It all started early one glorious Saturday morning in June. The school holidays had just started which meant nine weeks of total boredom. I was a strange kid in many ways, one of which was I enjoyed learning, I hated school with a vengeance, but learning I loved. Told you I was strange.

I lived on my own with my mum in a large town in the English midlands. Her boyfriend simply walked out on her when she told him she was pregnant. Never to be seen or heard from again. I love my mum, she is my rock, my friend and we love each other dearly. My mum, Carrie is a pharmacist so works long hours some days for a major Chemist chain, other days we do everything together.

As I say I am an only child, but if I had brothers or sisters, I would be the runt of the litter. I was and still am small, easily smaller than everyone else in my year apart from one or two girls, and I was sure puberty was making them catch me up rapidly that year.

I am four foot nine inches tall, and for a fourteen-year-old boy that is short. I didn’t help that I was blond haired, blue eyed with soft round features. I had long hair that I kept in a ponytail at school but loved it when my mum would brush it and make it shine. I had been mistaken for a girl all my life, I didn’t worry about it much anymore, well, not unless some thug at school thought it would be good to hit, trip, insult or just generally abuse me for the fun of it. It didn’t help that I was often reduced to tears in the process. Some of the girls offered protection to me, which was much appreciated by little me, sadly some of the other girls took to verbal teasing and minor physical abuse, the fact that I often passed all my exams and tests with top marks just added another target to my back.

I looked like a girl, and I liked how I looked.

As I sat on our front doorstep, I was reaching some decisions about myself. I think I am going to tell my mum that I feel I am female and want to be her daughter not her son! I think she knows, but I am scared to tell her in case she will hate me. I am strange, I am a coward too!

But everything changed that summer and it started that Saturday morning in June.

Chapter Two.

I sat on our doorstep just minding my own business, easy to do when you have no friends. With my mind focusing on what to tell my mum. A large van arrived in front of the empty house next door, and as the doors opened so the noise level went up a fair few decibels as a woman and two girls leapt out all excitedly chattering away to each other.

The mum looked to be around the same age as my mum, in her early thirties, I think. The two girls were obviously twins and looked to be a year or two older than myself. Both were dark haired beauties, they were tall and statuesque, with obviously developing curves. Both looked at me with beaming smiles and waved their right hands frantically from side to side before rushing over to speak.

“Hello, I’m Jenna!” said the first, “And I’m Jessica said the second”

“Hi, I’m Chris, I take it you are moving in next door?”

“Yes, our mum has just got a new job” said Jenna, or was that, Jessica?

“Yes, so we have just had to move quickly so she can start on Monday!” said Jessica, or was that, Jenna?

This was confusing!

“Girls, come on, we need to help your two uncles move all our stuff into the new house, they’ll be here in a few minutes, you can have time to talk with your new friend a bit later!” called their mom.

“Do you need some help? I have nothing to do so I can always carry some stuff for you.” stated Chris.

“Yay, we’ve a new friend already.” They said in unison.

“Okay, just let me lock up and I’ll help you out!” said Chris as he rose to his feet and making sure he had his door key he pulled the front door closed behind him, and after giving it a rattle to make sure it was secure he walked to the rear of the van to stand next to Jenna and Jessica and their mum.

“Mum, this is our new friend and next-door neighbour Chris” said one of the twins, I would have to try and tell them apart somehow!

“Hello Chris, I’m these two’s mum for my sins, I answer to lots of things, Muuum when they’re whingeing, Mummy when they want something, but you can call me Ruth, how old are you sweetheart?”

“I’m fourteen, but I don’t think my mum would like me to call you Ruth, I have to watch my manners!” said Chris blushing as he explained his predicament, little did he know, but it was to be the start of a whole chain of events that would spiral rapidly out of his control.

“Ok Chris, I don’t want you to get in trouble with your mum, before I have not properly met her, so, you can call me Miss Taylor, which is my posh name or perhaps even Aunty Ruth once you get to know us better.

These terrible twosomes are also fourteen, when is your birthday, Chris?”

“Not until December Miss Taylor, so I suppose I am fourteen and a half!”

The twins started jumping up and down, squealing as they did so. “Oh, that’s amazing, our birthday is in December too, what date is your birthday on?”

“Erm, the twenty-eighth, three days after Christmas.”

“Noooo!!!!” with more squeals in stereo, “Ours is the twenty-eighth too, we’ll have to have a joint party to celebrate turning fifteen! This is amazing!”

“Well, I don’t really have a birthday party, there’s only me and my mum so there’s never been any point.” said Chris.

“Come on girls, we can talk parties later, let’s start getting stuff in the house, especially the kettle ready for when your uncles Graeme and George get here! Talk of the devils, here they are.” stated Ruth.

Chris looked up, as another van arrived and a pair of identical twins exited the cab and walked to the back of the first van, each must have been well over six feet four inches tall and looked well-muscled.

“So, is the kettle on yet sis?” asked the first.

“No Graeme, hold your horses, we’ve been meeting Chris here who is our neighbour, if you open the back of the van, the very first box has all the tea things in it, Chris, could you open the house for us and take the tea stuff in and get a brew started, before these two die of thirst! There’s kettle, tea bags, mugs, milk etc, if you can do that, these two apes will be your friends for life!”

"Of course I can Miss Taylor."

The first twin placed his arm around Chris's shoulder.

“Don’t you believe it Chris, you can’t buy our friendship with just a mug of tea, we need at least two chocolate digestives too!” replied the other twin.

Chris giggled with embarrassment, “How do you cope with so many twins?”

