the left side of my bed and smiling at me when I stirred. "Don't try to move too much. You'll be pretty sore for a day or two. The good news is, you don't have any severe injuries. The bad news is, you're pretty badly bruised up and you're going to feel those bruises for a week or so. Nothing is permanent, though, so you'll be your old self in no time." She put an oxygen reading device on my finger and said. "You have a visitor." I figured it must be Brooke. "Your little sister has been here for hours, waiting for you to wake up." She smiled and motioned with her head to my right.

I turned and saw Elena standing by my bedside. "Hi, Brook. They didn't want to let me in, but I didn't want you to wake up alone." She smiled sweetly at me. "You really had me worried. You look like crap." She giggled a little, but her eyes watered, too.

"Hi, El," I whispered, my voice working less well than my very stiff jaw. "How long have you been here?"

"A couple of hours. I came with the Kerrs. They're out in the waiting room. They'd only let family in." She smiled an impish grin that told me to just go along with what she was saying.

I held up a weak hand and she took it in hers. "Are you ok?" She asked, suddenly sounding serious.

I shrugged a little. "I guess. Everything hurts and... I'm kind of scared."

"Don't be," she smiled. "Lots of people love you."

"I wish that was true," I sighed and I probably would have cried if I had any tears left.

Knowing better than argue, Elena looked at the nurse and asked, "When can he leave?"

"Oooooh..." the nurse said, looking at her paperwork, "in a few hours, I'd expect. A doctor will be in to talk to him soon and she'll make that determination. As long as there's someone to drive him home, though, he should be able to go home this afternoon some time."

The nurse smiled at both of us and then her smile faded a little. "I think a social worker is coming in, too. Usually in these cases of domestic violence... well... you understand." She looked from Elena to me. "It's nice to have a sister at a time like this, isn't it? It's a very special bond that sisters share. Something that you'll never share with anyone else." She patted my shoulder a bit. "Well, would you like me to bring in your other guests?" Now her smile was beaming, as if everything was alright.

I nodded. "Yes, please."

"Ok," she said. "Give me just a minute or two and they'll be right in."

When the nurse had left, I looked at Elena and asked, "Why did they think you were my sister?"

"Because I told them I was," she smiled. "I don't have an ID - no one my age does - so, a few tears, some begging and they believed me." She smiled at her deviousness. "Seriously, the idea of you being in here alone was making me sick. I wanted to come in and be with you. We all did, but I was the only one young enough to fib my way in. Well... 'fib' is such an ugly word."

That made me laugh, but laughing really hurt. As a matter of fact, I hurt in a lot more places than I had the night before. My face hurt, my stomach hurt, my arms hurt, my back hurt, my legs hurt... I guess everything hurt, pretty much.

"Oh, my God," Brooke said as she came into the room, "look what that son of a bitch did to you." She was crying as she ran to me and wrapped me in an incredibly painful hug.

"You're hurting him, Brooke," Mrs Kerr said, softly. When Brooke had let go, Mrs Kerr asked, "How are you, honey?"

"I'm ok, I guess..."

"Bullshit," Brooke said, but I kept going.

"... and I should be going home today."

"You're not going home. You're staying with us." Brooke proclaimed.

"Brooke," Mrs Kerr tried to strike a reasonable tone, "family dynamics are very difficult. We can't just jump into the middle of things we know nothing about. Yes, we'll be there as a safety net..."

"Mom!"

"... AS A SAFETY NET, but Brook and his father have a lot to work out together and whatever the courts recommend... well... that's what we are going to adhere to."

"Like fucking hell," Brooke said, shocking me by speaking to her mother that way, but no one else in the room even raised an eyebrow. "If you won't see reason, then I'm putting him into the Jeep and taking him up to dad's where he'll be safe."

"Now, calm down, Brooke. You promised to be levelheaded. This isn't doing him any good." Mrs Kerr was trying hard to keep a lid on things, but Brooke was really wound up.

"Mom... look at him. LOOK at him." She stamped her foot.

"In the hall now. We need to talk." Mrs Kerr pointed to the door.

Brooke crossed her arms and exhaled like she was about to attack.

"The hall. NOW." Mrs Kerr was exerting parental power in a way I'd never seen her do before.

And it worked!

Brooke exhaled in frustration and stormed out of my room. Mrs Kerr looked at me with sympathy. "Brook, honey... I'm so sorry. I'm just glad you're not too badly hurt. We'll be right back." She left and closed the door behind her.

That left me with Elena and Melissa. Now, Melissa is a bit different than her sisters. Kind of self involved. They're all a little spoilt, of course, well - maybe over privileged is a better term - but Melissa is kind of always about... Melissa. That day, though... she wasn't. She was just looking me, trying to come up with the right thing to say.

She looked very closely at my face, most of the rest of me was covered. She examined everything inch of damage and then made eye contact with me. "Does it hurt bad?"

I nodded a little. "Yeah."

"Why did he do it? Because of the girl stuff?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes watered a little. "So... it was our fault?"

"No. It was my fault."

"No, it wasn't," Elena said, but Melissa kept eye contact with me.

"Do you want to be a girl... like us, then?" Melissa ignored her sister.

I shook my head a very little bit. "No. I don’t. I just want to be me. And... and the hair and all... that’s part of me."

"Then why did he hurt you?" I know this might seem like an odd thing to ask someone laying in bed with a billion bruises, but she was being very sincere.

"I guess... I guess he just doesn’t like that part of me." I said.

She squinted and thought a bit. "The first time I saw you, before Brooke ever brushed your hair or anything, I could see that part of you. How come he couldn’t?"

That was a little too much for me and I started crying again. "I don’t know, Mel. I really don’t know."

"Let him, be," Elena said, awkwardly trying to offer comfort as only someone her age can.

"I’m sorry," Melissa said, taking my hand and kissing it. "I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry."

I shook my head a little and sniffled back my tears. "No, don’t be sorry. It’s not you. This is all just too much." I took three or four or ten or fifty steadying breaths and got control of myself again. "I’m telling you the truth, though, Mel... I just don’t know why he didn’t see that part of me when everyone seems to have. But he didn’t and he beat me up because of that. He’s just a very angry man and I never should have lied to him. I knew this would happen eventually."

Brooke and Mrs Kerr reentered the room at that point, but another person came in with them. An older woman with bright blue hair and glasses with frames that matched her hair color perfectly. She wore a kind of tunic length top with what looked like hand embroidered moons and moon flowers all over it. Her whole look was kid of hippy-ish. Like something out of a bad movie about a cool grandma in the 1960s or something.

"Hi, Brook," she said to me, "I’m Cathy Martin. I’m your social worker."

"My social worker?" I asked. I knew that the nurse had said one would come in, but I didn’t really understand why. "I’m not sure why I need a social worker, Ms Martin. I’m eighteen. That makes me an adult, legally, so..."

"Yes, it does, Brook, but you are also the victim of domestic violence AND you are still a high school student and your father is still, technically, your caretaker, and since he is responsible for your health and safety and and he violated that responsibility, we need to discuss your living arrangements... and since you are male, those are pretty tricky."

"What do you mean?" asked Mrs Kerr.

"Well, if Brook were a woman, there are many shelters for abused women. The same is not true for bused men. Especially, young men. Some do exist in more metropolitan areas, but not here. And since Brook is eighteen, that rules out youth housing. So, that brings us to our best option. There is a church operated homeless shelter in Gardner..."

"Gardner!?" Brooke interrupted. "Mom, Gardner that’s so far away."

"Shh," Mrs Kerr held up a finger to Brooke and looked at Ms Martin. "A homeless shelter, Ms Martin? Seriously?"

"I’m sorry. I know that isn’t perfect for someone as young and as small as Brook, but it is the best we have to offer at the moment."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was going to living in a homeless shelter?

"Mom," Brooke whispered, panicked.

"Umm," Mrs Kerr interrupted, "why can’t Brook go home?"

"Oh, I’m sorry," Ms Martin shook her head in a ‘how silly of me’ manner. "Brook’s father, Mr... Chapin, was arraigned this morning. He pleaded ‘not guilty’ and a trail date was set. I’m sure you’ll be receiving paperwork about that. Anyway, until that time, Mr Chapin is not allowed to be in contact with his son. So, since Mr Chapin owns the property, that means that Brook is not allowed on the property. Unless, of course, you hire a lawyer and fight that."

"A lawyer?" My head was floating two feet above my body. I couldn’t imaging how all of this was happening. None of it made any sense. "I don’t know any lawyers. I can’t afford a lawyer! I don’t even have a job!"

"Ok. Calm down. You don’t need to hire a lawyer," the social worker said. "An Assistant District Attorney will be representing you, as the victim, at the trial and we’ve found you a room at the shelter, so you have a place to stay until then."

"Yes, you do," Mrs Kerr said, very curtly. "You’ll stay with us."

"Oh?" Ms Martin seemed surprised. "And what is your address?"

Mrs Kerr told her the address and the social worker checked her notes. "Oh... I’m not sure if that is agreeable. See, having him right next..."

"You listen to me, Ms Martin," Mrs Kerr was suddenly a lion protecting me, her adopted cub, "that boy is staying in my home. He is NOT... not under any circumstances... staying in a homeless shelter, do you understand me? If that is not acceptable to the legal system of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, then you have my address. Send the State Police if you want, but Brook Chapin will be warm and safe and well fed in my home until this matter is resolved. And that is the end of this discussion."

"Well, I will report this option to the court, of course," Cathy Martin said, "but... you may be hearing about alternate arrangements being made. I will be checking in from time to time." She turned and headed for the door.

"I look forward to hearing from you," Mrs Kerr said.

The door closed and Brooke said, "Mom! You’re a badass!" She hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

"Damned right, I’m a bad ass," she smirked. "Come on, girls," she said to the younger girls. "Let’s give Brooke and Brook a few minutes."

When they’d left, Brooke came close to my bed and smiled down at me with glistening eyes. "You’re a mess."

"Everything’s a mess."

‘I know," Brooke’s smile faded, "but it’ll get better."

I shook my head a little. "I don’t think so. It’s all my fault."

"Now, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard," she said.

"Maybe we should have talked to my father sooner..."

"And maybe he would have beat the crap out of you sooner," she shook her head. "Brook... Maybe we should have done a lot of things, but maybe he shouldn’t have beaten you up. No decent person does that. That’s just the act of a goddamned mean person."

I thought for a moment. "How does that get fixed?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe your relationship with your father is over."

I shook my head that little bit again. "No. I have to fix it."

"Honey... he just beat the snot out of you. Why do you want to fix your relationship with him?"

"Because he’s my dad," I said, flatly. "Maybe I’m broken or something, but he’s my dad, Brooke. He raised me. My mom threw me away and just. left, but he stayed and took care of me. I love him and even though he messed up really bad last night, I’m pretty sure he still loves me. I mean, I messed up, too. We have to fix this."

She let put a long breath. "Wow, baby... wow. If my dad did to me what your dad did to you I’d just say ‘goodbye’ and send his ass off to jail. Wow." She looked at me for a long time then shrugged. "Ok... we’ll fix this. I don’t know how, but... we’ll fix this."

I was discharged around dinner time and I had a harder time getting dressed than I expected. Everything hurt. Brooke helped, but it wasn’t easy and it took a long time. I couldn’t tighten my belt and my jeans wouldn’t stay up. Since I was in a wheelchair to get from my room to the Kerr’s SUV, that was ok. The bigger problem was the handful of prescriptions in my hand. Yes, I had insurance, but each prescription had a hefty copay, so I had no idea how I was going to deal with them. When Mrs Kerr pulled into the drug store parking lot, I felt a rush of anxiety.

"Ummm... maybe I can pick up my prescriptions tomorrow," I said.

Mrs Kerr looked over her seat back at me. "Brook... you need them now. The anti inflammatory drugs will bring down the swelling, and the pain drugs will help you get comfortable so you can sleep."

I nodded and looked at her and then out the window. I thought for a moment. "I think I’ll be ok."

"It’s ok, Brook," Brooke said, understanding. "I’ll go in with you and take care of it."

I sighed. "I... I don’t think I can make it in. I’m sorry. Maybe tomorrow will be better." I honestly felt like such a weakling. "Please... let’s come back."

"It’s ok, Brook," Elena said from the back seat. "Just wait here. I’ll go with you, Brooke."

They went in, leaving me with Melissa and Mrs Kerr and a lot of awkward silence. It took about ten minutes before they came out and they climbed back into the SUV.

"The pharmacist said to be sure to take the pills with food," Elena said as she climbed in.

"Let’s get some supper on the way home," Mrs Kerr said, "so you can start your medication when we get home."

We stopped at a deli and the Kerr’s all got sandwiches. They got me some potato and bacon soup so I could sip it without having to chew.

Back at their house, I struggled to get into the house without losing my pants, which was a chore. I ate maybe a cup and a half of the soup. It was delicious, but it was hard to eat because it hurt to open my mouth. I had some of it through a straw, but that hurt, too.

I took my meds and within a few minutes the pain killers started numbing the pain a bit and I started feeling better.

" think a nice, hot bath might be a good idea, Brook," Mrs Kerr suggested. "I have the large tub in my bathroom. You can step down into that. I’ll run a nice warm bath and put in some bath salts for you and it’ll make you feel better."

I looked at the stairs and I had some concerns. "I might need some help getting up the stairs," I said. "And... I can’t really tighten my belt, so... I know this sound weird, but... I don’t know if I can get up there with my pants on."

"I’ll help you get up the stairs," Brooke volunteered.

"I’ll get you a robe," Elena said.

"Get him a nightgown, too," Brooke called after her.

"A nightgown?" her mother asked, an eyebrow raised.

"He’ll need something to wear to bed, anyway, mom."

She shook her head and then called up the stairs, "Better get him a pair of panties, too. A new pair if you have any."

About ten minutes later, with my jeans on the back of a chair down stairs and a light weight, baby blue robe tied loosely around my waist, Brooke helped me up the stairs to Mrs Kerr’s oversized bath tub. Brooke helped me down into the tub. I was self conscious about her seeing me completely naked, but I needed help and I’d rather it be Brooke helping me than Mrs Kerr.

The hot water and the bath salts really did feel good on my wounded skin and I soaked for a good long time with Brooke adding new hot water from time to time.

Eventually, I sat up and she washed and conditioned my hair for me. Then she helped me up and I got out, but there was a problem. Mrs Kerr’s bathroom had a lot of mirrors and for the first time, I saw how bruised my body was. It was pretty bad. I mean, I didn’t look like I’d been in a car accident or anything, but I definitely looked like I’d gone a few rounds with a real tough fighter – which – I guess I had.

Brooke patted me dry as gently as she could, then helped me into the plain white panties and loose, white nightie. There was nothing sexy or playful about wearing a nightie this time, though. It was just a necessity.

I pulled the lightweight robe on and sat while Brooke gently brushed my hair and put it up in a bun.

"Do you feel better?" she asked me.

"A little," I said, "but l’m really tired."

She nodded. "You can sleep in my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch."

I would have argued, but the thought of going back downstairs seemed exhausting. "Thank you," I said, feeling very emotional.

Brooke led me into her room and pulled down her covers, laying me gently on my back, then covering me with a sheet. She kissed my cheek before leaving me to think about what had happened to me.

I wondered: Why had this happened? And of course I knew why. I had been expecting it to happen for weeks. Maybe not to this extreme, but I knew that it was going to happen.

So, then I starting thinking about why I had kept the dresses in the first place. And you know why I think I had? Because deep down, I really wanted my father to find them because I wanted him to know that what I really wanted... more than anything... was to express myself the way that Brooke had taught me to. By being pretty and feminine. But there was no way that I could ever tell him how I felt other than to let him find the dresses.

Well, he’d found the dresses and he knew what I was, so now what?

That’s what I needed to figure out.

At that point, between the drugs, the exertion of getting up the stairs and the drama of the day, I drifted off into a slightly drugged sleep that lasted until Brooke woke me the next morning.