They all laughed, “This is nothing Chris, these two morons are my older twin brothers, but I also have twin sisters a bit younger than me, it seems there’s something in our genes that generates twins. My sisters will be here later this afternoon, so I think the kettle is going to see some serious work today, and so will you, just keeping these two topped up! Okay, enough chatter. Jenna, here’s the keys, go open the door and prop it open, Jess, take the box with the kettle and tea making gubbins into the kitchen, I’m sure Chris will show you where it is as the layout will be the same as your home won’t it Chris?”

“Yes, it is, I better start on the tea, I hope you have a lot of mugs!” smiled Chris as he followed Jenna with Jess following him into their new home.

Chapter Three.

The morning passed in a continual state of full-on noise and activity. It seemed that a constant stream of boxes and furniture whistled through the door and into their new home. I was kept busy in the kitchen, making tea, washing and drying mugs and interacting with the five noisy, happy and loving individuals, who seemed to love my tea.

At lunchtime the two uncles drove off to a local burger outlet and brought back six burgers, fries and milk shakes. We all sat around the kitchen table, and they asked me all about myself, my mother, the lack of any other family members, why wasn’t I out shopping with my friends on a Saturday morning?

I explained about how it was and had always been just me and my mum, she was an only child, but her parents had disowned for getting pregnant outside of marriage. I said I was unpopular at school and was lucky that I was shunned rather than the more physical bullying I suffered. I notice both Jenna and Jessica were glassy eyed at my story and their mum enveloped me in a big hug, both girls said that we would all be friends regardless, and woe betide anyone who picked on me if they were around. This made me cry.

“Thank you for the offer of your friendship, but you will be popular as two of the prettiest girls at school and that you will inevitably be sucked into the popular cliques and being associated with me will not help your street cred, but I really appreciate the offer. I have never had friends so would not know how to be a friend of two really pretty girls!”

Before I knew it I was enveloped in a tight hug from both twins and Ruth.

“We are already your best friends then!” said Jessica, I had worked out she had a small scar on her left eyebrow.

“And once we are your best friends then we will always be your best friends, won’t we sis?” added Jenna, Jessica nodded her head vigorously.

“Don’t forget we are always here for you Chris, you make a lovely cup of tea, well, three so far, so that makes you family! Doesn’t it George?” said Graeme with a kind smile on his face.

“Absolutely, Graeme, mind you, I could murder another cuppa, couldn’t you mate?” added George.

I was thoroughly embarrassed at these expressions of friendship. “I’ll put the kettle on, I can take a hint!” I laughed and smiled as I dried my eyes and then filled the kettle.

“Hello!!” came the stereo call from the front door of what proved to be Ruth’s twin sisters Karen and Katy.

“Ours is white and two sugars please love!” said the first of the twins. “I bet you have been making tea all morning haven’t you sweetie?” added the second.

These two new additions to the noise and frenetic activity of the house were Amazons. They were nearly as tall as their brothers, obviously athletes of some description, dark haired, beautiful and curvy. I was jealous of them; they were everything I wasn’t nor ever would be. It seemed Ruth noticed something in my expression, as both Karen and Katy enveloped me in another bout of hugs.

“Our aunts play netball for England!” said Jenna by way of introduction.

“They are coaching us to play and think that one day we could be better than them!” said Jessica with a coy smile.

“Do you play netball Chris?” asked Ruth.

“Err, no, I am, err, no use at any sports I’m afraid!”

“But you could play with us for fun!” stated Jenna.

“Yeah, we’ve a net to put up in the back garden, you can train with us and just enjoy yourself!” said Jessica.

“Afterall, we’re B.F.F.’s now, so you must play with us, we won’t stand for any excuse, okay Chrissie!”

“Err, I don’t know how to play netball, so I would probably set you back rather than help you in any way. Plus, I err, don’t have any kit to wear for any sports really!” I responded.

“That’s okay, we’ve loads of our old stuff that would fit you, I am sure!” said Jenna.

“Ruth clapped her hands. “We’ll talk about netball and sports later, now, Jenna, Jessica, go and start unpacking the boxes and cases with your clothes and bits and bobs. Graeme, George, finish bringing in the last of the furniture, Karen, Katy, can you tackle my clothes etc. for me, I want to talk to Chris for a little while, and no matter what, no whingeing, no more tea for anyone until you have finished, and the absolutely last item to go up is the practice netball net, now, chop, chop, get cracking everyone!”

Within moments, the kitchen was empty leaving just Ruth and myself. “Come with me Chris, let’s go and sit in the garden.

Chapter Four.

We walked under the shade of a large tree that was set a little bit away from the house and it had a circular bench that was set around its circumference. We sat down next to each other and Ruth put an arm around my shoulder.

“You are quite a sad individual aren’t you, Chris?”

Tears started forming in the corner of my eyes, I couldn’t respond, eventually all I could do was nod.

“Tell me Chris, have you told your mom how much abuse you suffer?”

I wiped my right eye with the back of my hand, “A little, but not for a long time now, although I am sure she suspects things are not good!”

“Why haven’t you told her lately how bad things are for you?”

“Last time I said anything, she went to the school and went ballistic at them, she wanted the bullying to be sorted out or else!”

“And did it help?”

“No, if anything, it got worse, so I decided to keep quiet and endure it, so I keep myself to myself, learn my lessons, and try to avoid places where they are lying in wait for me, but it doesn’t always work.”

“Why are you talking about it now Chris?” Ruth asked resting her forehead on top of my head.