"Hi,"she whispered in all her angelic beauty. "It’s nearly ten and mom thought you should have something to eat and get some medicine into you. I brought you some eggs and toast and orange juice. If you want something else, I can get that, too."

As I regained consciousness, I realized I was hungry and I sat up straighter so that Brooke could place a very fancy breakfast-in-bed tray over my hips. I ate a light breakfast and sipped the orange juice and began to feel a little better.

Brooke touched my arm. "The bruises are already fading."

"Are they?"

She touched my face. "Some of them are. I could cover some of them with some makeup if you want."

I shrugged. "We’ll see."

I heard a car door shut outside and knew it had to be from my driveway. "Is that my father?"

Brooke looked out the window. "Yeah."

"Why is he home on a weekday, I wonder?" I said.

Brooke shrugged. "Mom says he took some time off. She says he’s seeing someone... an anger management guy, or something."

"My dad!?" I half laughed. "A psychologist?"

"I guess." She looked kind of serious. "Mom says he’s really upset. She says he can’t believe he did what he did. I mean... I can’t believe he did what he did, either, so... at least we’re all on the same page," she smirked and shrugged a little. "Do you feel any better?"

I nodded. "I do, think."

"Good," she smiled. "After breakfast, why don’t you get dressed, I’ll brush your hair out and maybe you’ll feel better if you move around a bit. What do you think."

I nodded. "Ok."

I got up and Brooke brushed my hair. She even used her curling iron to create vertical curls that she then loosened and sprayed, so that my hair looked full and rich.

"Now, let me cover some of those bruises," she said, and she went to work on my face with some makeup. When she finished, I definitely looked better and that made me feel better.

Right about that time, there was a timid knock on the door. We turned and saw Elena coming in. "Hey," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled it. "Better... I think."

"Here," she said, handing me a new pair of panties.

I thanked her. We were both just a little embarrassed by the exchange of the intimate piece of clothing in the stark light of day.

"Hang on," she said and ran out of the room, then came back a moment later carrying something very bright and very yellow. "Look... I know that all this girly stuff that we’ve introduced you to is what got you beaten up in the first place, and I’m the one who told you to accept the dress from Brooke in the first place, but... well, with your bruises and all, I thought that something loose would be comfortable and this color always makes me happy, so..." she held out the yellow dress in her hand, "... I thought this might make you feel better."

It was just a simple, very bright yellow dress. Very short sleeves, a crew neck and a mostly formless, yet pretty dress. It was a simple and thoughtful offer.

"Thank you, El. It’s very pretty." I took it and gave Elena a gentle hug, which was the best I could manage.

She smiled. "I’ll let you change and see you down stairs."

I’ve heard girls and women say that a nice dress makes them feel better before, but I always thought they were just being... I don’t know... hyperbolic, I guess... But you know what? I got cleaned up, got my hair done, had Brooke fuss over me a little and put on a pretty dress and a pair of nice sandals, also provided by Elena, and I really did feel a lot better.

An awful lot better.

"Well, look at you," Mrs Kerr said, looking at me with a curious smile. "You look very nice, Brook."

"Thank you, Mrs Kerr," I responded. "I feel a little better. Still sore, but better."

She nodded and looked at me very closely. "Umm... can we have a chat, honey. Just you and me? Out on the porch, maybe?"

"Mom," Brooke stepped in like a defensive mother, "Brook is just starting to feel better..."

Mrs Kerr held up both hands in a defensive manner. "I just want to have a conversation, Brooke. That’s all."

"It’s ok," I assured her. "I’ll be happy to talk to you, Mrs Kerr."

We went out onto their back porch, which was a lot different than our’s. Our’s was just a foot or two off the ground and had a few mismatched pieces of furniture on it. Theirs was high and roofed and partially screened in, with designer patio furniture and an exterior dinette set that probably cost three times what our dining room table cost.

I don’t want you to think that I’m overly impressed by money, but it’s just nice to see good looking things. I don’t NEED things like that. I just like looking at them.

We sat in two very comfortable lounge chairs and I waited for Mrs Kerr to start. Finally, she did.

"Brook... honey... I know that you’ve been through a lot... an awful lot... but... I’m looking at you right now and... I know that you don’t have access to your own clothes, honey, but Elena has plenty of clothes less feminine than these. And the way that Brooke has done your hair... and you’re wearing makeup..."

She just let that sit there.

I sat up a little straighter and looked out at the yard. "Mrs Kerr... am I making you uncomfortable? Do you want me to get changed?"

"I honestly don’t know what I want, Brook," she shook her head. "I do know that I am trying to help, honey, and I just don’t want to make matters worse between you and your dad."

I shrugged. "It’s your house, ma’m, and I’ll do whatever you want. If you want me to take all of this off, I will. I don’t want to upset you."

"You’re not upsetting me, honey," she said, "but you are confusing me."

"Why?"

She sighed and thought for a moment. "According to your father, until last month, you never once dressed like a girl until my Brooke got her hands on you. Is that true?"

I nodded.

"So... this is all her doing?"

I shook my head. "No, ma’m. This is all my doing. I never once dressed like a girl before I met Brooke because I never had anyone to help me, but I thought about it a lot. Yes, Brooke bought me those dresses, but I never wore them because I was too scared to because I knew my dad would beat me half to death if I did. Now that he has... what difference does it make? He’s done his worst. Now... I’m going to give living the way I’ve always wanted to live a try."

She let out a long breath. "Wow. That’s a lot to bite off, Brook." She shook her head for a moment. "You know that your father feels very bad about what he did, right?"

I nodded. "That’s what Brooke told me."

"I like your father, Brook. I think he’s a good man... for the most part. This... thing he did to you... it really surprised me. Not that I’ve known him long, but... I thought I knew him a bit better than that. Tell me... Do you think you can ever forgive him?"

I shrugged. "I think I already have, but... in order to move forward... there’s a lot to do and I need him to get used to me... THIS... me. I like THIS me. I like THIS me a lot better than the other me and I’m going to stick with THIS me."

Mrs Kerr leaned forward and put her cool hand on my bare knee. "Ok, honey. Thank you for being honest with me. If that’s how you feel, then I’m here to support you. You can go hang out with the girls if you want."

"Ok," I said. I stood up and started to go, but I stopped at the door. "Mrs Kerr?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you think my dad can accept me like this?"

She tried to smile. "Brook... your dad is not used to boys like you. He is from a different time and... this is a small town, Brook. He’s never really seen another boy like you before. He hangs around with tough guys and he’s not used to gentle boys..."

"Yes, he is," I interrupted. "Mrs Kerr, since my mom left, it’s just been me and dad and I’ve always been this close to being like I am today." I held a finger and thumb up to indicate a minuscule distance. "Dad used to hang out with tough guys in bars and places like that, but not any more. He just hangs out with me... and now you. He’s always known that I was a ‘gentle boy.’ I really need him to be ok with me."

She finally smiled, understanding what I was getting at. "Are you saying that you want me to talk to him for you?"

"Only if you feel comfortable doing it," I shrugged.

She thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, honey. I’ll do what I can. Ok?"

"Thank you, Mrs Kerr."

I resolved that I was going to try to get my butt in gear and feel better by making dinner, which is what I loved to do, anyway. So, I went to the refrigerator and looked at what I had to work with.

It wasn’t much.

Mostly prepackaged salads that were approaching or just past their expiration dates. None of them were interesting, either. Ice berg lettuce, or kale – I am not a big fan of kale, by the way. I find it bitter and earthy, by which I mean, it kind of tastes of dirt to me. Anyway, I put together a shopping list for what I’d need in order to make a nice dinner; nothing too fancy, just nice. I also planned a nice salad that might last a few days. Spinach with sliced radishes, shredded carrots, a few cherry tomatoes and a few other tasty things that the Kerr’s might enjoy more than the bland bags of salad in their fridge.

I gave the list to Brooke, who seemed a little surprised by its size, and she said, "Ok, let’s go get it," but I refused.

"I can’t go out like this."

"Why not?" She kind of laughed. "You look nice in that dress."

"Brooke," I couldn’t believe I had to explain this, "I want to make the change in my life and live this way, but I need to do it a little at a time. My first time out in a dress isn’t going to be to the market where I go shopping every week. Besides that, though... you did a really good job of covering up most of my bruises, but... look at me. My eye is still swollen and I can’t open my jaw all the way, yet... I don’t want people to see me this way. I don’t mean as my feminine self – I mean... like this... broken."

She kissed my cheek. "Ok. I get it." Then she called to her sisters, "I’m going to the grocery store. Who wants to come with?"

"Can we stop at Dunkin’s for iced coffee?" Melissa called back.

"Sure," Brooke laughed.

"I’ll go!" Mellissa said happily.

"I’ll hang with Brook," Elena said.

"Ok," Brooke said, grabbing her pocketbook. She gave me a quick kiss and headed out the door.

"So," Elena put her arm around me and gave me a gentle hug, "you look pretty. How do you feel?"

"I’m ok, I guess. A little achy, but ok."

She nodded. "Brooke says you’ve decided to live your life as a woman."

I laughed. "Not quite. Let’s say... as a gender-fluid person."

She smiled. "But leaning more towards the feminine than the masculine, right?"

That made me laugh again. "Definitely." Then I shook my head and looked at her more closely. "Seriously? You’re only twelve?"

"Are you tired or are you up for a little exploring?" Elena said to me, changing gears and catching me a little off guard.

I thought about that for a moment. "I’m not all that tired. What did you have in mind."

She ran out to the porch and asked her mother something, then came running back to me.

"Any trying on happens in private!" Mrs Kerr called in from the porch.

"I know, mom!" Elena called back then she grabbed my hand and pulled me to follow her.

"Come on," she said and led me, somewhat slowly, back up the stairs, this time to her room where she opened her rather large closet and said, "Ta da!"

"Ta da?" I asked.

"Yeah. Ta da! These are my clothes."

"I see that."

"That makes them your clothes, too. At least for the time being," she said somewhat proudly. "So, pick out what you like so I’m not just pulling out random clothes everyday."

I laughed a bit nervously. "Honestly, Elena, that’s very nice of you, but I’m not sure..."

"Oh, come on," she said, reaching in and grabbing a pretty, flowered dress. "It’s pretty, right? It’ll look nice on you, too. I’m sure of it. Try it on."

"Well... maybe in a bit..." I said, stalling.

"Good idea!" Elena said, thinking I had meant something else. "We’ll make a pile and you can try a bunch on all at once. I’ll have to step out while you try them on, anyway. That’s what my mom was talking about."

I shrugged. "Ok." See, putting on dresses, or more precisely, fantasizing about putting on dresses, was really only exciting when I imagined doing it with Brooke. The idea of looking at dresses seemed silly with Elena.

Having said that...

The more clothing I looked at, the more excited I got about wearing it. Not in any way sexually excited, just... excited. Excited about looking pretty. Excited about how the clothes would feel. Excited about looking like a normal person when wearing these dresses, these skirts, these blouses, these rompers.

Speaking of rompers – I looked at a romper that Elena pulled out and I was fascinated by it. It was pretty simple, just a white romper with cap sleeves, tap style shorts and a delicate floral print all over it. When I finally got to try it on, the first thing that occurred to me was, "How do you go to the bathroom in this?"

"You take it off," Elena smiled.

"What if you’re in a public bathroom?" I asked.

"You take it off," she laughed. "There’s no other way to go to the bathroom when you’re wearing a romper except to take it off."

"So... you’re sitting in a public restroom mostly naked while you’re peeing?"

"Yeah," she laughed.

"Don’t you feel... like... vulnerable?"

Still smiling, she shrugged. "I suppose so, but if you want to wear a cute romper and you have to go... there’s not much else to do. Right?"

"I guess."

"Try it on," she insisted. She left the s room and I took off the yellow dress and pulled the romper on, calling Elena back in when I was dressed again.

"Do you like it?" she asked as we both looked in the mirror.

"I do. It’s really comfortable."

"Then wear it when you want to," she smiled.

"Ooh, that’s very cute on you," Mrs Kerr said entering the room. She turned me in a very motherly way and looked at me from all angles, fingering the material here and there. "You’ve got a decent bottom on you for a boy, too. A shoe with a little heel would help emphasize that, too."

"Yeah, well, too bad I don’t have any heels to loan you," Elena said with some sarcasm. "Unfortunately, my mother won’t allow me to wear heels except for special occasions."

"You’re twelve," Mrs Kerr shook her head. "Brook is eighteen."

"I’ll be thirteen in a few days. Can I wear heels then?"

Mrs Kerr shifted her attention to Elena and heaved and exasperated sigh. "Ok. Two inch heels. Nothing too challenging. Either chunky or respectable pumps and only when appropriate."

"Yes!" Elena shouted, with an accompanying fist pump.

"You need to get your own bra and panties," Mrs Kerr said, returning her attention to me. "I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you and El to be sharing."

I nodded, but there was a problem. "I’m afraid I don’t have any money, Mrs Kerr. My dad sometimes gave me a monthly allowance for taking care of the house and cooking when he could afford it and I haven’t gotten that in a while, so..."

"That’s ok, dear," she said, stopping my flow of apologies. "I’ll take care of it for now." She moved my hair away from my cheek and looked at my ears. "You should get your ears pierced if this is going to be a full time thing, too. Maybe later in the week, when you feel more comfortable going out, we’ll deal with that, too. How does that sound?"

I think my smile may have given away my excitement. "That sounds good."

"Ok,"she smiled back. "You two pick out some nice things to share and I’ll see you downstairs later."

Later, after trying on about fifteen outfits, when Brooke came home with the groceries, I made the Kerr’s a nice dinner, which prompted a lot of compliments for my cooking, but also a lot of sarcastic remarks about the stove in their kitchen. "Hey, I didn’t know that that thing did anything but heat up old pizza!." "Hey, mom! Did you know that people can cook things in their own houses?" Things like that.

I slept in the same nightie I’d slept in the night before, but I insisted on sleeping on the couch, which turned out to have a comfortable pull-out bed.

And that’s how the next few days went. I was essentially the fourth Kerr sister. Brooke and I didn’t really have a lot of time alone and what time we did have together was spent with her grooming me, both grooming my hair and makeup and grooming me by correcting my behavior, to make me more comfortable with my new persona – and I loved my new persona. I felt so much more confident and comfortable as THIS Brook than I’d ever felt as the old Brook.

After a week, my ears were pierced, my legs were waxed, my eyebrows were trimmed and I was comfortable as my new self, most of my bruises were gone and I felt like I needed to do something about my relationship with my father. So, I picked up my phone and I sent a text. ‘HI, DAD. I’D REALLY LIKE TO TALK TO YOU IF YOU’RE WILLING.’

He responded after about ten minutes. ‘HI, CHEF. BOY, THERE IS A LOT I’D LIKE TO SAY TO YOU BUT THE COURTS SAY I CAN’T. IN FACT I COULD GET INTO BIG TROUBLE FOR JUST THIS TEXT CONVERSATION.’

‘SORRY,’ I wrote, but couldn’t stop. I really missed him. ‘IF I ASK MY SOCIAL WORKER TO WORK IT OUT FOR US, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO MEET? OR MAYBE TALK ON ZOOM ON THE COMPUTER OF SOMETHING?’

‘CHEF, I’D DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. HONESTLY. BUDDY, I’M NOT DRINKING. I’M GOING TO AA MEETINGS EVERY NIGHT. I KNOW I HURT YOU REALLY BAD AND I WILL GO TO JAIL FOR THAT IF THAT’S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN, BUT I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT I KNOW WHAT AN ASSHOLE I WAS THAT NIGHT. I KNOW I NEVER SAY IT, BUT I LOVE YOU, PAL, AND THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST WEEK OF MY LIFE. YOU ARE MY WORLD, CHEF, AND I AM SCARED TO DEATH THAT I’VE LOST YOU BECAUSE I WAS A DRUNK IDIOT.’