“I, I, I don’t know, you are just so easy to talk to. I haven’t had so much fun like today ever. I love my mum, I know she loves me but with just the two of us, well, we only have each other. Then today, you all turn up, a large lovely and loving family, the banter, the teasing, the love that it’s obvious you have for each other. I really like Jenna and Jessica, and I so want to have them as my friends, even if it is only for a short time!”

“Why should it only be for a short time Chris, don’t you believe what they have told you, you are their B.F.F.!”

“I want nothing more than to have friends Aunty, I do honest, but I am so afraid that once school starts up, others will become their friends, more popular kids than me and they will start to tease me too, so that they fit in with the popular kids! And while having them as friends for a while will be brilliant, to then lose their friendship will just hurt too much, much too much!” with that I started to sob, and Ruth lowered my head into her lap and gently stroked my head.

“I take it Chris, that although you look, act and sound like a Christine, you are really a Christopher?”

I tried to push myself upright and pull away from Ruth so I could run away home, but she held me in an iron vice like grip.

“No Chrissie, you stay exactly where you are, we haven’t finished talking yet, so calm down sweetheart, no one here will hurt you or betray you, I promise, now tell me, you so want to be Christine don’t you?”

I couldn’t answer so just nodded my head yes.

“Have you told your mum how you feel?”

“No, but I am certain she suspects. In fact, before you all arrived this morning, I was working out how to tell her, I know she loves me, but I am so afraid that she will hate me after I tell her I am a daughter and not a son!”

“I am sure that if your mum is anything like you, and I am certain that she is, then she is probably waiting for you to tell her how you feel, I expect she is sad too, sad at watching her child suffer, knowing that she can’t act in case she feels she is unduly influencing you. You are very pretty Chrissie, you deserve to live a happy life, an existence that is true to the real you. Now, what time does your mum get home today?”

“I think the dispensary closes at four o’clock today, so unless she has any shopping to do which I don’t think she does, then she should be home by about half four.”

“Right sweetie, I am not trying to rush you, but would you like me to speak to her for you, or even with you?”

I sat up, chewing my lower lip, desperately trying to come to a decision one way or the other.

“Chrissie, how come you have told me all this, and we’ve only known each other for a short while?”

I sat there in deep thought, “I don’t know Aunty, I have found you all so easy to speak to, I have felt part of a large family for the first time in my life, and I have loved every minute of it, I really have, even if I have made a couple of gallons of tea, but I wanted to be honest too. I am lonely, I am sick of being lonely and I don’t know if I can live this life much longer, I am tired of the bullying and the abuse. But don’t worry, I haven’t planned to end it all, I don’t want to leave my mum on her own, it would hurt her too much. But I want her to love me, the real me, you know.

I don’t know what it is, but I has felt it so easy to speak to you, you feel like I think I want an Aunty to feel like. I saw a photo frame in mums’ dispensary last week, it was a present for an aunt, and it said ‘Aunty, like a Mum only cooler!’ and you are cool!

So, would you help me speak to my mum please somehow, once you have met her and have a feeling for how you think she will respond to my news?”

“Consider it done sweetie, now dry your eyes, I will give you a hand in the kitchen, we better give the troops another mug of tea before they all down tools and go on strike, we’ve a couple of hours or so before your mum gets home and I have to sort a few things out before I meet with her. I take it she is Carrie Robinson, the main pharmacist at the shop on the high street?”

I looked at Aunty with a questioning look, “Do you know her, have you met her already?"

“That sweetie is for me to know and for you to find out! Now, go wash your face, I’ll put the kettle on!”

Chapter Five.

In no time at all the vans were being loaded with empty discarded boxes, furniture was arranged, ornaments on shelves, even a few pictures on the walls.

“Okay sis, Graeme and I will go drop the boxes off for recycling, take the vans back to the hire depot and we’ll be back with your car around five o’clock.” Said George.

“Will you still be here Chrissie? If so, have a brew ready, you have a real knack for producing a lovely mug of tea, mind you, we’ll have to stop off and get another couple of packs of chocolate digestives as it seems someone has eaten most of them!” stated Graeme, punching his brothers’ arm.

“I might be here still, it depends if my mum wants me for anything if she’s home by them, but I suppose I could make another brew, in exchange for a couple of biscuits, you know, before you have chance to eat them all!”

They all laughed, Karen hugged me, “That’s it Chrissie, you tell them, don’t you stand any of their nonsense!”

“Blimey, she’s only been part of the family for eight hours, and she’s getting bossy already! Come on George, let’s go get rid of the rubbish and drop the vans off, the sooner we go, the sooner we can be back and have another lovely cup of tea!” with that the two brothers left the house and drove off in the vans.

I had glances across to Ruth with a stunned look on my face as Graeme had referred to me as a female.

She had a small smile on her face. “Okay Jenna, Jessie, can you give Chrissie here a hand with the washing up and get the kettle on at five, I need to speak with Karen and Katy for a few moments.

Just as they were about to leave the kitchen there was a knocking on the front door, and a woman’s voice called out “Hello! Hello! I’m Carrie from next door, is Chris here?” My stomach went into freefall, my mum was home early, I passed a frantic look towards Aunty Ruth. She again just smiled at me and went to the front door.

“Hi Carrie, come on in, I bet you want a cup of tea, which seems to be the speciality of the hostess today!”

“Hi Ruth, I hope Chris hasn’t been a nuisance to you today?”

“Chris has been a God send, mind you, the kettle and teapot are just about worn out, as is Chrissie I think, aren’t you sweetie?”