I blinked back a few tears and sniffled a bit. ‘I LOVE YOU, TOO, DAD. I’LL ASK MY SOCIAL WORKER.’

It was a challenge. The social worker, Ms Martin, who was very nice, but overworked and overstressed was dubious. She had some obvious concerns and wasn’t at all sure that she had the time to do what I was asking. Finally, I convinced her to talk to the judge, who also had some reservations. Then, miraculously, on Friday of that week, my dad, the judge, Ms Martin, a police officer and Mrs Kerr were sitting quite a distance away from each other in the Kerr’s massive living room.

"Alright, Mr Chapin, I want to state, on behalf of all of us," the judge said as I listened from the kitchen, "that we are very happy that your son requested this meeting. However I must restate that there will be no arguments between you two. If there is, I will terminate this meeting. Further more, there will be no touching unless I approve it and no foul language. Is all of this understood?"

I heard my dad say, "Yes, sir, Your Honor. I understand."

"Alright, then." He cleared his throat. "Brook Chapin. You may come in."

I entered the room wearing the romper I’d described earlier with my hair brushed back, but curled nicely and then brushed through again so it was nice and full and wavy. I thought I looked really nice, and since my bruises had, for the most part, healed, and the makeup I wore covered what little discoloring I still had, I felt confident for the first time since the beating.

The thing is, though, it was the first time my dad had ever seen me this way. Mrs Kerr had prepared him for how I would look, but I’m sure it still must have been shocking for him.

Dad stood when I entered and I could tell by the look on his face that he was glad to see me, but I could also see that he was processing how I looked as well.

"Hi, Chef," he said, quietly.

"Hi, dad," I said, taking a seat beside Mrs Kerr. I kept my knees together as I sat and, once seated, I crossed my legs at my knees, a habit I had developed since my decision to live my life en femme, and nodded to everyone.

"Wow..." dad said, still standing. "Chef... you look... you look amazing."

I smiled a bit, but it was difficult not to remember what I’d gone through a week earlier. "Thanks, dad. You look good, too."

He shook his head and looked at me. "I... I honestly can’t believe that’s you, Chef. You look entirely different."

"Ok," the judge said, "let’s move this along." He motioned for my dad to sit, then he looked at me. "Tell me, Brook. Do I refer to you with male or female pronouns."

I shrugged. "Male, I guess."

He nodded, but he seemed a little surprised. "Alright. So, tell me, Brook... Why are we here?"

"I wanted to talk to my dad," I said.

The judge nodded. "Alright, Brook. Go ahead. The floor is yours."

It was really odd, talking to my dad about something so personal in front of all these strangers, but that was my only option. I took a deep breath and said, "Dad... I just wanted to say that... I’m sorry that I lied to you and hid all those clothes. I knew you didn’t want me to have that stuff and I shouldn’t have done that. I should have just spoken to you about how I felt. That I needed to... well... to look like this to be happy. To be me. I’m sorry."

My dad looked at me and chewed his lower lip. "I’m sorry, Chef, but I can’t accept that apology," he finally said, surprising me. It seemed as it the meeting was coming to an end if this was the stance he was going to take, but then he continued. "I can’t accept it, because you have nothing to apologize for. Yeah, I was surprised to find the dresses in your closet, but... Chef... I was drunk. That’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth and you know what I can be like when I’m drunk – well, when I WAS drunk, I hope, because I don’t plan to ever be drunk again."

I just looked at my dad in shock. He was admitting he was wrong. I’m not sure that had ever happened before.

He continued. "Look, Chef... you’re my son... or my daughter if that’s what you choose. I’ve known you your entire life. When you were a baby, I may have had a few fantasies that you’d follow in my footsteps and earn your football letter... or maybe be on the track team... be a ladies man like I was... that kind of thing... you know what I mean... but from the time you were maybe three or four... I knew you weren’t that kind of boy."

I nodded, not at all hurt by his words.

"I’d see you with other little boys at cookouts and parties and while they were running wild and pretending to shoot things with their fingers, you weren’t. You weren’t even talking to the little girls, Chef. You were talking to the teenaged girls who would play with your hair and hold you on their laps. You would talk to the women with babies and ask about how to care for them. Chef... you were always learning how to be a woman... or at least a very caring man. I saw it, but I just ignored it. Or... maybe I denied it... regardless... I knew it, but I never allowed you to be who you were born to be."

I just stared at him in silence. I didn’t know what to say.

"And I’m sorry," he said. "I’m sorry for ignoring what I knew. I’m sorry for the pressure I put on you to not be yourself. I’m sorry that I never talked to you about it all and..." he looked at me and I saw tears in his eyes. "... I hope... that someday... you might be able to forgive me for what I did last week, but... it really doesn’t matter... because... if I live to be a hundred... I will never... never... never forgive myself for that, Chef."

I took Mrs Kerr’s hand. I’m sure she could feel me shaking. My whole body was about to fail me and just let me burst into tears, and I didn’t want to do that.

"Chef..." dad continued, "... my marriage was a huge mistake. Your mom and I were way too young to have a kid and I had no prospects at all... we were doomed from the start... but the best part of my life came out of my marriage. That’s you, Chef. You are the most important thing in my world and I cannot believe that I hurt you like I did. I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, Chef, I am so, so, sorry and it’ll never happen again. Someday..." he rubbed his eyes and I saw some tears fall, "... I hope that we might be able to sit on our porch and talk, again... Just you and me, and..."

I stood and interrupted. "I’m sorry," I said, tears streaming down my face, "dad... I love you so much, but... I need a break..." I ran into the kitchen as fast as I could.

As I turned the corner into the other room, I heard Mrs Kerr say, "Excuse us for a moment. We’ll be back in a minute."

When she reached the kitchen, I was pacing back and forth, my hands shaking uncontrollably. She wrapped her arms around me and held tightly. "Calm down, honey. What’s the matter?"

"I don’t know, I don’t know..." I said, barely able to speak through my crying.

"Your dad seems to be so accepting of you," she said. "I thought you’d be happy."

"I am," I gasped, "but... I think I’m just... Mrs Kerr... he’s NEVER told me he loved me before and he just said it like three times. And he’s never apologized before and... oh, my God... it’s just a lot for me to take in."

She held me tighter and swayed me from side to side a bit. "Shh, Shh," she whispered. "I understand. Sometimes the most unexpected things can make us emotional."

I took a deep breath and got control of myself. "Mrs Kerr..."

"Yes, honey?"

"You don’t think..." I needed to get my head around what I wanted to ask. "... you don’t think that my dad... is saying all of those things... just to look good for those people... do you?"

She took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Listen, Brook, honey," she said, holding me away from her a bit and looking me in the eye. "I’ve talked to your dad a few times this week and I have to tell you, everything he said in there is similar to what he’s been saying to me since the first time we talked."

I nodded. "He said he might go to jail."

"That’s right," Mrs Kerr said, a little surprised that this concept hadn’t occurred to me. "He assaulted you, honey. He could go to jail for that."

Suddenly, I was petrified. That was about the worst thing that I could think of. I mean, I was enjoying staying with the Kerr’s, but it wasn’t my home. How could I possibly live indefinitely like I was?

"Excuse me," Ms Martin, my social worker said, entering the kitchen, her blue hair and matching blue glass frames matching her blue tunic, "but his honor needs to leave soon and he would like to have Brook finish up whatever it is that Brook wants to say."

"Of course," Mrs Kerr said. "We’re coming."

She looked at me and gave me a stressed smile. "Can you do this?"

I nodded. "Yes."

We followed the social worker back into the living room and I sat back down on the couch.

"I’m sorry to rush you," his honor said, "but I do have to get going. I understand that you wanted to say a few things to your father, Brook. We’ve heard your apology, which I do feel is completely unnecessary, but is there anything else you wanted to say while we are all together?"

"Yes, Your Honor," I said. I looked at my dad and I had a really hard time speaking. "Dad... I... I just wanted you to know that I really love you and that I’m sorry that things got to this point. I... I just want... to go home and for things to go back to normal."

My dad rubbed his eyes. "Me too, Chef. Me too."

"To be clear," my social worker said, "back to normal would be you living in your father’s house... making his meals... doing his laundry... cooking his meals... etc.? Essentially being his housekeeper."

I nodded. "Yes, ma’m, but that’s not really a bad thing, is it? I mean... since my mom left us, my dad and I have had to share the responsibilities. He works hard outside of the house and I maintain everything in the house. That’s not a punishment. I love to cook – I do it here, too. It makes me happy. Laundry and cleaning has to be dealt with and I’m there, so... I do it. That’s all."

"And, if I may..." the Judge said. "When you say ‘back to normal,’ you are not talking about returning to a male persona, are you, Brook?"

"No, sir, I’m not," I said. "I intend to continue to dress in this manner."

He nodded, then looked at my dad. "Mr Chapin?"

"Yes, Your Honor?"

"Is that something you can live with?"

My father looked at me and smiled. "Your Honor... if I could hug my son and tell him how proud I am of him at this moment, I would. I don’t care how he dresses, but... look at how beautiful he looks, Your Honor. Of course I’d be fine with that."

The judge stood and took my hand, offering me assistance to stand, then he did the same for my dad. "I shouldn’t be doing this, Mr Chapin, but I think that right now, Brook really could use that hug."

"Thank you, sir," my dad said with great respect as he took me in his arms and I felt him shaking with emotion, nearly as hard as I was. He squeezed me really tightly and he said, very quietly, "I love you, Chef. I always have and I always will. I am so very proud of who you are and I am so ashamed of who I am and what I have done. Please forgive me."

"I love you, too, dad," I said back, but that’s about all I could muster.

After a few moments, the judge touched our shoulders. "Ok. I’m sorry, but we need to call an end to this meeting."

Dad let me go and made eye contact with me for just a moment, but I think he was embarrassed by his teary eyes and he looked away.

"I need to remind you, Mr Chapin, that the terms of your restrictions still are in affect. You will have no unsupervised contact with your son and that includes electronic communications," he looked at me, "is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Honor," both my father and I said.

‘Very good," the judge nodded. "I’ll see you both in court soon, then." He said with a nod. Then he held his hand in an ushering manner and my father was escorted out of the Kerr’s house by the police officer.

"Are you ok?" Mrs Kerr asked me.

"I guess," I said. "I just hope he doesn’t really go to jail."

She rubbed my back. "I hope so, too."
 
 
To Be Continued...

A Boy Called Brook: Summer 5 by Clara Copyright© 2022, 2024 Clara Schumann   Brook moves forward to heal his family and establish his new life.

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Author's Note: This is the last installment of THIS PART of Brook's story, but as soon as he tells me more of his tale, I will share it with you. It won't be too long.

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far! Thank you so much Sephrena for your assistance with the html and to all of my reviewers for their kind reviews and support of my work.
I would love for you to let me know what you think about my story.
Please! Leave a review, it can be good or bad (not too harsh please!)
I am always willing to learn! ~Clara.
 
 
Summer 5
 

They wouldn't let me cook them dinner that night. In fact, Brooke insisted on taking me out to dinner - just the two of us. She and Elena picked out a nice dress for me to wear. It was a soft yellow cotton, but kind of looked like it was crocheted, if you know what I mean. Like, there were a lot of lacy patterns that let skin show through. It had flesh colored material strategically placed beneath the outer material to hide my bra and panties, though. It was a really pretty dress and I felt really pretty wearing it. Brooke did my makeup a little more nicely than usual and I really felt special. She also bought me a pretty pair of three inched heeled, white, strappy shoes that made me feel even more pretty - and taller, which I liked a lot, too.

She took me to a place a few towns away that had a pretty good reputation. It wasn't a crazy-expensive place, but I'd heard that their food was excellent, and they didn't disappoint. I had the braised short ribs served over gnocchis tossed in walnuts, shiitake mushrooms and arugula with a Gorgonzola cream sauce that was breath taking.

Brooke had a bacon cheese burger with fries that she loved.

To each their own.

I liked the fact that the waiter kept referring to us as 'ladies' and that one person at a nearby table who came over to talk to me about my meal even referred to me as Brooke's little sister. Honest to God, I'd never once in my life ever gone out into a public situation and felt attractive before, let alone 'pretty.' It was a whole new experience for me and I really, really enjoyed it.

When we left the restaurant, the maitre'd was very kind to us and went to great lengths to invite us back again. Both of us giggled as we got outside because everyone had treated us like princesses the whole time we were in there. I was wonderful!

Instead of going straight home, Brooke took 'the scenic' route home which invoked a road that ran around a big, man made reservoir where a town center had once stood, but now only an old, beautiful stone church remained. There was still plenty of daylight, so we took off our heels and walked around the area near The Old Stone Church enjoying the cooler evening air, the smells of the pine trees, the feel of the grass on our bare feet and the intimacy of just holding each other's hands and being young and in love. It was a wonderful, beautiful evening.

We got back into Brooke's Jeep and she drove up a side road that ran along a river that fed into the reservoir and she pulled off into a side area that was well worn down by many tire tracks and was obviously a place where people pulled in for some 'alone time' with some frequency.

"Let's get in the backseat," Brooke said when the car was stopped. We both climbed out and climbed back into the vehicle in the seats behind where we'd been seated, then we sat close together with me in Brooke's arms.

"You've had a hard day, huh?" she whispered.

"I've had better," I shrugged, "but my dad said some nice things and I had a delicious meal with the most beautiful woman I've ever known, so it got better."

That made Brooke smile. She ran a finger along my bare arm and kissed my neck incredibly softly. Soon, her finger was traveling along the skirt of my dress, and then down my bare leg - and then back up my bare leg again and under my dress. Then, she was toying with the soft elastic leg openings of my panties.

"Do you like wearing dresses?" she asked playfully.

"I do," I smiled at her as she got playful under my skirt. "Do you like me in dresses?"

"I do," she smiled. "I like your hair done nicely. I like you with makeup done nicely. I like you smelling all flowery and and nice, too." She kissed me. "I love the taste of your lipstick when I kiss you. But more than anything... I love you in pretty dresses."

Her hand moved to the area between my legs where my penis was tucked.

"I bet more boys would wear dresses if they considered how nice it feels when girls reach under their skirts and do this," Brooke smiled and teased.

I shivered and grinned, enjoying each sensation. "Maybe we should just keep that to ourselves. Most boys wouldn't consider wearing a dress."

"Really? What if they knew how nice they feel," she smiled that Cheshire Cat grin of hers. "And how nice these soft panties feel when someone touches their wee wee like this."

I laughed. "Their wee wee?"

She touched my shaft more sensuously. "That's right. But you know what? If girls thought about it and they realized that they had such easy access to boys' wee-wee's, I bet they'd be buying their boyfriends cute little frocks all the time."

I sighed and tried not to spoil the mood. "Brooke... there's probably aren't any other girls who'd be interested in a boy like me. They want men who have hard muscles and hairy bodies. Not little wimps like me."

"Oh, don't say that," she cooed, licking my ear. "You're not a wimp. You're my beautiful little boyfriend and that's what I want you to be."

"Good," I smiled, "because that's what I want to be and that's all I'll ever be."

Brooke took me fully in her hand, caressing my entire organ through the soft material of my panties and I cuddled closer, enjoying the intimacy of her breasts next to my face.

Brooke being Brooke, she took the time to stop, raised the skirt of my dress and lowered my panties, exposing my tool. Then she took some tissues from a box between the front seats and put them on my belly before returning her attention to my pleasure zone.

She began stroking again and smiling down at me. "Does that feel nice?"

I just smiled up at her. Of course it felt nice. She knew that.

"So, you're always going to be a girl now?" She giggled.

"No. I'm always going to be a pretty boy in a dress. I want to be pretty and feminine, but I always want to be a boy."

She kissed my cheek. "I'm so glad. So soft and pretty." She increased her speed. "But maybe getting a little harder down here," she teased as she stroked me. "Uh oh... uh oh... uh oh... here it comes," she said, as if I was a child with a toy, but it was an exciting tease under the circumstances and it was enough to bring me to the edge.