“Hi Mum, I have tried to be useful today and not get in anyone’s way, but I think I won’t be drinking anymore tea for a day or two, how come you are home early?” I had gone and given her a tight hug which she seemed to return stronger and longer than normal.

“Well, I knew Ruth, Jenna and Jessica were moving in today, so I have taken a couple of hours of time owed to me and decided to come home and welcome them as our new neighbours. How are you sweetie, your eyes look all red and puffy?”

“It’s okay Carrie, we’ve just been chatting, and Chrissie has been unloading a few concerns.”

Mum held me at arm’s length and stared at me “And?”

I looked at her but couldn’t hold her gaze, I lowered my eyes to the floor and shrugged my shoulders.

“The situation is exactly as suspected!” answered Ruth. My eyes shot up, first to my mum’s face then to Aunty Ruth who was standing next to us, then back to my mum, who was smiling at me sadly.

“Oh Chrissie, Chrissie, why couldn’t you tell me how you felt, I have waited so long for Christine to tell me how she felt, I love you darling, you are my child, the only really important thing in my life and I will do anything to make you happy. It has torn me apart to watch you suffer so much in a situation you didn’t ask for, you have been getting sadder and more miserable every day and it has torn me in two, but I felt I had to wait for you to be honest with me, so sweetie, do I have a daughter? And not a son? Yes?”

I could hear gasps behind me as Jenna and Jessica understood what was being said. Then I felt two sets of arms encircling me.

“Hello Christine.” said Jenna. “You are still our B.F.F. no matter what others may say!”

“You believe it sister!” added Jessica, “You are a member of our family and families stick together, and we’ll still teach you how to play net ball, even if you are a little, err, little, but I bet you would make a great Wing Attack, you look nimble and quick at running around!”

“I have had a lot of practice at running around, well, usually running away from getting beat up!” I looked into my mum’s face, “I am so sorry Mum, I didn’t know how to tell you, and I really, really didn’t want you to hate me because of what I am!”

“Oh Chrissie, you silly girl, I am your mum, and I love you unconditionally, so Christine, it’s about time I met my daughter properly, don’t you think?” she still had a firm hold of my shoulders. “If you would all excuse us for a short while, I would like to take my tomboy home and bring back my daughter!”

“Of course, Carrie, we have booked a table at the local Italian for six p.m., so meet us just before five or so if you can, and we can make proper introductions, and it will give us chance to get cleaned up so that we all look presentable too!” replied Ruth.

After more hugs and promises of undying friendship, mum and I returned home, my mum with an enigmatic smile, and me in a state of shock that my dream seemed to be about to become a reality.

Chapter Six.

We arrived at the front door and my mum unlocked the door and gently pushed me in through the entrance in front of her and towards the staircase. With her hand in the small of my back, she pushed me upstairs and into her bedroom. There she sat on her bed and pulled me into a tight hug, I couldn’t help it, but I started to cry. It took me a while to realise that my mum was crying too.

I pulled back and looked into her streaky eyes. “Oh Mum, I am so sorry! I have disappointed you haven’t I? I didn’t mean to, I will stay as Christopher if that makes you happy as long as you continue to love me!” Not that I could see much myself with my eyes so full of tears.

Mum didn’t say anything, she reached across to a tissue box and grabbing a handful gave us some tissues each, and after pretty gross, nose blowing sounds from us both and trying to dry our eyes, mum pulled me onto her lap. I hadn’t sat on her lap for a long time, and I realised how nice it felt and how much I missed it.

“Oh Chrissie, I am not upset at you finally telling me the truth, I have waited for an awfully long time for you to tell me what was bothering you. I am just so sad that you felt you couldn’t trust me, I understand your reticence in a way, I am just sad for all the time we have lost. But, Christine, I promise you this, I love you, the real you, and I will do everything in my power to enable your dream to become reality! Now come and give me another hug then we need to get weaving, so we are ready to go to the restaurant.”

We had a quick hug and then mum took me through to her bathroom, and in a very short time she prepared a warm deep bubble bath.

“Right Chrissie, strip off all your dirty clothes and into the bath with you and have a bit of a soak. I’ll get somethings sorted out while you are soaking!”

With that she lifted my t shirt up and over my head, before I knew what was happening my shorts and my underwear were pooled at my feet.

“Muum!!” I squeaked.

“Oh hush sweetie, I have seen you naked more times than you have had hot dinners, besides there’s only us girls here, now come on, quickly, into the tub with you!” Before I knew what was happening, I was sat in the warm fragrant and oily bubble bath. Leaning against the back of the tub, trying not to slide under the water as the tub and my skin was covered in an oily slippery film. “You soak there for a while and I will sort us out a few things, try not and get your hair too wet, so let me pin it up and I’ll wash that for you in a short while!”

With my hair pinned on top of my head, my mum kissed my forehead and went back into her bedroom. I then heard the doorbell ring and the patter of her feet as she ran downstairs. I couldn’t make out who was there or what was being said, but it sounded like four or five female voices plus my mum’s. After five minutes or so I heard the voices recede and my mum rushing back upstairs. Various cupboard doors opened and closed and draws slid open and shut. After about another ten minutes or so my mum re-entered the bathroom.

“How are you feeling Chrissie? Nice and relaxed I hope?” I could only nod. She had obviously changed as she was dressed in only her undies with white bra, panties and half-slip, all obviously part of the same set as they had the same identical pink embroidered detail.

“You look really pretty Mum, I hope I can look like you one day. That’s my greatest dream, to be as pretty as you!”

“Well I have news for you Chrissie, there are photographs my parents had that show me growing up, and you are the spitting image of me. They abandoned us, and I have not spoken to them since, but I think I will write to them to ask for at least copies of the pictures so you know a little of where you are from, but that’s in the future. Right now, it’s about time my girl learned how to safely shave her legs and underarms then her mum can do her hair!”

“I’m wearing shorts to go to the posh Italian? I thought I would have to wear a suit?” I murmured.

“Listen Chrissie, I promise you, that in future, the only suits you will wear will either be skirt or pant suits, but no more boy clothes for you ever again, unless, of course, that’s what you want to wear?”

“You really do promise me Mummy? No more boy clothes, ever?”

“I hereby pinkie promise!” and we hooked the little fingers on our right hands together, “I Carrie so solemnly swear that my beautiful daughter Christine will only ever wear clothes appropriate to her gender!”

“Thank you Mummy, I love you so much!”

Over the next few minutes mum showed me how to shave what fuzz I had from my legs and underarms.

Then my hair was washed twice before it was given a deep conditioning using mums bath supplies. “We’ll use my items for now, but we’ll go shopping in the next day or two, no more cheap stuff for my daughter!”
I stepped out of the bath to be wrapped in a large soft fluffy towel with my hair wrapped up turban style.

“If I am not wearing my old suit, what am I going to wear Mum”

“Patience sweetheart, patience! My plan was to take you shopping once we had spoken about your dreams and aspirations, but you have made some special friends today who have quickly had a winnow through things they have outgrown and want to donate to you for the start of your new wardrobe. They say that they know you will want to go shopping for your own clothes, and they hope you will let them go with you! They say they have probably loads of other items for you to try on, and you can all get together and have some fashion shows and work out what works and what doesn’t later. I think you finally have friends you can be proud of and who are so very proud of you! So come on, sit at my vanity and let me put my heated rollers in your hair and work on your face and nails. We haven’t much time, so, please, no more questions for a while, then once you are presentable, which won’t take much time at all, I will tell you everything that has and is going on!”

“But!”

“No, shush, let me work my magic! I have waited for a long, long time for my daughter to show up, so have a little more patience, okay?”

“Okay Mummy, I’ll be quiet, or I will try!”

And with that, I sat there as my mum worked her magic. She quietly hummed random tunes, with a beatific smile permanently on her face. After she covered my head with her heated rollers, which I didn’t realise would place such a strain on my neck muscles, my hair was left to cool. I had always kept my nails long for a boy, and mum soon had run a file over them and had two coats of dark red polish with a clear topcoat, each layer dried under a special machine with a blue lamp. My eyebrows were attacked next, mum said just to neaten them up, but it felt a lot more painful than just a little tidying up!

Next mum got her boxes and palettes of paints and powders out, along with all her brushes. She had already draped a towel over her vanity mirror and turned her full-length mirror away from us.

“Now sweetie, a girl your age wouldn’t normally need to wear a lot of make-up, but no doubt your friends will be wearing a little, and tonight is a very special night for my very special girl. So, sit still a little longer sweetheart, we’ll soon have you dressed, your hair brushed out and then you can meet your real self for the first time, and I finally, finally, get to celebrate with my daughter!”

With that, she started brushing different colours on my face, particularly my eyelids. She added a few strokes of mascara and after lining my lips filled them in with red lipstick. She gave me a beaming smile and said, now let’s finally get you dressed.

She stood me up and removed the towel that had been wrapped around by upper torso. Even though I was as naked as the day I was born, I was not embarrassed, but apprehensive to see if I was indeed as pretty as my mum.

Chapter Seven.

“Okay Chrissie, step into these panties.” I quickly stepped into the black lace confections that slid up my hairless legs, the feeling was exquisite. “Allow me to situate your bits and bobs out the way for you for now, we can investigate more permanent/temporary measures until you will be legally allowed to get things rearranged surgically, if that’s what you decide to do?”

“It is Mum, it is, I can’t wait to get my birth defect corrected, even though I know I have to wait until I am eighteen. I want my outer body to match my inner mind. I just wish I could have been born a real girl, not only for me, but for you too, I would have loved to have been a mum and have a daughter of my own, but sadly that won’t ever be the case!”

“You don’t know that Chrissie, there may be medical advancements, you aren’t the only woman who can’t have children, that doesn’t stop them having a family, perhaps you will adopt some unwanted children, you don’t know what the future holds for you yet. Now, madam, hold your arms out and let’s get this bra on you and finish getting you dressed.”

After placing a black bra around me that matched my panties and adjusting it into place Mum opened a box and placed some small breasts into the cups. I stood there spellbound by the amount of preparation my mum had obviously done. Next, she showed me the correct way of putting on some sheer sparkly black tights. After these were pulled and stretched into place mum placed a black half-slip around my waist. Then a pair of two-inch heeled shoes, which threw my balance off to start with were placed on my feet. It did not take long for me to get the hang of walking with these heeled shoes.

Then came the most beautiful black silk dress I had ever seen. I was in a dream world, everything I had always wanted was coming true. I stepped into it and Mum pulled it up my torso and fed my arms through into the short sleeves. Mum then zipped up the back fastening. She then removed the rollers which had long since cooled, brushed out my hair and gave me a coating of hairspray before she also dusted me with a cloud of perfume, and placing a small black clutch bag in my hands.

Mum stood in front of me.

“Oh Chrissie, you are beautiful, I have waited for this day for years!”

“So have I Mum, I am so sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, I was afraid you would hate me!” Moisture gathered at the corner of my eyes.