"I'm going to come," I gasped.

"That's ok, baby. You go right ahead," she giggled.

So I did. I gushed out onto her hand and onto the tissues she'd prepared to catch my mess. It was so powerful that I could barely breath.

"Wow," she laughed. "You had some pent up energy there, didn't you?"

I got control of my breathing. "More like pent up frustration," I laughed.

Brooke cleaned me up using the tissues, then grabbed a pack of hand wipes and wiped me down with those as well. "There." She said as she pulled my panties back into place. "All cleaned up." She gave me a soft, loving kiss. "Feel better?"

"I do," I smiled back up at her.

"That's good," she kissed me. "Come on. We should get going." She kissed me again. "Mom will get mad if we're out too late."

We climbed out of the back seats and back into the front, then headed back to the Kerr's house.

"Tomorrow," Brooke said, "I think we should go get our nails done."

I looked at my short, unpolished nails. "That might be fun, but I can't get long nails. They would interfere with my cooking."

"Ok. Maybe you can just have them shaped and colored. And maybe have your toes done. How does that sound?"

I smiled at the idea of trying something new. "That sounds fun."

When we got back to Brooke's house, Mrs Kerr was watching TV in the living room. "Did you two have a nice time?" she asked.

"We did," Brooke answered. "I had a great burger and Brook ate something complicated that looked disgusting, but I admit, tasted pretty amazing."

She smiled and shook her head. "You went to a world class restaurant and had a hamburger? How classy." She looked at me. "Honestly, she gets that from her father, I swear."

I just smiled.

"Listen," she went on, "the girls and I went out and did a little shopping this evening and I got you a few things of your own. Nothing fancy, mind you, but there are some things you needed to have." She reached down and picked up a bag from Target. "Here. There are a couple of packages of panties in there, three padded bras and two nighties. Like I said, nothing fancy, but they'll get through the next week or so. Then, if we have to, we'll figure out what happens from there."

"Ok," I said, as I took the bag. "Thank you, Mrs Kerr. This is... very generous of you."

"Don't be silly," she said, as she patted my hair. "I'm happy to help... any way that I can."

She seemed to almost muse over me for a good long moment before she forced a smile and said, "Well... you two should get ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning." She surprised me by giving me a kiss on the cheek, then she did the same to Brooke. "Love you both," she said, but I think she said it out of maternal habit.

"Love you, too, mom," Brooke said, but I just mumbled something unintelligible, a bit surprised by the situation.

Brooke looked at me and said, "Why don't you get changed down here? I'll get changed upstairs, then meet you there and I'll help you take off your makeup and tie up your hair for bed." Then she went upstairs and I picked up the bag and headed into the downstairs half-bath to change.

I took off the heels and sighed at the feeling of relief in my arches and calves. They hadn't actually bothered me while I was wearing them, but they sure felt good to take off. Then I took off the dress and the bra before I opened the bag and pulled out the new nightie that Mrs Kerr had bought me.

I had to blink a few times when I looked at it, but I pulled it on, anyway. It was an oddly childish garment. Pure white except for a tiny pink bow just below where my bust would be, if I had one. A scoop neck, a little elastic high-waist-line on the same line as the bow and an A line skirt falling from there to just above my knees. Very thin and very light - but the most infantile attribute on the nightie was the rather oversized, puffy balls that formed the sleeves at the tops of my arms. I looked like an illustration of a child from a Victorian children's book.

I took my shoes and my dress and headed up to Brooke's room. Just before I made it to her door, though, Melissa stepped out of her own bedroom, into the hallway, where she stopped and stared at me. Eventually, she shook her head and smirked a bit. "I told my mom that that thing looked like a little girl's nightgown when it was on the hanger, but... wow... now that I see you wearing it..." she broke out into giggles... "wow..."

I nodded. "I know, but I'm sure she meant well, and beggars can't be choosers, right?"

She shook her head a little more. "Wow." She repeated several more times. "Has Brooke seen you in that?"

I shook my head.

Melissa took my hand. "I have to see her face!"

She pulled me the last ten steps or so and knocked on Brooke's door. "Come on in," Brooke called from inside.

"Hey, Brooke," Melissa said, dragging me in behind her, "I found this child wandering around looking for her babysitter. Can you help?"

Brooke looked up from a bureau drawer and saw me and a huge smile broke out on her face, which she tried to hide with a hand. "Oh, my goodness," she laughed. "I'm so sorry, Brook. Mom does this to Elena all the time, too."

"Does what?" Elena asked, entering the room, too, but then she saw me and her question was answered. She didn't laugh, though. "Oh, for crying out loud," she said, shaking her head. "Come on. I'll give you something else to wear."

"No, that's ok," I said, a bit surprised to hear Brooke also telling Elena not to get anything else. "Your mom was nice enough to get this for me. I'll wear this. It's fine."

"Fine?" Brooke giggled. "It's adorable."

I looked at her and rolled my eyes.

"Sorry," she giggled, "but it is... and you are. Come on... let me take off your makeup and get you ready for bed."

I sat at Brooke's vanity and she went about her business of getting me ready for bed, while her two younger sisters sat on the bed and asked some questions about our evening out. I was a little surprised by how much Brooke shared with them. She certainly didn't share the fact that she had given me a hand-job in the back of her Jeep, but she did tell them that we took a long walk around the reservoir and sat by the river and looked at the water in the twilight.

When she got to putting my hair up, she began brushing and arranging my hair in such a way that I realized that she was going to braid my hair, which was fine, if a bit odd, since lately I'd worn a bun to bed every night. I didn't mind, though. I enjoyed the way the it felt being braided and I enjoyed the attention.

She took longer than usual, though, which was fine with me, but as she finished up, I could tell by the looks on the faces of her sisters that something was up. I glanced behind me and I saw that Brooke was holding up a large hand mirror so that the girls could see the back of my head.

"What did you do?" I asked.

Brooke smiled and had me look into her vanity mirror, then held up the mirror behind my head to show me the large, pink bow she'd tied into the crown of my head, then lowered the mirror along my braid to reveal the pink ribbons she'd intertwined into my braid, and then the smaller bow she'd tied at the base of my braid.

"What's all that?" I asked, a bit amused, but a bit surprised, too.

"It goes with your nightie," Brooke smiled.

"It really does," Melissa agreed.

Even Elena shrugged a bit. "It's cute, but if you don't like it, Brooke will take it out."

"It's adorable," Brooke said. "Why would I take it out?"

"Because it might make Brook uncomfortable," Elena said with a bit of authority.

I tried to keep the mood light, though, and laughed. "Well, it's nice to know that you all see me as a nine year old girl."

"Oh, stop it," Brooke said with a laugh. "I was just having some fun. Do you want me to take it out?"

"No," I sighed, very dramatically, "it's fine."

"Good," Brooke smiled, "cause I think it's sexy."

"Then you're sick," Elena said.

We hung out in Brooke's room longer than I would have expected, since it was already past ten when we got home, and it was well past midnight before I went downstairs and went to sleep on the coach.

Now, as I've told you, I always woke up early to make my dad breakfast and even pack his lunch when I lived at home. That didn't happen at the Kerr's house. Mrs Kerr only worked two or three days a week and she didn't eat breakfast before she left. She just put her travel mug into the Keurig coffee maker, pressed the 'brew' button and grabbed it on the way out the door.

So, sleeping-in was the norm at the Kerr's.

On that particular morning, Mrs Kerr had left for whatever kind of job she did at around eight thirty. I heard her come down the stairs and she whispered an apology for waking me. When she'd left, I went back to sleep.

Just before ten, someone knocked on the front door and woke me up from a deep sleep. By the impatient sound of the knocking, I guessed that the person had probably been knocking for quite sometime, because the knock was rather forceful and loud.

"Coming," I shouted, as I threw back the light blanket I'd slept under and hurried to the door. I pulled it open to find a man in a suit and a uniformed police officer standing on the Kerr's front stoop. "Yes?" I asked, sleep still in my eyes. "Can I help you?"

The man in the suit looked at the officer, then cleared his throat. "Oh, umm... I'm sorry if I woke you, honey... umm... is your mommy here?"

I rubbed my eyes and tried to see better and asked, "My mommy?"

"Yes, honey. I need to speak with your mommy."

It was at that point that I realized how I was dressed. Now, I'm a little guy, but I was only kidding when I said I looked like a nine year old. I had to look at least as old as Elena. Well... maybe the combination of the overly feminine nightie and the ribbons in my hair made me a look a bit younger, but... this guy was talking to me like I was in elementary school.

"You're looking for Mrs Kerr? She's not here. She's at work," I said, deciding that challenging his perception of me would not help the situation.

"Oh, I see," he nodded. He looked at some paperwork in his hand. "Well... is there a Mr Brook Chapin here?"

Now, I ask you - How would you have answered that question under those circumstances? You're standing there in a childish nightie with your hair in braids and ribbons and this guy thinks you're a young girl. Would you just say, 'Oh, I'm Brook Chapin?' No, of course you wouldn't. And neither did I.

"Umm... he's not here, either. I think he went with Mrs Kerr."

"I see. I see," the man nodded and looked at the officer.

The officer was growing impatient and asked, "Are there any adults in this house, honey? Anyone eighteen or over?"

"Well, yes, there's Brooke..." I said, half to myself.

"I thought you said that Brook wasn't here," the man in the suit said.

"Not Brook Chapin - Brooke Kerr," I said. "She lives here. I'll go get her."

"Thank you," the man in the suit said.

I left the door ajar and ran, barefoot, up the stairs to Brooke's room, shaking her. "Brooke, wake up. There's a policeman and a man in a suit at the front door and they're looking for me."

"What?" she asked, becoming conscious. "Why are they looking for you?"

'I don't know, but I answered the door dressed like this and they think I'm a kid, so they want to talk to an adult. That's you."

"Oh... ok," she muttered as she pulled back the covers and sat up. She was wearing really short sleep shorts and a lacy, spaghetti strap top that offered only a little modesty. She stood and took my hand, leading me back down the hallway. I'm not really sure how awake she was, but she was moving.

"What's going on?" both Melissa and Elena asked as they exited their rooms, apparently awakened by my sprint up the stairs.

"I don't know," Brooke, said. "Don't come downstairs, though."

"What?" Melissa asked.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Just stay up here," Brooke commanded as she and I headed down the stairs. Elena and Melissa obeyed, but they did run to the railing that overlooked the front door foyer to watch.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the two men had taken advantage of me leaving the door open to step into the foyer and wait inside.

"May I help you?" Brooke asked, rather tersely.

"And you are?" the man in the suit asked.

Brooke shocked me by being completely unintimidated by either the suit or the uniform. "Who am I!? I beg your pardon? Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house? Did you invite them in?" The last question was leveled at me. I just shook my head.

"Well, if no one invited you into my house, then why are you standing INSIDE my foyer asking me who I am!? Let me see some identification right now, or I'm calling the police."

The uniformed officer stepped forward. "Ok, now, calm down, miss. Obviously, I am a police officer..."

"Do you have an ID that proves that?" Brooke cut him off.

The officer pulled out a laminated ID card and showed it to Brooke. "Yes, I do. See? Now, please. Calm down."

"How about you?" Brooke snapped at the man in the suit.

He seemed very flummoxed by Brooke's aggressiveness, but he reached into his jacket's breast pocket and pulled out an ID card with a lanyard hanging from it which indicated that he was from the District Attorney's office.

"Alright," Brooke nodded, then, finally, released my hand and folded her arms across her belly, "now that I know who you are, can you explain why you are INSIDE my house?"

The police officer spoke calmly. "Well, Miss...?"

"Kerr," Brooke said, irritated.

"Well, Miss Kerr, usually people would rather not have a police officer loitering on their front stoop. Since your little friend here left the door open, we stepped in just to keep the neighborhood rumor mill from kicking into high gear."

"I see," Brooke spat, "so you invaded my home as if we were criminals in order to save us the embarrassment of looking like criminals?"

"Look, Ms Kerr," the man in the suit said, "if we offended you, we apologize, but I need to speak to an adult about a legal matter and then we will get put of your hair. Are you eighteen or older, Ms Kerr?"

"Yes, I am," Brooke said with authority.

"I don't want to upset you, but is it possible for me to see some official identification to confirm that?" he asked.

Brooke huffed and grunted and turned to look up the stairs. "Will one of you grab my pocketbook?" she called up to her sisters. Seconds later, Elena was running down the stairs with Brooke's purse in her hand. "Thank you," Brooke whispered. "Back upstairs, please." Elena glanced at me, then ran back up to join Melissa.

Brooke opened her wallet and showed her license to the two men.

"Thank you," the man in the suit said. Then, he held out a Manila envelope. "Ms Kerr, I need you to give this packet to Mr Brook Chapin. He is staying with you, isn't he?"

"He is," Brooke said, taking the envelope. "What is this about. Brook hasn't done anything wrong."

"Yes, we know," the man in the suit said. "Apparently there was a meeting here yesterday between Mr Chapin and his father."

I felt a flush of concern wash over me.

"Yes," Brooke said, "but I wasn't there."

"Nor was I," he said, "but I understand that things went well."

Brooke nodded.

"Well, the judge is recommending that the case be moved from criminal court to family court in order to expedite a resolution. I just spoke to Mr Victor Chapin, the defendant, and he is eager to proceed in this manner."

Brooke scoffed. "I should think he would be. Anything to get it out of criminal court, I would imagine."

The man in the suit corrected her. "Well, yes, but he could still face criminal charges, even in family court. What family court may be able to offer, though is some benefits to the younger Mr Chapin. It is unusual for a case such as this, with an adult victim, to be moved to family court, but His Honor feels that this would be a way for Mr Brook Chapin to find some support as he deals with his sexual issues."

I almost passed out. My 'sexual issues?' What the heck did that mean and were these 'issues' going to be discussed in a courtroom in front of other people!?

"Brook has no 'sexual issues,'" Brooke said with a defensive tone. "He is perfectly comfortable with who he is."

Well, that was true much of the time, but at the moment... it certainly was not. Standing there looking like a tween girl of some kind, I would be the first to admit that I was more than a little uncomfortable with who I was at that particular moment.

"Well, be that as it may," the man in the suit nodded, "please have Mr Chapin review this packet with his attorney and contact my office as quickly as possible. I think this may be a beneficial option for him."

Brooke nodded. "Alright. I'll give it to him. How can he reach you?"

"My card is in the envelope," he said. "Thank you for your time, Ms Kerr, and I do apologize for waking you." He looked up at Elena and Melissa and waved. "I apologize for waking you young ladies as well."

Then he looked right at me. "And thank you for your help, young lady. By the way, I like the bow in your hair."

I just stared for a moment.

"The man paid you a compliment, dear," Brooke said to me. "What do you say."

"Umm... thank you," I said.

The man smiled at me. It was probably a kind, paternal smile, but it felt kind of creepy under the circumstances. "You're welcome, sweetheart," he said, with a pat on my shoulder. Then he looked at Brooke. "I have one about the same age at home. I haven't seen her in ribbons and bows in years, though. Enjoy it while you can." He winked at me and then he and the police officer left the house.

The second the door closed, both sisters bounded down the stairs and wanted to know what everything they'd overheard meant.

"How would I know," Brooke shrugged, handing me the envelope. "Let's have some breakfast and you can look all of this paperwork over."

Now, 'Let's have some breakfast,' means something very different to me than it does to most people. I wanted to start up the stove and make something filling and comforting, but Brooke sat me at the kitchen island with her sisters and put a bowl in front of each of us, then poured in some rainbow colored cereal rings of some sort into the bowls and poured milk on them, pronouncing that 'breakfast.'

About fifteen minutes later, my rainbow colored cereal rings untouched and soggy, I pronounced the paperwork I'd been given indecipherable.

"Maybe you should call your lawyer," Melissa suggested.

"I don't have a lawyer," I shrugged. "My dad is the defendant, so the court appointed him an attorney. I'm the victim. The state represents me. I don't know what any of this means."

Without a word, Brooke picked up her phone, searched for a name, then put the phone to her ear. After a moment she said, "Mark Kerr, please. This is his niece, Brooke Kerr."

"Who is she calling?" I asked.

"Uncle Mark," Elena said, matter of factly. "He's our dad's brother. He's a lawyer."

"Brooke," I waved at her. "I can't afford a lawyer."

She scowled at me and shook her head. "Uncle Mark, hi! I'm good. You? Yep, we're all good. Hey, I have a friend with a problem. He has some paperwork from the court that he can't figure out. Do you think you might be able to take a look at it for him. No, Uncle Mark, he was actually the victim of a crime and he just needs you to tell you what it means. Yes. Perfect. We'll see you then. Love you, too. Bye."

She ended the call and smiled. "We're having lunch with my Uncle Mark at 'Guido's' at one forty five. Go shower so I can make you pretty."

"Are we all going?" Melissa asked before I could argue about involving her uncle.

Brooke thought and then sighed. "I suppose you guys will have to come. Mom would kill me if I left you home alone. I'll send Uncle Mark a text so he's not surprised when we all show up. But remember - this is about Brook's court papers. Don't interrupt Uncle Mark during lunch."

"Cool!" Melissa and Elena both said, jumping up from their stools to go get ready.

"Brooke," I said, "I really can't keep imposing on your family..."

"Blah, blah, blah..." Brooke said, very loudly. Then, when I'd stopped talking, she said in a normal voice, "Listen to me, Brook. I love you, so you are part of my family. Uncle Mark loves me, so he won't mind helping out someone that I love. Besides, I'm not asking him to become your lawyer. I'm just asking him to read those papers and tell you what they mean. That's not a lot to ask of a family member, now is it?"

I shrugged. "I guess not."

"That's right," she smiled. "So go shower and let me make you look like a big girl so we can go figure all of this out."

And so we met Uncle Mark at Guido's Restaurant for lunch. Uncle Mark looked a lot like Brooke's dad, but he had this added kind of movie star good looks to him. He dressed really, really well and he had a dazzling smile, and his hair was perfect. In short, he was as handsome as Brooke was beautiful. I guess that's where she got her good looks.

We were all dressed well, Uncle Mark in a suit that he told Brooke came from 'his tailor in London,' and the rest of us in nice summer dresses. Mine was a pale blue, cold shoulder dress with little flowers all over it that was rather blousy and kind of made me look like I had more bust than I really had, even with my padded bra. I was also wearing my new strappy heels that I'd worn the previous night.

"To tell you the truth," Uncle Mark said, as he looked over the paperwork and sipped on his clam chowder, "I don't much care for this arrangement at all."

He looked at me and spoke in a very sincere voice when he asked, "As I understand things, Brook, the resolution you are looking for is that your father agrees to continue to seek help with his anger management and sobriety, and that you can return to your home, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well," he explained, "I think we can do that more easily without the interference of family court. In essence, what they are proposing is that your father does those things while remaining on probation, which may make it difficult for him to remain employed, which leads to a whole other kettle of fish. It also would require family therapy for the two of you, which I'm not necessarily opposed to, but forcing it on you seems harsh. The thing that bothers me the most though is that it seems to want to impose therapy on you to 'assist with your transition,' but in our brief discussion today, you have indicated that you are not transitioning. Is that correct?"

"That is correct. I am not transitioning," I said, emphatically.

"Brooke has discovered that he is gender fluid," Brooke offered. "He wants to remain male, but express himself as a female."

"I understand," Uncle Mark said with a nod and an understanding smile, "but it seems that the courts do not." He took a sip of water. "My suggestion is mediation. We get together with your father and his attorney and see if we can come to an agreement that the courts will agree to and, if necessary, oversee, but not interfere in quite such a draconian manner. We may be able to work things out so that your father isn't on probation per se, but that his case is reviewed in ninety days, six months or a year, or something along those lines. We could remove the stipulation of transition therapy for you, etc. How does all of that sound?"

"Great, I guess," I said, with a big sigh. "I honestly don't know."

He nodded and smiled again. "I understand. You enjoy your lunch now and leave this to me. I'll make some calls this afternoon and call Brooke to let you know how things work out. Usually the judge in charge just wants a happy resolution for everyone involved, so my guess is that he'll be open to my solution."

I nodded and cleared my throat. "There is something I need to talk to you about, though, sir. See... I don't have any money to pay for all of this..."

He put his hand on mine and shook his head. "I'm doing this as a favor for Brooke's boyfriend. Understood? No payment is going to be requested and you will owe me nothing when this is all over. Ok?"

"Yes, sir," I nodded and smiled, relieved. "Thank you, sir."

"And that 'sir' stuff can stop right now, too. Uncle Mark is fine."

"Ok... Uncle Mark... Thank you."

True to his word, within a few hours of the end of our meal, Uncle Mark had worked out a mediation plan with the judge and my dad's attorney. We were going to meet in a few days - my dad, his attorney, a Clerk of the Court who would act a mediator, Uncle Mark and me - to see if we could work all of this out.

That meant my time at the Kerr house might be coming to an end soon.

Brooke and the girls and I did visit a nail salon a few days after our visit with Uncle Mark. I got very short extensions added to my fingers and had my toes and fingers painted a bright, bubblegum pink. I really liked the way that everything looked.

We made the most of what might be our last few days all together in the same house, though. I taught Elena how to cook a few things - I tried to teach all of the sisters, but only Elena was paying much attention. Brooke gave me some intensive tutorials on hair care and makeup. Melissa taught me how to clothes shop with a personal flair and Elena went through her closet and gave me a whole suitcase full of clothes that she thought I might like.

It was kind of wonderful to have sisters.

I was very nervous the morning of the mediation, though. I mean, even though my dad had beat me up pretty badly... he was still my dad and I wanted to get back to living with him. It was important to me that we become a family, again. Really important.

But it was also important to me that he understood that I was a gender fluid person, now. That I was going to be expressing myself in a manner that I felt appropriate. He needed to accept that.

So, I was dressed very well for the mediation. I wore a soft pink colored, off the shoulder, summer dress with a lace top to it, that clung tightly to me up top then flared out into a loose skirt that only went to my mid-thigh. I had on a pair of conservative, white, low heeled sandals that I borrowed from Elena and I borrowed a simple gold necklace and a simple gold bangle to match from Melissa.

Brooke did my hair and makeup beautifully. A little curl so my hair had some bounce and my lips looked full and moist. My eyes popped and my skin was radiant.

In short, I looked like a very attractive young lady as I entered the courthouse with Brooke and Mrs Kerr. I'd never been in a courthouse before and it was... a lot to take in. Lots of stress. Everyone was under a lot of pressure. You could feel the fear and anger around you. I didn't like it.

Uncle Mark met us in the lobby and led us to a meeting room on the second floor where my dad, his court appointed attorney and a Clerk of The Court were waiting. Mrs Kerr and Brooke waited in the hallway outside the meeting room. Dad stood as Uncle Mark and I entered.

"Hi, dad," I said, already feeling better, just seeing him.

"Hi, Chef," he said. He shook his head as he looked at me. "You look... amazing," he half smiled.

"Thanks," I said as I blushed a bit.

"Have a seat," Uncle Mark said, indicating a chair.

The next two hours were kind of a blur for me, but the long and the short of it are that my dad apologized to me like he'd never apologized before. He swore up and down that he'd never raise a hand to me again. He agreed to go to anger management therapy, to attend weekly AA meetings and check in with the court in three months and every three months after that for five years to be sure that he was meeting all of the terms of our agreement.

After a lot of talking, Uncle Mark turned to me and asked, "Are you satisfied, Brook?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Then the Clerk asked, "And do you feel comfortable returning to your home?"

"Yes, I do," I said, confidently. "That's really all I want. To be able to return home and live with with my dad again."

The clerk nodded. "Then, I think we've reached an agreement here."

It took a few minutes to have some papers drawn up and for my dad to sign them, but then we were back to being a family again.

"Can I hug my son?" my dad asked when he stood.

"Of course," Uncle Mark said, stepping aside.

I met him halfway and we embraced each other and he hugged me tighter than I ever remember him hugging me. "Oh, Brook, I missed you so much," he said and I could tell he was emotional. The fact that he used my real name was a big clue, but I could feel him shaking, too, and I'm pretty sure he was crying as well.

"I missed you, too, dad." I said.

"I am so sorry, honey. I promise... I promise... I promise... I promise... I promise... I will never hurt you again. You are the most important thing in my life, Brook and I was a complete idiot to ever hurt you. Never again. I promise."

I just let him hug me and reassure himself as much as he was reassuring me that he had changed.

"We should get going," Uncle Mark said after my dad had been hugging me a very long time.

"Yeah," dad said, letting me go and wiping his eyes. "Yeah. Ok."

We walked out into the lobby and met Mrs Kerr and Brook.

"Everything settled?" Mrs Kerr asked, giving me a hug and a kiss on my cheek before giving my dad the same.

"Yes," I replied, a bit tongue tied with emotion.

"We're good," dad said.

Brooke hugged me tightly, then looked at my father and scowled. "Pardon me for saying so, Mr Chapin, but you are far from being 'good.'" She stepped up to him and got right into his face. "In fact, I would say that you are still on pretty shaky ground, as far as I'm concerned."

"Well..." my father tried tried to smile and calm her down, but she wasn't backing off.

Brooke is a tall girl, but she was still half a head shorter than my dad. That didn't seem to bother her, though. "No, sir, there is no 'well' at all. Let me be very clear, so that there are no misunderstandings. I love Brook and I am very concerned about his well being. If I so much as SUSPECT that you have hurt him in any way, and I mean even if you hurt his feelings, I will be on the phone with my Uncle Mark and he will be on the phone with this Courthouse and there will be a police car in front of your car so fast your head will be spinning. Am I making myself clear?"

"As crystal," my father nodded.

"Brooke," Mrs Kerr said, fairly gently, "this is between Brook and his father. You shouldn't be butting in where you have no business."

Brooke never broke eye contact with my father, though. "Bullshit. I don't care what happens from here on out. I don't care if he becomes Mother Teresa of Calcutta, he still beat my little love half to death and I'll never trust him and he needs to know that."

My father nodded and held up a hand in a classic 'halt' manner. "Ok, Brooke. I understand what you're saying and I have apologized to my Brook for what I have done. I have promised him and I promise you and your mother... it'll never happen again."

She didn't smile, not by a long shot, but she did back off a bit and said, "Damned right it won't." Then she looked at me and took my hand. "Come on, baby. Let's go."

I noticed that my father put his arm around Mrs Kerr as they walked along the hallway, too, so obviously they were still an item, which I guess was a good thing.

"Listen," Brooke said quietly to me, "if anything happens - any time of the day or night - you call or just come back to our house. Ok?"

I nodded. "Ok."

"Nothing," she said, "and nobody, is ever going to hurt you again. Understand? Because I won't let it."

I smiled at her. "Ok." I knew she meant what she said, but I did have this nagging feeling that no matter what I'd gone through with my dad, it was just a preview of what awaited me in a couple of weeks when I returned to school for my senior year in my new persona.

Author's Epilogue: I hope you've enjoyed this part of Brook's journey and that you'll join me in a few weeks (it'll take me that long to write it) as Brook starts his senior year of high school and the formerly invisible boy returns to school as a beautiful, gender fluid partner to a beautiful girl. As always, thank you for reading and for your support. Please stay well. ~Clara.
 
 
To Be Continued in series as A Boy Called Brook - Autumn

A Boy Called Brook: Autumn 1 by Clara Copyright© 2022, 2024 Clara Schumann   As summer comes to an end, Brook returns home to his (hopefully rehabilitated) father and prepares to return to school for his senior year. Lots of concerns about how he will be received by his classmates.

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Author's Note: I would like to thank EllieJo Jayne, Lucy Perkins, Joanne Barbarella, NoName1, Intrigue75, Suzi Auchentiber, Andrea Lena, Kymmie Lorain,and Stacy for your wonderful reviews so far of my story A Boy named Brook! I do hope that you enjoy the next few chapters of Brook's life as I detail how he starts his new life in school. I truly would love for you to let me know what you think about my story. Please! Leave a review, it can be good or bad (not too harsh please!)
I am always willing to learn! This isn't over - not by a long shot! ~Clara.
 
 
Autumn 1
 

I have to admit, when I got home with my dad I was really surprised to find the house pretty clean. No dirty dishes in the sink - some were still in the strainer, but they were clean. The floors were swept and the rugs vacuumed. Maybe not quite as spic and span as I'd keep it, but clean and picked up. Cleaner than my dad's usual standards of clean, that's for sure.

Being back in my own home was a strange mixture of comfortable and weird. It was nice to be back in my own bedroom and with my dad, but it was impossible to forget that, not long ago, I had been the victim of a pretty brutal assault in this kitchen, the space that I loved so much.

"Sooooo...." my dad asked, trying to act nonchalantly around me. "How do we move forward from here?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, dad. Maybe we should start with a nice supper."

He chuckled. "Yeah, well... I haven't been shopping in a while, so the cupboards are bare. I figured we could go shopping tomorrow. How about some Chinese or Thai food? We could have it delivered and just... you know... talk a bit. What do you say?"

I nodded. "Chinese sounds good. Want me to call Yang's?"

Dad smiled. "Sure. I'll have sesame chicken."

"Mind if I share that?" I asked.

"Perfect." Dad smiled and walked away.

I was sharing dad's sesame chicken for two reasons. One, because I liked it and two, because I wanted to keep the cost down. After nearly a month with the Kerr's, I was used to their rather thoughtless spending and I wanted to be sure that I got myself back into some more appropriate spending habits.

While we waited for the food to arrive, I pulled the few pieces of male clothing I had in my closet out and piled them on my bed so I could drop them off in a donation bin. I spread my collection of dresses that Brooke had given me out on my closet rod so I could access them and then I added in the dresses that Elena had given me. When I was done, I had more clothing than I'd ever owned before, but not a single pair of trousers among them.

Then I cleared out my bureau drawers and threw away my socks and boxers, replacing them with bras and panties, still nothing sexy, just what Mrs Kerr had bought for me. I kept a few tee shirts in case I needed them for any reason, but everything else went into a pile to be brought to the local second hand shop where I might get a couple of bucks for them.

"Food's here, Chef," my dad called from the kitchen. So, I left things as they were and I joined him on the deck where he'd brought a couple of glasses of iced tea and some paper plates and silverware. Nothing fancy, but nice.

After I was seated and had a plate of sesame chicken in front of me, dad smiled and said, "It's nice to have you back home, Chef."

"It's nice to be here."

There was a strange awkwardness between us that had never existed before.

"Umm... so... I... ummm... did..." my dad stuttered against the silence, trying to find a way to start a conversation.

"You can ask me anything you'd like, dad," I finally said. "I've thought about what I'm doing a lot and I am happy to talk about it."

He let out a nervous laugh and said, "Ok... thanks." He nibbled on his chicken a bit, then asked, "So... why? I mean... do you just like the way the clothes feel or something like that?"

I smiled at the simplicity of the question. "Well, to be honest, yes, I love the way the clothes feel, but that's not the reason." I took a moment to get my thoughts together. "There's kind of a lot to it, really. Dad... I've never really felt... right... in my own skin. It's like... I never felt like I was presenting myself as... myself. Does that make any sense?"

He nodded and listened.

I continued. "I always felt like I was someone else, but I was stuck in the ugly little body of Brook Chapin and there was no way out. Then Brooke came along and all she did was brush my hair out and I saw myself - the real me - looking back at me from the mirror for the very first time. I know how weird that sounds to someone like you, dad, but that's the truth. I think I always knew that there was a girlish side to me, but, dad, once it came out... I just knew that that was the real me. Do you get that?"