“Hey we’ll have none of that Chrissie, you will ruin your make-up, and you haven’t seen yourself yet!” She gently dabbed the corner of my eyes with the corner of a tissue. “Now Chrissie, I want you to stand there a bit longer, but with your eye’s closed, promise me, no peeking!”

“I promise Mum, no peeking, but come on Mum, I am dying here, I want to see what I look like, I want to see if I look half as pretty as you!”

“Crawler!” laughed Mum, “Okay, keep your eyes closed, I promise it will be a short moment in time before you get to admire yourself!”

So, I stood in my mums’ bedroom with my eyes tightly shut listening to the sounds of my mum getting changed, drawers sliding open and closed, wardrobe doors opening and closing and then the scent of my mums’ perfume once again.

“Okay sweetie, I am going to stand in front of you, I want you to reach out and do my zip up for me please, but keep your eyes closed!”

I had often zipped up my mothers’ dresses for her, so often I could probably do it in my sleep, which was just as well as I was doing up her dress more or less in the dark.

“Thanks, Chrissie, right keep your eyes closed but move across to your left for me, that’s a good girl!” I heard her moving somethings around but then she came and stood to my right and placed her arm across my shoulders.

“Okay sweetie, open your eyes!”

I opened my eyes to find mum had moved her large freestanding mirror in front of us, only it wasn’t us, my mum looked as stunning as she ever did, she was in a beautiful black dress with a heavily beaded bodice, she wore black sheer tights and also had a black clutch bag in her hand. The person standing next to her was a beautiful young lady, every bit as pretty as the slightly older and taller woman next to her in an almost identical dress. This girl moved as I moved, I just looked at our reflection with my eyes and mouth wide open. I looked from my mum to the girl then back at my mum, my left arm rose to touch my cheek, the girl raised her hand too!

“Well, what do you think Chrissie? Are you pretty or what?” asked my mum. All I could do was to turn into her hug and rest my head on her breasts. “I look beautiful Mum, I do!” I whispered.

Mum lifted my head up and kissed my forehead. “Beautiful doesn’t even come close sweetheart, you are stunning, pure and simple!” I looked back at our reflections, and even with my racoon eyes I looked pretty.

“We look like sisters!” I said looking up at her. Mum laughed even though she too had tears in her eyes.

“Oh, thank you sweetie, I always thought you were a crawler!!! Only joking Chrissie, thinking of us as looking like sisters is the greatest compliment my daughter could pay me. I don’t know about sisters, but we definitely look like mother and daughter, even with our ruined make-up!”

Chapter Eight.

“Now Chrissie, while I get us cleaned up and presentable, sit and listen while I explain what has been going on.

It didn’t take a genius to understand how unhappy you have been, and I had a very good idea of what the root cause of your sadness was. I saw how you looked, how you moved, how you spoke and lots of other indicators that I had given birth to a daughter!”

“But!” I tried to interrupt.

“Shush sweetie, you can ask your questions later, let me talk first, okay?” I nodded.

“I waited for you to tell me, I waited, and I waited, but I never could get you to open up to me for some reason. I knew things were coming to a head, you were so despondent, so desperately sad. I saw the bruises, the scrapes, the red puffy eyes when you had been crying. I spoke to the school about the bullying, quietly, I might add even though I wanted to rip heads from shoulders! So, believe it or not, they have been trying to protect you without being too obvious about it!” I looked at her in amazement, fearful that the bullying could have been even worse.

“I spoke to some of your teachers to see if they knew why you were a magnet for some of the Neanderthals dragging their knuckles along the floors. The male teachers were worse than useless, but three of your women teachers all had the same theory, they all, independently thought you may well be transgender!”

I couldn’t help it but a small “Wow” escaped my lips.

“Wow, indeed. I knew a fair bit about transgender matters, one of our staff is a trans-woman, plus we have a few patients transitioning.

So, I next spoke to a doctor and got an appointment with a transgender counsellor who specialises in helping children. This individual was retiring but had her replacement visiting the practice to have a look at the amenities, and that’s how I met Ruth, for the second time!

Believe it or not, you, Jenna and Jessica were all born in the same hospital within minutes of each other. We had mingled as new mums do, then we had gone our separate ways. As we spoke, she said she needed to move house quickly due to her divorce, I mentioned that Mrs Smith’s house next door to us was vacant due to her going into a nursing home, and her children wanted a quick sale.

Then we spoke about you, it was like she already knew you, all your problems, your doubts, your fears, the bullying, my real fear was that you would kill yourself as so many other transgender children do, and that was something I could not bear, not that, not to lose you. So we arranged the move around you being available to help and the hope that you would talk to her in a way you felt unable to talk to me!”

I went to answer her, but she put her fingers to my lips.

“Wait a moment longer sweetie, I knew you would be sat on the doorstep as you usually do, so the stage was set, the script was established, we just needed you to open up. And in case you are wondering, no, Jenna and Jessica, nor any of the other family members knew about you, just Ruth, or, as you call her “Auntie Ruth”, I have to say, seeing how we are now dressed, that the results speak for themselves, wouldn’t you?

Now, before you say anything, no more crying, I am running out of mascara, plus we have to go next door in a moment or two.

“Well, go on then, you have been desperate to interrupt me for ages!”

“I love you Mum, I can’t deny I haven’t thought of ending it all, but I couldn’t, I could not and would not leave you on your own. I wish I had been born a girl from the beginning, but for whatever reason that was not the case, but I love you Mum, thank you for understanding and helping me to see the real me for the first time in my life, I am lucky to have you for my Mum, and I promise to be a daughter you can be proud of!”