He smiled and nodded, again as he took that in.

"There's more too." It seemed like I couldn't stop talking now that I'd started. "Dad... if you had to go out into the world everyday and everywhere you went, people looked at you like you were weird - like... too small, or maybe too fat, or too ugly... whatever... you wouldn't like it very much, would you?"

"No, I guess I wouldn't," he said.

I sighed. "Dad... for eighteen years, every time I went anywhere... I was always the smallest guy... always the weirdest looking guy... always the weakest guy. I knew it and so did everyone else. There was no way to avoid it. Every time I entered a room, I looked for the safest place to go. The place where no one would see me and make my life miserable. Now... when I go out like this... Either people think I'm pretty or they just notice that I'm there and they smile and move on. That's a lot better than feeling their contempt or feeling like you're invisible. Think about how I used to look, dad, and then look at me now. Don't you think that this is an improvement?"

He thought and he gave me a sad smile. "Chef... I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way. I never meant to."

I shrugged. "It wasn't just you, dad. It was the whole world. This is a lot better. I'm much happier now. Really I am... and I hope you can be happy for me."

Dad nodded. "Ok, Chef. That's what really matters, I guess. I want you to be happy." He began eating his dinner in earnest and so did I.

Eventually, dad spoke again. "Umm, we probably should talk about your clothes, pal."

"My clothes?" I asked.

He nodded and chewed. "Look, buddy, I have had to take a little time off lately because of visits with therapists and all the court stuff, and I'm going to honest... money is tighter than usual. I'm not sure how much I can help you with clothes."

"I understand." I smiled. "I have plenty for right now. I'm kind of hoping to find a job, too."

That seemed to surprise him. "A job? What kind of a job are you thinking about?"

"Well, cooking would be best, of course. There's a job assistance office at school. I thought I might talk to them about finding something."

Dad thought about that for a few moments. "Look...umm... Chef... I'm not trying to discourage you, but I just want to remind you that we only have the one car and there's only a couple of restaurants in town. If the school places you in a job that's a long way away... I just don't know how we could handle that."

I nodded. "Yeah, ok. I understand, but... look, Dad, I know that college is out of the question for now so I need to do something. I need a job."

"I know," he said, then quieter, "I know." He thought for a bit longer. "Hey... it never hurts to ask, right. See what they have available and we'll see what happens from there, ok?"

"Ok." I smiled. That was a huge compromise for my dad. In the past, there was never a gray area. It washes or no and if it inconvenienced him, then the answer was definitely 'no.' "Thanks, Dad."

It was about ten days before school was starting again and Brooke had to go in to meet with the principal and her guidance counselor. As an incoming new student, they had to review her transcripts and make sure her schedule had everything she'd need to meet graduation requirements. Knowing that I would need to talk to the school about the somewhat modified status of my sexuality, I tagged along.

It was a brutally hot August day, so I wore a very light, pale pink, summer dress that had a modest boat neckline, cap sleeves and hung nice and loose with just a little bit of a waist. It only came to mid-thigh on me. It was cool and cute.

Brooke went in first and was in Principal Kemp's office for about a half an hour while I waited in a chair by the front desk. When she finally emerged, Mr Kemp asked the head secretary to take Brooke to another office to pick up some paperwork.

"Certainly," the woman said. "There's a Miss Chapin waiting to see you and Ms Olsen."

"Oh," Mr Kemp said, looking in my direction. "Miss Chapin? Come right in, please?"

I stood and came around the counter. "Are you transferring in, Miss Chapin?" my principal for the last three years asked.

"No," I said, passing into his office where Ms Olsen, my guidance counselor stood and behaved as if she'd never met me before as well. "I've been here for three years, Mr Kemp. I'm going to be a senior. And it's not 'Miss Chapin,' it's 'Mister.'"

Both Mr Kemp and Ms Olsen stopped and looked at me, then at each other. "Mister?" Mr Kemp asked. "And you're already a student here?"

"Yes," I assured them.

Ms Olsen was typing into her laptop. "The only Chapin we have here is a Brook and she is... oh... I apologize... HE is a going to be a senior. In the Cuisine Academy, I see."

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

"Well, take a seat, Brook," Mr Kemp said. "I apologize, but... I must say, you do not look at all like a MISTER Chapin." He looked a bit confused.

"No need to apologize, sir. I am presenting myself in this manner from now on and I thought that I should talk to you and Ms Olsen about it before school started."

"Indeed," he said. Then he stared at me and continued to mutter as he mulled, "Indeed. Indeed. Indeed..."

"So," Ms Olsen took over, "are you transitioning, Brook? Becoming a woman, I mean?"

"No, ma'am, I am not. I am living my life as a male, but presenting as a woman."

Both of the older people in the room let out a long, frustrated breath.

"Well, that does pose some problems, Brook," Mr Kemp said. "For the school, I mean."

I crossed my legs at my knees and folded my hands in my lap. "How so, sir?"

"Well," he leaned back in his seat a bit, "we have had a couple of boys who decided to become girls and several girls who decided to become boys, but they were a bit easier to deal with. See, if they needed to use a restroom, they just used the restroom that was assigned to the sex they chose to become. Same thing with the Phys Ed changing rooms. If you're still a boy, but just dressing up as a girl, that's a different thing. What lavatory do we allow you to use?"

"If you don't mind me saying, Mr Kemp," I said, remaining as poised as possible, which is what I promised Brooke I would do, "that statement you just made reflects a rather ignorant and old fashioned view of sexuality and I found it rather offensive."

Mr Kemp smirked at me. "Well, if you don't mind me saying, MISTER Chapin, I find your last statement very offensive as well. You see, I am responsible for nearly twelve hundred students in this building and I cannot focus on the needs of just one who decided that he was going to wear a dress and makeup to school."

I nodded. Maybe it was from living with Brooke for a while or maybe I was just tired of being pushed around, but I had heard enough. "Perhaps I should call my lawyer, Mr Kemp. Your first statement was just ignorant and insulting. Your last statement violated my civil rights." I pulled my cell phone out of my pocketbook and called up Uncle Mark's phone number. I pushed the number and put the phone to my ear.

"Now, now, now," Ms Olsen said, standing and touching my arm. "Let's talk a bit before we get lawyers involved." I disconnected my call and looked to her. She sat back down and looked at her computer screen.

"Ok, Brook, I apologize for Mr Kemp's lack of tact, but let's see what's happening here and how we can work things out. Ok?"

"Ok," I said.

Mr Kemp just grunted.

"Alright, well, Brook, it appears that Phys Ed isn't going to be a problem. You have all the Phys Ed credits you need for graduation. We'll return to the rest room issue later. Now, I'm looking at your grades and I'm seeing an 'A/B Student' with no problems up to this point. Have we ever met in person before, Brook?"

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "At the end of freshman, sophomore and Junior years so I could do my schedule for the following years."

"Really!?" She seemed surprised. "Hmm.... I'm looking at your ID photo from last year and you look very different now. I'm sorry if I am a bit confused."

"That's ok," I said. "This is how I plan on looking from now on, though."

"I see," Ms Olsen nodded. "Well, I assume that you have considered the social ramifications of showing up to school looking completely different, then?"

"I have."

"And your friends are aware of your decision to change sexes... I'm sorry... to change your... physical presentation?"

"I don't have any friends at Tech, Ms Olsen," I assured her. "Brooke Kerr, the girl who was just in here, is pretty much the only person who will be at Tech who even knows who I am."

"How do you know her?" Mr Kemp asked.

"She's my next door neighbor."

That seemed satisfy him.

"Well, this isn't going to be easy for you," Ms Olsen continued. "Kids can be pretty mean to students that behave differently. Of course the staff will help all that we can, but there are going to be
uncomfortable, maybe even dangerous situations if you choose to come to school like this."

"Are you suggesting that I not live as myself, Ms Olsen?" I asked.

She smirked at me. She wasn't about to get caught in the trap Mr Kemp had wandered into. "I am suggesting that there are social norms and you are not going to be living within those norms and that you are expecting a lot of other teenagers to just accept you as you are. Acceptance of new ideas is not normal behavior for a high school student, Brook. That's all I am suggesting."

"Again, no offense, but those norms have changed in other school systems. Just because they haven't changed in this school doesn't mean that I need to deny who I am just because this school's concept of society is twenty years behind the larger school systems."

"It doesn't mean that we have to leap twenty years into the future just to accommodate one self indulgent student, either," Mr Kemp said, still leaning back in his chair.

"I think you'll find that the laws of the United States of America and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts may disagree with you, Mr Kemp," I said with way more confidence than I actually felt. "I can forward the laws regarding people like me to you, if you'd like - OR, as I mentioned before, my lawyer, Attorney Mark Kerr, could do that for you, if you'd prefer."

Finally, he sat forward. "I'm not sure why you think you're someone special, MISTER Chapin," he said with controlled annoyance, "but I have been the principal of this school for twenty three years and you don't scare me. Wear your dresses and makeup to school if you want and see what happens. I won't stop you. You can use the boys' lavatories, the same as any other boy. I think this ends our meeting."

Ms Olsen cleared her throat. "Well... let's be reasonable, Jack. Brook would not be safe in the boys' lavatory. Brook, there is a single person lavatory in the kitchen area of the Cuisine Academy. You can use that. As for your choice of clothing, if you run into any problems, please feel free to come see me to discuss any issues that you encounter."

At that point, she passed her computer over to Mr Kemp. He looked at whatever she indicated on his screen and grumbled a bit. I think it might have been Uncle Mark's law firm's website. Then he shook his head and looked at me, a fake, frustrated smile on his face. "Yes, absolutely. As you know, my door is always open. Please feel free to come to me with any problems. Thank you for coming in today, Mister Chapin."

I stood, trying to project more confidence than I felt. "Thank you both for seeing me. I'm looking forward to my senior year." I headed out the door and I could hear the two of them griping about me quietly as I left.

Well, my first encounter with my high school had not gone well at all. This didn't bode well.

Brooke's Jeep was unlocked, so I headed out to it and I sent her a text to tell her where I'd be waiting for her. As I walked down the sidewalk towards the parking lot, Mrs Simpson, one of my advanced cooking teachers, was walking towards me. I had her second semester last year and learned more from her than I'd learned from all of my previous teachers put together. She looked at me and smiled and said, "Good morning."

"Hi, Mrs Simpson," I said, as I passed and kept walking, but almost immediately, I heard her call me from behind.

"Brook!? Oh, my God, Brook Chapin, is that you? Brook, honey, you look amazing! Come here!" She came towards me and hugged me, which was odd, since up until that moment she'd only ever said hello to me or commented on my work.

After the hug, she held me at arms' length. "I cannot believe how great you look, Brook! Tell me what brought about this metamorphosis, honey. Oh, my heavens, I always knew there was a beautiful rose waiting to bloom under all that shyness."

Well, this was different! Support from the school. Holy cow!

I was about to speak when something she said hit me. "Mrs Simpson... you think I'm a girl, don't you?"

"Well, of course I think..." She stopped and her smile wavered. "... I mean... you... umm..." Finally she gave a nervous laugh. "Yes, honey, I always thought you were a girl. I guess I should pay more attention to the class roster stats." Her smile came back full force at that point, "But what difference does it make. Obviously I was right. You are gorgeous, honey. And it's even more amazing since you were born a boy. Tell me how this came about."

I gave her a brief summary of my summer and how Brooke and I had worked together to find my new look. She was truly amazed by everything and offered as much support as possible at the school. That was a great thing to hear.

"So, you're not going all the way and transitioning, then?" Mrs Simpson asked, seeming surprised. "I know it's a very personal question, but might I ask why?"

I shrugged. "Because I don't want to be a woman," I said as if that made perfect sense, which it did to me. "I am very happy to remain a man and have a relationship with my girlfriend. I have no interest in losing the part of me that makes me a man."

She nodded and gave me a bit of a knowing smile. "I think you need to talk to a profession fairly soon, Brook. A physician or a psychologist or someone who has more experience in things like this than you or I do."

I was a bit offended, but Mrs Simpson was speaking in a very friendly manner, so I pushed my offense aside. "Why is that?"

"Well... for an eighteen year old, you're lucky. You're more of a boy than a man right now. Most of your male classmates couldn't pull off what you're pulling off. They have out grown their female classmates, or filled out their frames and they have facial and body hair that you don't seem to have to deal with. But all of that will change at some point. And I am speaking from experience."

I looked at Mrs Simpson and my eyes grew wide. "You mean... you?"

She laughed. "No, no, no, but thank you for being surprised if it had been me. No, I did have a close friend, though, and he chose a similar route to you. Things didn't go well in the long run, though. Once his biology caught up with him, he had to make some radical choices and... well, just get to a councilor right away, ok?"

I nodded. "Ok. I will, Mrs Simpson. Thank you."

Brooke arrived at that point and I introduced her to Mrs Simpson, who complimented on helping me find myself. "So, how do you like our school?" She asked Brooke.

"I think I'll get along great here," Brooke said with a big smile. "I met one of my shop teachers and showed her my portfolio and she said I could work in the salon for outside customers right away. How cool is that?"

"Very cool," Mrs Simpson laughed.

"Oh, that reminds me," I said. "Mrs Simpson, I need to find a job and, unfortunately, it kind of has to be nearby because I don't have a car. Do you think that school's job finder might have something for me?"

Mrs Simpson shrugged. "I'll take a look, Brook, but I'm not sure I can guarantee a cooking job right away. You don’t have any experience, just yet. Of course, you’ll be cooking for the school’s restaurant this year..."

"I will!?" I asked, surprised. This was something only the best students were invited to do.

"Yes, of course," she smiled. "I’m surprised that you didn’t expect that. In fact, I’m hoping that you might try to get one of the sous chef positions, but we’ll talk about that in class. Anyway, working in our restaurant will give you some experience, so if things go well, I may be able to recommend you for a kitchen position after the first semester, but I may be able to find you something locally for now. It may not be in a kitchen, but it’ll be in a restaurant. Give me some time and I’ll see what I can find, ok?"

"That would be great. Thank you." I was elated that I was going to be on the kitchen staff for the school restaurant. I knew I didn’t stand a chance of getting one of the sous chef positions, but it was nice of her to say that. The possibility of getting a job was now just icing on the cake.

We said our goodbyes and got into Brooke’s Jeep and headed out of the school’s parking lot. I was so happy about my unexpected meeting with Mrs Simpson that I wasn’t even upset about Mr Kemp and Ms Olsen any more. I was floating on cloud nine as we rode along and it was a good long while before I realized that we were not headed home, but rather we were headed into the city.

"Where are we going?" I asked Brooke.

She smiled. "I have a surprise for you. A girls’ day out."

"Shopping?" I asked. "I told you that I’m broke."

"Not shopping," she giggled. "Much better than shopping."

She pulled up in front of a columned building that looked as if it had once been a very fancy home, but now had a parking lot beside it that indicated a business, but there was no signage at all.

"What’s this?" I asked.

"This is your surprise. Come on." She smiled.

She got out of the Jeep, so I did as well and took her hand as we walked to the front of the building and into the front door. Inside, there was a beautiful double staircase with a reception desk at the center of the space. At that desk sat a beautiful woman in her twenties who greeted us. "Hello. Welcome to St Onge Salon. How may I help you?"

I was still getting past the grandeur of the entrance as Brooke stepped forward to the reception desk. "Hi. I’m Brooke Kerr and this is Brook Chapin. We have appointments with colorists and stylists."

The woman checked her tablet then smiled back up at us. "Yes you do. Please come this way."

She led us into another grand area, although this one had been renovated into a more standard salon with maybe eight or ten chairs. She sat Brooke and me side by side and said, "Gail will be with you both in a few moments. Enjoy!" She smiled and she left.

"Sooo," I looked at Brooke, "what’s going to happen?"

"We shall see!" Brooke smiled and giggled.