I had to dab the corners of my eyes to catch some errant tears, I then passed my mum the tissue so she could do the same.

“Sweetie, I am already so proud of you, I always have been! The way you survived everything thrown at you is inspirational, now, let’s go and meet up with your new friends. By the way, Jenna is in effect, your big cousin, as she was born ten minutes before you, however, Jessica is, your little cousin, as she was born fifteen minutes after you!”

But Mum, they’re both almost a foot taller than me!”

“Well, size isn’t everything!” she smirked.

“Do you really think they will be my friends, not only at this moment, but in the future? I am tired of being the lonely, bullied kid!”

“Sweetie, I am sure they will always have a place for you in their lives and in their hearts, they have seen just how damaged and fragile you are, no doubt they will have other friends as well as you. You have seen how Ruth behaves with people; I am positive they are very like their mum. So, you may well find, that by your being friends with Jenna and Jessica, you will gain other, good friends! But I do believe you will always be their special friend!

“But won’t they all be girls like them, female athletes? And I will be the transgender freak!”

“NO!” Mum actually shouted at me, “I never, ever want to hear you putting yourself down ever again, you got that missy? Besides, aren’t you a girl too?”

“Sorry Mum, I didn’t mean to upset you like that, I suppose I am a bit stunned with the way the day has gone, and yes, I am a girl where it counts, in here and in here!” I had pointed to my head and my heart”

“That’s better, you will be just as pretty, popular and athletic as your new friends are! Okay, the athletic part might be a stretch, but you can support them, and they will love you for that!”

“Do you think they will think I am pretty, like you, as they are so pretty too!”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out, and that is to go next door and ask!”

So that’s what we did!

Chapter Nine.

We approached our front door, and I hesitated. Mum placed her hand in the small of my back and gave me a firm but gentle shove.

“Head up, stand straight, chest out, smile. We are blue eyed blondes; everyone thinks our I.Q. matches our shoe size. We are proud, intelligent women, so let’s go and see our new friends and show them the new, improved Christine, okay sweetie?”

So, before I really knew quite what was happening, we had walked down our path, along the pavement and up to the Taylors front door. Before I quite realised what was happening, mum had pressed the doorbell.

There was a loud shout from inside the house, with I think Jessica yelling “I’ve got it!” As she opened the front door, other feet could be heard thundering down the stairs. Jessica opened the front door wide, and she stared at me, her mouth opening as wide as the door and she stared at me some more. Then there was an ear-splitting scream “Oh my God, look at you!”

I was convinced straight away that this had been a mistake and had partway turned to run back home tears beginning to form and my face starting to burn with embarrassed despair, when I was grabbed and shaken up and down with squeals in both ears as both Jessica and Jenna grabbed me and dragged me into their house.

“Oh Chrissie, Chrissie, you are simply beautiful, who in their right mind could ever consider you anything other than the prettiest girl I think I have ever seen!” shouted Jenna into my deafened right ear. “Gorgeous, you are gorgeous, you’ll be fighting the boys off with a stick!” yelled an equally excited Jessica as they rushed me into their front room to meet their mum and both their aunts.

Ruth, Karen and Katy had all changed from the t shirts they had been wearing into beautiful dresses that accentuated their figures, all had beaming smiles on their faces. Jenna and Jessica each had a firm hold of one of my hands. They dragged me in front of their mum and aunts.

“Ladies, may we introduce you formally to our new next-door neighbour, Miss Christine Robinson, a great tea maker and stern custodian of chocolate biscuits!” announced Jenna. “Christine is going to be our “Best Friend Forever!” and we promise her here and now in front of all these gathered witnesses, that no-one will ever lay a finger or taunt her ever again, not unless they want to deal with “The Terrible Taylor Twins!” well known protection enforcers!” added Jessica who then both enveloped me in crushing hugs and bounced me up and down!

“Girls, girls, for crying out loud, calm down and give the poor girl chance to breathe!” shouted their mum, who along with her sisters walked up to us.

Auntie Ruth put both her hands on my cheeks while her sisters each placed a hand on one of my shoulders. Ruth spoke first.

“Well Christine, that was quite the entrance, even though I doubt your feet were touching the floor at any point in time, you sweetie are so very beautiful, and it is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, I am so happy to see you looking happy too!”

“You sweetie are a beautiful young lady and I am sure you are going to be with us on a regular basis, so welcome to our family!” said Karen, at least I think it was her as I hadn’t managed to quite tell the difference between her and her sister yet.

“Welcome Christine, you are now officially, along with your equally beautiful mother, part of our mad existence. I can’t wait to see you whizzing about the netball court, I think you are going to be quite the player, small, nimble with lots of stamina if today is any indicator. With the gallons of tea, you made and all the washing up!” added Katy, I assume!

“Erm, does anybody mind if I pop in too and say hello?” asked my mum smiling away, although her makeup had run a little too.

“Of course not Carrie, I think your daughter has stolen the show somewhat, come on in and have a seat!” said a smiling Ruth.

“I think you might need one or two of these?” said Karen, who I realised didn’t have any rings on her fingers. She sat next to my mum, and with one arm on her shoulders used her other hand to dab at my mum’s eyes.

“Girls, take Chrissie up to your room and do something with her make-up too, I think she needs one heck of a repair job!” said Ruth.

“Okay Mum!” said Jenna pulling me towards the stairs, “We won’t be long!” added Jessica. I glanced at my mum as I headed for the doorway who beamed a big smile at me and gave me a quick wink as I passed the end of the sofa she was sat on.

“And girls, don’t go berserk, don’t frighten the poor girl, remember this is all new to her!” called their mum.
“We will Mum!” shouted Jenna, “Of course we will Mum, Duh!” called Jessica, as I had a crash course in climbing stairs in a tight skirt and two-inch heels!

We shot into the girls’ bedroom, where I was again clamped in a tight hug.

“Christine you are so pretty, you and your mum could almost be sisters!” said Jessica.

“That’s what I said, but my mum said I was a crawler!!” I smiled back at her.

“But it is true Chrissie!” replied Jenna, “Come and sit here between us for a moment.”

Jessica patted the bed between them, so I sat wondering what was going to be said next.

“We just want you to know Chrissie, that despite what we have learned today, you are, to us, a girl, you have always been a girl and will always be a girl! To us, you are our slightly shorter but equally as beautiful sister”

“What we said of us two always being your friends, is one hundred percent accurate. You are beautiful on the outside and are as equally as beautiful on the inside too. We promise you here and now to be your best friends and you no longer have to be scared and afraid of anyone or anything. We are enough trouble for anyone on our own, and together, we are invincible. Our Mum and Aunts explained a little of what you have faced!” stated Jenna.

“We have known about our mums work for years and if you let her guide you, you will have the best help possible. I am sure your mum already has given her the low down on what you have faced. So, relax Chrissie, you are amongst friends, and we will always be there for you.” Added Jess.

“Anyway, let’s get your face sorted and get downstairs before our uncles arrive and we can see their reaction!” smirked Jenna.

The two of them attacked me with wipes before they started reapplying my eye make-up. They seemed to take a little longer than my mum had, and I just assumed it was because they were a little less experienced. Before I knew it, they told me to stay still while they finished their own faces. They handed me a lipstick to reapply that closely matched my nail polish and it was at that point I realised that they had used much more make-up on me than my mum had! We all stood in front of their mirror, and we looked closer to eighteen than fifteen.

“What’s my mum going to say?” I whispered.

“That for a special night, it will be okay, besides we’re not going to look for boys, let’s face it, with our mum’s looking so hot, and our aunts even hotter no-one is going to notice us, anyway! Our uncles will see off anyone who tries to get too fresh with their nieces. So come on ladies, let’s go back downstairs!”

When we walked back into the living room, all conversation stopped, four women looked at us with stunned expressions. We were pointed to stand in front of the fireplace. As they all got their phones out and took what seemed to be hundreds of photographs.

“Bloody hell!” we heard from the front hallway, as one of her uncles starred at us. “Blimey, we leave them alone for a couple of hours, and the youngsters have aged into young women!” stated the other.

“Graeme, nip back to the car, make sure we have our big sticks, I have a feeling we are going to need them tonight!”

“Never mind sticks, I’ll make sure we have our cricket bats! The ones with six inch nails driven through the ends!”

Chapter Ten.

That night will go down in my memory as one of the happiest of my life. When we walked in the restaurant, the conversation died down from its hub-hub, to complete silence as we entered the restaurant. First my two new sisters with me sandwiched between them entered the premises, followed by our two beautiful mothers, followed by the two statuesque twins, who were followed in turn by two very menacing looking men. We were shown to a large side booth where the waiters were falling over themselves to meet our every whim, whilst the waitressing staff fussed over the uncles.

During the following weeks my life took on a whole new dimension. I learned all about netball, and to my very great surprise I found that I had an aptitude for the game. I had never enjoyed sport, but I had a whale of a time learning the nuances of the game.

My mum took me to a doctor and then “Auntie” Ruth became my official psychologist, despite having declared that she was known to me. By the middle of the summer I had taken more tests than I thought possible. My mum was able to get me treated as a private patient and before school restarted, I was on a regimen of hormone blockers and additives that started to change my body to match my mind.

Come September Jenna, Jessica and I were enrolled in a local private girl’s school. I had temporary surgery to make my genitalia look close to that of a genetic female, so I could change and my secret remain exactly that, a secret.

By the time I was eighteen, I entered a local private clinic and had my corrective surgery. My netball aunts had a long career with the England squad, and for a while played alongside their nieces. As for me, I played for the school, and made the county squad, but that was far more than I ever expected.

I attended a lot of weddings, first Aunty Ruth married a colleague at her new practice. Then Karen, Graeme and George eventually met and married sweethearts they’d known for years. Myself, Jenna and Jessica were bridesmaids at all these weddings.

Then I was chief bridesmaid at my mothers wedding when she married Katy. They had hit it off from the first day they met, that magical first Saturday in June.

Later I was chief bridesmaid when Jenna and Jessica married twin brothers they had met at the main sporting university in the UK when all four were on full scholarships.

In spite of my mother writing to her parents asking for copies of photographs of her in her youth to show her daughter and offering an olive branch to meet, she never did hear anything back from them, so much for being a good advert for Christianity and the message of love and forgiveness!

Mum eventually received a visit from a policewoman to say her parents had been killed in a car accident.

As an only child and that they had not made a will, mum inherited their house, their bank accounts but the main gift was the photographs. The money she inherited more than paid for my surgery.

As for me, I followed my mum’s example and became a pharmacist too.

But today, today is a very special day, as I am marrying too. I have two joint chief bridesmaids, Jenna and Jessica who proved to be the best friends a girl could have wished for. They stood with me through thick and thin and today they will stand with me at the front of the church as I marry Neil, a fellow pharmacist and who I met on the first day of my university course. He knows my secret, but loves me none the less as do his family,

I am a very, very lucky girl!!