"Good afternoon, ladies!" A lady in her late thirties said as she approached. Then she stopped and looked at Brooke. "I remember you. I did your makeup for prom in May, didn’t I? Brooke, right?"

Brooke seemed thrilled that the woman remember. "Yes, you did. I can’t believe you remember!"

Honestly, I can’t imagine how anyone could forget Brooke. Sure, there are lots of pretty girls around, but Brooke is someone very special. She isn’t just beautiful – she exudes beauty.

"I remember everyone," the woman smiled. "And you brought me another victim," she laughed, looking at me. "How do you do?" She said to me, extending her hand. "I’m Gail."

"Hi, I’m Brook," I replied, amused by the woman’s ebullience.

She looked surprised and then pointed to each of us as she said our names. "Brooke and Brook. Interesting. And you two are friends?"

"Actually, we’re dating," Brooke said proudly.

"Oh, nice." Gail smiled. "That’s a change since May, right? As I recall, you went to the prom with a boy, didn’t you."

"I did, but there’s been no change," Brooke laughed. "Brook’s a boy, too. He’s just much prettier than the boy I went to prom with."

I was only slightly surprised Brooke was so forthcoming. After all, I needed to get used to telling people I was a guy. It did catch me by surprise, though.

Gail looked at me, her eyes wide. "No. You’re not really a boy, are you?"

"I am," I nodded.

"No," she gave my arm a playful slap. "Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth," I assured her. "I am a boy."

"Well," she gave me a big smile, "when I’m done with you, you are going to be the prettiest boy that ever lived."

I blushed a little. "Ok... thanks."

So, Gail and her assistants went to work on both of us. First came our hair color. Brooke’s hair got blonder and streaked with honey colored highlights. My brown hair got a little darker and gold and red highlights were added.

Then came our hair styling. I didn’t really understand what Brooke and Gail were talking about when they discussed ‘layering’ my hair, but when Gail was done, I was shocked! My hair had so much more body and form to it. It was amazing! Brooke had hers done, too, but her hair already had been layered before, so it just looked refreshed. Mine looked entirely different and I adored it!

Then came makeup. Lots of discussions of colors and seasonal tones that just went right over my head.

"Don’t worry, sweetheart," Gail assured me, "I’ll give you a printout of everything I’m talking about before you leave. I’ll make sure that you can maintain the look I create for you."

"Don’t worry, honey," Brooke said as a girl worked on her face, "I’ll make sure you learn how to do everything that Gail recommends."

The whole procedure of hair coloring, hair styling and makeup took almost three hours. I couldn’t imagine what all of this was going to cost, and to tell you the truth, I never found out. What I did find out, though, was that when I looked into the mirror a much prettier Brook looked back at me. It was shocking, awe inspiring, exciting and wonderful. I was so enthralled with my own reflection that I couldn’t look away from the mirror until Brooke, having paid for everything, came over and kissed my cheek.

"Come on, Snow White. We all know that you’re the fairest in the land. Let’s go home." She teased.

We got into the keep and headed back home, but I lowered the visor and looked at myself again.

"So... you like how you look, then?" Brooke asked.

"I’m kind of amazed, actually," I laughed.

"Really," Brooke smirked at me. "Why? You don’t look all that different."

"Maybe not all that different than I did this morning, Brooke," I explained, "but I’m an entirely different person than I was when summer began. I was just getting used to looking like a girl, but... look at me! She made me look amazing. I’m as pretty as any girl at school except you."

That made Brooke laugh. "Wow, are you the little egomaniac. Yeah, I suppose you are a little more... finished... than you were before, and your hair does look pretty cute, but that’s all, honey. All she did was tweak what you came in with and brought out the best of you. True, I’d love to take you out some place fancy, right now, but isn’t that a good thing?"

"I guess." I shrugged and I would have continued to have the discussion, but my phone rang. "It’s Mrs Simpson," I told Brooke and I answered the phone. My teacher told me that she’d made a couple of calls to local restaurants and because of my lack of actual kitchen experience no one had a cooking job for me, but if I wanted a waitstaff job at a local place called The Wireworks, I could head there for an interview this afternoon. I thanked her and hung up, then explained everything to Brooke.

"Wow," Brooke smiled at me, "that’s great. The Wireworks is only a few miles away from home. That would work out great. Want to go now?"

"Sure."

So we headed that way and arrived at a good time to speak to the manager, during a lull after the lunch rush and before the dinner crowd. Brooke came in with me, but went into the bar and ordered a soft drink while she waited.

The Wireworks was a very trendy place located in an old wire mill in our town. It had been renovated into this restaurant about ten years earlier. I’d never set foot in it, of course, because it was a kind of pricy place, but I’d heard a lot about their food and service from my teachers at school.

The manager, who was the daughter of the owner/chef, was a pretty woman in her early thirties named Amanda. She smiled very broadly and wore a lot of makeup, but wore it well, and she carried herself like she was a dancer. Very poised, straight backed and had an elegance about her.

"You must be Brook," she said, extending a hand as she hustled towards me. "Alice Simpson has told me a lot of great things about you. She tells me that you’re a hard worker and that you’re looking for a job in the restaurant industry."

"I am," I said, nervously. "I’m studying to be a chef, but I’m willing to do anything to get my foot in the door. Working here would be like a dream come true."

Amanda smiled. "Well, let’s see if we can make that happen. Come with me."

We went into the bar and, coincidentally, sat near Brooke. Amanda asked me a lot of questions about myself – my age, my education, my expectations for myself, things like that. Then she handed me an application and told me to fill it out while she dealt with something elsewhere.

"I’ll be right back," she said and she left as I went to work on the form.

"Seems like things are going well," Brooke said without looking as if she was talking to me.

"I think so," I said. "I’m not really sure what job I’m interviewing for, but it feels like things are going well."

"Good." Brooke reached over and squeezed my hand. "Good luck."

I was finishing up the form as Amanda returned. ‘All done?" She smiled as she took the form and looked it over. She nodded as she reviewed everything. Then she stopped and pointed at a spot on the sheet. "Oops. It looks like you checked the wrong box here. See? You checked ‘male’ by mistake."

I was just a little embarrassed, but I forced a smile and said, "No, actually... that’s not a mistake. I am male... a male... a boy... I mean."

She looked at me really closely. Then she kind of squinted at me and shook her head. "Seriously?"

"Yes, ma’am," I said, with a nervous laugh. "I didn’t want to lie on the application."

"No, no," she laughed, again. "No, you absolutely shouldn’t lie, but... well... I have to admit, I am impressed. I never would have guessed if you hadn’t told me."

She shook her head once more and went back to the application. Finally, she looked at me and smiled, "So... Brook... here’s the situation. My father is the chef and he would not allow you in his kitchen without some experience. That’s not because he’s mean, it’s just important that The Wireworks maintains a standard of professionalism. So, for the time being, I’m afraid that’s not a possibility."

I nodded.

"But, if you’re really interested in learning the business, I can offer you a job. It’s not exactly on the waitstaff, but it is an important component of the waitstaff’s coordination."

She just looked at me and I just waited for a better explanation for a good long moment before I asked, "What exactly is the job?"

"Well, it’s actually the job of receptionist or greeter, as it’s usually called in a restaurant. You would be greeting people at the front door, then seating people evenly throughout the dining room so that all of the waitresses have an equal number of customers throughout the shift. I know that, to the general public, it just looks like a pretty girl saying ‘hi,’ but there’s a lot to the job, and it’s an important part of what we do. It’s also a great way to get your foot in the door and start learning the business. What do you think?"

"What do I think?" I asked, pretty excited. "I think that if you’re offering me a job, then I’m really happy about it and I am accepting it."

Amanda held out her hand and I took it in mine as she said, "I am offering and I am very glad that you’re accepting. I’d like you to come in next Tuesday at four and I’ll train you to do the job. Ok? In the meantime, I’ll email you the employee handbook and you can take a look at that at your leisure. Sound good?"

"Sounds amazing!" I was actually giggling, I was so excited. I couldn’t believe I was getting a job!

Amanda was chuckling at my giggles. "I’m very happy that you’ll be joining us. Hopefully, by Tuesday I’ll find another girl to work with you. We always have two receptionists on at all times and I’m looking for at least one more girl. So if you know someone..."

Amanda was interrupted by Brooke. "Ummm... Hi... Excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying..."

A little while later, Brooke and I got home and found her mother and my dad on the Kerr’s porch. So we hurried out to tell them our good news.

"Oh, my goodness!" Mrs Kerr gushed when she saw us. "Look at you two! Oh, you look absolutely beautiful! Both of you! I love what they did to your hair! Vic, don’t they look gorgeous?"

My dad put down his soda and stood to look at me. "Wow, Chef... I thought I was getting used to the new you, but this is a whole new level of... well... you, I guess. Holy smokes. You look... well... beautiful."

"Thanks, dad," I smiled, "but guess what! I got a job! Right here in town! At The Wireworks!"

That actually made dad pause. "You’re going to be cooking at The Wireworks!?" he asked shocked.

"Well, no... not cooking... not yet..." I said, a little deflated, but still excited. "We’re starting as greeters. You know... when customers come in, we’ll meet them and figure out where they’ll sit, etc. That kind of thing, but the lady the hired us told me that if I’m really interested in the restaurant business, she’d make sure that I learn how they run that place and, maybe if I’m lucky, I can get to at least learn from their chef – maybe even work with him, after I get some kitchen experience."

My father blinked as he processed everything I’d just spewed out at a thousand miles an hour.

"Wow!" he finally said through laughter. "That’s great, Chef! I’m very happy for you. Do you know what your schedule is going to look like?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Mrs Kerr said, waving her hands. "I distinctly heard Brook saying ‘we’ a few times. Who, exactly, is this ‘we’ that he spoke of?"

"Us!" Brooke said, with as much excitement as I felt. "I ended up getting a job there, too!"

"That’s fantastic, honey!" Mrs Kerr said, hugging Brook. "Vic, do you know what this means?"

Dad smiled and looked from Mrs Kerr to Brooke to me, then asked, "What?"

"Discounted take out from The Wireworks, of course! We’ll be eating high off the hog because of these two."

"I had not thought of that," dad laughed. "I’ll have to watch my waistline." He slapped his pretty firm gut.

"Well, we don’t know if we get any kind of a discount, yet," Brooke explained, "but if we do, we’ll let you know."

"Oh, who cares." My dad waved his hand. "I’m just really happy for you, Chef. I hope this turns into something big for you down the road. It’s a good start, anyway, and I’m very proud of you for going out and getting yourself a job."

Geez, talk about a surprise! My dad had never given me a compliment like that before. "Gee, dad... thanks."

"Say," suddenly, my father seemed more animated, "why don’t we head over to our place? I have a surprise for you and I can’t wait for you to see it."

"A surprise for me?" I asked, curious, but a bit suspicious as well.

"What kind of a surprise?" Brooke asked, sounding much more cautious and still not pulling any punches when it came to my dad.

"Oh, I think it’s the kind of surprise you might appreciate, too." My dad gave Brooke a sly smile. "You can come and see it, too, if you want."

Brooke looked at her mother who smiled a smile that said she knew what was waiting for us next door, but she didn’t offer any hints.

"Come on," my dad said. "I can’t wait to show you what I got you."

So, we all headed over to our house with dad leading the way. He opened the kitchen door and we all went in. We stood there for a few moments, looking around, but there was nothing new to be seen anywhere.

I figured he must have been teasing and I went to the refrigerator and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Dad asked.

I pulled my head back out and looked at him. "I’m looking for your surprise. I figured you got some nice big steaks or something for supper."

He laughed at that. "Nope. Go look in your room."

I headed down the hall to my room with Brooke right beside me. We entered together, but she gasped when she saw it before I did.

"Oh, wow! It’s beautiful!" she gushed and I turned to see what she was looking at – and it was beautiful.

It was an Art Deco style, woman’s vanity with a big round mirror on it. It had two sections on each side that almost looked like two matching nightstands, each with two draws and with rounded corners that smoothly transitioned from the sides to the tops. Between those two section, there was a kind of desktop area with a long, shallow draw beneath it. It was all covered in beautiful, reddish, maple veneer and each draw had a long, brass handle on it, with two on the drawer in the center, and each draw pull had a great deal of Art Deco detail in it. The big, round mirror was mounted over the center section of the vanity and was wide enough to reach almost from one end of the piece to the other. It also had a matching piano-stool-style seat that slid under the desk top inbetween the two nightstand-like sides.

It was in absolutely pristine condition, too! It looked like it had just been manufactured and delivered to our house, even though it could not have been made any later than the start of World War II.

"Dad..." I said, kind of in shock, "... I don’t know what to say... It’s beautiful. Thank you."

He was beaming with contentment. "I’m glad you like it, Chef. I saw it on an online yard sale site and it seemed perfect for you. I’m not going to pretend that I understand why you feel the need to look like you do, but I want you to have someplace to... you know... keep all your stuff, and get ready. You know what I mean."

"What he means," Mrs Kerr explained, "is that he is discovering that having a teenaged daughter is very different than having a teenaged son, and that he wants you to get all of your makeup, hair products, hairdryers, curling irons, etc, out of his bathroom so he can have his sink back."

Dad looked at Mrs Kerr and laughed. "Well... yeah... there’s some of that, too, but... I guess I’m just trying to show my support. I hope it makes you happy."

Dad and I had never been overly touchy-freely, but he had hugged me more lately than ever before, so I let my defenses down and gave my dad a slightly awkward, but very grateful hug. "Thank you, dad. It makes me very happy."

He kissed the crown of my head. "I’m glad, honey."

That was new, too. ‘Honey.’

"Come on," Brooke finally said, bouncing and clapping her hands. "Let’s get your stuff and get everything set up."

About twenty minutes later, my new vanity was set up. Mrs Kerr had gone back to her house and brought me a couple of very pretty, porcelain trays that she said would be good for me to keep anything with fluid in on, and she’d also brought me a lacy placemat kind of thing to put on the middle section of my vanity to protect the beautiful veneer.

"Oh, I’m so jealous!" Brooke said when she looked at the completely set up vanity.

"It is pretty, isn’t it?" I asked, with a wide smile.

"It really is," she said, putting her arm around me. "Now that you have this great work area, I’m going to give you some very intensive makeup lessons. When you leave the house everyday, you had better look your best!"

I ran my hands over my new, very female-centric piece of furniture and said, "I will!" I let out a big, happy sigh. "I like this so much. I can’t believe my dad bought this for me."

"I know." She shook her head. "I admit, he surprised me."

"You think he’s really changed?" I asked.

"I think he’s trying," she shrugged, "and that’s more than I expected."

For the next few days, in the mornings, while dad was at work, I sat at my new vanity and struggled to do my makeup and hair as well as Brooke did it. When she’d come over later in the morning, Brooke would critique my work and teach me to be better. Within a few days, though, she was telling me that I looked really good.

Mrs Kerr took us shopping for our new clothes for work. Our employee guidelines stated that we needed to wear either black skirts with white tops or black dresses that were not too revealing. The dresses could have a pattern or print on them, but must be businesslike. Brooke, of course went crazy at a high-end place. I did buy one skirt and blouse there, although both were on sale, but I convinced them to stop at some second hand places as well and I got everything I needed at those. A couple more skirts and tops, but a bunch of black dresses that all seemed pretty and comfortable. Mrs Kerr also insisted that we each get a pair of nice, ‘sensible’ pumps to wear, which turned out to be a very good idea, since we ended up standing for the entirety of our shifts.

On Tuesday, we returned to The Wireworks for our first day of training. Brooke was excited, while I was kind of apprehensive. I guess that was just my nature.

Amanda showed us the ropes, though. How to clock-in, where to lockup our pocketbooks, and how to do our job. We greeted people at the front door and then used a small whiteboard with a diagram of the restaurant to figure out where to seat them, then we guided them to their seats. We had to make sure that the customers were all well spread out and the all of the waitstaff were getting a steady flow of customers. It wasn’t all that hard, but it did require a lot of attention. We both seemed to catch on fairly quickly and the waitresses were all really helpful.

Some customers just wanted to sit at the bar, which was easy enough. This one guy, who was in his mid to late thirties arrived at about six that first night and seemed to know everyone. Amanda introduced him to us as Mr Davies.

"Mr Davies joins us nearly every night," Amanda said.

"That’s right," the man laughed. "I can’t get enough of this place." Then he leaned over to whisper to us, "The truth is, I can’t cook and I live just down the street, so this is very convenient." Then he looked at me and said, "You look very familiar. Do I know you?"

"I don’t think so," I answered in all honesty.

"Hmm," he said, looking at me more closely. "I guess you remind me of someone. I’ll think of it." Then he went into the bar where everyone seemed to know him and he ordered a beer and sausage with mashed potatoes for his supper.

At the end of that first night, Amanda told us that she was very happy with how we had done and that we made a good team. We had to come back the next night and do it all again, but without as much of Amanda’s supervision.

It went really well that night, too – and every night after that, as well. I also met Amanda’s father and talked to him a little about cooking, but he wasn’t real open to someone as young as me working in his kitchen. That was fine, though. I was learning a lot working in the dining room.

Every night that I worked, Mr Davies came in and every time that he saw Brooke and me, he’d greet us the same way. "Well, look at this! Two brooks that merged in a restaurant," and then he’d laugh at his own fairly lame, but harmless joke. Then he’d tell me how much I reminded him of someone. "I just can’t put my finger on it," he’d laugh. "I’ll figure it out one day, though."

That first weekend was a lot of work. It got really busy and people were more impatient than during the week, but I followed Brooke’s lead and we were able to charm the customers a bit and calm them down and, surprisingly, everything went pretty well!

Which brought me to the next week and the start of my senior year. Now, earlier in the summer I’d been afraid to tell my dad about my new self and, as you know, I had good reason for that, but I was kind of petrified about the first day of school.

On Monday, Melissa and Elena started school at the local high school, not the Tech High School where Brooke and I were going. Since Mel and El were freshmen, they started a day earlier than everyone else in order to get the feel of the school without all of the upperclassmen around. Brooke was driving them, so I went with them too.

"Are you excited?" I asked Elena as we waited by the Jeep for her sisters.

She shrugged. "I guess." She looked back at the house, then, in a quieter voice, she said, "I’m a little scared that they may not be real accepting of people like me."

I snorted out a little laugh at that. "I’m sorry," I said. "I don’t mean to laugh, but I know exactly what you mean. I’m petrified of what’s going to happen tomorrow when I go back to school."

Elena nodded and smiled. "I guess we’ll just have to be strong, huh?"

"I guess," I agreed.

She hugged me. "You send positive thoughts my way today and I’ll do the same for you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok."

"Alright, let’s get these two to school!" Brooke called as she came out of the house. "Mel has tried on thirty eight different outfits this morning and I had to drag her out the door."

"And I HATE this one!" Melissa pouted, looking very pretty in a flowered top with a loose fitting pair of pale lavender shorts.

"I think you look great," I assured her.

"Yeah?" She said as she approached the car. "You don’t think I should wear something more dressy for the first day?"

"I have a tiara in my backpack if you want to borrow it," Elena teased.

Melissa stuck her tongue out at her younger sister. "Not everyone wants to look like an unmade bed."

"Knock it off," Brooke warned. "El looks great. Just get in the car and let’s get going. You’re going to be late if we don’t leave NOW!"

About ten minutes later, we were dropping off the girls at the high school. I gave each of them a hug and a kiss and wished them luck. We stood by the Jeep and watched them as they went into the building. Then Brooke took us to a local coffee shop for a nice breakfast to celebrate our last day of freedom before school started the next day.

After we’d ordered, Brooke looked across the table at me as she stirred the cream into her coffee. "So... nervous about tomorrow?"

"Petrified."

"Don’t be." She smiled. "I’ll be there with you. I think you’ll find more people like Mrs Simpson than Mr Kemp. I bet things will go smoothly."

I shook my head as I played with the tea bags in my cup. "I think you are over estimating the open mindedness of the student body of our school."

She sipped her coffee and smiled. "I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised."

"We shall see."

"Well, look at this," a familiar voice sounded near us, "two brooks merged in another restaurant." It was Mr Davies and a very pretty, blonde woman, both very well dressed in expensive business attire. "So you two don’t just hang out at work?"

"No, we hang out pretty much all the time." Brooke smiled. "Hi, Mr Davies."

"Hi, ladies," he smiled. "Oh, this is my partner... my business partner, that is... Jessica Caulfield. Jess, these are The Brookes. They work at The Wireworks."

"Oh, Lord, The Wireworks," the woman laughed. "I always tell John that he should stop paying the mortgage on his condo and just live at The Wireworks."

We both smiled at that.

"Umm... ladies, look, I hate to be a jerk, but Jess and I are in a bit of a rush and it’s kind of crowded. Would you mind if we join you in your booth?"

"No, not at all," Brooke said, but to tell you the truth, I was caught off guard a bit. I wasn’t great at small talk with strangers.

I think Brooke was going to join me on my side of the booth, but without hesitation, Mr Davies sat beside me and Ms Caulfield sat beside Brooke.

"So," Mr Davies smiled and made eye contact with each of us, "what brings you two girls out so early?"

"We just dropped my sisters off for their first day of high school," Brooke explained. "We figured we’d get some breakfast to celebrate our last day of summer before we start our senior year tomorrow."

"Oh, wow, seniors," Ms Caulfield smiled. We went on to talk about where we went to school and what we we were studying, etc, then Ms Caulfield asked if our families were from the area.

"My mom’s family is from this town," Brooke smiled. "That’s why we moved back here this summer. Right next door to Brook."

"Oh? And what’s your mom’s maiden name?"

"Lachlan," Brooke said.

"Oh, the Lachlans over on Oak Street?"

"Yes, that’s my grandparents." Brooke smiled. "Do you know them?"

"I do." Ms Caulfield nodded and smiled. "They do their retirement investing with us. John, you know the Lachlan."

"Sure. Very nice people." Mr Davies nodded and smiled as he ate his omelette.

Then Ms Caulfield looked at me. "How about you, Brook? Is your family from around here?"

I nodded. "Yes. My dad grew up here. Went to high school in town."

"What’s your last name?"

"Chapin," I said.

That seemed to make Ms Caulfield’s eyes open wider. "Is your dad Victor Chapin?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Oh, my God. I went to school with your dad. How is he?"

"He’s fine," I said with a smile. "He works at the lumber yard by the river."

She looked more closely at me. "You look a little like him, actually."

"Wait!" Mr Davies interrupted. "Who does she look like?"

"Her father. Victor Chapin."

He thought for a moment. "Nope. I don’t know him, but I definitely think she looks like someone I know."

"Well, she looks much more like her mother." She looked back at me. "Your mom is Beverly Ahern, right?"

I must have looked confused, because I certainly was.

"Oh, my God, that’s who she looks like! Of course!" He slapped the table. "Bev!"

"Wait, wait, wait," I said. "My mom wasn’t named Beverly." I only knew a little about my mother, the topic of my mother was strictly off limits at my house, but I did know her name was Karen.

"No, of course not," Ms Caulfield said with a shake of her head. "Beverly changed her name after she flaked out and left your dad. Back in high school her name was Karen."

I looked at Brooke in shock. These people knew my mother? I thought she’d left the area years ago.

I couldn’t even form words, so Brooke asked the question that she knew I wanted to ask. "So... you know Brook’s mom?"

Ms Caulfield laughed. "Know her? Honey, I’ve known her my whole life. That woman is insane – not always in a bad way, mind you, but definitely insane."

"And she lives around here?" Brooke asked.

Ms Caulfield shrugged. "Oh, who knows. Sometimes she does. Usually she lives down south, but she still has a place over by Fulton Park, but..." she looked at me and smiled. "... well... you know how your mom is."

"Actually," I said, "I haven’t the slightest idea how my mom is."

"Oh," Ms Caulfield said, then looked around, a bit sheepishly. "Well... in that case... I suppose I’ve said too much. I’m sorry."

"That’s ok," I assured her. "It’s certainly not your fault. Actually, I’m kind of glad to know that she’s alive and doing ok."

Ms Caulfield looked at me. At first I saw some pity in her, but that changed to a smile. "Actually... that’s very sweet of you, dear. Very sweet."

I didn’t think it was sweet, though. I just thought it was normal.

When we finished our breakfast, Mr Davies insisted on paying for everything. "Consider it reimbursement for us inconveniencing you," he said, with a wink. I wasn’t real comfortable with the idea, but I just followed Brooke’s lead and let him pay.

When we left the restaurant, Brooke asked if I had been upset by the conversation about my mother.

"Not really," I said. "I mean, I was kind of surprised, but I suppose that it’s bound to happen from time to time. It probably just never happened before because I never went out before. Next time, I won’t be as surprised."

I don’t know if it was because of Melissa’s anxiety that morning, or what, but suddenly I was gripped with a great deal of concern about what I was going to wear to school for the first day. After breakfast, we went back to our house and I pulled pretty much everything I owned out of my closet and I tried it on for Brooke, asking for her opinion on everything. Eventually we settled on a pretty, flowered sun dress that I had bought a few weeks earlier. So I took it out of the closet and ironed it so that it looked crisp and fresh for the next day.

"You don’t have to do this, you know," dad said to me at dinner, sensing my fears about the next day. "You can just put your hair into a pony tail and wear a tee shirt and jeans, if you want."

I chuckled. "Yeah, well, I threw away all of my boy jeans and even if I hadn’t, with my hair cut and conditioned like it is, my eyebrows trimmed, my ears pierced, my lips plumped and my skin smoothed from my lotions, I’d just look like a girl in jeans and a tee shirt."

Dad raised his eyebrows. "I guess you have a point."

I hesitated for a moment before I said, "Umm... dad... I met someone who said she knew you, today."

He looked at me and looked a little surprised. "Oh, yeah? Who was that?"

"Her name is Jessica Caulfield."

He thought for a second and then her identity seemed to dawn on him. "Oh... Jess Caulfield. Ok, I remember her. We went to high school together. She was a friend of your mother’s, actually."

"Yeah, she mentioned that," I nodded.

He was quiet for a few moments, then asked, "Did she say anything else?"

"She said that my mother still lives around here sometimes, but she spends most of her time in the south."

Dad nodded.

"She also said that my mother was insane."

Dad guffawed at that. "Well, that’s an understatement." Then he looked at me and shook his head. "I’m sorry, Chef. I shouldn’t say things like that about your mother. What I mean is... look... we may not have had a perfect life and I’m not exactly Brad Pitt and I’m certainly never going to be rich, but... what kind of a person would leave a kid as great as you? I mean... she must be insane, right?"

I smiled at that, but I could tell that dad was uncomfortable with the topic.

"Look, Chef," he said, "I knew your mother was around. I’ve even seen her a few times. I’ve never told you about it, though, because... well... because she never showed any interest getting involved with your life and... I guess I just figured it was best not to bring her up if there was no chance of reuniting with her."

I nodded, but didn’t say anything.

"Was I wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. And don’t worry. I’m not going looking for her or anything. Like you said, she left me, so..."

When I left it hanging, dad nodded. Then he came over to me and gave me a hug. "You’ve got me, Chef. For what it’s worth, I’m not going anywhere."

"I know, dad. Thanks."

I didn’t sleep much that night and I got more nervous as the morning approached. I was up at four thirty and I took a good, hot shower. I washed and conditioned my hair and made sure I shaved my legs, pits and face nice and close before I retreated to my vanity and went to work on my hair and makeup.

By the time dad emerged from the shower, I not only had his western omelette, tomato juice and rye toast on the kitchen island waiting for him, but my makeup was done, my hair was wavy and I was wearing the very pretty flowered sundress I’d ironed the previous day, nice, dangling, garnet earrings, a matching garnet necklace and comfortable, one inch, strappy-heeled sandals.

"Well," he smiled and chuckled a bit, "this is certainly a different first day of school than ever before."

I sighed. "I know."

"Are you sure you’re up to it?"

"I guess. I mean, I have Brooke with me, so it should go ok."

"How many classes do you have with her?"

"Only two. English, first period and Civics, last period. We both have third lunch, too."

He nodded. "And the rest of the day?"

I shrugged. "I’m on my own, but... up until now... everyone has pretty much ignored me, so..."

"You think they’re going to ignore you now?"

I shrugged again. "Probably."

He cut up his omelette and thought for a minute. "If anyone gives you a hard time, go see Mrs Simpson, and if you need me... just keep your phone with you. I’ll come to the school as quickly as I can. Ok?"

I nodded. "Ok, but I think I’ll be ok. Besides, you’ve already missed a lot of work. I won’t call you unless it’s absolutely necessary."

He finished his breakfast and stood up, wiping his mouth on a paper napkin. He normally would just turn and say goodbye as he left, but he stopped and looked at me for a long time. Finally, he shook his head and took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Look, Brook... a lot has changed this summer, and... well... I never thought I’d be sending a daughter off to school..."

"Dad, I’m still your son, I’m just..."

"Say whatever you want, Brook, but... I don’t really see you as a son right now. I used to send you out that door and I figured that you’d figure out how to take care of yourself, but now... I have to admit... I’m pretty worried about you."

"I’ll be ok, dad. I promise."

"Honey, it’s not just that you’re facing all those kids looking so differently. It’s that... It’s that you’re a girl now, well, at least you’re a girl in the eyes of the rest of the world, Brook, and I know how I viewed girls when I was in school and, to be honest, it kind of scares me to have boys looking at you that way."

I let out a little laugh at that. "I’m not interested in guys, dad, and once they find out who and what I am, I don’t think they’re going to be interested in me, either."

He shook his head. "Just promise me you’ll be extra careful at all times, ok?"

"Ok," I said and I smiled at his newly found parental concern.

"Ok." Then he looked very awkward. "Come on. Give me a hug."

I was shocked. "Really?"

"Yeah. Really. I want my daughter to give me a hug."

"Dad... I’m still your..."

"Shut up and give me a hug."

I couldn’t help but smile as I sidled up to him and accepted a warm hug.

"Honest to God," he said, "I swear you feel even smaller than you did before." Then he let me go, gave me a kiss on the cheek, grabbed his lunch and left for work.

"You look really cute," Brooke told me as we headed to school.

"Thanks." I smiled, a little embarrassed. "You look gorgeous," I told her, and she did. She was wearing a really beautiful white blouse that was kind of long, with a had a translucent bell sleeves. Below that, she wore a loose, pale blue skirt that came to just above her knees and really sexy, narrow heels. Of course her hair and makeup were both perfect.

She was, as as she always was, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

We pulled into the parking lot and I took a deep breath before getting out of the Jeep.

"You ready?" Brooke asked, as she opened my door for me.

"I guess so." I smiled and climbed down.

"That’s my boy," she said as she straightened my dress and kissed me. "Come on, now. Tits up. Let’s go."

"If only I had tits," I said, walking beside my girlfriend.

"You can get them if you want them," she said, suddenly serious.

I blinked at her. "What are you talking about? I can’t just grow breasts."

"Of course you can," she giggled. "Or you can have them implanted, there’s a lot of ways you can get breasts... if you want them."

I stopped walking and looked at her. "Huh... are you serious. I could do that?"

She shrugged. "Sure. There’s all kinds of options. Is it something you’re interested in?"

I thought for a moment. "Maybe. I’m going to think about it."

We walked up the stairs and into the school, past some people I’d known for years. I could feel them looking at me, but I could also tell that they were looking at me differently than they had before. I don’t think they recognized me, but I think they were trying to figure out who I was.

This was it. I was like a lamb about to be discovered wandering through a huge pack of wolves. God, I suddenly felt so scared.
 
 
To Be Continued...